Halloween: “Shia LaBeouf”

Screenshot of one of the interpretive dancers lead by Stacy Tookey from the “Shia LaBeouf” music video. All rights go to Rob Cantor.

Hey! Hallie here!

I know it isn’t Halloween yet, but none of us can REALLY say we aren’t already halfway into Halloween. Once Fall hits it’s all anyone can talk about. As for this early Halloween post, I felt it was only fitting to follow up a post praising an incredibly heartfelt performance from Shia LaBeouf with a post praising a song about killing hermit/cannibal Shia LaBeouf. You know. Wholesome content. Before I get into all the nuances in a music video where dancers wear disturbing Shia LaBeouf heads that took eighty hours to assemble, I want to talk about the unmistakable talent that went into this song. Rob Cantor is truly a genius and he created a timeless classic. I won’t be taking any criticisms at this time.

Background:

It only took Rob Cantor hearing a friend of his ominously whisper “Shia LaBeouf” likely too many times for him to decide it would make a good comedic horror song. After a year of releasing the song, Cantor decided to extend it and shoot an entire music video for it only about a week before Halloween. You thought this post was labeled ‘Halloween’ only because of how frightening Shia LaBeouf is? You thought wrong. Among those who worked on this extended song and its artistically sophisticated music video were the Argus Quartet, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, and the West Los Angeles Children’s Choir. Those poor kids. The symphonic arrangement was done by Greg Nicolett, who had the idea for the string quartet used in the song. As for the dancing, Stacy Tookey choreographed the piece and began rehearsals only three days before the music video was shot. The aerialists had only two days of rehearsal. And all of them were directed by Cantor’s friend Scott Ulfhelder. I’m realizing now that if you’ve never seen this video it sounds like I’m joking. I’m not. Nor am I joking about the fact that Shia LaBeouf agreed to cameo in the video only two days after he was sent an email. Apparently he was a fan of the song when the original 2013 version was released. I’m not sure if that makes me more uncomfortable or amused. Probably both. Onto the video!

The MV:

This video starts out with Rob Cantor center stage in the dark, setting the scene for us viewers. And if you weren’t tipped off by the fact that the song is called “Shia LaBeouf”, thankfully various other people whisper Shia LaBeouf’s name ominously until you get the picture. You, the viewer, are the main character who is lost in the woods after your car and phone conveniently go down at the same time. Rob Cantor informs you that there’s no one around in this forest, but Rob Cantor can’t be trusted. And neither can Shia LaBeouf, who stalks you from thirty feet away for maybe two seconds before deciding it isn’t worth his time. At which point he sprints at you on all fours. We’re not even a minute into this song and it’s already going to give me nightmares. At this point the string quartet picks up and you could almost lose yourself in how pretty it sounds if not for the fact that Rob Cantor is explaining how much blood Shia LaBeouf is covered in. Finally the lights come up and we get some dancers! It’s definitely a contemporary/ballet style. My favorite part is when the two dancers act out Shia LaBeouf stabbing you with a knife. Beautiful. Meanwhile the choir in the back sing about Shia LaBeouf living in the woods and killing for sport with straight faces. Give them all Oscars. They finish up with describing Shia LaBeouf’s cannibalism meanwhile one of the dancers mimes biting the other one’s leg. I’m suddenly reminded of all the times someone tried to convince the general public that cannibalism is too stigmatized. The dancers make me want to disagree.

In comes the Children’s Choir! You can’t have a creepy song without at least one kid! At this point the audience has escaped from Shia LaBeouf. It’s not clear how but be grateful! You got out unscathed! Some of the dancers mimic creeping through the woods while Rob Cantor describes your dire situation. You see a cottage in the distance, which might be helpful, but then you manage to do more harm to yourself than Shia does in the entire song. You get your leg caught in a bear trap. Good job. While you gnaw off your leg, one of the kids in the Children’s Choir gets up to repeat the word “quiet” a bunch of times. His wide, unblinking eyes really sell it. A true star. You somehow manage to hobble to the cottage but, unsurprisingly, it’s Shia LaBeouf’s cottage. He has to live somewhere, right? For some reason Shia LaBeouf has decided you aren’t worth it anymore because he’s completely vulnerable. He’s sharpening an axe, sure, but he doesn’t even hear you come in. It’s just the perfect sort of situation to start strangling him. And then, my favorite performers arrive. The shirtless dancers with the Shia LaBeouf heads! The way the dancers move these giant heads is so mesmerizing it’s easy to miss the fact that you’re in a deadly fight with Shia LaBeouf. But don’t worry! One of the guys in the choir sings “stab him in his kidneys” with such feeling that you can’t help but come back to the story. So you stabbed Shia LaBeouf and you’re safe. But wait! Shia surprise! He’s alive. The aerialists come down for an epic final showdown where the choir reveals you can do Jiu Jitsu! I swear I couldn’t do it before I listened to this song but evidently I can now! So you bodyslam Shia LaBeouf with your amazing Jiu Jitsu skills and finally manage to cut his head off with an axe. To accentuate your victory, glitter comes down from the ceiling and the words “Shia LaBeouf” flash across the stage.

So where’s the Shia LaBeouf cameo? It’s left for last. So I’ll leave it for last here too. All the performers have done their bit. The string quartet has played beautifully. The dancers and aerialists have amazed with their skills. The various choirs have sold the urgency of the situation. Even Rob Cantor has given it his all. And in the back of the theater Shia LaBeouf rises from his seat and begins violently clapping. They’ve pleased him. For now. I swear, one of these days I’m going to prank my friends with a D&D one-shot that is just this song exactly. I’m evil like that. I’ll be back to write more Halloween things in a month, but for those of you who are already in the spirit, this is what I offer you. A long post about a meme song that came out seven years ago. Enjoy.

Don’t do anything fun until I get back!

Hallie

Comfort Entertainment: Merlin

Promotional image of (left) Colin Morgan and (right) Bradley James. Copyright goes to BBC.

Hi! It’s Annie!

I have no idea why I haven’t talked about this show on the blog yet. BBC’s ‘Merlin’ is one of my favorite shows of all time if not my favorite. This show has so much heart and completely feeds all of my medieval fantasy dreams while keeping a certain wholesomeness to it. Well, up until the last couple seasons. But the first three (and some of four) seasons of this show are without a doubt some of the best television you will ever see. And if you’re scared, for obvious reasons, that the show might be too inappropriate for younger viewers, don’t be. Though some of the episodes might be scary for younger viewers, largely this show is pretty family friendly. And I guarantee you the show will draw you in from the opening music. But my absolute favorite part of this show are the characters. So, I’m going to go over some of my favorite characters and the very different way they are portrayed in this show in comparison to the original legends of King Arthur. There are SPOILERS for the show below, but only for if you are not familiar with the original tales of King Arthur. If you are, you were probably expecting these spoilers to be in the show in the first place.

Merlin:

Merlin in most adaptations of the legends of King Arthur is portrayed as a wizened old man with a beard miles long and years of experience already under his belt. Merlin, who is the main character of this portrayal, begins the series as nothing but a young man who doesn’t know how to control his powers. Everyone around him knows that he has the potential to be something great, but you know as an audience member that he still has so much to learn. Merlin is quite possibly the most sassy and sarcastic character on the show despite his adorable appearance and attitude. It’s his smart mouth and bravery to stand up to Arthur that gains (the equally as young) Arthur’s respect. In the end, this is a show not only about Merlin learning to master his powers. This show is fundamentally about the relationship between Merlin and Arthur. A relationship that begins as hatred peppered with respect, to a start of a friendship, to a bond stronger than anything else in the show. And to top off all of this, Camelot in this version has outlawed magic. So Merlin has to hide his magic from everyone, including Arthur. Despite the fact that he often has to use magic to help Arthur. This complicated mess makes for an amazing show, and a twist on the legends that is different enough that you can be sure you’ve never seen anything like it. No matter how many adaptations of Arthurian legend you’ve watched before this.

