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.

Pic Credit

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!

IMDB page, Pic credit

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.

Full Episodes, Pic credit

Beyond the Lights (2014)

Synopsis
Noni (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is a pop star with a seemingly great life but this great life causes her to try and take her own life by jumping off the balcony of her hotel building. Luckily, her bodyguard Kaz (Nate Parker) comes to her rescue. This is the start of their relationship and they end up changing each other's lives in the process.

My Verdict
In short, I loved it. It is a great romantic drama with a little bit of comedy thrown in. Nate and Gugu gave amazing performances and their chemistry was equally amazing. The whole cast was fantastic. Minnie Driver played Noni's mom, Danny Glover played Kaz's dad, and we even got some Aisha Hines and I love it when she pops up on my screen.
Another great thing about this movie was the soundtrack. I've never wanted to go out and find the soundtrack to a non-musical movie before this one. I will definitely be rocking out to this music in the future. They really did an awesome job with this and I heard that Gugu did all her own singing. This girl has some real talent!
Lastly, I want to talk about the message of this film. It was very much about choosing your own path for yourself and not letting anyone choose it for you. This was definitely a theme for both Kaz and Noni. Both of their parents were forcing them to live their lives in ways that they didn't want to and they both had to learn to live their lives for them and no one else.
Another theme it touched on was depression ans suicide. Like I said above, Noni tried to take her life and she was depressed. The movie really touched on how you need to get help because you want it and not because someone else wants it for you.
Lastly, the movie also touched on the sexualization of woman in the music industry. This was an unspoken theme as it was seen more than said. We really only got one seen were we saw this and that was it. Honestly, I liked it better that way. This movie had the potential to be a PSA with this, but it wasn't. With all the other themes that were in this movie I think that this would've taken it over the top. It would've become just one big PSA instead of a great romantic film.
I'm giving this movie a 10/10.

IMDB page, Pic Credit

Scandal - Where the Sun Don't Shine

There are so many things that I want to comment on with this episode. This is just going to be one long rant that I hope you enjoy.

So Rowan is cleaning house. Dude is packing up and going God knows where. So he scurried off and left Mama Pope in the hole for Olivia to find, which she did. Now Maya will face the consequences of all her crimes. She didn't see that coming though. She really thought Olivia was going to get her off or something, but no. Olivia is so done with her parents at this point. Maya's getting charged and she wants Rowan dead. Jake is still on the hunt for Rowan and tries really hard to find and kill him but he failed, again. Again I'll say, another failed attempt to kill Rowan. The only person that actually came close was Olivia and let's talk about that scene. Holy crap that scene! First off, Rowan lost all his marbles now. Dude went off the crazy deep end last night! This scene was really heartbreaking. Both of them were willing to kill the other. I'm a little shocked that Rowan was shocked Liv pulled the trigger. He had to think that there was a possibility that she would try to kill him. Why else would he bring an empty gun? Also Joe Morton deserves another Emmy for that scene alone. Some truths were said during that conversation. Rowan said that Olivia was acting just like him and she was. I mean, she said it herself that she was handling things just like her father. I think that now that Liv realized what she's become she will change. When we'll fully see that change, who knows since she's been kidnapped! Jake is as much of a super spy as Katrina Crane! (All you Sleepy Hollow fans will get that.) How in the world did he not hear her getting kidnapped?! He sucks!
And now on to that Kubiak guy and Liz. Everything really was connected because Liz and Andrew wanted Fitz to go to war with West Angola. Why, we don't know. But they want this war so bad that they planted the bombing on Andrew and took the one thing Fitz can't live without, Olivia. And now Liv is gone again and we are all wondering, again, where on Earth is Olivia Pope.
Cy's life almost went completely down the drain because Liz leaked those "sexy time pictures" of him and that prostitute. He even gave Fitz his resignation because it seemed like there was nothing else better to do. That scene was so heartbreaking. Cyrus loved that job and it was the closest thing to him being president. But in the end Olivia gave him the epic pep talk he needed to do what had to be done so he could stay in the white house.
Must mention Quinn and Charlie. These two, these two. I don't know how I feel about their relationship but at least something good came out of it with those B613 files. Maybe now Huck's wife can understand what happened to him and maybe he'll be able to see Javi again. Or it'll just scare the living daylights out of her, but let's not hope for that.
Also Mellie was on screen for like 5 minutes and killed it. I mean, she is still queen of that white house.
Lastly, I want to talk about Olivia and the choice she made. SHE CHOSE HERSELF!! FINALLY! I mean, I have been waiting for her to choose herself and now she's done it. No more #TeamFitz or #TeamJake for her. She only #TeamLiv now and I've been on that team for a while now. This make me oh so happy. Also, is she really happy now? Ever since Maya told Rowan she used to give Olivia popcorn when she was sad I've strongly believed that she was unhappy. Her life isn't that great but all she eats is popcorn so I think of that as an indicator if her happiness. But in that final scene she actually got real food. So does that mean she's happy? What do you think?

Over all this was a fantastic episode! The whole cast and crew deserves all the awards for this. Special shout out to the music department for the "Endless Love" placement and just all the music from the episode. Bravo. Since we have to wait a whole 2 months for it to come back I'm going to leave you with a few of my favorite quotes from last night. Please let me know what you think will happen when it comes back. This may be the only way I survive the hiatus.

"Olivia, watch yourself." ~ Rowan
"Look around, boo." ~ Maya
And any time they say bitch baby! (LOL)

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Scandal - The Last Supper

I'm not quite sure that, even after a second viewing, I've completely processed everything I saw. With that being said, I am going to try to give you some kind of review for this insane episode.

Everything is connected
So Elizabeth North is working with Kubiak who has pictures of Olivia which means that she could know why Olivia's being stalked. They're probably trying to get solid proof that Olivia is having an affair with Fitz so they can take him down and get him out of the white house. My question is why did Elizabeth ask Liv for help? Did she have some kind of hidden agenda because she really could've gone to anyone with that problem. I mean, they probably wouldn't have been able to figure out who was hacking her phone like Huck but they still could help. In the end, she still never found out it was Cyrus. Unless, she already knew and wanted to see if Olivia would lie for him!
Also, she's having an affair with Andrew of all people. (Sucks for Mellie) That is something I never saw coming. I'm pretty sure Andrew isn't 100% okay with Fitz politics, so it makes sense that he would like Elizabeth.
Also, Huck killed Kubiak and I can't wait to see the fallout from that. (Javi is traumatized now and we'll talk more about this later)

Fitz, Olivia and Jake vs. Rowan
How many failed attempts to take down Rowan/B613 have there been?! These people try and try and fail miserably. He will always be 525600 steps ahead of everyone. I wonder what made them think things would be different this time around?
Can we talk about this unholy trinity for a second and how Liv could've kicked them to the curb and take care of this herself. She was the one that came up with a much better plan than them. None of them would've worked though.
So Rowan figured it all out and is not protecting Olivia anymore, but what exactly was he protecting her from. Was it Fitz, because she ended up being with him anyway. It could be Jake because Rowan sent Jake to her. So what was it? Kubiak? What is this great danger that's coming? Trying to figure Rowan out is the most difficult thing ever! He must really think he's god with that whole "you have forsaken me" line. Olivia was definitely the Judas here. Wow, this really was a last supper. (I love this show!)
Also, where is Rowan going and where was he before he came to D.C.? I know he said he was from Detroit so is that where he's going? This all got me thinking, did they ever say where Olivia was from. Like, did she live in D.C. all her life? I can't remember if they said this or not. And how did Rowan and Maya even meet? I just have so many questions! I need more flashback episodes and I hope we get them because we have yet to this season.

