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Happiest Season: Everyone’s Story has a Place

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I’ll get right to the point: if you’re looking for something charming and funny as we cautiously look to the end of 2020, Happiest Season is everything you could possibly need.

Personally, I can handle about zero angst in movies right now. Call it a casualty of 2020, but my tolerance for anything overly serious or dramatic is essentially nonexistent, especially if it’s in a movie I’ve never seen. Now granted, there is the relational angst that is often the central conflict in holiday films, and Happiest Season totally has that covered. But it was a good angst, and I’ll explain why.

But first, let’s start with the cast. I have two words for you: Dan Levy. Yes, THAT Dan Levy of sweeping Emmy wins for Schitt’s Creek, one of People magazine’s Sexiest Men of Alive, and all around beloved by basically everyone these days. I don’t even know if he’s considered a main character or not as best friend John, but his presence alone is a reason to watch. Of course, stars like Kristen Stewart, Victor Garber, Mary Steenburgen, Aubrey Plaza, Mackenzie Davis, and Alison Brie (what a cast, amiright?) elevate this heartwarming story into something special.

Perfect couple Abby and Harper (Stewart and Davis respectively) make plans to visit Harper’s family for Christmas. But there is one *major* wrinkle in the plan – Harper’s parents don’t know she is gay and in a relationship with the “orphan roommate” she has brought home.  Compounded by her parents’ stress surrounding Ted’s bid for major (Ted and Tipper are played by Garbor and Steenburgen), Harper keeps Abby at arm’s length and back in the closet. Naturally some old flames of Harper’s show up, including her first girlfriend Riley (Aubrey Plaza). Between sisterly competition, pressure to impress, and secrets uncovered, everything compounds on Christmas Eve, and this seemingly perfect family explodes into disarray.

I’m going to leave it there as far as plot, because I’m hoping you will watch the film. (Make sure that you watch the credits too for the pictures that continue the story.) From here, I’m going to get a bit personal, so I hope you’ll stick around and indulge me for a moment or two.

Representation in film is something that I am becoming increasingly aware of because I believe that film is for everyone. Everyone should be able to look up or at a screen and see themselves. As a straight, Christian woman, I am not at all offended by a lesbian-centric storyline. It’s about telling the stories that are happening every day all over the world. It’s totally ok for good stories to be just that – good stories. And those stories aren’t limited to heterosexual relationships.

Maybe there wasn’t necessary anything “new” per se in Happiest Season but it was genuine and sweet. But, most importantly, the film is about loving your own story and those who are a part of it. And that’s a lesson we can all embrace. 

Happiest Season is available on Hulu now.

Animaniacs: Still ‘Totally Insane-y’

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After 22 years, it’s time [again] for Animaniacs…

If you’re familiar with those words, the theme song is probably already in your head.

By rebooting Animaniacs for the next generation, Hulu has revived one of the true classic animated series of the mid-90s. For those who are unfamiliar, Animaniacs followed the antics of the Warner Brothers Wakko and Yakko and the Warner Sister Dot as they wreak cartoon havoc on the lives of those on the Warner Bros. Studio Lot. (In an interesting twist, even though the series takes place on the WB Lot, it’s being released on Disney-owned Hulu.) Produced by Steven Spielberg, the show features a wide variety of characters including fan favourites Pinky and the Brain and was designed to mimic the classic Chuck Jones Looney Tunes shorts from the WB Vault that enthusiastically embraced cartoon violence and chaos but also carried a satirical edge.

Originally airing from 1993-1998, Animaniacs began as a spin-off of WB’s Tiny Toon Adventures (which has also recently announced its own reboot of sorts). At its peak, the show’s energy was always augmented with a subversive wit that made it one of the first true daytime series to appeal to both adults and children. (In fact, believe it or not, Animaniacs was one of the first examples of internet fandom culture as adults would congregate online to discuss the show’s satire and even create fan fiction.)

So, if you’re ‘pondering what I’m pondering’, the answer is that the reboot still works well after all these years. Fueled by its continuously ‘totally insane-y’ antics, the series maintains the vigour of the original series. What’s interesting about this particular incarnation is that the series really doubles down on the pop culture and sarcasm. While the original incarnation always included references to larger ideas, the reboot touches on political issues as often as possible, ranging from Russian surveillance on US culture and bizarre political parties to an unabashed celebration of the 90s. Though it’s not uncommon for animated fare to leave content in that will reach the parents, Animaniacs fully understands that those most excited about the series’ return are the adults themselves. As a result, there may be many moments where younger viewers struggle to fully understand what’s going on. 

