Supergirl 3x13 Review: "Both Sides Now" (Personality as the Plot Demands) [Contributor: Deborah MacArthur]

“Both Sides Now”

Original Airdate: February 5, 2018 

Before a bit of a hiatus, Supergirl thought it prudent to move their main plot along just a tad. Good decision, guys! Certainly better than the filler you threw at us last week, though this one had its own elements of frustration — mostly its decision to paint Alex Danvers as a trigger-happy agent with a vendetta and... I don’t know, a fear of loneliness? I’ve noticed that Alex occasionally acquires these negative traits whenever the writers really need her to clash with Kara on some level, and it never fails to annoy me. Especially since it usually comes out of nowhere. Alex hasn’t had much of an opinion on the Worldkillers. She took Reign beating her sister to a pulp admirably well and even shrugged off Reign breaking the heck out of her leg in a fight, but suddenly holds an instantaneous grudge against anyone vaguely associated with the Worldkillers.

Okay, sure Supergirl. I do think you’re rushing through some stuff in order to get to your vacation, though.

JULIA AND PURITY

Team Supergirl is zeroing in on the Worldkiller Kara picked out of a lineup out in the previous episode, but it turns out that Worldkiller is just a lady who really likes listening to Lisa Loeb while sitting in the middle of her living room. That’s pretty weird, yeah, but it’s not exactly devious. And you can’t blame a lady for her music listening predilections, people. Or, specifically, Alex, since Alex spends this entire episode being bizarrely biased against this one person — to the point of triggering her Worldkiller transformation by being hostile. I repeat: this woman, Julia, was just listening to music in her home when Supergirl and a bunch of black-clad agents barged in and started attacking her? So I know Julia has a world-conquering Kryptonian genetic experiment inside her, but I’m sort of on her side in all of this.

I don’t think it helps that we know for certain the Worldkillers do live double lives, so Julia Freeman probably is just a normal person who gets triggered into being a killing machine the same way Sam is a normal person who gets triggered into being a killing machine. The episode doesn’t examine what the differences are between the Worldkillers (why is it that Purity’s eyes stay silver when Sam just gets a brief flash of red? Why does Purity taunt the team while Reign is very straightforward and almost robotic in her mission?) but maybe that will come later. Hopefully. There is a lot of story in this plot that I have a feeling the show is going to squander, despite having ample time to really dole out the information well.

After Alex yells and points a gun at poor Julia, Julia gets freaked out enough to expel a force that knocks everyone to the ground. J’onn is able to cuff her and they take her to one of the DEO’s glass door prison cells for interrogation. She is indeed the Worldkiller who calls herself Purity, but she’s not eager to give up any information on the Worldkillers or their plans. Kara is adamant that the Julia alter-ego was not an act, but Alex thinks it was all a trick because those tricky Worldkillers are always doing tricky, tricky things in order to trick Supergirl.

Except... nope. Not even a little bit. Based on the information the character has about Reign, there is no reason for Alex to presume a Worldkiller is adept in subterfuge or would have any reason to use it. Reign has never appeared to feign innocence or human weakness, so why would Alex think it was something in the Worldkiller repertoire? From Alex’s perspective, with only Reign as a reference point, the Worldkiller is a single-minded Terminator with a black-and-white understanding of justice and law. Considering Reign’s vendetta against all things insincere or unrighteous, she should even go so far as to think the Worldkillers can’t lie or are morally against lying. So Alex’s paranoia over Julia/Purity tricking Kara? And her refusal to allow Kara to treat Julia with respect and hope? Kinda stupid and clearly something the writers tacked on to increase drama.

Supergirl, this sort of thing is why I just don’t understand you. Alex is not a paranoid, trigger-happy person with a lust for Worldkiller blood. Even right after Kara’s beat-down by Reign, Alex wasn’t so full of frothing rage, so this sudden fall into hateful vengeance just seems false. I know it gets hand-waved later as the culmination of her complicated feelings over the Maggie breakup, but that barely smooths over the rough edges of this characterization.

Even the established mold for the Worldkiller persona got broken in this episode, since Purity does taunt Alex and Kara and acts like a more typical villain, whereas the Worldkillers are meant to be something on another level entirely. This, like Alex’s personality in this episode, is a case of the writers putting drama ahead of character — so they shattered their cool, stoic, interplanetary dispensers of justice in order to make it happen. That’s incredibly unfortunate, since the concept of all-powerful, strict and violently, robotically moral Worldkillers being brought down by hope and love — the two things Supergirl most strongly represents, and what I’m pretty sure will be their downfall considering the whole Ruby thing with Sam and Purity’s brief recognition of Julia’s best friend — is something just cheesy and wonderful enough to be perfect Supergirl fodder.

Most of the episode is spent trying to get info out of Purity and failing. Purity says a couple mean things to Alex and suddenly Kara’s given up on ever getting through to Julia (this episode is annoying). Since Kara “underestimated” the true evil of her foe, Purity escapes the DEO and starts terrorizing the city — starting with the subway, where she gets Kryptonian whispers from, I assume, the evil AI. The fight in the subway station proceeds as one would expect — lots of destruction, people screaming, the usual — and Purity actually gets the jump on Kara. In a twist literally everyone saw coming, Alex turns in her opinion of Purity’s-not-Julia so she can talk Julia back into taking control of her body and not killing Kara. It’s successful, but then Reign shows up and Julia trades herself for Alex’s life.

