My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello friends, and happy weekend!

(Spoilery things ahead!)

Well, the Andor finale aired this past week, and I enjoyed it for the most part. All the principals were gathering on Farrix, all of them to find Cassian and either kill or capture him. No one did. In fact, none of them even saw him, and while I expected at least one of them to have a confrontation with him, that didn’t happen, either. Cassian ended up working behind the scenes to free Bix from the Imperials.

Otherwise, it was all about Maarva’s funeral and its aftermath. I appreciated the denizens of Farrix defying the Empire’s restrictions on the event, showing up in numbers and at the time they wanted. This is an appropriate defiance; but I hesitate to champion Maarva’s hologram speech during it. The speech itself was fantastic. But I feel like Maarva didn’t think this through. Surely she must have known that the funeral would be supervised by the Imperials. To instigate an uprising from the people of Farrix right then and there seems a bit…irresponsible? She must have known people would be killed. And yes, of course, sacrifices must be made for the Rebellion, etc etc, but these things need to be thought out and planned. I don’t know, I just thought her speech could have been better timed.

Anyway, Luthen shows up to…I’m not sure, check up on Vel and Cinta? Help with Cassian’s murder? At any rate, once chaos breaks out in the town square, he distances himself and heads back to his ship. True to form, he sees such uprisings and outrage necessary for the Rebellion, but doesn’t want to risk his own life. As he’s said, he’s a coward. In the meantime, Cinta kills the ISB guy that has been watching her for days, Syril saves Dedra’s life (the shippers will be going nuts, lol) and Cassian gets Bix out of the hotel. He gets her to a ship along with B2, Brasso, and Pak’s son, who brought a homemade bomb to the funeral. But Cassian doesn’t go with them.

He waits for Luthen in his ship and tells him to either kill him or bring him in (into his inner circle of Rebels). Because Cassian, over the course of the show, has gone from someone who doesn’t care and just tries to survive, to a true believer who wants to fight back. Many of the people he’s met during the show has influenced Cassian’s transformation: Nemik (whose manifesto Cassian has read and is voiced over during the episode), Kino, and Maarva (who sends a message to him through Brasso); and all the inequities and punishments he’s suffered under the Empire, including his father’s unjust execution, bring Cassian around to the man we meet in Rogue One.

We don’t see much of Mon Mothma in this episode, except to see her cleverly trying to throw off the Empire from the missing money in her accounts by blaming Perrin for gambling, knowing her driver is listening in on the conversation. Also, her daughter meets the the thug’s son, and perhaps a marriage will occur. Or not. We’ll have to wait until Season Two to find out.

I thought the episode was fine, but something made it a bit anti-climactic for me. I’m not sure what it was; maybe it was Cassian lurking around and not confronting any of these people who were out to get him. I expected some kind of confrontation. Oh well. I did enjoy the entirety of Season One and am looking forward to Season Two.

The Guardians with the Legendary Kevin Bacon.

I haven’t been watching much Marvel lately (I chose to pass on both Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk), but I did watch the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. When I saw the teaser trailer for it some time ago, I thought, oh yeah, I’m SO there for that! Lol. Guardians of the Galaxy is one of my favorite aspects of the Marvel Universe, besides Loki and Dr. Strange, and I knew that I’d enjoy it immensely. It was only about 45 minutes, which was plenty, but it was so fun and amusing and makes me excited for the next Guardians movie (2023?)

The premise of the special is that Mantis and Drax want to do something nice for Peter for Christmas, believing Yondu spoiled it for him some years ago. Since Peter has talked quite a bit about Kevin Bacon to them over the years (mostly about his character from the movie Footloose, which was a favorite of his when he was a kid), they decide to….give Peter Kevin Bacon for Christmas!

Goofy fun ensues as they head to Hollywood in search of Kevin Bacon. If you don’t expect too much from it, it’s really fun. And it’s rather heartwarming in the end, which is what all Christmas specials should be.

Anyway, other than that, I’ve been continuing my fevered watching of Poldark. I’m about halfway through Season Three (out of five seasons) and the drama only gets more complicated and juicy. It’s like Jane Austen’s naughty sister, lol. I’m nervous at the start of every episode, wondering what could go wrong next, who will get hurt, what evil George Warleggon will conjure up next. The setting of the show, by the way, is spectacular, with the dramatic cliffs of Cornwall and the boiling ocean waves of the sea a reflection of the character’s churning emotions. I love it!

In books, I’ve finally finished The Obelisk Gate, by N.K. Jemisin, the second book in a trilogy called The Broken Earth series. I’ll probably do a post on all three books when I’m done.

