My Wish List for Stranger Things Season Two

This post contains spoilers for season one of Netflix's original series Stranger Things, one of summer's biggest hits. This show filled my heart with fear and joy (simultaneously), and it got me thinking about what I'd like to see next. So here's my wish list for season two of Stranger Things.

1. Eleven. I want her back. This is very important to me. They can’t let her die--or disappear. They cannot turn an 11-year-old girl into a weapon or a martyr. I will be so sad (also furious like how dare they).

2. More Joyce 'Momma Bear' Byers.

3. More cool science experiments and at-home science projects (like the DIY sensory deprivation chamber).

4. More dorky sweaters for Steve Harrington.

5. More Dustin and Lucas brotp-ing, for example—at the end of episode 8 when they were sleeping on each others shoulders in the hospital (too cute).

6. I want Eleven to play Dungeons and Dragons with the boys. Please. Give this one to me. Make my nerd heart cry.

7. More Adventure Buddies™.

8. I want to see some of Nancy missing Barb more. I want the writers to make her more than just a way to get Nancy involved in the hunt for ‘the Demagorgon.’

9. I want Eleven to keep her hair the way it is and not grow it out in order to be more ‘conventionally attractive’. I don’t want the outside world to change my stone-faced power angel. Also, it’s good representation for little girls who can’t grow their hair out, and representation for little girls is honestly what I’m all about.

10. Alternatively, if Eleven were to grow her hair out, I’d want it to be because she wants to leave the chapter of her life (in the lab) far behind her. Of course, maybe her own hair and not a costume wig would do her more justice, but she's always cute to me.

11. More Dungeons and Dragons because using DnD as a plot device & tool for foreshadowing was wicked cool (especially for someone like me who plays with her friends like this on the weekends because yeah, I'm super cool.).

12. I want Nancy to be the valedictorian, because she's smart as heck and we all know it.

13. I want the community to stop ostracizing Johnathon and accept that he’s a hero.

14. I want Joyce Byers to get a raise. And a promotion. And I want her to tell her butt-face ex-husband to get lost once and for all.

15. I want to see the kids helping Will deal with any sort of PTSD and not pushing his lingering fears under the rug.

16. I want to see more of Hopper being manly but also sensitive. That’s super important to see in modern media (where you always don’t get too much of it). I want people everywhere to see that a strong, manly sheriff can cry and feel things.

17. I want Steve and Jonathon to be buds. Like real awesome buddies. They'd be great, no love triangle between them and Nancy, just buds.

18. WAY more Dustin chub smiles.

19. More surprisingly-cool-with-this science teacher.

20. And, because I feel this needs to be a thing-- more badass Nancy (I'm just so in love with Nancy Wheeler honestly).

21. I want Eleven to get more Eggos. All the Eggos she can eat. Leggo her Eggos.

22. Finally, I want Will and Eleven to become friends. They've been through similar trauma and I feel like they're really the only ones that can help each other out.

In conclusion, more dorky kids, more fierce females, and a dash of Dungeons and Dragons would make for a great season two of my favorite summer show Stranger Things. All we have to do is wait. 

What do you want to see for Stranger Things season two? What'd you like about season one?

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Why, If You Loved Hamilton, You'll Love Lin-Manuel Miranda's In the Heights

If an Orphan in New York city refuses to throw away his shot and Lin-Manuel Miranda doesn't write a musical about it-- did it really happen at all?

Lin-Manuel Miranda's award winning Broadway phenomenon Hamilton captivated audiences everywhere and ruined my life, but did you know that there is another musical that can revive your broken musical theatre soul just to trash it all over again?! Well, good news! It's Lin-Manuel Miranda's other award winning musical In the Heights! The musical follows Usnavi, a first generation American from the Dominican Republic, and the immigrant community of New York's own Washington Heights. I've been listening to this musical a lot this past few months, and it has quickly soared to one of my all-time Broadway favorites. As Joshua Henry, Jonathan Kirkland, and Mandy Gonzales join Lin-Manuel Miranda and Christopher Jackson as In the Heights alums to appear in Hamilton, I thought I'd take a look at some other similarities between the two shows (beside the fact that Lin is striking basically the SAME POSE in both playbills I mean come on dude be a little more obvious).

You: But Molly! If I liked a historical musical about the Revolutionary War, why would I like a completely different musical about a completely different time period, even if it is by the same guy?