Reign promises that they will find the third Worldkiller, Pestilence, and they will be unstoppable. After Reign flies off with Julia, she deposits her in the Fortress of Evil and the AI “awakens” her, which Julia ain’t so happy about. Meanwhile, Team Supergirl brainstorms how to stop the Worldkillers and Kara posits a radical new idea: they don’t stop them. Instead, they save them.

Other Things:

• In a heart-to-heart with J’onn, Mon-El admits that he and Imra didn’t get married out of love, but because of a political strategy to unite all the future people. He compares the logical, strategic relationship he created with Imra with the completely illogical relationship that happened with Kara, calling himself a “self-absorbed misogynist” who learned to be better. Ah, Mon-El. I see you’re conveniently leaving out the part where you and your family kept slaves, bro. You were a little bit worse than a womanizing jerk.
• Lena says she “knows what’s wrong” with Sam after Sam snaps and briefly flickers into Reign mode. That’s... intriguing. I think Lena saw Sam’s red-flicker eyes, but I don’t know how that would clue her into anything that’s actually wrong. Racking my brain for any time on this show where Lena might have seen red flickering eyes, and I’m coming up with nothing. So at the very least, I’m curious to see where that goes.
• Imra’s on a secret mission! Even Mon-El doesn’t know about it! That said, I don’t fully buy that Mon-El knows much of anything.
• Hey TV writers: there’s no such thing as speed dial anymore. Way to make yourselves look old.

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Ask an Author: An Interview With Fake Plastic Love's Kimberley Tait [Contributor: Megan Mann]

(Image credit: Flatiron Books via AP)

I’ve read a great deal of books in my life. I’ve read horror and romance, thriller and YA, good, bad and everything in between. But a book that perfectly captures the essence of the millennial generation? Now that is something that I haven’t done. Until now.

Last year I was scrolling through Instagram and came upon a post from Flatiron Books for what was being called “The Great Gatsby meets Wall Street.” And I was triple clicking, wondering how long it would take to get my hands on Fake Plastic Love by Kimberley Tait.

I was not disappointed. The story follows M. as she strikes up a friendship on accident with the most interesting girl on Dartmouth’s campus: Belle Bailey. They’re the lost girls — the girls who go on random adventures and aren’t afraid of the world. Until Belle loses her parents and M. decides rather than marry a banker like her mother wants, she will become a banker herself. The two live in New York City, but you’d never know it. M. is a realist, a girl who understands how black and white everything is. Belle is the Instagrammed version of New York: vibrant colors, but always with her signature red, fun little shops, dreamy dates, and snapshots of inhabitants who are generally overlooked.

But both are brought together by one man, Jeremy, who is best friends with M., but loses himself completely in the presence of Belle. It’s this weird, non-romantic triangle that changes the lives of all three, changes the lives of those around them, and proves that not everything is as black and white as it seems. Not everyone is as glossy and perfect as social media makes us believe and in order to have it all, you have to be vulnerable.

When I read the book, I loved every page. I thought it was thought-provoking and beautiful, a snapshot of our generation that isn’t just that we’re lazy and looking to make a quick buck via Internet fame. I knew that I needed to discuss the story with the author, Kimberley Tait, and pick her brain about all of the ins and outs of the book.

Thankfully, she happily took my email.

First and foremost, congratulations. Your debut book has finally been released! How does it feel?

Kimberley Tait: Thank you so much! It had been a dream to become a novelist for so many years that it felt very surreal when it finally happened. Before and after the book was published, I've felt a great jumble of different emotions that change on a daily and sometimes hourly basis — surprise, delight, joy, fear, insecurity, pride, anxiety, and so many more. It's strange and a bit unsettling to suddenly realize this very personal and private thing you have created is out in the world for anyone to see. It's daunting and thrilling at the same time.

Let's get right into the book. The Wall Street aspect is slightly intimidating. Were you familiar with Wall Street before writing this? If not, what was the research like for that?

It was (unintentionally) first-hand research! For about 10 years I worked at investment banks in New York and London and did my MBA at Columbia Business School, with many friends who also pursued careers in finance and worked at other banks. In the novel, Bartholomew Brothers is a fictional creation that draws on my own experiences, my friends' experiences, and many other real-life accounts I've read about "young Wall Street," including Kevin Roose's fantastic book Young Money, which I highly recommend as a behind-the-scenes look at what it's really like to be a young banker.

You do an amazing job of capturing the dichotomy of the millennial generation with M. — the realist — and Belle, the nostalgic romantic. We're a generation torn between that nostalgia and embracing the future. Was that your intention with the contrasting characters?

I am so glad you think so! You're exactly right — my idea was to have M. and Belle represent the two polar-opposite sides of this strange era we live in. Most of us are plugged in and fully digitized, yet many of us pine for a simpler, more romantic, offline time. In many ways the Internet — so paradoxically — fuels nostalgia. It is an aggregator of memories and an escape hatch from our present realities.

I also wrote M. and Belle as symbols of the Romantic and the Realist that I think are living inside all of us. I think every person is a messy mix of both but ultimately the Romantic has the power to overturn everything in the end — even with a staunch Realist like M.!

Belle is essentially Instagram incarnate. She has this glossy image and admits to fooling herself into believing that's who she is despite all of the drama that she hides from. Was that a reflection of how we operate in the realm of social media?

I created the Belle Bailey character in 2013 when the concept of the lifestyle blogger was really starting to take off on Instagram. Belle was a patchwork of all the visuals and characteristics I was observing — I loaded them all into "La Belle Vie" as a sort of parody.

