Greenleaf

This show is about the Greenleaf family. The father is the pastor of his church and the rest of the family (children and in-laws) have different jobs in the church. This family also lives in the same house with extended family living in the area. There are a lot of characters to keep up with (at least for me anyways) so I'm going to break it down for you.

Bishop James and Lady Mae Greenleaf: The parents. Out of everyone, they seem less likely to be hiding a secret but I have a feel that won't last long. The mayor wants to investigate the church but James won't let that happen. We don't know why, but I'm sure the real reason will come out sooner or later.

Grace "GG" Greenleaf: Our entry point into the series. She's the prodigal daughter of the family. She has a daughter, Sophia (who's easily influenced by her cousin Zora). We don't know who Sophia's dad is, but I'm hoping he'll show up at some point this season. Gracewent from being a PK (pastor's kid) to a Chreaster (Christmas and Easter church goer), to pastor of the church. She left 20 years ago and returns for her sister's (Faith) funeral. Her main reason for staying in town is to investigate her sister's death.
I like Grace. She's immediately taken on as pastor of the church and clearly has a different way of doing things that other staff members aren't used to. She's going to shake some things up and I can't wait to see it.

Jacob and Kerissa Greenleaf: Jacob is James and Lady Mae's son. He and his wife have 2 kids; a daughter, Zora and a son. Zora fits the profile of a PK. She quotes Bible scriptures but sneaks off to smoke weed during the youth lock in.
This relationship is so interesting to me. Jacob is having an affair and Kerissa knows about it. I was expecting him to be controlling and mean, but he's not like that at all. He's the quiet on in the relationship and Kerissa is the controlling one. Their relationship is unpredictable which is frustrating, but I like it because I don't like being able to predict things.

Kevin and Charity Greenleaf-Satterlee: Charity is James and Lady Mae's daughter. No one take Charity serious as a preacher. She suggests a series of sermons to do and they family basically laughs at her. It's so interesting because no one thinks she can do it. They think she's better off teaching children's church and starting a family of her own.
Now on to Kevin; it's made obvious that he's gay. I'm sure the only reason he agrees to have a baby is to keep Charity busy, but he's not okay with it. There were some hints about his backstory mentioned that's got me intrigued. I want to know more about his life and how he met Charity. I also want to know if Charity knows that Kevin's gay.

Robert 'Mac' McCready: Lady Mae's brother. He's literally the creepy uncle. When Grace comes back her mother tells her not to start any trouble with him. In that moment I knew that he either did something to Grace or someone else. I'm not going to tell you what he did. You'll just have to watch to find out.

Mavis McCready: Lady Mae's sister. The cool aunt. She owns a bar in town and is helping Grace with her investigation.

What we have here is a family that keeps up appearances on the outside but has some serious issues going on. We also get to see what goes on behind the scenes with this church. No one in this family is perfect and this church isn't perfect either, but in reality, what is?
I was hooked after the first 10 minutes so I'll be watching each week. I find it so interesting and I can't wait to see Grace uncover everything about Faith, and I can't wait to see what happens when all their secrets come out because they will come out eventually.

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Orange in the New Black: Season 4

In previous seasons this show would have a time for jokes, then there would be a moment when things got real, and after that they would end with a cliffhanger leaving us wanting more. And all through this they would sprinkle in some really important issues that would make us think. This season they didn't waste any time getting real and took the issue of race head on.

The Good
As tough as it is to take on the issue of race, they were able to give us some laughs. My other favorite parts were the backstories of Suzanne and Blanca. I wanted more on Suzanne's backstory and finally got to see some of it. We new nothing about Blanca and were finally able to see what life was like for her before she was in prison.

The Bad
Piper, Piper, Piper. I'm one of many who just doesn't like her. I'm not interested in her story. This season I noticed a parallel with Gloria and Piper. Both of them had a beef with another inmate (Sophia and Ruiz) and got that person in more trouble (Sophia was sent to the SHU; Ruiz got more prison time). The difference is that Gloria felt guilty and did what she could to fix it. Piper really only thought of herself. Thankfully, she realized what she did was wrong but she never talked to Ruiz to try and apologize and she didn't try to talk to the racist inmates after she basically formed a racist gang. One thing that always bothers me about Piper is that she always thinks of herself and how other people's actions affect her and not how her actions affect other people.

The Ugly
The new CO's were awful! I didn't think they could get any worse than Pornstache but they go so much worse. I just don't understand why they had to be such disgustingly awful human beings! I get that they did it to prove a point. There are people like this who work in law enforcement and they shouldn't. But, these characters were never punished for their actions. A good scolding from Caputo wasn't enough. These people should have been fired, especially Piscatella.
Poussey's death was the hardest, most painful character death I've ever experienced. I don't think I've cried that much over a character, ever! I guess you could say that she got a proper send off with the flashbacks but that didn't make is hurt any less. In fact, it actually made me feel worse. It was super hard for me because all I could think of was the video of the young girl from Texas, who was sat on by a cop after she left a pool party. Or the fact that Poussey said she couldn't breathe which were also the last words of Eric Garner. I really thought that Caputo would tell the media truth, but he didn't and I'm going to talk about that later. I also read and article (here), and the vibe I got from that was that they chose to kill her for shock value. That rubs me the wrong way.