Me: Ah! I'm so very glad you asked at such a convenient time to help me transition my article!

Of course, the first thing you notice is the setting. Both of them are in New York during periods of huge transitions. Hamilton is set during the revolutionary war, and In The Heights is a lot more modern, set in the NYC neighborhood Washington Heights. Back in 1999, when Lin first wrote it, it was supposed to be present day, so it was smack in the middle of the computer age and all of the changes modern technology brought about. They especially highlight how that technology missed the poorer communities and brought huge stratification within the school systems while rich kids got computers and the poorer immigrant neighborhoods couldn't even afford books (see '96, '00).

Next, we take a look at the main protagonists (Featuring Lin who played both of them in the original casting-- and who strikes the exact same pose in each of these pictures).

Alexander Hamilton and Usnavi are both orphan immigrants from the Caribbean who start out with nothing and through persistence and hard work they rise up (pun intended). Usnavi is the son of two immigrants from the Dominican republic who died after reaching the states when he was very young. Alexander is an immigrant from Saint Kitts whose mother died when he was very young. Both communities rally around the protagonists to help raise them to succeed at a young age; with Hamilton receiving the funds to come to America from his community, and Usnavi being a staple in the community and working with them like a family. They both have big dreams, and wonderful leading ladies to give them a kick in the tukus when they really need it.

This brings me to my favorite musical theatre feature of all time: strong leading ladies! God, I love these strong female protagonists. We know Angelica, Eliza (and Peggy) from Hamilton, and now we have Nina and Vanessa in In the Heights. Nina and Vanessa come from different socioeconomic statuses and different homes. Nina's family is particularly well off for the neighborhood of Washington Heights, and her parents have a healthy relationship and send her off to Stanford on a scholarship to pursue higher education. Vanessa is not as well off, lives with an abusive mother, and is struggling to save up to get to downtown NYC where she believes things will be better. I love these ladies because, even though there are romantic subplots, they have motives other than romance, and neither one of them give up on their dreams or change their lives because of boys. Go girls!

Here's another cool part, and the last thing I want to highlight (so I don't give away the whole musical): a couple of the lyrics from In the Heights appear very similar to those in Hamilton. You can see either Usnavi or Alexander saying these things interchangeably and some of the lyrics are nearly identical.

"It's all about the legacy they left with me it's destiny." ('In the Heights' : In the Heights)
"Legacy: What is a Legacy?" ('The World Was Wide Enough' : Hamilton)
"I 'm tellin' your story." ('Finale' : In the Heights)
"While she's alive we tell your story" ('Who Lives Who Dies Who Tells Your Story' : Hamilton)

Have you seen these award winning favorites? What did you think about these similarities?

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Let's Get Hyped! :: DC Comics Rebirth (Batgirl and the Birds of Prey Issue 1)

DC Comics

Ah, that new comics smell. When you pick up a new issue of your favorite comic, it’s beautiful and new (plus your cat hasn’t chewed it up yet). The next thing you know, the moment’s shattered. You’re flying through the pages. The world may just end if you don’t finish this issue right now! This week I picked up the new DC Comics' rebirths of both Batgirl and Nightwing. I was especially looking forward to Batgirl because it’s featuring the Birds of Prey. Let me tell you, if I had to pick a girl gang to back me up it would be these birds. Here’s what I thought about the first issue of DC’s Rebirth Batgirl and the Birds of Prey.

:: CAUTION SPOILERS AHEAD FOR BATGIRL AND THE BIRDS OF PREY: ‘ISSUE ONE’ AND BATMAN: 'THE KILLING JOKE.' ::

Issue one of Batgirl and the Birds of Prey is created by J. Benson, S. Benson, Roe, and Passalaqua. First off--Roe is the last name of one of my favorite Band of Brothers characters (don’t look at me I’m emotional) so I was pretty hyped about the creators. I thought that I wouldn’t be a huge fan of the art style since I prefer art that’s more like this (from the Gail Simone Era)…

DC Comics

…but honestly, I found it to be very good overall and I love the fresh style.

