Gotham

Goodbye Gotham thank you for five years of great entertainment. It is because of you that I appreciate Batman villians more then I have in the past. To Edward Nygma, Oswald Cobblepot and Selena Kyle (who I call Kittengirl) I say bravo and farewell.

To young Bruce Wayne I say you were amazing at all the emotion and pain and my new favorite versions of the character. 
To James Gordon and Alfred I say thank you for always being there for Bruce and helping him on his journey.

The Big Bang Theory (2007-2019)

Wow 12 years that is a long time for a TV series to last (in this day and age) but every episode made me laugh and feel a little smarter. To Johnny Galecki (Leonard) Jim Parsons (Sheldon), Kaley Cuoco (Penny), Simon Helberg (Howard), Kunal Nayyar (Raj), Melissa Rauch (Bernadette), Mayim Bialik (Amy) and even Kevin Sussman as Stuart---Thank you for these great characters you all proved that it is cool to be funny and smart. That comic books and sci-fi movies and TV shows like Doctor Who aren't just for nerds and geeks. Thank you Chuck Lorre and Bill Pardy for creating a show that was always a joy to watch. Here's to another gang of friends who made TV worth watching and who will live on in reruns and this viewer's heart. To the cast and crew of The Big Bang Theory, you did good and to the cast member that never worked yes I am talking about you broken elevator What The Hell?

Mary Poppins Returns (Merry Christmas to me)

I saw that over the weekend Aquaman beats Mary Poppins over the pre-Christmas week being that I am more the Lin-Manuel Miranda over Jason Mamoa type I opted to see Mary Poppins Returns on Christmas morn.

Michael Banks, played Ben Whishaw is all grown up and has three kids of his own and years later he and his sister Jane, played by Emily Mortimer, once again in need Mary Poppins’, played by Emily Blunt, help.

With taking bird umbrella and magic carpet bag in hand, the wind changes direction and down she comes. With Jack, played by Lin-Manuel, by her side Mary and the newest generation of Banks children go on a fantastic adventure.

Mary Poppins Returns gave me all the feels I feel every time I watch the first.

The story is sweet and adds to the first film. The cast is as wonderful.

And the songs are actually perfect in every way.

Along with a family a five still wearing the pajamas it truly was an enjoying time at the movies watching Mary Poppins Returns.

Chris-versary

25 years is a long time to care about a person you have yet to meet.

In November of 1993 I was 13 and Walt Disney Studios released their version of The Three Musketeers. I was already a fan of sword fights, Charlie Sheen and Tim Curry and they were the reasons I wanted to see the movie. Then I saw the last few minutes of a behind-the-scenes look at the movie on the Disney channel and being that he was the one who hosted the sneak peek I got my first glance at Chris O’Donnell.

I watched The Three Musketeers in a theater located inside a mall. Sitting next to me was my cousin, as some of my other family members went shopping. By the time the movie was over I had a new celebrity crush. For the rest of the school year I carried a photo cut out of a magazine of Chris O’Donnell in my pocket and by the time I was a senior his picture was hanging in my locker and in my senior yearbook I wrote his name under the crush category..

It was the 1990s so Netflix was way off and you had to wait a year before a movie was released on something called VSH tape. So from that day forward I made it a point to see every movie he was in on the big screen. Although before I could do that I had to catch up on his previous work and rented or watched on TV what I could.

Scent of a Woman was released the year before. I was too young to watch it then but eventually caught it on TV and yes I enjoyed the famous tango scene (side note: Al Pacino’s dance partner in that scene is Gabrielle Anwar who played Queen Anne in The Three Musketeers). Next I watched his first film Men Don’t Leave a family drama where Chris played Jessica Lange’s eldest son. Then there was Fried Green Tomatoes a film that I have only watched, all the way through, once because (spoiler alert) once his character is killed by a train, what is the point to seeing the rest.

Being the young and good looking boy-next-door type that he was at the time Chris O’Donnell made a handful of romances. My favorite is In Love and War directed by Sir Richard Attenborough and co-starring Sandra Bullock. He portrayed a young Ernest Hemingway. The film took place during WWI when “Ernie” fell in love with an older woman, a nurse named Agnes. A historical drama starring my new favorite actor, hell yeah I am going to see and love every minute.