I'm on the fence with the show at this point. I wish that they took a similar route that Scandal took with the episode 'The Lawn Chair.' That episode dealt with racism within law enforcement but left us with a feeling of hope at the end because the officer was punished for what he did. I understand that this show wanted to be realistic, but I think it's possible to do that as well as give the viewers hope.
Two things I want to mention. One, a picture of the writers room came out (here), and there wasn't a single Black person, man or woman. I just don't understand how you can write a show with the main theme of the season being race issues between Black and white people, and not have one Black person on the writing staff. How can you tell a story about racism without the input of Black people?! Seeing that picture, I now understand how some things were allowed. The Black community's voice was not heard and I think that's a real shame.
Second, Poussey is a lesbian character and TV shows have a problem with killing LGBT characters. It happens so often that people expect it or are worried that it's going to happen. If it doesn't happen then it's a huge deal and people are breathing a sigh of relief. This show decided to add one more to that body count. If they were trying to kill of a character to get a huge emotional response from the fans, there's a long list of other characters that they could've chosen.
Lastly, I just want to say that I wished the show didn't end the way it did. I predicted that a mutiny would happen, I just wished that the protest would've worked. I wished that Caputo would've remembered that he had morals and went against the MCC by telling the truth and not by covering for Bayley. I wished that they didn't choose Daya (one the sweetest inmates) to be the one pointing a gun at the CO. I wished that they didn't spend 4 seasons telling us that these inmates are more than just criminals, but actually people just like us, and then reduce them to just criminals in the final moments of this season.
So, I'll be cautiously approaching season 5. I think I'm going to wait and see what people are saying about it before I decide to watch.

Thought? Please share.  

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Diversity in Television: Quality is Better than Quantity, Part 2

In part one of this two part series I talked about why I'll only be celebrating the quality, not just the quantity of diversity in television. I know some of yall were wondering how we can do what I stated. I firmly believe that it starts behind the scenes. We need more diversity producers, writers, directors, DP's, etc. You can't just be willing to cast POC, women, etc in front of the camera, but behind it as well. This is how we create quality work. If these characters are not written well, their portrayal can do just as much harm as not casting them at all.

Once the behind the scenes of a show looks like the world we live in, then our shows will look like that as well. We need writers to tell our stories. We need directors to shape our stories for us. We need camera people to show our stories through our eyes. We need people who will think outside of the box and will cast POC, women and other minorities in roles that were originated for white men. We need people who are willing to give chances to those who want to make television that looks like our world.

In an interview, director Ryan Coogler talked about how important it was for him to have diversity on his crew. He spoke specifically about his DP for the film 'Creed.' He said that she saw things in ways that he didn't and came up with ideas that he never thought of. How else would this happen if he went with the norm?

So this is basically me encouraging those who want to get into this industry, whether in front of the camera, behind it, or both, to go for it. And for those already there, make room and opportunity for us to come in and make our presence known. Let us continue to make this industry better than it was years before.

Diversity in Television: Quality is Better than Quantity, Part 1

**Disclaimer: When talking about TV I'm not including shows from Netflix or Amazon and similar streaming platforms.**

I remember in the beginning of 2015 year making a post about all the Black women that would be on TV shows that year. I also remember getting more excited at the beginning of this year's TV season with the new POC additions to that list. Unfortunately, at the end of this season my excitement had worn off and turned into anger and confusion. Anger and confusion because I had witnessed a favorite character of mine get killed of unnecessarily and, not too far after, reading about other women and POC characters (some leads) getting the ax from their shows. Doing more digging to find out about these characters getting sidelined and their screentime diminishing before their departure.
Ever since the premiere of Scandal in 2012(?) we've seen a rise in not only Black women but WOC and POC as leading roles on TV. It was such an exciting time because people were finally being represented in television. After years and years of not being represented or being represented properly, it was finally happening. It's a real shame that the theme this year was to get rid of those characters! After the events of this year, when it comes to diversity in TV I'll only be advocating for quality over quantity.

I am completely fed up with seeing and hearing about minority and women characters being treated horribly. It's frustrating when you watch a show with a Black woman as the lead character and then wake up the next morning to read an article that reduced her to a sidekick. It's frustrating to see these WOC characters having their storylines pushed aside so the white (and/or male) character can be elevated. It's frustrating to see a character's screentime shrink and shrink for no reason. And then they get killed off in a way that is so disrespectful to the character and the fans.
I am also saddened by this because a character is never just a character. When we see WOC/POC characters as leads or part of a show and they're not just stereotypes is a big deal! It matters when we see ourselves as what we actually are in society and not these horrible stereotypes that people reduce us to. So it literally hurts when we see these characters get neglected and killed off. It's like someone in your family or your closest friend dying, or constantly being told that they don't matter.
So, I want to say that these characters are not these replaceable, disposable people only there to promote the white and/or male characters. They aren't stereotypes or tokens!

