Riverdale, Chapter One: The River's Edge

Caution: this post contains spoilers

“Our story is about a town, a small town, and the people who live in the town. From a distance, it presents itself like so many other small towns all over the world ….

Safe.

Decent.

Innocent.

Get closer, though, and you start seeing the shadows underneath. The name of our town is Riverdale.

And our story begins, I guess, with what the Blossom twins did this summer.”

Riverdale starts off with Jughead Jones himself narrating. He tells us what the Blossom twins did: an innocent early morning boat ride on the 4th of July turned into the tragic drowning of Jason Blossom in Sweetwater River.

If his sister Cheryl Blossom can be believed, that is.

source: riverdale wiki

Upon hearing about the accident, a woman whom we later learn is named Alice Cooper, spitefully wishes out loud that Jason suffered during his last moments.

“May Jason Blossom burn in hell.”

Several months later, we meet Betty Cooper, Alice's daughter, chatting with her friend Kevin Keller while she prepares to go out for dinner with Archie Andrews, her next door neighbor. The intention is for them to catch up after not seeing each other during the summer, since Archie spent it working on construction with his dad’s business and Betty had an internship. While they catch up, Archie tells Betty that he’s started writing songs.

source: riverdale wiki

Meanwhile, Hermione Lodge and her daughter Veronica arrive. Jughead introduces them to us as the “new mystery that rolled into town” the day before high school starts for the year. Veronica goes to Pop’s Chock’Lit Shoppe to get dinner for her and her mom and meets Archie and Betty.

Kevin had urged Betty to talk to Archie about her crush on him, telling her that Archie needed to be told what he wants. But before she can, Veronica walks in and it’s clear that Archie is completely distracted by the mysterious and witty new girl.

The next morning, we are introduced to Fred Andrews, Archie’s dad. He asks if Archie is going to help out at the construction site after school and Archie, clearly hesitant to mention his newfound passion for music, says he’ll be too busy with football tryouts.

Betty is getting a lecture from her mother Alice, who reminds her that “all boys are like Jason Blossom” and tells her not to be like her sister Polly. If you got the idea that Alice is an extremely harsh, bitter, and judgmental woman from her wish for Jason to suffer, this scene absolutely solidifies that idea.

source: riverdale wiki

At school, Betty and Veronica meet again as Betty gives Veronica a tour of the high school. Kevin joins them, filling Veronica in on the few social activities Riverdale has.

Betty: “Veronica Lodge, Kevin Keller. Veronica is new here, Kevin is…”

Veronica: “Gay, thank god. Let’s be best friends.”

Unfortunately, Kevin asks about Veronica’s dad, which seems to shut her down as she insinuates that she’s on her father’s side. Whatever it is that her father did.

To change the subject, Veronica asks about Archie. Kevin explains that while they aren’t official, Betty definitely has an interest in Archie already. Veronica backs off and encourages Betty to invite Archie as her date to the back-to-school dance. Betty ends up asking him to accompany her and Veronica, saying that since Veronica is new she won’t have anyone to take her. Archie hesitates but then gives in.

What they don’t realize is that Archie hesitated because over the summer, he had a secret affair with one of his teachers, Ms. Grundy, and clearly still has feelings for her. This is, honestly, one of the biggest reasons I almost stopped watching the show. If this is a concern for you, please know that his relationship with the older teacher is not endorsed and is clearly shown as a bad decision.

Over lunch, Veronica expresses some surprise over the fact that her arrival hasn’t created the big buzz she had been dreading. Kevin and Betty explain that she would absolutely be the next big thing if it weren’t for the death of Jason Blossom. Before they can explain what happened, Cheryl herself appears and invites Veronica to try out for the cheerleading team, which she runs.

source: riverdale wiki

Betty also tries out, after Veronica urges her to, although apparently, Cheryl had turned her down last year, saying Betty was too fat. Veronica will have none of this and after Cheryl accepts her but turns Betty down again, Veronica stands up to her:

“Betty and I come as a matching set. You want one, you take us both. You wanted fire? Sorry, 'Cheryl Bombshell,' my specialty's ice."

While Betty clearly appreciates this gesture, she’s also confused as to why Veronica is being so nice to her. Veronica explains that she was just like Cheryl, if not worse, at her old school in New York. After her dad went to jail, apparently for fraud and embezzlement, Veronica realized what a cruel person she was after people started writing about her family and how horrible they were. When she found out she was moving to Riverdale, she realized she had the chance to start over and be kind to people instead of bullying them.

During football tryouts, Archie is given the chance to join the varsity team and Coach Clayton hands him Jason’s old jersey. This startles Archie and he tells the coach he has to help his dad work construction and might not have time for such a big commitment.

source: riverdale wiki

The coach calls Fred, who confronts Archie. He asks Archie who he’s lying to, his dad about no time for construction, or his coach about no time for football. Archie confesses that he wants to study music and while Fred tries to be supportive of this, he also points out that football gets him to college, college gets him a business degree, and a business degree gets him the construction company. This is clearly not what Archie wants, though.

Alice spots Betty in her new cheerleading uniform and demands she takes it off immediately. Betty, fueled by the courage she found thanks to Veronica, tells her mom no, she’s doing something for herself for once, and also tells her mom that she’s going to the dance with Archie and Veronica. This shocks Alice, who warns her that Archie and Veronica are up to no good.

