Let Down by The 100

(Beware of spoilers)

I want to get something off my chest: season 3 of The 100 is terrible. I guess I could begin by explaining how I hoped the show would unfold after season 2, because season 2 was great! I hoped the writers were going to focus on the fallout post-Mt. Weather. I hoped the writers were going to continue to show the character progression of each pivotal character and how they were affected by Mt. Weather.

Instead, the show fastforwarded to months? weeks? after Mt. Weather, and we were introduced to a slew of new characters (why!). It almost seemed as though each original character had developed significantly since the s2 finale and we were left trying to connect the dots ourselves. I get that shows do this. I get that they don't want to baby their audience by providing all the details. The thing is, so many shows take this approach and fail, because it almost certainly leads to plot holes. Look at Pretty Little Liars. Look at Orphan Black. Those are two shows I had to stop watching because they twisted the plot so much that it became frustrating because they overlooked the importance of filling the audience in.

The most annoying character development we've seen in The 100 so far is Bellamy's. Bellamy was awful at the beginning of season 1. He was selfish and tyrannical, but by the end of the season he softened up. In season 2 he became a hero of sorts. He learned empathy and seemed to have a strong moral compass. In season 3, it all went to waste. He flip flopped back to being emotionless and taking part in the genocide of the grounders. I seriously do not get how this happens. He warmed up to Lincoln, he was amicable with Indra, and he seemed to understand that not all grounders are the same. It's such a shame that his character devolved so much in the span of like, 3 episodes.

And then we have Clarke. Clarke decided, as per the end of season 2, that she no longer wanted to live with Sky Crew. The season ends with her leaving the Arc and walking into the forest alone. Bellamy did not go with her. Clarke's broken relationship with the Sky Crew and the grounders should have been the primary focus, yet season 3 began with Clarke being hunted by the Ice Queen. Where did this Ice Queen even come from? How did we get from point A to point B? What were Clarke's intentions in wandering off into the wild on her own? None of this was addressed.

Now Lexa's dead and the LGBTQIA audience is devastated. The showrunner, Jason Rothenberg, issued an apology about perpetuating the "bury your gays" trope in tv writing. The apology is alright (though I 100% understand if the LGBTQIA audience don't accept it), but Rothenberg should also apologize for convoluting the plot and letting character development fall by the wayside.

I'm not sure if I want to continue watching this season. I don't know how it can recover. We're already 8/12 episodes into season 3 and I don't see how it's going to improve. Absolutely no progress has been made for the show's true heroes... It's all pretty sad.

Latest Netflix Love: Jane The Virgin

I've been interested in watching Jane The Virgin ever since Gina Rodriguez won an Emmy award in 2014 for Best Actress in a TV comedy. This was the first time a CW network television show had ever won Emmy, so I figured it must be a good one.

The premise of the show is hilarious. Jane (Gina Rodriguez) goes to the gynecologist for a pap smear and is instead artificially inseminated when the doctor gets two patients mixed up. Jane finds out she's pregnant, which is of course impossible given that she's a virgin. Poor Jane has to decide if she wants to give birth to the baby whose father turns out to be someone she had a short fling with five years prior.

The accidental pregnancy sets off a ton of weird plot twists and absurdities that give the show its quirky character. At first, I thought I would be quickly annoyed with how unrealistic the storyline was, but I learned to suspend by disbelief and get to know the characters better instead. Eventually I warmed up to the soap opera/telenovela structure of the show. The characters, as is the case with any great TV show, are incredibly interesting and multi-dimensional.

Rogelio

I actually have three favorite characters: Jane, Rogelio, and Rafael. Jane is a type A workoholic with a huge heart, and she genuinely wants the best for others. The other characters often underestimate her ability to handle difficult situations because she's so sweet and sometimes comes off as naive, but Jane always rises to the occasion and is stern when she has to be. As far as role models go, I imagine Jane is perfect for a younger teen audience.

Rogelio is a telenovela star with a huge ego. His hubris is exaggerated on the show to the highest degree which makes him such a fun character. When things get too serious we can always count on a funny Rogelio scene to lighten the mood. He grapples with balancing his fame and family life, and of course, always puts his family first, making him lovable despite his arrogance.