In 2018, Belle Baileys are a dime a dozen, which I must admit slightly terrifies me. The parody has come to life! Social media is becoming more and more slick and stylized, making it harder to figure out what is real and genuine versus what is fake and choreographed. I think this poses real dangers. Seeing so much strikingly green grass everywhere we look can be very demoralizing. I think it can also muddy people's sense of identities — affecting what we want to achieve, how we present ourselves, and the actions we ultimately take, whether we recognize it or not. As Kurt Vonnegut wrote: “We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.”

The friendships in the book are interesting. You have M. and Belle who are total opposites but are tethered together by their shared college experiences, and you have M. and Jeremy who have the same shared career experiences, but are closer than M. and Belle. Is that a mark of maturity in our dear M.?

M. feels a great sense of responsibility for Belle — almost as though she is a caretaker of all of their shared memories and "Old Belle," the girl Belle used to be before tragedy struck and she escaped into her online world of La Belle Vie. M. is the one who truly knew her when. As much as M. is practical, her loyalty to Belle as they drift apart in New York tells us that she may be softer and more sentimental than she is letting on.

After college, the friendship M. builds with Jeremy is rooted in their being misfits at the same bank — though M. appears to fit in, she is miserable inside. Again, she feels the need to play the role of protector to Jeremy. She sees through to the real him, just as she does with Belle, while so many of their peers misunderstand him. M. prides herself on being a sort of guardian of the truth in the novel — and for so long she preoccupies herself with whether Belle and Jeremy are being genuine (both individually and together).

I think she only begins to mature in a meaningful way when she finally confronts the fact that for a very long time she has not been true to herself and needs to do something about that.

A huge thing for M. is that she's afraid of veering off her chosen path and creating something better for herself. Do you think that's something that your readers identify with?

I think there is enormous pressure to succeed today combined with fear of perceived failure. Social media puts everything on display like never before — both personally and professionally — which dials up the need to posture as happy and successful and other desirable things. For a high-achieving person like M., she is terrified of leaving her investment bank and pursuing a less conventional path because she fears it will somehow make her irrelevant, or make her appear to be a failure. I think many people stay in jobs or careers they dislike because of some form of fear. Sometimes they decide it’s better to stick with the devil they know.

I hope the book encourages readers to take an honest look at who and what they are devoting themselves to. At the end of the day, there is no real happiness to be found when you make life decisions based on what other people will think. Or what you think other people will think.

Let's get into the fun stuff: say your book becomes a movie. Who's your dream cast?

It's so fun to daydream about this! I’d cast Emma Stone as M., Lily James as Belle Bailey, Jack Whitehall (clean-shaven) as Jeremy Kirby, and Charlie Hunnam as Chase Breckenridge. (I wasn't aware of Charlie Hunnam until my husband told me he is “Chase incarnate” — I Googled him and totally agree!)

Are you working on something new? If so, could you give us a little hint?

Yes! I'm working on another novel that explores the question: Do you ever get over your first love?

A lot of our readers are aspiring writers. What was the process like from its inception to its release? What could you tell us about sticking to your writing dreams despite any setbacks?

The process is certainly long and requires a lot of tenacity, particularly as a first-time author. Setbacks are inevitable on the multi-year road to publication (just as they are on any road in life), which will be filled with many highs and lows and curve balls. Your passion and commitment is often the only thing that will fuel you. The initial steps of getting a literary agent and finding an editor who falls in love with your book involve a great deal of rejection, which is hard but ultimately helpful. That forces you to develop a thick skin early, which is critical. Because no matter who you are and what you write, there will be people who actively dislike what you are writing. What counts is that you genuinely believe in what you are producing, and have the courage and conviction to push it out into the world, come what may. Always remember that you are your most important ambassador.

What are your best tips for sticking to your writing and meeting your goal?

I think it's very helpful to set smaller goals for yourself with specific deadlines — whether it's finishing a chapter, revising a specific part of the manuscript, or adjusting an entire character. That way you can keep chipping away and feel a sense of ongoing progress. Setting deadlines will also help you prioritize your writing against the many other competing demands of your life!

As someone who very often suffers from writer's block, how do you combat it?

The only way I can fight writer's block is by reading — or by taking in some kind of art form, whether it's going to an art exhibition or play or seeing a film or listening to some music. (Music is very evocative for me. I often write to music and find inspiration in song lyrics. The title Fake Plastic Love and Belle Bailey were inspired by the Radiohead ballad "Fake Plastic Trees." So of course I couldn't resist creating an inspirational soundtrack for the novel on Spotify!

To produce, you need to consume — as they say, you need to read a library to write a book — so I think consuming is the best way to get moving again if you're stuck.

Finally, what's your favorite part of being a writer?

Creating a whole other world that I can vanish into when I open my laptop or pick up my pen. My mantra is, "If reality disappoints, rewrite it"!

Kimberley Tait’s book Fake Plastic Love was one of my favorite books of 2017 and I eagerly await her next book (and hope to get to talk to her about that one too!).  Personally, I think the dream movie casting is spot-on and would love to see that come to fruition.  

This is a story that will resonate with anyone of the millennial generation. Tait is right: It’s getting harder and harder to perceive what is real and what is choreographed in this digital world. And the more we realize that, hopefully the more honest we’ll become.  

... And if not, there are always books! So go pick this one up now and follow Kimberley Tait on Twitter and Instagram for swoonworthy content and updates hopefully on a movie and her next book!

