Tag: 2023

Kat’s Weekly TV & Movie Recap #55

Kat Impossible9 Comments

Where I ramble about all the TV shows and movies I’ve watched in the past week ….

Another week is coming to a close and I’m tired af, but have no idea what from. Some days will just be like that, so I took a nap in the middle of the day and delayed the post. Let’s talk about shows and movies though! 

FINISHED TV SHOWS/SEASONS

I didn’t finish any shows this week, but watched a bunch of movies, so stay tuned for those!

WEEKLY TV SHOWS

Mayfair Witches (Season 1)

I’ve finished episode 7 and we’re finally getting somewhere, but dang that’s far too late in a season to make me change my mind about the show.

Will Trent (Season 1)

Betty is the moment. Need I say more? Well, yeah. It was fun to learn more about Faith’s home life and I’m just glad we have Will Trent back after the break last week.

Walker: Independence (Season 1)

I’m so confused about what to believe. Obviously, I kinda sorta somewhat know that Tom is a terrible person, but I still thought he was one of the best characters of the season aside from Calian.

1923 (Season 1)

My darlings are alright and getting married and … aaaah! I just know this season is going to end with Spencer arriving at the ranch and the wait for the new season will be torture.

Wolf Pack (Season 1)

The CGI of the animals remains absolutely abysmal, but I keep wanting to learn more about the pack dynamics. I don’t buy Luna pining after Austin though. I’m so sorry.

How I Met Your Father (Season 2)

Sid remains a top tier character and I like how we’re fleshing out the friendship dynamics, although I wish they would include the whole crew and not just duos.

Abbott Elementary (Season 2)

Never seen Barbara this flustered before, but the real twist were Jacob’s cookies.

9-1-1: Lone Star (Season 4)

Everything about the TK/Carlos storyline was peak content, the Owen stuff stays very mid.

MOVIES

As always, don’t forget to add me on Letterboxd if you want to be up to date on all my movie experiences! 

At Midnight

I continued my “Valentine’s Day” binge of new RomComs and this one was probably my favorite of the bunch I watched. It has Notting Hill and America’s Sweetheart vibes and is utterly corny. I know that parts of it will be too ridiculous for some people, but I like movies that are unabashedly romantic, not scared of not taking themselves too seriously and have that retro flair. Diego Boneta and Monica Barbaro had great chemistry and I had a really great time watching the movie! Also, almost all of it was shot on location in Mexico, which is cool! 

Somebody I Used to Know

What a waste to never having used the song during the entire movie, but what can you do? Directed by Dave Franco and co-written by him and Alison Brie, I thought that the movie was marketed in the wrong way. It’s not a RomCom, but it’s a very good film regardless. Aside from a Community reunion between Alison Brie and Danny Pudi, I enjoyed the themes of regret, change and trusting yourself. I will always watch anything Alison Brie stars in regardless, but I’d love to see more of this husband-wife-duo, because they seem to work really well together.

Sharper

I so wish I hadn’t watched the trailer and while I will post it below, I don’t recommend you actually watch it. The cast was really enticing and it was an okay movie, but none of the twists hit me, because I saw them all from a mile away (possibly because of having watched the trailer). I enjoyed how every “chapter” more or less ended on some kind of betrayal, that was thematically smart, but the rest was unforatuntely a tad underwhelming for me.

Did you watch anything I’ve watched? Are there some movies/shows I should check out? Let’s talk about that!

Kat’s Weekly TV & Movie Recap #54

Kat Impossible11 Comments

Where I ramble about all the TV shows and movies I’ve watched in the past week ….

Let me tell you, I surprised myself with the amount of shows I watched/finished this past week. Let’s talk about that! 

FINISHED TV SHOWS/SEASONS

National Treasure: Edge of History (Season 1)

I know a lot of people were skeptical, because the show didn’t feature Nic Cage and focused on a much younger age bracket, but you know what? For what it was, it was a lot of fun. Everyone is insanely smart, so they figure out clues and puzzles super fast, but it was also just great to have a really healthy and nice friendship group dynamic to watch. There’s loads of ships if you’re interested in that and the final episodes did hold some twists I didn’t necessarily expect. 