At the dance, Veronica and Kevin keep trying to give Betty a chance to confess her feelings to Archie, but Archie wanders off to talk to Ms. Grundy and persuade her to help him study music. She is hesitant, but when Archie says he won’t tell anyone about the gunshot they heard on July 4th while they were--ahem--hanging out at Sweetwater River, she gives in and says she’ll teach him.

source: riverdale wiki

Once Betty finally has the chance to talk to a distracted Archie, he explains that he doesn’t have feelings for her like that and can’t see them together. He then abandons a broken-hearted Betty. To make matters worse, at Cheryl’s after party, Cheryl purposely sets Archie and Veronica up for “seven minutes in heaven” to further crush Betty. While Archie and Veronica both admit they admire and respect Betty and don’t want to hurt her, they end up making out. When they rejoin the party, Cheryl smugly informs them that Betty went home.

Exhausted and in despair, Veronica goes home for the night. Archie decides to find Betty, stopping by Pop’s Chock’Lit shop to see if she was there. Betty isn’t, but Jughead is. The encounter is brief and awkward, but Jughead does have some advice for Archie.

source: riverdale wiki

“Whatever happened, just talk to her. You know, it’d go a long way. Would have gone a long way with me.”

Archie arrives at Betty’s house and she meets him outside. When she asks him if he loves her, he says he does, but can’t offer her a relationship because he doesn’t think he’s good enough for her.

Kevin, meanwhile, has sneaked off to Sweetwater River with Moose, a closeted jock interested in exploring his sexuality. Unfortunately for them, they stumble across the bloated corpse of Jason Blossom.

With a bullet hole in his forehead.

What do you think happened to Jason? What exactly did Veronica's dad do? And what's going to happen to Betty and Archie's friendship, not to mention her budding friendship with Veronica?

To be continued...

Continue Reading →

Five Reasons to Watch Riverdale

(source)

I was under the weather a couple of weeks ago, so I spent the weekend lying in bed taking turns doing the following three things: napping, working from my laptop, and, most importantly, falling in love with Riverdale, which I discovered while browsing Netflix.

It was a super-productive weekend.

Somehow the fact that the Archie comics from my childhood were being turned into a TV show escaped my notice. I have fond memories of sneaking down to the basement to curl up on my beanbag with a snack and my dad’s box of dusty old Archie comic books.

So ... Riverdale was a bit of a shock to the system. After the first episode, I almost didn’t continue, but next thing I knew, I had finished all thirteen episodes in less than 48 hours. (Am I bragging or confessing? I have no idea, honestly.)

Curious? Here are five reasons why YOU should watch Riverdale.

1. You don’t have to be a fan of the comics to appreciate the show.

via GIPHY

There are only a couple of things that Riverdale and the Archie comics have in common, namely the characters (and even then, their personalities were changed slightly; more on that in a moment), and Pop’s Chock’Lit Shoppe. And that’s pretty much it. If you’re looking for the lighthearted, goofy, flirty comics of your childhood, stop reading.

via GIPHY

You’ll be disappointed unless you can set that expectation aside. While Riverdale has lighthearted moments that take you back to the comics, overall it has a much darker tone.

So no, you don’t have to be familiar with the comics to enjoy the show. But there are little throwbacks to the comics that will delight (or disappoint) you if you’re a fan. (I squeaked in excitement the first time I saw Josie and the Pussycats.)

2. This one’s for the mystery and suspense lovers.

via GIPHY

This show keeps. You. Guessing. And I LOVE that. Every time you think you know what’s going on, something happens and you’re left going “...Wait, WHAT?”

via GIPHY

It’s a rich and complex show, and it has pretty much no plotholes--assuming the writers tie up a couple of loose threads in season two. They wrap up the main mystery and at the last second of the last episode, they introduce a new mystery to keep you wanting more.

Same, Kevin, same. via GIPHY

3. Richer, better characters.

(source)

The characters are amazing. It’s been a while since I’ve read the comics, but based on what I remember, the characters in the show are very similar to the gang that I grew up loving. I’m just going to touch on the original gang here because I could quite honestly devote an entire post just to talking about the full cast.

via GIPHY

Archie was honestly a bit of a clueless douche, and I can’t remember if he was that way in the comics or not. He does have a little character arc in the beginning of the show, and after a while, you see that he really does care, he’s just bad at communicating it. And he’s human, just like all of us, with his imperfections.

via GIPHY

Veronica! Okay, so I definitely maybe have a slight crush on her. I never liked her in the comics and was prepared to hate her, especially given the way she acts in the first few minutes after we meet her, but then she turns into a badass cinnamon roll and I love it. She’s an incredible friend, recognizes when she messes up, and genuinely feels bad about it. Plus, she will absolutely slay anyone that tries to hurt her or her friends.

via GIPHY

Betty is the definition of “looks like a cinnamon roll but could actually kill you.” At first, she’s super timid and afraid to go after what she wants, especially because of her overprotective mother, but by the end of the show, she’s braver, recognizes her own strengths (and weaknesses), and has become a better person overall. And her friendship with Veronica is #goals.

via GIPHY

Jughead--another character that I wasn’t certain I’d like. He always struck me as obnoxious in the comics, but in the show, his character goes so much deeper than just being the school clown. He’s a loyal friend but has his limits and isn't afraid to call his friends out on their B.S. I was surprised when I realized he's the character I relate to the most. If Betty looks like a cinnamon roll but could actually kill you, Jughead looks like he could kill you but is actually a cinnamon roll. Be warned: he’s gonna break your heart over and over again.

