Switched at Birth - I Lock the Door Upon Myself

Things really started to heat up in this week's episode.

Daphne had to deal with this dude Mingo who kept pulling pranks on her dorm wing. First he set off a stink bomb, then he flooded their bathroom. I don't know what the deal is with this dude but that kind of stuff isn't funny. So they had some kind of dorm wing triathlon and of course Daphne's wing won. At the end of it all it looked like Mingo and Daphne might have some thing starting between them. I just really hope they don't get together. She needs to stay away from him because he seems lie bad news.
Daphne also had some problems with her roommate. I thought this situation was interesting. We actually got to see the struggles of someone that knows sign language, but isn't deaf. It just found it interesting that Iris felt the same way that Daphne felt in her Chem class. I liked that we got to see Iris's perspective. Also good to see roommate bonding. I almost shed a tear.

Things are still rough for Bay. She almost got her artwork put on display by this art association but because of her criminal record, it didn't happen. It also didn't help that she straight up lied to the them for the whole meeting until the end. There's still a part of me that can't feel bad for her because she made this decision and she said it herself that she wouldn't do anything differently. She just going to have to deal with the consequences.
Also, her relationship is going to be on the rocks. Emmett went and almost got himself an LA bae. This girl Skye kissed him, even though she has a boyfriend herself! I mean, what was she thinking?! She really makes no sense. Emmett comes home next week and I don't think it's going to be a good visit.
The part about her whole situation was that sibling mud fight they had in the end. It was nice to see them having fun and being happy for once.

I was just talking about how I wondered what John would be doing with his life and we got a glimpse of it last night. At first, he was all ready to go back school, but things changed. Now, he's going to be helping Travis with baseball since he's, somehow, amazing at it. I bet John will become the baseball coach for the college. Then he'll try to Travis into the Major League.

And now to the steamiest scene of the night! Regina and Eric did the deed! The chemistry between these two is ridiculous and it was only a matter of time before they kissed. I really like Eric and not just because he's a little cutie. He's been through what Regina's going through and I'd rather be with someone that gets her than not. They both have kids and lost a spouse. They're perfect.

The pot is boiling! This week was good and next week it gets real. From the looks of the promo, some serious stuff is going to go down with Bay. I don't know if I'll be able to take it because I was already tearing up just watching the promo. Get your tissues ready.

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Switched at Birth - Bracing the Waves

Daphne seems to be having a rough time, as well as Bay, and Kathryn, and Regina. Everyone seems to be having a rough time in this episode.
I really don't have time for Daphne's chemistry professor. I mean, no food or drinks, or even gum! Oh and you have to dress a certain way in her class. I would've been like, "welp, this isn't the class for me" and chucked up the deuces. This professor don't play and she'll probably be the best thing to ever happen to Daphne or the worst, no in between. And her study group is full of jerks! I was so mad when they played her like that and met without her. But thank God for Josh. Everything he said was on point. It's a shame Daphne didn't feel that way and fired him, but thankfully she came to her senses. Even though they only want her for her advanced notes, I'm glad Daphne's study group came to their senses as well.

Things ended well with Daphne but not so much with Bay and Emmett. They really can't catch a break. On top of being miles and time zones away from each other, they can't talk because Bay keeps getting her phone taken away while at community service. This long distance is truly a test to their relationship and if they can't make it through this, can they really make it at all? Hopefully they can because I really want to see what happens when Bay gets to LA. I'd really love to see how they deal with living together and all that.
Bay's also not having a great time at community service with her new "friend", Tess. That girl messed around and made Bay go in that smelly, disgusting tunnel and she also broke her phone. If it was me I would've punched her square in her face and I wouldn't of said anything when that cop came over and asked about it, too. Bay is better than me though. I feel like these two are going to end up being friends and that would be interesting as long as it isn't the same type of friendship that Bay had with that girl Zarra some seasons ago. I could see Bay moving in with her if Bemmett doesn't work out. We  shall see.

Now Kathryn's meeting with that movie producer seemed to go well until she left the room and the guy tried to get money from John. I felt really bad for her because she was really excited about this potential movie. But Renzo came to the rescue and cheered her up and cheered me up to. It was great seeing him again. And I am so here for the musical! I really hope they do it because I would go see it.

Regina's day started off bad but it all turned out to be a great thing. She finally went back to East Riverside and even though she didn't get a pleasant greeting she ended up getting a job out of it. Can we talk about Eric Bishop and how I already like him and want Regina to go on a date with him and even if it doesn't workout that they continue to have a great work relationship. I think they have chemistry and I want him to stick around for a while. And he should be NOTHING like Wes.

I liked this episode. It was great seeing old friends like Renzo and Tank. I'm getting more of a feel of how the season is going to go and I think it could be really interesting. I think they go in some cool directions and I'm excited for it. Now I really want to see what's happening with Toby and John. How is Toby doing with his music. Is he getting more gigs? And what is John doing with his life other than the car wash? How will he take it when Kathryn tells him the idea about the musical?
What did you guys think of the episode?