Arthur:

Arthur is just as young as Merlin starting out, but his journey is rather different. While Merlin learns to become wiser in knowledge and in his powers, Arthur must become wise in a different way. Arthur starts the show as a bully who delights in picking on servants and whose ego is unmatched. Though through this you can see the glimmer of respect he has for the people around him. Throughout the series his capacity for respect and kindness grows until he becomes the kind and noble leader Arthur is well acclaimed to be. Much of his journey to learning to respect anyone despite their position comes from his relationship with Merlin. Merlin is the manservant to Arthur and over time Arthur sees Merlin as less of a manservant and more like an advisor, confidante, friend, and his closest companion. Arthur is discovered, as the series goes on, to be one of the kindest presences in the show. Just like Merlin, Arthur differs from the legend by starting out much younger and less experienced.

Gwen:

Another one of the most changed from the original legends. Gwen is actually Guinevere, the famous Queen of Camelot. But in this she, like Merlin, starts out as a servant. Gwen’s innocence, kindness, and bravery makes her stand out from the rest. She’s often one of the only ones, along with Merlin, who will stand up to Arthur’s ego. This is also one of the only portrayals you’ll see of this character played by a Black woman. Which we need to see so much more of. Though many would argue that her connection with Arthur is not as strong as Merlin’s (which they’re right), that doesn’t make Gwen unlikeable or a useless character. She’s often the heart of the show and one of the warmest and smartest presences in it. Gwen is integral and a lovely character I fall in love with more every time I rewatch the show.

Morgana:

Morgana, if you know anything about the legends of King Arthur, is one of the two major villains. And while this show does eventually get to her villainy, Morgana definitely doesn’t start out that way. Just like everyone else, she too starts out much younger than she is depicted in the legends. Not only that, she is the ward of King Uther and often treated as a kind of princess with that. But her compassion at the beginning causes her to constantly clash with the evil Uther and it is this that eventually blinds her to everything else. Seeing her compassion fall into a blind hatred is a dramatic plot change. And maybe this show doesn’t handle this particular story arc the best; but you’ll go from loving Morgana to absolutely hating her. Which is a feat in itself.

Gwaine:

There are many knights depicted in this show. And many would automatically assume that Lancelot is probably the best. But even growing up, for me my favorite knight was always Gwaine. Gawaine and the Green Knight is a popular story from legend, and one that recently has gotten even more popular. But Gwaine in this show is my favorite I’ve ever seen him portrayed. Have you ever wanted to see a rogue commoner become a knight after being one of the smoothest and funniest characters in the show? Then here’s Gwaine! Who is also very attractive because he’s played by the amazing Eoin Macken. If there’s any character that’s bound to make you laugh in this show, it’s Gwaine. I had a real problem the first time I watched ‘Merlin’, because he almost became my favorite character after his very first episode. Which is in season three.

Lancelot:

It is difficult to talk about this character without discussing spoilers, but he’s very kind. I only wish his kindness was better utilized. Another commoner turned knight.

Percival:

Another commoner turned knight. He doesn’t speak much, but he’s got a soft spot for kids and Gwaine.

Elyan:

Gwen’s brother and another commoner. Unfortunately, he’s given just as much time in this series as he is in the legends. Which is not much.

Leon:

The only one of Arthur’s knights to have started out as a nobleman. He is also close with Gwen, as her family used to serve his. Leon is frequently treated as the leader of the knights and is possibly the smartest member. Leon is not the name of a knight in most legends.

Gaius:

This is a character I had to mention, even though he also is not in the original legends. He’s the kindhearted healer of Camelot, often the only one to know Merlin’s secret, and Merlin’s father figure. He’s probably what you expect when you think of Merlin as a character in the legends. He is kind and wise and makes Merlin sandwiches. What more is there to love?

Sword fighting, amazing characters, and filming on location all at a real castle are all pieces of this show that are sure to wrap you in this world immediately. That and the music. If you haven’t watched this show, you are seriously missing out. And you should also watch the behind the scenes if you get the chance. Part of what also makes this show so great is the chemistry between all of the actors. And only then will you fully appreciate the song ‘The Voice’ by John Farnham. And trust me, that bit is also important. This is definitely one of my comfort shows and by introducing it to someone who hasn’t seen it, I hope that this might become a comfort for you too. And if you’re looking for where to watch this, thankfully it’s all on Netflix!

See you across the pond!

Sincerely, Annie

Comfort Entertainment: ‘The Peanut Butter Falcon’ Review

Screenshot of Zack Gottsagen and Shia LaBeouf in ‘The Peanut Butter Falcon’. Copyright goes to Armory Films, Lucky Treehouse, Bona Fide Productions, and Endeavor Content.

Hey! Hallie here!

This isn’t usually the type of thing I talk about on this blog, but I recently stumbled across this movie and it blew me away. It’s such a satisfying watch and it’s colorful and whimsical appearance makes it transportive. Its characters are surprisingly heartfelt. The plot is simple but complex. It’s not unrealistic or fantastical, but it also feels like a nice escape from everyday life. Ending the movie genuinely felt like leaving behind a good friend. That’s not the type of movie I expected going in. Especially because of the presence of Shia LaBeouf. But this movie succeeds in both surprising its audience and giving us some good representation that we don’t usually see. There’s so many things I want to talk about, both involving the production of this movie and the plot itself, so let’s get going!

The Movie:

Then film stars Zack Gottsagen as Zac, a man with Down syndrome who has been placed in a nursing home by his state because of a lack of resources and his own lack of family. I saw a lot of people expressing disbelief that this would be allowed, even some who looked down on this movie for this opening premise, but many of those in the disabled community would argue that point. Most places don’t focus enough on money and resources to properly care for those in the community and this movie is honest about that. In any case, Zac isn’t without friends in the nursing home. He befriends a woman named Eleanor, played by Dakota Johnson, who is responsible for caring for him, as well as a few of the elderly in the facility. Zac’s dream is to become a wrestler, like Salt Water Redneck whom he watches everyday, and he feels rightfully stifled by the nursing home. So one night his roommate manages to help him bend back the bars in his window and he runs away from the facility. He aims to go to the wrestling school advertised in the Salt Water Redneck video he’s been watching, but he doesn’t really know much about how to get there. His wandering leads him to hide under the tarp of a boat owned by Tyler, played by Shia LaBeouf, who’s a crab fisherman currently in a brutal disagreement with a man named Duncan. Meanwhile, Eleanor becomes concerned over Zac’s disappearance and goes searching for him. Tyler and Zac decide to head to Florida, where the school supposedly is, together. In the meantime they overcome various deadly circumstances, get the lumber to make a raft from a blind preacher, and create a strong bond that holds the entire film together. After a while Eleanor catches up to them and Tyler convinces her to come along as well. As for the ending, I don’t want to get into spoilers here. This is an Indie movie and I’m not expecting everyone to have seen it. But I would very much recommend watching this for yourself.

Representation:

We don’t get a lot of disabled representation in media. When we do it feels like we mostly get insults like Sia’s project, which have able-bodied actors playing the part of disabled characters while demonstrating a horrible lack of understanding for the people meant to be portrayed. This movie takes a few much better steps forward. The movie doesn’t treat Zac like a crazy abnormality, which happens far too often, but a human being with his own interests, dreams, and means of acquiring the things he desires. His relationship with Tyler becomes even stronger when the movie shows us that Tyler views Zac in this way as well, forging a mutual friendship brought by understanding and hardships faced together. However, this movie does show us that even those who appear kind must still make an effort to educate themselves. Eleanor is the character the movie does this through, who has to spend more time with Tyler and Zac to fully appreciate who Zac truly is. Through all of this, Zack Gottsagen proves that there’s no excuse for casting those who aren’t disabled in disabled roles. He’s an incredible actor who gives such a natural performance, you feel as though Zac’s story must be a true one. All of this representation feels like it should be the bare minimum, but unfortunately it’s all things we barely ever see in Hollywood.

