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8.12 Behind the Image in THE POWER OF THE DOG

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In Jane Campion’s THE POWER OF THE DOG, Benedict Cumberbatch plays gruff cowboy, Phil Burbank. After his brother returns with a new wife and son, Phil does his best to put on a show of toxic masculinity and dominance, even as his conflicted soul suffers underneath. This week, Seeing & Believing‘s Kevin McLenithan and author Wade Bearden stop by to talk about hiding behind the image and showing our dark side.

(Note: This episode was recorded as part of our ‘Best Movie Moments of 2021’ and re-edited as a standalone. You can watch our Top Movie Moments episode here.)

You can watch the episode on YouTube and stream on podomatic, Alexa (via Stitcher), Spotify, iHeart Radio or Amazon Podcasts! Or, you can downoad 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.

8.12-The-Power-of-the-DogDownload

tick, tick… BOOM!: Larson’s Love Letter to Life

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Time is always ticking away… but how we make use of it determines our impact on the world.

Set in 1990, tick, tick… BOOM! tells the story of Broadway legend Jonathan Larson (Andrew Garfield). Well before he created Rent, Larson was doing his best to stay afloat financially by waiting tables at the Moondance Diner while he works on his upcoming play, Superbia. Having poured his heart and soul into the piece for over eight years, Larson believes that this is finally going to be his big break. However, when his girlfriend Susan (Alexandra Ship) reveals that she has been offered a job in the Berkshires and wants him to join her, he is faced with a difficult decision. While he could follow the love of his life and get a ‘real job’, doing so would require him to essentially give up his dreams. However, if he continues to follow his passion, he would also lose the woman he cares about so deeply.

Directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, tick, tick… BOOM! is a love letter to musical theatre and one of its legends in Jonathan Larson. Using Larson’s play of the same name as its base structure, tick, tick… BOOM! feels as much like a live performance as it does a dramatic representation of a young man’s life. While this year has seen many musicals disappoint this year (with possibly Miranda’s In the Heights as the exception to the rule), tick, tick is an absolute joy from start to finish. Featuring Larson’s incredible Broadway sensibilities in its music, it’s rather refreshing to have a musical offered by Miranda where he didn’t write the songs himself. While his style is generally stunning and incredibly unique, let’s not forget that there have already been three (!) films this year alone featuring his work on the soundtrack. With tick, tick, Miranda is allowed to relax and pour his energy into directing the cast and musical numbers. Underrated for his role as a director, Miranda makes almost every musical number pop with love and affection. Whether it’s Garfield dancing in his kitchen to turning their lowly diner into a Broadway stage, there is a joy embedded within this film which keeps it moving, even in its slower moments.

Having said this, particular attention must be given to Garfield himself. The former Spider-Man (but he’s totally in No Way Home, right?) is often forgotten for his incredible talent as an actor and 2021 has once again shown his range. As controversial figure Jim Bakker in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Garfield fused his charm with a certain unease that never allowed you to fully trust him. Here though, he bursts on the screen with an infectious energy that we haven’t seen from him in ages. Although the musical numbers offer a certain sense of hyper-reality, Garfield still feels present and focused in each scene as Larson. As such, while the music and production design are impressive, it’s Garfield that ultimately sells the film simply out of his own sheer enthusiasm.

On the surface, tick, tick seems to be about the urgency of time. As his 30th birthday approaches, Larson agonizes about all the things in his life that he has yet to accomplish. Holding Sondheim’s career up as the gold standard, he remains frustrated by the fact that he has yet to leave his mark on Broadway. To him, the 30th year is almost too late to be seen as one of the voices who have changed the face of theatre and he wants to make an impact.

However, as the film unfolds, Larson begins to recognize that the most important legacy that he can leave lies in the hearts of those he cares about. Although he remains committed to his work, the lives of those around him matter more. Real-life pain such as cancer, HIV, crushing debt and more are changing the world of his dearest of friends who love him yet he cannot separate himself from the obsession of success. While the film doesn’t fully judge him for this decision (after all, we know how Larson’s story ends), so too does it remind us that the soul of our relationships far outweighs the sum of our creative output. In this way, while the time may be ticking away on our lives, the true legacy we leave stems from the people that we invest in along the way.

