Television Tuesday: The Parallels of Emily Gilmore and Catherine de Medici

Television Tuesday is a new feature in which I chat with you about all things television!

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This is a post I’ve been dying to write for some time, going back to when the Gilmore Girls revival was first announced. Now that the revival has come and gone, and Reign has come to an end (the final episode aired Friday, June 16, 2017), I thought it was finally time.

Reign and Gilmore Girls are VERY different shows: Reign is a historical drama based on the life and reign of a young Mary Queen of Scots, while Gilmore Girls is a modern-day dramedy about a mother/daughter duo obsessed with coffee and pop culture references.

One thing these epic shows have in common? They both feature a fierce matriarch.

Emily Gilmore and Catherine de Medici might have been born centuries apart, but they have much in common:

They both command the room. When Catherine de Medici speaks, you listen. Unless you want to lose your head. Meanwhile, Emily will stare you down until you shut up and listen – and listen you will.

Catherine has her Flying Squad, Emily has the DAR. Catherine’s Flying Squad does her dirty work for her. They seduce powerful men and gather intel/gossip/vital information that Catherine can then use to blackmail others. Though the DAR members don’t seduce powerful men, they’re all MARRIED to powerful men and love a good gossip session during afternoon tea.

They both run their households with an iron fist. On the one hand, you have Emily, who wants things done precisely her way. If a maid puts one toe out of line, it’s grounds for termination. Catherine, on the other hand, uses her power as Queen/Queen Mother to ensure her servants are loyal to her and ONLY her. You don’t double-cross Catherine de Medici and get away with it. With their help, Catherine ensures that she’s ALWAYS the first to know EVERYTHING happening in her domain.

They love their children fiercely, but don’t always know how to show it. Neither woman is great at showing her soft side – emotional displays of affection? Super rare! This means they often come off as being cold-hearted and uncaring, yet both women are incredibly maternal and protective of their brood.

On a similar note: meddling is their specialty. Catherine broke Mary and Francis up for fear a prophecy threatening her son would come true, while Emily broke Luke and Lorelei up because she felt her daughter could do better. Again, both women meant well – they just handled their respective situations a bit… rashly.

On a lighter note, they both dress impeccably. They’re always poised and put together – heck, Catherine even dressed in her finest for her own execution!

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At the end of the day, Catherine’s castle may overshadow Emily’s mansion, but they both rule with an iron fist, determination and – when necessary – manipulation. And for that, we love to hate them and hate to love them!

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So, what are your thoughts? Do you watch one or both show(s)? If so, do you agree with the above parallels, or have parallels of your own to add? Tell me in the comments! (And, for the record, if you HAVE watched and enjoyed one of these shows, I highly recommend the other! Again, while they’re very different shows, they do have some parallels and they’re both EPIC – amazing plots/stories, amazing characters, etc).

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**Special thanks to my good friend, KM Robinson, for helping with the pictures included in this post! Check out her website, follow her on social media and buy her books!**

Television Tuesday: Breaking Up (Or Not) With a Television Show

Feb21

Television Tuesday is a fun feature in which I chat with you about all things television!

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This is a post I’ve wanted to write for a long time. Originally, I was going to do three separate posts – one about falling out of love with The Vampire Diaries and one about falling out of love with the Walking Dead, and why I would give each show a second chance. The third post would have been more general, dealing with breaking up with shows.

Then, back in April 2016, I saw a tweet that REALLY annoyed me and, because of that tweet, I REALLY wanted to write my “breaking up with TV shows” post. However, I was going through some very difficult life things and I fell into a blogging slump and never got around to posting. My desire to write this post was renewed tonight, though, when I saw this on Instagram:

I don’t even know where to start with this crap. I don’t know what makes me more angry, the person who said “NOT EVERYTHING IS MEANT TO GO YOUR WAY” or the person who said you’re only a “TRUE” fan if you watch the whole show, regardless of the direction it goes in.