Unlike other animated fare from the House of Mouse, Animaniacs has never really been interested in promoting any particular family values. Instead, the Warner Bros (and Warner Sister) are more excited about lampooning as much about the current state of the world as they can. Pinky and the Brain’s constant attempts to ‘take over the world’ prove as opportunities to subtly speak to larger cultural issues such as our addiction to the internet or the political image. In this way, the series has always garnered attention for its willingness to make people aware of cultural issues, even if they’re doing so with a sardonic wink.

So, thankfully, it’s refreshing to say that the series doesn’t show too many signs of rust as the enthusiasm and bite of the series translates well in 2020. Acutely self-aware that they’ve been off the air for over 20 years, Animaniacs frequently acknowledges the many cultural changes that have taken place over the last two decades. (The rebooted theme song even pronounces that they’re ‘gender-balanced, neutral-pronouned and ethnically diverse’.) As a result, with fire and fuel, Animaniacs seems prepared once again to do the same thing that they’ve done every season, ‘try to take over the world.

Animaniacs is available on Hulu on November 20th, 2020. 

Mighty Express: Learning as They Chug Along

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It’s Mighty time!

Taking a page from other animated series, Mighty Express transports kids to the town of Tracksville, a playful, quirky world that relies on a team of trains and their kid best-buddies to make their deliveries, no matter what. Each of the colourful trains specializes in something different from laying track to transporting kids and all of them need to work together to get their Mega Missions done.

Cheery and fun, Mighty Express is the new series from Spin Masters, creators of mega-hit Paw Patrol. Of course, children’s shows about vehicles aren’t exactly new. From Thomas to Chuggington to Bob the Builder, it seems like there’s always another show about cars, trains or planes ready to take the mantle of next big ‘kids’ thing. (Even Paw Patrol feels like it’s often as much about the vehicles as it is the dogs, in some ways.) So, what sets Mighty Express apart?

Admittedly, not a whole lot.

Even so, Mighty Express is often adorable and is great for preschool kids. Featuring fun characters and bright colours, the show does a good job of creating stories that never scare little ones but also have manageable problems for the team to overcome. I will always champion shows that challenge little ones to deal with their fears and problems without intimidating them and Express does so effectively. With each episode, the team learns lessons about caring for those in need and the importance of working together. At the same time, while the problems are important to the characters (like whether or not they’ll miss out on s’mores), they never feel overwhelming, giving kids the opportunity to discover important truths about helping people and being brave.

What’s more, while the show fits neatly within these other kids shows, one of the more interesting aspects of the series is representation. Though the emphasis of the shows is the trains, the human children are diverse in their nationalities, including a Black child as the lead character and a youth who uses a wheelchair. In this way, Mighty Express does a good job depicting racial equity to a demographic that does not typically see that in their animated shows.

Charming from beginning to end, Mighty Express is another enjoyable example of endearing programming for young kids. As the trains ‘clean up, tune up, hook up’ on their adventures, kids will love seeing these characters pop onscreen (and they even may learn something along the way).

Mighty Express is now available on Netflix.

Inside Out 2020: I am Syd Stone

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Written and directed by Denis Theriault, I Am Syd Stone is a coming-of-age (of sorts) mini-series that follows the emotional journey of Syd Stone (Travis Nelson), an celebrity heartthrob who is constantly stopped by fans who want take a selfie with their idol. Though he exudes masculinity, Syd is at war within himself as he struggles with his sexuality. When his career slows down, he finds himself in a small town, shooting a B-movie that he despises. Sitting at the hotel bar, he meets Matt (Benjamin Charles Johnson), a lawyer who’s in town for a trial and the two men are instantly attracted to one another. As the two men begin a passionate affair, the life that Syd has built for himself is threatened to crumble in the wake of his personal revelations.

Anchored by strong performances from leads Travis Nelson and Benjamin Charles Johnson, Syd Stone is a beautiful character portrait of a man lost within himself. Theriault’s decision to let the camera repeatedly sit on Nelson’s face as he wrestles internally is both uncomfortable and fascinating to watch. Though he says nothing, Nelson’s work here says volumes. For the most part, the film’s pacing operates on a slow burn and even feels like a one-act play. (In fact, the first 5 episodes are so well scripted that, admittedly, the finale feels somewhat jarring. Though well-done in its own right, it simply can’t match the intensity of the rest of the piece by expanding the world so rapidly.)

