I couldn’t have just one post about Doctor Who- it wouldn’t do the show justice. So strap in, hold on tight, and get ready for another adventure through time and space.
The Doctor
We’ve gone through several of the different Doctors, see my last blog post for this. However, I didn’t really touch on how amazing the Twelfth Doctor is (portrayed by Peter Capaldi). Taking over the show after both David Tennant and Matt Smith was daunting, I’m sure, but Peter Capaldi brought a spunk and attitude to the Doctor that hadn’t quite been seen yet.
David Tennant’s Doctor was characterized by intensity, but also light heartedness and quite the sense of humor.
Matt Smith’s Doctor was, well, essentially a large child. His childlike demeanor was a constant, despite the situations that called for a more serious tone. The 11th Doctor had a sweet spot for children as well, as shown throughout the show.
Peter Capaldi’s Doctor, on the other hand, really didn’t seem to like children very much, and had a harsher demeanor than his predecessors. When he asked his companion Clara if he was a good man, she said: “I don’t know”. He blurred the lines between acceptable and unacceptable behavior during many of their adventures together. Did he still inevitably save the day? Yes, but he certainly had a rough-around-the-edges way of doing it.
A show for all ages, Merlin takes on the classic re-telling of the medieval Knights of the Round Table. It focuses on Arthur and Merlin, of course, but in their teenage years. This unique perspective on the classic characters most people have heard of is the edge that this show needed to become popular.
I can’t remember when I first found this show, but I know that I fell in love with it right from the start. In the very first episode, you have Merlin- classic young boy making a fool of himself in a new town. Then you have Arthur- classic bully making a fool of everyone else. This sets the scene for the most unlikely friendship- but one that anyone familiar with the Arthur & Merlin lore would see coming.
As we all know by now, I love a good fantasy series. Merlin definitely delivers- it’s chock full of monsters, magic, and myth. Each episode threatens the life of Merlin, Arthur, or both, but manages to create a storyline that pulls the viewer in.
Merlin & Arthur
The unlikely friendship between these two makes the show a hundred times more enjoyable. They fight their friendship the whole time; Merlin being forced to be Prince Arthur’s manservant in payment for saving his life, Merlin discovering that his purpose in life is to continue to save Arthur over and over again, etc.
The character development of the two of them is among the best that I’ve ever seen. From the bully and fool in the first episode, Arthur and Merlin grow into two respectable young men throughout the course of the series. The intro to the show even changes by saying:
“In a land of myth and a time of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young boy,”
To then say:
“…rests on the shoulders of a young man…”
This really gives you a glimpse of the time that passes during the course of the show, but also highlights the maturity that Arthur and Merlin have grown into. A prince and a lowly servant turn into a king and his most loyal friend.
Connections
I think the friendship between Merlin & Arthur is one that I’ve always looked for in my own life. I know, I know, it’s just a television show, but to have someone that’s willing to die for me but also tell me that I’m an idiot? Sign me up.
When it truly came down to it, both Arthur and Merlin were willing to sacrifice nearly anything for the other. A friendship like that is something genuine; real.
I’ve got some really good friends in my life now, but I haven’t always had them. I have been let down constantly by friends, family, and even acquaintances. A life of let-downs has made it difficult for me to trust people, so it takes awhile for me to let anyone in. I put up these walls, and I tend to not let anyone see the real me.
In Merlin, he has to hide his true identity as a sorcerer- for fear of the King or Arthur finding out. Since the kingdom of Camelot banned magic, Merlin lives his everyday life in fear of being found out. That’s the one thing that Merlin hides from Arthur- even though he would (and has) sacrificed everything for Arthur anyway.
I feel as though I hide my true identity from people as well. I’m constantly putting on a façade with new people, worried that they will leave. I hesitate to show anyone my true identity, because of my fear of rejection. At least I don’t worry about being executed, like Merlin did.
Opinions & Ratings
For a show that was released in 2009, Merlin is a little lacking in the special effects department. Despite that, it still received an overall rating of 85% on Rotten Tomatoes– with seasons four and five receiving a rating of 100%. With my own personal opinion of the show and the different seasons, I’d have to agree. Seasons 4 & 5 were better in regards to character development, overall plot, storyline, and the visual effects were much better.