4. The show’s aesthetic.

via GIPHY

I was very curious to see how the showrunners would translate an old comic into a modern show. They did it by giving the show an incredible aesthetic, a perfect balance of retro and modern vibes. The kids can be in the super-retro Pop’s Chock’Lit Shoppe, with its milkshakes and neon lights, while using their laptops and calling people on their cell phones. A lot of the characters have older cars and a lot of the decor has '50s-'60s feel to it. It actually creates a very innocent air in stark contrast to the dark themes of the show.

via GIPHY

5. It's diverse.

via GIPHY

While there's always room for improvement, Riverdale did a fairly good job of making sure it had a well-rounded, diverse cast. All three members of Josie and the Pussycats are WOC and they're super inspiring too. Betty's friend Kevin is gay, has a boyfriend for most of the show, and while he's slightly stereotypical, the writers acknowledge these stereotypes. ("Is being the Gay Best Friend still a thing?") The actress who plays Veronica, Camila Mendes, is Latina. In the background at school and around town, you see a variety of people and types of people. It was honestly very refreshing and I loved it.

Sounds like a show you want to watch? I'll be reviewing each of the 13 episodes over the next several months, so stay tuned! In the meanwhile, tell me: have you seen Riverdale? What did you think? 

Continue Reading →

A Friend from Work: Our Reaction to the Thor: Ragnarok Teaser Trailer

(source)

This week, it was a Marvelous Monday when the Thor: Ragnarok teaser trailer debuted, giving us our first sneak peek at the third film for our favorite golden-haired god. How did it all shake out? A few of us assembled to give our thoughts.

Jaime Heller

Ever since Marvel announced that the next Thor film would be titled Ragnarok, I've been worried. Extremely worried. I don't know much about Thor's comic book history or Norse mythology, but I know what Ragnarok means: the end of the world (or something like that). So I've been worried we would receive yet another devastating, heart-wrenching, soul-crushing superhero movie. But with the recent trailer for Thor: Raganrok, some of that worry has been subdued. Basically, upon watching the trailer, I was left in shock and with a thousand thoughts running through my head. Here is a short list of those thoughts.

• What the what? 
• Who knew that Cate Blanchett could become even more badass? Who knew?!
• (Honestly, I thought she was a female Loki at first, and I almost cried. But still. STILL. She's pretty dang badass.)
• Poor Mjolnir. #BringBackMjolnir2017
• Why is the font all retro sci-fi-y? I like. 
• Why in all the nine realms are Jeff Goldblum and Karl Urban in this film? How did they get here?
• Why is this so light-hearted and fun? It's the freaking end of the world and they're making jokes? Marvel, I'm so done. (But please, continue.)
• I'm sad to see Thor's luscious locks go, but dang son, the short hair works too. Wow. 
• BRUCE. OH MY GOSH BRUCE. 
• "He's a friend from work." I can't stop laughing.
• I don't want to talk about Loki.
• Okay, I want to talk about Loki. I knew he'd be back, but I wasn't expecting him to look so pretty and magical and intense. Like get out, son, I can't. 
• (Also, why is he with the Grandmaster during the tournament? What is he doing? What's his plan? I need answers.)
• (But I'm just freaking excited that Loki is here. Because everybody kept saying Dark World was Tom's last Marvel movie, and I was sad and he was sad. And just don't make Tom sad, man.)

Basically, that trailer was not what I was expecting, and I'm dumbfounded. What did I just watch? I never expected to be this freaking excited about a Thor film, and they didn't even show Doctor Strange either! (Gosh, I need more films with Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hiddleston in them.) 2017: the year where I am unexpectedly excited for superhero films I didn't think I would be excited for. I'm ready, bro.

(source)

Tabitha Wells

Knowing absolutely nothing about Ragnarok (Marvel Uni version), other than it having to do with the destruction of Asgard, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Thor was meh, Thor 2 was a bit better, but given Thor is one of my favourite characters, I have high hopes for Ragnarok. My very first thought, of course, is that Cate Blanchett kills it in the movie. She looks amazing, and she destroys Thor’s Hammer? WHAT?!

In true Marvel Studios fashion, there are indicators despite the movie’s clear dark overtone (complete annihilation of an entire race) there will be some great humour. The scene with Thor and the Hulk pretty much had me in stitches, and I may have watched it on repeat a few times.

I am really digging Thor’s new look. I feel like they take him from ‘pretty-boy god’ to badass mofo of a warrior, which is essentially what Thor should be. Jeff Goldblum as a bad guy is also pretty wicked awesome.

Overall, the cast is pretty impressive. They’ve brought some pretty big names on board for this one, and they are ones that I’m pretty sure are completely incapable of disappointing in any film. The premise is terrifying and exciting, and of course one wonders how Thor is going to pull off defeating such a powerful enemy without the help of the other Avengers.

The movie looks good. Good enough to redeem the entire Thor franchise. The costumes look amazing, the graphics are spectacular, and best of all, ABBBBBBBSSSS. Okay, not really, I was just channeling my inner Honest Movie Trailers voice there. But really, best of all, we have Chris Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Mark Ruffalo, and Karl Urban in one movie, so we definitely won’t be short on eye candy. As far as the story goes, they have the potential to totally kill it.

