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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.

Sacred Lies: Digging Up the Past

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In the race to produce online content, Facebook was the service that I least expected to offer anything of quality. However, after solid online web series such as Limetown and Sorry for Your Loss, Facebook is beginning to fully develop their streaming content (while offering it for free, no less).  With the release of the second season of Sacred Lies, they continue their streak of intriguing material that is worth watching.

The second season of Sacred Lies continues the anthology format with a new story and new characters. Drawing inspiration from both the Brothers’ Grimm narrative, The Singing Bones, and real life murder-cases, the limited series follows Elsie (Jordan Alexander), as she attempts to unravel the mystery of her family after having been abandoned as a child. When she discovers that her estranged father, Peter (Ryan Kwanten) is alive and in prison, her visit soon leads to more questions about her early childhood and, potentially, the nature of her father’s crimes. At the same time, Elsie’s journey also brings her into the path of Harper (Juliette Lewis), a free-lance detective who has an obsessive hobby for bringing justice to unsolved murder victims

Produced by Blumhouse Television, Sacred Lies is yet another example of how they continue to grow in their storytelling. Over the last few years, Blumhouse has quickly become one of the premiere distributors for the horror genre. While their films can be hit-and-miss (Fantasy Island being an example of a missed opportunity), thankfully Sacred Lies showcases some of the better aspects of the company’s work. While the writing isn’t always as engaging as the story itself, Sacred Lies is a good example of Blumhouse’s ability to build intense atmospheric worlds with narratives that are frequently willing to venture into darker themes. What’s more, Sacred Lies features relatively solid performances from its leads, especially Alexander’s Elsie who portrays her character with both brokenness and rage. 

Without giving away any spoilers, one of the key narratives of the story involves whether or not our lives are determined by the sins of our fathers. Both Peter and Elsie’s journeys into their past forces them to engage who they are in the present. Despite her traumatic childhood, the unraveling of the mystery of Elsie’s youth forces her to work through whether her family’s secrets determine who she is today. The heaviness that has consumed her for her entire life was not her choice. However, she is left to pick up the pieces of the traumatic experiences left upon her. Similarly, Peter too is grappling with his own traumatic experiences that may or may not have influenced his own actions. As a result, both Peter and Elsie must decide what truly defines their lives—and if there truly is hope for them along the way.

In the end, Sacred Lies: The Singing Bones is neither a game-changing series nor a missed opportunity. While it struggles at times in its writing, the series itself is strong enough to recommend another trip into the darker realm of the Blumhouse. 

Sacred Lies: The Singing Bones releases its first three episodes on Facebook Watch on Thursday, February 20th, 2020 with new episodes released every Thursday.  

The Mandalorian: This is The Way

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Last week, I had the honor and privilege of attending the red carpet premiere of The Mandalorian. It was a fan event that had a Q&A in the beginning, and then a screening of the first three episodes.

First, a little backstory as to how this came about. I love Star Wars, and I also love giving back. Two years ago, I decided to merge those two loves together and started my journey out of my comfort zone into costuming. Fast forward to a year ago, and I became an official member of the Mandalorian Mercs Costume Club. I’ve had the privilege to do many charity works from hospitals, orphanages, charity walks, etc. The smile on the children’s faces is the only reward or perk that I need. Last week, however, the reward was an invitation by Disney/Lucasfilm to attend the premiere. Along with many fellow Mandos, we descended upon Hollywood Blvd at the El Capitan Theatre where we stood along the red carpet as stars and those who worked on the show arrived. It was an experience that can’t be described.

The Mandalorian isn’t like any Star Wars film before it (of course, it’s not a film but a series). Werner Herzog said it best at the premiere when he stated that, “This is the birth of a new mythos within the already established mythology.” As a fan of what the Mandalorian culture has been in Star Wars lore, having a live action series centered around that (and no longer be referred to as Boba Fett, who isn’t even a Mandalorian) had me filled with excitement and fear. Will it be done right? How will a series work? Will there be more and simply focus on just one? Of course, most of those fears were quelled when I heard Jon Favreau was working alongside George Lucas’ padawan himself, Dave Filoni (The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: Resistance). For Dave to move from animation to live action, taking all he learned from George and pass it on to this show, gave me peace about it.

