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WandaVision Episode 7: “Would You Rather Be Feared or Loved?”

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I’ll keep this short and sweet. 

I haven’t had a show that has kept me in a perpetual state of “what the heck is going on and what the heck will happen” since season 5 of Bones the way WandaVision has. (To be fair, that’s actually the last season I watched – another story for another day.) Most of my conversations over the weekend involved episode 7: “Breaking the Fourth Wall,” and, if they didn’t, I was googling #allthethings.

Friday’s format was my favorite yet. The show’s use of The Office and Parks and Rec interview style and direct character-to-audience engagement was hilarious. Kat Dennings’ Darcy Lewis gets funnier by the minute, and I squealed at those scenes with Monica. Of course, the ending blew me away (I’m still humming the tune), and be sure to stay tuned during those credits as the powers that be finally pulled a classic MCU move with a bonus scene. There was just so much to watch.

And so I ask one question: if you aren’t tuning in to WandaVision, just what are you doing?

While it’s no secret that this is leading up to the next phase of movies, there is still so much to enjoy on its own merit. Elizabeth Olsen’s acting is phenomenal, especially when Wanda’s control is slipping and sliding. Her comedic delivery in this most recent episode is just one more example of Olsen’s ownership of this character and personifying the depth of complication and humanity that is within Wanda’s psyche. So often we talk about what she is doing to others and her motivations, but these past two weeks especially have shown us the toll it’s having on her.

Now we know that she isn’t the only player involved, but it’s her relatability that makes her such a powerful character for me. We’ve talked a lot about her losses and grief and just how powerful she is, but something I don’t think we talk about is how normal Wanda can be. No matter how or why she is in Westview, at her core she just wants a happy life. She loves Vision. She loves her boys. She’s stressed and tired from being on her guard 24/7. Super human or not, she just wants peace. 

As we fly forward into the final two episodes that are sure to be even more riveting than the ones we’ve seen so far, I’m hopeful we remember this side of Wanda. I don’t think she wants to be feared. I think she just wants to be loved.

WandaVision is now streaming on Disney+

WandaVision Episodes 5 & 6: Coming Back from Cancellation

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[Caution: This post contains spoilers for Episodes 5 & 6 of WandaVision.]

Grief is a strange thing.

Whenever we lose someone that we love, our feelings can fly all over the place. Misplaced anger, sadness, relief or even joy can come at us in waves without prompting. We can fight with ourselves in disbelief or simply crumble under the weight of our emotions. Because everyone grieves differently, these feelings can be scary, causing us to ask whether or not what we’re experiencing is normal (or even acceptable). 

But WandaVision has taken this to a whole other level.

For those who aren’t keeping up (and, seriously, why wouldn’t you be?), WandaVision follows the marital bliss of beloved Avengers Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany). Playing out through the lens of classic television sitcoms, everything seems right in the world for the couple until cracks begin to appear in the façade that point to something more sinister.

Since it began, the show has literally stormed the globe. (Current reports suggest it’s the #1 series in the world.) What began as a history lesson in television nostalgia has edged ever closer into true horror with a conspiracy angle that’s driving the story forward. All this has blended together into something truly magical that has drawn in new audiences while connecting with those already heavily invested in the MCU. Regardless of your previous interest in Marvel, WandaVision has all of us asking the same question right now…

What’s going on with Wanda?

The most recent episodes have really leaned into the fact that Wanda is heavily involved in the machinations of this world. Neighbours ask her if she wants them to ‘take it from the top’ when things don’t go as planned. She can clearly control elements such as time and repair what’s broken when needed. She’s even brought back her brother from the dead (even if he’s not who she remembers). For her, Westview is a safe space where she has ‘everything that she wanted’ (as she indicated in her brief appearance to the S.W.O.R.D. installation).

But it still seems entirely connected with Wanda’s grief.

In the last few episodes, the series has specifically referenced Vision and Pietro’s deaths (even throwing Ultron’s name into the mix). When confronted with questions about her reality, Wanda attempts to ‘roll the credits’ in an effort to skip to the end of the episode and ignore the conversation (to no avail). And, of course, the sixth episode saw Vision almost vaporized in a Truman Show-esque attempted ‘jailbreak’.