I haven’t yet heard any news on a potential renewal for the show, but it works as a one-off limited series just as much as a continued show. They definitely set up a storyline should they get another season order, but there was no dreadful cliffhanger.

The Legend of Vox Machina (Season 2)

I LOVE THIS SHOW SO MUCH! I think Prime also really cracked the perfect formula of how to release episode on a streaming platform. They posted three episodes per week, which was (to me) the ideal mix of being able to binge and immerse myself in the story while also having the excitement of a weekly release and getting to talk to people about specific episodes. 

As far as the animation goes, I feel like they really stepped it up in season 2, because there were some gorgeous shots that I still think about a lot. Especially all things concerning the Raven Queen was SO WELL DONE. I just adored seeing the campaign come to life on the screen and this show hyping up adult animation content, because it can be so dope!

I’m very glad to inform you that season 3 has already been greenlit.

YOU (Season 4, Part 1)

Somehow, YOU manages to reinvent itself a little bit every season. I have to admit that I don’t really get why we split the season in two other than Netflix trying to generate buzz for their property over a longer amount of time, but as a viewer, not really feeling it. 

This season starts out as a kind of murder mystery, where I surprised myself by guessing the murderer before I had even met the character – a new record for me! I feel very torn in the way they try to give Joe more and more redeemable qualities, because he is an absolute psycho and people are bound to forget that, because they find him hot … 

Still, long story short, I had fun and binged it in one evening. Looking forward to part 2 now and will judge the season as a whole afterwards.

WEEKLY TV SHOWS

The Last of Us (Season 1)

We got TWO episodes this week and I’m so glad about that. Henry and Sam’s story deserved to be told and was so freaking heartbreaking. I thought it was kind of fitting that those were the two episodes that aired closer to each other. 

Mayfair Witches (Season 1)

I’ve watched episode 6, because I think for some it wasn’t obvious that I’ve continued to be one episode ahead of the TV release. I’m just not a fan I suppose. I would have structured the show so differently.

Fire Country (Season 1)

If I get tired of Bode and Gabriella now … that does not bode well (see what I did there?) for upcoming seasons.

Wolf Pack (Season 1)

Loving this show! I don’t yet know what it means to be in a pack in this particular universe, but I can’t wait to find out.

How I Met Your Father (Season 2)

Sooo … Sophie admitted she kissed all of her friends at some point on the show. That means my Sid endgame is still an option.

Abbott Elementary (Season 2)

The Valentine’s episode was fun! They know how to do themed stuff on Abbott.

9-1-1: Lone Star (Season 4)

Ugh, again with the FBI storyline that I do not care about … the Iris thing on the other hand? Carlos cannot blame TK for it. I just won’t allow my babies to fight over something that was done by an unhinged person.

MOVIES

As always, don’t forget to add me on Letterboxd if you want to be up to date on all my movie experiences! 

Your Place or Mine

I announced that we would get a resurgence of RomComs this year and Your Place or Mine was one of the first ones on my list. Not sure if all of you have seen the red carpet pictures of Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher, but those two did not look comfortable next to each other at all. It was super awkward to watch, but it sort of makes sense now that I’ve watched the movie and the leads don’t share the screen for 90% of the time. 

In theory, this should have been a home run. We have friends to lovers, immature adult bonding with a kid, a LOT of bookish references and talk about plants, Zoe Chao was featured. Those are legit all things I enjoy, but I felt a bit lackluster about the outcome of it all. It was nice, but not the best RomCom I’ve seen of late. I think we are allowed to want the genre to thrive, but for it to also do … more?

Did you watch anything I’ve watched? Are there some movies/shows I should check out? Let’s talk about that!

Kat’s Weekly TV & Movie Recap #53

Kat Impossible15 Comments

Where I ramble about all the TV shows and movies I’ve watched in the past week ….