Of course, this isn’t a rambling fan boy article. So, what about the show itself? Well, all those fears were erased within the first episode. The Mandalorian has arrived and is everything that it should be. Herzog wasn’t wrong in the notion that this is essentially creating a new mythos within the mythology that already exists.

And that’s what makes it even greater.

The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) in Lucasfilm’s THE MANDALORIAN. Photograph by Francois Duhamel/Lucasfilm Ltd

There is no question that the fandom can’t come to agreement with how Star Wars should expand (or if it should at all). The reality is that it should expand but it shouldn’t be based on what many fans wanted from it: the expanded universe (now known as ‘legends’). The Mandalorian, though giving fan service, feels fresh and new. The only knock against it that I feel is the run time…. I need more! It’s amazing that, for a character that never takes his “bucket” off, one can really see his emotions through his body language. Pedro Pascal works the camera in a way where you can tell if he’s frustrated, relieved, curious, angry and more. You get a glimpse into Mandalorian culture, how they are the best warriors in the galaxy and the most feared. As one of my favorite Marvel heroes say, ‘they are the best at what they do.’

WARNING SPOILERS

By now, the first two episodes have aired and, as I said, I saw the first three. I won’t focus too much on the first two episodes but be warned. This is about Episode 3 and how it eclipsed all of my expectations by signifying what makes Mandalorians the best. In Episode 1, we see The Mandalorian get an advance payment of Beskar, the metal that Mandalorians forge their armor from. It is unique to them and is part of a war-filled history. Some can be centuries old as it is past down form generation to generation. When the Great Purge took place, the Empire stole the Beskar. So, it makes sense for a former Imperial to have some in his possession after the fall of the Empire. Beskar is as rare as the Mandalorians themselves in this time period. It’s what made the first episode so significant to me. Yes, the rescue and the baby Yoda (no, it’s not Yoda) sequence was amazing and the Jawas in Episode 2 were hilarious. But it’s the moment after The Mandalorian gets the Beskar that really drew my attention. It took me three times watching it to realize, as The Mandalorian makes his way to The Armorer, that this hidden alley is filled with other Mandalorians.

That brief viewing and brief encounter brings us to Episode 3. The one thing about Star Wars is that it reveals the heart of a character. With Han, we see a scoundrel and smuggler who’s heart was good, noble, hero and a friend. We see that the good can be tempted and sometimes fall to the dark side, but they can be redeemed. The Mandalorian captures just that in this third episode. You see the real heart of a man who’s face you never see. You see how much the tribe means to him. Most importantly though, we learn how much his past makes his present and future important. Mandalorians are in hiding because the tribe is more important than the individual. But, sometimes, you have to make a choice that risks that very thing. For The Mandalorian, he could have easily went about his business. But that is neither his way, nor his tribe’s way. To do good, and to protect the foundlings (I have my own theories on that but won’t get into it now) stands above all. To him, a foundling isn’t just those around him, hidden from view. Knowing that they would be willing to kill the child for whatever devious plot they had, he saw himself and his fellow foundlings in the child that he brought in. His decision to go back and (quite awesomely) rescue him put all he had accomplished at risk. In fact, through his actions, he basically threw it all away.

But here’s what family is really about. What sets Mandalorians apart and has always appealed to me, is that it isn’t just the warrior spirit. It is that sense of community and family. When all hope seemed to be fading and effort lost, his family arrived, throwing all they had worked to protect away. Jetpacks, missile launchers, and a Heavy Weapons Gatling gun firing while hovering in the air warrior showed off all that is amazing about Mandalorians.

This episode felt like a season finale, yet we still have 5 more episodes to go. I’m not sure how they are going to top it but one thing is for certain: The Mandalorian is proving to be worth all the hype that it was made out to be. To see that pay off in theatre with some of my Aliit (family in Mando’a) is an experience one can never forget. The Mandalorian isn’t just about a lone warrior making his way through the galaxy with a youngling in tow (some of the great old Samurai film tropes). It is about family, loyalty, duty, and fighting evil even if it costs everything. This is the way!

The Mandalorian airs on Disney+ and releases new episodes every Friday.

