Beware: the following is a deep dive into the movie, and as such has a ton of spoilers. There’s also some talk about Dragon Age Inquisition, mostly character stuff involving Cassandra. And one mention of DA2, but it gives away the ending and I wouldn’t want that to be ruined for you. You have been warned!
Dawn of the Seeker takes place in 9:22 Dragon and gives us a look at Cassandra’s backstory. In the opening scene you see her take out a dragon pretty much by herself. Why can’t she do that in the video game?? (I do use her in my dragon hunting party because of her background as a dragon hunter in this movie).
The bulk of the movie is about a young mage (Avexis), some blood mages who are interested in her and a possible conspiracy within the chantry. Cassandra gets accidentally swept up in everything and it becomes her mission to protect Avexis. She teams up with a mage, Galyan, to rescue Avexis from the blood mages. According to the wiki, Galyan is a representative of the rebel mages at the Temple of Sacred Ashes and dies when the Breach occurs. If you romance Cassandra, she also mentions him as the only other person she’s been in a romantic relationship with. I’ve never done her romance, but I do have plans to do what I’m calling a “Chantry run” where I romance the more religious characters in the games. She’s going to be my DAI romance for that run.
Along the way we also get a glimpse into Cassandra’s past where she tells a story about blood mages killing members of her family, and that is why she hates mages so much. We’ve seen her distrust of mages in DAI, so that stays true throughout her life (even if she maybe romances the mage she’s traveling with in this movie at some point). I guess one cute mage can’t undo years of trauma and hate.
It turns out the Knight Commander is the secret mole working with the blood mages. Because we’ve never seen a Knight Commander secretly be the bad guy in this universe… (Martel walked so Meredeth could run). He might have murdered the High Seeker, but he was still a boring human when he did it. What, didn’t want to become a lyrium monster and attack an entire town for your cause?
The evil monologue reveals that they’re using Avexis to get her to control dragons to attack the Chantry and the Divine, Beatrix III. Ok, that’s more like it. There’s got to be a big final conflict that puts all the people you’re supposed to be protecting in danger, or are you really villaining enough?
Cassandra gets to solo kill some more dragons, and I’m only a little turned on. Gosh she’s a badass. She might take awhile to warm up to you in the games, but once she does, she becomes one of my favorite companions. She also looks damn good in the Divine armor in Trespasser, if you go that route.
With the dragons and Knight Enchanter dealt with, all that’s left is Head Blood Mage.
Bad guy: I wanted to create a world ruled by mages!
Me: you could have just moved to Tevinter
And then he turned into a Rage Demon and we had to kill him.
The events of this movie earn Cassandra the position of the Right Hand of the Divine. It’s cool seeing this big part of her backstory play out. That title means a lot to her, based on conversations in DAI. And clearly she does a good enough job that she keeps it through multiple Divines, as she is still in that role when Justinia takes over. I’d be curious to see more of her relationship with Justinia in the early days. I’d also love to see more of her with Galyon. The wiki hints at their relationship, but what did that look like? And how did it end? Was his role with the rebel mages what put a rift between them? I have so many questions.
That concludes this look into Dawn of the Seeker. If you’d like to watch the movie for yourself, it’s available on Crunchyroll. Up next, is the Penny Arcade Dragon Age Origins prequel comic and then we’re finally starting Dragon Age Origins! The Leliana’s Song DLC is first, and it will be a first playthrough for me. I can’t wait to dive into this game with my new knowledge.
The second book in the Dragon Age series takes place 8 years after the rebellion that makes Maric king and drives the Orlesians out of Ferelden. It’s also eleven years after he takes his unplanned excursion into the Deep Roads, which is important for PLOT reasons. Yet again, I can’t wait to dive into the games with new book knowledge in my head. There’s going to be spoilers for Dragon Age Origins, but specifically the Awakening DLC this time, as well as possibly some Inquisition talk. Intrigued how those two things connect? Lets get into it.
First off, we meet a recently recruited Duncan, fresh off the streets of Val Voyeaux. Before that he was a thief, which I did not expect that to be his backstory. He also super does not seem to want to be a Grey Warden at all, but it was literally that or execution. Not great choices. Anyway, our heroes ask Maric for help because one of their own has been captured by the darkspawn in Ferelden. He has knowledge of the Old Gods, and they are concerned if the darkspawn get this knowledge a Blight will begin. They ask Maric to guide them, since he has been to Ortan Thaig before. He agrees, which of course Loghain is not happy about. Remember in the last book when Flemeth gave Maric a bunch of prophecies? We learn that one of them was about a coming Blight! That was one loose end I was wondering about, so I’m glad they picked it back up here.