(source)

H. Grace

I had seven thoughts when I watched the new Thor trailer for the first time. In this order:

1. Ugh why do we have to have another Thor movie... wait.
2. Is... is that CATE BLANCHETT???
3. AND THE TRAILER MUSIC IS IMMIGRANT SONG??? THIS COULD BE AMAZING.
4. Wait WHAT THE HECK IT'S LOKI YES YES YES
5. AND JEFF GOLDBLUM *screams and flails*
6. Clearly I was wrong, this could be amazing...
7. HULK SMASH AWWWW YISSSSS

So now we've covered what I loved, haha. But seriously, you guys. Cate Blanchett could kill me looking like that and I'd actually thank her. For that matter, Loki could kill me too and I'd thank him as well. I mean, I don't know where you've been, son, and I hope that's discussed, but you're looking fine. And I'm not even kidding - the use of Immigrant Song in a Thor movie has always been a secret wish of mine, and they granted it! *weeps gratefully*

There wasn't anything I didn't really like. It looks like it's going to be silly, but I think we've all reached the point where we can agree that Thor movies are not to be taken seriously. As long as they purposely let this one laugh at itself, we're good. When they try to make them serious it... doesn't work. *ahem THOR TWO ahem*

I'm wondering what the heck is going on with Asgard??? "Asgard is dead"??? Noooooo! Not entirely sure who Cate Blanchett's character is either. And why was Loki watching Thor in the arena?? Are we going to get another "Yeah, I'm a bad guy Loki except HAHA JK I'M A GOOD GUY BECAUSE BROTHERLY LOVE"?? (Can we... not do that again please.) And why did they cut Thor's hair??? AND HOW DID THE HULK FIND HIMSELF IN A SPACE ARENA?? SO MANY QUESTIONS. Yeah... okay, I think for the first time ever I'm actually looking forward to a Thor movie. Amazing.

P.S.: R.I.P Mjolnir. 😞 😞 😞

(source)

Sky Destrian

Thor and I have had a complicated relationship. I love him, but he's gotten kind of overshadowed by his other Avenger siblings. I loved his first movie, but I wasn't as fond of his second. So, I wasn't super excited for Thor: Ragnarok. 

Until now.

Marvel singlehandedly made me excited for this movie in under two minutes. Jeff Goldblum? Cate Blanchett? Fan favorite Mark Ruffalo? Um, yes please. 

It helps that the soundtrack was just right, the visuals were stunning, and the humor was on point. I laughed so hard at the scene with Thor and the Hulk. I absolutely cannot wait to see how it all shakes out.

But the seriousness of this trailer was not lost on me. I mean, Cate Blanchett was badass, and she freaking shot Mjolnir to pieces. She also destroyed Asgard, too, which can only mean bad things. And as I told H. Grace, who I'm also going to echo, Cate Blanchett could kill me looking like that and I would thank her. Heimdall is back too, which I'm super glad about! But... let's talk about Loki for a second. He looks... good? Great? Which is saying something because I haven't thought that before. Maybe I've just been without Loki for far too long! It's good to have him back.

The stylistic choices of the trailer--the fonts and the design--really gave this movie a fun appeal as well. It's a far cry from the dark world of Thor 2. I'm definitely looking forward to this one.

(source)

What do you think of the trailer? React with us in the comments!

Continue Reading →

Six Fangirl-Worthy Guest Stars in The X-Files

The X-Files actually helped launch several now-famous actors and actresses. Did you know that not only are there several Breaking Bad stars in various episodes of The X-Files, but also one of the writers and directors for Breaking Bad, Vince Gilligan, helped write and produce The X-Files? (Does this mean Breaking Bad and The X-Files take place in the same universe???) 

Here are six "Fangirl-Worthy" guest stars in The X-Files that may not have been famous then, but certainly are now. 

Mark Sheppard in Fire (1x12)

(source: x-files wiki)

The King of Fandoms himself appears as a creepy British guy with... explosive abilities and a fiery motive. (Ah, the pun possibilities.) Sheppard is known for his appearances in... I mean, just about everything: Firefly, Supernatural, Doctor Who... what else?

Jack Black in D.P.O (03x03)

Jack Black is on the left (source: x-files wiki)

Jack Black makes a very brief appearance as the friend of a guy with the ability to summon lightning. Around my family, however, Jack Black is Po, the Kung Fu fighting panda.

Jewel Staite in Oubliette (03x08)

(source: x-files wiki)

Before Firefly and Serenity, Jewel Staite does a fantastic job playing a terrified little girl in this episode of The X-Files. Did you know that she was only 13 years old in this episode? 

Ryan Reynolds in Syzygy (03x13)

(source: google images)

Before he was the Green Lantern and waaaay before he became Deadpool, Ryan Reynolds makes an appearance as a chubby jock with an unfortunate ending in this really bizarre X-Files episode. 

Bryan Cranston in Drive (06x02)

(source: google images)

Let's all take a second to admire that 'stache on everybody's favorite drug dealer. While there were at least three different Breaking Bad actors in The X-Files, I decided to go ahead and only mention Bryan Cranston right now. Did you know that he was supposed to audition for another role in the episode but due to a miscommunication he thought he was the main character and even grew the facial hair for it and managed to convince the directors to give him the role? This is also how he met Vince Gilligan.

Shia LeBeouf in The Goldberg Variation (07x06)

LOOK AT THIS CUTIE (source: google images)

SHIA SURPRISE. Yes, I saved the best for last. (I was also going in chronological order, so...) Anyway, yes, before he got... weird, Shia had a brief appearance in The X-Files as an adorable kid with a serious illness. I haven't seen it myself yet but now that I know Shia's in there I feel like I need to see it...

What other stars that you know appeared in The X-Files? Out of the ones I listed, what are your favorite movies or shows that they appear in outside of The X-Files?

