Final Con(sense)us

It's hard to believe that after this week's post, I will have completed 15 different summaries of the many shows one could find on Netflix. More than that, it's unbelieveable how much Netflix I watch as I can honestly say that while I've completed 15 series, that it not my final count. That's a lot of hours spent in bed with a screen and I'm thinking I should just apply for Netflix's editorial analysis team so I could at least get paid.

While a lot of my previous post are heavy in the genre of drama, there is one sci-fi series that I have come to know and love. The show is called sense 8 which is really just a play on words to descibe a group of people known as sensates. These individuals are special as they have the ability to connect to other sensates both emotionally and mentally. This means that even when they are carrying out their daily lives and activities in one place, they could also be somewhere across the world with whomever they are connecting to at the time. The best way to explain this would be similiar to that of an out of body experince. While they might be physically present in one place, their mind and soul might be elsewhere, yet somehow they also have some physicality in this other place.

The shows opens by showing the life of a women named Angelica who is going though a hard time and faces a tragedy. The series reveals that she is the birth mother to the sensates and for their whole lives, her children have these memories of her with no explanation as to who she is and why they experience these vision-like depictions of her. Now that the sensates are adults, one in particular named Will is starting to piece together an explanation for what is going on.

As a police officer, Will treats the tragedy of Angelica as a crime to be solved. As he continues to investigate her tragedy, he learns more and more about who she is, who he is, and what it means to be a sensate. Overtime, his knowledge is spread to the other sensates that he is connected to and all eight of them start to realize what it means to be a senate.

While a good portion of the plot is seeing these sensate further develop their ability so that they can better connect to one an other and be there for each other, the biggest problem here is an organization known as the biological protaction organization (BPO). This organization's main leader is referred to as Whisper as he is silent in his approaches and able to sneak around  to hunt down any and every sensate for his personal study and research. He is very good at what he does and is ultimately the reason Angelica faced the trouble that she did. Even though she worked very closely with Whispers, it was clear that she too would be just another victim of his study.

The show is incredibly interesting and fun to watch. There is so much character development to be seen. Yet the best part, is the general concept. The idea that there could be a subset of humans with this hidden power is captivating. It's a two season series so if you start now, you could most likely be done by the time the semester ends. It'll make a good filler for all that finals free time.

If you're still not convinced, enjoy this clip of the opening scene that had me hooked.

Finding Bomber Internally

If you love drama, action, and romance, I've got your next Netflix binge. Considering that I am a political science major, I love anything related to law and criminal justice. This explains why so many of the shows I've previously covered contain these themes like Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder, and The Confession Tapes. If you too enjoy shows and genres as these, you should watch the show Quantico.

Quantico is the headquarters for FBI training. In this show, we first meet Alex Parrish, a young woman and trainee who meets Ryan Booth on her flight to Quantico. Just after their travel time together, they have sex and Alex walks away as the mysterious girl who has Ryan all figured out. Even though she thought she would never see this man again, she was mistaken.

As Alex arrives at Quantico for the start of her training, she notices Ryan and there begins their journey together. During her time at Quantico, she also becomes friends with trainees Shelby White, a set of twins Raina and Nimah, Simon, and Caleb. It is the weeks of challenges, moments spent freely from training, and formation of bonds that brings all these individuals together as great friends.

At Quantico, they are pushed emotionally, physically, and mentally. The challenges they are given aren't always the most clear cut tasks. The training always seems to push the trainees to their limit and force them to come out on top. The competition, testing, and prying is what makes for much of the action. Trainees are pinned against each other to make enemies and when it's all said and done, they have to find a way to maintain that civility and friendship.

The romance comes in as the trainees grow closer and closer in their experiences together. There are sparks between Alex and Ryan, Shelby and Caleb, and Raina and Simon. However, if you make it to season two, these relationship become much more complicated, making even more drama.

What I love most about this show is its ability to have you completely drawn in. You never know what to expect and when you start to make generalizations and conclusions, a lot of the time, the plot gets flipped on its head. There's so much drama and action that it's really difficult to find yourself bored.