6.08 The Legacy of THE IRISHMAN

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Directed by Martin Scorsese, Netflix’s last Oscar-contender, The Irishman sees the return of some of cinema’s greatest legends. Starring Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci, the film follows Frank Sheeran (DeNiro), a young teamster who finds himself drawn into the underworld by crime boss, Russell Buffalino (Pesci). As he climbs the ranks as a hit man, Frank also goes to work for Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino), the leader of the teamster union and one of the most powerful men in America. This week, we welcome back That Shelf’s Victor Stiff to talk about the nature of cinema, what it means to leave a legacy and the depth of silence.

You can also stream the episode above on podomatic, Alexa (via Stitcher), Spotify or Soundcloud! Or, you can download the ep on Apple Podcasts or Google Play!

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.

6.08 The IrishmanDownload

Limetown: The Boundaries of Building Babel

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Airing now on Facebook Live, Limetown follows Lia Haddock (Jessica Biel), a journalist for American Public Radio (APR) who is exploring the mystery behind the disappearance of over 300 people at a neuroscience research facility. As she gets closer to the answers behind the failed experiment, Haddock’s journey becomes increasingly perilous as unseen forces attempt to keep their actions hidden at the expense of human lives.

Based on the podcast of the same name, Limetown is a complicated web of science-fiction, intrigue and suspense. Borrowing elements from a wide-variety of popular modern mythologies such as Lost, The Leftovers and famed podcast, Serial, Limetown manages to carve out its own unique space amongst them. Interestingly, while Biel leads each episode (and the mythology is clearly tied to Haddock’s history), neither does she (wisely) demand the spotlight, allowing the stories of each ‘survivor’ to drive the narrative. In doing so, the mystery of Limetown maintains a more ‘first-hand’ account of the drama, giving more impact to its intrigue.

Without giving away any spoilers, Limetown speaks to mankind’s desire to create a perfect world in their own image. Set up as a scientific community, Limetown itself existed as a place where people could come together and attempt at building a ‘better world’. However, as the truths behind the existence of the facility begin to unfurl, the audience discovers the dark underbelly of human progress and the damage that can be left in its wake. In other words, as human life begins to lose its value in the name of building something ‘better’, the concept of progress can quickly give way to the abuse of power.

Interestingly, early on, the series references the ‘Library of Babel’, a mythological library that contains all of the answers in the universe, though they remain buried under an infinite layer of nonsense that must be waded through to find them. While the show uses the analogy to describe the difficulty to finding the truth about Limetown, it’s reference to the Biblical Tower of Babel also points to a story where man attempted to prove their worth as greater than God by building a society in their own image. While the reference is merely a throwaway, it also speaks heavily to the vision for Limetown itself as it recklessly places the value of mankind’s scientific ingenuity ahead of the soul of humanity. Although technological achievement is essential to the progress of any culture, it can also create unspeakable horror when the value of life is misplaced for the sake of human glory. To its credit, it is this question of boundaries that lies at the heart of Limetown as the lines between advancement and exploitation blur.

With two new episodes airing each week, Limetown is worthy mystery to explore. By incorporating the podcast format, the series excels as it unravels its mystery from the perspective of its survivors (or victims). As a result, the personal accounts of Limetown add greater weight to the questions of human achievement which, although incredible in their scientific revelations, also contain the potential to damage the human soul in the process.

Limetown currently has released the first six episodes available via Facebook Watch with new episodes every Wednesday.

Heartland: Riding the Trails (and Trials) of Life

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For the past 12 years and over 200 episodes, Heartland has charmed audiences through its lovable characters and tender atmosphere. Based on the Heartland book series by Lauren Brooke, the show is centred around the lives and loves of the Fleming family, a steady clan of horse ranchers in Vancouver, Canada and has built its legacy upon the importance of family and caring for one another. Starring Amber Marshall, Graham Wardle and Michelle Morgan, the series has kept its core cast together over the years. As a result, similar to shows such as Little House on the Prarie and The Waltons, its audience has had the opportunity to grow with the characters as their lives change over time.