Before I continue, let’s introduce our cast of characters. The Wardens going on this excursion are Duncan, Utha (who is also a Silent Sister), Nicolas, Julien, Fiona (yes, that Fiona), and Genevieve (commander of the Grey Wardens in Orlais). The man they’re looking for is Bregan, Genevieve’s brother. After meeting everyone briefly and setting up the mission, we swap POV and see what Bregan is up to. I love that they do this. It’s so much more interesting seeing the shifting perspectives and them eventually meeting than just watching the group push their way toward Bregan to find whatever twist in the end. Especially because of who Bregan is with. Because, dear reader, I was not prepared for The Architect of all people to be the one to have captured Bregan. If you haven’t played the Awakening DLC you really should. I’ve always wanted them to do more with The Architect. He’s such an interesting character because you truly do not know if his intentions are good or if he has an ulterior motive. I was really conflicted with my choice in the end, and could see an argument for either option honestly. And that is what I love about Dragon Age, is it’s full of choices like that. But I digress… My favorite part about chapter 2 is that it doesn’t reveal who Bregan is talking to right away. There’s just this intelligent darkspawn that I thought”this is giving me Architect vibes” and then the reveal happened and I nearly lost my mind.
There’s lots of interesting character developments in this book in addition to the general plot being good. For one thing, Fiona hates Maric at first, which I found fascinating considering I knew they eventually had a kid together. It was fun looking for the thing that would eventually change her tune about him. Her reasons were understandable though. She was expecting him to be a typical stuck up noble who doesn’t care. Also there’s some trauma regarding her old human master before she joined the Wardens when she was a slave. Meanwhile, I think Fiona wakes Maric up from the funk he has been in. In between books Rowan has passed away and he’s been very disconnected from everything. Going on the adventure in the first place is him doing something that feels like it matters, and then he makes this connection with Fiona. It’s a bummer they don’t end up together because she’s really good for him, and they make a good team when she lets her hackles down.
Meanwhile in PLOT LAND, this isn’t a simple “stop the Blight” story. The Architect has a proposal for Bregan that he says will end Blights forever. It also would mean tainting all of humanity and the darkspawn finding and killing the remaining Old Gods. No big deal!
While Bregan is making deals and corrupting himself for the greater good, the group is fighting a lot of bad stuff to save him, including a mother fucking dragon! Duncan does some dope but risky maneuvers, and Julien dies in the fight. Nicolas blames Duncan for his death. Yay tension! The group also fight a demon and get stuck in the Fade. Here we lose Nicolas as he decides to stay behind, but everyone else escapes their dreams and presses on. We also learn that Nicolas and Julien were lovers, and that’s why he took his death so hard. The group finally are close and when they take a rest two big things happen: 1) Maric and Fiona end up alone together. This is one of two times this happens in the book, so 50/50 this is when Alistair is conceived. And 2) Genevieve sneaks off while they’re all sleeping. She assumes the group will decide it’s too risky to follow her and turn around, and she’ll complete the rest of the mission on her own. She manages to find her brother and is convinced to join Team End The Blights.
The rest of the team, of course, do not turn around and leave her to do stupid things on her own. While trying to catch up to her, they are overwhelmed by darkspawn and saved by The Architect. They are then told The Plan. Utha immediately joins Team End The Blights. Everyone else says “let me sleep on it” then promptly escapes. Kell does a Heroism and leads the darkspawn away so the rest of them can reach the surface. I think to myself “we are now down to the members I know are safe because of Plot Armor” (Duncan and Fiona both appear in future games so I know they have to be fine).
The group reach the surface, find the First Enchanter, and BETRAYAL, they are captured AGAIN. This is getting really old, y’all. It is revealed the First Enchanter gave them items that, yes, did hide them from the darkspawn, but they also sped up the corruption in them. He has been working with The Architect this whole time! A big battle ensues where Loghain shows up coincidentally, the Enchanter betrays The Architect the first chance he gets, and Genevieve and Bregan see the error of their ways in the end. The Architect and Utha slip off back into the Deep Roads (which I figured had to happen because he has to still be around for the DLC he’s in). The heroes celebrate (I guess) because they mostly won. At least there won’t be a Blight (this time).