Continue Reading →

The X-Files Recap: "The Jersey Devil" (1x05)

(Hi! Quick note, for personal reasons I had to skip The X-Files episode 1x04, “Conduit”. My apologies for this! You can read about the episode on The X-Files wiki, right here: Conduit.)



Welcome back! We’ve got another Monster of The Week episode today with a fascinating take on the myth of The Jersey Devil.

The episode starts out in 1947 with a family traveling to Atlantic City, New Jersey, late at night. They get a flat, the dad goes to fix it, and he is suddenly dragged screaming into the forest. His wife runs after him but to no avail. The next morning, police search the woods and find his body with his leg, as they describe it, "chewed off." They corner a mysterious creature in a cave and start firing.

So far so good. via GIPHY

Present day. Scully tells Mulder about a murder near Atlantic City--a homeless man found with limbs chewed off. Mulder tries to convince her it could be an X-File, telling her about the murder we saw in 1947 and claiming it’s the Jersey Devil, so they decide to travel to Atlantic City to see if there’s anything bigger going on. However, a local detective, Thomas Tomson, gets irritated at their arrival and asks them to leave.

Very suspicious. via GIPHY
While Scully drives back to D.C. to attend her godson’s birthday party, Mulder stays in Atlantic City and goes into the woods with Peter Brouillet, a park ranger. He tells Mulder stories of “weird” things he’s seen over the past several years as a ranger, such as a half eaten rabbit with a human tooth in it, tools made of bone, and even a sighting of a tall, naked human like figure. Mulder ends up walking through the woods and ends up in a homeless area outside of town. He asks around for information on Roger Crockett, the homeless man who was murdered. One man shows Mulder a basic sketch of a tall human figure with long hair. He claims to have seen the figure himself, digging through the trash. Mulder decides to spend the night out there, letting the homeless man have his hotel room.

That night, Mulder sees a figure moving around and watches for a moment as they dig through the trash before catching his scent. They run and Mulder chases after them, noticing how nimble and agile they are. They get up on the roof, but the police pull up and stop Mulder before he can continue his pursuit.

via GIPHY
At the police station, Detective Tomson lectures Mulder for awhile, but Mulder persists and accuses Tomson of withholding evidence in order to sweep the idea of a “Jersey Devil” under the rug so tourists aren’t scared away. So... Tomson throws Mulder in jail for the weekend.

via GIPHY
When Scully returns to the office on Monday, she gets a call from Mulder and goes up to Atlantic City to get him out of jail. She takes him to get some food and listens while he tries to talk about The Jersey Devil but, as usual, is clearly skeptical despite Mulder’s endearing persistence and enthusiasm.

THOSE PUPPY EYES via GIPHY
Scully decides to take Mulder to see Dr. Diamond, an anthropologist. At first, Diamond tries to persuade Mulder that it’s not possible, there’s no neanderthal type human living in the woods of New Jersey, but eventually…

Diamond: It’s just highly unlikely that what you’re suggesting could have survived civilization or evolution out in the woods of... New Jersey?

Mulder: Highly unlikely, but not outside the realm of extreme possibility?

Diamond: *shakes head* Well, it would be an amazing discovery.

And Scully is clearly thinking, “This did not go the way I thought it would.”

via GIPHY
More determined than ever to find out what the Jersey Devil is, Mulder looks over some photographs taken in the woods of footprints and comes across a sketch of an ape-like woman. Suddenly, the phone rings--it’s the park ranger, Brouillet. He tells Mulder that he found a body in the woods, he thinks they were probably dead for six to eight months and describes a long haired male who was missing a tooth... the same tooth that Brouillet had mentioned earlier was found in a rabbit several months ago. He tells Mulder that he turned it over to the coroner’s office. Mulder thanks Brouillet, double checking with him to make sure the body he found was male, before hanging up and calling Scully.

Scully is on a date with the father of one of the boys from her godson’s party, but it doesn’t seem to be going that well and she seems almost relieved to be able to step away and answer Mulder’s call. And by "not going well," the guy is talking about how he felt the need to become a super dad after his divorce and confessed that he dreams about running over his son’s stepdad with a car. Yikes. Run, Scully, Run.

via GIPHY
So the next day, Mulder and Scully go back to Atlantic City, meeting with Brouillet and Diamond at the coroner's office. The coroner, however, said she never saw the body and there’s no documentation of it. Mulder expresses frustration over the police trying to sweep this under the rug but also tells Diamond there’s a 50/50 chance that there is a female out there. Diamond wants to try and capture her alive, so they go to an abandoned warehouse near the place where Mulder first spotted what we assume was the female Jersey Devil. The park ranger is also with them and has a tranquilizer gun just in case.

While they search the building, the police drive by and notice the park ranger’s truck. They call in Detective Tomson and begin searching the building for Mulder and everyone else. Right before the police arrive, Diamond finds a rag with blood on it.

via GIPHY
Scully and Mulder evade the police while Diamond tries to stall them. Suddenly, Mulder catches sight of the Jersey Devil and follows after her, Scully close behind. The female goes into another building and as Mulder follows her, she jumps out of the shadows and knocks him down, hitting him in the chest. He stares at her, slightly dazed, and she stares back. As he tries to sit up, she yells and pushes him back down right as Scully shows up, scaring her off.

Things begin to get frantic as Scully tries to get Mulder the medical attention he needs, Diamond begins asking Mulder all kinds of questions about the Jersey Devil, and the police decide to chase after the female into the woods.

via GIPHY
Naturally, Mulder and Scully, followed by Brouillet, decide to go into the woods as well, but before they can find the Jersey Devil, they hear gunshots.