What has become clear though is that Wanda can’t seem to bring people back from the dead. After the death of their dog Sparky, Wanda is called out by Agnes and the twins to ‘fix it’ yet she says she doesn’t have the power to do so. Although her resurrected brother and, of course, Vision seem free to live within the Hex, Wanda seems powerless (as of right now) to be able to keep those she loves from dying.

Apparently, in the Hex, there are rules about death. 

Rules we don’t understand, but rules nonetheless.

In many ways, there’s a strange comfort around death in this way. Though our grief may plead with us to keep people alive, there’s also a sense of freedom that comes from being able to let them go. Although he’s thriving within Westview, Vision feels trapped. Neither Vision nor Wanda seems at peace with this arrangement, even though Wanda seems the most willing to try to maintain the pretense of marital bliss. The loss of a loved one is never an easy experience but, assuming that Wanda is running this show, she seems to have lost all sense of objectivity. If she can have her husband and brother back, she is determined to make it happen. (Admittedly, this is still unclear. While the series is leaning this direction, I’m not convinced this is entirely her decision.) 

But, by being unable (or unwilling) to process her own grief and release her loved ones from her fantasy world, I would argue that Wanda’s really the one in prison. While her time with Vision and Pietro may have been cut short—saving the world comes at a cost—it is the time that she did have with them that matters most.

Like Wanda, we cannot control life and death… but we can celebrate the people in our lives when we have them.

Though the MCU has never hinted (officially) at any belief in an afterlife or specific faith, what seems clear is that Vision is being prevented from taking those next steps by being held on to by his beloved. In the same way, Wanda seems to have become a victim of her own marital façade. For her, hope appears to be deeply connected to her ability to release those she loves from her will by accepting the truth that they have already gone. Like any great series, there comes a time when the show needs to be cancelled. Though she cannot bear the thought of life without them, neither can she keep them alive by forcing them to stay in her fantasy world. In fact, this  release may be the greatest act of love that she can offer them (or herself).

When she does, maybe then the healing can begin.

Maybe then she (and they) can truly be free.

The first six episodes of WandaVision are currently streaming on Disney+ with new episodes airing each Friday.

Firefly Lane: Friendship At Its Best…or Worst?

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“Who is your best friend?”

This question always made me nervous as a kid. Today, I’ll talk to practically anyone and quickly proclaim a stranger a friend, but the young version of me was incredibly shy and reserved. I didn’t go looking for friends and depended on a neighbor or two, someone on the bus, or mostly my cousins. I was naïve and content in my immediate bubble when I compared myself to the girls around me, and I didn’t exactly navigate the transition into my teen years with particular grace. Essentially, I was Kate Mularkey in Netflix’s newest adaption of bestselling series from Kristin Hannah Firefly Lane. Trade out my 1990’s setting for Kate’s 1970’s, and there I am. Longing for something elusive and waiting for the answer to that question – who is my best friend?

For teenaged Kate (Roan Curtis), her world is rocked when the beautiful and tenacious Tully Hart (Ali Skovbye) moves in across the street with her eccentric and addicted mother Cloud (Beau Garrett). On the surface they couldn’t have been more different. Where Kate is reserved and (mostly) content, Tully is vibrant and rebellious. Each missing what the other has to offer, they begin the trek into adulthood and lifelong friendship while weathering the next two decades, each fighting to find herself while clinging to one another.

FIREFLY LANE (L to R) ALI SKOVBYE as YOUNG TULLY and ROAN CURTIS as YOUNG KATE in episode 102 of FIREFLY LANE. Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2020

As Kate and Tully begin their careers in journalism (now played by Sarah Chalke and Katherine Heigl), their friendship is the rock of all they do. Tully pushes Kate into taking risks and going after what she wants and Kate is the anchor to Tully’s tumultuous emotions and often erratic behavior. Kate still strives to be all things to all people, and Tully relentlessly seeks to carve out her name on-camera. And as the threads weave in and out with their present-day and future lives, Firefly Lane paints a portrait of a bond that is as fragile as it is concrete. By the end of this first season, we see just how long this friendship has walked the tightrope between devotion and – dare I say it – toxicity.

I hesitate to use that word because it seems extreme. But then again, so is Kate and Tully’s relationship. Their identities are intwined in a way that crosses the boundaries of marriage, parenting, careers, and everything in between. And while I wasn’t really invested until about episode three (I’ve never read the original), Chalke’s and Heigl’s performances pulled me into that complexity with their embodiment of these characters. I love their friendship, but I’m incredibly wary of their friendship. I want them to always be together, but I want them to let go and step into their own lives apart from each other.

