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TV Shows

American Gods: Season 1 vs. Season 2

During quarantine, I found myself buying an Amazon Prime subscription so that I could finally watch a bunch of shows I’ve been dying to catch up on, and American Gods was at the top of my list (along with The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Boys, and Good Omens, all of which I will inevitably review in the future!). Naturally, two weeks into my Prime binge, I had already watched the full two seasons of the show. And while I absolutely loved Season 1, I can’t necessarily say the same thing about Season 2. Here’s why. (Warning: major spoilers for both…

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Reviews

Aladdin (2019): Film Review

Before I watched the Disney live-action remake of Aladdin, I’ll admit I was a little nervous. As a South-Asian woman, I have been yearning for more South-Asian representation in media. Growing up, Disney movies Aladdin (1992) and Mulan (1998) (which Disney just released its live-action trailer for) were particularly notable in their depictions of different countries and cultures. Even though many of these characters were voiced by non-PoC actors, that never mattered to me because I was still visually seeing a diverse set of characters. I remember watching the original Aladdin and feeling such a deep sense of relatability while doing…

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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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Reviews

“Jane the Virgin” and Satire

Jane the Virgin is easily one of the most intriguing, multifaceted shows out there right now. Advertised as a “satirical romantic comedy-drama telenovela” (say that five times fast), Jane the Virgin heaps a lot onto its plate, and manages to succeed every moment of the way. Without spoiling too many of the key plot points, the show’s premise is about satirizing the dramatic, unrealistic elements of soap operas (in this case, specifically Spanish telenovelas) and transferring it to the real world. In Jane the Virgin, Jane Villanueva (played by the inimitable Gina Rodriguez), her mother, and her grandmother avidly watch…

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Reflections

Visibility in Marvel’s Black Panther

“Can you believe that? A kid from Oakland running around believing in fairytales.” Erik Stevens, Black Panther, 2018 Marvel’s latest movie adapts the comic book character, which first emerged in 1966 and was first introduced in Captain America: Civil War (2016), to present the feature film, Black Panther. The film is majorly set in the fictional African nation of Wakanda, the home of super-metal vibranium which has allowed extensive technological advancements and prosperity to be achieved in the country. However, Wakanda is hidden “in plain sight” from the rest of the world, believed to be a poor third world country,…

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