Behind the Scenes:

This movie had some difficulties behind the scenes. Getting a movie with a disabled lead made was a difficult task. Especially because directors Tyler Nilson and Mike Schwartz had little to no industry connections when they decided to move forward with the idea of a film starring Zack Gottsagen. It took a lot of time and a lot of rejection for them to even get a concept video together to send to Shia LaBeouf. Fortunately, LaBeouf was interested in both working with Zack Gottsagen and the unique idea. However, given his darker past there was already another layer of difficulty to getting this movie made. Gottsagen’s mother even pulled LaBeouf aside for a serious discussion before filming began. Shia LaBeouf made the wise decision to use his time working on the film to get close to his costar, resulting in a lot of the more heartfelt scenes we see in the movie, but that didn’t keep him out of trouble. He was arrested during filming. He came back to set embarrassed of himself and limited his interactions with others. Gottsagen managed to get LaBeouf back on track by confronting him about endangering one of Gottsagen’s only chances at a role like this one, especially in the unforgiving conditions in Hollywood. LaBeouf promised him that he would remain sober for the rest of the shoot and he held to his promise. And then some. Shia LaBeouf entered himself into rehab earlier this year, so the effort wasn’t permanent, but the impact Gottsagen had on him was incredibly clear and it’s impossible not to pick up on it in the film. This film took so much effort from so many individuals, and I can confidently say their hard work payed off.

I’m very late to the party in praising this movie. It deserves so much more recognition than it has. Movies like this should be praised for multiple reasons. The representation in this movie is certainly praiseworthy. But so is the showcasing of two completely new directors and an actor who Hollywood refused to give a chance. In an industry where the same actors and directors get reused over and over again, it’s a breath of fresh air to see someone new come onto the scene to transport audiences to a new world. There’s so many reasons to support this film. So if you haven’t seen it, go watch it!

Don’t do anything fun until I get back!

Hallie

BTS: Upcoming Shows

Promotional logo for ‘BTS In the SOOP 2’. Copyright goes to the Hybe Corporation and BTS.

Hi! It’s Annie!

After a little while of silence from BTS, we’re starting to get some new information for Fall activities after the whirlwind that was Jungkook’s birthday. And most of the news we’ve most recently gotten is news regarding the several BTS related shows that are currently somewhere the in the making. I’m excited for all the projects, though the updates on some of them unfortunately don’t really come with good news. I hope that all of the projects pan out though and I’m really excited for literally any new information for all of them. So, without further ado, let’s get into it!

‘Youth’:

This is the K-Drama that is being created around the storyline created for the music video for ‘Run.’ For those of you who aren’t super familiar with it, I’ll just say that it isn’t a very happy story. Though, BTS’s brand has changed so much from when that MV dropped that I can’t imagine the show will be completely dark. I created an entire post about the drama’s basic storyline, the casting, and the characters storylines if you want to check that out! I think the part I’m most looking forward to so far might just be Yoongi and Jungkook’s connected storyline. But I’m sure they’ll all be interesting and I would be surprised if I didn’t come out of this show crying at every single plot point for all of them. Anyways, this is the show that unfortunately doesn’t have much good news to report about. Filming for the show halted because of quarantine and then after they were given the all clear filming was halted again. This time because the original script had the boys’ real names in it as the character names and many fans were uncomfortable with this. I, personally, don’t see the issue. I don’t think it’s the show’s problem if fans can’t tell the difference between a true story and a fake one, and for the show to have considered using their names in the first place the boys would have had to give their consent. They aren’t babies, they can make their own adult decisions. But I also don’t see the need for the characters to have their names. The show was originally slated to come out the end of this year but we haven’t heard anything about a change of date. Supposedly they got back to filming after they decided to change the names in the script to fake ones. But now rumors are circulating that they might just cancel the project altogether. This isn’t surprising, especially since we’ve heard no concrete news about the show for quite a while now. I personally hope that this isn’t the case. BTS has been known for creating rich storylines within their MV’s, especially some of their older ones, and I think this deserves the K-Drama treatment. It would suck if this was cancelled, but honestly it’s not looking too good guys.

‘Friends must fly out!’:

In an unexpected but not unwelcome turn of events, BTS has been confirmed to have paired with ‘Lotte Duty Free’ (yes, as in the concert) for the release of a sitcom starring the boys. And while I never pictured them actually coming out with a full sitcom, they’ve done enough sitcom-ish merchandising and skits on ‘Run BTS’ for this to make sense for them right now. Of course, this isn’t exactly a full series. As I said in my full post for ‘Youth’; we can’t expect BTS to act in any full series because they definitely don’t have the time for that. Especially after being named the Special Presidential Envoy for Future Generations and Culture in South Korea! (Congrats guys!) This is just a “movie” that’s going to be released in theaters. Unfortunately this isn’t what you think. This is actually supposed to be really on the line of an advertisement shot like a sitcom. Which they’ve done before. Just a little bit longer than what we’ve seen. So don’t get your hopes up too high! But I think, at this point, we all thoroughly enjoy whatever the boys put out. I’m really excited to see it! Even if it isn’t exactly what I expected from all the headlines about a sitcom.

‘BTS: In the SOOP 2’:

Not long after the festivities of Jungkook’s birthday, we were greeted with the amazing announcement of ‘BTS: In the SOOP 2’. This is, of course, the second season to what we got last year to replace ‘Bon Voyage’ since BTS (and really everyone in general) can’t travel during quarantine. It’s described as a ‘reality’ show, but if you live in the US your thoughts of what a reality show is probably wildly different from what this actually is. BTS stays in a house on the lake and does some fun and cute activities. Like fishing and painting. But for the most part you just watch them cook. And this is definitely one of my comfort shows. It’s so calming and you just want to cook with them! ARMYs have been desperate for a season two announcement ever since the final months of summer rolled around. Honestly, I was hoping that if they didn’t film it, that they at least got some sort of break. I still hope that they got some sort of break during all of this. But I’m absolutely in love with the idea of a season two. I can’t wait for another season of my comfort show and another season of more healing. And also of adorable bare-faced Yoongi because I don’t think any of us are over Yoongi in the first season. Though they were all amazingly adorable and beyond attractive during the entirety of that show. I guess we’ll just all die from the adorableness and then be healed again by the relaxing and fun nature of the show. It’s coming out just around the corner in October! Hopefully just in time for Jimin’s birthday!

So it looks like we have a lot to look forward to! And even if ‘Youth’ doesn’t end up getting made at all or gets shelved for now, I’ll still be excited to see any new information about it at all. And, yes, I did almost cry with relief when the announcement about the second season of ‘In the SOOP’ came out. Can you blame me? October needs to come faster! And I hope that the silence we’ve been seeing from the boys means that they actually are getting a bit of a break. But considering all of their projects on top of Jimin’s Vlive where he said they were filming stuff that would be released soon, I highly doubt it. I just hope that the holiday season isn’t as hectic for them and that they felt just as healed filming this second season of ‘In the SOOP’ as we will feel watching it.

See you across the pond!

Sincerely, Annie

Live Entertainment: ‘Hadestown’ Touring Cast and Broadway Cast Changes

Official poster for the Broadway musical ‘Hadestown’ created by Anais Mitchell.

Hey! Hallie here!

