I will be honest with you, I’ve spent a lot of time on YouTube, but not so much watching actual shows and movies, so the post will be fairly short this week. Enjoy!

FINISHED TV SHOWS/SEASONS

Halo (Season 1)

Not going to lie, this show was SUCH a surprise to me! I guess I was craving more sci-fi content, but the game “Halo”, which this show is partly based on (which in turn was based on books, from what I’ve learned), has exactly zero appeal to me, so I’m not entirely clear on why I finally watched it. Maybe the fact that Pablo Schreiber has a lead role? He’s a big draw for me ever since he played Mad Sweeney.

Anyway, I’m so glad I knew absolutely nothing going in! Legit the best decision ever, because I had so much fun, while most gaming fans hated it or at least were deeply unhappy with certain elements that I ultimately had zero problem with. I definitely think it could have expanded on the world- and relationship-building some more. It’s fairly slow-told, so there was room for more depth, but I’m happy with this first season.

WEEKLY TV SHOWS

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Season 1)

The fact that there’s only 10 episode in the first season feels like some sort of crime. I mean … it just keeps getting better as we get to know these characters on a deeper level. You can’t put all of that in one season and then make me wait forever, it at least needs double.

I’m still obsessed, as you can see!

MOVIES

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

Star Trek (2009)

This was a rewatch, I think that should be pointed out first. In fact, I’ve seen this movie so many times, I lost count a while ago. Star Trek (2009) was my proper introduction to the Star Trek universe and part of why I never was interested in any of the prior material. I just wanted *those* actors and no one else. Now my stance has visibly changed and I’m not as attached to them as I was, although I still see Chris Pine as my personal James T. Kirk favorite. Either way, I’m looking forward to them finally doing another movie. Maybe I’ll rewatch the others as well …

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Did you watch any of the things I mentioned or do you plan to? I’ve now decided to continue watching Star Trek: Discovery, just because the weekly wait for Strange New Worlds is the worst. Let’s talk about that!

I didn’t forget about the post again! I was just really busy, so it took me a while to get the recap done, but here we are. Let’s dive right in.

FINISHED TV SHOWS/SEASONS

Outer Range (Season 1)

This was one of the strangest shows I have watched in quite some time. It’s almost like Dark meets Yellowstone, because time-travelling cowboys is truly what I would describe this as! For the most part, I found myself very confused with what was going on, because I struggle to see the big picture, but I did guess some developments and twists throughout the show, so there’s that.

The storytelling is quite slow and sometimes I found myself getting a bit bored, unfortunately. I’m not sure it’s a must-see, but it has an excellent cast with amazing performances considering the strange material. I think I’m curious enough to tune in for another season, but wouldn’t be super miffed if it didn’t get more episodes.

The Wilds (Season 2)

I’ve waited so long for this new season and it was a bit of a case of “the wait between seasons made me loose a little bit of interest”, but by the time the final episode rolled around, I was fully invested again!

The thing is, we had the girls and they were amazing and intriguing and now they had to split the time with the boys, who were more or less their counterparts in many ways, and do the whole getting to know spiel again. I ended up totally loving most of the boys, even some of the douchier guys, but the show always ends when it gets most interesting. I NEED another season. Desperately.

As a side note, I love how Charles Alexander weaves into most interviews that Alex Fitzalan is his best friend. It makes me so soft for them.

WEEKLY TV SHOWS

9-1-1: Lone Star (Season 3)

Didn’t I just say that Nancy and Matteo would be cool? I totally did. But Judd in danger again is not what I like to see.

9-1-1 (Season 5)

Well … is Taylor breaking her promise worse than Buck cheating on her? That’s what we have to deal with next week.

Legacies (Season 4)

How can you call a super powerful god … Ken?

MOVIES

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

Along for the Ride

I’m going to keep this short, because it was a really lovely movie. I had a great time watching it, although I don’t think it’s something that will stick with you for the longest time. If you want to hear my full thoughts, you should check out my book to movie comparison here.