Moving forward I will no longer celebrate the number of POC, women, etc characters. I will only celebrate when these characters are treated the they should be. If you're wondering how we can make this happen, don't worry. I will be coming out with a part 2 on that topic.

Please sound off in the comments section on who your favorite characters are and why they mean so much to you.

Rosewood Finale Update

For such a bright show, Rosewood had a heartbreaking finale. Rosie and Villa had a big blow up, Pippy and TMI broke up and Mama Rosie is off visiting her "boyfriend" (who is he really) in jail. I understand why this was done. This is a new show and they really needed to shake things up for the next season. Go big or go home, right? Good thing I'm used to shows ripping out my heart and stomping on it, otherwise I'd be a mess.

This was a solid first season. I can honestly say that this show was the bright spot to my week. I never thought that a crime drama would have me laughing and leave me smiling each week, but this show did. That's the thing that sets this show apart from others in the genre. Somehow it found a way to keep things light but was also able to keep me on the edge of my seat. It brings the intensity but is able to balance it out with humor. This is a unique show and that's one of the reasons why I love it.
This cast works so well together and has such great chemistry. I also love the diversity of the show, not only in front of the camera but behind it as well.

I think this show did a great job in setting up what's to come for next season. So many things are changing in the lives of the characters so they could go in many directions. Hornstock might not be coming back as captain so there's an opportunity to bring in a new character to take his job. Mama Rosie has a secret of her own and I wonder how long she can keep it. I wonder if TMI will have her own separate storyline now that she and Pippy broke up. Pippy quit so she may pursue singing now, and I wonder if Cassie will make a return. Villa doesn't want Rosie in her life but that's not going to happen now that Rosie thinks Villa's husband was murdered. He's a persistent guy and I don't think he will rest until this case is solved. That case will definitely a major part of next season. I just wonder how Villa will eventually come around to helping him. She is a conflict of interest so all of this will have to be a side investigation.
Here's to hoping this show avoids the sophomore slump because it's unique and necessary for TV and I would love for it to be around for many years.

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The Flash Finale Update

This finale was nuts! The big reveal of the man in the iron mask happened and it turns out that he is Earth-3 Jay Garrick who is the doppelganger of Earth-1 Henry Allen. Now I wanted it to be Wally's doppelganger, but as time went on and more hints were dropped I figured that it would be Henry's. So, that reveal wasn't too shocking but it was still awesome. John Wesley Shipp was the 90's Flash and now he's playing Earth-3's Flash, so there was some serious Flash-ception going on in this scene. I was in total freak out mode while I was watching it!
Barry was able to use his time remnant to defeat Zoom. I'm still a little confused on that. but every time I think about it I make the face Wally made when they tried to explain it to him, so I stop. There was some crazy awesome CGI work in that whole sequence.
Barry and Iris finally kissed, and just when we thought it would be one that Iris would remember, it wasn't. We have Barry to thank for that. What I don't get is why he had to go all the way back to the night that his mom died. I thought his whole journey in the speed force was for him to find peace from his mother's death. So why didn't he just go back to stop Zoom from killing his father or just not go back at all and try to find peace with the family that he has now?

I absolutely loved this season! I loved the inclusion of Earth-2 and the doppelgangers were amazing to see. Cisco developed more vibe powers and I can't wait until they're all there and he can go full on Vibe. The writers did a great job with the West family storyline, with the rise of Iris and Barry's relationship, and with Zoom. Zoom was the scariest, most disturbing villain I've ever seen. I also have to give it up to all the actors for bringing their A game week after week. They really elevated the material they were given and made this show one of the best acted shows on television today.

Now next season is going to be interesting because there are so many directions it could go in. The entire timeline is messed up because Barry went back in time to save his mother. His life, and the life of everyone else will turn out completely different because of this. Barry won't have a reason to go live with Joe and Iris and we don't know if he'll even work for CCPD. He might not even get his powers!
Will future Barry get stuck in the past like Reverse Flash did? What will happen with Reverse Flash now? And what about Wells, Cicso, Caitlin, Wally, and everyone else?
I do have a theory for next season. For the first part of the season I think that Barry will go back to the present and find out that life isn't all fine and dandy because of what he did. He may be happy because his mother is still alive but everything else in his life could be in a shambles. I think he'll realize that he needs to go back and fix what he's done and that's going to happen around the time of the winter finale. There's supposed to be an epic 4 show crossover with all the CW superhero shows, so I think that'll play into how Barry fixes what he's done. I really don't think they'll spend all of next season in this timeline. But, we shall see. I'll be thinking of theories and researching Flashpoint in the meantime.


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