As Season 12 prepares to ramp up, change is in the wind for the Fleming family. With distance continuing to make parenting difficult, Amy (Marshall) and Ty (Wardle) consider a new venture together in order to close their relationship gap. Also, having survived her cyber-bullying and found new success on the riding circuit, Georgie (Alisha Newton) is invited to step into the spotlight in ways that she finds uncomfortable. Lastly, having survived his cancer scare (or has he?), Tim (Chris Potter) finds himself re-examining all his priorities and considering some major life changes. 

Interestingly though, while other network series over the years have attempted to keep viewership by pushing boundaries and controversy, Heartland has remained true to its ‘family first’ ethos. In essence, there remains a simple purity that exists at the core of this series that is appealing to viewers of all ages. Despite the fact that the show refuses to shy away from such everyday issues such as cyber-bullying, alcohol abuse and more, Heartland continues to shroud its characters with such love from their family that no issue is insurmountable. As such, the Flemings consistently provide an element of family stability that most other series don’t exhibit. Stars Marshall and Wardle have grown from ‘will they/won’t they’ teens in love to loving and committed married parents, Michelle Morgan has grown into a loving mother and strong independent woman and Shaun Johnston provides the necessary gravitas as the family patriarch Jack Bartlett. In doing so, Heartland has created a space for its audience to feel safe and welcome, even in the midst of heartbreaks and family drama.

Having already been renewed for a remarkable 13thSeason, Heartland will continue to endure. Through its emphasis on family and support, the series has remained endearing over the years and, with an eye on current events, also proves that it still has new stories to tell.

Heartland begins its 12th season on July 25th, 2019 on UP Faith & Family.

The Grown-Up World of the Not-so-Teen Titans

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This is not Teen Titans Go! or Young Justice, and certainly not Superfriends. This is the DC Universe if it mashed up the origin stories of the Titans were thrown into the world of Watchmen or Kickass, a world where the actual evil that created Raven or Robin or Beast Boy was played out in darker hues than the saccharine explanations offered up in animated versions. This is the new DC, a brand new issue of the DC family that proposes big questions for first and second generation superheroes alongside explosive action and theater-worthy special effects.

Before they’re an official team, the Titans are introduced slowly over several episodes, first with Rachel Roth AKA Raven (Teagan Croft) finding out that she’s more powerful than she knows and that a mysterious organization wants her, alive or dead. Her story collides with Dick Grayson AKA Robin (Brenton Thwaites), ex-sidekick to Batman-turned-Detroit police officer, and Kory Anders AKA Starfire (Anna Diop), a powerful being with serious amnesia. Pursued by the mysterious organization’s “Nuclear Family,” the three of them run into Hawk and Dove (Minka Kelly and Alan Ritchson) and Jason Todd AKA New Robin (Curran Walters), who Dick has a troubled past with, before they “rescue” Gar from the Doom Patrol, headed by Niles Caulder (Bruno Bichir). [The visual representation of the Negative Man, Elasti-Woman, and, especially, Robotman, are spectacular, putting even the likes of Gotham or Smallville to shame. No wonder, Doom Patrol already been ordered for its own spinoff season.]

There are several threads throughout the episodes that raise questions about what it means to be heroic and, on a broader scale, to determine one’s way in the world. Rachel wants to know her mother, and to understand her powers, but her origins are a blend of the innocent (her mother) and the evil (her father, Trigon). Dick wants to figure out how far a hero can go in pursuit of justice before he/she becomes a villain, and who he is apart from being Batman’s sidekick. Kory wants to know who she is and Gar wants to know … what beer tastes like. While the additional DC characters add some flavor (especially interesting are Jason Todd and Donna Troy/Wonder Girl (Conor Leslie)), the majority of development is about Rachel’s search for her mother and Dick’s search for his post-Robin career meaning.

Bombastically, even profanely, these young heroes punch, kick, stab, and throttle opponents, with the violence of a more mature show. Fans of superheroes who also dig Game of Thrones will find the balance of the pre-existing legends created by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani, nurtured by George Perez and Marv Wolfman, and picked up by Scott Lobdell, mixed with F-bombs and blood spatter. [Hmm, maybe this is the material Zack Snyder has been looking for!] This is the world that minds like Geoff Johns and Greg Berlanti could create without the issues tied to MPAA or television ratings, unafraid to tackle tough issues like child abuse, violence, and spiritual warfare.