Huck
He may have destroyed his relationship with Javi forever. Seeing your father kill a stranger while on a stakeout at his "private detective" job probably isn't the best bonding experience. If this kid isn't fazed by it then he truly is his father's son. It's just really sad because they were just starting to get close and now it's all ruined. This is the worst thing that could happen because he could tell his mom and Huck will be on his way to jail.

Overall this episode was great. It left me with a lot of questions and I have no clue what's going to happen in the winter finale. That promo though! I am so here for Liv with a gun but I wish the circumstances didn't make it necessary. Hopefully we finally find out why she's being stalked because I can't take not knowing anymore. What do you guys think is going to happen in the winter finale?

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Scandal - Baby Made a Mess

Now this was the best episode this season so far. The acting, the writing, everything about it was just fantastic. I laughed, I gasped, I had the feels. Basically I felt all of the emotions and really needed a minute to gather myself back together.

"They came, we fixed, we conquered"
This week we met Abby's ex-husband, Charles/Chip, because Fitz endorsed him for the republican Senate candidate. Leo Bergen also came back because he's running Chip's campaign. Abby was so hardcore in this episode. I mean, from not being shook in Chip's presence to pulling a gun on him. This is why she is my favorite person. In the end, Chip removes himself from the competition, Abby and Leo finally got to smooch and it was about dang time! I guess Dabby is over. And I can't talk about this without saying that Darby Stanchfield gave an amazing performance. I'm happy this is the season of Abby.

"Chicken Fried Mellie"
Old school Mellie is back. The one that always has her political career in mind. The one that thinks that she's functional and not ornamental. (How many thought Fitz was going to give her that speech again?) I just want to see how this all works out because she's going to be like this whether Fitz wants her to or not. Will this all work out or is this all a bad idea?

Baby Huck
I'm talking about Javi, not Quinn. Huck is still playing videogames with his son and they were supposed to meet up but Huck couldn't do it. But that didn't stop Javi from using his computer smarts to track Huck down. Like father, like son. Huck continues to give me the feels. It's just so sad because he's not going to be able to tell Javi the whole truth and what will happen when his mom finds out?! Now that Javi knows Huck is his father maybe they can have a relationship. I hope.

"Helen of Troy, the face that launched a thousand ships"
Olivia was trying to get into super max and everyone thought that it was because she wanted to see Jake but really she wanted to see Tom and that scene, that scene. I mean the writing was just amazing. Tom Larsen and that Rowan-esq monologue he gave was just everything. And Olivia, acting like her father to get what she wanted; the truth. If she wasn't my favorite character she would be now. So now they all know that Rowan was behind Jerry and Harrison's death. What are they going to do? How ever they go about bringing Rowan down I hope they are smart about it because their past attempts failed. This time around it seems like they are one step ahead of Rowan, but we don't know what he has planned. I wonder if they will use Mama Pope against him?
Also I want to mention that scene between Olivia and Rowan. Number one, it was shot beautifully. Second, I love how Liv is standing up to Rowan now instead of cowering like a child like she did in the season 3 premiere. She has got her own agenda and she is not about to let Rowan change that. I love it.
Also, Fitz has lost all chill because of phone sex.
And let's not forget that Olivia is being stalked and we don't know why and what ever is coming is going to bad. I wish they would spend more time trying to figure this out. Rowan and Jake seem like 2 huge distractions. I just wonder if this is all connected. Like, is this was Rowan is ultimately protecting Olivia from?

Like I said before, this was an amazing episode. It looks like I was right about them finding out the truth about Rowan, it just happened a lot sooner than I thought. Which has me thinking what in thee heck is going to happen in this winter finale?! The pot has boiled over and all of the crazy is about to spill out! Also, Mama Pope lives! We got world this week that she is set to return and I can not wait to see it all go down! I need it to be next Thursday already! In the mean time, let's discuss theories in why Olivia is being stalked this time.

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Scandal - An Innocent Man

This episode right here, was very reminiscent of the early years of Scandal. I loved it. Definitely made up for last week.

OPA and Olivia's drama
OPA is really (almost) back to it's old self of solving cases and David hating them for intervening. The only difference is that David actually won something, and he didn't do it with the B613 files so he felt good about it. All of it was very weird and no one is used to it.
Now Olivia is still going through some drama with Jake and Fitz because she wanted to see Jake but Fitz wouldn't have it and everyone thought Jake was going to die, but she got to see him anyway. Can we talk about how I caught the feels during that scene with Jake and Olivia! I mean, it was very heartbreaking, but Jake had a point. Olivia will never choose him. I was just thinking about it too. There is no way that she will be 100% for Jake. There will always be a piece of her that is attached to Fitz.
Rowan is one of the best evil geniuses there is. I even started to believe him for a bit during that scene with Fitz. But, he ended up getting half of what he wanted. Olivia played him. This girl literally has Fitz by the balls and can make him do whatever she wants as long as "there's hope" he has a chance with her, and she used that to her advantage to beat Rowan at his own game. Oh how I have been waiting for someone to beat Rowan, it finally happened, and it was his daughter that did it. Love it! Oh and that last line of hers "I have weapons at my disposal. Weapons that you couldn't possibly posses." Epic.
And we forget that Kubiak guy has a folder on Olivia. See, this worries me because the last time a folder was made on Olivia it was a kill folder. This is not good. This girl is in danger and bad things are going to happen! I'm not ready for it at all.

Mellie and Bitsy
Bitsy deserves to be talked about because she was one of the greatest things about this episode. The things that came out of this little old lady's mouth were just hilarious. My favorite part was when she offered Mellie a joint. She has no chill whatsoever.
Mellie was hanging out with her  future self. Actually, I don't think Mellie wants to become Bitsy. Mellie was striving toward her own political career, but she forgot about that. It looks like she's trying to get back on track with that statement she made to the press. She's not about that ornamental like anymore! I just wonder what the backlash will be from this. No matter what happens Mellie is back, and I'm talking about the Mellie from season 1.

Cyrus
He finally found out that he was being played and now I wonder what he's going to do about it. I'm hoping that he plays the player. That would be awesome. Whatever happens let's just hope that he never acts this stupid ever again.

Overall this episode was great. Yay to Abby and Liv being friends again. Also, in 30 seconds Huck gave me so many feels. I can't even deal.
Well, it looks like my predictions may not be coming true but that's not a bad thing. I prefer it not to because I just hate predicting things. Now I really can't wait to see what happens. I'm not at all prepared, but when am I?! I'm just not happy that there are like 3 episodes left. I just got over the summer hiatus. I'm not ready for another one!