Passionate and intense, I Am Syd Stone is an incredible picture of a man who needs to decide (or admit) to himself who he intends to be. Theriault’s work here is simple yet effective and showcases the challenges of accepting one’s self in the present, regardless of the damage that has been done in the past.

I am Syd Stone is currently streaming at Inside Out 2020.

Trickster: Opening our Spiritual Eyes

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Adapted from Eden Robinson’s 2017 novel, Son of a Trickster, CBC’s new series Trickster follows Jared (Joel Oulette), an Indigenous teen who lives his life from one disaster to the next. Whether he’s dealing with his wild-child mother (Crystle Lightning) or supporting his father (Craig Lauzon), Jared struggles to get through the day, especially financially. When his part-time job selling drugs comes to an end, he feels lost within his own unstable, yet familiar, life. After he meets a mysterious stranger, Jared’s world is shaken as he begins to see talking ravens and doppelgangers. At first, Jared is able to write them off as wild, drug-induced hallucinations. However, as he explores the meaning of his visions, Jared soon discovers that the answer may lie in a tradition that he has long ignored.

Directed by Michelle Latimer (ALIAS), Trickster is a dark and mysterious ride through mythology as it collides with the modern era. While the series falls neatly into the ‘supernatural sub-genre’ made popular by True Blood, Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and, to a lesser extent, Riverdale, Trickster‘s style and celebration of Indigenous culture keep the series fresh and engaging. Through her use of colour and tone, Latimer visually interweaves the mundane with the mystical, seemlessly blending the interaction between them. Featuring solid work by its entire cast, the series also crafts some truly unique characters that bring the world to life. (Crystle Lightning, in particular, is an absolute joy to watch as Jared’s free-wheeling but loving mother.)

As Jared and his family struggle through their daily lives, the spiritual underpinnings of First Nations culture simmer below the surface of the community. Lost in a sea of unpaid debts and addictions, the characters of this world are primarily focused on survival. Consumed by banality, each day blends into the next as hope for something better has long since eluded them. In essence, this is a world where people never seem to change and lives remain frozen in time and place.

As a result of this static culture, however, the impact of these new spiritual revelations becomes all the more jarring. For example, though Jared seems lost as the mystery unspools, his world also becomes larger. Having been confined by the borders of his local neighbourhood his entire life, he begins to see that what he has known is merely one piece of a larger mystical fabric and his worldview begins to shift. In other words, Jared’s journey to discover the broader spiritual realities of his world opens his eyes in such a way as to recognize that there are aspects to his world that were unknown to him. As such, Trickster not only unravels its own mystery but unlocks a much deeper spiritual heritage that alters the way its characters understand the world. 

While unbelievable to many, the realities of the mythological world affect them all.

In this way, Latimer has created a world that intrigues as well as challenges. Fun and mysterious, Trickster is an entertaining ride that draws you in through its premise but entices you to stay through its strong characters and storytelling. What’s more, while it thrives in its celebration of Indigenous traditions and folklore, it also serves as a humbling reminder of what can be lost when we misjudge our own place within the universe.

Trickster premieres Wednesday, September 16, 2020 at 9:00pm.

More than a Mantra: 1on1 with Father Ed Leahy (BENEDICT MEN)

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‘What hurts my brother or sister hurts me.’

Simple and powerful, that phrase provides the foundation of the educational environment at St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark, New Jersey. Led by Father Ed Leahy, St. Benedict’s is structured around its foundational belief in community and mutual accountability. As the subject of the new documentary series, Benedict Men, the staff of St. Benedict’s and their students have built a new kind of school environment that Father Leahy insists is built around empowering youth within safe, spiritual community.

“The underpinnings in the school are community leadership, tending to the heart and academics,” Father Leahy explains. “Those four columns, so to speak, hold the thing up. Creating communities is what is essential to what we do, because it’s what has been destroyed largely in our country right now. Any sense of togetherness, of working towards a common goal, of giving up what you want for what we need, ‘whatever hurts my brother or sister hurts me’. That kind of sense is what’s completely absent in the country. So, we do it.” 

