April 5, 2018

Monthly Recap: March

Guys, how the eff is it already April? Trust me, I realize how cliche the whole time flies deal is, but for reals…time is flying. March was a long month, and for the most part a productive month. And since I am already epically failing at my yearly goal to journal on a regular basis, I gotta keep doing these posts so they kind of sort of count. So here’s the lowdown on March!

On the goals front: Goals for March were to give blood, book one wedding, read four books, post four selfies, finish the editing on book #1, and create a TBR jar. I’m happy to say I can check off all of my goals except for the selfie front, and in my defense, I was sick for like two weeks out of the month and sick does not a good selfie make. So I’m giving myself a pass on that one.

On the writing front: On paper, the writing front sucked in March. I did finish my Casting Call edits, which is awesome and time-consuming and something I’m happy to have off my plate. I only posted eight blog posts in March, which was mostly due to the being sick deal, but still, not as much as I would have liked. Kind of the real bummer for March is that I basically accomplished zero new writing. I got an idea for a new direction for my YA book, but when I sat down to make it happen, I didn’t love it like I thought I would so I kind of scrapped the whole thing. That seems like a waste of time, but in the long run, I think it is going to actually help me get refocused on the manuscript and where I want to take it.

On the reading front: Major ass whooping happening here. I read EIGHT books this month. Yeah, that’s right. EIGHT. Go me. I read: Glass Spare, Forever Red, You Are a Badass, Pasta Wars, Sandcastle Empire, Singles Game, Three Sisters Three Queens, and The Hazel Wood. My two favorites were Forever Red and Pasta Wars, and I also really dug You Are a Badass.

On the movie front: I saw four more movies this month: Wrinkle in Time, Thoroughbreds, Hamlet, and Red Sparrow. To be honest, I didn’t love any of them, though Thoroughbreds was very well written and Benedict Cumberbatch is by far my favorite Hamlet of all time.

On the MCU front: Guys….I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself. I’m almost done with the required portion of the MCU challenge. I have a few episodes of Agents of SHIELD, and Thor and Black Panther (both of which I’ve already seen) left to watch before Infinity War. I’m going to go back and at least try Iron Fist and the Defenders, but I don’t have high hopes given how much I hated the other Netflix series. I’m seriously going to have withdrawals.

On the yearly goals front: I got to check off my first box! I gave blood early in March and I can officially mark off the first box on my list. Technically I could also mark off revising and expanding Casting Call, but even though I’ve finished another round of edits, I’m not sure it’s totally complete just yet. But progress is being made, and that’s always a good thing.

Overall: I’m hoping for a healthier April so that I can get back on track with writing and continuing to make progress on my works in progress. I plan to send out some queries this month, so I’m hopeful that will get my ass back in gear. Even though March wasn’t a stellar month, I still accomplished some goals and I’m headed in the right direction!

Thank you for sharing!

April 3, 2018

MCU Viewing Part Ten: Doctor Strange, Agents of SHIELD, and Spider-Man Homecoming

Falon Marvel 1 Comment

Friends, we are just a couple of weeks away from the most important day of 2018: Avengers Infinity War release day. I am so ridiculously excited for this movie. I. cannot. wait. And since cutting out the fat (aka the Netflix shows) from my watch list, I have been cruising through the last few shows and movies to watch before AIW. I think I will eventually go back and at least try some of the Netflix shows I’ve skipped, but for now, I am going to live in my happy ABC/Disney MCU bubble. If this is your first time checking out one of my MCU posts, I suggest you start here and work your way back. On with the show!

Doctor Strange

The Basics: Released in 2016 by Marvel Studios and Disney, Doctor Strange stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Rachel McAdams. Doctor Strange is available on Netflix as of the publish date of this post.

One Sentence Summary: Super egotistical rich doctor loses the use of his hands and finds his way to Hogwarts…I mean, some other spiritual magic place.

Full Summary: For the complete breakdown, check out this link.

End Credits Scenes: This first one was a little odd because it is a scene that appears in Thor Ragnarok. I’m assuming it’s altered slightly, but I’ve seen Thor four times and it seems the same to me. It’s the scene when Thor and Strange are sitting and having a beer and Thor’s mug keeps refilling. In the second credits scene, Mordo is stealing power from other sorcerers, which I assume will be important at some point.

My Reaction: So this was not my fave, despite my intense love for Benny C and Rachel McAdams. I’m really glad I didn’t see this movie in the theater because I think it would have given me motion sickness. Even watching it at home, there were a few times when I had to look away. I hardly have any notes written about the film because even though it had an interesting premise and great acting, I was kind of bored by the end of the movie. I really liked the Doctor Strange appearance in Ragnarok, so I’m hoping for more of that kind of humor in his future appearances. In general, what I took away about Doctor Strange is that he is kind of a cross between Iron Man and Harry Potter. Also, give Benedict his accent back. Also, no capes!

My Rating: 7.5 out of 10, love the people and the visuals, bored by the story.

Agents of SHIELD, Season 4

The Basics: Premiering on ABC in September of 2016, season four brings back the original cast, minus Brett Dalton, and with a few new editions.

One Sentence Summary: Ghosties and robots.