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Scandal - The Key

I have to be honest and say that this episode didn't really kick off until halfway through and I only want to talk about a few things.

Cyrus speaks the truth
Cyrus gave Olivia a taste of the truth about Jake this week and it's about time someone did. For some reason they want us to think that Jake is not really all that bad because he's not really guilty of killing Jerry and Harrison, but he is. He still killed people (James) and isn't the greatest person. Thank you Cyrus for reminding us of that.
Also I don't think Olivia realizes how she made everyone she feel when she went off with Jake. Sure it made her feel good about leaving, but did she ever stop to think about how it would make all of the people she left feel? Not only about her leaving but her leaving with Jake, the man who killed her friend's husband. Now everyone's pissed at her and she doesn't get it. Well that's why.

Mellie and Fitz
Oh my goodness that last scene with them was amazing. Drunk Mellie made a big time appearance and brought it! Now about what she said about Jerry's death being meaningful; I kind of understand why she said it. It took me a minute to realize it but I think all she wanted was a reason for Jerry's death other than some random sickness. Now all that other stuff like her saying he "died for their sins" was a little coo coo for cocoa puffs and I totally understand Fitz's reaction after she said that.
But, it looks like all of this has Mellie moving in the right direction. She took a shower so that's progress. Let's see if she'll wear more than a pj's and a robe next week.

Jake's Beatdown
So Fitz goes in to see Jake one more time and this time he wasn't playing. He beat the living daylight out of him and Jake thinks it has everything to do with Olivia. I don't think that's completely true. Sure, Fitz is pissed Liv left him to go off with Jake, but his son also died and his supposed killer is in custody and not giving a confession. I think Fitz would do whatever it takes to get a confession out him. What would you do if you were in a room with your kid's killer who wouldn't confess and was taunting you? And let's talk about Jake taunting Fitz by talking about getting busy with Olivia! I mean this dude is so annoying. I wanted to punch in the face during that. But isn't it interesting that the same thing Fitz used to get to Rowan last season was the thing Jake used to get to Fitz.

Overall, I thought this episode was okay, not as good as last week but not terrible. It just took some time for things to pop off but at least it did pop off. I'm actually really excited for next week and Abby might become my new favorite after that promo.
Now I do have an idea of where this season is headed. I think they'll find out that Jake is really innocent and he'll get out and be super annoying with the "I told you so's." Olivia will be pissed that Fitz put Jake in custody and beat the crap out of him but she'll understand why he did it. Then they'll find out that Rowan is the real mastermind and so they'll be on the war path to bring him down, again. I wouldn't be surprised if mamma Pope makes an appearance at some point because I don't believe she's dead. I would love to see a confrontation between Rowan and Olivia with real proof that he is the mastermind. That could be epic. And that's where I think they'll leave it and then it'll be the winter hiatus. What do you guys think?

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Scandal - Like Father, Like Daughter

I knew an episode would come when ish hit the fan and the roller coaster would take off and this one was it!

White House Drama
Welp, it looks like little Karen wanted to be just like daddy and make herself a little sex tap, and Olivia had to came save a member of the Grant family once again. This brought about one of the many reads of the night. Fitz let Mellie have it and it was epic! I mean, Smelly Mellie was the number one trending topic at one point last night. It was the greatest thing and she really needed to hear the truth. Looks like it worked, too because she actually started acting motherly. Hopefully she'll ditch the robe and start getting back to her regular self. Hopefully this whole event can lead this family into getting the help that they need.
This also brought out a great read from Cyrus to Abby. He let her know what we've been saying this whole time; she is not nor will ever be Olivia Pope. I know that left her shook. Maybe she'll give up her job at the white house and go back to OPA where she belongs.
And speaking of Olivia Pope, she's back y'all! That read she gave those awful parents was everything! It's so nice to have her back. I missed her so much.

Olitz Drama
Well it looks like Olitz is back to normal. Giving us the feels and then ripping our hearts out without a care in the world. It was only a matter of time before this happened.

B613 Drama
So Rowan's trying to get Jake, Jake's trying to get Rowan, people are blowing up cars, Jake's got the B613 files back, it's just in big hot mess and Tom was in the middle of it all. Tom went and got caught and now everyone knows he killed Jerry, but everyone thinks Jake told him to do it.
The question I have is why did Fitz ask Rowan to come in and help him out? Is it because Rowan is command and the only person that could get the info that Fitz needed. And did he figure out that Tom was B613? All I know is that Fitz needs to think long and hard about what he's going to do to Jake. I mean the only reason why it would make sense for Jake to order to kill Jerry would be out of jealousy, but why would he go for Fitz's son and not go for Fitz directly? Also, Fitz has to think about why Rowan came in to help so quickly. He can't trust him at all either. And we must keep in mind that if Fitz has Jake killed and then finds out that he's innocent, Liv will be pissed. It's just a really bad position to be in and I hope he doesn't make any quick decisions.
I can't even be mad at Rowan for doing what he did. He's always one step ahead of everybody and I wonder who will finally be one step ahead of him, if that ever happens.

Overall I thought this episode was great. It looks like crazy stuff is about to happen and this is just the beginning. I think I'm ready but probably. My one prediction is that Jake will be stuck in them chains for a while. They are not going to kill him off that quick. I also think it would be interesting if the moment they kill him the truth about Rowan comes out. Can you just imagine the crap that would bring? Well until next week Gladiators.

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Scandal - Inside the Bubble

So much awkward stuff happened in this episode so let's get into it.

Jake vs. Papa Pope
That dinner, that dinner. Jake really tried it this week; threatening to kill Rowan and spill the beans about who really killed Harrison. Does he seriously think that Rowan is afraid of him though?! Let's get real, Rowan ain't scared of anyone. Didn't Jake try this already? It didn't work then and it won't work now.
Here's my prediction: one of them has got to go. I think/want it to be Jake but we'll see. I think Jake will tell the truth about Harrison's death but he'll pay for it. As big and bad as Rowan is I don't think he'll get taken down by the hands of Jake. They may both leave Washington, and I think one will leave in a body bag.
In the meantime, Jake should get himself a job. Dude is living in a hotel and I don't even know how he can afford that.

Quinn
Poor Quinn gets locked in a dungeon with Charlie and no one tries to find her. Girl can't catch a break. I think her strange friendship with Huck is beginning to get back on track. I guess Huckleberry Quinn is a thing again.

David Rosen
He finally won something, but with a cost. That judge killed and that left David shook. We'll see how long he'll last in this bubble. It looks like he's going to have a rough time deal with the consequences of using those files.

Abby and Olivia
These two need to bury the hatchet. You can tell that Abby misses OPA so much that she took herself all the way to Liv's house to try and help with the case.
I would also like to mention that I liked how Liv gripped up her friend like that. I missed that Liv that smashed phones and threw computers across the room.
Also, yay to Abby for getting Fitz and Mellie to call her by her real name.