“I tell people all the time, we have a fence around our property and some people think it keeps the monks in or it keeps the bad people out. It doesn’t do either of those. It really marks off Holy ground. It’s a space where we can treat each other differently and be a sign to the world of what’s possible. [It’s] not because of our own strength, but because of the power of the Holy Spirit in us. It allows it to happen that it’s possible to have people of different ethnicities and faiths [to come together]. We’re mostly Christian, but we have large Muslim, Hindu and Jewish populations. It’s… a sign of faith and God’s love to the city and to its environment. That’s all we’re trying to do, but the community is the fundamental part of what does that. We’re all climbing the same mountain. It’s about faith. It’s not about religion. Religion is what gets us killing each other. Faith won’t do that.” 

Currently airing on Quibi, Benedict Men is a documentary that delves into the lives of the students at St. Benedict’s. As the school’s basketball team drives toward its latest championship, the youth are challenged to learn the meaning of brotherhood in all aspects of life.

Even so, while the power of community sounds good, it helps no one if it’s left simply as a mantra. However, what’s most impressive about St. Benedict’s is the fact that doing ‘life together’ has become embedded into every aspect of school life. For Father Leahy, much of establishing community stems from empowering students to use their voice and help participate in leadership themselves.

“The voice of the kids is what’s essential,” Father Leahy expounds. “So, we work hard in trying to help young people of color discover their voice or amplify their voice, which is exactly why I’m so happy about this piece and Steph Curry’s involvement in it. Steph Curry’s voice is being heard in a different way now… I think what’s happening in the country right now is you’ve got guys like Steph, LeBron and others… [who] are using their voice to raise issues and to cause people think, hopefully, in another way. So, leadership here amplifying the voices is what’s essential.“

“So, the kids run the place day to day,” he continues. “They’re responsible for the community and the decisions that get made within the context of community. It works. Our job, as adults, is to protect them from making decisions that will harm them in the long run or harm them physically Outside of that, they can, they make any decisions they need to make.” 

Of course, with any form of leadership development, differences of opinions can create conflict between the youth. For these instances, Father Leahy believes that the school must be a safe space for the youth to express themselves and take responsibility for their actions where necessary.

“You have to have a community of trust that allows for criticism,” he feels. “Mark Taylor, who’s tremendous coach, [will] take the ball [in the locker room] after every game, and anybody who wants it can get it for the purpose of ‘call outs’ or ‘shout outs’. So, you can either say something positive about another’s performance (or about your own) [with] a shout out, or you could give a call out. If somebody’s somebody screwed up or you did, you can admit that or you can say that to somebody else. It’s unbelievably effective to watch it in a locker room. It’s ingenious… We have a school meeting every day… We meet face to face. We don’t have any loud speakers where talking voices are coming out of the walls at you. So, we can deal with any issues that we need to deal with straight up, face to face, all together. It works.” 

While the emphasis of Benedict Men may focus on the success and obstacles faced by the school’s basketball team, Father Leahy understands that sports are only one part of their lives. In fact, he believes that the school’s job is to prepare their students for life outside their walls as best as possible. By encouraging the students to envision their future beyond the world of sports and fame, Father Leahy wants to them to avoid the stereotypical false dreams that he argues are being sold to African American youth. To him, these ‘hoops dreams’ that have been sold by the media have become a form of ‘nouveau slavery’ insofar as they turn students into products.

“[Modern basketball] is a nouveau slavery in that it’s essentially the buying and selling, so to speak, of African American kids,” Father Leahy begins. “It’s horrible. It even causes adults to begin to see teenagers as assets. I’ve seen it, even with parents. Parents can begin to see their sons as an asset rather than their son. And this doesn’t happen just in basketball. It happens in all youth sports now. There are a million people in the world that could be his coach or her coach. There’s only one that can be his father and there’s only one that can be his mother. Be his mother, be his father. Don’t be his coach. Don’t be as agent. Be his parent. That doesn’t happen a lot of times.” 

“It’s even more difficult in a situation where many of our kids are subject to a system of government that puts more African American men in jail than any place else in the world. (It puts more people in jail than any place else in the world!) So, lots of kids are living without their fathers. It’s a huge problem, because moms begin to worry that they’re going to lose them to the street. Moms began to grip even tighter to hang on to them at a time and an age emotionally when a kid is trying to separate from mom. It creates huge tensions, suffering, and resentment to operate in young men.”