It was at this point that I remembered the episode did not have a happy ending. via GIPHY
The female was shot and killed, apparently after attacking one of the police officers out of self defense. Mulder confronts Tomson who, tragically, compares shooting her to putting down a rabid animal.

So. Many. Feels. via GIPHY A week later, Scully shows Mulder a report from autopsies done on both the male (who's body miraculously returned) and female "devils."They both had bone fragments in their digestive tracts, confirming that they did indeed kill other humans, but there was also evidence that the female had given birth. The episode ends with a father and son walking through the forest, and we see a young child watching them from a hole in the ground.

via GIPHY

Have you seen "The Jersey Devil" episode before? Typically, the Jersey Devil is portrayed as more of a Sasquatch figure or even a winged creature, but Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files, wanted to give it a different twist by making it a wild human. What do you think of this?

Continue Reading →

3 Reasons to Watch The X-Files

One of my biggest pet peeves is when someone says, “Oh! You should watch *insert movie or TV show here*” and when I ask why, they stare at me blankly and mutter something like, “Um, because it’s good/because I like it/it’s on Netflix.” Give me a reason!

So, if you’re looking for a reason to watch The X-Files or trying to come up with one to convince a friend to watch it, here’s three of them!

1. It’s a great show for fans of Stranger Things.

via Giphy
Bless you, Netflix Gods, for Stranger Things. Although The X-Files slightly lacks in the cute kid department, if the spookiness, the government conspiracies, and troubled yet lovable adults were things that attracted you to Stranger Things, you should absolutely check out The X-Files. While Stranger Things takes place in the 80s, The X-Files takes place in the 90s, so it has the same retro vibe to it too. (Two words: Fax. Machines. Yeaaahh…)

Anyway, it’s the perfect show to watch over the summer while we wait for season 2 of Stranger Things.

Haven’t seen Stranger Things yet? Okay, but if you’ve seen Supernatural, you should still give The X-Files a try. There’s a lot of subtle nods to The X-Files in that show, and some of the episodes were inspired by The X-Files too.

via Giphy

2. Literally has the best freaking theme song ever.

That theme has the ability to scare the crap out of you and yet make you so indescribably happy at the same exact time. Honestly, I could write an entire post on the theme--not gonna lie, that will probably show up at some point--but for now, just listen to it. Right here. Right now. Click this.

The only other theme that can even come close to this awesomeness is... you guessed it, Stranger Things.

via Giphy

3. Endless seasons, so you can watch it forever (sort of).

Nine. Seasons.

via Giphy

Wait. Ten seasons. With an eleventh supposedly in progress. And they're LONG seasons. None of this "eight episodes a season" nonsense. (I'M LOOKING AT YOU, NETFLIX). Granted, "season" ten is just six episodes, Fox just wanted to test the waters since the show had supposedly ended fourteen years earlier, but the other seasons have 20+ episodes, each around 40-45 minutes. I'm telling you, you can watch this show forever. Hey, I fully admit that even I haven't seen the show in its entirety.

Still aren't convinced? Fine, here are 12 reasons to NEVER EVER EVER watch The X-Files.

Before I go: bonus gif of Mulder doing the Puppy Eyes thing.

Sad Mulder is sad because you aren't watching his show. via Giphy

Are you convinced yet? If you already watch the show, what are some of your favorite reasons to watch it? 

Continue Reading →

The X-Files Recap: "Tooms" (1x21)

Note and caution: Skipping several episodes here to connect with the last post, Squeeze (1x03). This post contains spoilers for The X-Files episodes 1x03 and 1x21.



Welcome back!

To refresh your memory - last time, I recapped an X-Files episode called "Squeeze" where we met our first Monster of The Week, Eugene Victor Tooms. Monster of The Week, or MOTW, would become a popular thing in The X-Files series, featuring paranormal creatures, monsters, humans with freakish abilities, etc., that didn't have to do with the main story line of the show. They're great if you want to watch one episode on its own without trying to figure out where you are in the story line and just want a spooky story.

So spooky. via GIPHY
We left off with Tooms in prison, having killed only four out of the five people he'd need to live another 30 years. He's about to be released, one of his therapists claiming that he doesn't "show signs of psychological dysfunction" and another one attributing Tooms' attack on Scully as a result of Toom's losing his job and being frustrated at the FBI. Mulder, naturally, is having none of this nonsense, but they let Tooms free anyway despite Mulder's evidence against Tooms' innocence.

Basically Mulder at this point. via GIPHY

So, Tooms is freed and sent to a halfway house, but Mulder tells Scully that he's going to keep an eye on Tooms every night. He tells her to go back over the older murders that Tooms committed and search for any more evidence that might prove Tooms is guilty. However, earlier that day Scully was warned by Walter Skinner, her supervisor, to make sure that the X-File cases were being solved by the book. He warned her that it was only because they had a 75% case-solving rate that he was keeping the X-Files open. This spooked Scully (see what I did there? I'm hilarious), and she wants to avoid getting in trouble. 

I feel like Hermoine and Scully would be really good friends. via GIPHY

However, despite her initial feelings on continuing the investigation. Scully does go consult with Frank Briggs, the retired detective who worked on some of Tooms' earlier murders and assisted Scully and Mulder in Squeeze. He is, of course, very upset at the news of Tooms' release. Briggs shows Scully something that, let's be honest, if he had shown her and Mulder in the other episode, we wouldn't have any need for this episode. Sorry, just being honest here.