And I finally received Convergence, by Zoraida Cordova, just today, the latest High Republic book in Phase 2. I would have gotten it sooner but I failed to update my payment method when my bank changed some time ago. Oops! Looking forward to starting that one.

That’s about it this week. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello my friends, and happy weekend!

Well, still slogging through Dark Force Rising. I hate to put it that way, but it’s kind of true. I really liked the first book, Heir to the Empire, but this one just isn’t grabbing me. Also, I’m not thrilled about how Mon Mothma is being portrayed, as if she’s possibly a selfish, power-hungry politician; and there’s something about Han that’s not ringing true for me. I don’t know. I’m determined to finish it, though. Just slowly, lol.

In the meantime, I’m eagerly awaiting Brotherhood, by Mike Chen. It’s about Obi-Wan and Anakin on an adventure during the Clone Wars. There are plenty of these in Legends, but I think I’m more of a canon-person. This one comes out May 10th. May is shaping up to be a big Obi-Wan month–this book, the new Obi-Wan comic, and of course, the new show. It’s an Obi-Wan Kenobi fan’s dream!

Marc with “Dr. Harrow.” This show is continuing to impress me on every level.

In Marvel, I watched Episode 5 of Moon Knight (“Asylum”) and…wow. Just wow! I’ve been loving each new episode even more than the last. It started out weird and confusing, but intriguing. Then it got entertaining and downright swashbuckling. This latest episode just knocked my socks off with Oscar Isaac’s performance (and Ethan Hawkes is pretty fantastic too in his role), and the delving into Marc’s past. Turns out Marc is the original personality and he created Steven to help deal with his heartbreaking childhood. I’m wondering, though–I read somewhere that there is a third personality (Jake, I think?), at least in the comics, and if that personality will also show up here. I’m remembering the third sarcophagus that was shaking, as if someone was in it, from Episode 4, but Marc ignores it. Was this just an Easter egg of that third personality, just a wink wink to those in the know? Or will he actually show up? I can’t wait to find out–and how all this will wrap up–in the final episode next Wednesday.

I’m also excited for Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness opening next Friday, May 6th! I probably won’t see it right then, but hopefully within the first week of it being out.

That’s it this week. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello friends, and happy weekend!

I’m continuing my slow reading of the original Thrawn trilogy, and am currently about a third of the way through Dark Force Rising. I usually read the Kindle at work, during breaks or slow moments, but it’s been pretty busy lately. Seriously cutting into my reading time! Lol.

At home, I’m reading Queen’s Hope, the third in the Padme series by E.K. Johnston. I really liked its predecessors, and have been enjoying this one. I did think it would cover a larger time period and maybe get into Revenge of the Sith territory, but it only covers a sliver of time just after Attack of the Clones. Oh well, still worth the read.

My Rebels rewatch continues with Season 4, and I just recently watched Episode 12, “Jedi Knight.” If you’re a Rebels fan, you know what I’m talking about. 😦 And even though it’s my third rewatch, tears were still shed. This show is some of the best Star Wars ever.

Recently saw this, a cover reveal for the next Phase of The High Republic, a YA novel called Path of Deceit:

I love this cover! No idea who those people are, but it looks great.

There’s also new concept art for a new character, a relation to the Nihil villain Marchion Ro:

I’ll be on the lookout for more cover reveals for Phase Two of the High Republic, which begins coming out later this year.

I also heard a rumor that we’ll be getting more Visions sometime this year. I have no idea if it’s true or not, but I wouldn’t be averse to it at all. I liked almost all of the anime shorts, but I had a few favorites (The Elder, The Ninth Jedi, and The Duel being my top three). I’d love to see some sequels to these stories; but if not, new stories will be just as welcome. We’ll see if the rumors are true.

Moon Knight Episode Three (“The Friendly Type”) was a fun ride on Wednesday. I just love how weird this show is, lol. And I love the Egyptian mythology it’s taking inspiration from. I’m definitely getting “Layla is going to fall for Steven” vibes, and I’m on board for that, lol.

That’s it this week. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Moon Knight Ep 1: The Goldfish Problem

Marvel’s Moon Knight, starring Oscar Isaac and Ethan Hawke, premiered this past Wednesday, and I was very much entertained.

Isaac’s Steven Grant is a “gift shoppist” in a London Museum, and is, quite frankly, wishy-washy. But the reason for this is that his life is, well, kind of falling apart. It soon becomes apparent why he goes to bed with leg restraints, has a circle of sand around his bed, and tapes up his door. He has very real “nightmares” in which he finds himself in strange places and has no idea what’s going on.