In the epilogue Fiona and Duncan sneak into the castle to visit Maric. This is where I start thinking about implications, with some reveals in their conversation. First of all, they have to sneak in because Maric fears Loghain won’t trust the Wardens anytime soon. Quote from Maric: “He’s still not convinced the Grey Wardens weren’t in league with Remille, and I’m not sure he’ll forgive me for telling your order it could return to Ferelden for good. I think you can expect he’ll be watching your every movement like a hawk when you do.” Thinking about this quote and DAO – obviously the Wardens were opposing him and his plans, but also apparently he already didn’t like them for other reasons. This is very interesting and something I’ll have to keep in mind when talking to him in the game during my next playthrough.
Duncan announces he’s becoming second in command, which is huge considering where he was at the start of the books both in the ranks and his general attitude about the Wardens. Clearly he’s on the road towards where we see him in the first game. The book doesn’t mention who the commander is, and I wish it did. I don’t remember if there’s a codex entry or dialogue about it in game, or perhaps one of the other books mentions it. I’ll be on the lookout, for sure.
Fiona has several big announcements. First, she likely won’t have to go through the Calling because of the fake one she went through with the brooch the Enchanter gave her. This explains how she still hasn’t gone through her Calling by the time we see her in Inquisition. She also says she’s going to be sent to Weisshaupt. But before she goes, she introduces Maric to his son! Her request is that the boy gets to live a normal life where he’s not the son of a Grey Warden or a king. Duncan promises to keep an eye on him to make sure he’s safe and bring Maric news from time to time. And that is how Alistair ends up not growing up with Maric in the castle.
Final thoughts: It was great seeing so much of Fiona in this one. I respect she wanted to let Alistair have a “normal life” but he did eventually find out his real parents sent him away and had to wonder was it that they didn’t want him/couldn’t be bothered, which sucks for him. I’ll have to pay extra close attention to his dialogue to see how he talks about that whole situation. Also talking to Fiona about him in Inquisition is going to hit differently too. My favorite part of this is unlocking new lore and the extra layers these characters get with it.
Thus concludes my recap/thoughts on The Calling. Next up is the first Dragon Age comic!
I kept getting holds at my local library, so I just finished my first Dragon Age book over the holiday weekend. I don’t have anything on the horizon, so the next one should move pretty quickly and then hopefully you’ll be getting regular Dragon Age Origins videos out of me. I’m really looking forward to playing it with this book in my head. Loghain is going to read much differently. He’s still an asshole, but he’s an asshole with layers.
First of all, I cannot tell you how much I loved living in this world in a written form. Seeing characters that vaguely get referenced become fully fleshed out made my brain squee. Obligatory SPOILER WARNING that after this point there will be in depth discussion of both the book The Stolen Throne and the video game Dragon Age: Origins. You have been warned.
You know how Loghain is supposed to be a great war hero but all we know him as is the bad guy in the video game? This book takes place during that war. We meet Prince Maric when his mother, the Queen is betrayed and killed, thus making him the next in line to the throne and in charge of the rebel army along with his father-in-law, the Arl Rendorn. Loghain meets him while on the run from the traitors who have killed his mother and want him dead too. At first it’s just “I’m going to get you somewhere safe” and then it snowballs into joining the rebel army and ultimately becoming a commander of that army and one of his best friends. Except, oops, along the way he develops feelings for Rowan, the woman Maric is supposed to marry. Awk-ward! It’s fascinating seeing how Loghain’s relationship with this family develops over time, knowing that ultimately he is going to be an advisor to Maric’s son, Cailan, but that’s going to be complicated as well. More on that at the end though.