Anyway. Briggs has a human liver, which he recovered from one of Tooms' alleged murders on a construction site. Unlike the other cases, they never found the body. Briggs feels that if they can go back and find the body, which he suspects was buried in cement at the construction site, then they'll have the evidence to convict Tooms for good. They arrange for an excavation crew and sure enough, recover skeletal remains.

via GIPHY

Meanwhile, Tooms is getting hungry. Mulder intervenes when he sees Tooms approach a woman, which infuriates Tooms. That night, Tooms almost sneaks into a potential victim's house but is, once again, stopped by Mulder. 

I'll be honest, I didn't *need* a gif here but I had to have a reason to include this. You're welcome. 
via GIPHY

Scully has the recovered bones taken to Smithsonian Institute's Forensic Anthropology Lab where a professor discovers that the skull matches a photo of a person who went missing back in 1933, which is when the murder was committed. They also find teeth marks on the rib bones. Eww. However, apparently this isn't enough to convict Tooms just yet, so Scully goes to find Mulder and take over his stakeout for him. 

As he leaves to go back to his house, Mulder doesn't notice Tooms hiding in his trunk. Later that night, Mulder sleeps on the couch as Tooms sneaks into his house. Instead of killing Mulder, however, Tooms scratches at his own face until he's bleeding. Mulder is woken up that morning by the police saying they found Tooms in the street, beaten and kicked in the jaw. Tooms claims that Mulder did that to him, but as Mulder is taken away for questioning, he notices that one of the screws in his air vent is loose.

Mulder knows what's up. via GIPHY

Mulder tries to defend himself, saying that there's no forensic evidence that there was even a foot inside the shoe when it made contact with Tooms' face. Meanwhile, Scully lies and says that she was with Mulder all night. Skinner warns Mulder that something like this better not happen again and lets him go.

Scully and Mulder arrive at the halfway house where Tooms is staying, only to find the body of one of Tooms' therapists, Monte. Mulder realizes that Tooms has his fifth liver and is about to go back into hiding for 30 more years.

via GIPHY
In a last, desperate attempt to find Tooms before it's too late, Mulder and Scully go back to the old apartment complex where Tooms used to live. However, it's been torn down since they went to it in "Squeeze," and it's now a shopping mall. Mulder finds a narrow passageway near an escalator that's currently not running and slips down into it, only to find a naked and insane Tooms. He lunges for Mulder, who backs up out of the entrance and gets Scully to help him turn on the escalator. As Tooms emerges, he's crushed by the escalator mechanisms in what is probably one of the more gruesome X-Files deaths that we get to see. Lovely.

via GIPHY
Fun fact before I wrap this up: they weren't going to have Tooms be naked in the final scene, but Doug Hutchison, the actor who portrayed Tooms, insisted that nakedness would be more true to Tooms' character, to display how insane and animalistic Tooms had become. He was also very sick during the filming of the final scene.

"I was sick as a dog and naked as a jaybird and had this icy cold slime all over me. I was literally sticking all over everything and everything was sticking to me. I had lint in the most preposterous places on my body. It was really kind of gross," Hutchison laughed. (from The X-Files Wiki)

Thanks for joining me for the second X-Files episode with Tooms! If you haven't seen "Tooms" or "Squeeze," I highly recommend them - they're definitely X-Files classics! If you have seen them, I'd love to know your thoughts in the comments. Do you consider them classic episodes?

Continue Reading →

To Me She's Royalty: A Tribute to Carrie Fisher

On December 27th, Carrie Fisher passed away. Though she was best known for her role as Princess Leia, Carrie Fisher was also an accomplished author and outspoken mental health advocate. Her legacy will live on, and we'd like to share just a small portion of her legacy: how she's impacted us.

Jaime Heller

A week ago, my co-worker looked at me and said, “Brace yourself. Carrie Fisher died.” And I stared at him in mixture of confusion and shock. My brain could only think “What?” But he nodded and said, “They just confirmed it.” And it hit me. She died. I sat there in silent thought. When Leonard Nimoy and Christopher Lee died, an overwhelming sadness hit me. And when Anton Yelchin died, I was just angry. But with Carrie Fisher, I just felt hollow. I could hardly believe it was true. I knew she had been hospitalized a few days before due to what was reported as a massive heart attack, but I thought she would pull through. But she didn’t.

Her death made it feel like the world was missing something, and it was: her. This beautiful, loving woman not only inspired generations of girls and ladies, but she was an advocate for people with mental illness. She was also a writer, which hit home with me when I found out. She wrote several books and was also a script doctor for numerous films. In many of the pictures I saw circling social media in the hours and days after her death, one thing caught me: she always looked like herself. She didn’t seem to hide her faults or problems. She looked like she was having fun with life, whether that was on the set of Star Wars or at movie premieres with her mother and daughter or flicking off the camera while hugging Mark Hamill. I know she wasn’t perfect, and she wasn’t always happy, but she was--and is--still an inspiration. She didn’t let her troubles get the best of her. She kept fighting, just like Princess Leia kept fighting.

(source)

Through her own life and her famous Star Wars character, she taught me--and many other ladies--that women can be strong and smart. They can fight for what they believe. They can take action. She built a legacy that changed cinema, storytelling, and lives. And I think that’s one legacy worth remembering.

Carrie Fisher was many things, and I will miss her bright smile in this world. But she has definitely given me hope.