*Takes deep calming breaths.”

I can’t, you guys. I can’t with the bullshit and nastiness. I’m sorry for my language, but WTF?!?!?

Let’s start to unpack this, mkay?

First of all, f*ck anyone who says you aren’t a true fan if you take a break from watching a show. How dare you say that to someone? There are MANY definitions of “fan” and just because you grow weary of a show DOESN’T mean you’re not still a true fan. Same goes for those who start a show late. So the hell what? It doesn’t matter when someone starts watching or for how long they watch. If they watched at all and enjoyed the show at all, they’re a fan. ANYONE WHO SAYS OTHERWISE IS WRONG. You do NOT get to decide whether someone else is a fan or not.

“NOT EVERYTHING IS MEANT TO GO YOUR WAY” — Um. Sure, yeah. Not everything can go the way you want it to go. That’s life. But the whole POINT of watching a show is that you HOPE it will go the way you want it to go. You hope certain characters will prosper, you hope certain relationships will happen, you hope certain plots will either go on forever or end as quickly as possible. And if things DON’T go how you HOPE they will, OF COURSE you’re going to get upset and (potentially) want to stop watching – that’s natural and it’s OKAY!

When a show you love and have been watching for years starts to go south, it’s stressful. You’ve committed however many years to it and it can feel like losing a friend. That show has been a constant companion for you. You care about the characters. You’ve grown used to seeing them once a week. The idea of NOT seeing them anymore can be painful – I mean, this all depends on how much you’ve fallen for the show, of course. If you’re obsessed, it’ll hurt a LOT. If you’re not at that level of obsession, it might just suck a bit. Either way, you’ve committed time to that show and now it’s letting you down and it’s disappointing.

Despite the disappointment, sometimes you don’t want to abandon the show. I know for me, personally, the biggest reason I continue watching a show that’s gotten iffy is because I’m praying it will get better and I want to stay current with it for when (if?) that happens. Because if it gets better and I’m not current with it, it can be hard to find the time to play catch-up. Catching up becomes a burden and, unfortunately, sometimes it just doesn’t happen and you never end up watching the show again, despite your desire to try.

Another good reason to keep watching? Though a show is (overall) disappointing you, sometimes there are STILL certain elements or characters that you LOVE and you want to keep watching for those elements and/or characters – even when the negative stuff outweighs the positive stuff.

To put this into perspective, I’m going to talk about my love/hate relationship with The Vampire Diaries, which I broke up with during season five (accidentally, honestly: I missed a few episodes for family things and the damn CW skipped two of the episodes on their website, so I wasn’t able to watch them before season 6 aired and then, well, I just fell further behind and gave up). I’m sure I’ll get hate for “dissing” TVD (not my intention in using it as an example).. But I just don’t care anymore.

This whole post has been a giant rant (which wasn’t the plan until I saw that TVD confession tonight and got pissed), so I might as well keep ranting.. I started watching TVD when it first came on. I loved the first few seasons, but then things started going downhill.

I loved Nina Dobrev when she was on Degrassi: The Next Generation playing Mia, a teen mom. So I was REALLY excited when it was announced that she’d be on The Vampire Diaries. I hadn’t read the Vampire Diaries books, but I’d heard amazing things about them and was eager to see Nina in another role.

After a few seasons, however, I was disappointed with Nina’s acting and with the direction Elena was going. The Doppelgängers were getting out of hand (I LOVED Katherine, but that was it) and I couldn’t STAND the Originals when they were first introduced. I also HATED when Elena first became a vampire. Plus, I’m a big Delena fan, so obviously I wanted her to end up with Damon; however, the back-and-forth of it all was SO annoying. One episode she’s with Stefan, then she’s with Damon, then she’s back with Stefan. I don’t mind love triangles, but it was exhausting. And let’s not talk about how many times Stefan and Damon flipped their emotions off and became evil, because.. Well, it happened a LOT. Too much..?