This comic tells the first part of a new storyline (hence the name Rebirth), but it intersects with several different stories about the lives of the main players. Including, from Batman: 'The Killing Joke' when Barbara Gordon was shot in the stomach and paralyzed. Then how she hung up her Batgirl cape but continued to fight crime as the superhero Oracle in partnership with Black Canary (Dinah Lance) while they called themselves the Birds of Prey. They also introduce Helena Bertinelli’s Huntress briefly at the end (another classic member of the Birds of Prey) and reveal parts of her mob background; it becomes obvious that, though Dinah and Barbara were running as the Birds of Prey earlier, Helena wasn’t a part of their partnership yet.

The series sets up the origin stories for the main three characters and opens up a whole new wave of possibilities for the duo. This comic book will also run alongside the rebirth of Batgirl's standalone comic, where they promise to take her across the world (yes, I want Babs to climb Mount Everest and taste foreign cuisine I want my fave to live her life happily okay?!).

Plot Summary

The comic opens on Barbara Gordon, as Batgirl, fighting crime per usual (you know, just another Tuesday night). She uses the thumbprint of an unconscious perp to see what they were up to on the roof (get it? Up to? I'll see myself out) and she discovers they’d been given privileged information by someone calling themselves The Oracle, Barbara’s old codename. Babs does some digging and finds that the person calling themselves "The Oracle" has all of her old files and all of her old skills, and she realizes that they've been using this to sell information to mob families. Startled, she seeks out help from her old friend Dinah Lance to try and find the person slandering her former image. She finds Dinah working as a bouncer for her old band and convinces her to team up again. So, Barbara as Batgirl joins up with Dinah Lance as Black Canary for a ‘one night only’ partnership to try and figure out who is using the Oracle’s name to sell information to mob families.
Meanwhile, we're introduced to Helena Bertinelli as she sits in Catholic confession. She's talking to the priest about her work with Grayson (Dick Grayson, former Robin, Nightwing, and international spy) and the organization they both worked for, Spyral. It seems as though she'd gone AWOL from the organization and they shut down her hypnos implant (a device that gives one the ability to confuse and hypnotize others, as long as they don't have the device). Totally on her own, but armed with her crossbow and espionage skills, she's going to resume her own mission of vengance to kill mafia hitmen "wherever [they] hide."
Later on, the Birds of Prey arrive to get information out of Louis Terroni, who may know the identity of the fake oracle, but while taking out Terroni's entourage Huntress appears. She tells them some about her personal vendetta and her plan to kill him, but the Birds tell her they need information first. Believe it or not, that isn't what Huntress wanted to hear so the three of them start fighting over Terroni long enough for him to get away. Angrily, Huntress spits out Dinah and Barbara's real names and reveals she knows everything about them.

Will I continue reading? Probably. I'm a sucker for Batgirl and I love the classic Birds of Prey. Would I recommend this to a novice comic reader? Not without reservations. There's a lot of information flying around that would possibly confuse someone who doesn't know much about the background of the characters. This is only the first issue, so maybe they'll go into more detail as it goes on, but the reader may need to be okay with a little bit of confusion starting out (or a little bit of googling what the heckity heck Huntress has been up to with Spyral). All and all I like this comic; I'm still getting used to the fact that timelines and worlds change as the comic "eras" do, and thus so do the attitudes of the characters. Nonetheless, this issue was a great read and I'm pumped for the whole DC Comics Rebirth.

DC Comics

What DC Comics Rebirth series are you most excited for?

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12 Actors from Band of Brothers You'll Probably Recognize

12 Actors from Band of Brothers You'll Probably Recognize.

HBO's Band of Brothers featured a superstar cast-- from comedians to drama-kings. See how many of these Easy Company men you can recognize!

1. David Schwimmer

If you hated Ross Geller from F.R.I.E.N.D.S then I have bad news for you because you're going to hate this guy even more! David Schwimmer plays Captain Herbert Sobel--literally runner up for the worst person in the entire show (Winner: Captain Dike).

2. Michael Fassbender

Michael Fassbender appears as Sergeant Burton 'Pat' Christenson but how in the world Magneto and my angel child Pat Christenson are on the same Earth (and possibly in the same country) is beyond me.

3. Tom Hardy

Tom Hardy appears as Private First Class John Janovec just long enough to rip your heart out. He likes foreign girls and is afraid of Captain Speirs-- sometimes these things collide. He's also in one of my favorite scenes in the whole show. 

4. Donnie Wahlberg

Boy band graduate Donnie Wahlberg fights dirtbags in Blue Bloods, but a much earlier tussle with dirtbags was in Band of Brothers as First Lieutenant Carwood Lipton. He is both the mom friend and a sweet sunshine child who has never done anything wrong ever (minus a little bit of organized mutiny).