With the inclusion of Ben Lawson, Jon-Michael Ecker, Yael Yurman, Jason McKinnon, and Chelah Horsdal (to name a few), Firefly Lane creates a believable community that surrounds Kate and Tully’s tug of war for identity. Together they all navigate the hard-partying 80s, establish families and careers in the 90s, and face life-changing events in the years immediately following the attacks on September 11, 2001. We watch them mature, yes, but we also are watching them fall apart.

I asked a question at the very beginning: “who is your best friend?” But I want to ask a different one now: “what is a best friend?” Is it someone you’ve simply known forever? Is it someone who promises to make each birthday something special? Is it someone who will step to the side for years so that you can shine? Is it someone who curls up under a blanket with you as you cry through mid-life tragedy? Is it someone who forgives you over and over for years until they literally have nothing more to give? I’d like to think a best friend is a combination of all those things and then some, and I hope as Firefly Lane progresses, that Kate and Tully can start to answer that question as well.

Firefly Lane streams on Netflix on February 5th, 2021.

WandaVision Episode 3: It’s a Colorful Life

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For what it’s worth, I’m not a Marvel super fan or anything. I haven’t read the comics, I don’t know the backstories, and I’m often dependent on the kindness and knowledge of internet strangers that can point me to all of the Easter Eggs that I typically miss. 

So, in a somewhat bizarre way, I think this may make me an ideal audience for WandaVision. If anything, it has my husband intrigued, and he’s not one to show interest in well…any kind of movie or series… So, what is it about the newest series streaming from Disney+ that has the two of us so entranced – along with the other million viewers? If we aren’t Marvel “super-viewers” how can we be the right fit for such a concept as WandaVision?

For the first two episodes it was obvious – the nostalgia. We both grew up with old Nick-at-Nite shows so the subtleties and throwbacks to our childhood evenings got us to sit down in the first place. Drawing us in was actually pretty easy. And because of that, we are absolutely hooked. Maybe it’s because we really don’t know what to expect. Since we don’t know all the tips and tricks of the MCU upfront, it’s really easy to keep us engaged. Now while waiting last week for episode 3, I of course did some digging to learn more about the little Marvel-esque moments and hints dispersed throughout, which helped ground me into the nuance of the story of Wanda’s abilities and her relationship with Vision. And my theories developed. I’ve gone from engaged to entranced.

And then this week’s episode 3 threw me a bit. I thought I knew who was controlling whom and now I’m not so sure. Glitches, awkward dialogue and interactions, and Wanda’s increasing awareness of something “out there,” are leading me down a new direction. And I’m not sure if it will be as colorful as the psychedelic and groovy updates WandaVision gave us this week.

However, I do know this. With its blend of sitcom humor and Marvel wonder, WandaVision, like its lead couple, is unlike anything I’ve seen. And if it can get my reticent husband to ask “when does the next episode come out,” I think’s fair game that with this show, Disney+ and Marvel are now reaching a previously untapped audience.

WandaVision‘s first three episodes are now streaming on Disney+.

The 2nd: Bearing Arms with Brutal Results

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The 2nd follows Major Vic Davis (Ryan Phillippe), a former Green Beret who has walked away from his life in the military and trying to take care of his family. When he arrives to pick up his teenage son from school for a weekend to reconnect, Davis immediately senses that something is wrong when a group of suspicious strangers invade the campus. Led by the mysterious Driver (Casper Van Dien), the unknown visitors turn out to be a squad of Black Ops mercenaries hired to kidnap the daughter of a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Thrust into action, Davis must fight to rescue

Directed by Brian Skeba, The 2nd feels like it has the right ingredients to create something wild and fun yet it simply doesn’t deliver. Though it contains a few memorable set pieces, the film ultimately becomes a paint-by-numbers actioner that fails to excite. While the young cast seem interested in their storylines, few other cast members seem particularly engaged, especially Phillippe. While some actors (read Cage, Nicolas) have been able to transition freely between serious drama and ‘straight-to-video’ efforts, Phillippe simply doesn’t bring the same sort of energy when he’s involved in these types of projects and his apathy shows onscreen. (Although, admittedly, Van Dien does seem to be enjoying the opportunity to play the villain, even if there’s little for him to work with in the script.)