I don't necessarily have a preferred season, but I will say that season two was so good! Season one was developed well and was really entertaining while season two was so awesome that I could not stop watching. In season two, all the trainees have graduated and started their own lives as agents. The season opens with a scene of a bombing in which Alex is at the center of it all (typical). As this bombing is covered in media, they report it is the result of a terrorist which starts the hunt for the bomber.

Throughout the season, Alex does her best to get the light of herself as she is named the terrorist for being at the forefront of the bombing and eventually works to not only clear her name but solve the crime.

If this seems interesting to you, I would definitely recommend for you to get started. If you're still not convinced or want to know a little more, enjoy this clip that takes you behind the scenes!

A Doctor's Drama

Thank you Shonda Rhimes for yet another TV series for me to obsess over. In my pervious posts, I've talked about two of her other popular shows, Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder, both involving powerful female leads who are attorneys.

Now, if you're not an attorney and pursuing law school, what are doing? That rights taking the opposite route of  pursuing medical school and being a doctor. One of Shonda's most popular show Grey's Anatomy, is all about this pursuit. A group of students start their lives as interns at Seattle Grace hospital never realizing just how much all their lives would change from this one place.

We know Shondra loves a strong female character and despite the fact that this show is full of bold, bright women, this role is best fit to Meredith Grey. After all, the show is named after her. Meredith Grey has big shoes to fill as she pursues her career as a surgeon following the legacy of her mother Ellis Grey. During her time, Ellis did innovative research and studies that would allow her to win the prestigious Harper Avery award. Even though Ellis was very accomplished, this came at the cost of her relationship with her daughter. Meredith loved her mother and was clearly inspired as she followed in her footsteps, but there is a lot of hurt from her childhood memories and her mother's later battle with Alzheimers.

Even though there is lots of pain and misery in Meredith's life, there is also lots of greatness and joy. It is at Seattle Grace that Meredith meets her best friends Izzy Stevens, Alex Karev, George O'Malley, Christina Yang and the love of her life Derek Shepherd. Meredith and all her friends are in the same boat as fresh interns and together get through the journey of becoming surgeons.

In this friend group, there's obviously drama, love triangles, good times and bad times. Sadly, the end looks nothing like the beginning. When I say that Meredith is the strong female lead, the keyword is strong. Throughout the show, Meredith faces so much tragedy, it's hard to believe that she is able to pick herself back up and keep going.

I will admit, given that there are 14 seasons, it can be a very difficult show to power through. However, for me, it has always been worth it. There are so many action packed episodes that will leave you on the edge of your seat fully engaged and unable to stop yourself from watching the next part. There are episodes that will have you crying into your ice cream hysterically. Like any other show, there are episodes that you just have to get through to get to the really good part.

If you haven't seen this show yet and decide to start, you are in for a journey. I hope it will be one that you will enjoy as much as I have.

After 14 seasons, it was very difficult for me not to spoil a thing or find videos that also did not, so enjoy this video of the actors on the show struggling to get through the medical terms that get tossed around in the show.

Comic Comes To Life

Unless you were a young boy with a nerdy dad or uncle, there's a very slim chance that you grew up reading comics. I for one will admit that I never read a comic unless it was one of those cheesy ones out of the newspaper (do those even count?). We've seen comics come to life with movies like all the marvel or DC inspired films like Avengers, The Hulk, or Batman. However, what would a comic look like if it took the form of a television show? Thanks to the CW network, one of the latest versions of this being done is the production of the show Riverdale based on the Archie comics.

Now, I have no clue what the Archie comics are. I could not tell you what it's about and whether or not the show does a sufficient job of portraying this comic, but I will say that the first season of this show is great! If you're curious about this comic and it's background, the video below touches on it better than I could.




Just to set the scene of this show (especially if you didn't wish to watch the video), Riverdale is pretty much suburbia to lots of different families. The place is one of those small towns where everyone knows everyone and word gets around pretty fast. The new girl on the block is Veronica Lodge and with her arrival comes the start to a love triangle between her, Betty Cooper, and Archie Andrews. However, the more important thing here is the mysterious drowning of Jason Blossom, brother to the uptight and sassy Cheryl Blossom.