It’s been a week, but it seems that February will pass by much quicker than January did. Here’s what I watched this past week!

FINISHED TV SHOWS/SEASONS

Lockwood & Co (Season 1)

I’m going to start off by being real honest with you – if Netflix doesn’t renew this show, I will be SO upset! Their promotion team is setting them up to fail, but they deserve so much better. 

I haven’t read the books and cannot speak to any possible changes, but what I can talk about is the phenomenal chemistry between the characters. While the world is definitely interesting and had me intrigued from the get-go, it was the various character interactions, the longing looks, the tension that really carried the show. Lockwood & Co might seem like it would skewer fairly young, but I think this works for adults just fine. There’s so much you can still do in this setting and I 100% want to explore the relationships some more. I might even start reading the books, because they certainly do have my attention right now.

WEEKLY TV SHOWS

The Last of Us (Season 1)

Episode 3 – Long Long Time – was EVERYTHING! Every week, this show just keeps getting better and better. I never expected to be so freaking invested (and concerned about the real life fungi news we’re getting).

Mayfair Witches (Season 1)

Ugh, what can I say. I wanted to love this show so bad, but I just don’t? There’s an element missing, something that could truly grip me.

Will Trent (Season 1)

The way this man looks at and cares for Betty is everything. It’s a healthier relationship than the one he has with Angie, but that’s gonna take some more unpacking.

National Treasure (Season 1)

WHAT A TWIST!!! I mean, did you see that coming? I, first of all, thought that was an absolute minion character, but not the boss man. And secondly, do we think the death is permanent or will there be some saving involved? I’m kind of in denial at the moment, just because I think that the agent and morgue guy are the cutest.

Fire Country (Season 1)

If the drama starts getting repetitive in season 1 already, we might be in trouble. 

Wolf Pack (Season 1)

Still enjoying it, but I keep wondering if that is Ian Bohen’s voice when it comes to the anonymous caller, which in turn makes me think of Teen Wolf.

How I Met Your Father (Season 2)

Meghan Trainor was a random cameo, but my boy Sid did amazing this episode. He’s one of my top characters on the show. 

The Legend of Vox Machina (Season 2)

THEY GAVE ME SOME OF MY FAVORITE PERCY/VEX MOMENTS ON SCREEN! I still always want more, because I’m a greedy, greedy person when it comes to my ships. But truly, they are doing such an amazing job adapting the campaign and I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone, but that one cameo from an important C2 character – let me tell you, I screamed.

9-1-1: Lone Star (Season 4)

As expected, I care very little for the FBI plot. Also, what kind of amateur undertaking is this. They aren’t protecting Owen at all.

MOVIES

As always, don’t forget to add me on Letterboxd if you want to be up to date on all my movie experiences! 

Teen Wolf

I watched the Teen Wolf movie so you wouldn’t have to. Saying it’s a mess is the understatement of the century, because this movie was just disrespectful. If you ever had love for this story and/or the characters in it, spare yourself! I’m still fuming and it’s been almost a week since I’ve watched it.

Granted, I should have known and I kind of did know that it was going to be terrible. So many of the cast members didn’t return (for good reason! They did Arden Cho so dirty!!) and the more I think about it, the better for them! Now they won’t be associated with whatever … *that* was. I mean, we didn’t have Stiles, Kira, Isaac, the twins or so many others. Out of my personal top 5 Teen Wolf characters, there were only two present in the movie and one of them was eventually killed off. The other got a different love interest, which was the only bright spot in the whole thing.

This entire movie catered to what Scott needed and railroaded all other characters in order to give him what he desired in life. Honestly, it felt gross. I’m just ranting now, so I better stop. My disappointment is boundless. 

If any of you want to talk spoilers about the movie, feel free to do so in the comments. I will gladly dive into it more deeply there.

Did you watch anything I’ve watched? Are there some movies/shows I should check out? Let’s talk about that!