With pop and fervor, tick, tick… BOOM! may highlight the life of a man who rocked Broadway like few others had before him. However, the story stems far more personally. This is a film which connects Larson’s incredible creative output to his ability to find his soul in the love of others. While time may be marching forward, tick, tick shows that the greatest threat to our lives is not whether we see our name in lights. Instead, the greatest losses are the missed opportunities with those we care about.

tick, tick… BOOM! is now playing on Netflix.

Colin in Black and White: Proving them Wrong the Right Way

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Colin in Black & White. Colin Kaepernick as Colin in episode 104 of Colin in Black & White. Ser Baffo/Netflix © 2021

“Why am I the one who always has to prove them wrong?” 

This question hovers ominously over Colin Kaepernick’s bold and beautiful biographical Netflix limited series, Colin in Black and White. Touching on Kaepernick’s journey as an adopted child, Black and White is ultimately about much more than the story of a young athlete. With Kaepernick himself as storyteller, the series uses his journey to wrestle with issues of race, class and culture. With every leap forward towards his career as NFL quarterback, so too does the young man find himself battling a system stacked against him. Even so, Kaepernick believed that his dreams were much larger than what others believed he could do and he chose to lean into his calling.

Colin in Black & White. (L to R) Mary-Louise Parker as Teresa, Nick Offerman as Rick Kaepernick, Jaden Michael as Young Colin in episode 103 of Colin in Black & White. Cr. Ser Baffo/Netflix © 2021

Directed by Ava DuVernay, Black and White is a fascinating blend of memory and truth that seeks to challenge our assumptions and allow Kaepernick to finally be heard. Part The Wonder Years and part African-American history class, DuVernay and Kaepernick have created something truly unique. With pop flair and energy, Black and White is a stunning mixture that draws the viewer in with its style but challenges them with its substance. Focusing the narrative primarily on Kaepernick’s high school football years, this is not a series that looks to simply explore a certain period and place in time. Instead, it wants to get to the heart of questions and issues that are taking place right now. By re-examining key moments in his youth through the eyes of adulthood, the series allows Kaepernick to grapple with larger conversations about the racial divides, biases and stereotypes that remain rooted in the heart of American culture. 

There is a courage that Kaepernick shows that sets him apart from other voices right now. Having taken on the role of activist after being released from the 49ers for his stance against racial injustice, he has become a key voice to challenge the systems that continue to remain oppressive. With each episode, Kaepernick shows that he has always had to struggle to be seen for his abilities. (“From the day I was born, I’ve never been anybody’s first choice,” he explains.) However, despite what he has seen and experienced, Kaepernick has continued to show strength in his ability to speak on behalf of others.

Colin in Black & White. Colin Kaepernick as Colin in episode 101 of Colin in Black & White. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2021

Appearing as the show’s host and narrator, Kaepernick’s presence is felt throughout the entire series. Dressed in all black and holding a playbook in his hands, he calmly and passionately speaks with honesty and forthrightness, all the while challenging assumptions about himself and his culture. As a young man, he experienced prejudice simply due to his hairstyle. As a promising young quarterback, he was often held back due to his skin colour. 

Time after time, he was placed in a position where he had to prove them wrong.

But this is not a series which looks to air grievances against those who have stood against him. Instead, this is an opportunity for him to challenge ideological systems and help alter perspectives. Smartly written and stylistically presented, Kaepernick speaks boldly about issues that he has experienced but, more importantly, affect millions more on a daily basis. Conversations around white privilege, beauty standards and what it means to play the game ‘the right way’ force the viewer to explore the unconscious (and conscious) biases that they may either face (or hold) themselves. 