Finally, what would Jane the Virgin be without Rafael *insert heart eyes emoji here*? Spoiler alert (but not really, because we learn this in the pilot episode), he is the father of Jane's accidentally inseminated child. Rafael has a morally-questionable past, but a recent bout of cancer softened him and made him more compassionate. (Admittedly, the gratuitous cancer story element annoyed me at first but I managed to let it go). Even though he's imperfect, he's infinitely more interesting than Jane's alternative love interest, Michael. So I'm definitely #TeamRafael.

Rafael and Jane

All in all, if you're looking for something lighthearted but interesting to watch, I highly recommend Jane The Virgin. You can find season 1 on Netflix, and season 2 is currently airing :)

Latest Netflix Love: Sense8

Let me just start off by saying, Netflix is KILLING IT. They totally took the ineffective, outdated model of traditional television (i.e. making one episode at a time due to unsure network funding, etc etc) and flipped it on its head by shooting full seasons and making all the episodes available at once. They're essentially capitalizing off how much we love to binge watch, and they produce better quality content because of it.

The latest Netflix original series that caught my attention is Sense8. I'm a fan of sci-fi stuff like Orphan Black so I figured this would be right up my alley. It's basically about 8 individuals located around the world who can connect telepathically. They can communicate with one another and experience eachother's realities.

I watched the first episode and thought, meh. It felt like the show had a lot of convincing to do. It was a little overly dramatic and took long to get to the point. But as the episodes progressed, I got more involved. It hit me how crazy the production must be on this show. How can they possibly organize themselves to be able to shoot in worldwide locations every episode: London, Chicago, Mumbai, Reykjavik, Berlin, San Francisco, Seoul, Nairobi, and Mexico City? It's insane. Thinking about the level of production required to accomplish this is mindblowing to me. Like, even if it's not filmed on location (I'm not sure if it is), it's still incredibly complex to achieve the kind of authenticity Sense8 captures from each place.

There was one moment in particular that really convinced me that, yes, this is a fantastic show. (No spoilers here, don't worry.) It was a very simple moment, but so so powerful. All eight of the sensates become connected in their different parts of the world and sing along to "What's Up" by 4 Non Blondes. 

It seriously felt like a spiritual experience when I watched it for the first time. I've embedded it below, but trust me, the impact is so much stronger in the actual episode. The scene comes after a really intense and emotionally-charged episode and it feels like a breath of fresh air. Each character experiences the song differently but the essential message is felt by all of them: "I wake in the morning and I step outside, I take a deep breath and I get real high and I scream from the top of my lungs, what's going on!" They're in this crazy experience together and they're not sure what to make of it but they're trying their best. It's amazing.

Another thing I love about the show is the incredible diversity and representation. You have a transgender woman in a mixed-race relationship, a gay man, a totally nonsexualized and strong Korean woman, an African man.. It's incredible. It goes to show how much more compelling storytelling is when you have diverse perspectives. 

Overall, I highly HIGHLY recommend this show for anyone that has a general appreciation for TV, and anyone who loves a good bit of sci-fi. 

Ultimate FRIENDS Questionnaire

I just finished watching all ten seasons of Friends on Netflix and, let me tell you, I am emosh. It took me a few months to get through but it was worth it. I don't think there is any show on TV currently where the characters warrant that kind of emotional viewer attachment. Seriously, I felt like I was saying goodbye to my 6 bffs! It's ten seasons long but I guess that's what makes it special: you don't feel like the plotline is rushed and you get to know each and every character. I found this "challenge" on Pinterest and thought I would roll them all into one post. OH and, spoiler alert. I ruin the whole show.

Favourite season. I'm really not sure what my favorite season is considering I watched them straight through on Netflix. 

Overall favourite character. My overall favourite character is Rachel Green. She, by far, showed the most character development. She went from being annoying and jobless to having baby Emma and getting a high-profile job at Louis Vuitton. I literally felt proud of her by the end! I felt proud for a fictional character!

Chandler, Joey, or Ross? It has to be Joey. 

Rachel, Phoebe, or Monica? Rachel, for the aforementioned reasons.

Overall favourite couple. Honestly, Richard and Monica. Even though I feel like it's blasphemous to say anything other than Chandler and Monica or Rachel and Ross, Richard and Monica were just top notch.

Favourite Monica boyfriend. Richard!!!! Bless Chandler but I was seriously hoping she would end up with Richard.

Least favourite Monica boyfriend. Pete. He was a freakin' weirdo and they were not cute together.

