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Reviews

‘The Crown’ Season 3 First Impressions

I think I can safely say that The Crown is one of the most intriguing pieces of television of our time. If you don’t already know, it’s a historical-drama series that chronicles the lives of the current British royal family. The concept of showcasing the life of the presently living monarch Queen Elizabeth II – who is also the longest reigning monarch of British history – is ballsy, for lack of a better word. The Crown is currently on its third season, with no sign of slowing down, as a fourth season has already been confirmed. Since I’m only halfway…

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TV Shows

‘The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance’ Season Review

When the trailer for Netflix series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019) was released, I must admit that I had no idea what it was. I had no clue it was meant to be a prequel series to the 1982 film The Dark Crystal, created by Jim Henson. In fact, I had never even seen or heard of the original film at all. I do know, however, that Jim Henson and his company are renowned for being some of the most important, if not the most important, innovators of puppetry in the film and television world. Jim Henson is…

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Reviews

Fluid Sexuality in ‘Striking Vipers’

If you’ve seen the new season of Black Mirror, you’ll have seen the show’s heavily lauded first episode, “Striking Vipers”. And boy, was it a real doozy – from its strong cast, unpredictability, and the way it tackled certain societal topics, it has easily become one of my favourite episodes. Warning: Major spoilers for Black Mirror‘s “Striking Vipers” below (S5E1). Read at your own risk. The episode begins with two people, Danny (Anthony Mackie) and Theo (Nicole Beharie). They seem to be strangers at the bar at a busy club, only to reveal a few moments later that they were…

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TV Shows

The Importance of Queerness in ‘Sex Education’

Netflix released an original series called Sex Education, which premiered in January 2019. I’ll admit, though I used to love seeing what new additions Netflix had, they’ve come to the point where they’re pumping out so much new material that it’s hard to decipher which one is worth watching. Upon seeing the title Sex Education, I assumed the show would be another denomination of other Netflix series’ like Lovesick, Easy, or Love. And don’t get me wrong: the shows I just listed are amazing. However, it’s just another case of ‘the more the shows, the harder it is to have…

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Reviews

The New Age of Superheroes

The Umbrella Academy TV Review Many of you have probably watched, or are planning to watch, the new addition to Netflix: The Umbrella Academy. The sci-fi superhero show is based on a graphic novel created by Gerard Way, who is best known as the former front man of My Chemical Romance, and artist Gabriel Bá. Right off the bat, I could tell that this show was quirky, goth-y, and slightly surrealist, which aptly fits with the Gerard Way circa MCR brand. The Umbrella Academy revolves around a group of children who were all born on the same day to women…

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Movies

‘Triple Frontier’ Reflection

At the beginning of March, Netflix released Triple Frontier, a film that has been in works since 2011, and has a star-studded cast including Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Garret Hedlund and Pedro Pascal. In my regular weekend haze of swiping through the lists of recommended movies on Netflix I was intrigued by the trailer that showed off an exciting mix between a heist and action movie. So, obviously it was my choice for my next movie night. Before starting, I was bracing myself for yet another patriotic, pro-military Hollywood production, but I was happily surprised otherwise. The film…

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