Latest Posts by theangelwithawand - Page 5

I watched the first three episodes of Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season 5.

I…Eh…

First of all, where is the Gaslight? We haven’t seen it in so long.

Second, I’m sad to see that there’s still a lack of long stand-up performances…in this show about a comedienne. This was a problem in season 4, and I hope they fix it as S5 goes on.

I’m so glad season 4 Midge is mostly gone. I hated how insufferable she was in Season 4 and that Susie was never able to get through to her. That’s the core of their relationship, and I don’t like that it took so long for her to get over herself.

The flash forward openings were…weird. On one hand, Miriam being kind of an absentee mother makes some sort of sense, but seeing her as another version of Rose is kind of disappointing.

As is the reveal that she’s apparently been married four more times. Like, why can’t she find happiness? I never liked the arc about ending up alone, but I was willing to accept it as Midge putting romantic relationships on hold for a bit after putting it ahead of everything for so long.

But apparently she no longer speaks to Susie either? I HATE the explanation they give too. Their whole “we’re not friends, we’re coworkers” finished midway through the second season, and was a huge and endearing bit of Susie’s growth. I’m sure they’ll expand on it, but it’s just sad. And they showed the inverse of it mostly effectively in Season 3.

I hate that this show seems to really be doubling down on its message of “you have to be alone and distant from literally anyone to achieve your dreams.”

Season 1 and Season 2 (barring the finale) were about finding personal growth by pursuing your own ambitions.

Season 3, which I didn’t enjoy as much, is where the “ending up alone to succeed” stuff really started after being seeded in the Season 2 finale. Yeah, it’s hinted at in the S2 premiere, but it’s more about the final end of Midge and Joel specifically. The plot line with Ben is also more about Midge opening up with a potential romantic partner, and how perhaps she isn’t ready or compatible with someone in that moment enough to settle down.

She’s only about a year out from her divorce, so it makes sense that she realizes that she isn’t ready to settle down again.

I don’t really get why she decided that one failed relationship automatically equals alone forever. I guess it’s because she’s also super influenced by Lenny’s performance, but…that’s another problem. Her idolization of him is just such a weird step in the wrong direction for her character.

She’s putting him on a pedestal the same way she did with Joel, and it’s him that is the one to get her out of her self-destructive phase.

Susie once told her “You do not need a … man at your side to do this”. Except she does.

I hate some of the messaging in this show, but hopefully the final episodes will make up for the stuff I didn’t like just like the Lenny and Midge blue room scene did last season.

So, I saw two movies yesterday.

These reviews are spoiler free.

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The first was the DnD Movie, which I really liked. I went in a huge group with one of my college clubs. It’s shot really well, tons of fun, has a great soundtrack, and feels like a DnD campaign. My only complaints were that the exposition dumps were sometimes super long and obvious, and the final dilemma between Holga, Edgin, Kira, and Zia felt a little too rushed. There should have been a little bit of conversation between Edgin and Kira. Also, Regé-Jean Page should have been in the movie more. But, literally everyone in the movie happens to be ridiculously gorgeous on top of being great in their roles.

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Now…

The Mario Movie. So, a couple of us stayed at the theater after the DnD movie, because we figured “we’re already here and none of us will ever come see this on our own.”

So, at this point it was almost 10 at night on a Thursday, we had 15 minutes before the film started, and the theater was completely out of snacks. So we all piled into a car, ran to a Walmart and loaded up on snacks (I finally understand the “Kids in the candy store” expression) to sneak into the theater. We were all giddy and giggly and running around like madmen. (Nothing unusual for a Walmart at that time of night, I’m sure).

So, we get back and smuggle our snacks in just before opening previews begin. We’re nerds and we don’t party or stay out, so the fact that we’re doing this is making us giddy beyond belief, and the five of us have the whole theater to ourselves, getting ourselves high on sugar and cracking jokes…

And that’s where the memories end. We spent the entire movie cracking jokes, screaming when Mario Kart references were made and being generally rowdy (once again the theater was empty other than us).

I legitimately don’t remember anything about the movie other than not being super impressed by the voice performances (the script for Peach in particular was not doing Anya Taylor-Joy any favors).

The one thing that is genuinely impressive is the animation. They really took the time to make it look like the games, there was clearly a lot of genuine effort and care put into it. There are so many references to the games that are there for the fans. Some of the lighting effects were genuinely amazing as well.

The rest of it…the plot… it was predictable and forgettable in every sense of the word.