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Selma (2014)

Synopsis
This movie tells of the efforts of Martin Luther King Jr to get the voting rights act passed in 1965. There is a huge focus on the march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.

My Verdict
I went to see this when it came out in my area (January 9th), and have finally been able to put into words how I felt about it. It was so unbelievable that it left everyone in the theater speechless! I was just so overwhelmed with emotions that I couldn't even put it into words. I had tears in my eyes throughout the entire film. It was just that good. It was captivating, emotional, honest, and so necessary. From the moment it began I was in it and couldn't look away.
Let's talk about the acting. David Oyelowo played that role! I couldn't go on without saying that. But really, all the acting was amazing, from the big roles to the smaller ones. Carmen Ejogo as Coretta was a wonderful casting choice. We didn't see her a lot, but she brought it when we did. Her performance was amazing.
I want to talk about Ava DuVernay, the cinematographer, Bradford Young and how amazing they are! The way this film was shot blew me away. There were just so many scenes that left me in awe. The eye that these people have is just ridiculous. I love it!
Costumes, hair and make up all deserve awards. They did a fantastic job giving us that 60's feel. When I first saw Carmen Ejogo I was like "oh my gosh, she is Coretta." Whoever had anything to do with that rocks!
The smartest thing about this movie is that it focuses on this one event in MLK's life and not his whole life and the civil rights movement. We've all seen those movies like that and they try to cram so much into them and it's a lot. This film did not do that and I think that's why it was so good. They were able to spend less time making sure they got everything in and more time on showing this portion of history in the best way. And it was something different and so refreshing. It was so nice not to see the same thing that we've been getting over and over and over. So bravo on that and bravo all around.

I really have no complaints about this movie. We didn't even hear any of MLK's famous speeches and I wasn't even bothered by that. This was one of the best movies of the year - no, the best! This film and everyone involved deserves to be nominated for everything and I hope they win everything that they're nominated for. I'm keeping my figures crossed for Ava DuVeray to get nominated for an Oscar and when it happens, oh the tears will fall! 10/10 hands down! Please go see this movie and take everyone you know with you.

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Switched at Birth - And It Cannot Be Changed

Switched at Birth is back and it was everything I ever wanted it to be.
There is a part of me that feels bad for her. She has to go through all this and she didn't even do anything. Plus, Daphne is all up in her face trying to make up for it, but it's just not working. There is also another, bigger part of me that just wants to yell at Bay "YOU DID THIS TO YOURSELF!" She decided to take the fall for Daphne, but she didn't have to do it. She really wasn't thinking about herself when she did it which is really selfless, but now she's thinking of herself. And I'm pretty sure she's mad at herself for taking the fall and just directing all of her energy on Daphne because she's around.
And while we're on the topic of anger towards Daphne, how about that scene with her and Toby?! First the cold shoulder, then he just let her have it. Oh and I can't forget about what Emmett said to her. People have lost all chill and I love it. I'd rather have them telling Daphne how they feel now, then to walk around like nothing is wrong and then letting her have it.
I really can't wait to see what Bay does once she's off house arrest, especially now that she has 100 extra days of probation. I wonder if her and Emmett will still be together at that point. Hate to burst any Bemmett fan's bubble but long distance relationships are hard. We'll see if they get through it or not.

Now let's talk about Daphne. I figured that she wasn't ready to go away for school when she was at UMKC (That's what the school is called, right?) I mean, did anyone expect her to leave? And it looks like she's not going to have an easy time at UMKC with that Chemistry professor. She also might have a hard time with her new interpreter, Josh. But what I want to know is why he is so strongly against that professor. I mean, what awful thing did she do to him to make him hate her so much?!
I am a little worried about how Daphne is going take all this truth. My fear is that she's going to spin out of control again like she did when Angelo died. My hope is that she realizes how much she hurt everyone and makes a sincere apology. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.

I'm really excited about this season. I feel like this show has really stepped their game up and I don't see any slowing down. Let me know what you guys thought of the episode and what you think will happen this season.

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2014 Review and Updates for 2015

Movies
I feel like my movie game hasn't been up to par lately. I really wanted to post a review once a week but I couldn't because of work and other things. In the new year my hope is that I will post a movie review at least once a month, I'm also hoping that I can get to the theater more often, then I will be able to post more. Here are the movies I'm looking forward to in 2015.

Selma - January 19th
Project Almanac - January 30th
Focus - February 27th
Insurgent - March 20th
Home - March 27th
Avengers: Age of Ultron - May 1st
Pitch Perfect - May 15th
Jurassic World - June 12th
Ant Man - July 17th
Fantastic Four - August 7th
The Maze Runner: Scorch Trials - September 28th
The Jungle Book - October 9th
Mockingjay Part 2 - November 20th
Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens - December 18th


TV:
Well I have a lot to say about TV this year. I feel like this is where all my focus went and that wasn't a bad thing.