I kept watching because I was five season in and invested. I wasn’t crazy about Elena anymore, but I still cared about her and wanted to see what would happen to her. I wanted to know who she would end up with. I LOVED Caroline and Matt, so I was eager to see how their stories would end – and I also totally ship Steroline (no hate), so I was excited to see what their fate would be. And I’ve ALWAYS loved vampires so, first and foremost, I enjoyed watching it for that aspect.

Now, looking back and reflecting on it, I actually really liked the Originals. And Elena made a pretty badass vampire. Plus, as a vampire, she wasn’t as vulnerable and fragile.

If I were to re-watch TVD from season one, I don’t think I’d hate everything I hated the first time around. Or, I wouldn’t hate it as much, I don’t think. Chances are, I’ll NEVER like the Doppelgänger storyline, no matter how many times I watch. But I also know in advance that those storylines are coming, and I can brace myself for that – And this is exactly why I think it helps if you watch a show through and then re-watch at least once. Once you know what’s going to happen, you’re prepared – you know when and how the storylines you hate will end, which is like a giant light at the end of a tunnel.

So… Yeah. I don’t even know what else to say on this subject. I’m just seriously tired of people who get angry at other people for watching a show despite complaining about it. People can do whatever the hell they want. I don’t agree with “hate watching,” but people can do it if they choose and no one can stop them, it’s their prerogative. Breaking up with a show can be an emotional decision. It’s a very personal thing and you can’t tell people to quit a show just because you’re tired of them complaining. It doesn’t work that way.

So next time you see someone railing against a show, maybe don’t attack them for it? You don’t know how long they’ve been watching, why they’re (still) watching or if they’re in the midst of deciding whether or not they want to KEEP watching. And don’t ever, ever question their level of fan loyalty. You have NO right to make that judgement. Take your judgy, negative ass elsewhere.

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So, what are your thoughts? Have you ever broken up with a show? Are you considering breaking up with a show? Did you break up with a show and then give it a second chance? Let me know in the comments!

Also, KEEP YOUR COMMENTS KIND. Do not attack me for my opinions and do not attack other commenters. Rude comments will be deleted!

Television Tuesday: Fuller House Season Two Review

Jan10

Television Tuesday is a new feature in which I chat with you about all things television!

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Hey everyone! Today, I’m going to be reviewing Fuller House season two!

Spoiler Warning!!! I couldn’t do a full review without sharing ALL my thoughts and feels and that means spoilers! So if you haven’t watched it yet, don’t read on (unless you don’t mind being spoiled)!!

If you want to read my review of season one as a refresher, you can check that out here.

Final spoiler warning!!! Okay, review time!

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I’m going to break my review down into Atmosphere, Cast, Pet Peeves and Favorite Scenes, and Overall Thoughts.

Atmosphere:
All I really have to say here is, I still can’t get over the inconsistencies in the house. I know I harped on this last time, but I just can’t.

Cast:
As I did last time, I’m going to break this down by actor/actress. In some cases, I’ll be talking more about the character than the actor/actress (or vice versa). It’s just easier! So:

Candace Cameron Bure: Candace Cameron still can’t act. I know I said it last time, but she just seems really uncomfortable with some of the things she has to say and do. That habit she has of raising her voice at the end of a sentence, like she’s asking a question, even when she isn’t? Still happening and still annoying. Her Danny-isms were even more obvious in season two and it was almost out of hand, like they were trying to make it as obvious as possible that she had turned out like him. I think we got the picture – they can tone it down now. I did like DJ’s overall storyline this season, though, and I felt sooo bad for her near the end, with the whole Steve/Matt thing. I will say, at times, her comedic timing was brilliant and she had some great lines! Example, said to Kimmy: “My son’s best friend is a pain in the butt… Oohhh, now I know how my dad felt about you.”