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Series: This Week’s TV MVPs -- Week 67

Welcome back to another week in our TV MVP Series! This week, we're choosing to celebrate some incredibly versatile actors and actresses — those people who can assimilate seamlessly to any and every character they're given. Celebrating some great performers with me are:

• Our newest writer, Jenna
• Megan

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Arrow 6x13 Recap: "The Devil's Greatest Trick" (The Curse of the Thirteenth Episode) [Contributor: Marilyn]

"The Devil's Greatest Trick"

Original Airdate: February 8, 2018

The thirteenth episode of each season of Arrow tends to be more hit than miss, I’ve noticed. Over six years, it’s hard not to pick up on the correlation — the thirteenth episode often is my least favorite episode of any given season. Last year, we saw the infamous “gun control” episode and that was probably my least favorite episode of Arrow ever. So it’s safe to say that I went into “The Devil’s Greatest Trick” with very low expectations.

It was a good thing, too. Because this episode failed to make any big waves which is a shame because it did serve as a mid-season culmination of the Cayden James storyline. The bomb we’ve been hearing about for months now was finally primed and ready to be detonated. Original Team Arrow was scrambling, trying to find a way to avert the crisis and keep the city safe. They were out of options and needed to appeal to Cayden in a last-ditch effort to forestall the destruction of Star City. This was aided by Alena — who is still helping the team — finally discovering who killed Cayden’s son. No, it wasn’t Oliver (not that we really thought it was), but a hired assassin. Who hired him though? It had to be someone close to Cayden.

Oliver and Dig brought the evidence to Cayden and he was stunned, immediately suspecting someone on his team to be the culprit. But who? He had a request for Oliver: bring him Anatoly, Diaz, and Siren before midnight or he would detonate the bomb. OTA called up NTA to help gather the wayward henchmen, and — predictably — the newbies griped about it but agreed anyway. Dinah, however, was on a mission of her own to take out Siren. Her teammates had little luck reining her in and no one else had much luck either. Including Quentin, who still insists that Siren is his daughter. Or at least has a piece of Laurel in her. Which... I’m not sure how that works. But everyone, including Siren thought, this notion was absolutely insane.

We were also treated to Cayden’s flashbacks in this episode, which showed his tumultuous relationship with his teenage son. He was working instead of making it to his son’s basketball games, and ironically, was taken into custody by ARGUS agents when he tried to make it to one of those games. It was while in ARGUS custody that he learned his son was murdered and Cayden’s grief was sharp and palpable. You could see how a man would be driven to retribution after that. The unfair imprisonment and loss of his son made him unhinged. There’s a parallel there: Lance is also unhinged by his grief over losing Laurel. He’s compromising his morals as a result — just like Cayden had.

When Oliver, Diggle, and NTA bring Cayden his henchmen, William tags along because he’s afraid something will happen to Oliver. Oliver’s fear for his son reminds Cayden of his own son and when things (predictably) go awry, it’s seeing the father and son comforting each other — and Oliver struggling to protect his son — that makes Cayden lower the trigger for the bomb. After all, he wasn’t able to protect his own son. If there was anyone who was at fault for what happened to Owen James, it was Cayden himself.

Siren gets away when Cayden’s bomb transmitter interferes with her scream-dampening device and in the chaos, Diaz and Anatoly also escape. Siren is confronted by Dinah, who is determined to exact revenge for Vince. Siren very pointedly expresses a lack of remorse for killing Dinah’s lover and that drives the Black Canary to the brink. She’s about ready to kill Siren when Quentin interferes, pleading with Dinah to have mercy. There’s a struggle and Dinah grabs a gun just as Siren lets out a scream. She’s shot, but not fatally and is able to escape.

Oliver shared several very tender moments with William in this episode, most notably at the end in the bunker where he promises his son he’ll never let anything happen to him. Oliver also promises to always come home to William, which his son smartly points out that he can’t exactly promise. I also can’t help but think that William is already angling toward joining the team someday, if not taking over his father’s role. There is a lot of Oliver in the boy, and the need to help and protect is strong.

We also see that Siren escaped because Quentin helped her. He has her in the back of his car, promising that he’ll get through to the part of her that is just like Laurel if it’s the last thing he does. She looks at him like he’s insane and for once, I agree with Siren. Has Quentin suffered one loss too many and now has gone completely around the bend? Forget the “Can Black Siren be redeemed?” question; what about Quentin Lance? Because right now, I see total character assassination happening.

Back at the police station, Oliver speaks to Cayden and the latter gives the former the number of an account that holds all the money he embezzled from the city. That’s nice, because it means at least now the city isn’t bankrupt. He also tells Oliver to be a better father than he was. I think that’s Oliver’s plan. It seems Cayden is prepared to pay for his crimes. What he doesn’t expect is to see Diaz come strolling in. Apparently, he’s buddies with the new police chief. He tells Cayden that he was wrong to try to destroy the city. No, the real objective is to take over the city — which is what he plans to do. He reveals to Cayden that he was the one who killed his son before knifing him in the neck, killing him.

I’m not a huge fan of Diaz, and I’m even less of a fan of Siren. I liked Cayden, if only because I’m a fan of Michael Emerson. With him gone now, I’m nervous about the villain for the rest of this season. I have a small hope that the show will reveal that Alena has been working with Diaz the whole time, because that might help some things make sense (the doctoring of the videos and pictures, for one).

So, yeah. The thirteenth episode curse lives on. There was very little Olicity, only scant OTA action, and the family feels with Oliver and William were too sparse to make up for the rest of the clunkiness. But, again, I didn’t expect much out of this episode so I’m not too disappointed. But I do wish for better in the weeks to come. I would suggest dropping the nonsensical “civil war” storyline with OTA and NTA and the whole Black Siren redemption thing, for starters. But I won’t hold my breath on that one.