5. Jimmy Fallon

This is totally real, I promise. Jimmy Fallon has a cameo in the episode "Crossroads" where he rides in on a Jeep to talk to Major Winters and establish the lack of supplies before he promptly gets out of the hellscape Easy Company is walking right into. Not in it long enough to die.

6. James McAvoy

Oh man, here come the tears. James McAvoy co-starred with Michael Fassbender in X-Men: First Class but it was not the first project they worked on together. James McAvoy appears in Band of Brothers as baby-faced Private James Miller.

7. Richard Speight Jr.

Trickster extraordinaire Richard Speight Jr. brings his playfulness to the battlefield as Sergeant Warren 'Skip' Muck and somehow manages to make you laugh so much you momentarily forget you're watching a show about a world war. It takes talent. Delivers one of the best lines in the show.

8. Kirk Acevedo

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D's Kirk Avocado Acevedo appears as tough sweetheart, and my fave, Joe Toye--making you simultaneously swoon and fear for your life. This guy definitely just needs a hug. I volunteer. If I die young, someone please tell Joe Toye that I loved him.

9. Michael Cudlitz

Portraying the large scary teddy bear character as he also did in The Walking Dead is Michael Cudlitz as Sergeant Denver 'Bull' Randleman. Can probably lift a tank.

10. Neal McDunough

Neal McDunough, who recently appeared as Damien Dark in Arrow, and Dum-Dum Dugan in Captain America: The First Avenger and Marvel's Agent Carter plays everyone's favorite jock as First Lieutenant Lynn 'Buck' Compton. His butt is blessed.

11. Simon Pegg

Funny man Simon Pegg was actually a real jerk in this one as Sergeant William Evans, Sobel's right hand. For a while there he gave Easy Company a whole lot of trouble which was not very funny at all but I digress.

12. Damian Lewis

Damian Lewis, who's also known for his work in Homeland and Billions, plays Major Richard 'Dick' Winters, Easy Company's fearless leader and everyone's favorite Dad™. Oh and Sergeant? He's not a Quaker.

Who were you surprised to see? Let us know and be sure to go watch Band of Brothers right now!

This article was brought to you by my inevitable summer re-watch of all three HBO War miniseries. Please someone come cry with me.

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A Very Fangirl Birthday!

Well, as you may have guessed by the title, this week was my birthday! On Tuesday, I turned twenty years old (what?!)! I thought it'd be fun to see some fandom moments that happened on my date of birth and see if I share my birthday with any of my favorite characters or celebrities!

Fictional Characters Born June 21st

Princess Anna :: Disney's Frozen

Courtesy of Disney's Frozen

AHH! This was very exciting for me. I love Frozen, and as overplayed as the title songs can be, I will probably not tire of it. Princess Anna was indeed born on June 21st. Actually, I think this is fantastic characterization because it's the Summer Solstice and it's interesting, if you know the story, that her sister is an Ice Queen and she was born on the first day of summer.

Plus, she just really gets me. We would totally understand each other, like look at this--

Courtesy of Disney's Frozen

--it's very me.

Comics Published

So, since comic book releases are usually set for specific dates, I had to go with the week of my birthday, but this was still really exciting!

On June 19, 1996, two days before I was born; an issue of Batman & Robin Adventures came out... with Batgirl on the cover!

Courtesy of D.C. Comics

Music on June 21, 1996

In the music world, on that fateful day, the Sex Pistols began the 1996 "Filthy Lucre Word Tour," their first live performance in over 18 years!

Courtesy of The Sex Pistols Facebook

Famous Birthdays

Finally, I looked up some stars I share my birthday with and was far from disappointed. 

Lana Del Rey :: June 21, 1985

Courtesy of Billboard.com

Chris Pratt :: June 21, 1979

Courtesy of Entertainment Weekly

Prince William :: June 21, 1982

Courtesy of People Magazine

What and who do you share a birthday with?

This post brought to you by a whole bunch of birthday cake.