The Lost City

I’m so glad I finally got to watch this movie!!! Interviews with Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum have been absolutely hilarious and I’ve been craving the cinematic return of romcoms and The Lost City fully delivered. The comedic timing was excellent and I actually felt the chemistry nicely. Why can’t we have more movies like this? I genuinely want to know, because they are fun and a crowd-pleaser. We do need the good stuff too and not just Hallmark-esque films.

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Did you watch any of the things I mentioned or do you plan to? Let’s talk about that!

I know, I know … I skipped last week, but I’m back now. Sometimes I just need a little longer to watch things and I’m still contemplating moving this feature to Friday. Just saying.

FINISHED TV SHOWS/SEASONS

Our Flag Means Death (Season 1)

I am SO in love with this show and I don’t even know how to express those feelings. I’ve always liked Taika Waititi and the projects he undertakes, but this one was extra fun. I don’t know if it’s because I have a soft spot for pirate stories or because the romantic chemistry between Taika and Rhys was off the charts, but I so hope that there’s more.

They took real life pirates, but made this story completely their own. After so many of my friends tweeted about wanting another season, I gave in and watched it and have to fully agree! We need more of these kind of shows on our screens, where not everything is dark and gritty. Where things can be different and vulnerable, but still fun. MORE PLEASE!

WEEKLY TV SHOWS

Outer Range (Season 1)

I really don’t get what’s happening. I don’t even know who’s side I’m supposed to be on?

Superman & Lois (Season 2)

This show is so fantastic and the bizarro episodes in general were amazing, but I don’t understand why there’s another break. This is why network television is so freaking annoying.

9-1-1: Lone Star (Season 3)

What a huge episode on fathers and I was here for it. Owen’s character is really getting some depth to him, which is great, but I also like to see other characters shine.

9-1-1 (Season 5)

I CALLED THE THING WITH JONAH. I know it was fairly predictable, but I’m still proud of myself.

Good Trouble (Season 4)

Davia and Dennis – they really need to get a move on. I hope Luca sticks around, but this was already the spring finale. I hate the wait.

Legacies (Season 4)

Alright, I took a break from the show, but I’m all caught up now. I’m so over the whole Landon/Hope stuff, I just don’t care. I’m here for the gods and especially Ben and Jed. Zane Phillips is a sight for sore eyes.

MOVIES

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

Crush

Crush was a really sweet and fun sapphic movie. The chemistry between the leads was great, the adults supportive and the friends amazing – everyone deserves friends like that! However, sometimes the movie was just too loud and over the top. It robbed the story of some of its authenticity. Still, cute and definitely alright for a nice movie night.

Uncharted

I have zero investment in this franchise and just watched this on a whim. The beginning totally reminded me of some frames that could have been taken from a video game, so that’s nice? Other than that, it was alright for a treasure hunting movie? I liked the chemistry and banter between most characters, although the women were done dirty for the most part. I’m outing myself here, but I mostly watched for Rudy since I love him on Outer Banks and he’s genuinely not a good reason to watch the film.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

This is going to be short and spoiler-free. I might do a whole spoiler-filled review in a week? Unsure – sound off in the comments if you would be interested in something like that!

I left the movie with a deep sadness inside of me. Phase 4 of the MCU is just the era of pain and I’m not sure I’m 100% here for it. Having said that, they promised more horror and delivered. I fell for every. single. jump scare. It gave me a lot of food for thought. We shall see where it leads, but I hope everyone gets to enjoy this with as little prior knowledge as possible.

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Did you watch any of the things I mentioned or do you plan to? Let’s talk about that!

I know, I know … we’re one day late with the feature. I was in the middle of watching a lot or anticipating quite a couple things, so I did a quick Twitter poll and decided to move it to Friday instead. I’m not sure if this will be a permanent change, but we’re sticking to once a week regardless.

FINISHED TV SHOWS/SEASONS

Heartstopper (Season 1)

How freaking precious is this show!? For those not familiar, Heartstopper is based on the graphic novel of the same title by Alice Oseman and is this really cute tale about two boys falling in love. I binged it super quickly and can already see it becoming a comfort show in the future with loads of rewatches.