Favourite Rachel boyfriend. My mind says Rachel and Ross but my heart says Rachel and Joey... (Tag is a close third because he was definitely the cutest).

Least favourite Rachel boyfriend. Sadly Rachel dated a lot of duds but my least favs have to be Joshua (JoshWAHHH) - I also didn't like him on The OC, there's just something off about him. Also, duh, Barry.

Favourite Phoebe boyfriend. Look, I know it's controversial not to say Mike, but come on: David! He was so cute and I was waiting forever for him to come back from Minsk so they could be together. Dumb Mike got in the way :(

Least favourite Phoebe boyfriend. The one that shot a bird... What was his name? Gary? He was so gross.

Favourite Ross girlfriend. I mean, I have to say Rachel because she's my favourite overall character, but aside from Rachel I would say Julie. She was really decent and they were super compatible. Also Mona, but Ross completely ruined that.

Least favourite Ross girlfriend. Charlie. Gosh, I hated how she ping-ponged between Joey and Ross, and then ended up ditching Ross for that Nobel prize loser. Elizabeth and Emily are up there too.

Favourite female secondary character. Three words: "Oh. My. GODDDD." Janice, of course. Every time she appeared was my new favourite moment of the show to be honest.

Favourite male secondary character. Gunther! He provided the lifeblood of the show: Central Perk!

Least favourite female secondary character. Definitely Rachel's sister Amy. Bleh, she was horrible. In fact, anyone from Rachel's family was pretty bad.

Least favourite male secondary character. I think I'm gonna go with Phoebe's half brother. I mean, he was soo ill-equipped to be having a child, let alone three! Ah he was just so cringey.

Favourite Rachel hair. When she first started to wear it long and straight. 

Least favourite guest star. I wasn't crazy about Brad Pitt's guest star role if I'm being 100% honest. It was kinda lame haha.

Favourite Phoebe song. Aside from Smelly Cat which is just iconic, I would say the one where she wished them all happy holidays. "Monica, Monica, have a happy Hannukah.."

Favourite wedding. Mike and Phoebe! It was so nice that they had it right outside Central Perk :)

Who are you most like? I guess I would say I'm most like Monica in terms of competitiveness and appreciation for food... But I don't have her anal retentiveness, that's for sure.

When did you start watching? I had seen episodes here and there on TV, but I started watching all the seasons in full last Christmas break.

Most touching episode. The one where Monica found out she couldn't have babies. I may have sobbed.

Funniest episode. What's coming to mind is the episode that Chandler goes to Yemen to escape Janice. "15 Yemen Road, Yemen" Hilarious!!

Favourite moment. I don't know if I could pick one moment only, but I loveddd when Phoebe challenged Ross about evolution and nearly crushed his soul. So good.

On a break or not? Yes, I think they were on a break. But it's both of their faults that the parameters of the break were not clearly defined! Obviously they had different expectations!

Favourite actress/actor. Jennifer Aniston!

Did you like the way it ended? Yes, I do like the way it ended. I don't think they could have ended it any better. The only thing is I think Rachel should've gone to Paris and if Ross was really into her, he should've gone too.

Latest Netflix Love: Friends

This is probably the latest I’ve ever hopped onto a bandwagon. To be fair, the show first started airing when I was exactly 1 year old and stopped airing when I was 10, so I definitely wasn’t Friends’ target demographic. Luckily, Netflix recently picked up all 10 seasons of Friends, so I can finally know what all the fuss is about. (SPOILERS to come)

At first I thought the show was kinda boring (eep!), but after three or four episodes I quickly became invested in all the characters. Exciting things started to happen, like Ross finding out his ex-wife was having his baby, or Phoebe searching for her last remaining family members. All these quirky but touching storylines make the show really endearing. And on top of all that, it’s funny. I’m four seasons in and I’m still not bored of the humor. I’ve read that it starts going downhill after season 5 but I’m still optimistic.

Since I’ve become so invested in this show and it’s basically all I’ve been watching lately, I thought it would be fun to give my opinion on each character.

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Ross is soooo lame. Like, if you think of an annoying, know-it-all, lame individual, Ross is it. I think he’s self-absorbed and his views of women are practically feudal (breaking up with Rachel because she invested time in her dream job? Please), but what I like is that he’s punished for being such a crap person. He has the worst luck, bad things are constantly happening to him, and his “I take thee Rachel” blunder is perhaps the best manifestation of television karma of all-time. So even though he annoys the hell out of me, the schadenfreude is high when I’m watching a Ross scene on Friends.