It’s a show that I’ve gone back to re-watch four different times. Take that into consideration if you’re thinking about delving into the land of myth that Merlin definitely is.
As you can tell from the shows that I’ve reviewed so far, I’m a big fan of sci-fi and fantasy series. Shows like Doctor Who will keep me entertained for hours, especially when I hit hyperfocus mode.
The Magicians follows this trend, adding a more magical show to my list. This series is so amazing for so many reasons. It’s quirky, with an amazing plot with even better characters. It gives your head a spin, though, that’s for sure.
I found this show on Netflix, I believe it had come up in my “recommended shows” list. I started watching it, and immediately was entranced. The first episode gave me a “getting into Hogwarts” vibe, and I think that’s what hooked me. But what’s truly amazing is that it was nothing like I expected. Each episode takes the viewers on a different adventure, but each season is artistically crafted to be both excellent and horrible plot-wise.
What do I mean by this? How can a show have a plot that is both excellent and horrible? Well, I don’t mean the writing. The writing is absolutely brilliant, with plot holes fixed up and no question about the legitimacy of anything. However, the show takes you on a roller coaster with each individual character. As with any show, that roller coaster ride ends for some. I know, I know, spoilers. But I won’t tell you who it is. You’ll have to take that journey for yourself.
The Characters
One of the best concepts of the show is that everyone is the main character in their own story. Instead of having one main character, or even a few, The Magicians finds a way to make each and every character as important as the next. Someone who you’d maybe classify as a background character might turn out to be the crucial part to the entire series.
The other brilliant aspect of the show is that the characters are incredibly diverse. Race, gender, religion, and sexual orientation are all explored and well written into the show. They delve into socioeconomic class, too. It’s really an interesting bunch of characters, with a variety of personalities to relate to.
The Show as a Whole
With stunning characters, plot, and even music, The Magicians is a must-watch. I’ve already watched it twice now, and it is well worth the time.
I went to one of my favorite review sites to get other opinions on the show. According to IMDb, most viewers gave the series 8-10 stars (out of ten). Some of my favorite comments were ones complaining that the show had been canceled. I think I complained just as much when I first finished it, too.
Another one of my favorite comments was a lengthy one that can be summed up by its title:
“You’ve grown up with Harry Potter, now that you’re an adult watch The Magicians”.
Full agree. The genre itself has been done before, but not in the magnificent way that The Magicians pulls it off. It finds a way to pull you in with each and every episode- even the ones that made me question if I was sober. (Just kidding, Mom!)
Other reviewers criticized the fact that the show is nothing like the trilogy by Lev Grossman, but I feel as though film adaptations will never quite measure up. From a majority of those who had read the books, they said that the episodes were indeed better.
To wrap up the whole show in a nutshell, I’ll pull a quote from user janrosseau from IMDb.
“It is actually an adult show… trying to bring to you a story of a group of misfits that happen to all have magical powers.”
It’s time (haha, get it?) for me to tell you about one of my absolute favorite shows. I’m sure it will take me a few posts to fully encapsulate the wonder of this series, so bear with me.
A friend first introduced me to Doctor Who in 2013, right around the time of the show’s 50th anniversary. Because I had never seen it, my friend Shannon decided to start from the episode she had left off on- Doomsday. If you’re familiar with the show, Doomsday was the worst episode she could have started me on. Major spoilers in that one, but I digress.
Doctor Who is one of the longest-running sci-fi shows around. This British show first aired in 1963, and was so successful that it is still running today. As a way to keep the show going throughout the generations and still maintain the protagonist, the show writers found a creative way to keep it going. The Doctor, a species of alien called a Time Lord, has the ability to regenerate when he dies- that is, he can change his face into a new person. The new Doctor keeps all of the same memories, history, and friendships, but his personality traits and physical features will differ.
After a hiatus or two, the show was rebooted in 2005, much to the excitement of fans old and new. Christopher Eccleston played the 9th Doctor, and his human companion was Rose Tyler (played by the actress Billie Piper). This rebooted series is the “Doctor Who” that I started with, and I still have not had the chance to watch all of the “Old Who” episodes.
My Love for Doctor Who
So, why do I love this series so much? Well. Buckle in for a wild ride, here.