I’ve talked about’ Hadestown’ a few times on this blog for a few reasons. One is that it’s my favorite musical. Not only do I like the strong characterization this musical does for two women who are made to be completely helpless in their original tales, but I also love the fresh folk and jazz sounds this musical has instead of the usual fare. The other reason I love this musical is because it was a major crutch I leaned on while I was completing my degree in Theatre during college. I hyper-fixate on a lot of things I really enjoy, and my fixation on ‘Hadestown’ managed to be just the right thing to get myself through some of the more difficult parts of completing my degree. But, as all shows on Broadway did at the start of the pandemic, ‘Hadestown’ had to go on hiatus until circumstances were safer. And now that there’s at least a little bit more of a safe situation than there was last year, the show is opening back up in just a few days! On top of that, those of us who have been waiting for a touring cast now officially have one! So let’s look at some of the new announcements and what they mean for the show!

Broadway Comeback:

If you’re one of those lucky people who has the opportunity to watch the show in New York and are also very attached to the original cast, you’re in luck! Almost everyone is returning to their roles once ‘Hadestown’ returns! Reeve Carney will be back as Orpheus, Eva Noblezada will be Eurydice, Amber Gray will be Persephone, and Andre De Shields will be Hermes. Patrick Page is in the middle of a project at the moment so he has postponed his comeback until November, but he will be returning. In the meantime, Tom Hewitt will be playing Hades. Tom Hewitt has the perfect resume to prove how excited you should be for this. He’s played villains as infamous as Dracula and Scar, which is always a good match up for the harsh but lovable Hades, plus his run as Doctor Frank N Furter in ‘The Rocky Horror Show’ cements a fittingly large stage presence. It’ll be so fun to see him do this limited run. As for the Fates, we have one familiar face, Jewelle Blackman, but two (kind of) new additions to the cast as well. Jessie Shelton and Mariand Torres will be stepping in as the two other Fates. Jessie Shelton played one of the Fates in the original Off-Broadway run of ‘Hadestown’ and has stayed with the production in the ensemble, so this role isn’t actually new for her. Marriand Torres is completely new to ‘Hadestown’, however the fact that she just stepped off of ‘Wicked’ on Broadway as an Elphaba standby and replacement proves that she has pipes. She has also worked with director Rachel Chavkin before as ensemble in the original Off-Broadway production of ‘Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812’. As for the glorious chorus in ‘Hadestown’, there’s a lot of returning cast. Timothy Hughes, whose giant and commanding presence can be recognized anywhere, is returning, along with Khalia Wilcoxon, whose behind the scenes videos are currently some of the best parts of my day. Also returning is T. Oliver Reid, Afra Hines, Malcolm Armwood, and John Krause. Anthony Chatmon II, Trent Saunders, Kim Steele, Adam Hyundman, Tara Jackson, and Yael “Yaya” Reich are all welcome new additions. It’s a good mix of new and returning actors and it all looks amazing!

Touring Cast:

Here we get all new faces! Almost! Actually, the announcement that got me most excited when these cast lists dropped was our Persephone for the touring cast. She’s none other than Kimberly Marable, an ensemble member of the original ‘Hadestown’ Broadway cast and an incredible Persephone every time Amber Gray was out. I can’t express how happy this announcement makes me. Along with her we have Nicholas Barasch as Orpheus. Nicholas Barasch is treading a bit of new ground here. We usually see guys like Reeve Carney, who have a clear past with folk music, stepping into the role of Orpheus. Barasch’s resume does show a few past stints on Broadway that allude to the perfect high register for Orpheus, though. (He was also Austin in ‘The Backyardigans’ which is blowing my mind a bit.) Morgan Siobhan Green, who is our Eurydice, is most recognizable from her Broadway work in ‘Be More Chill’ and her voice is incredible. Levi Kreis will be Hermes. No offense to Kreis, but this is the one I’m having the most trouble picturing. He’s a talented singer, as shown by his Tony Award as well as his musical career offstage, but he isn’t exactly the type of comforting presence I usually picture as Hermes. I’m not one to prejudge, though. I’m sure he’ll be amazing! Kevyn Morrow will be Hades and he’s not a name to scoff at. He has an incredible list of Broadway shows, many of which demonstrate the deep register we all love from the Hades role. From ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’, to ‘The Color Purple’, to ‘Bandstand’, to ‘Moulin Rouge’, he’s done so many incredible shows and I can’t wait to see him in this one! This cast also includes Belen Moyano, Bex Odorisio, and Shea Renne as The Fates. Along with them, Lindsey Hailes, Chibueze Ihuoma, Will Mann, Sydney Parra, Jamari Johnson Williams, Kimberly Immanuel, Alex Lugo, Eddie Noel Rodriguez, and Nathan Salstone will be joining the cast! I can’t wait to see this touring cast in action!

This is all of the new announcements we’ve received for ‘Hadestown’s comeback. I can’t wait to see the show return. The masses of red carnations going up on the Walter Kerr Theatre in New York for the reopening of this show is already getting me emotional. And if the touring cast doesn’t get disrupted, the tour will be in my area right around my birthday next year. I’ve been dying to see this show for a good two years now, probably more, and I don’t want this new surge of cases to dampen that. So if you won’t do it for anything else, do it for ‘Hadestown’ and get vaccinated! Meanwhile I’ll be over here crying over Kimberly Marable as Persephone.

Don’t do anything fun until I get back!

Hallie

BTS: Happy JK Day!

Photoshoot image of Jeon Jungkook for BTS Muster ‘Sowoozoo’. Copyright goes to the Hybe Corporation and BTS.

Hi! It’s Annie!

Happy Jungkook Day! I know his birthday is technically tomorrow in the states, but in South Korea it is already tomorrow. Jungkook is officially twenty-four and the festivities have already begun! So many people have started sharing their tattoos on Twitter in support of Jungkook’s for his birthday and, on top of all of that, we already got his late birthday live! And damn if anyone thinks this man isn’t talented, they should really think again. Yesterday on Weverse he asked fans for birthday messages in the form of lyrics that he then turned into an actual song for his live. He also sang various other songs including “Dimple”, “Pied Piper”, “Mic Drop” and even songs we haven’t heard in a while like “Paradise”, “Heartbeat”, and “Sea”. “Sea” particularly hit home for me because it’s not a super well known song but it’s one that means a lot to me. And the fact that he sang “Paradise” after forgetting what it was, was hilarious. Especially because it’s become a joke that BTS might have something against the song. I’ve already talked at length about all the members of BTS and their solo work, but there’s so much else to talk about. I’ll never be able to shut up about any of them. So, this time I’m going to go with some of my favorite Jungkook performance moments! Here we go!

“Dionysus” (2019 MMA):

This is a performance that I know I’ve talked about before and is possibly one of my favorites of BTS’s in general. But what really makes this particular performance of “Dionysus” so memorable for me was the dance break. The giant dance break to a remixed version of “No” caught my breath from the moment it started. And honestly, one of my favorite parts of the dance break was the section that featured Jungkook and Hobi separate from the others. It was difficult to not be enraptured with how in sync they were with each other. And while the other members were a bit more separated for their parts of the dance, Jungkook and Hobi’s required moving across the table together. Often even helping each other on and off of it. And the way they turned and smiled at each other before jumping back behind the table was way too adorable. It’s an image that lives rent free in my brain.

“Airplane Pt. 2” (2018 MMA):

Let’s all be honest with ourselves; the MMA’s have essentially just become BTS concerts with some extra at this point. They steal the show. The intro to this particular song was what was so memorable about this overall performance. This started out with each of the members getting their own individual dance pieces. From Jimin dancing with a group while he was on top of a table, to a Sope dance, to a Tae group dance, to a Jin group dance, to Namjoon getting his suit measured, every detail was intricate. But watching them all you might then ask yourself, where’s Jungkook? That’s when the camera pans from the six members taking their seats to a curtain that opens on a long catwalk. And Jungkook in a pristine white suit struts down this catwalk like he owns it, thus beginning the song. This was the kind of badass and eye catching entrance that you would expect from the golden maknae. Damn, he looked good!