January 2023 Wrap-Up

Kat Impossible15 Comments

January Wrap-Up

I don’t know about you, but January seemed to take forever. I took the month to focus on getting back into things I used to love and semi-succeeded with it. At least in terms of reading, I’m happy to report that I’ve finished 5 books (well, 3 books, 1 novella and 1 short story). It might not have seemed like it, because I’ve not reviewed much of what I’ve read, but I truly had a fantastic time getting back into reading.

  • For the Wolf by Hannah F. Whitten (3.75 stars)
    While in theory, this book should have been everything to me, I didn’t find myself as invested as I would have liked to be. I’m not sure I will pick up the sequel, but I’m happy to see Red and the Wolf making it.
  • The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow (5 stars)
  • The Deep by Rivers Solomon (4.5 stars)
  • Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison (4.25 stars)
    I have the rest of the series already ready to go on my eReader and I plan to review the whole series once I’m done.
  • Kindred by Octavia E. Butler (5 stars)
    I 100% understand why this is a classic, it was so well written and gripped you from the first sentence. I’m looking forward to reviewing after I’ve watched the TV adaptation. I miss doing comparison posts, so it seems fitting to examine those two versions.

As per usual, click on the covers to get re-directed to Goodreads, where you are always welcome to add me as a reading buddy! OR find me on StoryGraph, which I adore more and more as an alternative. My own reviews you’re able to find by clicking on the titles in the list above, if there are posts for them.

I think a big part of my success reading so much (at least in comparison to how much I usually tend to read in a month) in January was due to me participating in StoryGraph’s January Pages Challenge. In an attempt to get people to read at least one page per day (or listen to one minute of an audiobook per day), they set up their own reading challenge and sweetened the deal with possible prizes. While I didn’t win any of the challenge prizes, I feel like it set me up with a great habit for the year to come. Here’s a graph of how much I’ve been reading last month:

A graph showing that I completed the StoryGraph January Pages Reading Challenge

 

In Other News

Usually, I have a bunch of posts set up for January to really kick blogging off right, but I didn’t have the best of starts to the year and generally felt pretty exhausted. I wanted to prioritize things that actually brought me joy and while I consider blogging to be a vital part of myself, I’d much rather focus on other things when I’m tired. Like, there’s no point in churning out mid-posts just because, when I’m not feeling it. So, I started the year with re-evaluating my priorities.

There’s Only So Much Time in Day

I want to read, write, watch TV, catch up with the people I care about, work out and on top of that I still need to do my job and rest as well. I can’t do it all, no one can, and it has been a challenge to not get frustrated by that. I’ve slowly gotten back into working out more regularly – mostly I’ve just walked a lot – but it’s really the creative outlets I’m missing most in my life. I seem to have zero energy for them. I’d like to change that this year and deliberately make more time for creative tasks, which brings me to my next point.

I MISS writing SO MUCH

I’ve checked out some of my old, unfinished WIPs and … I hated my writing in all of them. There’s part of my brain that knows that I’m not terrible at everything. My narrative ideas are solid, even when the execution is lacking. I haven’t posted on my secret fan fic account (sorry, I just can’t reveal that one) for close to a year now and I still got a message saying “please come back!!!” the other day. The thing is, I WANT TO. I want to write and create and draw my own characters and really dive deep into these worlds. There’s not just a lack of motivation, but I think also confidence. I’ve read some fantastic books these past years and my brain just says that I could never do that. I need to do some soul searching to find my voice and point of view.

Nick Miller from New Girl sitting in front of his laptop and saying "I got nothing" as he attempts to write his novel.

Basking in all the good TV

TV, as so often, has been my escape in January. There’s just been so much good content out there again and I’m glad I kicked off the year with such fantastic shows. On the one hand, we have the return of The Legend of Vox Machina, which is getting released in batches of three episodes per week – offering the perfect mix between binging and a weekly schedule. I just keep falling in love with everyone at Critical Role all over again, the fact that we’re now also getting the Mighty Nein and a movie (*fingers crossed it’s a Calamity movie*) almost had me in tears.