There’s one particular section in an early chapter I loved, where Loghain and Maric are traveling through the Wilds and meet Flemeth. She, of course, has some juicy dialogue that I made note of because I thought it would be prescient for future chapters (or even possibly the next book, since I know Maric is in that one as well). Hell, you could even argue she’s referencing Loghain’s actions in DA:O with this beauty, “Keep him close and he will betray you. Each time worse than the last.” I’d say leaving Maric’s son to die in battle could be considered a betrayal? Although there’s also this exchange towards the end of the book, after Loghain has diverted from the army to save Maric, where Maric then makes Loghain promise, “Next time I don’t come to your rescue”. I spent most of this book looking at their relationship and seeing what happens in DA:O with Cailan, and part of that I will admit was me mixing up who was king at the time, but I also wonder if Loghain remembers this moment and several others that add up to “sacrifices need to be made” and that’s his justification for doing what he does during that battle where Cailan dies. It doesn’t necessarily make me agree with him, but it does get me to a place where I see where he’s coming from in a way I didn’t expect to be able to.
The epilogue shows us that Loghain has been rewarded with a title of nobility – Teyrn of Gwaren. He marries and has a daughter, Anora, who we see is married to Maric and Rowan’s son Cailan in DA:O. What’s interesting is that in the epilogue it’s mentioned that after Loghain gets his title he stays in Gwaren and never visits the palace until Rowan’s death. Cleary he and Maric don’t speak again but patch things up and sometime after promise their kids will get married…? I’m curious to see what other things get filled in with the next book before continuing on with the game, but this one really does change how I view events especially early on when Cailan is still alive and you interact with him and Loghain more. I’m very excited to play with this new knowledge in my noggin.
One last interesting lore detail to wrap things up. In the last chapter, right before the big battle, a dragon flies over Ferelden. This is significant because, at the time, it was believed the Navarrans had hunted them more than a century ago into extinction. The Chantry takes it as an omen, and the Divine in Val Royeaux declares the next age as the “Dragon Age”. And thus our series was born.
Hello friends! It’s been awhile and I have so many things I want to share with you.
What have you been up to?
Well…. there’s the health stuff, for starters. Migraines are still being a (literal) pain, but I’m currently doing Botox treatments and am playing the waiting game to see how they respond to that. In more fun news, I went to a ska festival last weekend! It was 3 days of music and catching up with friends, and I had an absolute blast. For those not in the know, Supernova Ska Fest takes place in Hampton, VA. It’s usually a cross between bands I love, bands on my bucket list, and bands I never heard of before. There’s acts from all over the world who come to participate. This year they had Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, Bad Manners, Out of Control Army, Adhesivo, Stranger Cole, Hollie Cook, and Sister Nancy – and that’s just the international acts. I cannot properly convey how much fun I had. It was even worth feeling buried in things to do for the next week after I got back.
Am I a music blog again?
Maybe! I at least want to dip my toe back into it. I used to do way more writing about music on this site, and Supernova inspired me to try to get back to those roots. Maybe next year I’ll try doing write-ups on the bands as they’re announced.
What games have you been playing?
I’ve actually been doing a ton of gaming lately. My ADHD doesn’t hold focus on any one thing, but I started FFXV and even posted some short clips on TikTok. I also bounce between being obsessed with FFXIV and dropping completely off it. Lately I’ve been focusing on Baldur’s Gate 3 (like a lot of us I am obsessed, although still in Act 1) and Palia, a cozy online game currently still in beta. I also recently downloaded Marvel Snap on Steam and really like it. The dailies give you a reason to do a few matches in a row, but don’t feel too demanding. And finally, I’m getting back on an Idle Champions kick. They added a couple characters from BG3 and sucked me back in. Maybe I’ll do some individual posts of these games if the mood hits me.
What about streaming? Still doing that at all?
I’ve been on a very long hiatus due to both health and other life stuff. I tried to come back for my affiliate anniversary Sept 20th and had major tech issues. Still, it was nice catching up with everyone before things imploded. I’m hoping I’ll be able to find time to fix whatever the problem was, but I also might need to wait till I get a new headset. The other one gets really uncomfortable. Even after only 2 hours I had a little migraine forming. I currently have a kofi goal to get some stream upgrades. I also have a birthday and Christmas to look forward to. Maybe a guardian angel will smile on me for the holidays.
It’s too soon for Christmas! Don’t skip Halloween!
You’re right, we cannot forget the best month of the year – Spooky Month! I’m building a list of new horror movies to check out and have actual plans on Halloween night. Bringing it back around, it happens to be a ska show. I’m really hyped to get into some good spooky fun this year
Well, that’s all from me for now. I’m gonna try to get back into the swing of things again, but I’m not forcing myself to write every week like I had been. I’d like to be consistent, but I also have to accept that my body might not always cooperate with me. Now, share your favorite horror movies in the comments and pass the pumpkin coffee over.