“DDAENG” (BTS 5th Muster Magic Shop):

I think everyone was dying for the rap line to perform “DDAENG” since the song’s release (and then after with that amazing performance where Namjoon wore those sunglasses), but OT7 was something else. Everyone’s verse in that piece is insane, but Namjoon stuttering was always the part that got me the most. Watching Namjoon hand that off to his biggest fan, Jungkook, was just as amazing as the original performance. Not only did Namjoon look so proud, but Jungkook was able to use that rap training he had gotten from when he used to rap some lines closer to debut. There was no doubt that he killed it. And his cute little smile afterwards showed that he absolutely knew what he had just done. Namjoon and Jungkook are a duo that I always love to see because of how much Jungkook has always looked up to Namjoon and how proud Namjoon is of Jungkook. Their dynamic is adorable!

“Pied Piper” (BTS 5th Muster Magic Shop):

This is one of the most iconic Jungkook performances. Between his long hair and his partly open shirt, I haven’t met anyone who hasn’t fallen at least a little in love after this performance. Jungkook was dancing throughout the entire song without any hint that he was feeling even the slightest bit self conscious. A confident Jungkook is always the death of all of us. I don’t think any of us will ever get over his outfit during that song or how much he knew he rocked it. Because you could tell he knew. There are so many reasons why this muster is one of my favorite concerts they’ve ever done, and “Pied Piper” Jungkook is a reason in itself.

Any Performance of “Euphoria”:

There are very few idols who would agree to sing so high up in the air. In fact, I’m pretty sure there’s not another member of BTS who would agree to that. We all know that Jungkook is a daredevil, so I doubt he even blinked at the idea. You could see how much he loved the adrenaline rush, and it added another element to the song as well. And, of course, it allowed us all to see Jungkook in his element. Challenging himself in every aspect of performance. I only hope he didn’t get too cold.

“My Time” Performances :

I generally don’t like animal print, but he pulled that off Day 2 of the concert. And his all black ensemble was nothing to sneeze at either. In a way, this felt like Jungkook’s reminder to everyone that he’s all grown up now. (So stop infantilizing him.) From his use of his own choreography, to the outfit, to the lyrics of the song itself, this was not just something to look at. There was so much meaning behind this too. It really marked a turning point in Jungkook’s more mature performance style, and I loved every second of it.

Jungkook is a talented performer and he only gets better as the years go on. Yoongi himself said that he’s the most talented singer that he’s ever worked with. And his ability to write songs and dance has also improved along with his vocals which were already heavenly as they were. He really is our golden maknae, there’s no doubt in my mind that he can do anything he sets his mind to. And he gives me a lot of hope too. He’s very candid about the struggles of growing up at his age, and as someone who’s around his age I’ve found myself relying on his words often. I’m so excited to celebrate him, both today and tomorrow! And this also marks the beginning of the BTS birthday season! Namjoon’s birthday is coming soon and then Jimin’s is right afterwards. And then we get Jin and Tae’s birthdays in December. The only two members of BTS who don’t have their birthdays at the end of the year are Yoongi and Hobi. So as we enter into the holiday season, let’s all be aware that this is also the season of many BTS birthdays. It just makes things even more happy!

See you across the pond!

Sincerely, Annie

Marvel: ‘What If…?’ Recap and Review

Screenshot of Peggy Carter as Captain Carter in episode one of Marvel’s ‘What If…?” on Disney+. Copyright goes to Marvel Studios and the Walt Disney Company.

Hey! Hallie here!

I’m a bit slow to getting out these reviews, but with ‘What If…?’ I find myself having less to say. All of the episodes have been excellent without much to criticize. The animation is eye-catching and the returning cast does an excellent job, as do the actors stepping into the roles they couldn’t get the original cast back for. Also, the point of this series is to explore an interesting idea without having to worry about plot inconsistencies or in-universe rules. Some plots are more serious than others, but none take themselves too seriously. Which is why this series is so fun to watch. It isn’t breaking new ground or anything, but it does give Marvel fans some interesting concepts or characters to think about and enjoy. Now that three out of nine episodes have aired though, there’s plenty to discuss between the three. So let’s get into this first review! SPOILERS AHEAD!

‘What If… Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?:

This episode of ‘What If…’ has stuck the most to a movie plot than any of the other episodes. The episode starts out with the exact moment in ‘The First Avenger’ movie where Steve is about to be turned into Captain America. In this version of events, however, the Hydra spies attack before the change is made to Steve, not after. Steve gets shot in the surprise attack (he lives,) and Peggy finds herself to be the only person capable of undergoing the process last minute. So she does and becomes Captain Carter. The plot follows some of the main points of ‘The First Avenger’ from this point on with a handful of changes. Peggy is still not allowed to get right into fighting, although this time it’s because she’s a woman and misogyny obviously still exists whether or not she has super powers. The next major change is her more prominent involvement in discussions surrounding the Tesseract and what kinds of power it is capable of, especially in enemy hands. It’s the reason why she first steps onto the scene as Captain Carter. Then the story asks what would happen if Howard Stark created the first Iron Man suit. Evidently, he’d give it to Steve. Steve becomes the Hydra Stomper and comes along with Peggy on a bunch of her missions, much like Bucky does for Steve. There’s even a train scene, paralleling the one from the first ‘Captain America’ film, where Peggy thinks Steve has died. Steve gets confirmed as alive though! So…no reunion for Peggy and Steve like the one Bucky and Steve got, I guess? The whole story comes to a close when Red Skull actually manages to open a portal with the Tesseract. This unleashes a giant octopus-like monster on all our good guys, and just like Steve has to sacrifice himself at the end of his movie, Peggy says a final goodbye to Steve and battles the monster through the portal. On the other side, she finds Nick Fury and Hawkeye. So instead of Loki coming through a Tesseract portal at the beginning of ‘Avengers’, Peggy does. This episode was fun and pretty much everyone but Chris Evans returned for it. I feel like if anything though, it validates a lot of people’s opinions on the romantic nature of Steve and Bucky’s relationship by having Peggy and Steve’s relationship parallel it quite a few times.

‘What If…T’Challa Became a Star-Lord?’:

This ‘What If…?’ episode takes A TON of liberties. This episode starts with the premise that the Ravagers kidnapped the wrong kid. While they were sent after Peter Quill, Yondu decided to outsource the job to some less experienced people, resulting in T’Challa being taken instead. T’Challa has the same loving family he has in the MCU and he misses them at first, but Yondu grows attached to T’Challa and convinces him that his family and all his people were wiped out. Then starts a sequence similar to the first sequence in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’. Except T’Challa is instantly established as a more capable Star Lord, because the assailants he meets up with do know his name and are fans of him. Are we really surprised? Not only that, but he’s able to recruit them to the Ravagers. If he can recruit these guys to the Ravagers, who else can he recruit? Apparently anyone, including Thanos. One of my favorite parts of this episode was the running joke where Thanos attempted to explain his reasoning for planning to wipe out half of the population on most planets, making others ask “Isn’t that just genocide?” I’ve never bought into the whole “Thanos was right” argument so that definitely amused me. In this universe, T’Challa is also really close with Nebula, who is a much different character. She’s still a badass but she’s also flirty, has long blonde hair, and calls T’challa “Cha Cha”. After all of this is established, an entire new plot occurs in which T’Challa and Nebula plan a giant heist targeting the Collector. A lot happens. T’Challa finds a Wakandan ship in the Collector’s collection where he discovers that his family are alive and well, he faces off against Yondu, he gets captured and ends up asking Howard the Duck for directions, the Collector (Who is very buff for some reason,) puts on Hela’s headdress, Thanos saves Nebula, and they all turn the Collector’s collection against him. At the end of it all, T’Challa forgives Yondu and he takes all of the Ravagers along with him to reunite with his family in Wakanda. This episode was a bit weirder, but I loved hearing Chadwick Boseman’s voice. I’ll watch this episode over and over just for his performance.