In this first episode, he finds himself in what looks like Switzerland, being chased by two men with guns. He runs into a town where a bizarre cult-like meeting is going on. Hawke’s character, Arthur Harrow (who puts crushed glass in his shoes in the opening scene…uh, okay) uses some ancient-looking cane to judge people’s souls, the results of which show on the shape-shifting tattoo of scales on his arm. He seems to be the vessel for an ancient Egyptian goddess (whose name escapes me right now).

Anyway, the two guys with guns work for him, and Steven comes to his attention. He apparently has some scarab jewel that Harrow wants, and Steven very much wants to give it to him so they’ll leave him alone. But he can’t–at this point, he figures out that he’s sometimes under the control of someone else, and can hear a voice in his head (who calls him “the idiot”). This person makes it impossible for Steven to give Harrow the scarab.

A chase ensues. He’s cornered, and something happens–he blacks out, and when he comes to, Harrow’s pursuers are dead around him. He steals a cupcake truck and flees, and more henchmen pursue him down the long, windy roads of Switzerland. Steven, of course, is completely out of his element–but when things seem to get really bad, he blacks out, and someone ends up dead. And the voice continues to insult him in his ear. The most he can do is smash cupcakes into some guy’s face, which was hilarious to me.

Anyway, he finally wakes up in his own bed and laughs because of course it was a dream. Right? But things get worse from there. There’s something different about his goldfish–it’s got two fins instead of his usual one. He’s lost two days, because somehow he’d made a date with a hot chic (this is a guy who has no friends and talks to a statue) for Friday night, but it’s now Sunday. He finds a burner phone and calls someone named “Layla” who calls him Mark, and who is confused by his British accent. There’s also a key to…something. Then something weird starts to happen in his apartment; it begins to shake like there’s an earthquake. He runs into the hallway and into the elevator, and some strange being in white robes and a beak mask nearly attacks him. But it’s only an old lady, who thinks he’s a little bit cuckoo.

The next day he goes to work at the museum, but he see Arthur Harrow on the bus. He runs into the museum, and Arthur corners him there. He uses the weird cane to judge him, and the scale tattoo shifts. He tells Steven, “Your soul is chaos.” No kidding. They’re interrupted by museum goers, and Harrow lets him go.

Steven goes to work pricing souvenirs like nothing’s happened (I think I’d go straight to the nearest mental hospital and check in). Naturally, he’s one of the last people there, and as the lights start to go out, he hears something. Like a fool, he goes to investigate, and ends up getting chased by some kind of Anubis-looking creature, clearly at the behest of Harrow. He runs like hell and ends up in a bathroom with lots of mirrors. That’s when he hears a voice–not the insulting voice of before, but his own voice, in an American accent. Steven finally looks over to the mirror, and sees himself there, but it’s not him, either. The other Steven (or Mark, I’m guessing) pleads with him to let him help. As the creature claws through the door and leaps, Steven passes out and Moon Knight, in white robes and mask with glowing eyes, appears and slaughters the thing. And that’s the end of Episode 1.

So yeah, it was just about as crazy as I figured it would be. I’m liking it, though. I need to keep watching so I can figure out WTF is going on, lol. It’s all tied up in ancient Egyptian lore and gods, and I’m wondering how Mark is inhabiting Steven (multiple personalities?) but who is the other, insulting voice, voiced by F. Murray Abraham and identified in the credits as Khonshu? So many questions…

I’m pretty intrigued and am looking forward to the rest of the show.

Did you watch Moon Knight? What did you think? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello my friends, and happy weekend. I hope you all had a great holiday this year.

So I finally finished Kenobi, by John Jackson Miller, and Smuggler’s Run by Greg Rucka. Kenobi is a wonderful Legends book about Obi-Wan when he first arrives on Tatooine to watch over Luke. Smuggler’s Run is a short middle grade adventure featuring Han Solo and Chewbacca, and it was a fun, quick read and one that adds to my “Journey to the Force Awakens” collection. They include The Weapon of a Jedi (about Luke), Moving Target (Leia) and now Smuggler’s Run (Han). They’re all set up with someone during the time just before The Force Awakens telling someone else a story about these characters back in the day and their adventures. It’s a neat little set-up.

So now I’ve picked up The Rising Storm, by Cavan Scott, to re-read before The Fallen Star comes out in a few weeks. I want to refresh my memory of the events in that book before I start the new High Republic adventure.

