When The OA debuted this past December, it was heavily measured against fellow Netflix original show Stranger Things (which premiered only five months earlier). The comparison between the two programs is not unjustified; both are science fiction shows that deal with the concept of alternate dimensions and feature doctors experimenting on unwilling test subjects. Stripped of all…
How Yuri!!! On Ice Reawakened Figure Skating Fandom In Us
Yuri!!! On Ice is a surprise hit not only for its creators, but for its fans, both actual figure skaters and figure skating fans alike. Elite figure skaters have been showing their YOI love by taking to Twitter. For three ’90s figure skating fans, YOI triggered a lot of nostalgic and new love for the…
The 100 Has a White Feminism Problem
“From the ashes, we will rise” is the tagline of the new and current season of CW’s The 100. It’s catchy, pithy, and fits in well with the show’s whole radiation nuisance that’s always hovering in the background of every season. But while radiation is certainly an upcoming threat, another issue has begun to rear…
Not So-Squad Goals on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Rachel Bloom’s stunningly refreshing Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, soon entering its third season, has been a whirlwind of ups and downs, but despite the tongue-in-cheek name of the show highlighting our main character Rebecca Bunch as a boy-crazy (literally) stalker, it’s her female friendships that take the starring emotional role in the second and most recent season….
Riverdale Fashion Report: Power-à-Porter
Fashion has a significant history in the Archie-verse. Straddling the line between slice of life and romance comics, Archie Comics have frequently featured the fashion spreads or pin-up pages of romance comics. Even as romance comics faded in popularity, Archie Comics long carried on the tradition. My very own ’90s Archie Comics, particularly the Betty…
Problems in Riverdale: Formulaic Tropes, Bad Boys Edition
When I first saw that The CW was going to produce a show around my favourite childhood comic, I was thrilled but hesitant. I love a good teen-drama show — the melodrama and high tension mixed with angsty love connections is my jam. However, these shows — typically airing on The CW, MTV, or ABC…
No Riverdale Rivals: Betty and Veronica Are Friends Not Frenemies
Rivalry is one of storytelling’s most popular (and most relied-upon) devices. Need to shake things up? Plot feeling stale? Pit two characters against each other. Rivalries, in general, tend to be widespread–from sports teams to genre franchises–but it’s also very commonplace in the world of comics. Ask any comics fan to name a “versus” pair…
The Structural Shift of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
At the beginning of its second season, The CW’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend had an uncertain future. Although it won two Emmys for its choreography and editing, as well as a Golden Globe for Rachel Bloom’s performance as main character Rebecca Bunch, the show’s ratings left a lot to be desired by the first season finale. The…
Five Asian Dramas Which Make Me Feel Better About Living Life, Honestly
So, you’re online, and you feel bad about the world. What can help? And for cheap-to-free? Asian Dramas. They’re long, they’re lengthy, and they’re full, at their best, of the spectrum of human emotion. And when you feel bad, that’s what you need, something to take you by the nose and lead you through the…
Powerless: Less about the Powerless, More About Those in Power
Powerless Developed by Ben Queen, Michael Patrick Jann, Patrick Schumacker (producers) Vanessa Hudgens, Danny Pudi, Christina Kirk, Ron Funches, Alan Tudyk (cast) NBC February 2, 2017 You have no idea how excited I was for NBC’s Powerless, a sitcom featuring Vanessa Hudgens and Danny Pudi (a biracial Filipina and a South Asian actor! In lead roles! As best…
Road to Riverdale: Penguin Random House Canada Screening Event
This past Friday, Penguin Random House Canada invited me to their offices for a screening of the first episode of the new CW show, Riverdale. It’s a modern take on the iconic Archie characters set in their small town of Riverdale and attendees were encouraged to dress up in either 1950s garb or as the Archie…
The Young Pope: Mostly Pomp, Less Circumstance
The Young Pope 1-3 Director: Paolo Sorrentino Writers: Paolo Sorrentino, Stefano Rulli, Tony Grisoni, Umberto Contarello Starring: Jude Law, Diane Keaton, Silvio Orlando, Javier Cámara, Scott Shepherd, Cécile de France, Ludivine Sagnier, Toni Bertorelli, James Cromwell HBO The simple concept of The Young Pope — he’s the Pope, but like, young, and also Jude Law — was enough…