As cute and soft and warm as it is, there’s also some heavier bits, but I would definitely say that the positives vibes predominated. I was especially pleased that the kids actually looked like kids and don’t mind me, I’m off to adopt half of them now.

Sanditon (Season 2)

With Theo James and Leo Suter exiting the show prior to Season 2, I was really, really hesitant about the new storylines, but I was extremely pleased with the end result. A lot of the love stories and angst was executed beautifully and the new characters grew on me a lot. I wish they would continually screw over Georgiana, but maybe they have an epic love for her planned eventually. Her relationship with Arthur is most precious though and the really became a favorite this season.

Season 3 has already been filmed, so I’m hoping we can expect a release soon! I need it!

Selling Sunset (Season 5)

I love this show, even though I know I shouldn’t. It was a bit of a bummer to see Chrishell and Jason’s love story, knowing how it would end due to press releases from back in December.

I know that a lot of people say that the show would be boring without Christine and the drama she brings with her, but I have to disagree. There’s still a lot going on in the lives of the agents and I feel like we get to see less and less houses because they all just fight all the time. I’d actually like to see it be more peaceful honestly.

For now, I can only wait for the reunion episode on May 6.

WEEKLY TV SHOWS

Outer Range (Season 1)

This show is so freaking weird? I have no clue what’s going on, but I’m more than intrigued to say the least. The cast surprised me.

9-1-1: Lone Star (Season 3)

Anger issues are a real problem … can anyone else imagine a Nancy and Matteo pairing to be kind of fire?

9-1-1 (Season 5)

I have no clue where they are going with the Lucy character.

Good Trouble (Season 4)

I really enjoyed the episode this week. Davia and Dennis going of to find Luca was the best. He deserves to have people looking out for him.

MOVIES

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

I didn’t get around to watching any movies.

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Did you watch any of the things I mentioned or do you plan to? I’m still in the midst of Russian Doll (Season 2), but I’m just not vibing with it as much as last season. Let’s talk about that!

I’m not quite myself these days, so I don’t have all that much to tell you. A lot of shows are on a little break or the new ones I’m looking forward to haven’t gripped my attention after all, but I’m still going to do a small summary.

FINISHED TV SHOWS/SEASONS

Abbott Elementary (Season 1)

This show was such a delight to watch and I absolutely support it having a 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Seriously, what’s not to like? I love the faux documentary style, I adore the focus on what it means to be a teacher and the dynamics between the characters (If you’re not shipping the slow burn that is Gregory and Janine, what are you even doing?). It’s funny, but it also tugs at your heartstrings in just the right ways – I’m not exaggerating when I say I almost cried in the season finale.

I genuinely wish this show many more season to come. Quinta Brunson and the rest of the team really did something special. Also, kudos to them for continuously donating to educational funds and causes.

WEEKLY TV SHOWS

Sanditon (Season 2)

Usually, I’m one week ahead with the episodes, but not this time. I can’t believe it’s almost over again. I just want the girls to be happy.

9-1-1: Lone Star (Season 3)

The Tarlos content was *chef’s kiss* this week. I felt so sorry for TK for having to restart his journey of sobriety because of no fault of his own and he’s really trying to do his best, on top of grieving his mother. I just think they’re doing so amazing.

9-1-1 (Season 5)

Alright … Buck redeemed himself a little bit this week, but I’m still so mad at him for what he did to Taylor (who I’m not even a real fan of) and the writers for putting him in that situation. It still seems out of character.

Other than that, I worry about the newbies. I don’t really like them yet, because we’ve only seen brief moments of them here and there. I worry about the paramedic for some weird reason? Like he’s purposely putting patients in danger to show his skills and make himself seem invaluable? I hope I’m just imagining that, because I’d rather him stay than Lucy? Just because I really don’t want that kind of trouble on the station. She’s a hotshot for sure.

And thank the heavens for Eddie getting help. No matter how much it hurt to see him break down, it’s what he needed to move foward.