At its heart, The 2nd wants to prove the value of the Second Amendment (more widely known as the ‘right to bear arms’). However, the script is often so muddled that even that is hard to understand for the majority of the film. For such a complicated issue, one would hope that there was some earnest discussion from both sides at various points within the film. Instead, the extent of the conversation surrounding the 2nd amendment boils down solely to the argument that ‘you’d better be ready in case you’re caught in the revolution’. Youth are handed guns with barely any consequence. One teen survives the final battle due to their skills at fencing. And, of course, Davis kills without remorse. (In fact, at one point, when his son points out that his father has just murdered a man in front of him, Davis flippantly responds by stating that ‘He was going to kill you’ and immediately moves on.) 

If there are reasons to consider the value of the right to bear arms in today’s culture, The 2nd simply isn’t interested in exploring them. Instead, Skeba’s film decides to show you the dangers of living a life unarmed in a world where no one can be trusted. This is a film which quite literally suggests that friends are foes and government conspiracies require average people to be prepared to engage. While that can work in some films (read Willis, Bruce), The 2nd uses this argument to recklessly create scenarios of paranoia and violence. Given last week’s shocking uprising at the Capitol Building, the release of The 2nd at this time feels particularly insensitive. (Admittedly, you can’t really fault the film itself for this sort of poor timing but this feels like the kind of film that everyone is just hoping goes away.)

There will be some who can revel in The 2nd for some relatively fun fight scenes and over the top acting. (For example, the fight in the gym and the final battle between Phillippe and Van Dien would be among the most noteworthy.) However, for most others, when it comes time to decide what to stream this evening, The 2nd should probably be last on the list.

The 2nd is available on PVOD and in select theatres on Tuesday, January 19, 2021.

Disenchantment Part 3: Seeing the Present in the Past

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After a season of self-exploration and dynamic worlding building in Part 2, Disenchantment has finally returned to Netflix. With the release of Part 3, the story picks up immediately after Bean, Luci and Elfo have fallen underground. After confronting her evil mother Dagmar and her army of Trogs. Bean and her crew must somehow escape and clear her name in order to reclaim Dreamland. 

Similar to previous seasons, Part 3 continues to follow Bean’s journey of self-discovery. With an impeding war coming and her father incapable of leading, Bean is pushed out of her comfort zone as more responsibility falls upon her. Spending less time in Dreamland than ever, Bean’s journey gives her the opportunity to get to know the outside world more. However, at the same time, she also learns more about herself, becoming a more confident person. In doing so, this season is able to lean much more heavily into Bean’s ever-expanding role in Dreamland. Suddenly having to take the throne from her father, Bean’s transition to queen also sees her facing potential doom from both Steamland and her own mother. As Bean unlocks her magical powers, the danger continues to build, potentially leading to a climatic showdown similar to other hero stories. 

Spending less time in Dreamland compared to previous seasons, Part 3 also greatly expands its world-building by exploring new areas such as Mermaid Island and continuing to develop previous cities such as Steamland. In doing so, this season allows the creativity of the writers to really flourish as each area’s citizens, species and environments are unique and vibrant.

Even so, what I found most disappointing was the sidelining of Luci and Elfo throughout the season. Once a major character, Luci sees very little growth in Part 3 and seems to just kind of ‘be there’ in the many scenes. In fact, he’s even become predictable in the way he acts. By merely saying something evil or helping Bean with her tasks, Luci now feels like a one-note, robotic pet. Similarly, Elfo’s character sees little growth as well. Getting a new girlfriend ever couple of episodes, it’s seems as though he’s been religated solely to comic relief as the stereotypical ‘hopeless romantic’. (At one point, he’s even in love with a ship…)

Despite its medieval setting, Disenchantment continues to tackle modern, real-world issues. Set in a time where female opportunity and mental health were at societal lows, the Bean we’ve grown to love is usually portrayed as a tough, confident fighter. However, in the episode “Last Splash”, we get a very different look into Bean’s psyche and her view of herself. In a therapeutic rant, we get to see how Bean’s difficult journey has taken its toll on her mentally, especially her parents’ toxic relationship. She believes that, over time, Dreamland has enabled her own self-abuse as she self-fulfills the toxic opinions of her mother and the town about her. Ultimately, in the end of her rant, Bean completely dismisses her own feelings and reinforces her belief that she is her own worst problem. By reinforcing her metaphorical emotional wall, Bean subsequently refuses to acknowledge the pain within her that is caused by others, choosing instead to lean once again into the culture’s poisonous worldviews about women and power. This moment of openness and honesty shows the toxic effects of abusive family relationships, especially in a culture of power. Powerful and moving, this is easily one of the best moments of the new season, and one of the many gems throughout Part 3 that dives deeper into the characters of Dreamland. 