Colin in Black & White. (L to R) Jaden Michael as Young Colin, Nick Offerman as Rick Kaepernick, Mary-Louise Parker as Teresa in episode 104 of Colin in Black & White. Cr. Ser Baffo/Netflix © 2021

In the end, Colin in Black and White is a phenomenal piece. From DuVernay’s skills behind the camera to Kaepernick’s forthright conversations about issues of change, Black and White is essential viewing for anyone willing to engage in topics that are never easy to discuss. While Kaepernick’s story is tragic on many levels, it is only one of many who have felt the cold sting of injustice. So, why does Kaepernick have be the one to prove them wrong? 

Because, as his mother says, ‘[he’s] the one who’s strong enough to do it.’

Colin in Black and White is available on Netflix on Friday, October 29th, 2021.

The Guilty: Blurring the Lines of Justice

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Everyone wants to catch the guilty but not everyone recognizes that same guilt within themselves.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day), The Guilty takes place during the raging wildfires of Los Angeles. As his nightshift at the 911 desk winds down, frustrated and exhausted police officer Joe Bayler (Jake Gyllenhaal) gets a perilous phone call from a young woman (Riley Keough) who appears to be calling her child. Though he must get up early in the morning for a trial of his own misconduct, Joe ascertains that the young woman has been abducted and attempts to piece together her whereabouts from her cryptic clues. With few officers available due to the fires (not to mention the time of night), Joe feverishly works towards rescuing her. However, as the crime begins to unravel, Joe’s own inner demons begin to surface, blurring the lines between justice and vengeance.

In The Guilty, Antoine Fuqua delivers his signature intensity in a film the demands attention. Reteaming with his Southpaw star Gyllenhaal, Fuqua has never taken the easy approach with his filmmaking and Guilty is yet another example of his ability to tell stories that others simply cannot. Taking place entirely in the office of 911 dispatch, it is very difficult to maintain interest over the course of a full runtime in one location (and especially when the protagonist is spending the entire length of the film on the phone). From Phone Booth to Netflix’s Oxygen, many other films have attempted to make this format engaging but most of these examples begin to falter as the film drags on. (Ryan Reynold’s Buried may be one of the few exceptions.) Quite simply, the viewer expects (and usually requires) some sort of visual change in order to keep them focused for an extended runtime. Nevertheless, The Guilty somehow makes it work. 

Much of this can be credited to the commitment of its star. Jake Gyllenhaal has always done intensity very, very well. With few exceptions, Gyllenhaal has always sought characters that he could sink his teeth into and, as a police officer about to stand trial, he fully dives into his performance. Let off the leash by Fuqua, this becomes yet another example of his incredible talent. As a result, anchored by a solid script and the strength of its lead, The Guilty may be one of the best examples of the genre. It simply grabs you from the opening scene and never truly let’s go. 

However, what makes gives The Guilty its power is it subtext. The Guilty tells a story of a police officer who is about to face trial for an undisclosed crime and he does not want to be held accountable. At the same time though, so too does he also refuse to acknowledge his own mental instability. As he fights to save the life of a young woman, he also exposes his own flaws and brokenness. Joe is a man who is determined to save those who he feels deserve it yet is also willing to unleash hell on those that don’t. The pressures of the job have clearly broken his spirit and his judgement is compromised. (“Broken people save broken people,“ he is told by a coworker.) Although we never fully fully discover what his crimes may be, we certainly understand that he made the wrong decision when he caused them. His desire to do right has been overcome by his pension to do wrong.

As such, there’s a complexity to Joe that keeps the viewer at a distance. We believe that he is someone who wants to defend the innocent. He is passionate about bringing down ‘the bad guys’ and wants to be one of the ‘good guys’. His love for his estranged family is genuine.

However, Joe also proves that he’s not currently suited to wear the badge. Bored and frustrated by the average person, he has little interest in the everyday problems of everyday people. Then, when really difficult situations arise, he is far too willing to take matters into his own hands. While this sort of rogue cop has been celebrated on film for decades (ie. 24‘s Jack Bauer), The Guilty understands that this sort of rage-filled avenger simply has no place in real life. There’s an inner rage and hatred against ‘scumbags’ that fuels Joe’s actions, making him a toxic presence in the community. In other words, his ‘justice’ can just as easily become an outlet for his own mental health issues. In this way, The Guilty acknowledges the importance of the police yet also calls for accountability and health of those who don the uniform.