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Breaking Down the 90th Annual Academy Award Nominations [Contributor: Chelsea]

I have had some time to sit on this year's Oscar nominations, as well as see a few more of the contenders. And I believe this year is giving us one of the best Oscar ceremonies in years. Yes, there are plenty of films and performers I would have loved to have seen honored, but overall, it’s one of the strongest, most confusing awards seasons in a long time. It’s far more fun not knowing what’s going to happen and having hope that your favorites can prevail. Here are some of my thoughts on the nominations and the race at this point.

BEST PICTURE

Call Me By Your Name
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
Get Out
Lady Bird
Phantom Thread
The Post
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

This has been a great year in that there are solid arguments for four of these nominees winning Best Picture. I personally really love eight of the nine nominees, with Three Billboards continuing to be a sore spot in my mind. Many people thought I, Tonya or The Florida Project could sneak in here, but the Academy went a little more British by adding Phantom Thread and Darkest Hour (both of which delighted me).

The Shape of Water feels like it could break a longstanding SAG Awards statistic and take the awards home, which would be great for genre film and original storytelling. In my ideal Picture/Director/Screenplay split, del Toro would get Picture, Gerwig would have Director, and Peele would earn Screenplay. The fact that The Shape of Water looks like a $100 million film and cost less than $20 million is so impressive.

BEST DIRECTOR

Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk
Jordan Peele, Get Out
Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird
Paul Thomas Anderson, Phantom Thread
Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water

This is possibly my favorite category because I would be thrilled with any of these directors winning. Of course I want Greta Gerwig or Jordan Peele to make history here but it’s hard to deny del Toro’s technical accomplishment or Nolan and Anderson being overdue for recognition. If I had to pick my favorite directors who made their specific visions come to life, it would be Gerwig and Anderson. Both are so uniquely their own visions and voices and the performances in the films are so specific to the stories. I would love for Gerwig to snag this trophy, though it’s really del Toro’s to lose at this point. The surprise addition of P.T. Anderson over Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards) is the biggest shake-up this Oscar season. Before nomination morning, many of us had presumed Three Billboards to be the Best Picture winner but its director being excluded here gives the film an enormous uphill battle. Argo and Driving Miss Daisy are the only films to win Best Picture without a Director nomination, and McDonagh is no Ben Affleck.

BEST ACTOR

Timothée Chalamet, Call Me By Your Name
Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread
Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out
Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour
Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq.

I mean, Gary Oldman was really great in Darkest Hour and I’m still shocked I loved that film as much as I did... but Daniel Kaluuya still had my favorite performance of the year and easily the most iconic. I would love for him to shock everyone and snag a win, but that’s a chaotic dream of mine. Chalamet also makes a great case for a win if you’ve watched the last five minutes of Call Me By Your Name. The unwavering shot of his face will haunt you weeks after watching.

More than anything though, I think we’re all just really thankful James Franco didn’t make it onto this list.

BEST ACTRESS

Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water
Frances McDormand, Three Billboards
Margot Robbie, I, Tonya
Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird
Meryl Streep, The Post

Coincidentally, this is also my dream brunch company. I’m cool with five-way ties at the Oscars. I loved all of these ladies a lot and they all bring something so striking to the screen. If Frances wins, PLEASE don’t censor her and give her all the time in the world.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project
Woody Harrelson, Three Billboards
Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water
Christopher Plummer, All the Money in the World
Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards

This category is the first one I really take issue with because Armie Hammer in Call Me By Your Name should’ve been a slam dunk. So much heart and vulnerability in that beautiful, loving role. It is a complete shame he isn’t here. Behind him, I found Richard Jenkins to be my favorite in this particular category. So much of the heart and humor in The Shape of Water came from his performance and I’m just waiting for him to get some love. I have a lot of negative opinions about Three Billboards, and most of them are about Sam Rockwell’s character, but he is always a great actor — even in a tone deaf film. I love seeing working actors get these prizes, so if he wins this, I’ll be a little salty about the film but I’ll be happy for him.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Mary J. Blige, Mudbound
Allison Janney, I, Tonya
Lesley Manville, Phantom Thread
Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird
Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water

I’m thrilled to see Metcalf, Blige, and Manville in here. All of them give such memorable performances and steal their respective films. I will always want the best for Octavia Spencer, and that means wanting more roles for her besides the best friend. My heart is also in an odd place where I don’t want Allison Janney to win an award — not because she isn’t great, but because she’s too good for such a one-dimensional role. Her whole storyline is playing evil and it’s so poorly directed. Hollywood, give Allison Janney more complex leading roles because she deserves the best. So I’ll be happy of course being able to call her “Academy Award-winner Allison Janney,” but I just want better roles for her going forward. I love these ladies though and wish them all killer roles in the future.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Call Me By Your Name
The Disaster Artist
Molly's Game
Logan
Mudbound

How cool is it that a superhero film got nominated in this category? A superhero film that did something fresh and original too! Sans The Disaster Artist, I also really liked this category. I’m pulling for Call Me By Your Name or Mudbound to snag this but it would be wild if Logan took it home. Swap The Disaster Artist for Wonder Woman, and this would have been a perfect category.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

The Big Sick
Get Out
Lady Bird
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards

I have no idea what’s going to win here, but if anybody has any sense, it won’t be Three Billboards. The only thing worse than its direction was the script that clearly had no understanding of the race relations in Midwest America. Sticking to my dream split from above, I would love to see Get Out win this and if not that then Lady Bird or The Big Sick. (Sorry The Shape of Water. The script was not your strong point.) Nothing was more original or iconic than what Jordan Peele wrote for the screen. He captured culture at such a crucial moment and gave us hope for 2017. I do think this category will be indicative of Best Picture, since the four major contenders for Picture are here too. We’ll see how things go on Oscar night!