Good Trouble (Season 4)

I’m so, so, so, so glad the promos were misleading and Davia still knows my boy Dennis best. I would have been beyond sulky if they’d moved ahead with Isabella becoming Dennis’ person. I cannot wait for next week though, because Joaquin is for sure going to confront Dennis about his sister and I also read that Luca will be back and that Davia will invite him to stay at the Coterie.

MOVIES

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

The In Between

Okay … this movie was very reminiscent of “If I Stay”, just even longer and that truly wasn’t necessary. I have to admit that I stopped it halfway through and continued watching some days later, because it just made me sad, but mainly it’s angsty teen romance ghost stuff?

I think there’s far better storytelling about the afterlife/beyond than this, but also worse stuff. It just felt a bit overdone in parts. I’m a fan of Kyle Allen, but for some reason Joey King and I just don’t vibe.

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Did you watch any of the things I mentioned? Let’s talk about that!

No, it’s not time for the monthly wrap-up just yet. I still have some shows and movies I need to talk to you about first. Here’s what I’ve been watching this past week!

FINISHED TV SHOWS/SEASONS

Bridgerton (Season 2)

The show released at 8AM my time and I binged it all the way through without a pause, before I had a late shift at work – that’s how eager I was for this new season to finally come out! It wasn’t the same as Season 1 and neither should it be, but the bright standouts were definitely Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley as Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma. I’m so in love with the both of them and their dynamic on and off screen. They are beautiful and exhilarating to watch, even though I felt we didn’t get enough of them as a couple. Granted, this might be because they will be an active part of future seasons, unlike Simon and Daphne, who all but disappeared (Regé-Jean Page having confirmed to not return), but still … I just want more of my beloved Kanthony.

As for the rest of the Bridgertons and the ton, I felt like we got a bit too much of the Featheringtons. I understand that Penelope is a lead (and by no means did I agree with all her choices, but I get why she has screen time), but the family drama and schemes were a bit boring for me. I’d much rather see what Benedict or the others were up to. Even more so, I would have preferred to learn more about Mary Sharma and her late husband.

Anyway, as one of my friends pointed out, this season was really a lot about widows and loss in general and how different that experience can be for everyone. In the end, I think it was quite different from the book, not all good and not all bad changes, but a satisfying season no less. I wish we didn’t have to wait forever until Season 3. I’m very curious about which sibling will be the lead next!

WEEKLY TV SHOWS

Abbott Elementary (Season 1)

Poor Jacob always being made fun of, but I loved that we got to meet his boyfriend. They’re so cute.

Promised Land (Season 1)

I think that was the season finale? If it was, it was a great one! The storytelling structure held my attention, the relationships were realigned. It was beautiful!

Bel-Air (Season 1)

Man, that show is just so good and the performances are all amazing. I cannot say it often enough, but I’m a huge fan.

Sanditon (Season 2)

I’m so, so happy this show is back. Mr. Colbourne and Captain Fraser have grown on me so much in a short amount of time. I love how we’re borrowing from the Wickham/Darcy dynamic, Jane Eyre, Cyrano and much more.

Superman & Lois (Season 2)

This may be harsh, but I’m over Sarah as a character. She made some really hurtful mistakes, but somehow Jordan isn’t putting her first enough? Please … but now we have to wait until April 26 to see the bizzaro world and that annoys me more. I’m very impatient.

9-1-1: Lone Star (Season 3)

Never realized how many people Owen punched. I did, however, know who the real culprit was.

9-1-1 (Season 5)

This one was a tough one. The entire episode just being about Chimney and Maddie – wow! Powerful indeed, and so very necessary too. I hope they’ll rejoin the others eventually.

Good Trouble (Season 4)

I called it. I knew Isabella and Dennis would get closer and that the show would make it out to be something other than just a platonic relationship and I don’t like it. I want zero romantic tension between them. ZERO. There’s enough people lusting after each other in that loft.