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Oh, I love Monica! She constantly teeters between being the most level-headed Friend, and also the most insane. I loved her relationship with Richard (they were so perfect!) but I’m excited to see what’s to come with Chandler because I think she’s one of the only Friends who can match Chandler’s dry sense of humor. Sometimes I feel like she doesn’t get enough screen time and that her storylines are a little half-baked, which is sad.

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Four seasons into the show and I still can’t decide if I like Chandler. I mean, there’s no doubt that he’s pathetic and has some issues, so I get why he acts the way he does, but sometimes I wanna shake him and be like, “snap out of it!” That said, I think the best thing to come out of Chandler’s storyline is Janice. I love their interaction. The episode where he had to fly to Yemen to get rid of her killed me. And, yes, I'll admit. Chandler is the main source of humor.

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I would say Phoebe has one of the most interesting personalities and storylines on the show, but she doesn’t get nearly enough attention. I hope we get to see her being Auntie Phoebe to her brother’s kids because I think that would be really nice. I also love when we get glimpses of Phoebe’s worldview (like how she doesn’t believe in evolution or gravity) because she expresses herself hilariously and she’s somehow always able to justify herself. Great character.

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Joey is a pretty one-dimensional character, but no matter how crazy things get with the Friends, you can always count on Joey being quintessentially Joey. He’s always getting up to something stupid and hilarious. I can’t say I’m a fan of the way he treats women either (dumb feminism always getting in the way of me enjoying 90s sitcoms, lol), but I can’t really deny my soft spot for Joey.

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And finally, the best of the best, Rachel. Seriously, the show would be nothing without Rachel. She seems to be the only one who has shown significant growth as a character so far. Her giving Ross a chance, going from broke to getting her dream job at Bloomingdales, and being the most open-minded about relationships and friendships makes her the undeniable best. And just the simple fact that she was strong-willed enough to know she didn’t want to marry Barry and go against all expectations of her?! Queeeen.

I guess the last thing I wanna say is that even though I'm not keen on every character personally, when they're all together it's just the best. I don't think I've ever watched a show where all the actors click so well. You can really tell they were all friends in real life. You should definitely give Friends a watch if you have some time to spare. It's worth it!

Latest Netflix Love: The Fosters

Hey everyone! Today I would like to talk about my latest Netflix love, The Fosters. I wasn't sure how much I would actually like this show, but the more I watched, the more I could. not. stop. Basically, the show revolves around Callie, an orphan who lands in Juvie in her struggle to find adoptive parents.

What can I say about this show?! It's just, so good. At first I thought I wouldn't like it too much because all the characters are essentially teenagers (like, 15 y/o), and usually I get annoyed watching TV shows with younger main characters, but this one makes it work! The challenges they face are really mature (drug use, mental illness, eating disorders) but with the guidance of their moms, the kids are equipped to take them on. It's all really heart-warming and you end up rooting for each and every character.

And note how I said, "their moms". Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is one of the first TV shows to feature same-sex parents! It's so great. The moms are like, the coolest parents ever, and watching them deal with all the issues in their lives is so satisfying to me for some reason. Their dynamic is awesome.

I also wanna mention that I think the casting is so on-point. Maia Mitchell, the actress who plays Callie, is so fab. I watched interviews with her and she's this super rad Australian actress and I'm obsessed with her hair and her accent. I also love the casting for the moms, and the casting for Jude, Callie's little brother. And not to mention David Lambert (who plays Brandon) is pretty easy on the eyes.

With only one season on Netflix, you'll have to catch up on season 2 elsewhere (*cough* it's really easy to find online *cough*), but it's definitely worth it. Don't judge it based on the absolutely unoriginal name ("The Fosters", how boring), or on the cheesy ABC Family-esque adverts, just trust that the characters will capture your heart and your interest, and you'll be hook as quick as I was!

Latest Netflix Love: GREEK

Hey everyone! Having finished my latest Netflix binge on December 31st, I thought it would be fitting to do a little review of it to ring in the new year.

When I picked Greek as the show I wanted to watch, I didn't have high expectations. After all, an entire TV series based on sororities and fraternities... Mehhh. Could be superficial, but at the same time I wasn't in the mood for anything too cerebral either, so I stuck with it. And I'm so glad I did.