Much of the plot of season one is the uncovering of the death of Jason Blossom and there's so many different ideas being thrown out, and of course no one wants to rule out his "dear" sister. Or was it FP Jones (Jughead's dad)? How about criminal dad Hiram Lodge? Maybe it's Fred Andrews. Regardless of all the possibilities that get tossed around, Betty Cooper, the Nancy Drew of the show as she's a writer for her school newspaper has to find out. This is where she meets Jughead Jones, another passionate writer for the newspaper. Together they work to try to unveil all the truths and secrets of Jason's death.

Beyond the big mystery, there much drama happening with this love triangle. Archie is the all American boy; you know the football captain, that's also a sweetheart and can even play the guitar because he's so much more than a jock. How could anyone not like this kid? Even though Betty is coming close to admitting her crush, between her mother and Veronica, winning this boy seems impossible.

To add to the drama, everyone has secrets and it won't be long before they come to the surface. What's going on with the Blossom family? What kind of a man is Hiram Lodge and what is it that Hermione is protecting? What ever happened between FP and Fred Andrews? If you want to know any of this, you better start watching!

Power Beyond the President

To be a person whose aura commands respect and order is a skill that not everyone can have. It takes a strong individual to achieve such a thing and it seems that most of the people who do, are men. This may not be the case for you, but there is a huge difference when dad comes home rather than mom. There's this acceptance that dad had been working and dealing with being able to provide, so when he walks though that door, all shenanigans cease, we enter into our best behavior, and be good children. With mom, we know we can have all the fun we want and be a little crazy as long as we follow the rules. To be a woman who could command such order and respect is commendable and requires a level of power.

Olivia Pope is a the kind of woman that knows how to get people to do as she pleases and respect her without really having to be all that assertive. In some ways, Olivia is a force to not be reckoned with. But how did this come to be?

Olivia is the daughter to a mother and father who were well accomplished in their works. One was a part of a secret task force within the government and the other an infamous assassin. Both her parents recognized the importance of power; it is how we get people to do what we want. Sometimes this means forcing their hand or not even having to try because you're just that good.  With such accomplished parents who understood this principle, how could their child not be destined for greatness.

Now that you get a sense of who Olivia is, can you guess what she does for a living? If it wasn't all that obvious, Olivia is an attorney. Her firm has a great reputation and along with her three associates they are able to tackle almost any case it seems. Being a former White House employee, Olivia almost always has access to the big guns. An associate and former government spy Huck is able crack the codes and do the messy work. Abby is well equipped with a arsenal of knowledge in law. Harrison is just skillful; he knows how to manipulate and extort information.

The show in which these character take place is called Scandal. It's another ABC Shonda Rhimes creation and it is just as masterful as her other shows. The title is too accurate and appropriate. The show is full of scandals and the biggest of them all being exposed within the White House and involving big players, even the president. The show is full of drama so you'll seldom be bored. Trust me, there is a lot of come of power dynamics between big players in government, powerful individuals like Olivia Pope, and some of the extremist action in the show. You won't wanna miss out on Olivia's journey from campaign manager, to White House employee, to attorney, to powerful mistress, and campaign manager yet again. However, I will admit that some of the plot in which I cannot disclose is drawn out and overdone. Otherwise, it's a great show for you next binge!

Here is a parody video, but to really make the connection to the show, you better start watching!

For Lovers of the Law

As a society, overtime, how we view crime has changed in so many ways. If you don't believe me, check out this graphic.

                                                       Image Provided by Richard Felson

As you can see, crimes related to sex were such a big deal when people actually valued marriage. However, we all know that the sexual revolution changed our values about sex and suddenly premarital sex was not seen as harshly. Now, we constantly see instances of premarital sex and if you're the 40 year old virgin, what a shame! Even adultery is an act that we see too much of. If anything hasn't really changed, it's our views of murder.

If I were to ask any of you what is the worst crime a person can commit, a decent majority of people would say murder (feel free to comment and attest to this or not). As humans, we cannot ration the ability to take life away from another person. It's such a cynical, dark, and heinous crime.

Although some of us could never commit murder (or so we think), we rather fantasize about it. I'm not talking about planning our very own murder or dreaming about it, but filling our lives with shows, movies, stories, and conspiracies that often cover the topic of murder. This concept is just intriguing to us.