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

The Boss Baby
The Breadwinner
Coco
Ferdinand
Loving Vincent

But how silly is it that The Boss Baby is an Oscar-nominated film? Ridiculous. The other four films are pretty delightful though, with Ferdinand having a special place in my heart. I do expect Coco to take home the trophy though, because Disney.

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

The Insult
Loveless
On Bodo and Soul
The Square
A Fantastic Woman

So many of the presumptive frontrunners this season didn’t even make the shortlist before nomination day. A Fantastic Woman slowly came under the radar to become the frontrunner, but don’t underestimate The Square or Loveless if any transphobia is lingering in the Academy’s voters.

BEST FILM EDITING

Baby Driver
Dunkirk
I, Tonya
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

This is where Dunkirk should get some love because that film is all magnificent editing. Taking three different timelines and interweaving them into a masterpiece of a war film is inspiring. Baby Driver also benefits from being a film that is all about the editing and would be a fun win as well. The Shape of Water and Three Billboards benefits from being Best Picture nominees but there was nothing spectacular about them here. The lack of Get Out, Lady Bird, and Call Me By Your Name is really discouraging here but not surprising.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Blade Runner 2049
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
Mudbound
The Shape of Water

I know Roger Deakins is overdue but Dunkirk, Mudbound, and The Shape of Water were all way more beautiful than Blade Runner 2049. I don’t know if this will be Deakins’ year and I don’t know if it should be. Just the difficulty that went into making Dunkirk and Mudbound and the conditions they had to film in were just astounding. And The Shape of Water is so striking and memorable with those beautiful water shots. I would actually swap out either Darkest Hour or Blade Runner for The Last Jedi because so many of those shots are stupidly beautiful.

Shout-out to Rachel Morrison (Mudbound) for being the first female nominated for this category (and a queer female at that). Many more should have come before you but I know many will follow and make you proud.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Dunkirk
Phantom Thread
The Shape of Water
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Oh this is tough because The Shape of Water, Dunkirk, and Phantom Thread were so beautiful. And I’m a sucker for a Star Wars score. Even Three Billboards — as terrible of a film as it is — is set to one beautiful composition. I’d put my money on The Shape of Water but don’t be surprised if Phantom Thread wins it all.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

"Mighty River," Mudbound
"Mystery of Love," Call Me By Your Name
"Remember Me," Coco
"Stand Up for Something," Marshall
"This Is Me," The Greatest Showman

I hate myself for taking the song from Marshall out of my official predictions the night before nominations but I’m so glad it's here. This should be the place Call Me By Your Name or Mudbound win. One of them needs to get Screenplay and the other can get Song. I’d rather Mudbound get song so Blige doesn’t come home empty-handed. It was a relatively weak year for original songs in film and this list kind of shows it. It feels like it was scrapped together after the first two on this list.

ALL THE OTHER AWARDS

Many of these categories are odd mixes of The Shape of Water vs. Dunkirk vs. Phantom Thread vs. Darkest Hour, with sprinkles of blockbuster films and odd Makeup and Hairstyling choices. The biggest surprise of the race was how much of a non-presence The Post made in these categories and how quickly it fell from the conversation. If The Shape of Water cleans up in these technical categories, then it should have an easy route to Best Picture.

Last year, the first indicator that La La Land wasn’t going to win was when it kept losing a lot of these categories to Arrival, Fantastic Beasts, and Hacksaw Ridge. If the winners prove to be all over the place again this year, look for some surprises in Best Picture.

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The Bachelor 22x06 Roundtable: We'll Always Have Paris [Contributors: Rebecca, Alisa, and Chelsea]

Last week, we took a break while the show gave us a filler episode that was really just build-up to this week’s crazy Krystal drama. While some of the eliminations were not very surprising, we still don’t have a clear idea of who our frontrunners are. Let’s see what the gang thought of all the chaos that was Paris.

This week gave us four different dates in Paris, with a group date, two 1-on-1 dates, and the two-on-one we’ve been waiting for all season. What were the highlights of Paris? Who would you give your group date rose to? 

Rebecca: I loved the Moulin Rouge date! Maybe I’m a little biased because I’m such a fan of the movie, but I thought it looked like a blast. The outfits and dancing were so lighthearted and fun, and I really like the group of girls he chose to take on the date.

Alisa: I’ve never seen Moulin Rouge (I hope I don’t get kicked out of the roundtable for that!), so for me the date was just okay. I was empathizing hard with Tia because I too am completely uncoordinated and cannot dance and that would have been me up there losing the choreography immediately and doing impromptu twirls at random intervals. She handled the date with much more grace and humor than I would have, and because of that I would have given her the rose. Or to Seinne because she was amazing, of course, having grown up a dancer. I felt bad for Seinne because she went into that date ready to win and killed it up there and then afterward Arie was like, “Oh yeah so I’m just going to give this group date rose to the lady I have the strongest connection with, not who did the best on stage today.” WHY ARE YOU EVEN STILL HERE, ARIE? SHOW YOURSELF OUT.

Chelsea: I agree with everyone else that the Moulin Rouge date was so much fun and personally, the most creative date of the season. The girls looked like they were having fun; even Tia in all her nervous glory looked great on stage and really got into it. All season long has consisted of bowling or random dates in the wilderness, which makes me think they’ve scaled back their budget or something but this is right in line with being entertaining and a great group activity. Of course, I wanted somebody else to get the rose like Seinne — who completely crushed this date — or Jenna, who did great while having the most fun. But we can’t deny that Arie is super into Bekah and talent did not matter here. Reminder, I also love Bekah but I don’t love Bekah with Arie (or anybody with Arie really).