Jodie Sweetin: Jodi’s acting is the best so far, in my opinion. But I’m a bit biased because, as I’ve mentioned, Stephanie has always been my favorite. I’m really happy she found love this season, but I was really thrown by WHO she found love with. He just didn’t seem her type.. However, he made her happy and I’m very excited to see where their relationship goes in season three! Also, I looooved when she sang! She’s got a great voice!

Andrea Barber: Once again, Andrea Barber was hilarious and on point as Kimmy. Her acting hasn’t really improved much since season one, but she completely embodies her character.

Scott Weinger: I don’t have much to say about Steve. I didn’t like him in season one and I don’t like him now. He and DJ just don’t belong together anymore. I loved them together in the original show, but they’ve just outgrown each other. And that “revenge girlfriend” thing he pulled was atrocious.

John Brotherton: Still love Matt! He’s got great comedic timing, he and DJ have great chemistry, and he’s hilarious! “I can’t feel a thing below my waist and that worries me.”

Juan Pablo Di Pace: Fernando was, once again, hilarious and perfect. His acting and comedic timing were brilliant. I loved his chemistry with Kimmy and I LOVED LOVED LOVED their couple costume for Halloween!!!! It was perfection. Also, his butting heads with Max was HILARIOUS and was the only redeeming thing for Max, who I otherwise couldn’t stand (see below).

The New Kids:
–Ramona (Soni Bringas): I still liked Ramona a lot. I love that she and Jackson, for the most part, get along. They’re like partners in crime! I love their scheming.
–Jackson (Michael Campion): Some of my favorite moments were the DJ and Jackson moments. They were sweet and cheesy and a bit touching. Also, for some inexplicable reason, they made me cry, or at least WANT to cry. I have no idea why, but there you go. Also, the kid who played Jackson’s best friend (Popco?) is hilarious. He was a real smooth-talker, exactly as I imagine Uncle Jesse was at his age.
–Max (Elias Harger): Max is now my least favorite person for that corn cob incident. I’ve had a dog nearly die from swallowing a corn cob. So I’m just done. Maybe that’s not fair because he’s a kid and he should have been taught that corn cobs are bad for dogs, maybe the fault lies with DJ. But that’s just how I feel. I wasn’t really crazy about him to begin with, so this just furthered those feelings. Also, can he please stop screaming and growling his lines! So obnoxious!!!

The Original Cast Adults: The original cast was… Just okay. Once again, their scenes felt awkward and out of place, like they were trying desperately to make them relevant. And since when does Joey have kids?!?! Was that mentioned in season one and I just forgot? Because what the heck?!?! And why were they so bratty?!?!?! And Joey, in general, once again felt like he was just there because fans would riot if they didn’t bring back all the original actors.

Pet Peeves and Favorite Scenes:
Pet Peeves:
**Biggest Pet Peeve this season: What was with the “Dumb as dirt for comedic effect” trope? So many of the characters suffered from it, like Jimmy and – to a certain extent – Fernando and Kimmy. It was almost insulting how overused it was. It wasn’t this bad in season one and I REALLY hope they tone this down in season three!

**Overall, the show was still campy and cheesy. Possibly campier and cheesier than season one. Probably because of the “Dumb as Dirt” trope (above).

**Some of the lines and punch lines were delivered WAY too fast. And the sudden entrances were almost TOO convenient. It adds to the cheesiness.

**The swearing with antacids “holy mylanta” thing is getting REALLY old REALLY fast. It’s totally fine if an actor doesn’t want to swear, but it sounds ridiculous and is WAY overused.

Favorite Scenes:
**The flashbacks to DJ’s, Stephanie’s and Kimmy’s first kisses packed a punch of nostalgia. So did Steph talking about her “three dads” in the wedding crasher scene.

