“Oh what a day. What a lovely day!” Friday was a great day, and will probably be my favorite day of Comic Con. It was full of my favorite casts being happy with their internet accounts. The panels yesterday were perfection (minus the whole Agent Carter and Agents of SHIELD having to share a panel)!
Agent Carter already wins with Hayley Atwell alone, but it becomes even better with James D’Arcy added to the mix.
— Pop Goes The World (@Popgoestheworld) July 11, 2015
This made me happy because the show lacks with number of girls.
The winner of the day would have to be Star Wars with the surprise concert and free lightsabers. It proves that Comic Con is indeed a magical place where just about anything can happen.
Oh, it’s only the best day of the year. Every February 13th, my lady friends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home, and we just come and kick it, breakfast-style. Ladies celebrating ladies. (Leslie Knope)
Happy Galentine’s Day! It is time to tell the ladies in your life that you love them. Celebrate their accomplishments, and let them know you appreciate them. This year, I decided to talk about the top five TV shows who love and appreciate the ladies on their show.
1. Jane the Virgin
The Villanuevas have this beautiful relationship. Three generations of women living together with men generally being on the sidelines.
These women all have different personalities, but they support each other through thick and thin. They are family, and have been the only ones for a long time. I love the family is so loving of each other even when they may not always agree.
Then there are the other ladies of the show. This show is predominantly a female cast, and it is beautiful for this reason. Not only does the show have women as protagonists, but they also have them as morally gray and antagonists. Sin Rostro was finally revealed to be Rose, who is not a person to be messed with. They have done amazing casting for the show, and Bridget Regan makes an excellent villain.
2. Agent Carter
Bridget Regan makes such an excellent villain she also plays one on Agent Carter. While she may play a villain on both shows, they are two completely different types of characters. Dottie is an artifact from Russia. She is an example of who Natasha Romanoff used to be. They were both brainwashed as little girls to be assassins.
The show takes place in a man’s world. The women are not treated equally, but prove time and time again they more than capable of handling themselves. Throughout the season, Peggy has been able to get the job done. She still may not have the acceptance or the equality she wishes for, but the men in her life are slowly learning she is not someone to be messed with. She was shown holding her own with the famous Howling Commandos, and already has their respect. Peggy is not someone who should be messed with.
The show also has Angie. Angie is not skilled in combat like Peggy or Dottie, but she is still a strong woman. She is her own person. Angie is amazing and will stick with you, if you treat her right.
3. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
It is important to treat someone right. Grant Ward suffered the ramifications of being a misogynist by the hands of women. Melinda May kicked his butt, Skye shot him, and Jemma Simmons threatened to kill him. The ladies on this show should not be messed with. They have their own set of skills, and are the best of the best with them. What is my favorite thing about the ladies is they each have their own personality, but they will protect each other at all costs. The core team is a family, and the ladies are there for each other through thick and thin.
Then there are the guest characters who are their own. Bobbi Morse like Melinda May is one who can kick serious butt.
Raina is the type of person who is out for their own benefit. She goes after what she wants while wearing a flower dress. The show has also had appearances from Lady Sif and Maria Hill. Lady Sif is a strong warrior and shows a great loyalty. Maria Hill is one of the most competent women I have met, and it is clear to see why Fury chose her as his second.
ABC has been running a promo for the show celebrating the ladies during Agent Carter to show how awesome the ladies are and I get giddy every time I watch it.
4. Elementary
There is only one lady who is a regular on the show, but Joan Watson is queen. She does not allow anyone to control her, and has gained the respect as well as friendship from the men in her life. At the beginning of the series, Joan was a sober companion for Sherlock, but she didn’t let him control her. Watson gained Sherlock’s respect. He also considers Watson as a true friend and partner.
The only other person who came close to being Sherlock’s partner is Kitty Winter. As much as he saved her in London, she also saved him. Kitty is another person not to be messed with. She is still growing into the person she wants to be after suffering a traumatic rape. Kitty finally got justice with them man who raped her, and he will not be forgetting her anytime soon after what she did to him. Kitty is a survivor, and I hope she will somehow appear on the show again.