Bold and gripping, The Guilty is a film that needs to be experienced. With skill and substance, Fuqua takes a genre that rarely works and delivers an entertaining and thrilling film that keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat. Even so, the real value of the film is its question of valor which resonates deeply with the questions of police accountability today. While Joe may be a man who wants to not be Guilty, it’s also clear that he’s far from innocent.

The Guilty is available on Netflix on October 1st, 2021

My Little Pony The Next Generation: Truth, Magic, and Hope

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I’m a child of the 80’s. I grew up with Rainbow Brite and She-Ra and, of course, My Little Pony. I also really enjoy kids’ movies in general, so I consider myself a pretty solid authority on the subject.

So, when I say My Little Pony: The Next Generation (now available on Netflix) is top-notch, I think you should believe me. Although you are totally entitled to your own opinions on the matter – I just so happen to think mine is the correct one, ha!

Our ponies have always been magical, with their most powerful magic being the gift of friendship and teamwork. A world without magic ponies is unimaginable. But it has happened! Not only have the ponies lost their magic, Unicorns, Pegasi, and Earth Ponies live isolated from and in fear of each other. Gone are the days of the Friendship is Magic crew of Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Applejack. But Earth pony Sunny (voiced by Vanessa Hudgens) refuses to buy into the stereotypes and clings to the stories from her father that there was a time when all of the ponies lived in magical harmony, surrounded by friendship.

So, when an unexpected Unicorn visitor, Izzy (voiced by Kimiko Glenn), cheerfully prances into Sunny’s life, they set off to uncover the truth and restore magic to all of the ponies.

This movie is absolutely delightful. The animation is engaging and with a voice cast includes the talents of James Marsden, Sofia Carson, Jane Krakoswki, Ken Jeong, and as previously mentioned Vanessa Hudgens and Kimiko Glenn, the “acting” is on-point.

But it’s the story that is the heart and soul of this movie. Granted themes like stereotypes and fear and living divided aren’t anything new, but I always appreciate when films geared toward children really make universal struggles accessible. And this film delivers on that and then some. Sunny is often ridiculed and ostracized for her conviction that Unicorns and Pegasi aren’t evil, but she doesn’t budge on her hope for reconciliation. And what begins as two new friends on the same mission becomes a movement that will impact everyone.

I am often discouraged these days that there is nothing I can do to impart change. I am one person. Most of the time it’s overwhelming to even try because disappointment looms. But I recently had a conversation with a friend that reminded me that we can take one step to impact the person next to us. We may set out to change the world and everyone’s minds, but it only takes connecting to one other person before a third, and then a fourth, and then a fifth hop on board. And before we know it, change is blooming. Relationships are formed on acceptance and understanding. Lives are changed and communities are built.

Reconciliation is hard work. For Sunny and her new friends, they have to challenge generations of fear and prejudice while facing on of their own who rises into power by latching onto fear and weaponizing it. Again, it’s not a new story and probably more timely than ever.

But if we don’t keep seeking out ways to tell this story, we’ll find ourselves in the same place we’ve been in for generations – stuck in fear of the other, compelled only by self preservation, and completely lost to the beauty that is accepting someone for who they actually are instead of who we fear them to be.

My Little Pony has always stood for friendship. This movie stays true to that while also speaking into the moment we are living in now. Will we choose to stay stuck? Or will we take a lesson from our pony friends and step into a bright new future built on the magic of hope? For me, My Little Pony: The Next Generation compels me to dwell in the truth that even the smallest act of hope can change the world, one friend at a time.

My Little Pony: The Next Generation is now available on Netflix.

Pray Away: New Trailer delves into the Scary History of Exodus International

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Sometimes reality is scarier than fiction.