**DJ and Kimmy’s high school reunion was also packed with nostalgia and perfectly on point!

**Gia and Girl Talk! I know Gia was a horrible influence on Stephanie, and also a horrible bully. But I love Marla Sokoloff and I love her character. And we’ve established that I love when Stephanie sings, so I loved Girl Talk being back together, brief as it was.

**The Dwayne cameo is EPIC, for so many reasons. Also Viper and Nelson, but I wish Jason Marsden had reprised his role as Nelson. I know he chose not to return, but it still sucked.

**Uncle Jesse and Aunt Becky naming their adopted baby after Pam made me sob so hard… I can’t even.

Overall Thoughts:
Though still packed with cheesiness, the amount of nostalgia you’ll feel will win you over. If you were a fan of season one, I think you’ll love season two. If you didn’t enjoy season one… Maybe put this one on the back-burner for a bit. As far as the future of this show, it was recently announced that there would be a season three and I absolutely can’t wait! What can I say? Full House was a HUGE part of my childhood and I absolutely love this revival, cheeseball moments and all!

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So, what are your thoughts on Fuller House? Did you like it? love it? Hate it? Share your thoughts in the comments below! If you weren’t a fan, try to keep it civil, please!

Television Tuesday: Why Reign’s cancellation has devastated me

Dec20

Television Tuesday is a new feature in which I chat with you about all things television!

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It was recently announced that season four of Reign would be its last. You can read about it via Variety and Deadline Hollywood.

Anyone who has followed me on here and on social media knows how obsessed I am with Reign. It’s an amazing, amazing show with an incredibly talented cast. Adelaide Kane SLAYS as Mary Queen of Scots

And Megan Follows is brilliant, though a bit scary, as Catherine de Medici

This show brought us Frary

And Matherine

It has given us ALL THE FEELS and gutted us time and time again – usually all in the same episode!

The cancellation announcement has truly gutted me, though. The loss of this show – of these characters – is nothing short of heartbreaking. I don’t say this to be a drama queen. I am honestly, truly devastated.

I started watching Reign during the second season, which aired from October 2014 to May 2015. It was on its mid-winter break and I wanted to binge it before it returned in January. I bought season one on DVD and used a combination of the CW website, iTunes and YouTube to watch the first half of season two. I fell in love right from the first episode, with my deep fangirl devotion hitting an all-time high during season two.

But it wasn’t until later on in 2015 when this show really began to mean the world to me. My family went through a really rough (understatement) period from October 2015-April 2016. And during that time, this show was my solace. My sanctuary. My escape from reality. I fell into this show to avoid thinking of all the loss and heartache occurring in my life. I watched and rewatched the show. I bought the books and DVDs. I even bought books outside of the Reign-verse, both fictional and non-fictional. This was my collection 39 weeks ago, as posted on Instagram (and it’s only grown since then):

I threw myself into the story of Mary Queen of Scots, in any and every way I could. I cheered when the characters triumphed, and cried when horrible things befell them – including death. The deaths of several characters, especially, devastated me beyond words. I felt as though I had lost loved ones – as I was losing loved ones in real life. When I rewatched the show, I cried again at all the same parts (and then some), even though I knew what was coming this time. I felt raw and broken after each death (one in particular), but I knew the show had to go on.

When Mary left French Court to return to Scotland, I felt conflicted. I mourned the loss of her life there and feared for her life in Scotland. But she had grown so much and had become such a strong, confident queen. I was eager to see what would come next – and still am, though that eagerness is tinged with the sadness of knowing the show is ending.

Reign has been suffering from poor ratings for awhile now. I was so relieved when it was renewed for season three, and then for season four. I knew the odds of a fifth season were slim to none, especially when the CW announced that season four would be a mid-winter show. But I still prayed for the best. And then the cancellation was announced. I still don’t think I’ve 100% accepted that this is truly happening – that this great show is coming to an end. It’s been my escape for so long now, I can’t imagine my life without it.

