TMP – TV Edition: Love Triangles

February 25, 2021 Kat Impossible10 Comments

It’s Thursday, which means it’s time for the Thursday Movie Picks feature. This series is hosted by Wandering through the Shelves and offers you a weekly prompt to post some movie recommendations/talking points according to the theme. Usually, you are supposed to post about 3-5 examples, which I find a very manageable amount.

The entirety of February is dedicated to a special Romance Edition, focusing on many, many typical romance tropes and themes. This is the final week of the romance themes, as we are in the final week of the month, but it’s also a departure from films and a move to TV shows again. Today we’re going to focus on one of the most dreadful tropes (at least for most people) – Love Triangles. Can there even be such a thing as a good love triangle? Or are some just more notorious than others? Let’s check out my picks!

Dawson’s Creek – Dawson/Joey/Pacey

This feels like one of my first and truly OG love triangles. I was very invested in Dawson’s Creek from a young age on and so very disappointed when people in High School did not actually have these existential crisis and philosophical way of talking. It got to a point, where grade school me really mimicked Joey’s mannerisms … I was always an old soul.
Anyway, to get to the point – this was the first love triangle I was invested in and woah, did I always root for Pacey. He was the one for me.

Veronica Mars – Logan/Veronica/Weevil

CONTROVERSIAL, because this is not canon. Veronica Mars has got me through my early teens like no other show. I worshiped Veronica and dang, did I want to be a PI for a while, if only I had the guts and interest in crime like she did. Logan was always my favourite love interest of hers (Duncan Kane who? Piz was cute but could not keep up with her and while I love Leo, they had terrible timing and she was way too young when they first met), but I could not deny seeing a certain spark between her and Weevil. I swear, that had so much more potential than they gave them credit for.

We are going to ignore the final minutes of Season 4 of Veronica Mars exist!!!

Younger – Charles/Liza/Josh

My favourite show set in publishing! At first glance, you don’t think any of these relationships should work, with how they all started out with lies, but they both work so well. Charles and Liza are age appropriate, intellectually compatible and both sexy and sweet, but Josh – do not underestimate him! It was clear for a while that he wanted things in life that Liza wasn’t likely able to give him (*cough*children of his own*cough*) but he supported and loved her like no one else. They gravitate towards each other for a reason and I still can see them ending up together eventually.

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist – Simon/Zoey/Max

Simon and Zoey have this deep bond and understanding, both struggling with the death/illnesses of their fathers. It’s something not everyone will get and being able to have serious conversations about grief with someone is essential and beautiful in a partner. But then … I have such a thing for friends to lovers and Max is adorable. He might not get 100% what Zoey is going through, but he still always will keep showing up for her and that’s what you’re looking for too. Could not choose!

Honorable Mentions

The love triangles mentioned above are probably my favourites. I’m usually not very invested in them, but here are some other love triangles of shows (that I sometimes didn’t even finish) and my preferences:

Jane the Virgin: Michael/Jane/Rafael (Michael was my guy here, but not after he came back?)
Never Have I Ever: Paxton/Devi/Ben (Team Ben all the way)
Gilmore Girls: Rory with all her guys (I love Jess, but not for Rory. I always saw her more with Logan)
True Blood: Eric/Sookie/Bill (Eric. Come on.)
Lost: Jack/Kate/Sawyer (Sawyer?)
Vampire Diaries: Damon/Elena/Stefan (I literally got none of the ships I wanted. I shipped Damon with Bonnie, although I loved seeing her happy with Enzo. Elena and Stefan could have each other, did not care. I just really, really wanted Caroline with Klaus …)

I didn’t even dare mention Riverfail … can you keep up with Varchie, Barchie, Bughead, Choni, etc.?

What are some of your favourite love triangles on TV, if you have any at all? Let’s talk!

TMP – TV Edition: 2020 Freshmen Series

January 28, 2021 Kat Impossible2 Comments

I am sorry if this getting a bit repetitive, but today’s theme is all about 2020 Freshmen Series, which means TV shows that aired for the first time last year. Now, I did a whole post on that already when I ranked my favourite new TV shows of 2020 (which you can check out here if you need a reminder). Seen as I don’t want to do the exact same thing again, I’m going to focus solely on the shows I liked (maybe not my top picks, but still good ones) that I think went unnoticed by the public. A lot of series managed to reach quite a large audience, but others not so much, especially in terms of international content. I’m not just going to showcase foreign shows, but there’s going to be some! Let’s celebrate them!