The show also knows how to make impeccable villains. There is Watson’s own nemesis, Elana March, who is the boss of a mostly female ran crime ring. She reappeared last night after the female assassin she hired failed to murder Joan. By the end of the show, the assassin was murdered by the number one villain of the show, Moriarty. Natalie Dormer wins at all things, and her Irene Adler/Moriarty is flawless. She is Sherlock’s equal, and the only one who was able to read her was Watson. While there may not be that women on this show, the ones they have are so intricate. It is fascinating to see them work.
5. Parks and Recreation
The reason why I even celebrate Galentine’s Day is because of this show. The ladies are versatile, and do not let men control them. Leslie, April, and Donna are all married now, but the most beautiful thing about their marriages is they are equal partners.
This week’s episode was an excellent example of what feminism stands for and how it truly works. The show has these amazing ladies, and the support and confidence they have for each other is empowering.
These ladies have control over their lives, and are there for each other. They celebrate each other all throughout the year, but still have Galentine’s Day in order to recognize each other over breakfast food.
It is so powerful to see ladies supporting other ladies instead of degrading one another. Today is Galentine’s Day, but this doesn’t mean you should stop celebrating the ladies in your life or stop telling them how much you appreciate them any other day.
***Warning: This post contains spoilers for ABC’s Agent Carter Episode 1.04, “The Blitzkrieg Button.”
Agent Carter is half way over, and Howard Stark is back in town. Peggy’s and Howard’s relationship piqued my interest when I watched Captain America for the first time. Howard was proof that the apple doesn’t fall from the tree with his character being a playboy genius just like his son, Tony Stark. This is why I loved the fact Howard and Peggy appeared to be buddies. Howard admires Peggy, and considers her a pal (who he will still hit on).
With Howard showing up, comes another mission for Peggy. Peggy is tasked with taking pictures of all the inventions the SSR has of Howard’s, but first Howard feels the need to take a selfie with Peggy.
After Peggy successfully takes the photos she goes back to her lodgings where she has smuggled Howard in for him to lay low. Of course Howard is a challenge because he is now in a building full of young attractive girls. Peggy is able to rein him in, but it is probably the most difficult challenge she has had to face this season so far.
Howard informs Peggy he needs her to steal one of his inventions back because it is extremely dangerous. Peggy is a little skeptical, but goes along with it. Howard’s her friend, and she trusts him. However, Jarvis is a horrible liar, and Peggy knows there is something Howard is not telling her. She steals the item, but decides to find out what the invention truly is. It turns out it is a vial of blood. She goes back and confronts Howard about it. Howard knows she already knows who blood it is when she is demanding him to tell her whose blood he has. The blood is Steve Roger’s. Â Howard lied to her.
This is what Jarvis and Howard were talking about in the premiere. About Howard lying to her. Yes, recovering Howard’s inventions were important, but this vial was his true motive. He knew Peggy could find and recover his stuff, but also knew Peggy might decline if he told her the truth.
My favorite scene of the night was Peggy confronting Howard. She has every right to be upset. One of her friends betrayed her, and what made it worse was it involved Steve. Peggy has risked her job so Howard could have his vial of Steve’s blood.
The scene also shows us a glimpse of another side of Howard. The man is extremely egotistical, but the scene showed how important Peggy is to him. He let her inside by telling her how he grew up.
I grew up on the lower east side. My father sold fruit. My mother sewed shirt waists for a factory. Let me tell you. You don’t get to climb the American ladder without picking up some bad habits on the way. There’s a ceiling for certain types of people. Based on how much money your parents have. Your social class, your religion, your sex. The only way to break through that ceiling sometimes is to lie so that’s my natural instinct. To lie. Â I shouldn’t have lied to you. And for that, trust me I am truly sorry.
Peggy then asks why he has Steve’s blood, and Howard tells her his hopes about curing diseases. Peggy isn’t buying that it is for a selfless reason, and you can see the hurt in Howard’s face.
The truth is Peggy did trust Howard, and he lied to her. Howard is relying on Jarvis to make things better, but Howard is going to need to do the groveling. He knew how important Steve was because Steve was also important to him. Lying may protect someone for a little while, but in the long run it doesn’t do any good. The truth will come out, and friendships will be damaged.