Mellie and Fitz
That meeting was so awkward it was uncomfortable. I almost couldn't get through it a second time. And why didn't Fitz help her out?! He just sat there making those faces and let Abby come to her rescue.
Fitz is really trying to make something good come out of this term because it's getting in the way of him being a "soccer dad in Vermont." If it's not obvious already, he really doesn't want to be president. We'll see how far he goes before he starts talking about resigning or something.
Listen, these two aren't going to be able to hide behind their distractions anymore. They both are beginning to break and when they do, it will be bad, especially for Fitz.

Overall, this was an okay episode. I really think this is a set up for crazier things to come. Crap is going to go down and all hell will break loose. Shondaland is a roller coaster ride. I think these past few episode are that slow and steady of the ride before all the twist and turns happen. We really need to brace ourselves, especially after seeing that preview for next week. Karen is back and I can't wait to see what she's got herself into.

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How To Get Away With Murder - Pilot & It's All Her Fault

So let me try and break it down for you because a lot happens in this show.
Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) is a lawyer and law professor at Middleton University is Philadelphia, PA. She chooses 5 of her students to come work as her interns, helping her solve her cases. She chooses Wes Gibbins (Alfred Enoch), Connor Walsh (Jack Falahee), Michaela Pratt (Aja Naomi King), Asher Millstone (Matt McGorry), and Laurel Castillo (Karla Souza). Most of the show follows them solving cases but we also get these flashforwards of Wes, Connor, Laurel and Michaela who are somehow involved in a murder of their own. With each episode we see more of what happened with the kids and that murder. Lastly, the ongoing investigation of the murder of a student named Lila Stanguard is also something important that keeps popping up. Oh and Annalise's personal life is also something that is an important part of the show.

This show is a huge hit. I mean, with Viola Davis and Shonda Rhimes involved did you expect it to be anything less? I loved it after the first episode and it wasted no time getting into the thick of things. I love the procedural part of it and that it's more than just the cases they have each week. I love a good mystery show where I can have theories and everything and I love that this ongoing murder with the students is something that I can think about all season.
So much happens in the hour that this show really needs your undivided attention, but it will never get that from me (because of Twitter) which is why I'll be rewatching each episode every week. I don't have a problem with that though. If you like a good murder mystery, lies and manipulation, you should check this show out.

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Scandal - The State of the Union

There were so many things that were great about this episode so let's not waste anytime and go right in.

OP & Huckleberry Quinn
OPA (or what's left of it) is back to handling things now. Olivia is blackmailed by her "friend" Cyrus into taking a case from the white house. So she, Huck and Quinn get to handling. I guess we're not going to talk about how Quinn is a Gladiator again, but she did try and mostly succeeded in getting them back together so I guess that erases everything that happened.
Liv really handled ish this episode and I loved it so much. I really missed these cases and Liv acting like a boss. Oh, and is Quinn trying to dress like Huck now, was it planned or just a weird coincidence?

Fitz & Mellie
Everyone is concerned about Mellie and her mental health but I think the one we need to really be concerned about is Fitz. Whenever he goes to Jerry's grave he doesn't grieve. He just goes and stand by Mellie or sits in his car doing work. He also had a failed suicide attempt which he won't let anyone talk about. Something is just not right with him.
Who wants to give Mellie a hug everytime they see her now? She is still going through and that scene after the SOTU was just heartbreaking. And the way they shot it was just brilliant. I loved it all and Bellamy Young seriously deserves an Emmy for this.

David
This dude stay losing but that all changed this week. He took matter into his own hands and finally used those B613 files to his advantage. He's given up the white hat and is now blackmailing his way to attorney general.

Cyrus
He almost got himself a new boo but the guy is just a "sex worker" sent to him by Liz. What she's doing to Cyrus is kind of like what he did to James. I mean, I'm not really sure of her agenda but it's not good. He also still has that hair. *side eye*

Fitz, Olivia, Jake
I swore I wouldn't talk about this and this will only be a one time thing and then I'm done. I just want to make it clear that I'm not team anything at this point because they both annoy me in their own special way.
Jake is just a booty call. And he tries to win Olivia's live by finding out what happened to Harrison. That's nice, but no one asked him to do that. He doesn't even think of himself as her boyfriend! What is that about?! What they can only be together if they're not in D.C.?! He just frustrates me so much.
Oh and Fitz can't even give a speech without Liv's seal of approval and he forces her to do it because he thinks she "owes him." She doesn't owe him anything! I'm going to stop talking about this because it's frustrating me so much that I just want to throw something.

Overall, I loved this episode. I haven't had that much fun watching since "Mama Said Knock You Out." I mean, that fried chicken, the black and white photos, and they way they zoomed in on the 'mental Mellie' graphic; just amazing. And I died when Olivia dropped her coat at Jake's hotel room. My brother said it was going to happen but I didn't believe him, and then it happened. I laughed so hard I couldn't breathe. I can't end without saying Abby came through by getting Mellie to go to the SOTU. She really channeled Liv in that moment.
I must say that I haven't been emotionally exhausted after an episode yet and that worries me. I feel like it's all going to come crashing down on us and we'll literally be left crying in a corner in the fetal position. With that being said, this is definitely not a dark season. It's much lighter than the last one and I'm grateful for that.
Charlie's back next week. Can't wait!

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Black-ish - Pilot & The Talk

This show is about an African American family living in the suburbs and how they deal with the daily things that life throws at them. It stars Anthony Anderson as Andre Johnson, Tracee Ellis Ross as Rainbow, his wife, and Laurence Fishburne as Pops. 

This show is kind of a big deal because it's the first time in a long time that we've seen a comedy with an all Black cast and it's amazing. The show is also actually really hilarious. After watching the pilot episode I felt the gave us everything they had. It was very racially based and very honest. It was one of those moments where it funny but it was so true. For me, the pilot didn't bring out a lot of laugh out loud moments, but it was funny and I didn't give up on it. The second episode, however, had me dying in laughter. I laughed from beginning to end. It was also more of a relatable episode for people who aren't Black. Also, all the actors are amazing; even the little kids. 

I really enjoy this show, so I'll obviously keep watching. The first episode was mainly about specific racial issues and the second was about issues that everyone can relate to and my hope is that they find a good balance between the two. I want them to have episodes that can include universal issues and well as racially specific ones. I already think this is a winner, but if it finds that balance I think that many more people will tune in each week. So, check out this show because it's hilarious and you will literally laugh out loud!

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Maleficent (2014)

Synopsis
We all know that Sleeping Beauty was cursed by Maleficent but we don't know the story of why Maleficent cursed her. This movie tells us that story.
Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) is a fairy who grew up without any parents in a forest outside of the kingdom, with many different creatures. One day she met a boy named Stefan and he changes her life forever.

My Verdict
To be totally honest, I have never seen the cartoon version of Sleeping Beauty, but I know the story because I read the book. I loved this version of the story. I like finding out the backstory of people so this was great for me. I think I like Maleficent more than I Aurora. I love it when a movie can make me feel for the villain/anti-hero and I think "oh my gosh, what am I doing? This person is supposed to be bad. Why am I feeling sorry for them?" It's great and just goes to show that even the worst of people have a good side deep down somewhere. Oh and I loved the true loves kiss twist.
Angelina Jolie did an amazing job as Maleficent. She was perfect. I haven't seen a lot of her movies and after watching this I really want to check them out.
I was also really impressed with the graphics. There were a lot of creatures that obviously don't exist in our world and I think they did a good job making them look real.
So, I'm giving this movie an 8/10. I was really impressed with what I saw. I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. I thought it was great.