Overall, Part 3 is a great addition to the Disenchantment story. Filled with eye candy in its world building and some solid progression in the larger narrative of Dreamland’s survival, the season works well. Meanwhile, Bean shows some tremendous growth in the spotlight as she tackles more complex issues regarding her own self-image, helping her to develop as a leader and hero. A fun ride that is worth watching, Part 3 proves that Disenchantment still knows how to cast a spell on its audience.

Disenchantment Part 3 begins its journey on Friday, January 15th, 2021.

Cobra Kai: Still Alive and Kicking

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It’s not always easy to bring the past back to life.

For years now, we’ve seen films and series attempt to reboot or extend once-successful franchises with varying degrees of success. In a trend that never seems to go away, the hope continues to be that by latching onto what worked in the past, a refresh of the material will be welcomed back by old audiences while capturing new viewers. More often than not, with the passage of time, the magic is usually gone. Still, once in a while, a series manages to breathe new life into a dead franchise and create something new (or even better) than the original. 

This year, that series is Cobra Kai.

For those who haven’t yet heard, Cobra Kai is a sequel series to 80s classic The Karate Kid. Set thirty-four years after events of the infamous 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament, Cobra Kai shows that the lives of the two former karate finalists have taken very different paths. Whereas tournament champ Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) has become a successful car salesman, his defeated opponent Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) struggles to make it through the day. Estranged from his son and working dead-end jobs, Johnny decides to find redemption by re-opening the Cobra Kai dojo of his youth and training a new generation of students. However, the rebirth of the controversial dojo reignites Johnny’s rivalry with LaRusso as their competing ideologies and methods unwittingly wreak havoc on the neighbourhood.

Once the property of YouTube Red, Season 3 sees the show moved permanently over to Netflix and, thankfully, the series feels as fresh and fun as its initial run. Although some side plots seem to distract from the overall storyline, the series manages to tie everything together in the end. Less about karate than it is about the brokenness of everyday people, Cobra Kai continues to be a generally slow burn of character development that climaxes with an epic finale. (Word to the wise, even though the last episode delivers what it promises, it definitely feels like a mid-season finale with a story arc built to reach its epic conclusion next year.) Well-written and energetic, Cobra Kai continues to care about its characters in ways that augment the action, as opposed to the other way around.

With the release of Season Three on Friday, the series picks up soon after the brutal high school brawl that hospitalized Miguel (Xolo Mariduena). With school starting up again, the Board has implemented a zero-tolerance policy towards violence of any kind (yet they don’t have any new security guards?). However, despite the school’s emphasis on peaceful reconciliation, tensions between Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do continue to boil under the surface. As Johnny grapples with his role in Miguel’s tragedy, Daniel takes a trip to Japan in an effort to strike a deal that may save the sagging profits of the dealership.

While the series unapologetically leans heavily into nostalgia, it doesn’t necessarily feel slavish to it. In many ways, Cobra Kai simply feels like checking in on old friends from long ago while admitting that their lives had continued on since we last saw them. Whereas some reboots get lost trying to recreate the past, this is a series about people that can’t seem to move on from it. Once the king of Cobra Kai in his youth, Johnny Lawrence continues to try and rebuild (and pass on) the legacy of the one seemingly stable influence he had in his youth. Despite its toxic teachings of the time, Johnny still believes there’s something to be learned from the mantra of Cobra Kai.

Admittedly, it’s still somewhat funny how much this particular city relies on karate to settle their differences but the series continues to acknowledge this with a wink. (“I don’t understand why karate is so important to this city,” one city counsellor remarks.) Even so, for Daniel and Johnny, karate symbolizes much more than punches and kicks. To these men, karate represents discipline, self-confidence and a way to find family and acceptance. Both men once viewed their sensei’s as father figures (with varying successes) and, in turn, they want to pass on that opportunity to the next generation.