MOVIES

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

Ghostbusters: Afterlife

I was never massively into the Ghostbusters franchise, so the stakes weren’t super high for me going into this. Unfortunately, it took me a long time to really get into the movie. More than half of it dragged incredibly and just felt boring, but the last third was excellent. It felt nostalgic and emotional. I cared for characters that I had no previous attachment to, so, that part was done well.

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Did you watch any of the things I mentioned? Let’s talk about that!

Look at me, posting something in between this and the trailer post from last week. Who am I? Well, I haven’t gotten my blogging mojo back entirely yet, but we’re here to talk about what I’ve been watching. Let’s see!

FINISHED TV SHOWS/SEASONS

Is It Cake? (Season 1)

Okay, the concept of this baking competition is explained fairly easily – bakers bake cakes that aren’t supposed to look like cakes and then people look at their art in wonder as they cannot believe that it is actually cake.

As easy as it sounds, this is just good, nice and clean reality TV to binge on the side. The contestants seemed nice. I liked that you could win money each round and not just if you won the finale and as a perk, for viewers, it’s easier to identify the fake cake from home than it is in the studio. We do get the better angle, but it’s still fun to guess.

WEEKLY TV SHOWS

Abbott Elementary (Season 1)

We’re back and Gregory did what now!? I’m acting like Janine is free and available and he fumbled the bag, but I just want my ship to sail (which probably won’t happen for several more seasons).

Promised Land (Season 1)

Joe is so screwed and I’m kind of living for it.

Bel-Air (Season 1)

They’re doing my man Geoffrey real dirty, but I keep loving the family dynamic, the drama, the realness. I’m really happy this show keeps delivering.

Sanditon (Season 2)

IT’S BACK! Without Theo James or Leo Suter, which hurts my heart deeply, but they’ve brought in another Divergent alumni to mix up things and I’m really excited to see where it goes. I do love me some regency era love stories.

Superman & Lois (Season 2)

Okay, I’m sorry, but I’m just annoyed with Jonathan at this point. We never really saw him interact with his girlfriend, she was just *there* at the beginning of this season and now he’s risking everything for her and tells her he loves her? Just … ugh. It was done so badly, I just do not care for her and the show gave me zero reason to either.

9-1-1: Lone Star (Season 3)

Grace and Carlos are the duo we never knew we needed, aren’t they?

9-1-1 (Season 5)

So, let me get this straight – because the network didn’t like that everyone fawned over the idea of Buck and Eddie as a ship, they’ve now destroyed the entire development of Buck, had him act completely out of character just to recreate “iconic” Buddie moments with a female character? I call bullshit and I’m displeased. They didn’t even have to make Buddie a thing, but this is just disrespectful.

Good Trouble (Season 4)

I’m here for the mystery of the new guy. I really want to know what happened to his sister and why he suspects the Cotarie members to have something to do with it. But also, Davia, my girl – you’re going through a rough patch!

MOVIES

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

Cheaper by the Dozen

This movie has literally been done so many times and in so many constellations. I really don’t mind this particular version. I get the way they tried to modernize it and make it more relevant, but in the end it just fell a little flat. This is a cute movie, but they tried to talk about racial issues, especially within patchwork families, which is commendable, but was done in a way too shallow manner. You can’t just scratch the surface when it comes to something like that and call it a day.

But again, this was a sweet movie and I always love the race at the end, where the whole family shows up to make it clear to one of the kids that they love them. Tugs right at your heartstrings.

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Did you watch any of the things I mentioned? Let’s talk about that!

I’m sorry for the lack of posts, but my brain has just kind of been empty in terms of blogging ideas. Instead, I watched plenty of shows and movies. Oh, and I worked, of course. That has also played into things. AND I’m rereading and annotating my new copy of The Atlas Six. But back to the topic at hand, what have I watched?

FINISHED TV SHOWS/SEASONS

How I Met Your Father (Season 1)

Watching this show has been a blast for me. I didn’t mind the predictable storylines, but I did mind only having 10 episodes in total. Having said that, I’m so happy to announce that Season 2 will have a total of 20 episodes, which is super rare for a streaming service. YAY me!