‘What If…The World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?’

A lot of people called this episode depressing, but I spent so much of this episode trying to figure out what the hell was happening, that I wasn’t actually sad. This episode takes place in the short amount of time that surrounded the Hulk movie Marvel is just now acknowledging, ‘Iron Man 2’, and the first ‘Thor’ film. So just before Steve Rogers was discovered in the ice. Nick Fury and Natasha go to recruit Tony Stark to the Avengers Initiative and, during their visit, he winds up poisoned. He dies instantly. Natasha is suspected to be the culprit and is arrested, but she sneaks out and tracks down Betty Ross. Meanwhile, Nick Fury is alerted to the presence of a certain God of Thunder who is attempting to get his hands on a mysterious hammer. Clint Barton is present and is told not to fire at Thor, but his grip on his prepared arrow mysteriously slips and Thor dies from an arrow to the heart. Now Clint is arrested and, while being held captive, he mysteriously dies too. And if that wasn’t bad enough, Nick Fury comes face to face with Loki and the entire Asgardian army who are looking to avenge Thor. Going back to Natasha, she finds out that Betty Ross is hiding Bruce Banner (Made to look like Mark Ruffalo and also voiced by Mark Ruffalo so no Edward Norton here,) and the two are attacked. Before turning into the Hulk, Bruce assures Natasha that he can’t die so easily. But then the Hulk explodes. Gross. Natasha decides to do some late night research to figure this thing out on her own but she gets attacked too. Before she dies, she manages to tell Nick that Hope is the key. If you’re thinking Hope van Dyne, you’d be correct. Nick goes to Hope’s grave, she died in this universe, and finds Hank Pym as Yellowjacket, the villain from the first ‘Ant-Man’. He blames the premature death of Hope on SHIELD, whom she worked for. I enjoyed seeing Hank play the part of the villain considering how awful of a guy he is in the comics. Nick manages to beat Hank with the help of Loki. Which might make Loki seem like a somewhat decent guy if he didn’t seize the opportunity to use Asgard’s army to successfully take over the world. Hey, at least Steve Rogers is still on the table and Carol Danvers does come in to help at the end. The stand out in this episode is absolutely Clark Gregg’s Agent Coulson, who’s humor and calm attitude ground the crazy plot.

I feel like these episodes get more and more insane as the series goes on. And I’m prepared for more insanity coming later as well. We haven’t even seen the Avengers zombies yet. Overall I think these small stories are fun. They’re easy to follow, and while they don’t always make sense, they make enough sense within each condensed story. A lot of people thought that Peggy showing up at the beginning of the ‘Avengers’ timeline at the end of her episode meant that the episodes were going to connect. I do think that some of the stories will connect at some point. We did see the likes of Captain Carter and T’Challa’s Star Lord teaming up in some of the trailers. But I don’t think all of the stories will connect. The point is to explore various, disconnected ideas that we only need to muse over for a short period of time. And I think the series succeeds at making that entertaining. Just don’t expect a grand impact on the rest of the MCU.

Don’t do anything fun until I get back!

Hallie

Disney: Who are the Real Pirates?

Screenshot of Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl’. Copyright goes to Disney and Disney Live Action.

Hi! It’s Annie!

Lately I’ve noticed a lot of discourse about the fact that the Avengers were more coworkers than friends. Which is a point I definitely agree with. Though there were a few friendships within the group, they were not really close for the most part. But this discourse made me think back to one of my absolute favorite film series and the perceptions of the characters in it. ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ boasts a cast of characters you can’t help but get invested in. The relationships between the characters are one of the things that carries the series. But, over time, I’ve seen way too many articles about the “close” friendship between Jack (sorry… Captain Jack Sparrow) and Will Turner. Personally, I would not call the relationship between those two characters a friendship necessarily. And most of that I’m not sure has to do with our dear Captain. So, in this post I’m going to go through some of the main characters in the movies and why some of them act more like pirates than others. And it may not be the characters you think. These movies have been out for a while but, MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Captain Jack Sparrow:

It would be entirely inappropriate to begin this with any other character. Captain Jack Sparrow is the picture of what a pirate should be throughout the films. In fact, most pirates and pirate films take inspiration from Captain Jack Sparrow, because the first film in this series single-handedly saved pirate films as a whole. But I would argue that Captain Jack Sparrow has some of the most moral moments of anyone in the films. At least within the first four films, he is always the smartest person in the room. And generally, he doesn’t have to manipulate the room at all to be able to tell what other people are going to do. In the first movie Captain Jack doesn’t really do many things that are morally questionable. When he is knocked out by Will it is not because Jack was not planning to save Elizabeth. It was entirely because Jack had not communicated a plan to Will to save Elizabeth. In fact, throughout the series most of the morally questionable things are done to Jack rather than by him. Jack is the one who voted for Elizabeth as Pirate King, which ultimately secures her in the role. He also saves Angelica’s life by lying at the end of the fourth film. Most of the moral high ground in the franchise is oddly taken by Jack. So while he is a scoundrel who no doubt pillages and plunders, the name of villain that usually goes along with pirate is often not taken by Jack.

Will Turner:

In the first Pirates movie, Will is extremely kindhearted and naive at the beginning. And the key word is at the beginning. He double crosses Jack for the rest of the movie. Starting with him having absolutely no qualms with leaving Jack behind after Elizabeth is safe despite the fact that Will is the one who knocked Jack out. He somewhat redeems himself after rescuing Jack at the end of this film, but his actions in the next couple films are entirely different. Jack does manipulate Will in the second film to go to Davy Jones, but Will’s manipulation and betrayal of Jack afterwards is more than double that. Including Will handing Jack over to enemies several times without seeming to care. Jack and Will feel like they are just as much friends as Jack and Barbossa. Both Barbossa and Will have backstabbed Jack several times. Though, to Barbossa’s credit, at least he helped resurrect Jack. Will’s relationship with Jack only stretches so far as how Jack can help him with his problems with Elizabeth and his father.

Elizabeth Swann:

From the innocent daughter of the governor to the freaking Pirate King; Elizabeth had one heck of a journey. And at first Elizabeth is just as earnest as you would think of her, despite the fact that she stole the Aztec gold from Will when he was young. Though she did it with good intentions; if she had left it with him he would have been found out to be a pirate. Or at least the son of one. In the second film Elizabeth’s main goal is to find Will. And here’s where things start getting more complicated. Though she starts out just as earnest as ever (she even helps Norrington), her want to get married is called into question when the audience (and Norrington) becomes unsure that she wants to marry Will specifically. For some of the movie, until Will comes back, her attention turns to Jack for some odd reason. And this doesn’t last long, but her willingness to take things into her own hands is also shown when she tricks Jack into going down with the ship at the end of the film. In the third film she spends most of her time with Barbossa and does feel guilty about Jack. Though her feelings of guilt do diminish over time, she is still more than willing to help Jack out of every situation. And often times both her and Jack are double-crossed by Will in the final film that she’s in. So while she owns the title of Pirate King, she is not the most morally low of everyone.

James Norrington:

Norrington is a character that confuses me a lot. I can never figure out if I like him or dislike him and my opinion seems to change every single time I watch the first three films. What’s clear about him is what could be a good person seems to be peeking through his giant ego, but just can’t get past it. Norrington lets Jack go at the end of the first film; but in the second film he doesn’t take responsibility for his actions. He blames everyone for persuading him to make that choice, which led to him being disgraced. In the second film he lets the others use him as bait, but also sells all of them out in the end. And in the third movie he finally realizes that his ego and ambition have only caused him guilt and sacrifices his life for Elizabeth. But his ego had already caused so many problems. Norrington is not a likable or a dislikable character. And his morals are always eclipsed by his ego. So the moral ambiguity is present for him as well, though his moral ambiguity is less of the general pirate manipulation and more of the giant ego that often comes with his status.