The heart of Cobra Kai keeps the series meaningful, especially through the character of Johnny, who continues to be the show’s soul. With his outdated views of the world and desire to remain ‘badass’, Johnny wants to recreate the toxic atmosphere of Cobra Kai not out of a sense of nostalgia but more likely because it’s the only thing that he knows. Despite his wealthy upbringing, Lawrence’s growth remains stunted by the endless parade of noxious voices that fed him throughout his youth. From his cruel stepfather to his psychotic and violent sensei John Kreese (Martin Kove), his young life was marred by toxic male voices that have warped his worldviews. Even so, while Johnny may be broken, there’s a desire to be a better man within him. With every step towards redemption, Johnny finds that his greatest battle remains within himself as he struggles to overcome the pain of his past that have led to his own flawed ideas about life (and himself). Though arguably the series’ greatest villain, Johnny Lawrence yearns for a fresh start.

In fact, in the world of Cobra Kai, everyone is redeemable. (Well, mostly.)

Whereas the original films leaned heavily on tropes of ‘hero vs. villain’, the series fleshes out (most of) its characters with complexity. From the impetuous Miguel to the battle-hardened Hawk (or is it Eli?), Cobra Kai paints each of its characters with a brushstroke of grace that shows their humanity yet gives the even darkest of villains a glimmer of hope. (In fact, Season 3 even lets the villainous Kreese have his journey fleshed out in order to bring some nuance and empathy towards the character.) In other words, this is a series that recognizes that everyone’s story features a mixture of wins and losses while acknowledging the positive and negative voices of those that helped form who we are today.

Even after all this time, Cobra Kai is a franchise that’s still alive and kicking. By bringing the ‘Miyagi-verse’ back to life, Zabka and Macchio have created a truly refreshing sequel series that reveals what happens when our present struggles to reconcile with our past. Furthermore, as long as they continue to develop characters and stories that feel honest, there’s no question that Cobra Kai still has a lot of fight left in it.

Cobra Kai is available on Netflix with Season 3 released on January 1st, 2021.

7.08 Behind the Mask of THE MANDALORIAN

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When the Star Wars universe made the transition to the small screen, no one could have predicted the cultural impact that The Mandalorian would have. Featuring a sympathetic hero in Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), a wild-west atmosphere and, of course, Baby Yod… er… the Child, Mando has become a pop culture phenomenon, reviving a flagging franchise and rebuilding trust with its fans. This week, we welcome back pastor Jedi Greg Banik and ScreenFish padawan Gary Blaze to talk about the magic of the series and identifying with the man behind the mask.

(NOTE: This episode features spoilers up to episode 5 of Season 2.)

You can stream the episode on podomatic, Alexa (via Stitcher), Spotify or Amazon Podcasts! Or, you can download the ep on Apple Podcasts!

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

7.08 The MandalorianDownload

For the Record: Replaying the Soundtrack of Relationships

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What makes up the soundtrack to your life?

It’s safe to say that we all have certain songs that remind us of moments that have left an imprint on our lives in one way or another. Whether the experiences they prompt are positive or negative, there’s no doubt that these tunes are embedded with pieces of our lives. In the new anthology series, For the Record, some of these iconic songs take centre stage as they entangle themselves with stories of love and loss.

Written and directed by Julian De Zotti, For the Record plays out like your favourite album. Similar to the way that an LP builds a story from track to track, each episode leans into the next in ways that create a thematic atmosphere. In this way, Record is less a series about individual performances (although those are solid across the board) and more about narrative fluidity.

Streaming exclusively on CBC Gem, For the Record begins with the story of Ray (De Zotti) and Angela (Lisa Baylin), a young couple sorting through the wreckage that was their relationship. When the two gather to divvy up their shared records between them, they recognize the power that these iconic songs have had in their romance and the memories that they carry with them. As their story together comes to a close (or does it?), the viewer follows the interconnected lives of others who struggle with the complications of their own relationships as well.

Unlike other films and shows that attempt to force relationships to intersect with one another, the connections between stories remains fluid and loose. While characters may appear briefly in each other’s lives, the stories entirely focus on their subject rather than get bogged down by side plots. For example, as one episode begins with a young man meetings his girlfriend’s parents for the first time, the next will feature those same parents in marital counselling with a local pastor. By taking this approach, De Zotti gives Record a lyrical atmosphere that allows for the narrative to breathe and move freely amongst their very different character journeys. 