Now, where to start? A lot of people’s complaints from the start were about how the characters were over the top with their personality and I would just like to remind everyone that HIMYM had Barney Stinson. He was like the most over the top character ever. I think a lot of criticism came from people just not wanting a reboot, but I see it as its own show, even though the references to the OG series were ramped up towards the finale.

I’m really looking forward to seeing where this goes, although I hope the showrunners will rethink what they said in interviews again. Apparently, there is still a chance that we haven’t even met the father yet and I cannot handle this disaster all over again. We’ve better met the man!

The Cleaning Lady (Season 1)

This show was SO good! Following an illegal immigrant, who works as a cleaning lady to get her son medical treatment in the US and eventually gets tangled up with crime lords and the FBI, it just keeps reeling you in. The show managed to ramp up the stakes with each episode, making you root for the most unlikely of characters. I was at the point of condoning cheating, just because the chemistry between certain characters was absolute fire. It did end on a cliffhanger though and I have not heard of an official renewal yet. Fingers crossed!

The Cuphead Show (Season 1)

This show is based on a game, which I’ve never played, so I went in completely blind. I loved the animation style, the short episodes and how all of this was very reminiscent of comics and cartoons from my childhood. However, I’d be lying if I said I remembered much about the stories. They were very forgettable. I can maybe recall two episodes or something …

Byron Baes (Season 1)

I binged this in a day and I wanted to hate it, but now I really want to have more content.

To be fair, this in no way represents actual Byron, where property and rent prices have exploded and the entire community protested the Netflix show. In fact, several businesses forbade Netflix to film at their establishment, which is why a lot of it takes place at the houses/offices of the influencers or very non-descript places. I completely understand the concern of the locals, but I had so much fun watching this.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s very white and very mean girls, but somehow I couldn’t look away. Sarah and Cai were probably my favorite people on the show. I just get invested and want to know more. All of that because I missed hearing Aussie accents …

Upload (Season 2)

The show finally came back and I binged it all in a day. I wasn’t sure I was going to be as invested as last season, but it was very easy to get back into things and they definitely knew how to further the conflict. Towards the last episodes, I felt like things were aligning a bit too well, but I’m very intrigued by the set up for a potential next season. Which I hope we’re getting?

WEEKLY TV SHOWS

Promised Land (Season 1)

No one I know is talking about this show. I wonder if it will even get renewed …

Bel-Air (Season 1)

Bel-Air is such a good family drama. Each week, I’m just in awe of the episodes, but I wish we’d dug even deeper. Like Geoffrey? That man has charisma coming out his ears, but I know next to nothing about him. I’d love for him to be involved in more storylines.

9-1-1: Lone Star (Season 3)

Glad Marjan and Paul made up.

Good Trouble (Season 4)

It was emotional to see Maia/Callie leave, but her storyline was never my favorite and I feel like she got a great end with Beau/Jamie. I’m far more invested in whatever’s going on in Davia and Gael’s lives.

MOVIES

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

The Adam Project

THIS MOVIE! I loved it so much. It was funny, it made me cry, it was action-packed. That team really knows what they’re doing, because it gave me as much joy as Free Guy did and I loved Free Guy! I don’t even want to say too much, but The Adam Project will make you want to hug your parent, kiss your partner and be kinder and more gracious towards yourself. This is for all the geeks and nerds!

Also, as a side note, this was the kid’s first acting job and he did such an amazing job as a tiny Reynolds version. The snark was real!

Turning Red

That one dude, who said that the movie is super niche and he couldn’t relate, clearly had no idea what he was talking about. Yes, it might be a big metaphor for getting your period. Yes, there’s some cringe (but good cringe) moments in there, but it was such a beautiful movie! I have no idea why parents are up in arms about some of the content and how that’s not appropriate for kids. Do none of them remember how wild their hormones got around 13!? Because I do and I also thought I was grown at that age, which I surely wasn’t, and challenged my world view in trying to find out who I was. The movie definitely has my endorsement.

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Did you watch any of the things I mentioned? Let’s talk about that!