As a college student, I love being able to take classes that interest me (who doesn't) and as a political science major, I'm also taking classes like criminology and criminal justice. If you can relate, imagine that after signing up for one of these classes, you walk in for the first day of class and see six dreadful words on the chalk board. It reads, "how to get away with murder". How would you feel? The concept of learning ways to execute murder with no punishment seems insane. However, this is exactly what takes place in the show.

Annalise Keating is a well established lawyer and professor who is good at her job. She has made name for herself by being one of the most successful, brutal and, fierce attorneys. Her classroom truly is a space that tests your ability to be a attorney. By the end of the week, she will choose a student to represent her and the firm in a suit as well as four other to be hired on.

A group of five students make a lot of headway in her class, so they are primarily being chosen as her representatives. As they are given the chance to learn by such a talented individual as well as put her lessons into practice, they grow. But could these students really being learning how to get away with murder?

Rather than get into the details about the show and give up some of the suspense, I'll leave it to you. If you love a good drama with plenty of surprises, twists, and cliffhangers, this is the show to watch. It was practically addicting to me and will most likely be the case for you if you have a great interest in the topic or even just interest in law.

This trailer does a great job of giving the details I simply cannot provide. Enjoy!

Above Average Boy

Cargo pants? Check. 100% cotton collared shirt? Check. White socks with new balance sneakers? Check. There it is; the typical boy. Sam may look like the average Joe but there is so much more to him than that.

In fact, he's a lot more atypical than the average high school boy. Instead of an obsession with sports or video games, Sam loves penguins, He spends his time reading and learning more and more about them as well as their habitat any chance he can. Sam also has yet to have his first kiss, first love, and has no clue how he would even go about it. Another reason why Sam is so different, many of his reactions and responses are inappropriate. Like the time he yelled twat in the high school hallway or the time he finally got that kiss and punched the girl. With all this, people just can't seem to get over how weird kid is.

Sam may be different and have some of the most unusual responses but it's not because he's a freak; Sam is autistic. Many of these meltdowns and responses are completely out of his control and due to his condition. The whole show is centered around Sam's experiences with autism and most especially as his families pushes him to pursue a life just as any other person would.

This is why Sam is on the hunt for a girlfriend. The only way he knows is cheesy online pickup lines, intense planning, all the tips he can get from his dad, and the advice of his therapist. Sam asks his therapist some of the most specific question and what she has yet to understand is this is because Sam has a huge crush on her. However, getting past the boyfriend and taking this relationship from professional to romantic isn't going to be that simple.

Sam thinks he has to get a practice girlfriend so he can learn what love is supposed to be like and apply that to his chances with his therapist.

While Sam is going through all these changes, so is everyone else. His sister is starting and exploring a love of her own all while she dedicates herself to protecting Sam and excelling in track. The father is finally making progress in his relationship with Sam where he can finally spend quality time with him, understand him, and bond in a way they could not before. Sam's mother is also going a huge change and sadly this one is not as positive. She meets a man who intrigues her and entices her enough to where she is constantly tempted, distracted, and forgetful of her family. All of these dynamics make for most of the drama in this series and shape Sam as well.

This show is not only entertaining but I think it's great because it really does it's best to portray what autism could be like and especially for someone in high school where social standards are so prevalent. Sam is a very humorous, kind, and smart person and his character is great to watch.

Enjoy the show and this clip!

Miracle of Life

For many of us, the thought of kids is not one we remotely consider--at least not now. We've all just started a while new chapter of our lives that will lead us to successful careers (hopefully), graduate studies, or even a new trade. To have a child that requires countless hours of care would completely derail us of all the plans we currently have. However, children are a beautiful thing to welcome into this world, and we can only hope that if we were faced with the chance to bring in a new life, we would be willing to do so.

For Jane, the main character of Jane the Virgin, the announcement of her pregnancy was not only extremely unusual but also came at what was a crucial time in her life. Jane was currently working at the Marbella hotel and pursuing a relationship with the love of her life Michael. When I say the pregnancy was alarming and unusual, that is for a couple reasons. For one, the child was not Michael's and secondly, Jane was a virgin.