The one thing that made the confrontation even more amped up was the scene Peggy has with Jack Thompson. He doesn’t understand why Peggy stays at the SSR because all she does is wait on the men. Jack is an antagonist for Peggy, but what makes it conflicting is he is not a bad guy. He is only a colleague who is a massive jerk. He is part of the problem where women are not treated as equals. He knows what Peggy wants, but he also believes no man will consider her equal with himself.
What really caught my interest was him remarking that it was sad. Jack is A grade a jerk when it comes to Peggy, and it is pretty much the only thing we have seen of him in the series. He’s a man’s man, but this episode showed something else. It wasn’t much, but there was a small sense of isolation or loss with his character. The war affected him. It affected everyone on this show.
Other highlights: Stan Lee’s cameo.
The revelation of Dottie apparently having a love for automatic weapons.
I have a feeling it will be revealed soon that Dottie is a villain. After all, women can make great villains just as great as they can make awesome heroines.
Happy 2015! I am incredibly excited for the mid-season premieres, but there is a part of me is filled with sorrow at the same time. Two great shows are taking their final bow, and will be greatly missed once they are finished. However, let us rejoice the fact they get to end the way they want to end.
The first show is Parks and Recreation. It is the last show from NBC’s golden Thursday night comedy left (still on NBC). They decided to make a time jump into the year 2017, and I have faith this show has been able to handle the transition. The rest of the world is slowly finding out this cast is amazing, but we have already known this for at least six seasons. It is time to ‘Treat Yo Self’ to final season of some of the greatest characters on TV. – Premiering: Tuesday, January 13th, 8 P.M. – 9 P.M. on NBC (two shows/per week)
The other show ending after this season is Justified. I know without a doubt this show will end with a bang. My only fear is either Raylan Givens, Boyd Crowder, or both will finally die. These two are the definition of frenemies. Two boys who grew up together to dig coal with each other, only to be on opposite sides of the law now. It was always great to see them play for the same team, but it wouldn’t be a final season without seeing them pitted against the other. – Premiering: Tuesday, January 20th, 10 P.M. on FX
Then we have new and upcoming shows I wish all the success for. They show promise, and I deeply hope I will not be disappointed with them.
The first is Marvel’s Agent Carter. Someone at Marvel studios is showing intelligence by creating a show about Peggy Carter. Marvel has many great female characters who all deserve to shine, and I hope this show proves they need to focus on the female characters in this universe just as much as the male characters. Women are heroes. They are intelligent people who can kick butt. (I also jumped for joy when I found out the Russo brothers were directing a couple of episodes) – Premiering: Tuesday, January 6th, 8 P.M. on ABC (two hour special; will air at 9 P.M. in the weeks to follow)
Galavant. The one thing that made the finale Psych hurt a little bit less (it still hurts) was Timothy Omundson coming back to my TV screen. What makes it even better is seeing him turn from a goes by the book detective to the evil king (If you haven’t watched Psych, I would suggest watching a couple of episodes before watching this show.) What makes it even better is Vinnie Jones plays his henchman. Also, Magnitude Luke Youngblood will say more than “Pop! Pop!” in the show. And let’s face it, you will probably see ‘All about that Sasse (Joshua Sasse plays Galavant)’ at least once before the show is half way through. – Premiering: Sunday, January 4th, 8 P.M. on ABC
iZombie. How is it The CW is becoming the network most of my favorite shows are on? The number has gone from only one show I watch (Arrow) to three thanks to the premieres of The Flash and Jane the Virgin. I will admit the number one reason why I am so interested in this show is because Rob Thomas is the creator. The man gave us Veronica Mars. It also doesn’t hurt I enjoyed Rose McIver when she played Tink on Once Upon a Time. Premiering: TBD
Merry Christmas! I hope whoever reads this list is having a Holly Jolly Christmas because I do believe it is one of the best times of the year. Here is my wish list for TV next year. Yes, I know some will not come true, but a girl can dream can’t she?