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A Review of Marvel's Poe Dameron Issues 1-3

Poe Dameron is a Sweet Sunflower Child 

(with his own comic)

A Review of Marvel’s Poe Dameron issues 1-3

“Thirty years have passed since the deafeat of the evil Galactic Empire, but the threats of turmoil are rising. To stem the tide of the First Order, a military force aiming in secret to overthrow the New Republic, General Leia Organa has founded the Resistance movement. Looking to expand her forces, Organa has recuited the best polot in the galaxy- Poe Dameron. Now, with the help of his droid BB-8 and squadron of fighter pilots, Poe must act quickly to defeat any threat to the republic that comes his way, no matter how deadly the risks…"

(From the intro to Issue 1)

The Hype:

 The Poe Dameron comic release was announced back in January of this year right after the explosion that was The Force Awakens. The world had fallen in love with Poe on screen, but the movies didn’t give us the full story. The comics would center around him, before the timeline in the movie, and allow for more character development and background information.

Art/Story:

The art is done by Phil Noto, who has a unique style from most of the other comics I read, which is always something I look for between franchises and between comics, so I really enjoy that. It’s always fresh to look at and fits very well with the story’s aesthetic. The story is written by Charles Soule and is a new and fresh team with Poe and BB-8’s familiar faces. It’s innovative but still familiar enough for the Star Wars veteran.

Characters (New and Old): 

The characters in these first threee issues are probably my favorite thing. They're still going along with the whole "innovative but familiar" vibe in the best sort of way.

Leia Organa

BB-8

Poe Dameron

Black Squadron (L-R) Snap Wexley, Karé Jun, L'ulo, Jess Pava, Oddy Muva

The Crèche

The Crèche Leader

Agent Terex

The Plot (Teaser): 

Poe Dameron is the best resistance pilot there is--which is why he is under the direct command of General Leia Organa. Across the galaxy, people are selling information to the First Order to gain their favor, hopefully before they turn into something as great and evil as the Empire. The resistance has managed to intercept key pieces of the information at stake, and it's become clear that the first order is searching for Luke Skywalker. Leia believes that it's imperative that the resistance find Luke first--she knows of an explorer named Lor San Tekka who travels to sacred Jedi sites and ruins and might have information on where Luke may be. She believes him to be still alive and sends Poe to his last known location to try and track him down. Poe rounds up his most trusted allies--Black Squadron--and they head out to find him. When they get to the site, Poe breaks off from the crew to find that the underground of the planet is inhabited by the Crèche, a people who devote their lives to taking care of their "savior unborn," a big glowing egg strung up from the ceiling. They divulge that Lor San Tekka had been there but left some time ago. While Poe is trying to gain their trust (and their information on Tekka), Agent Terex of the first order shows up with an army. With Poe trapped below, Black Squadron is having a hard time fighting off the First Order's aircraft. Low on fuel and communications down; things look bad for the resistance. But suddenly wait--what the heck?!

?!?!

???!!!!!???!??!!

Find out what on God's green Earth those things are and how Black Squadron is going to get back to the Resistance in Marvel's Poe Dameron.

Favorite Part:

My favorite part of all three issues is tied between two moments.

In one panel, Leia is lecturing Poe for his reckless eagerness to get out there and fight the first order. She warns him that they could one day be like the empire and that he'd better be careful as he doesn't know exactly what he's dealing with.

My second favorite part is the almost-reference to The Wizard of Oz because everyone likes a good crossover.

"I'll get you, Poe Dameron! And your little droid too!"

Recommended?

YES. I recommend this comic for Star Wars fans of all ages, shapes, sizes, and knowledge. It's a good place to start if you're just getting into the fandom (or if you're just now starting to read comics) or if you're a more seasoned veteran. Everyone will love the wit, the suspense, and the familiar humor. Soule and Noto did a fantastic job, and I couldn't have dreamed of a better comic.

Gosh, Molly, did you dislike ANYTHING?

Alright alright, so when you get to the big glowing monster guys, it's very unclear what's going on and I don't feel it was resolved too well. It confused me, and I read it over three different times, yet I'm still lost. So, there were some drawbacks, but nothing I would say makes the series any less worth reading.

Conclusion:

The comic has great art, a great story line, and a unique cast of characters. The story line is new, but not out of character for anyone and doesn't throw any timelines out of whack. The hard copies aren't too expensive. Issue one is $4.99 and issues two and three are $3.99 so the prices are pretty streamlined with the rest of Marvel's sales. The new issue will be out July 6th so you better hurry!

This post has been brought to you by my undying love for Poe Dameron.

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