Awesome New Shows
How To Get Away With Murder - I mean did that last episode not rock you to the core?!
The Flash - Wasn't sure if I would watch at first but glad I did. Barry and Iris are so cute! (WestAllen shipper here!)
black-ish -Just plain hilarious
Jane the Virgin - So hilarious and so ridiculous. I love it!

Thoughts On My Old Shows
Scandal -  reminiscent of earlier years to me. I thought that season 3 was a little weird, but I am thoroughly enjoying season 4.

Sleepy Hollow - started off with a bang and fell off the wagon a little bit. I won't go into to big of a rant, but all those who watch know exactly what I'm talking about. Things got shaky after episode 6 and never got quite back to normal. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a better back half. So, yes, I will keep watching unless something goes terribly wrong and I can't take it anymore.

Out With The Old
I've sadly given up on The 100, Agents of SHIELD and all music competitions shows (except for The Sing Off) and any competition show in general. I don't have time for them.

In With The New (and some old)
Switched at Birth - January 6th, new night!
The Fosters - January 5th
Have and Have Nots - January 6th
Empire - January 7th, Haven't decide on live or DVR viewing yet
Grey's Anatomy - January 29th, My Thursdays belong fully to Shondaland now!

Reviews
Will still review Scandal and Switched at Birth but they might be up later than usual. With my job and other things I may be doing in the new year, my reviews may be up later than I want, but I will still put them out. If it were up to me they would be up by noon the next day but that's just not going to happen.
As for Glee, I plan on just doing one review after the season is finished. There may be a surprise review here and there if something huge happens in an episode, but there won't be a review for each individual episode.

Remember to follow me on Twitter for post updates and live tweeting at KiaCherise.

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The Maze Runner (2014)

Synopsis

Thomas (Dylan O'Brien) wakes up and finds himself in an elevator crate that takes him up to this land without any memory of how he got there or even his name. He is greeted by Ably (Aml Ameen) and many other boys. He quickly finds out they are all trapped on this land and the only way out is through the maze. Thomas helps them as they figure a way out of this place. This is based on the book of the same name.

My Verdict
My first thoughts on this movie were 'wow it's all male, that's different' and I liked how diverse the group was. I liked the beginning, but as it went on it went in a direction that I was not expecting. You could consider that a good thing but there was something missing for me. I don't know if it has anything to with the fact that I didn't read the book or not but something about it fell flat. I think it was the ending, which I will say did a good job of leaving me with questions and making me want to see more. I think one of the things the movie didn't was make me feel really bad for these boys. I mean, I felt bad them, but not bad enough. I think that if they spent more time on the land showing how they're struggling then I would've felt differently. They spent a lot of time in the maze and not enough time showing the boys on the land and what the runners (the people that actually go in the maze) had to go through. I just didn't have this strong feeling in the end to help these boys as compared to my want to help Katniss in her movement in the "Hunger Games" movies.
For this, I'm giving it a 7/10. I did like it and want to see more, but not enough that I'll be flocking to the theater at midnight. I'm guessing I should read the books before I see any more of these movies.

Spoilers
I want to talk a little bit about the WCKD people and the ending. I wish I knew more about them! I want to know what their agenda is. I know they are trying to save the world but why are they putting these boys through these tests and why boys? And why was Teresa the only girl? I really want to hate them like I hate Coin (Hunger Games) and Jeanine (Divergent) but I don't. I wasn't given enough information on them to hate them. And I know I probably shouldn't be comparing this to all the other dystopian YA novel movies but I just don't know another way to describe how I feel. I'd also really like to know why they needed those robot spider things!

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State of Affairs - Pilot & Secrets and Lies

Charlie Tucker (Katherine Heigl) is a former CIA officer who now works as a briefer for the President of the United State, Constance Payton (Alfre Woodard). These two have a personal connection because Charlie used to be engaged to Constance's son, but he was killed by, what it seems, a very powerful terrorist. The events of that night are coming back to haunt her. Someone is ending her messages with information about that night that only she and a few other people know. So she has to deal with that and the day to day problems from her job.

The pilot episode was very intense and started off with a bang. A lot happened and I felt like I needed to watch the episode a second time just to completely get it. The episode was kind of all over the place but the second one was better. This is your typical procedural crime drama show. It looks like in each episode we'll see Charlie and the POTUS dealing with a problem and Charlie will also have to deal with finding the truth about why her fiance was killed.
As of right now it looks like I will continue to watch this show. There is an interesting twist that has me very interested in what will happen this season. Also, there isn't anything else that comes on at that time so there's no conflict with that. And, it's really nice seeing Alfre Woodard play the POTUS. It just makes me so happy. I really want this show to do well and it has the potential to, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Let me know what you guys thought if you watched it.

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