Arrow – We get a hint or find out who Felicityâs father is. We know Felicityâs father left them when she was a young girl, but there is so much story potential with her character with adding who the missing father is. Basically I need more of Felicityâs story or more storyline for her that doesn’t involve Palmer.
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More crossovers between The Flash and Arrow. The crossover made a great two hour event with characters from both shows intermingling. Felicity Smoak and Caitlin Snow are great when in scenes together. I want more female friendships on this show because they are both sorely lacking when it comes to highlighting that aspect. Also, it would be great for Quentin Lance and Joe West to finally meet and tell each other their woes with dealing with Arrow and The Flash.
My final Arrow wish is they bring back Tommy Merlyn and Sara Lance. If they can bring back Malcolm (and they are definitely bringing back Oliver), they should bring back these two. Especially Sara who only was killed for a plot device. How many characters who have so much potential will still be killed as plot devices?
No more deaths in mid-season finales or season finales. Yes, I know deaths are necessary on shows, but it is starting to get a little predictable with who will die and when they will die on the show. Kill a person on a random episode. Let it be less predictable. (Yes, I know Iâm delusional for wishing this, and it will never happen.)
For Selfie to be resurrected. The world is better with Henry and Eliza. I am better with Henry and Eliza.
Both Galavant and Agent Carter are successes. Once Upon a Time is a royal mess, it might have been better if it made fun of itself a little more. This is why I hope Galavant is what Once Upon a Time is not.
As for Agent Carter I want this show to be amazingly successful because they are focusing on a female as the main lead. If this is successful, it can branch out for more females in the Marvel universe to be highlighted. I still desperately need a Black Widow movie.
Community has a great season six. It is sad to see only four members remain of the Greendale Seven. However, I am interested in seeing how Paget Brewster and Keith David will interact with the group. I am especially interested in seeing the episode with Brittaâs parents. I have my fingers crossed for at least one Clue reference.
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Someone gets Emily Kinney back onto the small screen or big screen soon. She is a delight, and it was sad to see her character become a plot device on The Walking Dead.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. – Jemma Simmons and Leo Fitz start getting some field training. I really wish Bobbi will train Jemma because I think that could be a beautiful friendship. I also think Jemma is very likely an unsuspecting deadly force to be reckoned with.
Finally, The 100 gets renewed. This wish is for my friends who love the show.
For a few years now I have wanted to go to a Comic Con, and now I can say I attended the most attended Comic Con in America. I was amazed to be in a building with so many people, but I never felt too crowded (minus waiting in line for The Walking Dead panel).
As it was my first time, I did rely on my friends who have already been to NYCC. It is always a good idea to talk to the ones who have already experienced dealing with Cons in the past and receiving pointers from them. I am most indebted to my friend, Kim. Luckily the first panel I went to was one with her, and I was able to better navigate my way around for the rest of the weekend.
One of the most important things to do is plan ahead of time. Never go to a Con without a plan, and always meet up with your friends before you arrive at the convention center. It is easier to find someone if they are not in a mass horde of other fellow nerds.
The next step is to know which panel you want to see the most. I mainly attended panels in the main room. My biggest problem was deciding between Elementary and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and even though Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was later, the queue line for it was longer. In the end I was able to attend both, but I was willing to sacrifice it for a chance to be in the same room with Clark Gregg. Unfortunately Cons also come with sacrifices.
Always arrive early for a panel or you may not get in. This includes smaller panels because it means there is less room for that panel. This should especially be applied for any panel that will be incredibly popular. The Walking Dead queue line filled up the fastest and the line was capped quickly. I will applaud NYCC for establishing different queue lines for the various panels on the main stage, and clearing out the room after the panels were finished.
The only time I experienced problems with the new process was with The Walking Dead panel. Hopefully they will be able to work out the kinks with the new system, but even if they do I wonât stay in line that long again. The screens have excellent views of the stage, and it leaves you time to explore other panels, the show floor, or even better the Artist Alley. I can now say I have waited in a crowded line for hours, and to me it is not worth it. Time is better spent by exploring what the rest of the Con has for entertainment.