Speaking of tears, basically the whole world is bawling their eyes out at the masterpiece that is The Last of Us! As someone who hasn’t played the game, but still knows a fair bit about it, I am in awe of this show. It’s so good and I love that Pedro Pascal just doesn’t miss with his roles. Having said that, episode 3 “Long, Long Time” will stay in my heart forever.

I Played Another Game – Rakuen

I don’t even know how I stumbled upon Rakuen, but it was a delight to play. The game mechanics are fairly simple, so are the graphics, but they are SO FREAKING CUTE. Don’t get me wrong, there’s some terrifying stuff and it will rip your heart out of your chest, but I like the balance with the sweet stuff.

I’ve found that “short” games with a good storyline are my jam and Rakuen definitely fits that category. It’s about a boy at a hospital, who escapes to a magical world – on the one hand, to escape his own life, but also to help the people around him. By the end, I was just a puddle of tears. Not sure it has a lot of replayability, but I had a good time!

RECAPPING 2022

A big part of this past month was taking the time to wrap-up 2022 and let go of the year. I did so in various posts, which you can check out here:

MY OTHER POSTS

TV SHOW/MOVIE RELATED

TRAILER POSTS

Hope you had a great start to the year and are now basking in a fantastic February! Let’s chat!

Kat’s Weekly TV & Movie Recap #52

Kat Impossible11 Comments

Where I ramble about all the TV shows and movies I’ve watched in the past week ….

I’m spending so much of my free time trying to either read or watch things, I should probably go out more instead and get some fresh air. But at least, this way, I have some stuff to talk to you about with.

FINISHED TV SHOWS/SEASONS

Extraordinary (Season 1)

I remember seeing a trailer for this show and then it popped up in my feed on release day and I started watching it and binged it all the way through until 2AM. That should tell you all you need to know, right? Maybe it’s the British humor, maybe it’s the interesting world-building with people having really random powers or just the quirky characters in general, but I had the best of times. These people were messy and sometimes selfish and that made them feel relatable. The dynamics were super interesting, I just wanted to take care of the cat … MORE PLEASE!

Gossip Girl (Season 2)

So, I’ve already announced this before, but Gossip Girl was cancelled – which means this wasn’t just a season finale but also a series finale. While I do believe that the show found its stride a bit more in season 2, they still weren’t utilizing Luna and Monet to their full potential. There were hints of interesting storylines there, especially since I could tell what they were trying to set up, had they been renewed for a season 3, but it was a decent enough ending for the time they were given. I think most people will be sad about the incomplete polyamory storyline, because the showrunners definitely meant to reunite them and not make the messaging be like “polyamory never works out”. 

I liked that they sort of roasted themselves in the final act about the Gossip Girl reveal. People truly did not care about those teachers.

WEEKLY TV SHOWS

The Last of Us (Season 1)

The cold opens are SO GOOD each time. They make everything a 100 times more creepy and realistic and I just know that people hated what the Stalker did at the end of the episode. Poor Tess, that was really gross.

Mayfair Witches (Season 1)

I’ve seen episode 4 already and things are happening. I can’t quite put my finger on why I still feel like the show is missing something.

Will Trent (Season 1)

Will Trent, as a show, is a lot darker than promos might have led you to believe, but I’m relishing that we get to know these characters better each week. 

National Treasure (Season 1)

They were so extra in this episode. I mean the slow motion run through the courtyard. Really?

Walker: Independence (Season 1)

So … it happened and I’m not mad at it. We all know I have a soft spot for Tom, which is terrible, because he literally has a torture shed, but oh well, I saw this coming and, again, I’m not mad.

Wolf Pack (Season 1)

Funny how this show released more or less at the same time as the Teen Wolf movie, isn’t it? I will never watch that TW movie, just because they are going to retcon so much, they didn’t bother bringing certain actors back or to pay them accordingly. I will, however, enjoy having Sarah Michelle Gellar with supernatural beings on my screen again. I liked the intro to this world!

How I Met Your Father (Season 2)

I know many of you weren’t convinced with season 1, but I liked it and I really enjoyed the start to the new season was well. 