One of my favorite things about books, shows, and movies is that they allow me to disappear into a completely different universe. From my other blog posts, you know that my life is a little… wonky. I’ve grown up in a broken family, which has led to a desperate desire for me to escape the life I’m in. Back in 2013, when I first was introduced to Doctor Who, I had been going through an exceptionally rough time with my mental health. This show was my way to completely distract myself and get lost in the world of the Doctor.
In one of the episodes I recently watched, “The Next Doctor”, there was an interesting exchange between the Doctor and another character that resonated with me.
The “New” Doctor: Think of it, John. Time and space.
The Doctor: The perfect escape. Do you ever wonder what you’re escaping from?
As the Doctor is using his travels through time and space as an escape, I am also using his adventures as an escape of my own. And I have been, since 2013. Eight years of escaping my wild life through the lives of all of the characters of Doctor Who. Traveling through time and space, exploring history through the eyes of the Doctor and his companions.
The Different Doctors
As I mentioned, there are multiple actors who have held the role of the Doctor. It’s hard for me to choose a favorite, but if I HAD to choose, I would choose the 10th and 11th Doctors, portrayed by David Tennant and Matt Smith, respectively. Both of them bring a personality and character to the role that is hard to beat. Of course, David Tennant was also the first Doctor that brought me into the show, so I have a little bit of favoritism toward him.
David Tennant is a very popular Doctor to a lot of the viewers of the show. According to Syfy in a recent poll, David Tennant (the Tenth Doctor) received 10,518 votes (21%). Following close behind was Jodie Whittaker, the first female iteration of the Doctor. While some fans love Jodie because she gives females an icon to look up to, others do not like that the Doctor changed genders. For me, I think that Jodie Whittaker (the 13th Doctor) gives an interesting change to the personality of the Doctor that is a welcome difference.
As the Doctors have changed throughout the years, I think that the show has become more diverse in its companions, as well. For the most part, the companions have been female, with the odd temporary male companion getting thrown in there. Let’s take a look at some of the companions of the Doctor.
The Companions
The companions of the Doctor make the show, really. I mean, in David Tennant’s tenure as the Doctor, he had a companion named Donna Noble who saved his life several times. In one of the episodes, “Turn Left”, viewers get the chance to see how different the world would be if Donna had never met the Doctor. As seen in the episode, without Donna to keep him wrangled, the Doctor does not survive. And, as the savior of the world several times over, losing the Doctor drastically changed the future of the Earth.
Companions are the friends of the Doctor, but they often are his balance. Companions like Donna keep the Doctor in check, to make sure that he doesn’t go too far. Rose Tyler, the first companion in the reboot of Doctor Who, comes into the Doctor’s life immediately after he loses his home planet in a massive war. She is the one who helps him return to some sense of normalcy, and helps him to become a better person.
My favorite companions, though, are the ones who travelled with the 11th Doctor, portrayed by Matt Smith. The entire Pond family- Amy, Rory, and a certain other someone who I won’t name- bring the show a whole new meaning. Their family dynamic makes the Doctor remember his time as a father, and it brings more character development, in my opinion.
As a long-time viewer of the show, however, it is incredibly hard to choose one particular companion as a favorite- just as it is very difficult to choose a favorite Doctor. I think that’s what makes the show so relatable- having different characters that remind me of different times in my own life.
Donna Noble (portrayed by actress Catherine Tate) is seen as sassy, with her attitude being her most defining characteristic. This attitude comes from her own belief that she is unimportant, so she feels the need to remind others that she is simply there. Her mother is often berating her and nagging her for several different things, so traveling with the Doctor gave her a sense of purpose and belonging that she never felt at home. While rewatching the series, it almost makes me want to cry.
So many times in my life, I’ve felt simply “less than”, unimportant. Not special, no one would notice if I were to disappear. However, as the Doctor reminds Donna’s family in “Journey’s End”,
“And for one moment… one shining moment… she was the most important woman in the whole wide universe.”
I think I needed that reminder, as well. And although I did not save the universe, or anything so noteworthy, I try to find reminders in my daily life that I am important, too. Even if it means that I am important to one person, or even just myself,
For someone who loves horror movies, American Horror Story is definitely one of my favorite shows. With season upon season of twists, horror, and heartbreak, I’ve found myself going back to rewatch different seasons multiple times. Let’s take a jaunt into a couple seasons of this anthology.