I followed up my viewing of “The Essential Clone Wars” on D+ with Seasons 6 & 7, although I skipped a few arcs of S6 (mostly the ones with Padme and Clovis). The arc with Fives finding out about the inhibitor chips is vital for S7, and then Yoda’s journey to learn about becoming a Force ghost and facing trials is interesting. I watched all of S7, beginning with the Bad Batch arc, Ahsoka’s adventures with the Martez sisters (I thought about skipping this arc, but the sisters have kind of grown on me), and of course, the last four episodes of Ahsoka facing Maul and then she and Rex during Order 66. Amazing, brilliant Star Wars in these last few episodes. It knocks me off my feet every time.

Why Do Fans Think Spider-Man Might Be in the Hawkeye Finale? — Nice suits.

In Marvel, I watched the finale of Hawkeye, and it satisfied. It wrapped things up rather quickly, and that’s fine. Kate dealt with Kingpin, Maya dealt with her cousin, and then also Kingpin, and Clint dealt with Yelena. I actually came to like Jack in a weird way, and how the Larpers tried to recruit him to their group. I’m still not sure what the deal is with the watch and how it ties to Clint’s wife–I’m a Marvel newbie, so I had to look it up. Apparently, it refers to the comics where Clint’s wife Bobbi was SHIELD Agent 19, and then left to become a superhero named Mocking bird. Just a little wink wink to those who are familiar with the comics (which is not me, lol).

And that wonderful, cheesy performance of Rogers: The Musical at the end was great. I was kind of hoping Clint went back to finish watching it and appreciating the homage, but oh well. So not the best Marvel series, but not the worst, either. My ranking is Loki, Wandavision, Hawkeye, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. I love Sam and Bucky, but sorry guys, it just didn’t do it for me, lol.

Okay, so I saw Spiderman: No Way Home, and I have to say it was AWESOME!

SPOILER WARNING FOR NO WAY HOME, IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN IT AND PLAN TO, STOP RIGHT HERE!!!!!

I don’t even know where to begin with this movie, because it was just so perfect in every way. First of all, I love Dr. Strange, he’s my favorite Marvel character next to Loki, so seeing him here was just wonderful. Tom Holland is always a great Spidey, just so sweet and vulnerable and with the biggest heart. Seeing all the past villains was cool (even though I didn’t know the ones from the Andrew Garfield movies since I haven’t seen them–yet), but seeing all three Spideys in one movie was just beyond all my expectations. I loved Toby Maguire as Spiderman, and when I saw Andrew Garfield show up, I thought, ooh, can it be? Will we see Toby too? And then there he was, an older and wiser Peter Parker stepping through the portal, and my heart just soared. All three of them learned something from the others here, and it was great to see. There’s plenty of tragedy, too, and it broke my heart: May’s death, and Peter’s friends not remembering him. That poor kid. 😦 Anyway, it was a great movie and ranks right up there with Shang Chi, my other favorite new Marvel movie.

Spider-Man: No Way Home Leaked Pics Confirm Multiverse Crossover; Andrew Garfield & Tobey Maguire Spotted In The Climax Scene — Who’s the best Spidey? Answer: all of them.

Sooo–I finally got my Star Wars tattoo! Here it is:

May be an image of 1 person and tattoo — For light and life.

I absolutely love it! It’s my first tattoo (at 50!) and it was a fun, interesting, and slightly painful experience, lol. Not bad at all, though, and well worth it. What do you think of it?

That’s the scoop for this week. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello friends and happy weekend!

This week I finished our book club novel Abigale Hall, and during most of the book I had no idea where it was going or how it was going to end. But I have to say I didn’t think it would end the way it did. It kind of devolved into a B movie horror flick ending involving rotting corpses in a mine and bloody murder and madness, lol. It was quite the ride. We haven’t chosen our new book yet, but we’re looking for something a bit more light-hearted, lol.

In Star Wars books, I’m still working my way through a reread of Kenobi, by John Jackson Miller, and have started the upper middle grade novel Smuggler’s Run by Greg Ruckus. It’s a Han and Chewie adventure story that takes place right after A New Hope. Princess Leia asks them to retrieve a stranded Rebel operative named Ematt. I like these middle grade books when I want something short and fun between longer reads. This one joins my Kindle with the Leia story Moving Target and the Luke story The Weapon of a Jedi.

This contains an image of: {{ pinTitle }} — This is where the fun begins.

On Disney+ I’ve been watching a few things. I started watching Get Back, the Peter Jackson documentary about the Beatles working out their songs and show for the Get Back album. I went through a fairly serious Beatles obsession when I was younger and thought I’d check this out. It was entertaining in its way, but watching several hours of the band rehearsing and jamming songs (and often arguing) is a bit much. I only got through the first half of the first installment, and that seemed enough for me.