With this in mind, it’s also important to Father Leahy that they care for the emotional and spiritual of their youth as well. As the third philosophical column supporting their school structure, ‘tending to the heart’ has become an essential component of the teen’s development.

“We have a pretty extensive counseling center that 40% of our kids will contact… at some time during the year,” Father Leahy enlightens. “We run small groups around topics like, the kids call themselves, Unknown Sons, [who are] kids with absent fathers. Another group is called Blues Men. They’re kids who suffer from depression. Another one is Ala-Teen, [who are] kids who are affected by somebody with substance abuse. There’s an anger management group… And then we have face to face, one on one therapy as well. It’s interesting. You see kids whose academic performance is horrible. Once they begin to deal with the issues of their heart, you can watch their grades go up like a thermometer. It’s amazing. The problem is nobody’s doing that in schools and the anger that exists in so many black and brown men in this country doesn’t addressed. They feel like nobody pays any attention and… in order to get people’s attention in this country, you have to turn over a car or something. It shouldn’t be that way. So, the leadership structure and the counseling center are huge in charge of giving these guys and girls agency.”

Similarly, Father Leahy also claims that the false narratives spread to the youth set up undo pressure on today’s African American youth to succeed in the world of sports. In this way, one of the aspects of Benedict Men that he appreciates most is the fact that the series does not shy away from the realities and struggles that the students face from the outside world.

“What the story tells you though, is the pressure that’s put on 16 and 17-year-old kids and should never be put on them,” he contends. “The only way that a guy like (basketball player and student) Zarique Nutter sees himself getting out and being able to help his mother is by being a basketball player. That’s horrible. Why is that the only way? But that’s the only way that it’s presented to these kids because of the media. What do they say? The media is controlled by white people, by the way, right? What do [the students] think? They see basketball players, football players, and entertainers. They don’t see the possibility of being a banker, a neurosurgeon, a dentist or anything other than an athlete or an entertainer. It’s just not presented with that. There’s nothing around them that gives them that notion that they can achieve. So, a guy like Zarique is up against it, living in that difficulty and feeling a responsibility to Mom to use this talent… A 16-year-old is not supposed to be doing that but this country forces that on African American and Latino guys. It’s not right. It’s a shame. I think [Benedict Men director] Jonathan Hock told a great story because he pointed it out… Until we get it figured out, we’re going to have big, big problems… It’s a damn shame that nobody wants to understand the sufferings of the other. Until we can do that, that’s going to be rough sledding. That’s my feel.”

Benedict Men is now available on Quibi.

Benedict Men: Bold Brotherhood

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Currently airing on Quibi, Benedict Men is a documentary that delves into the lives of the students at St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark, New Jersey. Led by Father Ed Leahy, St. Benedict’s is structured around its foundational belief in community and mutual accountability. As the school’s basketball team drives toward its latest championship, the youth are challenged to learn the meaning of brotherhood in all aspects of life.

Executive produced by Stephen Curry, Benedict Men is a powerful and heartfelt look at the impact that sports culture can have on the lives of the players both on and off the court. Engaging and sincere, Benedict Men is thoroughly engrossing from start to finish. Capturing the innocence of youth as they grow and mature behind the backdrop of sports, each episode examines the lives of St. Benedict’s players and the issues that affect them and. By tackling topics that range from their ‘emotional noise’ to race and religion, Father Leahy and his staff fully recognize that life outside the game matters more than what happens on the court. (If anything, the only issue with this series is Quibi’s commitment to episodes of no more than 8-9 minutes. While that’s fine for some stories, each episode here simply feels too brief and even slightly shortchanged, not because of any lack of quality but because of the network’s style.) 

As they follow the players of St. Benedict’s, this series emphasizes not only their quest for another championship but the overall impact of a school culture on the lives of its students. Each youth, regardless of race, religion or gender, is offered social and spiritual support in an effort to prepare them for the challenges that lie outside the school’s walls. In one of the most impressive leadership structures that I have seen within a school setting, Father Leahy and his staff work towards creating students who are strong emotionally and spiritually, as well as physically.

However, what’s most unique about St. Benedict’s is the way that they infuse mutual respect and relationships into every aspect of their school culture. Founded on the belief that ‘What hurts my brother, hurts me’, the school attempts to create an atmosphere of healthy community where everyone’s voice matters. With an emphasis of empowering youth while teaching them to be accountable to one another, St. Benedict’s invests into every aspect of their students’ lives. Coaches offer strong praise for their players yet are also willing to call them out when they need to take ownership of their mistakes. Rather than offer announcements from the office, students run their own morning meetings together in their own style and voice. In moments such as these, the staff of St. Benedict’s partner with the students to create a culture of encouragement and freedom of expression that pushes the students to excel yet allows them to be themselves at the same time.