So, you might be wondering how does a virgin get pregnant? Surely this isn't another plot of the Virgin Mary. Well, it's incredibly complicated but I will do my best to explain. The hotel that Jane works by is owned and ran by her boss, Rafael and his wife, Petra. Rafael and Petra do not share the best of marriages and so at this time, there is some slight romance going on between Jane and Rafael. When Jane goes to her gynecologist for her check up, Rafael's sister Luisa, the doctor, accidentally inseminates Jane in mistake of Petra. The two look nothing alike but Luisa was so troubled her bad judgement set the stage for a really sticky situation.

We have Jane who is romantically linked to Michael with a slight crush on Rafael as well as his baby. Petra, the fierce and angry wife who has some plans up her sleeve. This only makes up for a lot of the action of this show but I will say there is so much more.

Although it might seems as if I have set most of the plot out for you, I swear I have only set the stage. If you couldn't already guess, Jane welcomes this child into her life regardless of the timing and all the complications that arise in what seems to be a love square (Rafael, Jane, Petra, and Michael). Throughout the show ther is so much development in most of the characters and especially Jane, Rafael and Michael. Jane's bonds with these two men grow and wither as time passes and the child get closer to life. This is the very reason that as a viewer, you are either #TeamMichael or #TeamRafael.

If you love a drama with lots of action and surprises and also don't mind a bit of romance, this could easily be your next Netflix binge. Also, the show narrator as well as Jane's grandmother, speak Spanish so if you'd like to learn a bit more this show could also provide that opportunity.

Enjoy this funny clip about why you should be #TeamMichael

Start of Something New (NOT HSM)

Doomsday, Armageddon, the apocalypse, or Judgement day, whatever you call it; it’s the end of the fu***ing world (oops am I allowed to even say that?). There are a number of views surrounding what this day will look like. Its is the day that ends the world as we know it. A day of mass destruction and one to put an end to human civilization. So I ask, what does this day look like to you?

For those who are religious, this is the day the Lord returns for his people and makes his last judgements on our lives. In regard to doomsday, did you know there's a clock? As I was looking into this theory of our downfall, I noticed just about over a week ago, doomsday and it's clock made a big hoot in media. It seems that this theory is more focused on nuclear power and the ability to end life as we know it.

No matter what you call it or what you believe, what does this day look like for you? I know we cannot tell the future and know what it would be like, but do you imagine yourself being alive for this day? How old will you be? Where will you be? Will you be alone or with the people you love?

Well, imagine you're with a complete stranger. Now, what does this look like? At some point do you separate? Why are the two of you together in all this? If you've been keeping up with some of the latest Netflix series, then you know that it's to fuel a dynamic duo relationship on adrenaline and romance.

If you couldn't already guess it, the show I'm choosing to cover for this week is titled the end of the fu***ing world and tells a story of two young teens, Alyssa and James and their reckless journey together. Alyssa is intrigued by James, so during lunch she decided to approach him and not long after, the two start to hang out. Both young teens are troubled by their family relations and soon decide they should run away together. James has a goal that he wishes to accomplish and Alyssa is just simply a bit defiant. She acts out impulsively and doesn't care much about the consequences of her actions. Something the two also share in common. With all this I mind, you almost have to be concerned for how their journey together will turn out.

If I'm being honest, the journey is full of chaos, disaster, frustration, yet they start to grow closer and closer to one another. I don't think either of them considered what it would be like to share time with someone who they could be themselves with. This may not sound like the end of the world, but for these two, it easily could've been. They face some deep troubles at moments throughout the show.
Regardless, being together turned the world upside down for these two and they really started to come to a new understanding. It wasn't the end of the world but a start to something new.

Feel free to watch the trailer here but fair WARNING, it's explicit and I think it gives away too much of the plot.

Twisted Fate of Technology

Imagine what it would be like if every moment of your life was being recorded constantly. You would have the opportunity at any point in the day to go back and recall events just as they were. If you think about it, were halfway there. Snapchat has to be one of the most common apps where we all record events in our lives that seem so important and put it on display for everyone to see. We make sure it's saved in our (Snapchat) memories and overtime have built a video journal of our life.

We are thankful for the technology today that has allowed us to do so but what if we take it a bit further? As the technology industry continues to grow and advance for new ways to engage consumers, what will we see? In 5 years from now, what will this technology look like? What will you and I be able to do that we cannot do now?