Truth be told I am not much of a reader so when The Three Musketeers opened I decided to read the classic story and that became something I continued to do with every book to film starring Chris. I didn’t read all of the Harry Potter books but I did read Maeve Binchy Circle of Friends before seeing the film adaptation with him and newcomer Minnie Driver. There was also The Chamber which to this day is the only John Grisham book I’ve read.

I can’t write about Chris O’Donnell without bringing up the Batman franchise. He was one of the first actors in which I went to a movie just because said actor was in it. That being said I was not a fan of the caped crusader until he signed up as Robin. NO I am not going to apologize for actually liking Val Kilmer as Batman and the rest of the cast of Batman Forever. I even have the movie poster hanging in my childhood bedroom and (like with most of the movies Chris is in) I can quote it word for word. Also George Clooney is not as bad as he and everyone says he is in Batman and Robin.

It wasn’t easy to get my parents to drive me to every single Chris O’Donnell movie and that is why for the past 9 years I have enjoyed watching him on NCIS:Los Angeles. Callen, Sam, Kensi, Deeks, Eric, Nell and the wonderful Hetty make each week worth tuning in for (Sundays at 9 on CBS). Chris has also played one of Meredith Grey’s love interest on an early season of Grey’s Anatomy, guest starred on episodes of The Practice and a Two and a Half Men and even had a short lived series on Fox.

I could go on and on about all the films and TV appearances Chris has done. I could even talk about how I make it a point to see and read every interview he gives. And how with each one I learn something new about him. which is amazing for knowing someone for 25 years, it seems in any relationship after the first 10 years you should know everything about each other. Each interview makes me smile and makes a bad day good. I could go on and on but then I would not know where to stop, 


Chris O’Donnell is my heart. I know that doesn’t make sense because he doesn’t even know I exist but he has gotten me through a lot. High school wasn’t easy, like when my crush was dating another new girl who wasn’t me, but I had him on the cover of magazines to cry on when I had no one to lean on.

Thank you Chris O’Donnell for being there for me for the past 25 years. I hope to actually get to meet you in the next 25 years.

Elijah Mikaelson

I left Elijah, played by the fantastic Daniel Gillies, out of the series blog because he was my favorite Mikaelson family member.

I have fallen in love with many fiction characters and in the years that I have watched Elijah he quickly reached the top of my list.

For the first season as much as I liked him I tried really hard not to fall for him because Spike, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, was my go to and favorite TV vamp. It sounds weird but I did not want any vampire to change how I felt about Spike and if I did find myself liking another TV vampire it was as if I was cheating on him. That was before Elijah took hold of my heart (quite literally) and never let go. The way he spoke and the way he looked in a suit were just two reasons to love this “dead” man.

Elijah Mikaelson had his demons and for the most part he kept them locked behind a red door but if you hurt his family there was a good chance you wouldn’t live to see the sun rise. In 1000 years Elijah’s main job was to keep an eye on his brother Klaus. It was Elijah who would stop Klaus from going too far and hurting or even killing anyone who got in his way. Elijah cleaned up after Klaus’s messes including falling in love with women his brother once cared for (Kathrine and Hayley being the top two).

Elijah was truly devoted to his family. He did what he could to fight for and take care of his loved ones.

Elijah was charming, beautiful and a good man to have on your side.

I will always love Elijah Mikaelson.

The Originals (2013-2018)

It's not every day a spin off comes along that was better than its parent series but then again there was no family quite like The Mikaelsons on The Originals. Who knew that New Orleans was a city filled with Vampires, Werewolves and Witches. Sometimes a city full of supernatural beings seems like too much but Klaus, Elijah and Marcel kept them from ripping each other apart, most of the time. Some backstory-The Mikaelsons first appeared on The Vampire Dairies as foes to Damon and Stefan. The Originals come from them being the first vampires in existence. When the siblings were young Vikings there mother wanted to protect her family and a curse was placed upon them to live forever. Over a 1000 years later and the 6 siblings are alive and thriving.