As the series opens, Curry states that ‘this is a basketball story’. Even though he’s technically correct in that Benedict Men focuses on a particular set of players, this comment is far too narrow in its focus. The truth is that Benedict Men is about so much more than the game of basketball. Though it’s set in the sports world, this series is ultimately about what it means to grow and prepare for a world that is more than willing to crush their spirits.

To hear our conversation with St. Benedict’s Father Ed Leahy, click here.

Benedict Men is available on Quibi on now with new episodes every weekday until October 2nd, 2020.

From Nigeria, With Love: 1on1 with Folake Olowofoyeku (BOB HEARTS ABISHOLA)

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Created by Chuck Lorre (Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men), Bob Hearts Abishola tells the story of Bob Wheeler (Billy Gardell), a divorced man who runs his family’s successful sock company out of Detroit. When the stress of the job causes him to have a heart attack, he finds himself immediately drawn to his kind, hard-working Nigerian nurse, Abishola (Folake Olowofoyeku). Though the two could not be more different, Bob and Abishola’s relationship slowly begins to bloom as they both learn from and celebrate one another. Asked about her experience as the latest piece of the Chuck Lorre legacy of network comedies, Olowofoyeku asserts that his professionalism and expertise makes the process both easy and fun.

“It seems seamless working in [what I call] it the Chuck Lorre universe,” she begins. “I’m a sci-fi head so I think that’s appropriate terminology for all that he’s accomplished in this world. Considering that he’s been at it for decades and has been at the top of his field doing it, coming in it’s just like walking into a well-oiled machine. Everyone on his team works and functions efficiently and are experts to what they do, including himself. He’s a genius. Just watching him work, he comes into the room and knows exactly what you need to do. It makes my work easier as an actress. I’ve got it really easy so I must have built up some good karma. [laughs]”

However, despite Lorre’s history of creating comedy hits, Olowofoyeku also claims that she was able to bring her own ideas to the creative process in developing her character.

“Everything apart from the words on the script, everything about the character has been my choice,” she points out. “I guess they trusted me to execute and deliver that properly. But I was informed by what was written on the script… Most of the roles that I embark on, I look with any script for information about the character and then I develop her based on that, like the way I pronounce ‘Bob’. There was something in the script that was very specific to Abi’s reaction to the American name. So, I thought, I can’t just pronounce this in a Western sort of way… So, I said, ‘Okay, if [the way] I’m pronouncing Bob gets a reaction like this and I have to build a story around why I pronounce Bob in a certain way, that also informs the way my accent should be for the character.”

“Also, in the back of my head, I’m thinking that I don’t want her to be too much of a caricature. So, I have to find a balance between the two worlds having a strong enough accent to justify why I pronounce Bob [that way] and still not being caricature of my people. After finding a way to meld those two characteristics together, I then later on have to think about how to make it more intelligible for our audience. The way I’m going to approach the accent of the character in Nigeria… specifically geared to Nigerians is very different than I will an American [audience]…” 

While Olowofoyeku feels that she and Abishola have very different personalities, she also believes that they both contain an inner strength of character.

“[Abishola and I are] extremely different,” she contends. “We have the fundamental things in common. We’re both Nigerian, both raised in Nigeria and then we made the move to America at some point in my life. But, I’m a lot edgier and crazier than she is. I’m not as strict. Certainly, I’m not as devout as she is. I certainly wouldn’t push my child to become a doctor because that was done to me in a different way and I don’t think that’s right. That being said, we also have a tenacity and a strength. There’s a tenacity and strength that I see in women. I grew up [seeing that in] my mother and my auntie–both Nigerian women–and all women, really, But, in molding this character, I drew from characteristics I’ve seen in Nigerian women growing up.” 

Having immigrated from Nigeria herself, Olowofoyeku has some understanding of what it means to start one’s life over in a new culture. Nevertheless, while she believes that the show’s depiction of the immigrant experience remains relatively realistic, she also argues that her character’s journey remains quite different than her own.