Kendall and Krystal got the infamous two-on-one date with Arie and it was more mature than we thought the show could be. How did you think the ladies handled the situation, and do you think we’ll see Krystal in Paradise? 

Rebecca: Kendall is AMAZING for dealing with Krystal the way she did. I don’t think I could have been that big of a person. I really hope we don’t see Krystal in Paradise, but I have a feeling we might. She’s very attractive, so she would be someone many of the guys would be into, and she certainly brings the drama.

Alisa: Okay, so to be honest, Kendall still creeps me out a lot with her taxidermying and her nonchalance concerning cannibalism, but major props to her for showing more compassion and empathy toward a fellow contestant than I have ever witnessed on all the seasons combined. That was amazing, and she really tried to speak to Krystal’s humanity, which — of course — the rest of us know is pointless since Krystal is a sociopathic robot. I actually really hope we don’t see her in Paradise because I just don’t think she’d bring anything new. Her villain act is stale and we need some positive energy in paradise from people who speak at normal volume.

Chelsea: Kendall officially became the most mature person on this whole dang show for not going the typically fighting route and having a heart-to-heart with Krystal. I was so impressed and it made me think she has Bachelorette potential. Of course Krystal did not respond well to Kendall trying to be a good person and had to be petty back to her, but I really like that we got to see more of Kendall’s character.

As for Krystal in Paradise, I hope we don’t see her but right now she’d bring the only major drama to the show out of all the girls. Chelsea would be closest thing to another villain we had this season who could stir some things up in Paradise.

We’re down to seven ladies and hometown dates are right around the corner. Who did you initially have in your final four? Based on this week’s dates, would you change those standings? 

Rebecca: My final four are Becca (final rose), Bekah, Lauren, and Tia. I originally had Annalise in my final four, but luckily swapped her out for Lauren before our fantasy league picks were locked. I’m pretty confident with my picks, although I’m starting to wonder if I have underestimated Kendall. She hasn’t gotten a whole lot of screen time as of yet, and all we really knew about her before this week was that she’s a little weird (in a good way!). This episode really gave us insight into her as a person, though, and she seems like a very down-to-earth, mature, empathetic soul. I hope she sticks around!

Alisa: My final four were Becca, Bekah (final rose), Tia, and Krystal. Obviously Krystal’s gone, which despite RUINING my bracket, I’m happy about. She needed to go like three weeks ago. I’m still feeling really confident with my three other choices. As for who I’d add in (if I could) to replace Krystal, that’s tough. I just don’t think any of the other girls have a very strong connection with him yet. I would love to see Seinne get to final four because I think then she’d be a lock for Bachelorette and that would be awesome. But I think it will probably be Kendall who gets a hometown date because she’s gonna have to show him that taxidermy collection before he sends her packing.

Chelsea: My initial final four was Becca, Tia, Kendall, and Lauren, with Becca getting the final rose. But now I’m not so confident about that. I could easily see Bekah replacing either Tia or Becca right now since she has the strongest connection with Arie. I think Kendall would be a great hometown date for that taxidermy collection as well, and if Tia gets a hometown then I expect to see Raven there. It would feel pointless if she wasn’t. I initially stole Rebecca’s idea of Lauren getting to final four but now I really think she could win this if Bekah doesn’t. Normally I look at who the real adults are in the season and pick a few of them, but that tactic doesn’t seem to be working at all.

I do have to say since she left this week that I really thought Chelsea would be a bigger player this season, and I had her in my final four for a hot second. I was shocked to see where her story went after the premiere and how much of a non-threat she turned out to be.

And now, our Fantasy League standings:

• Chelsea: 330 points
• Rebecca: 230 points
• Alisa: 210 points

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The Exorcist is the Best Horror TV Show You Didn’t Know About [Guest Poster: Jenna Tramonti]

The horror genre has always fascinated me –– there’s so much to unpack about what makes people’s skin crawl, what the darkest sides of humanity can make us do, and what might await us beyond this realm.

Plus, I just love scaring myself.

But good horror TV is hard to find. I’ve been a long-time Supernatural viewer but at this point, I watch out of loyalty. The show hasn’t really gone anywhere; the character development can be likened to a hamster on a spinning wheel, and the same few white guys seem to rotate through the show like recycled paper. American Horror Story was once a contender for me as well; but these days, it tries so much for shock and trending topics that it’s lost sight of the unnerving magnetism it created in its early seasons. Even the new Amazon series Lore, a take on an excellent podcast, is more of a series of half-baked reenactments than a horror anthology.

But last year, FOX picked up a little show called The Exorcist, based on the film of the same name. I’d seen it in my peripheral all through last year; as a fan of the Wachowski’s Netflix masterpiece Sense8, I followed one of the actors –– Alfonso Herrera –– as he promoted his starring role on the new show. I had no idea what I was in for.

My normal pitch to people is: “It’s Supernatural. But better.”

The Premise

Father Tomas (Herrera) is a pastor of St. Anthony’s parish in Chicago. Tomas is the posterchild for perfect priesthood. His grandmother always dreamed for him to become Pope, and honestly, by the looks of this guy, you wouldn’t be surprised if that was in his future. Tomas is content where he is: serving his community and making waves as a young, enthusiastic, and genuinely relatable leader in the Catholic Church.

Until he starts having visions. Very specific, detailed dreams about a man in a black hat battling the darkest of spirits –– and those spirits appear to be getting stronger.