Niklaus “Klaus” Mikaelson, played by the awesome Joseph Morgan, was a King who for centuries ruled his kingdom. Once he settled the family in New Orleans they were the top of the food chain; they were loved and feared by those who knew them. Klaus most of all, for he was a both a vampire and (on his birth father’s side) a werewolf. Because of this he didn’t need a wooden stake or fire to harm a vampire who got out of line, his bite alone killed any who went against him. It was pre civil war where he and his brother Elijah come across a teen boy named Marcellus “Marcel” Gerard played by the wonderful Charles Michael Davis. They took him in and taught him everything they knew. When Marcel was old enough he asked to be turned, Klaus would eventually give in to the grown man’s request.

If Klaus was king Marcel was a prince. When the Mikaelsons left the city it was Marcel who took control and there was peace among the supernatural for decades prior to Klaus and his siblings return. While Klaus and Marcel fought, Marcel and Klaus’ sister, Rebekah would fall in love.

Rebekah played by the delightful Claire Holt was one of two Mikaelson sisters. Whenever Klaus was upset with his siblings he would stake them and let them “sleep” in a coffin for decades, this was why the two lovers were apart for so long. Her romantic life may have been unbalanced but Rebekah’s love and devotion for her brothers never changed.

Kol (Nathaniel Buzolic) and Finn (Casper Zafer) were the two Mikaelson brothers who came and went whenever the story allowed.

A few seasons in and we met a 6^th and final Mikaelson sibling by the name of Freya, played by the amazing Riley Voelkel. We quickly learned that she was the oldest of the clan and was forced to live with an Aunt who for centuries taught Freya as she grew to be a powerful witch. At first Klaus did not trust Freya but she would not just gain his trust but also the same love and loyalty that each of the Mikaelsons believed in.

There was Hayley, played by the remarkable Phoebe Tonkin , a werewolf who had a fling with Klaus and somehow became pregnant with his daughter, Hope. Hayley was a tough wolf and a good leader to her pact. She was a wonderful friend and mother who was loved by all who knew her. 

Finally there was Vincent, played by the incredible Yusuf Gatewood . A New Orleans witch (my favorite witch) who just wanted to keep the people and the city safe from any one or thing that wanted to cause harm and destruction. 

Other character who were important with this wonderful series included…

 Camille (Leah Pipes), a psychologist who learned about the truth of New Orleans and the supernatural beings living amongst the humans from her preacher uncle. She would even help Klaus with his demons as they fell in love.  

Davina (Danielle Campbell) a young witch and friend to Marcel who become the most powerful of all the New Orleans witches and went through Hell (the afterlife) and back to find love and a life with Kol.

 And Josh (Steven Krueger), a young vampire and Marcel’s number 2.

These and every character who appeared on The Originals were magnificent to watch. Each episode made me happy and the stories were pure joy. Thank you Julie Plec for an awesome creation.

AND… 

To the cast and crew you have my heart "Always and Forever"

Solo: A Star Wars Movie

Taking a character from a well-known and beloved movie franchise and giving him or her their own movie can be difficult. When it was announced there would be a stand-alone Star Wars film about a young Han Solo fans were excited then there was some stories about troubles on the set and a new director taking over and the same fans got worried and the backlash about the movie began. The internet already hated it even before it premiered in theaters. But this long time Star Wars fan never gave up hope and when I heard Donald Glover (who will always be Troy on Community to me) was going to play a young Lando Calrissian, I knew I had to see it.

When we see Han for the first time he is, what one from the Victorian days, a street urchin stealing from the streets for a watery living creature. All he wants to do is run away from this life and be a pilot. Once he escapes he joins the military and runs into a thief/smuggler Tobias Bennett played by Woody Harrelson. This will be the man who will teach Han what it takes to work outside of the law.

From director Ron Howard, Solo has many reasons to give it a chance.

From the look of Woody Harrelson’s character to the story itself this film is the space western that I have heard George Lucas speak of when he explains the premise of the original trilogy.

Questions I never thought of were answered, like how he got his name and I was excited about learning how what I already knew about Han came to be.  For example I really loved seeing the beginning of Han and Chewie’s friendship. All of which made me like Han more.

The new character, like those in other Star Wars films just add goodness to the universe we love, even the new droid L3-37 (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) is such a joy to watch.

What can I say about Lando, charming, delightful, adorable and funny.