Little Voice

2020 was surprisingly full of amazing music-centric shows. We had Julie and the Phantoms for a predominately younger audience and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist for everyone else. I adore both those shows and would 100% recommend them to anyone who wanted something emotional and upbeat at the same time. But, I would also recommend Little Voice. With a beautiful cinematography and amazing songs from Sara Bareilles it is sure to capture your hearts! (Yes, once again, I am strongly advocating for Apple TV+ content)

Ragnarok

If you enjoy Norse mythology, but prefer a modern setting, this might just be for you! Tackling subjects such as climate change, Ragnarok feels current, but also captures the intrigue of old myths. It might not be the retelling you’d expect, but the lines on who is the villain and who is the hero aren’t always as clear as they seem. (Season 2 is already filming!)

Vampires

(would recommend watching it in French with subtitles, but could only find a French trailer without subtitles)

Vampire content fluctuates in popularity and doesn’t always manage to grab audiences. Vampires, on Netflix, felt pretty refreshing to me. Yes, I will admit to still shipping something that’s problematic and there must be some gene in vampires that makes them inherent stalkers, but it also felt different like so many other shows and movies I had seen with those creatures before. (Season 2 has yet to be confirmed)

The Mess You Leave Behind

This is (I think) a limited series, so it wraps up nicely. My main draw for the show was Aron Piper, but eventually I just wanted to know what had happened. Moving between present and past, the viewer learns about what happened at a Spanish school in the country and the mess the new teacher inherited. Not going to lie, it’s sometimes tough to root for … well, anyone? But the intrigue was kept nicely, even with a slow pace.

Blood & Water

Being one of South Africa’s first Netflix productions, it centers around the divide between the poor and the rich as well as child kidnapping and corruption – all things that hook you easily. True to being the teenagers they are, they sometimes trust too easily or are so closed off, it seems ridiculous. I wouldn’t hold it against them, but just be aware of the drama that comes with that. (Season 2 is confirmed)

If you are looking for more recommendations on TV shows that don’t have an onslaught of seasons out already, I’d love to redirect you to my 2020 ranking once again (click here). Did you watch any of the shows I mentioned? What were some shows you think deserved more attention in 2020?

TMP – TV Edition: Space/Aliens

December 31, 2020December 31, 2020 Kat Impossible4 Comments

I just want to preface this by saying that there’s another post about what I’ve been watching coming your way as well today. AND I also wanted to say that all my rankings for 2020 (be it film, TV or books) will be posted in the upcoming days. So, loads of posts ahead – I hope you won’t get tired of me!

As we’ve established by now, I am doing the Thursday Movie Picks feature. This series is hosted by Wandering through the Shelves and offers you a weekly prompt to post some movie recommendations/talking points according to the theme. Usually, you are supposed to post about 3-5 examples, which I find a very manageable amount.

The thing is, to keep the lists spicy and interesting, there’s sometimes exceptions to the theme where we get to venture into the land of TV. You all know that it’s more my strong suite than movies, so I am excited to talk about aliens and space today!

Lost in Space

This show will soon go into its third and final season and I have enjoyed following the lives of the Robinson family so much. The visual effects are top notch and the characters will all grow on you so much. I haven’t seen the original, but dang, do I love this version.

Another Life

I am just trying to patiently wait for season 2, because I need to know how my favourite AI is doing. Otherwise, the crew can get a bit annoying … because who picked for those people to be in a tightly confined space together?? But I’d still like to know how it continues.

Roswell, New Mexico

I actually adored the original of this one, but I have come to love this version as well. It has its flaws and season 2 was all over the place (which cannot even be blamed on covid entirely). I just want Maria to be treated better and get all the happy she wants and deserves.

Steven Spielberg presents Taken

Taken is a mini-series from the early 2000s, so, bear that in mind should you want to check it out. I was OBSESSED with it as a kid and I am sure we still have the DVD box set at home somewhere. It’s this multi-generational tale of how people were abducted by aliens and how that affected the course of their lives. The aliens themselves were pretty cliché, but the families – so intriguing how everything came together.

Honorable Mentions

This is actually a “genre” or topic I quite enjoy, so, there’s loads and loads of shows I love to watch. Here are some other examples that I enjoyed but that I didn’t want to go into detail with, because I do have a problem with keeping these posts short.