The one place I will definitely recommend is Artist Alley. Forewarning: Be prepared to spend your money here. The artists are creative, and if someone is able to leave there without more than one print, they are stronger than me. The artwork is spectacular and is better than many of the posters you see for the actual artwork for the shows or movies.
The panels I went to were a delight. The first one was the Disney panel, which made me really interested in Big Hero 6. I saw the trailer, and it appeared alright, but what really sold me on this movie were the clips they showed us at the Disney panel. Seeing Baymax low on power is priceless, and was my favorite clip. It introduced me to the term of âhairy babyâ used for cats, and according to T.J. Miller we are supposed to use this word from now on.
The panel for Tomorrowland was next and if I wasnât already convinced Damon Lindelof has superpowers, I am now. Hugh Laurie talked about a lunch he had with Lindelof and Brad Bird where he did not remember the conversation, but knew he wanted to be part of the film. Lindelof is a Jedi. This can be the only conclusion. The biggest surprise was indeed George Clooney appearing on stage after Laurie said Clooney has been lying about his age and is really 75. Clooney has never really been a part of nerd culture so it was surprising to see him at a Con. Of course he was his very dapper self, and said he apologized for his Batman to Adam West as well as the nipple suit. Hugh Laurie and George Clooney sitting right next to each other during a panel was something I never expected, but I greatly enjoyed the experience.
Friday was the day of full episodes. While I was fully expecting a full episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the Elementary premiere came as a shock. The premiere was enjoyable, but felt a little disjointed. Of course I believe it was a goal because Holmes and Watson went their separate ways in last yearâs finale. However, it was clear as soon as Lucy Liu and Jonny Lee Miller took the stage they have a wonderful partnership. Even with the little things with Liu pouring a cup of water and then handing it to Miller. Ophelia Lovibond, the newest cast member, was asked how it was coming onto the show, and she called it a well-oiled machine. Miller then responded that they were very well oiled (I love how snarky some people are). Later in the panel, Miller talked about how Sherlockâs addiction is a struggle and how there will be many mistakes made. I genuinely love how big of a part Sherlockâs addiction is on this show.
The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. panel won the day because of Clark Gregg. He was originally not supposed to be at NYCC, but asked to come. How could someone say no to that guyâs face? This man is so awesome they brought him back from the dead and gave him his own show. The man is adorable. They need to find a way to make miniature Clark Greggs so you can keep him in your pocket and always have him around. They also showed the episode which aired last night, and it is by far the best episode of the season. One of the best parts is being able to watch a solid episode with so many fans of the show. After the episode, they informed us Gregg had flown out with the first clip of Agent Carter which was shot Monday. I may be more in love with this show, and really hope they further explore Peggy Carterâs and Howard Starkâs friendship.
Saturday, was dedicated to The Walking Dead. It was enjoyable to see the majority of the cast in person as well as Scott Gimple, Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, and Greg Nicotero. To me these four are just as big as the cast. We were again promised heartbreak and more crossovers between the show and comic book series. Sometimes it is hard going into a show where you know it will lead to heartbreak, but I still trust Gimple as the show runner. I love the man dearly. The only problem is there is never enough time. The cast is big. While Iâm glad so many of them came, it never feels like there is not a lot of time. This panel made me wish there was a better way to filter fan questions, and possibly give some a time limit. I understand this may be a personâs only time to talk to whoever is on stage, but I wish they would also think about the people in line behind them who also want to ask questions.
While Saturday may have been dedicated to The Walking Dead, Stephen Amell still won the day. A room with him doing a Q & A is already perfection. However, he made it better than perfection because he had emailed Colin Donnell, and told him to show up to his panel. The moment he appeared on stage was amazing, and let me just say everyone who was at the Con definitely looks better in person.
Sunday had the best conclusion, with the last panel on the main stage being Sleepy Hollow. Honestly, I would attend probably anything that gave Orlando Jones a microphone. For me this was probably the best panel because it showed the audience only half the episode leaving more time for the cast and crew to answer questions. While it is enjoyable to see a full episode, it doesnât give a lot of time for the people on stage to talk. No one should ever take away time for these people to talk. When they get to talk we learn things about the show like Ichabod learning about Karaoke, or Jones choosing âI Will Surviveâ as his song choice (I now want to see Frank Irving break out into this song). It was interesting to see that singing may be one of Tom Misonâs talents and him saying there were many things Len Wiseman did not know about him via text during the panel.