It was interesting, though: they’re all brilliant, coming up with songs off the cuff (and feeling the pressure of a deadline looming); Paul can be a bit bossy but it’s clear he wants the whole thing to work and tries to get the others on board; John often looks zoned out; George tries to get his two cents worth in but nobody seems to want to listen; and Ringo sits quietly at the drums watching it all. Cigarettes are smoked endlessly by all, Yoko sits devotedly in her chair next to John reading her magazines or whatever, and George’s swami friends silently sit cross-legged in the corner. It was definitely weird, lol. But there’s no doubt that when these four “come together” (ha ha, get it?) magic happens. Who knows, I may watch the rest of it this coming week.

Anyway, in Marvel I watched Episode 3 of Hawkeye. I’m really liking this series. Echo (Maya) is a sympathetic villain in that she’s seeking revenge for her father’s death, as Hawkeye killed him during his Ronin period. I love that she’s a strong female character with disabilities–she has a prosthetic foot and is deaf. Hawkeye’s own hearing loss is, of course, rather symbolic: whenever someone tells him what an inspiration he is or that he’s a hero, he’s “not hearing” them. He’s defining himself by what he did as Ronin, and that’s clearly something he needs to work through in this show.

I also rewatched Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, because it’s just so wonderful and I love it, lol. I’m already on board for a sequel, not only because I want to see these characters again, but because now I want to know just what, exactly, the Ten Rings are and where they came from.

Also in rewatches, I watched A New Hope just because I wanted some Star Wars and figured I’d go back to basics. I try to find new things or insights whenever I rewatch stuff and realized something here. When Obi-Wan and Luke are in the cantina to meet Chewie and Han Solo, Obi-Wan doesn’t hesitate to bring out the ol’ lightsaber and chop that guy’s arm off. In my reading of the book Kenobi, Obi-Wan is trying to unlearn reacting to things as a Jedi in order to blend in and be invisible. But now, after twenty long years, he’s resurfacing as a Jedi and does it in a flashy way. Knowing Obi-Wan from all the other SW material out there, it seems a bit over the top for him, but I’m guessing he’s relishing coming out of hiding finally and can’t help himself. Old Ben’s gone and Obi-Wan’s back, bitches! At least that’s my in-universe head canon, lol.

That’s it for this week. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello friends, and happy weekend!

This past week I finished my reread of Master and Apprentice by Claudia Gray, a novel about Qui Gon Jinn and his Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi. It’s a great read, and I love the exploration of Qui Gon and Obi-Wan’s relationship at this time. Qui Gon continues to be a fascinating character, a Jedi more akin to the Jedi of the High Republic, I think. A little bit more mystical, more attuned to the Living Force. He’s a great foil to young Obi-Wan, who is much more straight-laced and logical. It’s interesting to see how Obi-Wan changes over the course of the saga, and especially his relationship to the Force. I just love these two Jedi!

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to reread The Rising Storm before the next High Republic book comes out in January, The Fallen Star, by Claudia Gray yet again (I can’t wait for this one, it’s the first adult novel in the High Republic series Gray has authored); or, if I wanted to reread Kenobi by John Jackson Miller, as I’m getting excited for the Obi-Wan series (when D+, when???).

There’s also been a cover reveal for one of the new canon books coming out next year. It’s called Brotherhood, and it’s an Obi-Wan and Anakin story during the Clone Wars, and it comes out May 10th, 2022. Here’s the cover:

Star Wars: Brotherhood cover featuring Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. — Taking place between AOTC and ROTS, Brotherhood deals with “that business on Cato Neimoidia.”

I meant to do a separate post on all the new canon books coming out next year, but alas, never got to it. I’m planning on reading all of them, and I’ll probably do a blurb about each one here as I read them. Three new High Republic novels, four new canon novels, and a Padme Amidala novel are all coming out next year. Needless to say, I’ll be doing a lot of Star Wars reading, and I couldn’t be happier about it!

I’ve also been reading our book club novel Abigale Hall, a gothic tale of two orphan girls sent to a creepy Welsh manor just after World War II. I’m about halfway done, and it’s a strange ride, I’ll say that. I’m eager to see how it all comes together at the end, and will report on it in the next post.