Directed by Kristine Stolakis, the new trailer for Pray Away tells the story of the development of Exodus International. In the new footage, the trailer focuses on the damage left behind when one tries to erase another’s story. By using theology as a hammer, those involved at Exodus denied the gay community their identity and left a broken imprint in their lives.

Pray Away begins almost 50 years ago. According to the site’s description, “In the 1970s, five men struggling with being gay in their Evangelical church started a bible study to help each other leave the “homosexual lifestyle.” They quickly received over 25,000 letters from people asking for help and formalized as Exodus International, the largest and most controversial conversion therapy organization in the world.
But leaders struggled with a secret: their own “same-sex attractions” never went away.

After years as Christian superstars in the religious right, many of these men and women have come out as LGBTQ, disavowing the very movement they helped start. Focusing on the dramatic journeys of former conversion therapy leaders, current members, and a survivor, Pray Away chronicles the “ex-gay” movement’s rise to power, persistent influence, and the profound harm it causes.”

At first glance, the names Ryan Murphy and Jason Blum are the ones that may seem most surprising in their attachment to the film. Known primarily for their efforts in the horror genre, a documentary about conversion therapy doesn’t appear to fit in their wheelhouse (or Blumhouse, if you will) at first glance. However, one can certainly see these influences on display in the latest trailer. Though only a trailer, this is clearly a film that is going to delve into the terrifying and traumatic abuse of the LGBTQ+ population at the hands of the evangelical community. In this way, the film may be even scarier than American Horror Story or anything that the Blumhouse has to offer. After all, this story isn’t fiction. This is history.

Pray Away comes to Netflix on August 3rd, 2021.

To view the trailer for Pray Away, click here.

Army of the Dead: Snyder Adds Blood to the Big Score

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After the release of his 2004 hit Dawn of the Dead, Zack Snyder finally returns to the zombie genre with big expectations for Army of the Dead. Set in a zombie riddled Las Vegas, $50 million dollars are on the line for Scott Ward (Dave Bautista) and his team. But this isn’t just any heist. It’s a zombie heist. Filled with explosions, gore, death, and even a zombie tiger, Ward tries to escape his burger flipping hell by assembling a rag tag group of zombie experts and stone cold killers to commit the most dangerous heist of all.

With the best elements of both the heist and zombie genre, Army knows the tropes that viewers have seen for years and uses the best ones, including assembling the rag tag team of “losers” trying to score big money and the infamous “you son of a bitch, I’m in” vibe from heist movies. However, as a horror movie, Army all manages to play with these stereotypes and flip them around. For example, as the plans fall through, people get slaughtered in gruesome ways at the hands of the overwhelming hoards. As the zombies devour the crew and hopelessness overwhelms them, the fun heist elements die out.

Embedded in the film is a theme of greed becoming people’s demise. Driven by the cash, Ward and his team care more about the reward than each other. As a result, many deaths throughout the film are all directly related to them acting selfish. Though, this carries a certain irony to it as well. [Spoilers] In fact, considering that the whole purpose of any heist movie is for characters to get to the money so that they can live a luxurious life, it’s a little ironic that the only person who didn’t want the money for themselves ended up surviving. [Spoilers End]

My favourite part of Army of the Dead is the opening credits sequence as it shows us the beginning of the pandemic. Set to the song Viva Las Vegas, the sequence highlights the team members’ backgrounds and establishes all the world building necessary. By contrasting the gore and hardcore action with lively music is a nice touch and really sets the viewer up for the fun that one would expect from a heist movie in a post-zombie world. Army of the Dead really allowed Snyder freedom to use his skills in the horror genre, while throwing in the action sequences viewers have loved from films like 300 and his DC involvement (and yes, that includes lots of slow-motion shots).

Another thing that I enjoyed is that Snyder adds to the lore of the world that he’s created by making the zombies intelligent and even creating a hierarchy amongst them. In many ways, it creates a Planet of the Apes kind of vibe. Unlike other zombie films, these creatures are an intelligent species trying to coexist with humans and grow. These ideas made it particularly interesting to see how a zombie society works and, from an action standpoint, viewing how they would have their own type of warfare that utilizes their strengths.