Hi fam! You may have noticed I dropped off the face of the internet this year. I did a big New Years post and then poof nothing till May. I remember that being a very good month. I wrote regularly, streamed every time I planned to, and generally felt like things were getting back on track. But then I got sick and never came back. Part of it was burnout. Being in pain every other day (on average) takes its toll. My focus became using my time not spent at work to relax, catch up on tv, and wait until I got better. If I knew that would mean taking the rest of the year off, I truly don’t know what I would have done. But you can’t change the past, so there’s no point in dwelling on it.
I started this by writing a script for a YouTube video, but, real talk, I don’t think I can talk about this year without being on the verge of tears. This year took a lot out of me. I’m trying to focus on the good, but I had so many plans for this year and did none of them. For one, this will be the first year I don’t meet my reading challenge since I started doing them. I didn’t even come close. I also started my favorite game on stream but I’m still in Act 1 and have no idea when I’m going back to it. According to my twitch recap, I streamed a total of 8 times for the entire year. I knew it wouldn’t be great, but that was worse than any of my expectations.
So what about next year? Honestly, I can’t worry about that now. I’m currently living one day at a time. I’m making plans for 2024 because I honestly don’t know what next year holds, but I feel fairly confident that I will have either fixed my problems or found coping mechanisms for them by then. I hope to take a second crack at that reading challenge and get back to sharing my joy with you on Twitch. I hope to finally put together some long held plans for the YouTube channel. But now, in this moment, I can’t even begin to think about that.
I’m sorry this entry was kind of a downer. I knew I didn’t have a lot of good to recap, but I didn’t want to not acknowledge where I’ve been either. Consider this my “I’m still alive” post.
That’s all for now. Don’t forget to hydrate, take your meds, enjoy some yummy foods, and take care of yourself. I appreciate everyone who has given me the patience and support I needed while I deal with everything. Here’s to 2023 going a little easier on us.
I have been a Jukebox the Ghost fan since I saw them OPEN for The Postelles (I think) at Knitting Factory’s Tap Room. They are one of the only bands I have been following for that long and have never missed a new album, each of which always seems to be almost speaking directly to me and where I am in my life at the time. I have watched them grow as musicians and people, and am so happy to see them grow and succeed.
One thing I have always loved about this band is that they make *albums*. Each song and the order they are placed seems purposeful. After 18 years it’s no surprise that this album seems to be about growth and change. Wasted hits particularly hard, especially the chorus:
We were broke We were brave 25 years in a hurricane We were wild, we were wasted Up all night, we’d dream all day Almost let you slip away We were wild, we were wasted
It reminds me of the early days of my own relationship, broke and dreaming of the future. We’ve come so far and seen so much and made it to the other side.
Of course the songs are plenty catchy too, if you’re not looking for deeper themes. Ramona will probably be stuck in my head for weeks. And what Jukebox album would be complete without Tommy writing about the apocalypse? “Us Against the World” might be about the end times, but it also feels like it could be about the present day. It does it in a way that feels the listener with hope though, rather than fear.
One of my favorite things musically is a good transition, and this album delivers that too with “The Machine (Intro)” into “Everybody Panic”. I also love the mixed sense of comedy and urgency in the line “Everybody panic but one at a time”. This band has always had a way with words, and the new album is no exception.
We get more of the above with “Raise a Glass” into “How the World Began” as well as the fantastic line “Every heartbreak’s just another song in waiting”.
Our journey comes to an end with a “Cheers!” and what could be more fitting than that? “Here’s to more of the every day” and to more great music from this amazing trio. I’m glad this college kid a [redacted] number of years ago made many a terrible decision to write that paper later and go see a show. The only band that has meant as much to me as this one was World/Inferno, and that chapter of my life has sadly come to a close. But here’s to more sing-a-longs and music and facing whatever comes next. This album closes on a hopeful note, and so will I. Because without hope, what’s the point?
Warning: this one is going to get very serious. I have some thoughts and feelings about the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard trial. If the subject matter is triggering for you, please take care of yourself. I promise the next one will be light and fun.
I will begin this week by saying I do not normally follow celebrity news, but I’ve been a huge fan of Johnny Depp since I can remember being a fan of anything. I also have a lot of heated feelings regarding the details of this case. With that in mind, buckle in, folks. It’s gonna be a bumpy ride.