The Legend of Vox Machina (Season 2)

Thank the gods that this show releases episodes in batches of three. As much as I adore all of it and the way we get to see all the really cool action unfold, I sometimes miss the quieter and slower moments between characters. It’s not just that I have to live off of crumbs in regards to Vex and Percy at the moment, but I just want more backstories, more bonding, more scenes at the fireplace. I know they’re there, they were in the campaign after all. But this is truly complaining on a high level, because the show is FANTASTIC!

9-1-1: Lone Star (Season 4)

You know me and my firehouse shows are a done deal, so I was obviously going to tune in, but I don’t want that FBI storyline. Is this some weird backdoor pilot for a new show? So sorry, but I don’t want even more Owen. Last season already was about him so much.

MOVIES

As always, don’t forget to add me on Letterboxd if you want to be up to date on all my movie experiences! 

Of Hearts and Castles

Of Hearts and Castles isn’t a full length movie, but a short film starring Philemon Chambers (Walker: Independence) and Luis Carazo (ExU: Calamity). With that cast, I just couldn’t resist! I mean, those boys are fantastic and I didn’t expect a collab, but I’m here for it. Hugging has truly never felt more intimate on screen and I love that. 

If you want to check out the full short film, you can do so in the video below:

Now I’m back to binging Lockwood & Co! Did you watch anything I’ve watched? Are there some movies/shows I should check out? Let’s talk about that!

Kat’s Weekly TV & Movie Recap #51

Kat Impossible22 Comments

Where I ramble about all the TV shows and movies I’ve watched in the past week ….

Do you ever have these weeks, where you wonder what you did all week long? Because time has evidently passed, but I couldn’t tell you what I did aside from working. Anyway, here’s a few things I watched.

FINISHED TV SHOWS/SEASONS

That ’90s Show (Season 1)

I love That ’70s Show when I was younger, even if a lot of the jokes went over my head, but if you are a fan as well, That ’90s Show is a fairly decent reboot. Not going to lie, there are a couple really cringey things and the teen aspect won’t work for everyone anymore, but that’s why it’s so great that Kitty and Red are still among the main cast. We get cameos from almost everyone from the OG show and still have the original sets. It’s super nostalgic and works in that sometimes over the top sitcom kind of way. I’d genuinely like to watch more seasons and not just because I want to see where Nate and Leia could potentially go.

WEEKLY TV SHOWS

The Last of Us (Season 1)

FANTASTIC! Legit just SO GOOD! I didn’t expect it to be so accurate to the game in certain scenes, but wow. This is what I call a good game adaptation.

Mayfair Witches (Season 1)

So, I have watched episode 3 already, which means there’s early access to episodes online now. I don’t have all that much to say though, I feel like not enough is happening for some reason.

Will Trent (Season 1)

I’m genuinely enjoying this show so much, I really didn’t expect that. If you haven’t started it yet, PLEASE WATCH!

National Treasure (Season 1)

Yes, a lot of stuff just works out super conveniently for our crew, but I like the show. It’s really just a tween version of the movies.

Walker: Independence (Season 1)

Y’all, I need my weekly fill of cowboys on my screen, so I’m super glad the show is back. And I’m also glad I can now like Tom’s character with a bit less of a guilty conscience it seems.

Gossip Girl (Season 2)

The show got cancelled, so that tells you how the season is going …

Abbott Elementary (Season 2)

Just about everyone knows that Gregory likes Janine now and I’m living for it.

The Legend of Vox Machina (Season 2)

MY BABIES ARE BACK! They released the first three episodes of the season and they were all fantastic. The Sunken Tomb destroyed me despite me fully well knowing how this is going to end, which is another sign of excellence.

MOVIES

As always, don’t forget to add me on Letterboxd if you want to be up to date on all my movie experiences! 

Apparently, I didn’t watch any movies this past week.

I may have forgotten something again, my brain feels foggy! Did you watch anything I’ve watched? Are there some movies/shows I should check out? Let’s talk about that!