The show is about Casey Cartwright, a sorority girl at Cyprus Rhodes university, and her brother Rusty, an incoming freshman who decides to pledge a fraternity. Casey deals with sorority drama and a love triangle with Evan and Cappie (two boys from rival fraternities), and Rusty deals with juggling Honors Engineering and frat life.

It seems like a cliched, easily-executed story, but somehow every plot element is done perfectly. There are no superfluous storyline details - everything is just right. It hits the nail on the head in terms of depicting a balanced college life. The characters deal with emotional tribulations and super awesome frat ragers. I like how one element is never compromised for the other, and the flow between them is never fake or forced.

As I said, I thought having Greek life as the main setting would be contrived and frivolous, and while it sometimes is, I ended up really enjoying it. I liked learning about the details of the Greek system, including the ins and outs of pledging, rush, big & littles, lavaliering, Panhellenic, hazing, and general Greek politics. Everything rang true and aided the believability of the plot.

In terms of characters, you can't really ask for more. They are well-developed and witty, each with their own respective sets of virtues and vices. You'll love them, you'll hate them, and then you'll love them again. They're each equipped with personal/emotional baggage, making even the most vapid sorority girl mildly relatable.

The progression of the show is really natural, making it easy to watch episode after episode. The mood is generally lighthearted, but gets emotional when need-be. Greek will have you hooked for 6 seasons, and all it takes is watching the first episode :)

What I'm Watching: Summer Edition

I'm on summer break and I don't currently have a full-time job, which means I'm basically always watching TV or reading a book or watching movies to pass the time. Also, I'm curious about what TV shows everyone's watching so I thought I'd discuss some of the summer shows I'm loving, and you guys can let me know what you're watching in the comments & if we watch the same stuff, I'd love to chat about it :)

I figured I'd get the show I'm least excited about out the way first: Pretty Little Liars. Ugh, this shoooow. I'm going to be honest... I'm not into it anymore, but it's on its fourth season and I feel like I'm in too deep to back away now. I hate-watch it now (kinda like how you hate-read Twilight or Fifty Shades of Grey). It frustrates me to no end, but somehow, I'm stuck on it. I have major issues with this show, not because of the mediocre acting, but because of the writers. Mysteries from seasons past are left unsolved, and I feel like they constantly bring up new elements instead of tying loose ends. Overall, really unsatisfying. Would not recommend. If you watch it too, please tell me you feel the same way?! I think I have hopes that they'll somehow revive it and make it worthwhile... Sigh.

Canadians, you can catch up on episodes at MuchMusic.com.

Big Brother: I'm not by any means a BB superfan like most of this show's viewers, but I've definitely enjoyed watching the past couple seasons. My only problem with it is that it's difficult to keep up with because it airs Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday. Other than that, it's really interesting to watch! I love seeing who befriends who, who wins what competition, which alliances are strong and which ones die... It's a lot of fun. Admittedly, most of the contestants are shallow and unidimensional, but Big Brother makes for the best "guilty pleasure TV show". I'm not absolutely loving anyone right from the start this season, but my favorites so far are Amanda and Nick.

Canadians, you can catch up on episodes at GlobalTV.ca.

Skins (!!!!!!!!) I recently re-watched seasons 1 through 4 of Skins on Netflix so I'm really excited about the 7th season. If you are unaware, this will be the last season of the show and will only be 6 episodes long, highlighting the lives of Effy Stonem, Cassie Ainsworth, and James Cook (all past characters). So far, only the first episode has aired and personally I think it's still too early to decide whether or not this is a good idea. I'm already sad about what they did to Naomi's character, but we'll have to see how everything pans out in the next episode. I'm excited for it!

Torrent this to catch up!

My Netflix summer pick is Psych, a hilarious and smart detective show. I happened to catch an episode of this on TV one day, never having heard of it before, and to my delight the first six seasons happened to be on Netflix! I'm not that big on violence and suspense which my only issue with detective shows like CSI, but Psych has that super satisfying crime-solving element mixed in with a humorous main character - keeping it light but still mysterious at all times. Plus, I'm a sucker for classic Holmesian problem-solving. Overall, really entertaining and sustains the waits between my other TV shows lol!

You'll need American Netflix to watch this. Just do a quick search on how to get it if you're Canadian.

There you have it! If you have any other recommendations for me (preferably on Netflix) please let me know :)