But the producers have promised fans an ending befitting a queen. They knew the end was near and began plotting how to best wrap things up. According to the Variety article:

“The fourth season is currently still in production, so the team behind “Reign” will be able to work on a series finale, knowing that it will be the final episode, giving fans a real conclusion to the story of Mary Queen of Scots. Insiders say that conversations about the show’s possible ending have been ongoing with producers, so the decision to make this season the last were not totally unexpected.”

I’m a little bit wary of what this will mean, though, as anyone who knows history knows that Mary Queen of Scots did NOT have a happy ending IRL. And photos circulating around Instagram are suggesting the show will mirror real life. I know it would be historically accurate but… I just really hope it doesn’t happen. This strong, fierce Queen does not deserve that kind of ending.

But since the show IS ending and there’s nothing that can be done about it (fans have been begging Netflix to pick the show up, but if the show ends in a historically accurate way, there won’t be any show left TO pick-up), all I can do is enjoy the time we have left and remind myself that I have the DVDs and can watch and re-watch to my hearts content. I have the based-on-the-show books and my Mary Queen of Scots book collection. And I have this fandom. Because this fandom is amazing. And I hope it lives on for a long time to come, despite the show ending. Because for as long as I have repeats and this fandom, this show will forever Reign over my heart (see what I did there??).

I want to thank the cast and crew for giving us four amazing seasons of this show. For bringing Mary Queen of Scots into our hearts. For giving us Frary and Matherine. For giving ME a show that allowed me to shut out reality and to push forward, day after day. You’ll likely never see this post, but you have done so much for me and I’m so, so grateful for it. I’ll miss you guys and I’ll miss this show. You’ll be gone, but never forgotten.

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So, are you a fan of Reign? Will you miss it? Do you have any fond memories of the show? Share in the comments!

Television Tuesday: Fuller House Season One Review

Mar8

Television Tuesday is a new feature in which I chat with you about all things television!

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Hey everyone! For today’s Television Tuesday, I’m going to be reviewing Fuller House season one! Spoiler Warning!!! I couldn’t do a full review without sharing ALL my feels and that means spoilers! So if you haven’t watched it yet, don’t read on!!

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Final Spoiler Warning… Okay, review time!

I decided to break my review down into Atmosphere, Cast, Cheeseball Vs. Nostalgia and Overall Thoughts.

Atmosphere:
Starting from the very beginning: I LOVED the opening credits and the way they threw back to the original! It gave me SO MANY FEELS!!! And I know some people are torn about Carly Rae Jepsen singing the theme song, but I actually really liked it – she did a brilliant job, making it feel fresh but also keeping the feel of the original.

Now, onto my biggest pet peeve: The house. As a super fan of the original show, some of the house inconsistencies drove me crazy. Like in the attic, the room they kept saying used to belong to Nicky and Alex was actually the closet in the original show! In Full House, the twins’ room was located by the stairs, next to the bathroom. How did they not catch that MAJOR inconsistency?!?! And the room that was Stephanie and DJ’s? I’m almost positive it was bigger in the original, whereas the room that used to be Jesse’s seemed to be bigger than it originally was. Things like that had me like

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Cast:
I’m going to break this down by actor/actress. In some cases, I’ll be talking more about the character than the actor/actress (or vice versa). It’s just easier! So:

Candace Cameron Bure: Oh, DJ… I liked DJ in the original and I always thought Candace Cameron was the best actress of the three kids. But she always had a habit of raising her voice at the end of a sentence, like she was asking a question. And that was even more painfully obvious now that she’s an adult and it really got annoying after awhile. Honestly, her acting was pretty atrocious, which surprised me – again, I liked her when she was younger and she wasn’t a bad actress then! So.. what happened?!? Her acting was awkward and forced. It was almost like she didn’t want to be saying or doing certain things, like she was uncomfortable. Overall, I did like DJ’s storyline. It was hilarious how she was so Danny-like in her behavior and I loved that she became a vet – though NOTHING from the original show EVER hinted at her wanting to be a vet. So that felt like it was out of nowhere.