In movies and Marvel, I watched Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on D+, and I adored it! I previously haven’t been too excited about any new Marvel heroes, as I’ve just discovered the Avengers recently (even though they’ve been around for years, lol) and I don’t feel like I’m ready to move away from them. But since it was on D+, I figured I’d give it a whirl–and absolutely loved it. I was enthralled by Shang Chi’s family drama, the amazing martial arts, the incredible visuals, and pretty much just everything about it. And oh, that dragon! Katy was a hoot, too. This was another example of Marvel at its best.

Speaking of Marvel, Hawkeye is out next week, and I can’t wait! You can bet I’ll be posting my thoughts on the first two episodes that will drop next week.

On the SW fan fiction front, I’ve finished a tentative outline, wrote the prologue, and the first two sections of the first chapter. There’s still a lot of plot issues to iron out, but I’ll deal with those as I go along. As long as I know where I’m headed, I’ll be fine. I find that if I try to figure every little detail out at the beginning, I’ll a) never get started, and b) miss out on the amazing insights that come to me while I’m writing. It never fails–when I’m in the writing “zone” the Muse will send me exactly what I need. Anyway, I’m pretty excited about it, and will plod on spinning my tale.

That’s it this week. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Happy weekend, my friends!

So this week I’m finally reading our latest book club novel “Abigale Hall” by Lauren A. Forry. It’s a gothic tale that takes place in the aftermath of WW II in England. Seventeen year old Eliza Haverford and her troubled 12 year old sister Rebecca have lost their parents in the war; their Aunt Bess sends them to work in Abigale Hall in Wales. There they meet the stern Mrs. Pollard, the housekeeper, who takes care of the owner of the house, Mr. Brownawell. But–you guessed it–there’s something strange going on in the old run-down house: strange lights and noises, bloodied books, terrifying dreams, and mysterious predecessors. And Rebecca’s fragile mental health is getting worse. It’s a weird, spooky read, and I’m enjoying it so far.

I’m still working my way through Claudia Gray’s Master & Apprentice, but will probably finish it soon. I’m thinking I’ll reread Kenobi by John Jackson Miller, as I’m in an Obi-Wan kind of mood considering all the hype about the series coming up next year. More on that soon.

First, in movies I watched The Outsiders, based on S.E. Hinton’s book. My daughter had read in in her English class, and I read it along with her. I read it ages ago when I was a teen, and remembered liking it. My daughter’s class also watched the movie based on the book; I had never seen it, so I watched it on Youtube so we could talk about it. It was really a blast seeing all these future 80’s superstars before they were famous; it was a laundry list of 80’s teen heartthrobs, lol. The movie was actually pretty good–it stayed close to the book, and only omitted a few things for time. I would have loved to see more of the relationship between the Curtis brothers: Darry, Sodapop and Ponyboy. It’s a great story about the class divide and the futility of violence; the fact that teachers are still assigning it now, a book about youth gangs in the 1960’s, shows that the themes are still relevant today, and probably always will be. Stay gold, Ponyboy.

Recognize these faces? My daughter wrote her school essay on Johnny. I informed her Ralph Macchio just turned 60 years old, and she got a kick out of that, lol.

So there was a lot of hype about Disney+ day this past Friday, and a lot of excitement building around what revelations they may offer us. I will admit I haven’t seen everything–it wasn’t some big special but bits and pieces offered on social media. I’ve seen the sizzle reel of the Obi-Wan show, and while it’s exciting, I think most of us were hoping for a real trailer. No such luck. There was some really intriguing concept art that was shown, which people will be speculating about for the foreseeable future. We’re just going to have be patient, lol. But surprisingly, there wasn’t a lot of Star Wars stuff, which is disappointing.

I did check out the Boba Fett special Under the Helmet, a short doc on the popularity of the famous bounty hunter, leading up to the release of The Book of Boba Fett later this year. I missed the whole obsession with Boba over the years, but he’s cool and I’m on board for the show.

Marvel seems to have a TON of stuff coming out next year and beyond, and while I probably won’t watch all of it, I’ll definitely be watching some: Loki Season Two is at the top of the list, as well as What If Season Two. Of the new shows, only Hawkeye has caught my attention (very soon!) and something I’d never heard of called Moon Knight with Oscar Isaac. I’m not sure if I’m interested in Agatha: House of Harkness yet. Maybe, we’ll see. I think I can live without She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel, etc. And I’ll be busy with all the Star Wars shows coming out, too, namely Obi-Wan, Andor and The Bad Batch Season Two. There’s only so many hours in the day, lol.