IMDB page, Pic credit

Gotham - Pilot & Selina Kyle

This show takes us back to the day Bruce Wayne's (David Mazouz) parents died. It follows the detectives (Ben McKenzie & Donal Logue) that were put on the case and many other strange cases in Gotham. We also get to see all of the villains and other people in the Batman universe before Batman became Batman.
To be totally honest, I don't know much too much about the DC universe and the only villain I knew about was the Joker. So all these people like Fish Mooney, Poison Ivy and Penguin, I knew nothing about. I probably should've did some homework and watch Dark Knight or something, but I didn't. It was all pretty new to me but I still liked it. After watch the first episode I was so there for Fish Mooney. I have to say that Jada PS is killing that role. From her Eartha Kitt-esq accent, to her fixing her wig, she is just perfect and my favorite. After the second episode, we were left with a serious cliffhanger and I really wanted more. It also doesn't lack in the action department.
I have to say that I don't think this is FOX's answer to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. They're alike in ways but this show is a prequel and Agents works in the present. They are both superhero shows though and I thinks it's interesting that with Gotham, they had the idea to go back and show us where it all began. If you don't know, I love finding out what happened in the past with characters so I love that this is a prequel. Also, I've never been a huge fan of Batman, so maybe this will change all that.
So I will definitely continue to watch this show. It just makes the nerd in me so happy! So if you like Batman, superheroes, and action, check it out.

Full Episodes
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Red Band Society - Pilot & Soul Searching

This is a show about a bunch of kids that live in a hospital, why they're there and how it affects them daily. The kids are:

Dash (Astro): Cystic Fibrosis
Kara (Zoe Levin): Needs a heart transplant
Charlie (Griffin Gluck): In a coma
Emma (Ciara Bravo): Anorexia
Leo (Charlie Rowe): Cancer that led to him losing his leg
Jordi (Nolan Sotillo): Cancer and may need leg amputated.

The show also stars Octavia Spencer as Nurse Jackson and Dave Annable as Dr. Jack McAndrew and it's narrated by Charlie.

I really liked it because it's not like any other hospital show that I've seen. It's not all about or the drama, it's a good balance of both and it's about teeangers. I also like how Charlie is about to communicate with people when they become unconscious, just like him. It's also pretty. If any of this appeals to you, I think you check this show out. It's worth your time or DVR space. I will definitely keep watching each week.

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Scandal - Randy, Red, Superfreak, and Julia

Scandal is back!! Season 4 baby! The only way I can begin to explain what happened is to start with explaining what that outrageous title means.

Randy: That's Huck. He works at a Best Buy-type place fixing things. Still mysterious as ever. We have on no idea what happened with him and his family. Here's to hoping they revisit that later this season because I need to know.

Red: That's Abby. She works in the white house know. She still trying to be Olivia Pope. This is the season of Abby and I'm here for it because she was breasting those monologues last night. I just want the people in the white house to actually call her by her name. And are her and David over because she said he killed them because of those B613 files. Maybe they're just going through a rough patch.

Superfreak: That's Quinn. The one person that got kicked out of OPA is the last gladiator left and she's the one who brought Olivia back. So, yay Quinn (oh that sounds so weird). I wonder how long it took for her to track Olivia down? Is that all she's been doing for the past 2 months?

Julia: That's Olivia. That was her name while she was on some invisible with Jake. (Not alone! Still bitter about that) But, she's back and got her fixing on and now she's back to stay.

As for everyone else, Rowan is still a liar, Mellie is really going through, and Fitz and Cyrus have put all their energy into leading the free world.

Now onto what I thought about the episode. Where's Andrew and are we going to see him again? Rowan said he "took care of" Momma Pope, so does that mean she's dead because when we last saw her she was on the hole. But, Rowan is a liar so I don't believe a word he says and I can't wait til everyone finds out he really killed Fitz's son because ish will hit the fan.
I can't believe Olivia came back thinking everyone would just greet her with open arms! No, you left. You abandoned your family! Of course everyone will be mad.
That funeral for Harrison was so sad. And I know yall saw Rowan lurking around. What was he doing there?!
Mellie and Fitz are just a mess. Fitz tried to kill himself! Let's talk about that. I don't think he's over Jerry's death and he's just throwing himself into his work so he doesn't have to think about it. Also, his girl left him. He got hit with the double whammy! Let's just be happy that there was no Amanda Tanner 2.0. And I feel so bad for Mellie. First, she's grieving her son, then I started thinking and I can't imagine the amount of guilt she must feel. All those years she thought he could be big Jerry's son and that probably changed the way she thought and treated him. It's just really sad and I hope she gets better. I hope they both can heal.

Overall, I felt really weird after I first saw this episode. Was I the only one that felt like this was the series premiere and not just a season premiere? It think it was the time jump and the fact that they had to catch us all up on what happened that gave it the feel of a series premiere. It was so different and I knew that it would be, I guess I was hoping it wouldn't be. I think this is the first time I can say that I had no real expectations for the episode and because of that I didn't know how to feel when all of that stuff happened. And I'm happy it wasn't the same thing it's always been because then I would just be annoyed. With all that being, after I watched a second time I felt good about it and I'm really excited about the season. I think it'll be very reminiscent of season  and 2 and that makes me very happy. Now to quickly address Olitz, I don't think it's over for them. They're just building it up for all the fans. That ending though.

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The Other Woman (2014)

Synopsis
Carly (Cameron Diaz) is dating Mark (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and he seems to be the perfect guy until she finds out that he's married. She and the wife, Kate (Leslie Mann) team up to take him down when they find out he's seeing another woman, Amber (Kate Upton). Oddly, they all become friends as they figure out a way to make Mark suffer like he made them suffer.

My Verdict
I must be honest. The only reason why I watched this movie was because I saw a gifset of Nicki Minaj's character and wanted to see how she did. I thought she was fine but there wasn't enough of her. As for the rest of the movie, it was predictable and not that funny. The jokes were really obvious and dragged on for too long. There were times when I was like "okay, this isn't funny, let's move on."
Here is the gist of the movie. For the most part it was really stupid funny, then ish got real and serious stuff happened, and then it went back to being stupid funny. It just didn't do anything for me. For that, I'm giving this movie a 3/10. Now, I didn't like this movie and that's obviously my opinion. I do think that a lot of people like this kind of humor. With that being said, if you like stupid funny then you'll enjoy this movie but if not, stay away.

IMDB page, Pic credit

Into the Storm (2014)

Synopsis
A major storm is coming. This movie follows everyday citizens, amature and professional storm trackers before, during and after the storm.