(source)

Andrea Wiesner

To be honest, I am at a loss for words. Someone I've looked up to my whole life is gone. I know I didn't know her personally, but I also know how much she still meant. To me and to millions of other little girls over the years. My heart aches for her family and close friends right now. And I guess all I can say to them is... "Thank you. Thank you for sharing her with the world. And our thoughts and prayers are with you at this time."

(source)

Bethany Baldwin

I was shocked when I heard the news that Carrie Fisher had passed away. Only a bit before, my brother and I had joked lightheartedly about 2016 with a touch of wariness. Obviously, the year has little to do with death, but the many personal and celebrity deaths I’ve experienced in 2016 can belay that point a bit. But it couldn’t be Carrie Fisher who died. She was still comparatively young, the same age as my father. Her daughter is only a few years older than me. No, it couldn’t be Carrie Fisher. And the next day my grief grew at the news that Debbie Reynolds, the mother of Carrie Fisher passed away. Both of these women were a huge part of my childhood and stars of beloved films that I’ve watched over and over again. I’m not ashamed to say that I cried. I don’t know a lot about either of these women’s personal lives. I do know Carrie Fisher was an advocate for mental health, something more people need to consider, but I didn’t personally know them. Because of this, I had people think my grief was foolish. Why cry over someone you don’t know? But why not? Why not cry over every lost life and for every person who is grief stricken? I’m crying for Billie Lourd and Todd Fisher. And I’m praying for this family. Carrie Fisher was a perfect Princess Leia. She was special. She was both a damsel in distress and a capable warrior. She will always be our princess.

H. Grace

Where to even begin? I hated that we lost so many celebrities this year, however, my grief never went further than feeling sad for a couple of days and moving on. But Carrie? I'm grieving that loss. I sobbed when one of my friends texted me the news that she was gone. And to lose Debbie Reynolds the very next day made it worse. I've always wanted to meet Carrie and Debbie and now I'll never have the chance.

Even though I didn't grow up watching Star Wars, in fact, the first time I watched the movies was when I was nineteen and visiting my grandma--we watched the original trilogy on VHS (which somehow made the experience better), I still knew the basic story and admired Princess Leia. While I was nineteen when I first actually watched the movies, I remember being about ten years old and watching parts of A New Hope with a friend when my parents were out of town one weekend and my babysitter didn't care what I got into. Yeah, I was a real troublemaker. But I was so impressed by the scene where Leia is supposedly getting rescued by Han and Luke and yet totally takes over and doesn't sit around letting them do the shooting and daring escapades. I'm still not sure if I had a crush on Leia or was just blown away by her badassery. (Both. Both. Both is good.)

And then The Force Awakens came out and my princess had become a general. A clearly grieving, hardened general, but underneath still the feisty princess I loved so much as a little kid. Carrie Fisher herself had changed, coming out about her mental illness and her addictions and affairs. I loved her still, for her vulnerability, her refusal to conform to Hollywood's standards, and her continued badass attitude.

(source)

Carrie, dear, thank you. Thank you for being our princess, our general. Thank you for being you, unapologetic, wild, bold YOU. Thank you for giving us Leia. Thank you for making me realize that princesses don't have to be weak or dumb. We can shoot too. We can lead armies and defy the ones that want to crush our spirits. You showed me that women can be strong and yet feminine.

I could go on forever, but I'm crying again. Farewell, General Organa.

(source)

Jamie Stewart

When you're a little girl playing Star Wars with your brother or neighborhood kids, you HAVE to be Leia. Like, she's the only girl so that's your choice. Backyard playtime dynamics weren't always so progressive that you could be whoever you wanted to be. So thank god that that one girl character you could play as was fierce. Thank god she was powerful and a leader. Thank god she was "bossy" and smart and funny and compassionate. And thank god we got to see her thirty years later, still all of those things. Still a role model.

(source)

As little girls we were princesses and as women we are generals and senators.

Carrie Fisher meant the world to so many fangirls and we must honor her by living our lives not without fear, but with it and doing whatever the hell we wanted to anyway.

"Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What's important is the action. You don't have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually the confidence will follow." -Carrie Fisher

Sky Destrian

I've dreaded writing this all week because I still can't really believe she's gone. And even then, what do I even say?

I remember appreciating Leia when I was younger, but I wish I had appreciated her even more. She was sassy, gorgeous, funny, strong, smart... she was everything. She was a well-written, badass, role-model female character in a time where those types of characters were very, very rare. In the way she portrayed Leia, Carrie changed the game for all of us. She paved the way.

I love how these pictures both show two sides of her personality.--(first picture source)

Carrie Fisher was one of the most incredible women the world has had the honor of knowing. She was a role model for generations of women. She taught us that we could be strong and classy. She taught us not to put up with anything, to not take no for an answer. She did this not only in her role as Princess Leia, but in her real life as well. She was a tireless advocate for mental health, and she was unapologetic in her opinions and her femininity. It didn't matter what other people thought. She just didn't care.

(source)

Carrie Fisher is now my role model. On-screen and off, she taught me to fight hard for what I believe in, to take a stand for what's right. I will forever be grateful for the impact she had on me as a human being and the impact she had on the world with her influence and activism. She was incredible. She was a shining star. She went too soon. And she will be greatly missed. Thank you for all you did for us, Carrie. Thank you so, so much. You have done everything you needed to do, and now we will carry on your work--I promise.

(P.S. - She drowned in moonlight, strangled by her own bra. ♥)

pic.twitter.com/RLiWEXU8Ob

— Bad Robot (@bad_robot) December 27, 2016

Please feel free to leave your tribute to Carrie Fisher in the comments.

Continue Reading →