Season One: Murder House
A lot of people claim that Murder House is the best American Horror Story season by far. Why? Well, according to critics on Rotten Tomatoes, “It has a great story, packed with interesting characters and some true scary moments and surprising twists.” -Christoffer B.
I would have to agree with this critique. AHS brings some very interesting characters into the show immediately, setting the stage for a truly attention-grabbing show. After watching the first season, I found myself grateful to have Netflix so that I could continue straight on to season two.
Murder House focuses on the Harmon family, and the events following their move into a creepy mansion in LA. Adequately named, their home got its name due to the many tragic stories surrounding previous owners of the house. I won’t spoil anything for you, but you know how I like a good plot twist. Murder House has several.
Season Two: Asylum
Season two of AHS definitely took a creepier turn, in my opinion. Although all American Horror Story seasons include a lot of gore and blood, Asylum took it up just a notch. On Rotten Tomatoes, another critic had something to say about Asylum. “American Horror Story: Asylum is filled with plenty of dark secrets, sinister twists, and unexpected turns- but unfortunately the one thing this psychologically invading season lacks is thoughtful explanation.” -Matt Donato
I don’t think this comment is a fair representation of Asylum. To give Matt Donato some credit, I do think the season is full of secrets, twists, and turns, but I also think that the writers of the show pulled off the plot in a very effective manner.
Asylum focuses on Lana Winters, a journalist investigating a murderer known as Bloody Face. There are jumps between the past history of the asylum and the present day conditions, which makes it even more interesting. We see the history of Bloody Face, along with the history of the people working for or committed to the asylum.
Overall Views
I think one of my favorite things about American Horror Story is the recurring actors/actresses. It has some very talented people such as Evan Peters, Jessica Lange, and Sarah Paulson who make appearances in nearly every season. As an anthology series, the show can technically be watched in whatever order one chooses, although I would always recommend starting with Murder House.
AHS is also famous (or infamous) for its many twists. Each storyline has at least one or two massive plot twists that really add to the grandeur of the show as a whole. Especially once the seasons start connecting! As an early AHS viewer, I often consider Murder House to be my favorite season. However, two of my top seasons seem to be the worst-rated by critics.
Season 5, Hotel, is a personal favorite of mine due to the storyline itself. Bring in Lady Gaga and vampires, too? I’m sold. However, it scores a measly 64% on Rotten Tomatoes– the lowest out of all of the AHS seasons.
Season 7, Cult, also tops my list because of the storyline. A little too close to these modern times, which reminds me a lot of the show Black Mirror. Also eerily reminiscent of the Purge movies, but I’m a fan of those and Black Mirror, so that’s a win in my book.
Overall, though, there’s something that I find very, very important that American Horror Story does well: representation. In Murder House, we’ve got Adelaide- a character with autism. In seasons two and three, Asylum and Coven, we have characters supporting the LGBTQ+ community. Actually, support for the LGBTQ+ community is something found throughout the show. Season five, Hotel, is a great representation as well. Freak Show in itself provides a great season to talk about bigotry and overt discrimination.
Not only do the writers of the show bring in characters that are in the LGBTQ+ community, they also highlight racial issues. In season three, a lot of what takes place in flashbacks is riddled with racism. Through different characters’ actions, the writers share their viewpoints by denouncing and punishing the blatantly racist character.
This show continues to impress me with its plotlines, plot twists, and amazing character development throughout. It’s one that I continue to come back to watch, simply because the writers made it so enjoyable. With so many seasons out now, there’s a great variety to choose from. You’ve got stories in different eras, different themes, and different concepts.
I think, overall, seeing representation for marginalized groups of people was super important to me. In today’s world, a lot of different groups of people are constantly overlooked, mocked, scorned, and ignored. Seeing characters in a show like this is a way to say: “We’re here. We matter. We’re important.”
Go watch the show if you haven’t already! What’s your favorite season so far?
The Umbrella Academy focuses on 7 estranged crime-fighting siblings coming together after the death of their adoptive father. The family drifted apart after the death of one of their siblings, and none of them seem to get along at all. Each of them has a special super-power, except for one sibling.