Overall the experience was fun, and I cannot wait to go to my next Con.
WARNING: THIS POST DOES CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR UPCOMING SEASONS.
Friday I spent most of the day in my bed with my face glued to my laptop. So much happened yesterday with my favorite TV shows, and I still haven’t caught up on it all. So here are some favorite highlights from yesterday.
The Walking Dead:
The cast has quickly become one of my favorites and it was a joy to see them at SDCC.
— The Walking Dead AMC (@WalkingDead_AMC) July 25, 2014
The season five trailer was amazing, and my favorite part was seeing Beth alive with her own story line. Beth has played mostly a background character, and it is good to finally see her in the foreground.
Agent Carter:
While they still haven’t started filming the series yet I was extremely excited to hear more about this show and see Hayley Atwell.
Joe and Anthony Russo will be directing 2nd and 3rd episodes of MARVEL'S AGENT CARTER. Joe Johnston ~wants~ to direct 4th. #SDCC
I am super excited that the Russo brothers are continuing to participate in the Marvel universe. I miss them on Community, but I enjoy seeing the success they have been able to achieve.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.:
Any time you have Clark Gregg on a panel it will be beautiful.
Although Marvel is not terribly fond of spoilers we did get some of the names of the guests who are appearing. I’m excited Reed Diamond is playing the main baddie. It is always a thrill to see a member of the Whedonverse show up.
One of my favorite parts about upfronts is the trailers for new shows are usually released. It helps give a glimpse of what they will be about, and some have the ability to actually gain genuine interest. There are a few new shows that make me excited for the later part of this year.
Galavant (ABC)
The one trailer that made me super excited was Galavant. I have already seen so many articles describing it as The Princess Bride meets Spamalot, and from the trailer it seems to be an accurate description. What makes this beautiful is it is meant to be campy. Once Upon a Time is already full of campiness, but the majority of it is unintentional. For me this trailer is beautiful, and I want to hold and love it. Especially since Timothy Omundson is playing the bad guy.
I loved him so much in Psych, and Iâm so glad he is going to be back on my TV so quickly. Plus Luke Youngblood, who plays Magnitude on Community, is going to be in it. It will be interesting to see him play a character that says more than âPop! Pop!â for the majority of his dialogue.
Barry Allen was introduced during the mid-season of Arrow, and quickly won a place in my heart. After seeing how well Arrow has been handled, I think it is safe to think The Flash will be amazing as well. The trailer looked amazing, and I canât wait to see Barry in action.
I canât wait to see the Arrow and Flash crossovers because it was great seeing Barry interact with Team Arrow, and now we will hopefully see more of the Arrow cast (besides Oliver) interact with this new group, like Felicity. I really want to see Felicity on this show at some point. Plus Tom Cavanagh is in this show, and I usually enjoy his work.
As soon as there was talk about giving Agent Peggy Carter her own show I was all for it. I have only become a bigger fan of Marvel as time has gone on, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has proven itself with becoming a great show. I enjoyed Hayley Atwell playing Carter in Captain America, and Iâm glad they are going to explore her character more. It will be interesting to see her life after Steve Rogers. Plus it will be interesting if they include Howard Stark at all, or show anything about Hydra.
Selfie (ABC)
While the trailer wasnât my absolute favorite it has aspects I really love. The first being it is a modern adaptation of My Fair Lady. I immensely enjoy adaptations of classics if they are done right. Having John Cho play Henry Higgins part is perfection. I have never thought about him playing this role before, but now that I have seen it the casting makes perfect sense.
Another plus with the show is Karen Gillan starring as Eliza in this series. Finally, the creator of the show is Emily Kapnek, the creator of Suburgatory (RIP). Iâm willing to give the trailer some leeway due to me not being the biggest fan of Suburgatoryâs trailer when it first came out.
We Watch for the Plot 