If you like zombie and heist movies, then you’ll love Army of the Dead. With his return to the genre, Snyder has done well by offering all the action, gore, and most of the great moments that you’d expect from both genres. (And it doesn’t hurt that it’s all wrapped up in Snyder’s unique stylistic box as well.)

Army of the Dead premieres May 21st on Netflix.

Monster: The Angles of Truth

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MONSTER (L-R): A$AP ROCKY as WILLIAM KING (as RAKIM MAYERS), KEVIN HARRISON JR. as STEVE HARMON, JENNIFER EHLE as KATHERINE O’BRIEN. Cr: NETFLIX © 2021 

Admittedly, Netflix can be hit and miss with their dramas. Since they produce so much content, it’s completely understandable that there would be a great deal of films and series that are worth sleeping on. 

Monster is not one of those films.

Directed by Anthony Mandler, Monster tells the story of Steve Harmon (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), a promising, young high school student who lives in Harlem. At the age of seventeen, Steve is on the cusp of adulthood and seems to have a great deal going for him. He is adored by his girlfriend and family. His film teacher views him as a young man of integrity. However, his world is rocked when he is suddenly arrested and charged with felony murder. As he fights for his life in the court system, Steve also must come to grips with his own choices and pray that his life is not ruined by them.

MONSTER: JOHN DAVID WASHINGTON as RICHARD ‘BOBO’ EVANS. Cr: ANNA KOORIS/NETFLIX © 2021 .

Monster is a bold film that challenges our assumptions about others. Bolstered by an exceptional cast, the film features some extremely strong performances. Led by Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Jeffrey Wright, the film gives some small but important roles to such talent as Jennifer Hudson, Nas, Tim Blake Nelson, ASAP Rocky and John David Washington. (Any film that has the option to use John David Washington in a minimal capacity must have some incredible people on its roster.) While their roles are often brief, each actor has the opportunity to have their ‘moment’ and show their talent.

However, anchoring the film is another stellar performance by Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Waves). With each performance, Harrison has shown his ability to bring a sympathetic voice to his characters, even as they are involved with dangerous or violent actions. (Honestly, I don’t think it’s inappropriate to compare him to a young Daniel Kaluuya, if he continues to take on roles where he can grow.) In Monster, he allows Steve to remain somewhat murky in his motivations in that, while we root for his innocence, neither are we certain of it. Though still young, Harrison remains one to watch.

MONSTER (L-R): KEVIN HARRISON JR. as STEVE HARMON, NASIR ‘NAS’ JONES as RAYMOND ‘SUNSET’ GREEN. Cr. DAVID DEVLIN/NETFLIX © 2021

Using time-shifting to outline its narrative, Monster does an excellent job of keeping the audience guessing as to what really took place. Growing up in an at-risk community, Steve’s journey is one of complexity, even if the court case attempts to make it about right and wrong. With each character interaction, we get a more fully formed picture of the type of young man that Steve is and his role in the neighbourhood. To his teachers, Steve is seen as a highly intelligent, budding young filmmaker. To his girlfriend, he’s a caring young man who treats her well. To the more troubled characters on the street though, he’s a potentially good contact who may be worth using to their advantage.

In Monster, truth is never straightforward. Though people are often willing to make snap decisions about others based on race, age or social status, the film argues that there is always more to who we are than any particular labels. Like Steve himself, the story explores what it means to listen to the stories of others and allow that to flesh out our judgments of others. In Monster, labels limit our understanding. (In fact, the title Monster refers to the fact that the jury views him as only one way for his potential involvement in the crime for which he’s accused.) While the film never justifies what takes place, it’s emphasis on the full embodiment of truth does provide context to the events and create sympathy for those who were involved.