Our story begins with the #MeToo movement and an op-ed. In ye olden times before a hashtag started a movement, women generally kept silent because 1) no one would listen, so why bother? And 2) worst case scenario it could jeopardize their careers, especially in the entertainment industry. Just look at how many women came forward in the Harvey Weinstein case and said they feared he would blacklist them. The #MeToo movement was a good thing. I’m glad we listen to women tell their stories. I also wish we didn’t stop there.
The catchphrase became “believe all women” when it should have been “believe all victims”. Not only does the latter include nonbinary people, it also allows that men can be victims too. Enter the current trial.
When Heard first accused Depp of abuse it wasn’t the full and immediate cancellation of his career we probably would have seen if it happened today. But after the UK trial went in her favor, his career did take a more noticeable hit. The big thing I will highlight is his removal from the Fantastic Beasts franchise. (Really that whole franchise and JKR should be canceled, but that’s an article for a different day). I admittedly don’t have an exact timeline, although there are plenty of other articles who will gladly give you the deets. I do know that at the time Warner Brothers let him go it had become public knowledge that he claimed she had committed abuses towards him.
Whether or not he is guilty is not the subject of this article or my place to decide. Where I’m going with this is that it is unfair for him to be let go based on her accusations but her career continues to thrive despite similar allegations against her. WB just recently said they were “reducing her screentime” in the upcoming Aquaman 2. Reduced screentime is not the same as being let go. If the precedent is an accusation gets you fired, then fire her. Either recast her or remove the character from the film. Yes, it would complicate and delay the film, but make the tough choice. Show men who are victims of abuse that they’ll be believed too. Because everyone who is in a toxic and dangerous relationship should be able to come forward and find help in their time of need.
I hope this trial doesn’t discourage others from coming forward with their own stories. If you’re in a dangerous relationship, there are people who will help. This has been an extreme and public case, but that doesn’t mean it always has to be. Don’t be scared to stand up for yourself when your physical or mental well-being is at risk.
Thank you for allowing me a moment to focus on such a serious topic. I try to be a source of entertainment, but some things are too important to stay silent. We’ll return next week with a music review. It’ll be just like the good old days. Until then: stay safe, take your meds, and don’t forget to hydrate.
This should go without saying, but this will have lots of spoilers for Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. You have been warned!
I know a lot of people who have some opinions about the new Doctor Strange movie, but I am here to tell you I loved it. At first I was concerned about how short the runtime was, but they managed to pack a lot into those two hours. I think my only complaint is you kinda get thrown right into things, but it’s a very minor complaint that I’m not all that mad about. Otherwise it was a great story with a rollercoaster of emotions. I wish Wanda/Scarlet Witch wasn’t the main antagonist and/or that her story didn’t end the way it did, but we’ll get there.
First of all, with how quickly and often Dr Strange was asked “are you happy?” I knew that was going to come into play at some point in the movie. For a second when he and the Christine from the other universe (sorry I cannot remember numbers other than we are confirmed 616) were talking about “I wish you could see where I’m from, it’s beautiful” that one of them would be going with the other, but Strange knows he has more work to do, and I think he’s become content with that by the end of the movie.
Now about that other universe Christine was from – I (and a good portion of the theater) cheered seeing the Illuminati slowly introduce themselves. In a few short moments we got to see Black Bolt, Captain Marvel, Captain Carter, Reed Richards, and Patrick Stewart reprising his role as Professor Charles Xavier with the classic 90s X-Men theme playing during his entrance. My nerd heart sings!
If that weren’t good enough, we also got to see Clea make an appearance during the after credits scene, teasing a visit to the Dark Dimension? I’m really looking forward to seeing where the universe takes Strange, especially if it lets him move on from Christine and we see him and Clea more.
Now let’s talk about Sam Raimi. He’s one of my favorite directors of all time. If you never saw Evil Dead, do yourself a favor and fix that right now.
Go on. I’ll wait.
Seriously though, there were quite a few moments where Raimi’s signature really shined through. The best examples are the cameos – Bruce Campbell as Pizza Poppa and The Classic (the Oldsmobile Delta that is in almost every movie of his). It’s become a game with me to spot the car as an easter egg. And of course it’s fun seeing Bruce Campbell pop up in random small roles. Almost like back in the old Marvels days where we’d wait to see where Stan Lee would appear.