If these are the kind of questions you ask yourself, or if the topic of progressive technology is one that intrigues you, then my next best Netflix suggestion is black mirror. This series on Netflix has a number of episodes that each run about an hour long and are not related by any means. Unlike the typical series that drops off with the biggest cliffhangers so that you'll sit there with your finger on the mouse, full of impulse, ready to hit the big read button that reads "Next episode in 5..4..3", you'll find yourself in complete shock or awe after an episode. You might not want to click that red button because these episodes are the kind that really make you sit back and think.

What is black mirror? Well according to the creator, the name came from the idea that as we watch our screens, when all is powered off, we are glaring back at a literal black mirror. How genius is that?? However, the show is so much more than that. Its an engaging way of considering what life could be like if we had more advanced technology. In almost every episode I've seen, this technology isn't about providing goodness and happiness to society and although it can, there is a dark element. A way in which technology becomes a downfall to humanity in a sense. I can't explain it any better than the creator himself so feel free to watch this video in which he mentions the reasoning behind the title and more about how this show came to be.

BEWARE: In this video, Charlie Brooker, the creator of Black Mirror will mention a couple of the episodes. I don't believe there to be any true spoilers but if you'd rather not know a single thing about any episode, do not watch.



Also, if for some reason you're still imagining what it would be like to have every moment of life recorded for you to come back to at any point, feel free to watch Season 1, episode 3 to find out!

"Shut Your Big Mouth"

Depending on your level of sass and just how much attitude you possessed, it's quite possible that as a child and more specifically, one that is starting to develop and is at the stage or close to becoming a teenager, perhaps when annoyed by someone with too much to say, your response was "shut your big mouth". I mean, at this age curse words are off the list and so this is the nicest way you can say something mean. Around this time, you are more and more emotional and this kind of small outburst is more and more common. Chances are you're going through puberty.

Oh, puberty. What a great time. One in which your body is changing in more way than you can count, but I don't need to explain it all to you right? Hopefully, at some point you took a sexual education course and who doesn't remember all the videos of young teens being an example against teen pregnancy. If your course was just as open as mine, maybe you even got the gnarly images of what STD's look like. That's something teenage me wishes she didn't have to see.  Either way, sexual education is important but is this really the best way.

What if I were to tell you that there was a Netflix series for this. No, it's not a documentary and not as formal as you're probably imagining. In fact, it is a Netflix created series that is animated and talks a lot about puberty and what teen experience as they face this time. What makes it even better, its actually pretty funny. Enjoy this trailer! BUT, before you do, beware that this trailer and the show itself is pretty explicit.




While the content in my opinion is for a matured audience, I love that there is now a show that talks through and shows all of what puberty is. This show does not hold back and is very straight forward. It does not try to water down some of the dilemmas that young teens experience at this time. I think this is just great because it allows viewers to better connect and say "yeah I've been there before" and it's so humorous that you can't help but laugh. I think that because this show exists, it also allows people to feel as if they're not alone in their experience and it's okay because we all go through it in some form or another. Sadly, the explicit nature of it would make it a not so great show to use to teach children and young teens.

This series is a very short one as well. It's 10 episodes long and each episode is about 22 minutes. This is definitely a weekend blowout show or one you could just binge for a day. If the topic or explicit nature is one that would make you feel uncomfortable than you're best skipping out. But considering we are now adults, you can choose to watch this show to enjoy it for it's humor.

Merry Halloween!

Merry Christmas! Now that we've blown past spooky season and reached November, it's time for Christmas. The lights, the tree, Christmas music, hot chocolate, warm fresh cookies, gingerbread houses, and lets not forget those beautiful decorative reefs. Or is it too soon?

Well, just yesterday when I began to open just about every social media platform I had an account with, (Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat) I began to see numerous people playing their favorite Christmas tunes or dedicating a post just to say "Merry Christmas!". I was surprise at just how many people seemed to skip over Thanksgiving. However, it more common than you think.

As a retail associate at TJMaxx, I can attest to the fact that we both received and displayed Christmas items about 2-3 WEEKS ago. They did not even wait for Halloween to pass. While we definitely got our jumpstart in the holiday season, as I returned to work yesterday from last weekend, the first of November brought in the display tables. So we went from having a full section of Christmas to seeing it just about all around the store.