MONSTER: KEVIN HARRISON JR. as STEVE HARMON. Cr. NETFLIX © 2021 

Well-written and executed, Monster is an excellent example of the type of content Netflix can produce. It is willing to take risks its structure, features some incredibly talented performances and allows the story to ask some different questions. Though not a fun film to watch, Monster remains an engaging piece that feels honest about the way we view one another… and that’s the scariest truth of all.

Monster is available on Netflix on Friday, May 7th, 2021.

Jupiter’s Legacy: Processing The Power that We Leave Behind

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JUPITER’S LEGACY (L-R) LESLIE BIBB as GRACE SAMPSON, JOSH DUHAMEL as SHELDON SAMPSON, and BEN DANIELS as WALTER SAMPSON in episode 2 of JUPITER’S LEGACY. Cr. STEVE WILKIE/NETFLIX © 2020

The legacies that heroes leave behind are supposed to inspire people and give them something to look up to. But what if your own parent was one of these heroes? Talented ex-marvel writer Mark Miller’s comic book series ‘Jupiter’s Legacy’ uses the superhero setting to dive into the topic of family dynasties and the scars that they can leave behind. 

Jupiter’s Legacy takes inspiration from DC’s Justice League with its characters, and appears to be Netflix’s answer to rival Amazon’s superhero show, ‘The Boys.’ Coming to Netflix this May 7, can this live action series compete in this already overcrowded and competitive market that’s filled with big names such as Marvel, the Arrowverse, DCEU, and Amazon?

JUPITER’S LEGACY Episode 101 of JUPITER’S LEGACY Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2021

In Jupiter’s Legacy, the driving force behind superhero group “The Union” is to uphold “the code” which they view as the core of what makes you a great hero (and a good person). The greatest hero is Sheldon (Josh Duhamel), aka the Utopian who stands by the believe that heroes don’t kill anyone no matter what, don’t govern politics, and try to save as many lives as possible. (Fairly standard superhero stuff, actually.) 

From the beginning of the first episode, there’s an obvious difference in ideology between the old guard and a new generation of heroes, including Sheldon’s son, Brandon (Andrew Horton). Expected to be a hero as great as his father, Brandon struggles with his own identity and feels the weight of the world on his shoulders as he’s pressured to take over his father’s position. In these moments, the show really portrays the impossible standard of being born into a family with such a high legacy to uphold. What’s more, Sheldon’s daughter, Chloe (Elena Kampouris) also has superpowers yet decides to go the opposite route, rejecting her family’s legacy and decides to party it up as a celebrity. (In this way, Chloe’s character draws a parallel between rich heiresses who have all the resources in the world but decide to rebel against all the family and societal expectations of their path in life.) 

JUPITER’S LEGACY (L-R) JOSH DUHAMEL as SHELDON SAMPSON in episode 3 of JUPITER’S LEGACY. Cr. MARNI GROSSMAN/NETFLIX © 2020

There’s also an interesting debate that takes place after Brandon watches his closest friends die at the hands of a villain. Tramautized by the event, Brandon ultimately decides to kill the villains in order to save his parents from becoming their next victims. Sick and tired of these villains, the public loves that Brandon kills them, which is strictly against the code of The Union. These events lead to The Union questioning whether their old ways still work anymore (and whether or not they ever did in the first place). These conversations are fascinating as they bring in strong points from both sides, such as the ideas that killing villains would prevent them from creating further death of innocents and whether it is doing more harm than good letting them live. On the other hand, the main counter argument is that nobody should be judge, jury, and executioner. To them, nobody should decide who lives and dies, especially those with so much power. This debate persists throughout the series and is incredibly relevant with today’s views on police brutality and how criminals are treated within the detention system. 