Finally, let’s talk about the actual story. We got a look at how Wanda is coping after the events of WandaVision. (Spoiler: she’s doing poorly). I’m happy she’s got a moment of clarity and redemption, but I have mixed feelings about her final moments in the movie. It’s poetic to see the space we mistook for a tomb become her actual tomb, but I also would rather see her get to move on and be happy rather than sacrifice herself to protect the world from her potential for chaos and catastrophe. And yes, people have pointed out to me that we never saw a body so she might not be dead, but it felt like her story was concluding there.
Overall I continue to be excited about what the MCU potentially has coming up. My big question after the movie ended was the potential for a Young Avengers in our future. I originally figured Wanda’s kids would be involved. True, the multiverse versions of them exist, but how much are they going to be featured versus our universe? I guess that’s something else I’m curious about is how much we’ll be visiting other universes now that we confirmed their existence. That is one way we might see Wanda again. I think we’re definitely going to see more of America Chavez, and her power is teleporting amongst the universes. Whatever happens, I’m excited for the MCU to get weird and make some bold choices in the future.
What about you? What are you most excited about? Is it the Fantastic Four becoming part of our universe finally? Or maybe getting to finally add some mutants to the mix? Let me know in the comments below.
It’s that time of year, where you find out which of your favorite shows have been axed. This isn’t strictly a network tv thing, but I do feel like it’s less common (or at least more spread out) with streaming services. Don’t get me wrong, I will never forgive Netflix for axing Cowboy Bebop after only one season, but CW has really freed up my tv-watching schedule for next season, It had already canceled Batwoman (which was not a huge surprise) and Legends of Tomorrow (which was much more of a shock), but last night they announced, among other thing, Naomi and the Charmed reboot have both been canceled as well. Add to that Supergirl and Arrow both having left their lineup (although at least they got proper series finales), and that leaves Flash and Superman & Lois are the only things left I still watch of theirs. I *did* see a Supernatural prequel and Gotham Knights series both got picked up for next season, so I might give those a try with my newly found free time, but I’m also kinda hesitant to get too attached to new things, Naomi only got one season before being canceled, so what’s to say these will do any better.
This leads me to the question, “Is network tv dead?”
I’m not sure I have an answer just yet. This is definitely the biggest clearing of the board I’ve seen a network do that I can recall. And other than the CW superhero stuff, the only thing I watch on “traditional” television is the newly resurrected Law & Order, and Walking Dead with its many spin-offs.. (Side bar: L&O has done a very good job figuring out what to be, with the changing attitude of the police in today’s society.) Most of my tv viewing comes from the many streaming services out there, including all the Marvel stuff on Disney Plus and Star Trek things on Paramount+. I’ve only seen Picard so far, but I’m planning on binging Discovery next.
What about you? Are you watching anything good on cable? Or does your time strictly go towards streaming services? Let me know in the comments so we can chat.
Hi fam! You may have noticed I’ve been pretty absent the past few months. I had a lot of plans for this year, but then quickly approached burnout and had to take a break. I was going to have YouTube focus on game reviews and my 100 book reading challenge. I was going to collaborate with friends on Twitch, start a Storyteller Saturday series, and continue my canon DA run with my favorite game in the series – Dragon Age 2. Instead I dropped off the internet to focus on getting through a pretty hectic work schedule while still dealing with health stuff.
You may also be aware that here in the U S of A we’re facing some pretty dark times. I was originally going to break my hiatus for Pride, but I’m coming back early to do some fundraising relevant to the pending Supreme Court ruling. I’m also going to try to bring back Monday Musings, and even try to not make every one of them be about politics. I wanna focus on the good in an otherwise dreary timeline.
So here’s the plan: the Dragon Age VODs I still owe you are getting edited and thrown on YouTube (one is all ready and releasing tomorrow), and I’m starting streaming again Wednesday. I had a poll going with two options and a third that said “why not both?”. Of course the chaos gremlins who follow me voted for that, so we will be splitting our time with an old classic – Civ V – and a new game to the lineup: Dorfromantik. That’s gonna start at 4pm my time. And I’ll be aiming to stream at least once a week, although not always the same day.
The only way we survive is together. I’ll see you around the internet.