Except for the nihilistic blue star. They were iconic.

Also, Jack Black is a National Treasure. Please go watch the full “Peaches” music video. It’s amazing.

There are spoilers for HTTYD 2 below: (sorry I didn’t warn before).

They really did Astrid dirty in the second film. It’s pretty much her fault that Berk gets attacked and Stoick dies, because she goes on that rant to Drago. Yes, sometimes she’s hot-headed and impulsive, but she’s not stupid especially when it comes to military tactics.

I’m also not saying characters aren’t allowed to make mistakes, but no one in universe really seems to care about what Astrid did. She never gets a chance to make up for it, and gets reduced to nothing more than Hiccup’s cheerleader by the end. Now, I love supportive Astrid, but she needs to be more than that.

Literally all they had to do was have Eret be the one to tell Drago that the Riders of Berk were coming after him and that the man on the Night Fury will come for them when Drago is physically threatening to kill him. Then he can still have the same redemption, but it would be even more impactful and Astrid wouldn’t come off looking like the moron she isn’t.

Shoutout to Leia Organa for showing almost no fear when facing down Vader and Tarkin at age 19, but screaming bloody murder when she sees a suction dinosaur-space rat (aka a mynock) through a space-proof window at age 21.

Shout out to Leia who in the EU, specifically studied history and art to screw with the Empire because those were subjects being actively suppressed. (This is why I headcannon Leia as an artist btw). Imagine being this petty. Iconic.

I just wanted to touch on these two lesser-discussed aspects of Leia. Honestly, what an icon.

So, as much as I love charming, swaggering Han Solo, the guy is kind of awkward.

At first I thought it was an issue with his characterization in ROTJ where they made him a little too buffoonish for lack of a better word, and in Solo where they leaned a little bit too hard into Han being inexperienced and naive.

Don’t get me wrong, when it matters, the man is suave and dangerous and charismatic, and I love it.

But I was rewatching ANH the other day and I realized that at least when it comes to his personal relationships (except for Chewie) Han is kind of insecure and inept at forming meaningful relationships. To be fair, it makes sense given his backstory (in both Legends and Canon) and seedy profession. But legendary scoundrel Han is not at all slick when it comes to genuine interaction.

His initial introduction in the cantina as a ruthless survivor and his cocky dealings with Jabba tend to be the bulk of what people remember about his character, and for good reason. But there’s also captivating glimpses into a Han Solo who is more human than he probably wants anyone to see.

When Ben trains Luke, Han won’t stop insulting them both, but underneath all of the posturing, he does genuinely try to offer up real advice (that a good blaster is more reliable than an antiquated weapon). Then later, before abandoning Yavin, he doesn’t want to part on bad terms with Luke so, he chokes out a parting phrase that means something to Luke, tamping down his discomfort which is visible to the point that it’s kind of funny.

The first movie largely neglects his lack of social skills in regards to Leia (they do snap at each other, but that’s more to do with their clashing personalities than anything). He winks at her at the end, but Han is good at surface level flirting.

But then we get to Empire…strap in folks.

So, their first interaction takes place in the command center on Hoth, and Han is threatened to leave. And boy oh boy does Han really want/need Leia (and Leia in particular) to say she wants/needs him.

She has her own (very understandable) issues with opening up, so the closest she can get to admitting her own feelings is saying that the Alliance needs him. Leia may see herself as an extension of the Alliance, but that’s a different conversation and not enough for Han who needs to be sure of her feelings before making his own known. (Leia seems to have the same problem. They kinda suck at communicating sometimes.)

He asks her, very subtly pleads with her to open up, to reciprocate the bit of vulnerability he’s showing. She understandably doesn’t (again she has an unfathomable amount of her own trauma), cueing a fight at and Han goes back to the Falcon to be Totally-Not-Sad. Despite the fight though, he risks his life to make sure Leia gets out during the evacuation. (Gotta love how well he knows her.)

Then we get the big kiss scene. This time, Han has decided to acknowledge Leia’s insecurities because he wants to be with her. He specifically asks her “What are you afraid of?” Yeah, he’s kind of teasing her, but he knows Leia freakin Organa is not afraid of getting her hands dirty. It’s such a lame excuse, so he calls her out on it.

Then, all of the sudden, they’re finally together and Leia is just all in (see my post about Leia’s physically affectionate nature). And…Han adjusts. By the time they arrive on Bespin, he’s the one initiating hand holding, giving forehead kisses.