Hector Barbossa:

It is absolutely no secret that Barbossa is the definition of pirate. He was the mutineer that originally betrayed Jack and the villain for the entirety of the first film. Barbossa turns around a bit when he’s brought back at the end of the second film. He even officiates the marriage of Will and Elizabeth in one of the most hilarious scenes in the franchise. The thing with Barbossa is we never really get to see him betray anyone. Even though we know he’s done it in the past. Barbossa is honest and unapologetic about everything he does since his first off screen betrayal. Does that make him moral? Absolutely not. But at least he’s honest about it. And Barbossa actually becomes more and more morally good as the series goes on. So why is it that, as I look at these main characters, Jack and Barbossa seem like they are most often in the moral right?

Jack and Barbossa being in the moral right sounds insane at first. But often, they are. Captain Jack Sparrow is a flawed hero, but he’s still pretty heroic. We know from his past that he was originally marked a pirate because he freed slaves he was transporting. But that aside, pirates are often known for their betrayals and manipulations. And I don’t believe anyone does this as much as Will. If I were to pick a main character who takes the moral low the most of the good guys, I would definitely choose Will. He’s unexpected in committing many of his betrayals, but that’s what makes them sting even more. In the end Jack saves Will far more than Will ever saves Jack. And Will sells out several of who some fans consider to be his closest friends several times. If you’re counting betrayals, Will has got them stacked. But Elizabeth and Norrington also have their own fair few. So who are the real pirates?

See you across the pond!

Sincerely, Annie

Star Wars: Star Wars or Star Trek?

Screenshot of Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca and Harrison Ford as Han Solo from ‘Star Wars: Episode IV-A New Hope’. Copyright goes to Walt Disney Studios and Lucasfilm.

Hey! Hallie here!

I’ve only really talked about my love of Star Wars on this blog when it comes to the Sci-Fi content I geek out about. While my love of the Star Wars franchise runs deep, it definitely isn’t my only interest in the Sci-Fi genre. Star Trek is another franchise that’s always caught my interest. These two franchises are often compared and have been seen by many as opposing teams for Sci-Fi lovers to align themselves with. It feels like most geeks have to face being asked “Do you like Star Wars or Star Trek?” at least once. This question has caused quite a few arguments I won’t get into here. I’m especially avoiding the entire debate over whether Star Wars is even Sci-Fi because, really, who cares? My aim here is to compare the two series to look at their strengths and weaknesses.

Characters and Morality:

The concept of morality in Star Wars is simple. Especially if we’re talking about the original trilogy. There’s good and evil. That’s about it. All of the characters fall into these categories. The good characters are either Jedi or part of the Rebel Alliance. Among the most moral are characters like Luke Skywalker or Obi Wan Kenobi. They aren’t very tempted by the dark side (When they are there’s never an actual threat of them falling to it), they fight for the greater good of everyone, and they’re indisputably good. Those outside of the Jedi, however, can seem a bit shakier when it comes to moral alignments. Of course I’m thinking of Han Solo, who joins the good guys only for a good chunk of money. That said, Han can call himself a scoundrel all he wants, but it’s pretty clear he’s actually a really good guy. He starts worrying about Luke’s well being after only a few hours of knowing him and every time he makes an attempt to leave the Rebel Alliance in order to pay his debt back to Jabba, he quickly decides the Rebels need him more. So actually not that morally complicated. The bad guys are similarly simple. They’re all Sith or Empire aligning. Palpatine has no other personality traits aside from being “evil”. Anakin gets a bit more by starting out as a good guy with a bit of a rebellious streak before his rebelliousness turns him to the dark side. Still, though, there’s never really an internal conflict with Anakin once he becomes a villain. It’s almost like he turns into a robot until Luke can get through to him at the very end of his story. But is this moral complexity important to Star Wars? Not really. The point of Star Wars is the journey of the hero. It’s less about the hero’s internal conflict and more about the hero growing and maturing in the face of evil. In Star Wars a regular kid becomes a powerful Jedi and a princess who is underestimated by most becomes a war general. The point is to root for likable, relatable characters as they grow to face the great evil lurking over them.

On the other hand, morality in Star Trek can get a lot more complex. For one, the sense of clear good and clear evil doesn’t exist in Star Trek. There have been plenty of times where a Star Fleet ship has had to make a morally ambiguous decision because the difference between right and wrong was blurred. The Borg have participated a lot in these storylines. They’re considered the closest to evil any alien race encountered by Star Fleet has come. Their only goals are to either assimilate more people into the Borg, or to destroy those in their path. If they’re so evil, fighting them off, as the Jedi do to the Sith, seems like the right thing. Especially since all of them are basically one being operating in a hive mind. Except all of the Borg actually are individuals, and as series like ‘Star Trek: Voyager’ prove, they can choose to make morally good decisions. Aiming to fight or destroy them, despite how evil they often are, can still be morally wrong. Subjects like this pop up all the time in Star Trek. In fact, some of the most fun dives into morality happen when the plot focuses on the Prime Directive. The Prime Directive prohibits Star Fleet ships from interfering with the development of other civilizations. Meaning that, if a certain alien species hasn’t developed enough to at least understand the technology found on starships, Star Fleet isn’t allowed to interact with them for fear that it will alter their development. However, what happens when an underdeveloped civilization is in need of help? Can characters as good as Captain Picard really stand by while others are suffering? Sometimes, yes. In fact, Picard in particular is one of the strictest characters about keeping to the Prime Directive. All these moral questions are exactly the ones Star Trek aims to focus on. Characters don’t grow to face the evil they’re against. In fact, growing is much more subtle in Star Trek because all of the main characters are already capable and experienced Star Fleet officers. Their development occurs when their already solid beliefs are challenged by a complicated problem.

Action and Adventure:

Star Wars has fight choreography. What else could you want? Lightsaber battles have gotten better and better as the series has gone on. And even if you take out the lightsaber battles you’re left with a ton of action sequences, often involving some back and forth blaster fire. Each Star Wars movie has endeavored to introduce at least one new planet with life forms and scenery that set it apart from other introduced planets. This gives the characters a large amount of places to explore. And, given the fact that it’s a war we’re talking about here, we get to see tons of battle sequences. Star Wars gives us TIE fighters and X-wings going head to head in space battles. Huge Imperial Dreadnoughts have shown up at inopportune times to face off against Resistance Bomber ships. On a planet’s surface, AT-AT Walkers have towered over small speeders. There’s always tons of action in a Star Wars movie. The lightsaber battles might be the highlight, but there’s really never a dull moment.

Star Trek isn’t about the action as much. A few series have attempted more action sequences, but that isn’t really what this show does. Each starship has a security team that will sometimes have to use their expertise to protect the starship they serve, and all of the main characters have Phasers that they can set to either Stun or Kill in order to protect themselves. But most Star Fleet officers tend to prefer using their words to resolve conflicts. Most of the tension in Star Trek either comes from a mystery left unsolved or from a diplomatic back and forth between a starship captain and a potentially dangerous party. However, adventure is a huge part of Star Trek. The point of every starship is to explore as much of the galaxy as they can and to take notes while they’re doing it. In some instances, mostly when Q is involved, a crew discovers an entirely new galaxy let alone a new planet. What Star Trek lacks in action sequences it makes up for in intrigue and exploration. Even if the green screen on a new planet they discover is noticeably bad.