Well, I come from a crazy family as well. My birth mother left me with my father when I was a little over a year old. She had three kids before me, and two after me. The 6 of us have very complex relationships due to the time that we spent away from each other. The three eldest siblings grew up together, and the two youngest also grew up together. I was the only one without that sibling bond for the first four years of my life. When I was five, my dad married my stepmom, and I got a new stepsister out of the deal. My sister Sam and I had a large adjustment period as we tried to manage not being only children any longer. It was rough going for awhile, but we grew pretty close toward the end of high school and during college.
Now that I’m a little older, my biological family has been slowly coming back into my life. My eldest sister MaKenna was the first to reach out to me and begin building a relationship with me. She was having a son, so I was going to be an aunt for a sister I barely knew or had a relationship with. It was certainly weird, slowly starting to have a connection with these people that I had missed so much time with.
I’ve always felt a disconnect with my biological family, and also with my stepfamily. Coming into a family four years late was certainly difficult for me to navigate as a five-year-old. I always felt like I was competing with my sister, or needing to prove myself to this new family. In reality, they loved me just like their own blood.
In The Umbrella Academy, Vanya is the one who feels the most disconnected from her family. A couple of them seemed to connect once they got back together, but Vanya was the one who was mostly left out of conversations or decisions. Growing up, she was never allowed to fight crime along with the rest of her siblings, as her father made her believe that she had no powers. Each of her siblings was special in some way, and Vanya lived her entire life thinking she was not.
The Umbrella Academy takes a good family drama and combines it with classic superhero tropes to make one of the most interesting shows we have today. It has humor (Klaus), drama (all of them), angst (Diego), and everything in between.
It’s a great watch, I definitely recommend this show to anyone looking for a good laugh and a show that keeps you on your toes!
For those of you who enjoy mythology, Ragnarok would be the show for you. I found this show recently with my fiancé, and we binge-watched it within a few days. Both seasons.
At first, I was a little put off by the fact that it was a Norwegian show, knowing we would either have to watch it with English dub or in Norwegian with English subtitles. Despite this, the show ended up being extremely enjoyable, with both of us wishing for a third season.
All my life, I’ve been a fan of Greek and Roman mythology. The Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan drew me into the world of the Greek gods, as well as their Roman counterparts. With a surprising amount of research going into those books, they provided quite a reference for me and my random mythology trivia. I was able to recognize names when talking about mythology in school, or even in other novels or games. I was also made aware of several myths that I had never heard of. Through these books, I got lost in the world of mythology.
Now, Ragnarok focuses on Norse mythology. Thor, Loki, and Odin are some of the most common names that people would recognize from Norse myths, but this show introduced me to so many others. In the beginning of each episode, there is a small tidbit of lore that introduces a new character or object from the mythology. For example, the Midgard Serpent was mentioned in the intro to one of the episodes.
Ragnarok takes an interesting take on the typical Norse mythology. It centers around a teenager named Magne, who soon discovers that he has new abilities and powers that he did not have before. As he learns what he is becoming, the Giants (comparable to the Greek titans) are also polluting the town that they reside in. The entire show becomes a battle between the gods and the giants- law & order versus chaos.
Although obviously a work of fiction, Ragnarok had my fiancé and I wondering what it would be like to suddenly have the powers that Magne discovered. Would we be able to handle the responsibility that came with it?
As Sir Hercules G. R. Robinson stated in a speech in 1879:
“But great power carries with it great responsibility, and great responsibility entails a large amount of anxiety.“
My fiancé, Austin, said that he would thoroughly enjoy having increased strength and the power to control lightning as Thor does. However, I’m not sure that I would be able to handle the responsibility that comes along with ensuring that the Giants do not wreak havoc in the world I live in.
If you’ve ever truly contemplated how drastically technology has progressed in even the last twenty years, it’s quite mind-blowing. In the past 20 years, humans have created the iPhone, Facebook, Twitter, iPods, hybrid cars, and so much more. This increase in technology is certainly what makes our day-to-day lives easier, but it has also led to a lot of different and unique problems. According to Pew Research Center, technology creates more problems than it solves.