Now, if you're like me and can't help but be overwhelmed by the rush to Christmas following right after Halloween, I have a show that is great and would have been perfect to watch during Halloween but can be watched at anytime really. While I'm assuming most of you have watched this, for those who haven't, please, when you get free time, open your browser or app on your phone to Netflix, search up Stranger Things, and begin!

Also, if you've already seen this but have not had the chance to get started with season two which released just almost a week ago, you too must get started. This season has so many good scenes and surprise and it will not disappoint. Personally, while I tended to favor originals (like Mean Girls over Mean Girls 2), I was so much more immersed in season 2.

If you're needing a reason as to why you should even bother watching, I will say this, the show not only is action packed and will keep you on the edge of your seat or strike your curiosity, but the group of young actors who play such a large role in this show are insanely talented. They are a hilarious group of kids who can not only have fun but really channel a multitude of emotions as part of their character. These young actors and actresses are about 13 to 14, and to see them be so successful and skilled is just amazing. If you needed a reason, that is it.

Now in the spirit of Halloween I have to say, something scarier than zombies, goblins, vampires, and witches is SPOILERS. I will not really go into detail so much about the show and what's going on, instead you simply have to watch and find out for yourself. Since I made the claim that these young actors are talented, I did manage to find a clip to show a hidden talent of actress Millie Brown that talks all about the show. But I will warn, its a season one recap so for those of us who have yet to see season two, enjoy!

"Freaks? Like Circus Freaks?"

For four years of our lives, we spent five days a week and somewhere between 6-9 hours a day in high school. You were a student first but also belonged to a number of groups such as athletics, debate, band, orchestra, student government, and a variety of different clubs. However, no matter how involved you were and where you placed yourself, high school maintains its cliques. Jocks, nerds, cheerleaders and dancers, outcasts, and everyone else. While these might not be the exact labels circling your high school, I'm sure you're familiar with the categorization that took place during those four years. So let me ask, were you a freak or geek?

While I'm fully aware that some of us are so glad to be done with high school and would rather not relive the horrors of teenage drama and struggles that come with academics, Freaks and Geeks, a late 90s series surrounding the high school atmosphere of freaks versus geeks is a great show that will allow to reminisce on all that high school encompassed. The show is very relatable and while it might not capture your very high school experience, you will definitely see scenarios that hit close to home.



However, if you're not motivated by the opportunity to watch a show that is relatable, ladies, this is a great excuse to watch 18 episodes of the young and very good looking James Franco. And of course, he's got the bad boy image to go along with the charming looks. If you're not into young Franco, how about young Jason Segel? He's a real cutie in this series who plays guitar and drums. If you're still not interested, what if I tell you this show also stars the very humorous Seth Rogen? This show was the start for these now very talented actors and it's very cool to see what the beginnings of their career looked like.

Another great thing about this show is the soundtrack. Since it aired in the late 90s, most of the music comes from the early 70s and 80s. It consists of songs from artists like Styx, Van Halen, Janis Joplin, The Who, and KISS. Growing up with parents who loved classic rock, I was all too familiar with this genre of music and it's actually really good if you can appreciate it.

This show also incorporates humor and a little romance. While I could easily provide background into the romance and who finds some loving, I will not. The series is only 18 episodes long, making it very short and easy to blow though. If I were to tell you about it, I fear I'd give away too much and there would be that much less for you to watch.

So, if you enjoy classic rock, the 90s style and era, and a good laugh coupled with slight romance, I highly suggest that you spend a weekend or any free time you have, getting started on Freaks and Geeks. You will not regret it!

Get your Spook on!

It's spooky season! Time for pumpkin carving, haunted houses, horror movies, and when those aren't good enough spooky shows. When I began to think about the show I'd like to cover this week that was the most fitting, I couldn't get my mind off one of my favorite series: The Vampire Diaries.

The Vampire Diaries, a world that connects humans, werewolves, vampires, witches, and many more wonders all within the local town of Mystic Falls. This show centers around the main character, Elena Gilbert, portrayed by actress Nina Dobrev, who goes to Mystic Falls high school with childhood friends Matt Damon, Bonnie Bennett, and Caroline Forbes. They are her rock and the only way she'll get through her senior year after losing both her parents in an accident the year before.