Jodie Sweetin: Stephanie has always been my favorite of the daughters and I love the way her story has gone. She’s like the new Uncle Jesse – carefree until she realizes how much she loves being an aunt. It just felt very fitting for her. There was one thing she told DJ that made me cry; I felt SO bad for her. Sweetin’s acting was pretty good – not amazing, but slightly improved from when she was a kid.

Andrea Barber: Andrea Barber was hilarious and on point as Kimmy. Her acting wasn’t necessarily the best, but it was like she’d never stopped playing Kimmy – like no time had passed. Plus, Kimmy was always a cheeseball character, so the cheesiness of the show (I’ll get to that soon) was least noticeable with her.

Scott Weinger: Steve was terrible. I loved him and DJ together in the original. But he was pushy, needy and stuck in his high school glory days. Weinger’s acting wasn’t terrible, all things considered. Like with Andrea Barber and Kimmy, it was like no time had passed since he was last on set as Steve.

John Brotherton: Brotherton was epic as Matt!! He was hot, a dog lover, and perfect for DJ. I could feel the chemistry and sexual tension! They worked so well together and they really bounced off each other (um.. is that the right phrase??) in their scenes. Brotherton was hilarious and had GREAT line delivery and comedic timing.

Juan Pablo Di Pace: Fernando – the actor and the character – was hilarious and I loved him and Kimmy and their chemistry. His acting and comedic timing was perfect. He was like the Fez of the show, but hotter!

The New Kids: Ramona (Soni Bringas) was great and I loved her and Jackson (Michael Campion) and their scheming. Max (Elias Harger) was kind of annoying (what is it with little kid actors and SCREAMING their lines???) but he had great comedic timing.

The Original Cast Adults: The original cast was… Just okay. Ever since I saw Bob Saget’s comedy routine, I can’t get it out of my head. So now I see him as Danny and he gives me the creepy vibe… Plus, why does he look shorter…? And why is his voice so weird? Joey (Dave Coulier) was okay but it felt like his whole role was forced, like there was no point to his return. He didn’t do much except appease the fans (because, if the WHOLE original trio hadn’t returned, I think fans would have been upset). John Stamos was epic – Uncle Jesse’s still got it! But there was something.. Off?… About Lori Loughlin a Becky. Her character was SO baby obsessed, which was cute at first, then became creepy and annoying. And her acting made it seem like she didn’t even want to be there to begin with..

I know I’m probably missing a few cast members in there (like Nicky and Alex, who were hilarious, but barely in the show, so don’t require much comment) and Danny’s new wife (random, much?). But I basically just wanted to cover the original and main cast members.

Cheeseball Versus Nostalgia:
Overall, this was not an amazing, incredible, epic show. The original did a lot of things WAY better. There were a LOT of cheeseball moments between certain lines and certain plots. However, there was also a TON of nostalgia, between references to the original show and general 90s references. The nostalgia – for me – more than made up for the cheeseball stuff. And, really, as awesome as the original Full House was, it was still filled with a LOT of cornball jokes/scenes/plots and cheesy/sappy moments. So if you’re a fan of the original, you won’t care that much of Fuller House is cheeseball. And you’ll DEFINITELY appreciate the nostalgia!

Overall:
If you were a fan of Full House, prepare for major nostalgia feels with Fuller House! If you weren’t.. You might not enjoy it as much or catch all the references. But in my opinion, this DEFINITELY deserves a season 2 (and, from what I last heard, it WAS renewed for a second season!!)! There are so many questions I want answered!!! And I’m REALLY excited to see where the show goes next!

Favorite Moments (MAJOR SPOILER WARNING):
This next section is just a quick list of some of my favorite moments – whether because they were hilarious or because they were nostalia-inducing. Some of these are MAJOR spoilers, though, so I HIGHLY encourage you to NOT READ the next section if you haven’t watched the show!!!