For one, misinformation is a constant problem on the web. How often in the last 5 years have we heard the phrase “fake news”? As silly as it sounds when we hear it so often, sorting between fact and fiction is an online battle that we have to wage every day. Being able to discern the truth is a practice that can never really be mastered. In college, we’ve been taught to gather information from several different reputable sources instead of just one. Still, though, many “reputable” sources deliver contradictory information from other, equally reputable, sites.
Peter Lunenfeld, a professor of design, media arts and digital humanities at the University of California, Los Angeles, and author of “Tales of the Computer as Culture Machine,” predicted,
“We will use technology to solve the problems the use of technology creates, but the new fixes will bring new issues. Every design solution creates a new design problem, and so it is with the ways we have built our global networks.”
The Best Episodes
Black Mirror brings issues with technology to the front of its viewers’ minds. Some of the episodes take a more anthropocentric point of view, while some are very clearly technology/machine-driven.
Some of my favorite episodes are as follows, in no particular order:
White Bear– This episode follows a woman named Victoria. She wakes up with no memory of her life, and no one she talks to will communicate with her. I won’t spoil the episode, but it takes a drastic twist that is worth watching.
White Christmas– Three different stories all connect together in this episode. It took me rewatching it a couple of times to fully comprehend what was happening, but it centers around two men in a cabin around Christmas time. Because of the complexity behind it, this is one of the longer episodes, at just a little over an hour.
Nosedive– This episode centers around a society of people obsessed with their status on social media. It has a lot of reality woven into it, as people are defined by the number of stars they have- kind of like how the rideshare service Uber operates. When someone’s score drops below a certain number, it’s essentially the end of the world.
Playtest– I think this episode may be my all-time favorite Black Mirror episode, simply due to the concept behind it. It follows a cash-strapped traveler named Cooper who signs up to test some new video games. This sounds like a pretty simple concept, but in true Black Mirror fashion, involves a massive twist that the viewers would never see coming.
Bandersnatch– Some may consider this a movie instead of an episode because of its length, but I’ve included it in my list nonetheless. Bandersnatch takes an interactive route to the entire episode, giving viewers at home the opportunity to make choices for the main character, in real-time. Depending on the choices you make, there are several different paths that the episode can take. This one also involves video games, and again contains twist upon twist that leaves the main characters at the mercy of the viewer. This episode bends reality, and really gets you to think about your life. As one of the first of its kind, Bandersnatch really allows for an immersive TV-watching experience.
What does it all mean?
Black Mirror is definitely one of the most thought-provoking shows that I have ever watched. Each episode prompts the viewer to think about some new way that human nature can turn technology into something used for nefarious purposes.
For me personally, I enjoy the thought exercises that Black Mirror forces me into. What if everything in our society was based on your social status? Sounds eerily familiar to our modern world today, if you ask me. Socioeconomic status affects who goes to college versus who pursues a trade- and what scholarships or financial aid is awarded to those who choose the college path.
I’ll leave you with one of the most poignant quotes from Bandersnatch:
“There’s messages in every game. Like Pac-Man. Do you know what PAC stands for? P-A-C: “program and control.” He’s Program and Control Man. The whole thing’s a metaphor, he thinks he’s got free will but really he’s trapped in a maze, in a system, all he can do is consume, he’s pursued by demons that are probably just in his own head, and even if he does manage to escape by slipping out one side of the maze, what happens? He comes right back in the other side. People think it’s a happy game, it’s not a happy game, it’s a fucking nightmare world and the worst thing is it’s real and we live in it. It’s all code. If you listen closely, you can hear the numbers. There’s a cosmic flowchart that dictates where you can and where you can’t go. I’ve given you the knowledge. I’ve set you free. Do you understand?”
As I continue on with my review of some of my favorite television shows, let me jump back in time a little bit. Growing up, I was raised in the Christian faith- taught to believe in God, the devil, angels, and demons. It was structured into Sunday school, Wednesday night church services, and throughout my young life. As I grew older, these characters have played more of a “fantasy” role than the real-life creatures my church would have me believe.
I have always been a “doubting Thomas”- that is, I find anything hard to believe until I have had my own personal experience with it. For example, chemistry was always one of my favorite classes, because I could see the reality of the science playing out in front of me. Things that didn’t make sense always intrigued me: space travel, technology as a whole, different inventions… the list could go on. “How It’s Made” was one of my most-watched shows as a kid for that same reason. However, the concept of religion was always expected to be taken as fact. I grew up being taught how to be a decent human being, but also being told that I needed to believe in some higher power.