Also, I suspect I’ll still be busy writing my Star Wars fan fiction. I’m still only in the development stage: taking notes and doing character sketches, putting together a rough outline, and doing a LOT of research on Wookieepedia and Youtube. I’d like to think I know a lot about Star Wars, but when you decide to write about that universe, you realize just how much you don’t know. Writing fanfic is a great way to learn about all the stuff you never knew about. It always amazes me how rich and complex the world of Star Wars is. Sometimes I get a little overwhelmed, thinking I can’t do this, I’ll never get it right, there’s too much, what have I gotten myself into, etc. But I’m determined. I’m going to see it through, and you know what? I’ll learn something, definitely about Star Wars, but also about writing, and myself as a writer. As daunting as it is, it’s also been great fun, too.

Oh, and I’ll be watching Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings on D+ tonight. I’ve heard good things about it, and it should be fun. I’ll write about that in next week’s post.

That’s it for this week. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Burning Sylvie Questions

It’s no secret I LOVED the Loki series, and I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about it, lol. Some of the things that I think about concerns Sylvie, and while we all still have questions about her and her life, I thought I’d articulate mine here:

Did Sylvie have Thor for a brother? We only have a little bit of information about Sylvie’s childhood, and she herself says she doesn’t remember a lot. One thing she doesn’t mention is Thor for a brother. In fact, I get the feeling she was an only child. Adopted, yes, and Odin and Frigga told her she was adopted (unlike Loki). But she never talks about siblings, which is something I think she’d remember. Without a brother like Thor to compete with (as Loki did continuously), her childhood was probably idyllic. Probably why she’s so furious it was taken away from her, understandably.
What was Sylvie’s nexus event? This is an obvious question that we have no answer for, but we can speculate. She must have done something to cause the TVA to come after her. I’ve seen fans consider the idea that Sylvie (probably as a result of her happy childhood; see above) was on track to be a good Loki–in other words, a Loki who doesn’t cause trouble, who isn’t a villain that makes others become their best selves. And the Sacred Timeline demanded that Loki do this, that he/she be the villain. I feel like there’s more to it than that, though. Sylvie asks Renslayer what her nexus event was, and Renslayer replies, “I don’t remember.” But we know darn well she remembers, she’s just not saying. Ironically, if Sylvie was going to be a good Loki, it’s that very thing that causes the TVA to rip her from her childhood and create the vengeful, perhaps even selfish, being that she is. They created a monster that tore them down, out of something good.
Does Sylvie really love Loki? Clearly, the mission has always been more important to Sylvie than anything or anyone else. She’s focused like a laser on her vengeance. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t have feelings for Loki (grudgingly). But it seemed to me at first that Loki had more feelings for her than she had for him, and it didn’t bode well. I just knew his heart was going to get broken, lol. When Loki gets pruned right in front of her, there’s almost no emotion on her face. And he was just about to bear his soul to her, and she had no idea what he was talking about, lol. Later, when she’s talking to Renslayer, Renslayer says “What if I told you we could get Loki back?” Sylvie says she doesn’t believe her, but even so, how will that help her find who’s behind the TVA? Or when she’s in the car with Mobius, and he says maybe Loki is still alive, she replies “It doesn’t matter.” She’s so focused on the mission, I just don’t see any room for love. Yeah, she kisses him, but was it real or just to distract him while she grabbed the tempad to throw him back to the TVA? Believe me, my sentimental heart wants to believe that she does love him–in her own way, I guess. But Loki wanted nothing more than for her to be okay, and she–well, she threw him away. It all makes me want to get on board with the Loki/Mobius shippers, lol. On the other hand, when Renslayer asks her if she has any good memories, Sylvie replies “Just one, really.” And we’re to assume it was the moment she and Loki held hands and looked into each other’s eyes on Lamentis, seconds away from destruction and death. So my verdict is that she cares for him, but isn’t willing to go any farther than that, at least until the mission was finished–when she killed He Who Remains. But after? We’ll have to see in Season Two!

Those are my main questions about Sylvie, and I really hope we get more answers and insight in Season Two. Hurry up, Disney+!

Weekend Update: Star Wars, Marvel and Vampires

Happy weekend Star Wars friends!

So I finally caught up with all of my reading and finished four, count ’em, four books this week!