My Verdict
Honestly, this movie was okay. It was intense and the storm was crazy. I mean, the tornado caught fire! That was insane. I also liked how it was shot. It was like it was a documentary with all the handheld cameras and the use of security cameras. But, that was really it. Everything else was just really corny.
One thing that this movie was not was the "we ruined the planet and now it's paying us back" movie. I am so glad it wasn't that. This movie did do a great job of showing you what it's like to be in a tornado like that. I don't live in an area that gets tornadoes so I have no idea what it's like and this movie gave me a glimpse of it. I mean these storms pass in a matter of minutes and destroys everything. It's devastating. I just don't know what I would do in that situation.
So I'm giving this movie a 6/10. It wasn't what I expected, there was no unbelievably unrealistic storm here. It was intense, but corny.

IMDB page, Pic credit

Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)

Synopsis
Milo Thatch (Michael J. Fox) works in a boiler room but he knows that Atlantis exist. Once he is able to get the piece he needs to help him find it, he get a crew he goes on his way. But, not everyone with him has the same agenda as Milo.

My Verdict
First off, yes, I am reviewing a cartoon and yes, it took me 13 years to see this movie but I finally have. I really enjoyed it. It's something about these type of Disney movies that I really enjoy. I like the music, but it's not always necessary. Sometimes you just need a break from it, and it's nice that Disney can put out movies like this and they're really good.
I loved the adventure of this movie and the land of Atlantis os so interesting to me; from the history of it to the language they speak. (I kind of want to learn it, then I'll know how to speak every language!) But, they didn't spend enough time of Atlantis for my liking. I just want to know so much more about it. Like, give me a prequel or something! I feel like I have to watch the second one but I'm not sure it will be as good as the first and I don't want to ruin it. I probably will watch it anyway. Oh, and obviously I loved Kida.
I'm giving this movie a 9/10. I liked it so much that I want it to be turned into a live action film! (But they better not mess up the casting if they do) So if you haven't seen it (even though I think I was the last one who hadn't) you should get on that.

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Guardians of the Galaxy (2013)

Synopsis
26 years ago Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) was abducted from his home on Earth and taken into space. Now, after finding an orb, the evil Ronan is after him. In order to fight him he teams up with a group of people who are soon known as the 'Guardians of the Galaxy.'

My Verdict
I really enjoyed this movie. It's so different from every other group superhero movie I've seen and I liked that. It was also funny, but the best thing about it was the music. Peter was abducted in the late 80's and when he was taken he had a walkman with a cassette in it. The entire movie is filled with songs from that cassette (80's music) and I love music from the 80's. I loved Groot and Rocket's relationship, but Groot was my definitely my favorite character.
One thing I will say is that this is an intro movie and those are always interesting because you have to introduce everything and you find yourself wondering when it's going to pick up, when will the action happen. I was expecting that with this film and wasn't bothered by it. I didn't think those parts were annoying, it's just something thats always there. So, don't go into this film expecting it to start off with all this action. You're going to get some backstory before all the action happens.
I'm giving this movie a 9/10. I'm really excited to see this series take off because it's in space so it brings out a whole set of different characters. I just can't wait to see more.

IMDB page, Pic credit

When The Game Stands Tall (2014)

Synopsis
This film is based on the true story of the Spartans; the football team of De La Salle High School. This football team amazingly had a 151 game winning streak which is better than any professional sports team ever. It follows the coach, Bob Ladouceur (Jim Caviezel) and the members of the team.

My Verdict
There were some great things about this movie and some not so great things about this movie. Let's start with the great things. It's very inspirational; there was no lacking there. That was really the main good thing about the movie and that's great. This movie is supposed to be inspirational and it is, so good job.
Another thing I like was that there were men genuinely expressing their feelings. It didn't seem forced or that they were trying too hard to show that. It felt real.
Lastly, this is a football movie and the way they shot the football game scenes were amazing! I felt like I was actually watching an NFL game and it was awesome. They did such a great job with that.
Here are the things that were troublesome. It seemed to lack focus. Certain members of the team had storylines but for some of them they just abruptly ended and we didn't hear from them again. Even if we see them again we don't find out what happened to them. They showed a little bit but there could've been more. There was also a storyline of a player that left me with some unanswered questions and that was really frustrating. And, the only thing that connected all the storylines were the football team but that wasn't a strong enough connection.
I was confused on whether this was a Christian movie or not. You would think that this was a movie that has Christian themes but to me it didn't (not that the themes were bad). It was just, the coach was their Bible teacher, even though they never confirmed that, and there was a church scene and that was it. There was no "trust in God/believe in God" moment.
Now this is based on a true story that I don't know much about but these stories are round because real life stories are round and come full circle. I just didn't get that full circle feeling with the way they portrayed the storylines.
I'm giving the movie a 5/10. It was predictable and I was entertained, it just wasn't super great or super bad. Oh, it's no "Remember the Titans" and I'm going to leave it at that.

IMDB page, Pic credit

Fall TV Schedule 2014

It's that time again; fall TV time! Here's my list of the show that I'll be watching this fall. There are trailers for all of of the new shows have trailers just in case you haven't seen it or want to watch again. I will live tweet every show. I'll also review each new show after 2 episodes unless it does a 2 hour pilot.
KEY: New Shows, New shows I may check out, Returning Shows 



Monday
Gotham - September 22nd, 8pm, FOX Trailer
(Jane the Virgin - October 13th, 9pm, CW) Trailer
State of Affairs - November 17th, 10pm, NBC Trailer
Sleepy Hollow - September 22nd, 9pm, FOX
The Blacklist - September 22nd, 10pm, NBC

Tuesday
(Forever - September 23rd, 10pm, ABC) Trailer
(The Flash - October 7th, 8pm, CW) Trailer
The Mindy Project - September 16th, 9:30pm, FOX
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - September 23rd, 9pm, ABC (NEW TIME!)

Wednesday
Red Band Society - September 17th, 9pm, FOX Trailer
Black-ish - September 24th, 9:30pm, ABC Trailer
The Goldbergs - September 24th, 8:30pm, ABC
Modern Family - September 24th, 9pm, ABC
The 100 - October 22nd, 9pm, CW

Thursday
How To Get Away With Murder - September 25th, 10pm, ABC Trailer
Gracepoint - October 2nd, 9pm, FOX Trailer
Scandal - September 25th, 9th, ABC (NEW TIME!)

Friday
Grimm - October 24th, 9pm, NBC

Sunday
(Utopia - September 7th, 8pm, FOX) Trailer
Resurrection - September 28th, 9pm, ABC

Transformers: Age of Extinction

Synopsis
All the humans and the government think that the Autobots are dangerous human killers. So whenever one is found it should be reported and eventually destroyed. Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg) is a mechanic/inventor who's looking to invent something that will give him enough money to pay for all his bills and to send his daughter, Tessa (Nicola Peltz), to college. He find an old truck that ends up being Optimus Prime and instead of handing him over to the government, he escapes with him. Now his family must fight with the Autobots against the people that want them destroyed.

