End of Q1 Reviews
Hey creators! So this was actually a pretty eventful first quarter for TV shows and movies (at least for me, because so many projects really caught my eye). I also was on a serious roll when it came to reading this season too. I actually got through 4 entire books and finished the second half of another that I had started before the new year, which is not normal for me. I’m a slow reader, but listening to these mystery audiobooks on Libby has me in a chokehold! Since I already shared my TBR and Watchlist for the year, I’m going to give you guys a brief recap of everything that I’ve consumed during Q1 and my genuine thoughts on them. PLUS, I’ll share what I’m excited to see/read in Q2. If you’re interested, keep on reading, friend, but BEWARE. I’m a yapper. 💁🏾♀️
Alright, so starting with my personal favorite (obvi), Film and TV.
Paradise on Hulu. First and foremost, STERLING K. BROWN. Not only is the man attractive, but he can ACT okayyy. I felt every emotion with him. All the tension, the fear, the rage, and the pain. Not many actors can really get me in my feels like he can. I know part of that is the writing, but Dan Fogelman will always have us crying at some point. Secondly, JAMES MARSDEN, who is equally as attractive and talented. If I’m being real, I was initially interested because they were in it. They were the plot for me. But this show was such a wild ride cause you have a little bit of a murder mystery element going while trying to figure out what world we actually are thrust into. We follow X as he uncovers the series of events that led to Cal’s death and eventually finds out that his wife (who he thought was dead) is actually alive with other survivors. X is tactical and observant, which comes in handy, except for the fact that he didn’t know what his own daughter was up to at night. Adding in the very real aspect of the rich using their wealth to buy access to our government and secure their place as the ruling class, I was left excited to see X and friends take down the elite and save their loved ones. This show gets a 5/5 from me because I was on the edge of my seat and then ready to shed a tear by the end. Also, a sweet treat is that Paradise will already be back for Season 2, having left us with a fun cliffhanger and announcing this past week that they are in fact back on set.
Severance S2 on AppleTV+. Okay, so just like with Paradise, Severance has had the internet in shambles! We left Mark and the rest of his team on the severed floor, having found out who their Outies are. It’s intense and confusing for them cause “who am I?” Season 2 starts out just as weird and totally expected, having us explore the goat floor, Kier’s origin story in the woods, and Helly R.’s role in Lumen. One thing that I will always admire is when an actor can play multiple characters in the same project. That is no easy feat, and seeing that final episode with Mark arguing by himself was a masterpiece. I also need to point out how much I love the whole point of them showing duality in the characters. I’m sure some of the themes have gone over my head, and people have their own biased opinions where they think they are an authority on a project that they didn’t create; however, the conversation around us even having an Outie and then an Innie at work is so good. Cause as a Black woman with anxiety, the number of times that I have to mask and put on a smile should get me paid in and of itself. A character okayyy! It’s still a part of me, but not my truest self. One thing that I don’t relate to is the wanting to be at work because I hate my life. Thankfully, I don’t have anything at home that I’m trying to run from BUT, it’s never been my thing to prefer work people over the people that I have handpicked to be in my life or, of course, family. And the ending was so heartbreaking! Count your days, Mark S! We’ll never forgive you for what you did to Gemma! I was enthralled the whole time so I give it 5/5. I did not like the final scenes because I wanted him to be with Gemma, but it totally makes sense for the character’s Innie and the story. I didn’t touch much on the other characters, but I do encourage you to watch so you can understand the full scope of the storylines. Apparently, Ben Stiller confirmed that the writer’s room has already opened up so I'm looking forward to seeing a Season 3 very soon!
The Residence on Netflix. Shonda, you’ve done it again. Never did I think that she would put out a murder mystery, but here we are, and I ATE. IT. UP. First of all, Uzo Aduba is soooo funny in this. Having the sleuth as a Black woman made this such a fun and relatable story simply with the way that she would get her suspects to spill all the tea with just a look. It was quirky and comical and had all of the elements that a good mystery needed. I love how it even referenced Agatha Christie, Knives Out and Murder on the Orient Express. What a fun ride it was to see Detective Cupp telling all these men to leave her alone to bird first and solve the crime second. She was unapologetically confident in her abilities and her wits/sarcasm. The ensemble cast was phenomenal. They all had me thinking they did it for an episode, especially the messy Sheila! I love how this show was lighthearted (as much as you can be when you kill a character in the first episode lol) while still being able to touch on topics like our government and just political relations in genuine, even including the Austrailian diplomats. I was definitely left wanting more from Detective Cupp, hoping there will be a season 2. I would watch her solve crimes for years, so please, Netflix fairies, give us a new storyline to have a second season AND THEN SOME. This also gets a 5/5 because there were no holes for me, the buildup was great, and the payoff was satisfying. I was able to make my guesses on the murderer as the episodes went on, and it was fun when I finally figured it out before they were revealed. Check out this show, I guarantee you that it will be so much fun!
Reacher S3 on Amazon Prime Video. Per usual, trouble has once again seemed to find Reacher. He’s seen minding his business and then saving a college-aged kid from kidnappers…or abductors. Whatever. This season was fun with the expected corny humor, that I love, and a little bit of a mystery when it comes to what is actually going on with this case. (Y’all should know by now that that’s one of my favorite genres, and I will not apologize for being just a girl…who loves a whodunit.) I also enjoyed that this time, Reacher is undercover and playing both sides. An element that I tend to get tired of is him falling into bed with every female main character that they add. I mean, I GET IT…HOWEVER, it just gives boy wants to see fighting and boobs. The cases are interesting, but I fear that may get old. It could just be me, but I’m standing on it lol. Regardless, 4/5. I enjoyed it, I laughed, and the payoff is always worth it.