The beauty of the show, beyond the acting, plot, cinematography, and action (isn’t that enough?) is that violence is discussed in superhero ways unlike anything we’ve seen (with the exception of Netflix’s The Punisher or Daredevil.) Here, our heroes see a cost for what they’re choosing to do with their powers, the friction internally they feel when they put on masks. Having already chosen to use their powers for the collective good, it becomes less about “if” and more about “how,” providing more nuanced discussions than a teenage Spider-Man. They find themselves asking questions like, “Am I doing the right thing? How much force is justifiable? What is the best use of my gifts and talents?”

In a strange, Teen Titans-esque way, the show becomes a buddy road trip of sorts, where the characters must figure out who they are and how they fit, and how they might become a team. The acting complements the plot in a way that makes us care for these characters as they grow and learn to be family, even while we’re stunned by Starfire’s fire or Dick’s fighting or Raven’s… horrific spirit powers. But instead of silly campiness, this show actually tackles the real world evil of people’s greed and power-mongering, and shows us that the world will be alright because this world has … Titans.

In the Blu-ray combo pack includes all eleven episodes of the first season of DC Universe’s series plus thirteen featurettes. There’s a look at the journey of “Raven and Robin: Dark Rebirth,” the origin story of Hawk and Dove, the background of Starfire, Beast Boy, and Donna Troy, and a look at the Doom Patrol. Geoff Johns discusses Robin in “The New Robin,” while Johns and Greg Walker look at their adaptation of the comic stories to the small screen in “From Page to Screen.” And there’s an interesting view of the final episode in “Team Titan.”

Running with Violet: Reckless Abandon (Your Life)

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Airing on YouTube, Running with Violet is a web series that tells the story of two women who are in desperate need of a ‘girls weekend’. Stuck between motherhood and the horrible men in their lives, Miranda (Marie-Claire Marcotte) and Jolene (Rebecca Davey) feel the open road calling for a weekend of freedom and spiritual refreshment (even if that means that Miranda will have to bring her young daughter with them). However, when an accident results in tragedy, their plans unravel completely, leading these unsuspecting women into a life of murder, drugs and crime.

Created by Davey and Marcotte, Violet is a fun ride, providing a surprising amount of energy as the unwitting criminals run wildly through the criminal underworld. Due to the popularity of series such as Netflix’s Good Girls, Ozark, and AMC’s legendary Breaking Bad, shows about ‘nice people gone bad’ have become more common in recent years. However, as both lead stars and creators of the popular web series, Marcotte and Davey have an amazing amount of creative control over their product and, as a result, the show is filled with their own unique brand of dark humour. What’s more, both leads have solid chemistry that makes the show work, especially as their lives begin to spiral increasingly out of control.

With the coming release of season two, the series picks up shortly after the events of the previous season with the two women finally taking time away in Miami to relax and ‘find themselves’. Then, after a seemingly chance encounter with a mysterious young woman, they soon find themselves in the middle of yet another unexpected world of crime and intrigue. Unlike the previous episodes, however, the women seem much more self-aware and confident than when we first meet them in season one. Having come to grips with her sexuality, Miranda is much more willing to take risks with self-assurance. Meanwhile, after their dalliances with crime, Jolene seems wiser and more alert of potential danger. As such, the series demonstrates the thin line between taking responsibility for one’s life and living recklessly. Through the journeys of Jolene and Miranda, one witnesses how making compromises can lead us further from the road of integrity than one ever intended and the consequences associated with that. Even so, despite their growth, both women also somehow maintain their innocence and inherent good nature. Unlike other shows of this nature, they continue to seek for self-fulfillment, security and happiness and have yet to entirely fall from grace… yet.

In the end, Running with Violet is a fun journey down the criminal rabbit hole. Featuring endearing and energetic performances by it’s leads, the series balances out intensity and humour well. (Plus, it’s YouTube platform allows for genuine independent fire and creativity.) In short,Violetis one series worth running to.

For full audio of our interview with creator and star Marie-Claire Marcotte, click here.

Running with Violet returns to its life of crime on YouTube on July 15th, 2019