Waiting for her this year, Stefan Salvatore, the mysterious guy who happens to hold so many secrets as well as answers that were never to be found. The very person who changes Elena's life and even the community of Mystic Falls and you have to wonder, why? Who is Stefan Salvatore?

Stefan Salvatore, the new, attractive, and mysterious boy on Mystic Falls campus. No one really seems to know who he is or where exactly he came from. Well, maybe that's because this year is his first year back in a very long time. Stefan Salvatore was a founder to the city of Mystic Falls and although you might wonder how old that makes him, the answer is very old. So how is he pulling off a high school persona? Well, Stefan Salvatore is a vampire whos been alive for hundreds of years and has come back for Elena herself.

Elena resembles a past love in Stefan's life, Katrina Petrova, and for this we must meet her. While their first meeting is simply passing by on the way out the men's bathroom, their first real encounter is very intriguing and dark. Lets take a look.



You can definitely see the spooky vibes from the very beginning of this show! Its perfect for this time and season! So other than spooky vibes, what really makes this show great? Well it's dynamic. It's the vampires, wolves, witches, and all that come into Mystic Falls that make for the action built up in this show. There are great friendships, feuds, fights, and loves developed out of these many actors making it a action packed and captivating show.

While I was in high school, a friend of mine constantly recommended this show to me. She raved on and on about all the drama that's encased within and would tell me all about the epic love story. As a sucker for romance as well as someone who loves a good thriller, I thought, I have to give it a try. So I began watching and before I knew it, I was watching past the placement of my friend who recommended it. Next thing you know, I was faced with the struggle of having watched all Netflix could offer and being stuck to the weekly airing of The CW. I could no longer watch episode after episode in a sitting. I had to watch and yet every time I was at the edge of my seat and wanting more when the show was over, I was immersed.

So if you're in the Halloween spirit and ready for an adventure full of tears, love, and thrill, go to Netflix and watch the pilot. I dare you.

This is Good: I Must Confess

As the weekend rolls in and you find yourself on the browser page of your Netflix account in search of the next show you'll begin to binge watch, it'd like to consider a very interesting series I recently discovered.

Before I get into the details surrounding the series, I'd like to establish that as part of this blog, I will introduce a number of series I have found to be entertaining, intriguing, and great to watch.

The series I selected as part of my first blog post is one that is very short and one you can complete within a weekends time. There are only seven episodes and within the first, you will most likely be drawn in. The series is called... The Confession Tapes. This series is not one of the most popular given that its not a reality TV series or drama but it is a great documentary series about a fluke in our justice system.

When we think about our justice system, the fourth and sixth amendments, the due process of law, we center in on the idea of justice. Is the accused person facing true justice? A justice that holds them accountable for their actions, and if convicted, is sure that they pay for their transgressions. Yet we all know, in trail, a person is innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.

So what is the fluke you may ask? Well according to the episodes of this series, there has been multiple occurrences in which one is found guilty but not beyond reasonable doubt. How is it that our justice system is able to put individuals behind bars for a good portion of their lives or for their entire life without being completely sure they are actually innocent? How do we take life away from someone without considering the possibility that they are indeed innocent and the actually perpetrator is not still out there.

Well, the answer is through confession. This series is all about how our justice system has used confessions or rather false confession to lock behind innocent people. Through intense interrogation, psychological stressors, manipulation, and deprivation of sleep and even food, an interrogator can get a person to say whatever they want them too. Even if you truly believe you would not find yourself confessing to the very crime you know you did not commit, we all have a breaking point. All those showed in the show, hit that breaking point and in that moment, their lives changed forever.

Regardless of lack of physical evidence, merely circumstantial evidence, and air tight alibis, some of these individuals faced a guilty charge with a sentence to life and without the possibility of parole.

This strikes at the morality behind our justice system and the way it goes about interrogation. It is obviously wrong to manipulate people into a prison for the mere purpose of "justice."

If you're one who loves either documentaries or criminal stories and accounts, I recommend this great show as part of your weekend entertainment.