“It cannot be accurate to my [experience] because my set of circumstances are completely different from Abishola,” she argues. “I moved here my own, I didn’t have a child and I didn’t move in with family… So, it wasn’t similar in that regard. However, I do think it’s still authentic. It’s authentic for those particular set of circumstances. It’s very common to see a Nigerian move to a foreign country and move in with family members that already established themselves there and, in an effort to save money, house together so that the income is based on whatever they’ve all got. So, I think it’s extremely realistic. And I see the dynamic between our Abishola and her Auntie and Uncle as realistic as well. There’s a lot of respect that’s shown in the Nigerian family, regardless of who’s right or wrong and the younger always respects the older. You see that with and Abishola. Yeah. So, it’s not specific to my situation, but yeah, I think it’s definitely an accurate depiction.” 

In the midst of the current global pandemic, Olowofoyeku remains passionate about the safety and well-being of those within her home country of Nigeria. As a result, when she was approached by the One Campaign to join them in the call for greater health care, she jumped at the chance to help.

“We’re just starting off this relationship,” she beams excitedly. “Obviously, with the current climate in the entire world, I was wondering how I could be of use and helpful. I was looking for ways that I could be involved a little bit more hands on than just a donation or a couple of words in a post here and there. I really wanted to be involved. [The One Campaign] came to my team and mentioned some of the work that they’re doing and I had an opportunity to talk to them. I was really excited that they were working specifically in Nigeria because I would like to be able to help in whatever way I can. I’m really looking forward to see what we can accomplish together. I like that they’re that’s focused on keeping governments around the world accountable and make sure that they’re looking out for the low income, more vulnerable sectors. They also have a petition going on right now on their website, One.org, and it would be awesome if people could go on there and sign up. (You can access the petition here.) That helps them approach different… governments around the world to make sure that they are providing proper health care for their citizens, especially during this time.” 

Since the current health crisis has caused much of Hollywood to shut down, it comes as no surprise that Bob Hearts Abishola would be affected as well. Although last week’s episode was dubbed the season finale, Olowofoyeku reveals that the season did not end as intended as a result of interruptions due to the current pandemic.

“[That was] not the finale. It’s the last one of the season unfortunately, because we had to stop shooting,” she clarifies. “We were two episodes away from the actual finale. That wasn’t going to be the finale. In fact, we were halfway into the second to last episode and were just about to start filming… If we do get to season two, and I’m really hopeful that we will, then those two episodes will be the first two episodes of the new season.”

In light of this, Olowofoyeku also has idea of what she’d like to see from the series as they move forward. Should they get the chance, she believes that their series has the unique opportunity to give the viewer a window into Nigerian celebrations first hand.

According to Olowofoyeku, “I don’t know if it needs to happen in the second season but I think it would be great to have them go to Nigeria and explore what it’s like landing at the Nigerian airport and have a wedding. Nigerian weddings last for days. We have an introduction, the white wedding, the traditional wedding. We have the Thanksgiving. It’s like a week-long festivity. I think it would be great to find an episode to each other’s days. That would be marvelous. We’ve never seen anything like that before, shooting an American show on foreign soil. I think that would be great. It’s mind-blowing, really… I think our crew and cast would have an amazing time of Nigeria. With the festivities, it would be so much fun.”

For full audio of our interview with Folake, click here.

Bob Hearts Abishola is available on demand now.

Cosmos: Multiple Worlds – Are We Ready for This?

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An imagined human settlement on an exoplanet moon is offered as a reminder that we are capable of greatness. COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS premieres March 9, 2020 on National Geographic. (Cosmos Studios)

A number of years ago, my family took a trip to Crater Lake in Oregon for vacation.  The most memorable part of the visit wasn’t my first view of the massively deep late located in the caldera of a formerly active volcano. It wasn’t the waterfalls that dotted the landscape around the park (although I do enjoy waterfalls). Instead, it was when our family decided to find a location free of lights and wait for the stars to appear over the lake.  It took a little while, but we were incredibly rewarded with a sky that increasingly filled with stars and galaxies, the likes of which we had never seen. 

I think at some point in everyone’s life, one’s head turns to the skies and wonders what is beyond the stars. In the case of Carl Sagan, his drawings as a kid paved the way to a lifetime of exploration and study of the future and what it might be like.  The original Cosmos came out in 1980 and immediately tapped into the hearts and minds of people desiring, like Sagan, to make some sense of what might be.  Since then, the ideas of life outside Earth have not waned—in fact, they have increased dramatically. 