Zero Day on Netflix. I will pretty much watch anything that Robert De Niro is in, so this was a no-brainer for me cause it was a thriller. Now, I’m only a few episodes in, but the beginning already has my household hooked! For one, he’s such a good actor, but we also get a bit of mystery when it comes to his reality. There are moments when we see him totally zone out and lose time, leading us to believe he has dementia, and that’s why he stepped down from the presidency after his first term. That was really cool, considering that lately, we’ve ended up with some pretty seasoned (cause I’m respectful that way, lol) presidential picks, so it really hits home for me. I’m not saying everyone has dementia, but we could probably (most definitely) fare better with someone who was around the same age as President Obama when he started, but I digress. It was also a treat to see our very own Janis Ian as the president’s daughter/congresswoman. And to my surprise, the sitting president was not a Black woman, but it was THEEE ANGELA BASSETT. They never even advertised her, which ain’t right, but what can you do? Right now, I’m trying to figure out how all of the pieces come together and how President Mullen is going to aid President Mitchell in solving this cyber attack on the U.S. So far, I’m intrigued and enjoying myself and will continue, despite now seeing some poor reviews. It’s hard to make a mystery, so if they missed the mark, I’m wondering where it is and will see for myself what went wrong in terms of audience ratings. Of course, I’ll be back with a better understanding of the show, so stay tuned, but for right now, I rate it 4/5.
The Night Agent S2 on Netflix. I really, really wanted to like this, guys. I enjoyed S1 so much, even though there were a ton of moments that did not make logical sense to me. The episode opened in an entertaining way, getting rid of a character right off the bat. However, as Rose was added back in, it felt a little forced and unbelievable. After a while, I started to feel like it was predictable and just didn’t enjoy it anymore, so we didn’t even start episode 2. Maybe one day, I’ll open it back up to see it through, but unfortunately, that day is not on the horizon. 1/5 for me, but let me know in the comments if you watched and what you think.
One of Them Days on Netflix. Y’all, when I first saw the previews for this movie, I was so excited, but I never got around to going to the theater. Story of my life! So, after I started it, I wasn’t that interested after about 30 minutes in. Then, it really picked up and became so funny and ridiculous, in the best way, that I just had to see it through. Keke Palmer and Sza are hilarious together, and seeing so many familiar Black faces was such a treat. We’re immediately on Dreux’s side when Alyssa’s antics mess up the plans, and now they have to scheme to get their rent money while also finding themselves with the help of each other. It was a great story about friendship/sisterhood that we don’t normally see Black women starring in, and I hope to see a lot more coming out soon and even produce some of my own. One of Them Days gets a 5/5 from me and I will 100% watch it again cause it’s funny and heartfelt.
Moving right along cause even I am exhausted after writing all of that out, let’s get into these reads!
Like I said, this is probably the fastest and most that I have read at once since pirating The Twilight Saga and The Hunger Games on my iPod Touch in high school. And it was a time! So here’s what we’ve got!
The Inheritance Games. Now, this is another mystery type, and I was hooked immediately cause this teenage girl, Avery, with nothing to her name, ends up with a fortune of money after this random grandfather, Tobias Hawthorne, passes away. The interesting caveat to maintaining her fortune is that she needs to live in his family mansion for a full year. So many twists and turns, including her attempted murder, that make this book fun. 5/5.
The Hawthorne Legacy. The sequel to The Inheritance Games was equally as intriguing, and the payoff was great when you find out who Avery is related to. I did find myself zoning out a bit while listening to the book, though, so in terms of keeping my attention, I have to deduct a star. 4/5.
The Final Gambit. The 3rd book in this trilogy did not hold my attention at all. I hate DNFing a book, especially in a series, because I always want to know what’s going to happen. Alas, I probably will never find out, but I felt like we could maybe have done without book 3. Or perhaps it’s a slow burn, and I should’ve kept going. I have the physical book, so maybe I’ll pick it back up later after having a bit more of a palate cleanser.
The Teacher. I heard good things about Frieda McFadden. Long story short, a teacher, who is married to another teacher, deals with her failing marriage, a luxury shoe addiction, an affair, and a problematic student that has a reputation of sleeping with teachers. Our story follows the pov of all three of these characters, kept me hooked and intrigued, and gave a creepy ending that I was not expecting.
The Paris Apartment. This started out with a mystery as our main character comes into town and finds that her host, her half brother, is missing. After investigating a town where she doesn’t speak the language and interrogating the other tenants in the building, our main character makes a chilling and damning discovery. I was interested the entire time and had no idea how the story would unfold. I loved the ending and can’t wait to read another book by this author.
To wrap up, I’m going to be real. I probably need to read a different genre for a second. So maybe some fantasy will get me in the right reading mood again. Cause I want to read, but I’m a moody reader; whatever way I’m feeling, I’ll read that. Maybe a romance, too. The Davenports’ sequel came out fairly recently, so I might get into that as well. I’m most excited about Oathbound, so that might be the one.
There are so many stories that I have missed already. One of Them Days comes onto Netflix tomorrow as I’m writing this. The Studio on AppleTV+ just came out, and Sinners is coming out very soon. You S5 will be out before the month is over, and I already have some of the above shows and books to finish, so I will be very busy in Q2. Plus, I’ll be writing a ton! I am currently writing the second episode of my crime drama, Burning Sage, and after that, I will be finishing the series arc for Couverture Lake shortly after. I’m so geeked, so stay tuned for more details on those projects. I share more in detail on my YouTube channel, Createher Best Life, and my socials @_imacreateher. I know this is a lot of consumption, but if that’s something you enjoy, keep at it! Whatever helps you create your best life! Talk soon!