My Verdict
I liked this movie but I think the 3rd transformers was better. This movie was just too long. It was about 2 and a half hours which doesn't seem like a long time but it felt like it. It also took too long to figure out what the big problem was. It was almost 2 hours in before we found out who the real villain was and what was really going on. After a while I just really wanted it to be over. I know that sounds bad but I just wanted them to get to the point, defeat the bad guys and be done.
Also, it was predictable and there weren't enough twist and turns for me. There was one twist but it wasn't shocking at all and it was kind of obvious. They also kept talking about the creator of the Autobots and what they created them for and I'm thinking 'how long before we see them?' Are they really going to give us a 5th movie just so we can see the creator of the Autobots? I mean, all I want to know is who created them and I don't know if I want to sit through another 2 and a half hour movie to find that out.
I'm giving this movie a 6/10. I was really expecting something better and all I got was this long predictable movie. I will say the CGI was great and that was the only good thing about this movie. For now I'm just going to watch the 3rd one a leave it at that.

IMDB page, Pic credit

Switched at Birth - And Life Begins Right Away

This finale was the most shocking season finale this show had to date! (I feel like I've been saying that all season) This is a great thing because who wants a show that doesn't get better with each episode? Alright, let's get into to how I felt about it. 

First, Regina kissing Wes and almost going to Hawaii with him. I always felt that Wes had a thing for Regina ever since he first showed up so I wasn't shocked when he kissed her. Do I think she's going to Hawaii with him, probably not considering what's going on with her daughters. I think Wes needs to chill. Angelo just died and Regina is going through stuff with Bay and Daphne now. Also, I can't forget all those times Wes was a complete jerk to her. 

I wasn't shocked that Carlton was closing. Everyone is graduating so they don't really have a reason to show Carlton anymore. The closing just brought more sadness to the graduation. There were tears in my eyes for that scene, especially when Sharee sang 'Stand By Me' and when Travis' mom came. 

Now let's talk about the most shocking moments of the episode. Daphne got arrested and she started to take responsibility for her actions. I mean, finally! Finally she realized that what she was doing was wrong and now she has to suffer the consequences. 
The moment that I think no one saw coming was Bay taking the fall for it all at the police station. Why would she do that?! I get that she doesn't want Daphne to have this on her record, but does Bay realize that she is probably going to go to jail for this. Also if she gets caught they both will be facing serious consequences. I can't even imagine what their parents are going to think of this. I mean John was just crying about Daphne, this might give him a 2nd heart attack! And again I'm asking myself when will Daphne face the consequences for her actions. I don't want her to go to jail but she's the one that vandalized a work site while she was on probation. What did she think was going to happen?! Now we have to wait and see what happens next and I have no clue. 

This second half of season 3 brought out the best episodes of this show. In the other seasons there have been one or two episodes that were really good but in this half of this season almost every episode was amazing. I'm just really happy that they stepped it up this season. And all the issues that this show tackled, I mean this show is amazing. I'm so happy this show got a season 4 and I can't wait to see what it brings. 

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Belle (2013)

Synopsis
This movie is about the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw). Her mother was Black and her father was a royal navy admiral and the story takes place in 18th Century England. Dido was raised by her great uncle, Lord Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson). The film takes place around the time of Dido's coming out when she influences her great uncle, a Chief Justice, to make changes that eventually end slavery in England.

My Verdict
I thought this movie was pretty fantastic. Dido was an amazing person and I wish I learned about her when I was in school. Gugu Mbatha-Raw's performance was fantastic. I was blown away. This movie was tough to watch mainly because of the time period when it took place, but that shouldn't discourage you from watching. It's an important story that people should know and it does have a happy ending. There's also a bit of a love story as well, so people who like that will be pleased.
The writer, Misan Sagay, gets my seal of  approval. I just love the fact that it was written and directed by women.
I'm giving it a 10/10. All I can say about this movie is that it's great and I think everyone should see it, multiple times! So there's my short and sweet review, but I do want to say one more thing.

Movies like this are really important. but rarely told. I didn't know who Dido was until this movie came out and that's a problem. My hope and wish is that more stories like this one are told and that more people support films like this one.

IMDB page, Pic credit

Switched at Birth - The Girl on the Cliff

It's the penultimate episode and everyone is going through something. 
First Bay and Emmett were voted prom king and queen and Bay wasn't having it at first. But the bigger issue was that the school implemented a dress code saying girls had to wear dresses and boys had to wear suits. Bay really wasn't having this, so to take a stand all the girls wore suits and it was awesome! The only question I had was why didn't the boys wear dresses? Sadly that jerk teacher wouldn't let them in, but the had their own prom outside so it all worked out. 

Toby and Tank were having problems because Toby took a DJing job at a party Tank's old frat was having. Of course Tank was upset about it, but they ended up making up pretty quickly. They got a little bromance going on. It's really interesting but if that means more Tank then I'm here for it. 

Now on to the problem child. Bay finally told the parents about everything Daphne has been doing and they had a sort of intervention for her. Everything came out in this intervention. Everything about Regina working with Coto and the gun and Daphne doing coke, it all came out and not one person knew everything. I'm just happy everyone finally knows about Daphne so she can get the help she needs. That was the only thing good that happened in her situation because after that she took oxy from the clinic and that got her fired. Then Wes got camera footage of the person who destroyed the worksite and Regina saw it and discovered Daphne was apart of it. Then Daphne and Regina got in a huge fight and Daphne went missing. Luckily they found her and now she's finally coping with Angelo's death. Daphne is suffering the consequences of her actions, which is what should happen, but it sucks because that means she might go to jail. 

Overall this was a good penultimate episode. Some crazy stuff is coming for us in the finale so let's talk about that preview. Yay for graduation but Daphne is going to get arrested! Toby is crying for God knows what reason and Regina kisses Wes! What in the world?! I have no idea what's going to happen and none of it looks good. Also, we have no clue as to what happens with Bay. Hopefully the sneak peaks will give us something. Until then, I'll be praying for Monday to come quickly.  

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Divergent (2014)

Synopsis
Tris (Shailene Woodley) lives in a society that is divided up into 5 factions; Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Erudite, and Dauntless. Each year, when they reach a certain age, the children take a test to determine what faction they belong to and then they choose a faction to stay in for the rest of their lives. When Tris takes the test and finds out she doesn't fit into one faction (Divergent), she has to decide what she's going to do to keep herself safe because being Divergent is extremely dangerous. This movie is based on the book of the same name.

My Verdict
I read the first 2 books last year so I was really excited to watch this movie. The only problem I had was that because I read the 2 books back to back, they sort of bled together in my head. So, I had to remind myself of what happened in the first and second book so I wouldn't get disappointed if I didn't see something.
Overall I really enjoyed the movie. Of course there were parts of the book that didn't happen in the movie and I've learned to except that with book adaptations. Also these changes didn't affect the plot in a major way. The one thing that I was really excited about seeing were the simulations and I thought they did an amazing job portraying them.
I'm giving this movie an 8/10. I didn't think it was epicly amazing but it was a good movie. Since I read the book before seeing the movie I was really looking to see if they captured the book and for the most part they did. I'll talk about what didn't happened that upset me in the spoiler section below.

I know a lot of people were comparing this movie to the Hunger Games, but I will not because I think they are 2 completely different movies with different themes. All I will say is that, if I had to choose, I would rather live in a Divergent world than a Hunger Games world. Also, I relate more to Tris. We live in a world where people are always trying to put people into a specific box and I don't fit into just one box. I am Divergent.