Out of the Shadows, by Justina Ireland. I finally finished this YA High Republic Star Wars book, mainly featuring young Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh and a young hauler named Sylvestri Yarrow. I’m really enjoying the High Republic stories, and this one’s not bad, but I also felt it was kind of all over the place. There seemed to be a lot going on, and yet nothing really seemed to happen, if that makes sense. There was a lot of characterization, which I like, but the plot was a bit dull, concerning a possible Nihil weapon being built in an out of the way sector of space. But it’s about Jedi, which is what I love about the High Republic, so I’ll keep reading!
Freefall, by Alex Segura. This is the other YA Star Wars novel I’ve been working through, this one about a young Poe Dameron and his time with the Spice Runners of Kijimi. This one was fine, as well, a solid story about 16-year-old Poe wanting to get away from the boredom of Yavin 4 and kind of accidentally getting involved in the Spice Runner organization. The only reason he really stays is because of Zorii Bliss, but she is clearly more invested in the group than he is. It’s a decent coming of age story for Poe, when he finally decides what path he wants to pursue in his life.
Truth and Other Lies, by Lyra Wolf. This is the latest Loki novel I’ve read, and it concerns mythical Loki and his relationships with the other gods of Asgard. This one is borderline paranormal romance, and it seems Loki’s slept with quite a few of them, including Sif, Thor’s wife, and Odin himself. But it’s when he meets the human woman Sygin that he falls head over heels. It’s also a sign that Ragnorok is coming, with Loki at its center, as The Destroyer of Worlds. Quite entertaining, actually. It’s the first of a trilogy, and I’ll be starting the second book, The Order of Chaos, soon. Here Loki is ginger-haired and green-eyed, incredibly vain but witty and passionate.
I Was Anastasia, by Ariel Lawhon. This is a novel my book club is reading, and it’s split between the events leading up to the murder of the Romanov family in 1918, and the story of Anna Anderson, the woman who claimed to be Anastasia. Since Anderson was proven a fraud in 2007 through DNA results, the book was less about “is she or isn’t she?” and more about “how in the world did this woman pretend to be Anastasia for 60 years? And why?” Although I was more interested in the real Anastasia and the lead-up to the murders, this was an interesting and ultimately heartbreaking read, for both Anastasias.

With all these books finished, what’s next? Well, the next Loki book, as I mentioned, as well as the next book club book, which we’ll choose in a few days. But I was also thinking about exploring the Old Republic in the Star Wars universe. I haven’t done that yet, and since there will be no more High Republic books out until January (except the comics) I thought it was high time. So I’ve ordered the first Revan book by Drew Karpyshyn. I think I’m ready to dive into that era of Star Wars.

On the Marvel front, I watched All Hail the King, a short (15 min) film with the Mandarin aka Trevor Slattery, the “villain”/actor from Ironman 3, and his time in prison. At first it seemed kind of pointless, if diverting, but then it got to the point in linking to the new Marvel movie Shang Chi and the Ten Rings. Oh, okay. So there’s that. (I haven’t seen Shang Chi yet, and probably won’t until it comes out on Disney+. But don’t quote me on that).

Marvel's What If...? is more important to the MCU than you think — Dr. Strange prepares to face….Dr. Strange.

I much more enjoyed the new What If? episode with Dr. Strange. These shows have been fun and entertaining, with characters switching roles or what have you, but this one was really quite moving and heartbreaking. Besides Loki, Dr. Strange is my favorite Marvel character, and this is my favorite What If? by far. This one wasn’t so much about a hero turning evil (although that’s what happens), but about grief and the impact it has on an individual, and the entire universe. Really good stuff. I’m just wondering who the heck The Watcher is, to be honest. What’s his purpose? He can’t interfere, he can’t change things. He’s not a god, as he tells Dr. Strange, the first time he’s actually spoken to anyone he watches. I guess he’s just a celestial observer of some sort, lol.

Finally, in my quest to acquaint myself with more Tom Hiddleston work, I discovered a gem called Only Lovers Left Alive. TH and his Marvel co-star Tilda Swinton (The Sorceress Supreme–who happened to show up in the What If episode above) are modern-day vampires that have been alive for several centuries. Now, I haven’t been into vampires since Anne Rice in the 90s, but this film was really quite fabulous. It meanders along like a dream, with Adam and Eve (yeah, those are their names, lol) doing their vampire thing–Adam is a musician, creating music (anonymously) and tinkering with technology in an abandoned part of Detroit, while his wife Eve lives in Tangier with her multitudes of books, hanging out with her vampire friend Christopher Marlowe (yeah, that one) who apparently wrote all of Shakespeare’s works. They don’t kill people for blood (not anymore, anyway) and have to find it some other way, especially since most people these days have contaminated blood (alcohol, drugs, chemicals, etc.) Mostly they just hang around and listen to music and talk about Life and stuff. But then Eve’s wild sister Ava shows up and causes trouble. I absolutely loved it! Hipster vampires, lol. Oh, and I love how Adam calls humans “zombies.”

That’s it for this week. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!