With each story, De Zotti explores the shape (and cracks) of love from different sides. Rather than idealize his characters, De Zotti shows virtually every character in all their brokenness. In an atypical twist on the romance genre, every story features individuals that struggle with their flaws and live with the consequences of their actions. While this can feel cynical at times, it also feels genuine and honest in its approach as the series follows the eb and flow of love and its challenges.

What’s more, by showcasing a variety of ethnicities and sexual identities, De Zotti also highlights the complex conversations that our relationships so often carry with them. Whether it’s an elderly Asian grandmother going through a sexual awakening or an African-American family grappling with modern issues of race and gender, the series is more than willing to wade into some murky and complicated waters with self-awareness and care. 

However, even with its variety of stories, what remains constant within Record is the music itself. In each episode, music becomes the link that brings people together (or drives them apart). Featuring wonderful songs that ranges from classics by the Beach Boys and Marvin Gaye to more modern hits by the Weeknd and Johnny Orlando (who also stars), Record recognizes the power of music to create moments that last in our memory forever. Playing out as a quasi-soundtrack of their lives, every tune creates an almost spiritual connection with the piece that showcases it, bringing deeper meaning to the story and the characters. In essence, though characters may move freely as individuals on their own journeys, their passion for music unites them.

Crackling along like the needle on a record player, For the Record moves freely between its different characters as they explore the pratfalls of modern romance and cultural conversations. As a result, this anthology is definitely worth a spin.

For the Record is available on CBC Gem now.

Selena: The Series – They Come Together In You

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Netflix announces release date for 'Selena: The Series'

Even though first thing I thought to do when reviewing Selena: The Series was to compare it to the 1997 film, I soon realized that this would be completely unfair.  The film was a great glimpse into Selena’s life and career and was released just two short years after her death.  Wounds were fresh.  Now, 25 years after her death, we can truly see the impact that Selena had and continues to have on the world.  Through numerous memorials, statues, museums, and festivals in her honour, Selena’s legacy continues to burn brightly through generations.  While the movie was merely a snapshot, the series is a much deeper look into the lives and careers of Selena and the Quintanilla family.  (In fact, two of the executive producers of the series were Suzette and A.B. Quintanilla, Selena’s siblings, which proves that this passion project had the magic touch of the family.)

Selena the Series TV Show News, Cast, Release Date

You can’t choose just anyone to play a legend like Selena.  I was pleasantly surprised and thoroughly impressed with Christian Serratos.  Serratos has a very special air about her that mirrors Selena’s presence and she was able to master Selena’s cadence and idiosyncrasies without taking it over the top.  She was believable and respectful in her portrayal.

As young Selena, Madison Taylor Baez was impressive, and her voice blew me away.

The actors who portrayed the family, including Ricardo Chavira, Seidy Lopez, Gabriel Chavarria, and Noemi Gonzalez, had a lovely onscreen dynamic that rounded out the cast nicely.  They were a believable family.

Selena: The Series gives us a much broader view of the Quintanilla family’s journey through the music industry.  From the early years when they were just learning, through to their first record deal, award, and onward.  What largely stood out to me was the overarching theme of determination and dedication. This was largely seen through the father, Abraham (Ricardo Chavira).  The Quintanilla family was faced with tremendous financial adversity that would have deterred most from continuing to pursue this path.  Yet, time after time, they figured out a way around their issues and continued to press forward.  No matter what, this was the path that they chose and they were going to make it work.

Selena: The Series' on Netflix fails to give singer a voice - Los Angeles Times

It is so special to see the Quintanilla family bond.  Watching them navigate the tumultuous music industry and continuously sticking together was heartwarming.  Like us all, they may not have been a perfect family, but they had faith in one another and supported each other, which is too often forgotten nowadays.  

It was beautiful to see how the Mexican and American cultures intertwined through this story.  As Abraham said to Selena; “They come together in you.”  This beautiful statement really resonated with me and only made me think of how many other people from different countries would be brought closer through Selena.

Netflix Reveals Premiere Date For 'Selena: The Series,' About Late Music Icon

Showcasing Selena’s real voice in the musical numbers, Selena: The Series is sure to attract an even broader audience to her music, continuing her legacy even further.  And with story lines including success, fashion, and forbidden love, Selena: The Series is going to be an entertaining ride.

Selena: The Series begins streaming on Netflix on December 4, 2020.