His visions come to life when he meets Father Marcus (Ben Daniels), the subject of his dreams –– a rugged, jaded, excommunicated English priest performing unsanctioned exorcisms all over the globe. Marcus swoops into Tomas’ life with a sketchy past and a whole lot of baggage –– and the ability to pick locks (Marcus’ idea of moving forward in his relationship with Tomas is to let himself into the latter’s apartment. He doesn’t get out much).

The unlikely pair’s paths cross just as evil has come to Chicago in light of the Pope’s upcoming visit. Before long, Tomas finds himself completely immersed in tracking down the demon terrorizing a family in his parish –– and he needs to work with Marcus, a practiced loner, to do it. Cue the beginning of a friendship that changes them both and a journey that tests their faith at every turn.

Why do I love it so much?

It’s genre-bending

Fox’s The Exorcist isn’t just a thrill ride. There are, of course, very scary, visceral moments. Visually, the special effects and makeup –– particularly in the very gruesome exorcism scenes –– offer a lot to fans of the original Exorcist film who would like to see modern technology applied to the classic horror concept. The series even pays homage in subtle ways to classic films like The Shining and, of course, the movie it’s based on.

But it doesn’t pander to its intended audience with too many jump-scares or horror tropes. And the show definitely isn’t an advertisement for any Christian faith (or lack thereof). In fact, as someone who was raised Catholic, I’ve found the pressing of particular views onto characters or the audience to be virtually nonexistent.

Instead, the show builds upon human insecurities and characteristics that the demons in the show prey upon. The foundation of Marcus and Tomas’ beliefs largely floats in the background of the bigger, very human issues. Often depicted under the surface of demonic possessions in this show are non-religious issues –– the strains associated with familial dynamics, the question of finding oneself as a young person in an ever-changing world, and even topics like abuse and exploration of sexuality.

It’s got character

More than anything, this show has heart. The two principal characters develop a very strong bond over the course of two seasons, and we also see them develop individually. If you’ve watched any horror TV lately, you’ll know character development is not something the genre is always quick to deliver (I’m pretty sure Sam and Dean have been passive-aggressively keeping the same secrets from each other for twelve years and counting).

But The Exorcist excels at making us care about Tomas, Marcus, and the people with whom their paths cross. While Marcus comes off as reserved and closed off, the audience gradually comes to know bits and pieces of his past, his fears, and the man he used to be before the job took him over. Tomas, who initially appears to have a very fulfilled life, has insecurities and temptations just like anyone. These character struggles are not separated from the traditional “horror” aspects of the show; in fact, they’re woven into the plots themselves, making for a dynamic combination of drama and horror. Even the characters who are part of Tomas and Marcus’ “case” narratives develop enough over the course of the season that the audience genuinely wants things to work out for them. The show creates investment in its plots and characters right away –– and effectively –– through creative storytelling and realistic character growth.

Plus, the way Tomas and Marcus look at each other could rival the longing gaze of any rom-com couple. I’ll leave it at that.

It’s inclusive

If you’re looking for diversity, The Exorcist has plenty. Though Marcus doesn’t necessarily pin a label on his sexuality, he has a history for falling for both men and women. Compared to shows in the same genre (like Supernatural), such representation in sexual fluidity is practically nonexistent. Plus, particularly in the most recent season, the main characters are largely played by people of color. Herrera, a Mexican actor, portrays a Mexican priest; Kurt Egyiawan plays Father Bennett, an ally of Tomas and Marcus within Church walls; and Korean-American actor John Cho (Star Trek), who felt strongly about playing a Korean character, took on the role of Andy Kim this season. Even the new female character introduced this season is a woman of color (Mouse, played by Zuleikha Robinson). The show does not shy away from authentic representations of POC, and while every show can always improve in this vein, The Exorcist is off to a pretty decent start.

Plus, while we don’t know much about Mouse’s character yet, we know she’s fighting her hardest against the male-dominated Catholic Church and the archaic, patriarchal institutions it upholds. Herself an exorcist, Mouse is initially introduced in the context of Marcus’ past. But it’s clear, if the show continues, that she won’t stay there. While I won’t give away too much, I’ll say that while the show makes it apparent that Marcus couldn’t save her many years ago, it makes very clear that Mouse can save herself –– and Marcus and Tomas, too. There’s much room for character growth and uncovering, and Mouse’s journey has only just started.

The Danger

My roommate and I breezed through season one of The Exorcist so quickly that we were able to watch the second season as it aired, which was perhaps even better than the first. Fox, unfortunately, has kept the show in the “death slot” –– a.k.a. Friday nights –– which hasn’t allowed it a lot of exposure. At the end of last season, Fox kept quiet about renewing the show until the last minute.

There’s a small, dedicated group of us fighting for the show’s life on Twitter and other social outlets. #RenewTheExorcist is a hashtag fighting to make its way to a trending topic, and there are fan accounts across social platforms dedicated to the show and its revival. But why not try to make the group bigger?

To me, a show that’s doing so much for the horror television genre –– and for POC and LGBTQ representation –– shouldn’t sit twiddling its thumbs in a Friday slot. It should be talked about outside of niche fan sites; it should be upheld as an example of a show that’s trying its hardest to push boundaries.

It’s not a show to be missed, and if it’s renewed for a third season, I hope it has the opportunity to gain the recognition it deserves. And there is still time.

A decision hasn’t been announced yet about the show’s future, and it likely won’t be until April or May according to the writers. Check it out on Hulu. Watch the latest season on Fox’s livestream service. Tweet Fox about it, and tweet the creators to tell them how much you love it!

Because trust me, you’ll love it.

(If you don’t, the next salt circle for around your house is on me.)

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