It’s a way more intimate than he would afford a casual hook-up. His scrapped intro in ANH (which was incorporated into the novelization by Alexandra Bracken), literally had him forget the name of the girl on his lap.

He’s still insecure when Lando starts flirting, but above all he’s in a relationship that is so casually affectionate. It’s a part of him we’ve never seen, but it suits him well.

Then we get to the big “I love you/ I know”.

In the original script, Han was supposed to say “I love you too.” Everyone thought it was a very out of character thing for him to say. The now iconic response was created during the shooting of that scene. I agree…to a point.

Now, I love the line. It’s iconic and great and very Han Solo. Yes it’s a smooth response…but it’s also…a really weird response…

Yeah, there’s a lot of people and to be fair, he just told Chewie to take care of Leia (which is very sweet), and once again probably still has some issues expressing vulnerability.

But…he also might die, so it’s weird that he wouldn’t tell her while he still can.

The pattern continues in ROTJ. Han is a bit out of character in this one, however I do like the moment where he’s referred to as a general. It’s usually read as him proving his commitment, and I agree. But I still think it’s funny that he decided to make it a surprise. It’s so cute and weird and very Han Solo.

He’s protective when Leia goes missing after the bike chase, and when they’re reunited picks her up and spins her adorably.

He’s still not super sure how to provide comfort all of the time (there’s a few times where Leia seeks his embrace, and he seems visibly unsure of what he’s doing). During the battle he’s always reaching out to shield her, hide her when she’s injured. Then he just holds her after the battle. The way she asked him to earlier, with a small but very genuine smile.

Finally, we arrive at “The Princess and the Scoundrel” where Han Solo does the GFFA equivalent of proposing on the first date. (For real, this book is one my favorite things. It canonized so many of my head canons like a very casual proposal). It’s perfect for its balance of being both weird and romantic.

Anyway, I like Han’s soft side and I don’t see it discussed enough.

I’m thinking about how one of Leia’s love languages is most likely touch. For all of her reputation as an ice princess, she is very physically affectionate.

We see this on the Death Star when she kisses Luke for luck, and again when she hugs Han after surviving the trash compactor. She hugs both Han and Luke and does not let go after they return.

Then, in Empire, you see Leia being very unafraid to enter Han’s physical space. If you notice in the med-center on Hoth, it isn’t Han putting his arm around her that makes her pull away, it’s the words coming out of his mouth that make her jerk away. Then, we get to the big kiss on the Falcon, and once again, Leia (despite her protests) doesn’t actually seem all that uncomfortable with his proximity, rather the feelings she has for him. But the kiss happens, and suddenly it’s zero to 100.

For real, Han probably got whiplash. All of the sudden after three years of dancing around each other to the point that he was almost going to give up, suddenly Leia is everywhere. Putting her hand on his shoulder, kissing his cheek. And he also registers this, because on Cloud City he is always reaching out to hold her hand, give easily give her forehead kisses. The moment there’s danger, the first thing he does is reach for her. Then after he returns from what is probably the worst first meeting with your girlfriend’s dad EVER, the first thing Leia does is just start stroking his hair. The last thing she does before the carbon freeze is kiss him. The movie ends with her in Luke’s embrace, seeking comfort when she is vulnerable.

Then, there’s ROTJ. From the minute they’re reunited, Leia is always physically affectionate with Han. We get another shoulder touch in the shuttle. On Endor, he picks her up and spins her before kissing her after he doesn’t get eaten by Ewoks, she curls up to him during story-time. After Luke drops the bombshell and dips the only thing she asks Han to do is hold her. Leading to the end of the film, where there’s that shot of him just cocooning her in his arms.

Anyway, just some thoughts on my favorite rebel princess and her nerf-herder.

I was thinking about the “I’ll never speak to you again” line. Yes it’s emotional manipulation (but Aziraphale thinks that’s what he - an angel - is supposed to be because…well…er…literally almost all of the angels he regularly interacts with are). Yes he would also hate not talking to Crowley.

But the thing is…it’s just kind of a fact. It is literally what will happen if either side wins, no matter which side wins, they won’t see each other. One or both of them might be permanently destroyed in the battle (with the latter possibly probably a worse scenario for both of them). At the very least they will never see each other. 6 millennia of at least having the knowledge that their paths will eventually cross will end.

Aziraphale is finally realizing that it doesn’t matter what side wins, that both are willing to destroy his home of 6,000 years, and he has no idea how to plan for this. What he does know, is that Crowley had figured this out long before he did, and would be better able to come up with some sort of plan.