Into this massive desire steps a new series by National Geographic and Sagan’s wife Ann Druyan—Cosmos: Possible Worlds (Mondays, 9 PM [2 episodes]).  Hosted by well-known scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson, it offers captivating graphics and a storyline that seeks to bring the curiosity and intrigue to a new generation of viewers.  Does it succeed?  I think that will depend on the viewer, but I also think it requires a specific belief system to truly resonate.  In this case, it’s one of the most debated questions in science—how did the universe begin?  

Tyson explains early on in the first episode about the cosmic calendar and how it shows where we in the grand scheme of time.  Basically, we are but a few blinks of an eye from the clock striking midnight on New Year’s Eve.  It doesn’t, however, stop people from looking skyward and considering what can potentially be.  We have to start somewhere—so why not do so by looking forward, not backward?  Tyson says science is good, but “without imagination, we go nowhere.” Dreaming plus action equals such things as Perseverance, the new Mars rover scheduled to be launched this year.  But even that is puny when looking at other locales for future life, such as Neptune’s moon Triton or using a cosmic telescope, powered by the sun, to find the next Earth that could be multiple light years away.  Perhaps that timeframe can even be sped up . . .

The first two episodes are slick, with extremely high production value and a capsule Tyson rides in that is reminiscent of something from the Disney film, Flight of the Navigator.  The material is intriguing and will encourage viewers to come back for more.  The big question is how Sagan’s concepts will be viewed in 2020.  Tyson uses a good portion of the first episode to discuss Baruch Spinoza, a Dutch philosopher who threw out biblical concepts and focus on rationality. In fact, the fictional spaceship in the first two episodes bears his name.  I think this is where the concept goes awry. With there being so much chance and so much time between the formation of the universe (14 billion years) and now, it leads to intense speculation that one little mistake would throw off all we know.  God’s plan is perfect, just as He is (Matthew 5:48) and requires much less faith to follow in consideration.  I’m all for looking at the future—even finding myself daydreaming about the things my oldest will discover as she looks at rocks from other planets in college.  I know they will bring us to greater discoveries that push us to Sagan’s endgame.  The question is if we’re ready to go there.  We’ll have to make those decisions at some point, so let’s spare the past and look forward instead, pressing on day by day to a future that will carry us to greater things.

The Battle of Jangsari: The Bloody Battle of Brother Against Brother

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Directed by Kwan Kyung-Tae, The Battle of Jangsari is a gruelling war thriller showcasing a horrific battle of the Korean war in the 1950’s. At a crucial point in the war, a small group of South Korean soldiers must fight for a tactical strip of land on Incheon, called Jangsari Beach. The inexperienced group of underdogs consists mostly of recruits with (at most) 10 days of training and are severely underprepared in ammunition, rations, and overall supplies yet they must try to fight against the odds and the brutality of war.

The beauty of The Battle of Jangsari is that really portrays the different perspectives that these young soldiers experience when going through the pitifulness of war. Focusing on the recruits, each character has their own individual story but there seem to be two common motivations that unite them: they either want revenge on the North Koreans for attacking them or they want to be seen as heroes for protecting their own people, the South Koreans. In Jangsari, Kwan does a great job showing how the propaganda of South Korea has influenced the young soldiers to fight against their enemies. In reality, a lot of North Korea’s soldiers were people forced to fight for their country or face execution. Another thing the film takes note of is that Korea had only split in 1945. So, only 5 years before the war, they had considered themselves one country and one people. As a result, the war ultimately became brother fighting against brother as both sides were Koreans fighting for freedom from one another and killing each other senselessly. 

Personally, I loved how beautiful the sets were and how each scene captured the intensity of war. Through the large set pieces, the viewer feels like they’re actually there joining the South Koreans and fighting in the name of freedom. Featuring an enormous cast, the film brings to life the scale of war and the devasting onslaught of bullets and artillery firing constantly. In doing so, Jangsari proves that, no matter beautiful or blessed your life was before, once you reach the battlefield of war nothing changes the devastation of what hot lead and shrapnel can do to human flesh.  

Overall, The Battle of Jangsari is a great war film that showcases an intense battle at a crucial point in the Korean war. In the end, I recommend the film as it beautifully portrays the futility of war and the senselessness of violence. 

The Battle of Jangsari is available on BluRay and On Demand now.