So which is better? Objectively, neither one. They both specialize in very different things. Do you like a quicker pace, action sequences, and more relatable characters? Star Wars will probably capture your interest more in that case. Do you like deep plots, philosophical debates, and complicated characters? Steer towards Star Trek. My personal opinion changes depending on the day. Sometimes Star Trek is too slow for me and I don’t feel the characters develop substantially enough for me to completely understand them. But sometimes Star Wars is too simple and the fight scenes are too constant to keep my interest. In other words, don’t let anyone tell you you’re wrong for liking what you like. Don’t go around judging other people for their opinions, either. Let’s just all admit there are good things that can be found in all of these franchises!

Don’t do anything fun until I get back!

Hallie

BTS: Baby ARMY Help

Not my picture! The Purple Ocean has been photographed multiple times by many talented ARMYs. My only hope is that I get there someday.

Hi! It’s Annie!

I wanted to make a post for anyone who is newer in the fandom, because I can see why becoming an ARMY right now might be stressful. It seems like every day there’s something new happening in the fandom. And not all of those things are positive. So, I wanted to create a friendly guide on how to navigate some of the negative things and, for ARMYs who aren’t so new, I did include some advice for how we can make things more welcoming. Many of these things are stuff we all already do, but a reminder can’t hurt. So, if you’re new and considering getting into BTS, don’t be afraid!

Twitter Wars:

Of everything, this was probably what made me the most apprehensive about joining this fandom. Generally ARMY are not the ones who start Twitter wars. But there are several other fandoms who start Twitter wars after attacking the members of BTS. I wouldn’t be surprised if most people who aren’t even ARMY have seen these before. A while ago a massive group of people attacked Jimin for his style. Obviously, Jimin is amazing and all of their complaints against him were completely unfounded. Lately, the attacking has come from several people accusing BTS of having unfairly gotten the success that they’ve worked so hard for. My sister covered this in her last post. My advice about these Twitter wars is that I would personally stay out of them. The ARMYs who get involved with them for the most part upload nice or random posts about the boys to bury all the negative comments. And this is great! But if you’re an easily stressed ARMY or a new ARMY, I would highly recommend staying off Twitter. I personally have been using social media a lot less and I hear a lot more ARMY are doing this as well. There’s no reason to get into the discourse about American media treating BTS awfully if you can’t mentally handle it right now. The best way to protect them if this stresses you out is to ignore it or bury it so that BTS doesn’t see it. This also brings me to my next point..

Buying Merch:

Be careful about the BTS merch that you buy. This is also something that became more prevalent recently. This is a point that especially goes for anything American media based surrounding BTS. If you see a magazine with BTS on it while you’re out shopping, the temptation to buy it is there. I know, I’ve felt it. But it wouldn’t hurt to do a quick google search about the magazine and the interview itself first. Many of these magazines are actually pretty insulting towards BTS and are using them to get the money from their fans. I had to learn this lesson the hard way, when I was a baby ARMY I did accidentally purchase a magazine with BTS on it without doing proper research on it first. And the magazine was pretty insulting. Don’t make the same mistake I did! It doesn’t take that long to pull out your phone and do a quick search before deciding whether or not this magazine was respectful enough to earn your money. Thankfully, more and more K-Pop internet shops are refusing to sell pieces that aren’t respectful. Unfortunately, this doesn’t go for companies like your local Target.

Concert Tickets:

I have not been to a BTS concert personally. And I am hoping to get to go to the next concert. I’ve been a fan of BTS for almost a year and a half now, but I know that there are fans who have liked them for much longer than that. And many of those fans were devastated to learn that their concert tickets were made invalid. It was hard enough to get those tickets before this fandom tripled in size. This doesn’t mean that you as a baby ARMY love BTS less or don’t deserve to go to concerts as much as those people do. And if any ARMY who has been in this fandom longer tells you differently, just ignore them. You are not made more or less of a fan by how long you’ve liked BTS or what era you came in on. So be understanding when ARMYs are a little concerned or angry over the concert tickets, but don’t feel like that discounts you wanting to be a part of that purple ocean. Don’t let yourself be bullied into not going to a BTS concert if that’s what you really want.

Shipping Traps:

I absolutely had to mention this because it’s important. There are a lot of ships in this fandom. It’s honestly not surprising. But I would advise you to be able to differentiate between the romantic and friendship shipping. Please remember that they are involved in a culture that may be very different from yours and sometimes things that they do which may look romantic to you isn’t really. And even if it was, it’s not your place to say who should date or who likes who. BTS are not your sims. Shipping them romantically is entirely inappropriate. Shipping them as friends is absolutely ok and adorable. But unless they deliberately say they are in a relationship, don’t assume things. And just because a bunch of ARMYs do it, doesn’t make it right for you to do it. I’m not saying that it’s not ok if members of BTS started dating. I’m saying it’s not ok for you to nose into their personal lives and make things possibly uncomfortable for them.

BTS Family:

I know a lot ARMYs who are new want to know everything about the boys. And I mean, EVERYTHING. But please leave their families alone. Their families are not fair game just because the members are in the limelight. Looking up the personal information of people close to them is downright intrusive. Let them have their privacy. And this includes any picture that might be uploaded onto the internet of a member of BTS with their family member. J-Hope’s sister has suffered from this intrusion on her privacy many times in particular. Leave them alone.

BTS Biases:

We have so many posts on this exact topic that you can check out. Everything from choosing a bias to your bias changing. But there are other things that I wanted to mention that came to my attention more recently. If you ever decide to change your bias, you might see a lot of ARMYs on social media talking about bias loyalty. While many of them don’t directly say that you shouldn’t change your bias, the implication feels there because they talk about how they shouldn’t be wrecked by other members because they want to be loyal to their bias. Please, never take these too seriously. It is entirely ok to change your bias and changing your bias says nothing about you or your sense of loyalty. Keep in mind that you don’t know them personally and as you grow and change as a person with BTS, it’s entirely plausible that your bias will also change. As long as you love all the members, don’t worry about it! And please remember to have fun with it!

Comparisons:

This kind of goes for everyone who’s an ARMY, but I do see people who are newer to the fandom doing it more. Please do not go on the social media accounts of Asian men and talk about how much they look like a certain BTS member. There have even been cases where men have been accused of stealing their personalities. This also goes for some idols in South Korea that fans are only beginning to become familiar with. We should not start comparing all Asian men to BTS just because they’re mainstream. It may sound flattering to compare someone to BTS, but doing this really isn’t. Especially if you start accusing people you don’t know of acting too much like a BTS member. You don’t know that person, so how could you possibly know if they’re basing their personality after a member of BTS? And most of the time, I assure you, that isn’t the case.

Streaming:

You might be seeing several fandoms on the internet discouraging ARMY from streaming multiple times or buying multiple albums. Don’t listen to this. They might say that it makes things unfair, but it really doesn’t. Fans enjoying music and buying merch is not wrong. And telling fans how much they can stream and buy is simply ridiculous. It’s what fans do. Stream as many times as you want!

I know some of this might seem obvious, but I figured I’d put it out there. Especially since I’ve started seeing a lot of ARMYs express fear that the recent stresses in the fandom might discourage new people from joining. ARMY was hit with a lot at once, and I totally understand if you are a brand new or even an experienced ARMY who doesn’t quite know how to get out of that stress. My advice would be to take some time off of social media, watch some ‘Run BTS’, and make sure to have fun and relax within this fandom too. Our boys want us to be happy, so stressing out about all of these situations is certainly not what they want. Yoongi even told us to relax after they lost the Grammy! But if you are new, don’t get scared off. This fandom is large and there’s always fun, comforting, and welcoming places within it you can go. Like the Magic Shop for example. People attack ARMY sometimes, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t be safe and heard here. Welcome!

See you across the pond!

Sincerely, Annie