JUPITERÕS LEGACY (L to R) JOSH DUHAMEL as SHELDON SAMPSON and IRON ORCHID in episode 101 of JUPITERÕS LEGACY Cr. ADAM ROSE/NETFLIX © 2021

One of the things I most enjoyed about Jupiter’s Legacy was the fact that they took inspiration from the non-linear storytelling that made Arrow so enjoyable. By showing the origins of how The Union got their powers, what drove them and how that has shaped current character motivations and storyline the series fleshes out their characters well. A major concern that often takes place in superhero shows is that the action can get sloppy and, due to budget constraints, the scenes with powers look ridiculous. (Not to point fingers but Season One of Supergirl is a prime example of this.) No matter how good the writing is, laughably bad CGI and poorly choreographed fighting scenes can be detrimental to the immersiveness of any show.  Thankfully, Jupiter’s Legacy does not have that issue at all. Their effects and action scenes are done well and are comparable to movie level quality, which I find incredibly important in a superhero show in order to not to be taken out of the experience.

Overall, Jupiter’s Legacy is a very fun watch that is able to stand on its own. Though borrowing from the legacy of DC’s Justice League, Legacy dives into stories that viewers have not seen before revolving around superheroes which makes it worth recommending.

JUPITER’S LEGACY (L to R) TYLER MANE as BLACKSTAR, ANDREW HORTON as BRANDON SAMPSON, and TENIKA DAVIS as PETRA SMALL in episode 101 of JUPITER’S LEGACY. Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2021

Jupiter’s Legacy is currently streaming on Netflix.

Selena: The Series, Part 2

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Family is everything.  But what if your family doesn’t quite understand you?  What if they think your dreams are too much for you to handle?  

Part 1 of Selena: The Series gave us an in depth look into the early years of Selena y Los Dinos, and a glimpse into their lives as they became more and more successful.

Season 2 goes full speed ahead with their lives in the public eye and explores not only their professional ventures, but dives deeper into their personal relationships.

selena

The cast playing the Quintanilla family and the remaining Selena y Los Dinos members continue to flourish as we see an even greater chemistry between them.  Unsurprisingly, Christian Serratos still nails her portrayal of the incomparable Selena, navigating the different sides of Selena as she matures.  Noemi Gonzalez and Gabriel Chavarria shine as they become more comfortable in their roles as Suzette and A.B.  And we get a more personal and vulnerable side to Chris Perez, played by Jesse Posey.

It was clear that Selena had much respect for her fan base and that they were very important to her.  She refused to be disingenuous to them despite certain pressures to do so.  It would seem that the fans saw themselves in her and she therefore didn’t want to contribute to a disconnect between them.  As we learned in the Part 1, people are brought together through Selena and the music.

Selena was obviously owning the game in her music career, but she had other dreams too.  She never hesitated to explore those dreams, like fashion design and her boutique.  Though the more Selena took on, the thinner she was spread.  She was doing so much on her own that it became too much.  But telling her to stick to singing was the wrong way to get through to her.  She seemed stubborn in the best way, refusing to admit that her dreams were too much for her to handle.

As Selena becomes more popular on an individual basis, we can tell that the rest of the band feels distanced.  This is confirmed when Abraham (Ricardo Chavira) absent-mindedly stated that Selena’s voice is all that matters and that’s why the people come to see the performances.  This clearly rubs the band the wrong way.  It’s interesting to see how the family and band navigate this new dynamic of Selena’s individual success.  In fact, Selena isn’t the only one who is exploring opportunities outside of Los Dinos.  This overarching individuality seemed to permeate the band.  They even began recording individually, causing more of a divide.  It was clear that a spark was missing.  Thankfully, the band realized that they must come together to produce the best product.  They thrive most when they are all in it together and show their support for one another.

We also see how marriages are affected by the music career and touring.  Suzette’s fiance is patient and tries to travel to see her whenever he can.  A.B.’s wife is stuck at home with two kids and even when he’s in town, he’s barely home, spending most of his time at the studio.  And Chris feels like Selena doesn’t have time for him because she spends so much of her time working.

As someone who does not speak Spanish, I appreciated the addition of subtitles during the musical numbers as it really gives a better feel for the story and what the songs are about. 

All in all, the second installment of Selena: The Series is very entertaining.  It’s exciting to binge watch, whether you’re a super-fan or not.

Selena: The Series, Part 2 is streaming on Netflix beginning May 4, 2021.