In some ways, I still believe that there is something greater than the human race out there (stay tuned for my Doctor Who blog), but believing in an all-powerful God seems like a bit of a stretch to me these days. And with the show we’ll be exploring today, you’ll see how these ideas go hand in hand with some of the characters’ ideologies as well.
Everything’s Coming Up Lucifer
Lucifer is a fantasy-based television show starring Tom Ellis as Lucifer. The character was created by Neil Gaiman- one of my favorite screenplay writers. Gaiman is a well-established author, as well as a writer for the BBC for shows such as Doctor Who. Whenever his name pops up before an episode of Doctor Who, I know it’ll be a great one.
Back to Lucifer, sorry. Tom Ellis’ Lucifer is exactly what you are thinking: King of Hell, Prince of Darkness, the whole nine yards. And in the show, he does not hide that from anyone. In fact, he so blatantly tells the truth about who he is that people (including his therapist) believe that he is talking in some sort of elaborate metaphor.
The plot of the first season really focuses on Lucifer’s time on Earth and his connection with an LAPD detective named Chloe Decker. As always, Lucifer is blatant about who he is, but Chloe refuses to believe him. Lucifer’s normal supernatural “powers” (pulling out peoples’ desires) have quite the effect on other humans, and he is perplexed when they do not work on Chloe. While he strives to understand his connection to the Detective, the two of them slowly begin to solve crimes together.
This show is a great mix of your classic crime fighting and supernatural/fantasy shows put together. You get the normal banter between the two protagonists, and every episode opens up a new can of worms to be examined throughout the season.
I think that this show was so interesting to me because of my Christian upbringing. Now that I’ve been in college for a few years, I’ve definitely fallen from my faith in a sort of similar sense to Lucifer in this show. There are several times throughout the multiple seasons where Lucifer is angry at God, and I definitely relate. Despite my drastic differences from the main character, I think that Lucifer is relatable on a whole different level. Perhaps that is what the writers of the show were trying to draw on, I’m not sure. All I know is that I find myself drawn to the characters, the story arc, and ultimately the writing itself.
When thinking of a blog topic, I had to think long and hard about what interested me enough to write about. I pondered writing about different music that I enjoy, thought writing about ADHD would be interesting, and even contemplated writing an entire blog about my relationship. However, I knew that all of those topics would not be able to be talked about for weeks on end.
I needed something that could change each week- something that could evolve along with my blog. Something… timeless.
And what have I decided on? A blog dedicated to television shows. For as long as they have existed, TV shows have provided a source of entertainment for people young and old. I enjoy disappearing into the different realities that television shows create, as well as delving into the communities that the audience members create themselves. When I have truly fallen in love with a show, I am quickly able to find fans of the show to share information and inside jokes with. My goal with this blog is to highlight some of my favorite shows- and to talk about what they mean to me.
So, without further ado, let’s dive into this week’s TV show: The Good Place.
Welcome. Everything is fine.
The Good Place was created in 2016 by NBC, and it aired for four years before finishing up in January of 2020. It starred Kristen Bell, who is also popular in the Frozen franchise. The premise of the show comes from the idea of the afterlife. At the beginning of the show, Kristen Bell’s character (Eleanor Shellstrop) is welcomed into the Good Place- seemingly the afterlife reminiscent of heaven. She is introduced to her “Good Place approved” soul mate, Chidi, soon after realizing that she does not belong in the Good Place at all. The first season follows Eleanor’s journey of learning to become a good person in order to earn her spot in the Good Place. Chidi, a moral philosopher, agrees to train her and Jason. Jason, believed to be a monk, was actually a petty criminal from Jacksonville, Florida.
Jason and Eleanor attempt to become better people, in order to not be found out by the architect of the Good Place, Michael.
What do I love most about this show? I think that the conversations between the characters about morality and philosophy really stood out to me in a new way. Of course, everyone tries to be the best person they possibly can be, but what is it all for? This show gives meaning to the actions we take on Earth. It brings up questions to ponder in our everyday lives. How do we become the best possible versions of ourselves? Are we taking action to become better people for the right reasons?
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