Stephanie singing and dancing: I always thought Jodie Sweetin was a great dancer, even when she was a kid, but I never realized she was a great singer, too! I know some people HATED the seemingly random song-and-dance moments, but I loved them.

Matt/Steve kiss: This moment was BEYOND hilarious! The actors NAILED it!

Stephanie/Kimmy kiss: Again, BEYOND hilarious! This whole scene was hilarious, but the kiss had me lmao!

The sly references to Michelle and the breaking down of the “fourth wall.”: A lot of people were annoyed by this, but I thought it was hilarious. It was like they were making fun of themselves and acknowledging that certain things were being done purposely or for the sake of logic (this is especially true for the Michelle stuff).

The parallels/references to the original: Nostalgia galore! Need I say more??

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So, what are your thoughts on Fuller House? Did you like it? love it? Hate it? Share your thoughts in the comments below! If you weren’t a fan, try to keep it civil, please!

Television Tuesday: An Introduction

Mar1

Television Tuesday is a new feature in which I chat with you about all things television!

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Hey everyone! I’m really excited to introduce this new feature to you. I’ve been in a bit of a blogging and reading slump lately and I’ve been searching for ways to make blogging fun again. Of course Once Upon a Time has been epic, even though I haven’t been doing it for long yet. But I just felt like I needed something more and I think Television Tuesday is going to be a fun way to spice things up around here!

I often find that I have a lot of thoughts and feels when it comes to the shows I watch – both past and present. And, as we all know, Twitter isn’t a great place to discuss these thoughts and feels, between spoilers and trolls. I mean, every time I try to comment on The Walking Dead on Twitter, I get trolled! I’ve been told I’m an ugly bitch and that I should’t f*cking watch it if I hate it… *Cue cackling.*

Plus, let’s face it, it’s hard to discuss TV shows in depth when we only have 140 characters to do it. A simple thought ends up taking 10+ tweets. So this seemed like a much easier way to execute some thoughtful conversations – in a safe, troll-free environment.

In a way, this feature really began when I did the Irish Banana Blog Tour for the Reign books based on the TV show and discussed the Many Ships of Reign. I had so much fun with that post – not only in writing it, but in doing my research and looking up the perfect pictures/GIFs/videos – that Television Tuesday began taking shape in my mind. And now I’m finally making this feature a reality!

I have some AMAZING posts planned for you guys and I’m really excited for them! Sometimes, I’ll be reviewing new shows (like Fuller House and the Gilmore Girls revival). Sometimes, I’ll re-watch a show and share my thoughts as compared to my first run-through of the show. I also have some in-depth discussions planned for particular aspects of particular shows – But I don’t want to spoil you by mentioning what they are now!

Speaking of spoilers, I’m going to try to keep my posts relatively spoiler free. But if I’m reviewing a season or discussing characters and plots in-depth, it may be difficult to do. I promise to always include spoiler warnings! And I ask that you do the same in your comments!

Next Tuesday (March 8), I’ll be sharing my Fuller House review! I debated posting it today, but since it JUST released, I want to give others a chance to watch and enjoy it before I post my review. It’s basically spoiler free, but it still only seems fair to give others a chance to finish it!

I know I’ve said this a few times, but I’m really excited for this new feature, you guys. Between this and Once Upon a Time, I can already sense that 2016 is going to be a great year for Pandora’s Books!

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So, tell me what you think! Are you excited for Television Tuesday? I know Pandora’s Books is 98% book blog, but I hope you’re as excited as I am for this feature!

And I’m open to taking requests! Have something you want me to cover? A certain show (just in general) or a certain topic (whether it be in general, or in relation to a particular show)? Let me know in the comments! If I’ve watched the show and/or feel I have enough to say on the topic you suggest (and it’s a safe, relevant and appropriate topic), I’ll write about it!