Spoilers
First off, when Al died in the book I was sad, but when he died in the movie I didn't feel that way. In the movie they kind of made him seem like the jerk that tried to kill Tris.
Second Tris was really upset when she killed Will and had a bit of a hard time doing it. The people who didn't read the book won't really understand why it was so hard for her. It wasn't just because they were friends but Christina liked Will and they were together (if I'm remembering correctly). They didn't show that in the movie at all.
They also didn't show them getting their revenge on the jerk that is Peter. He got stabbed in the eye during initiate training. I waiting for that and it didn't happen.
To end on a good note, I didn't like when they showed her zip lining and the capture the flag scene with them climbing the ferris wheel.

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Switched at Birth - You Will Not Escape

The only thing I could say while watching this episode was "oh my gosh" and "what is happening?!" 
So, Kathryn and Regina go to New York for this event Kathryn's publisher is having and things get crazy! We find out that Kathryn had a wild past because one of her past lovers shows up and tries to spend some time with her. In order to get him to leave her alone she pretends that she and Regina are lesbians and they even share a kiss. (What is happening?!) I seriously thought it was someone else that was kissing Kathryn, but no, it was Regina. I think the most shocking thing about it all was that John wasn't bothered by any of it. Even the rumors and the twitter talk; he just saw it as a funny joke. I did not see that coming at all.

Bay is freaking out because she's finally seeing a doctor to see if she has an aneurysm or not. While waiting to get her results, at senior ditch day, the girl who she thought was Mandy shows up and tells Bay that she dumped her boyfriend because he didn't love her like Emmett loved Mandy. That makes Bay jealous and she breaks things off with Emmett. These 2 are always breaking up and making up. On top of that, on the way to get her test results Bay gets in a huge argument with Daphne and Daphne shoves her to the ground! (Oh my gosh!) Luckily her test showed no signs of an aneurysm and I'm happy about that. I don't know what I would've done if they put Bay's life in danger and gave her an aneurysm. Now she and Emmett are back together and she's decided to follow him to Cali for school! I don't know how I feel about that. I'm just mad that she only applied to one school. There were so many other schools she could go to and get into but (it seems like) she only applied to Pratt.

Lastly, let's talk about Daphne's shenanigans. I have no words for this girl. She's pissed at Regina for wanting to take Angelo's life insurance money and she pissed because Nacho played her, so she gets drunk and kisses Travis! (What is happening?!) Anyone who tries can't help her and everyone else is blinded by their own problems and life stuff to realize that she needs serious help. That fight she had with Regina at the end had me like "whoa!" I really didn't think it was going to come to that. I don't know what's going to happen to her. I hope it's not too bad but it seems like that's the only way everyone will see that she needs serious help.

Overall, I thought this was a good episode. I thought it was going to be more intense but it was just crazy. I'm just waiting for people to finally get Daphne the help she needs and it looks like that's going to happen next week. 

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Dawn of the Planet of the Ape (2014)

Synopsis
Caesar (Andy Serkis) and the apes are living peacefully believing that there are no more humans on Earth. Soon they encounter a group of humans and they both have to decide whether they can live knowing they both exist or not.

My Verdict
I was very pleased with this movie. This is what I expected the sequal to be like. I have to be honest and say that it was a little predictable, but not so much that I saw everything coming because I didn't. Also the CGI was so good! I mean, those weren't real apes and I had to keep reminding myself that. The only thing that made me mad was the 3D. It was pointless! I spent extra money for 3D and it wasn't even that great. There were moments when 3D would've been perfect and amazing but they didn't use it. So if you're thinking about seeing it in 3D, don't. Also, I stayed til the credits were over because I always think there's going to be something extra now, and there was nothing. There were creepy ape sounds but that was it. They didn't really make you feel like there was another movie coming out next either. I mean, it just ended. There was nothing that made you feel like "uh oh [something crazy] happened and now we have to see what happens next." I guess what I'm trying to say is that there was no cliffhanger and now I don't know if there's going to be a third movie or not.
Now on to the deeper messages of the movie. I heard a lot of people talking about how this movie is anti-gun and I totally saw that. If there were no guns than half of the conflict wouldn't have happened. Actually, there would be no conflict if there were no guns. I think the main message of Rise and Dawn is that, basically, humans ruin everything. Humans were the ones that put the apes in the facility, tested them, and ended up creating a virus that killed more than half the planet. Humans were the ones that took the apes from their natural habitat to do all this testing on them. Humans were the firsts ones to get violent. All the apes wanted to do was live separately in peace. So, the humans ruined everything and brought all this trouble among themselves.
I'm giving this movie a 8.5/10.

Spoilers
I just want to freak out a little because Koba almost killed Caesar! Who cried when that happened and who was shocked when Caesar was actually alive? *raises hand*
Also, I knew that Blue Eyes would end up finding Malcolm and let him go with the medicine for Caesar. That whole part and the part when Caesar came back to fight Koba was predictable and very reminiscent of the Lion King.
One question I have: is there really an army coming? Dreyfus said that they got a hold of people outside of their town and an army was coming, but I got the feeling he was just saying that to scare Malcolm. I guess we'll in the next movie, if there is one.

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Switched at Birth - It Isn't What You Think

Things seem to be getting back to normal for some people, I think.
Daphne seemed fine for about 30 seconds but then she went back to spiraling. She's got a new friend and his name is Nacho! They decided to vandalize the work site that Regina is working on with Wes. I really feel that Daphne is going to end up in jail (again) if she doesn't stop. I completely forgot that she was still on probation which makes everything worse. I know that there are things that she's not supposed to be doing while on probation and she's probably doing most of them. The icing on the cake is that she and Nacho are a couple now, wreaking havoc on the city, and all because she found Regina is working with Chip Coto. Let's all hope that someone finds out about Daphne's antics and gets her some help.

Bay is going through some issues herself. She finds out Tank and Toby are roommates and she's not happy about it. It's just a really awkward and random situation. On top of that she went to dinner with Tank and his dad to give Tank some moral support when he told his dad that he depledged. His dad was not happy about that. I felt so bad for Tank. All his dad cared about was him being in this fraternity and know it seems like his dad has disowned him for depledging.
On top of that the one person that Bay told about the aneurysm situation was not Emmett. It was Tank. I think the only good thing to come out of it is that she's going see a doctor, but I don't think Emmett will be happy if he finds out Tank knew before him.

Toby's relationship with Lilly has gotten pretty interesting. The slept together, which is just wow. He also had to plead with her so Sharee could take a makeup test so she won't fail Lilly's class. It's crazy. I have no idea what will come of Toby and Lilly. It seems like they will get together but they fight all the time. So who knows? 

Overall this was a good episode. From the looks of the promo, next week is going to be crazy. They really aren't wasting any time picking up the craziness. I mean, Kathryn kisses a woman and Daphne kisses Travis! I seriously have no words for what I saw. I'm just going to sit here and wait for the sneak peeks so I can get some clues as to what's going to happen.

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