Full Summary: Check out this page for an episode by episode breakdown.

My Reaction: Okay, first just to clear one thing up. Originally, my list had this season broken down into two halves, but since I took out Iron Fist, I watched the whole thing in order. A LOT happened, but the second half of the season was definitely my favorite. I didn’t love the whole ghosty storyline in the first half, though I really like Robbie, and I want him to come back.I actually wrote down how much I love that Coulson and May are just friends while watching episode 7, which was stupid of me because that of course meant that they kissed later in the season, even though it wasn’t really them. I was iffy on the whole robot plot in the beginning, but things took a serious turn for me once everyone was in the Framework and we shifted to Agents of Hydra. Seeing the gang in the Framework was fascinating, and of course, I was thrilled to see Ward back. I really, really loved that Ward got a little tiny bit of redemption in those few episodes. It was so nice to see the Ward we met in the beginning of season one. On the flip side, seeing evil Fitz was hard, but super interesting. I also loved seeing Tripp again, I was really bummed that he was killed off so early in the series, I would have liked to have seen more from him. I thought the whole premise of the regrets was a great storyline, and it’s a cool concept to think about how one tiny detail can have such a huge impact on the course of someone’s life.

My Rating: 8 out of 10, it was really only the last six episodes that had me feeling the feels.

Spider-Man: Homecoming

The Basics: Released in 2017 by Sony, Marvel, and Columbia, Spider-Man: Homecoming stars Tom Holland, Robert Downey Jr., Jon Favreau, and Michael Keaton. This is interesting timing because it was made before Disney had hold of Spider-Man so even though it has the Disney/Marvel feel, it is not technically a Disney/Marvel release. If you want to rent the movie, you have to sign up for a free trial of Starz through Amazon Prime.

One Sentence Summary: Teenage angsty Spider-Man tries to prove himself worthy of being an Avenger and mostly causes more problems than he solves.

Full Summary: Read a full breakdown here.

End Credits Scenes: Now in jail, Toomes has the opportunity to reveal Peter’s identity to another inmate, but he doesn’t. In the second scene, we see Cap’s PSA for utilizing patience.

My Reaction: This movie is hilarious and baby Spider-Man is all kinds of adorable (also, abs). The home movies that Peter makes during Civil War are priceless. Cap’s random phys ed/sex ed/detention motivational movies are the stuff of dreams. Zendaya is awesome as the moody, smart chick. There is a crazy plot twist that I won’t reveal that I so did not see coming. Basically, I really, really liked this movie. It had everything I love about Marvel movies, from the fight scenes to the humor, to the heartfelt moments. Nerdy teenage Spider-Man is the best, and I am living for him. However, I would like to mention that Peter and his friend build a Lego Death Star in this movie, which makes his line in Civil War (you know the one, where he calls it that old space movie and doesn’t know the proper name for an AT-AT) all the more unbelievable. That still irks me. I’ve never been crazy into Spider-Man, but as long as Tom Holland is playing Peter Parker, you can sign me up (also, for the record, he is 21 so it’s totally okay for me to stare at his abs). On a personal note, Matt and I actually watched this one together because Matt (wrongly) thinks that Michael Keaton is the best Batman, so for him, it was cool to see him in the villain role.

My Rating: 9 out of 10, solely for the humor.

Guys, with three and a half weeks until Infinity War, all I have left to watch is Agents of SHIELD season five, Ragnarok, and Black Panther, and I’ve already seen both movies. Let the final countdown begin!

Thank you for sharing!

March 22, 2018

A Disneyland Day in the Life

Falon California Adventure, Disneyland, Family 0 Comments

Hello friends and happy almost Friday! Wanna know the best/worst part about being an entrepreneur? Every day is Friday, and no day is Friday. <——— Deep. Last Friday, Squirt and I headed down to Disneyland for a fun day in the parks. We don’t usually go on Fridays because it’s more crowded, but Matt was going to be able to meet us later in the afternoon, so I figured what the hell. I also thought it would be fun to do a little breakdown of what our typical Disneyland day looks like (though this was not totally typical because Matt’s not usually there at all, but the basics are the same). You should definitely keep in mind that the kid and me do this about once a week, so we don’t ever feel pressured to ride rides. We have a very go with the flow attitude about the parks, because we can. And honestly, that’s one of the best parts of being a passholder. Here’s what our day looked like:

10:52 Leave the house and head straight to Starbucks, because coffee. From Starbucks, we hit the road.

11:56 Get off the freeway after a pretty painless (which is odd) drive. Normally it takes at least an hour.

12:07 Park the car. Despite longish lines, parking goes quickly.

12:24 Board the tram after going through security. I have this down to a science so it goes fast. Also, the tram is Squirt’s favorite ride.

12:38 Enter California Adventure (heretofore known as DCA) and head right to Food and Wine Festival. Grab a pie and a frose from the Strawberry Patch booth. It’s my first meal of the day, and also breakfast of champions.

1:16 After stuffing my face (and sharing a few bites with Squirt), we walk across the Esplanade to Disneyland.

1:24 Lunch time for Squirt. We usually eat at the tables in Tomorrowland because they are shady and not crowded. I always bring Squirt a lunch and grab something small for myself.

2:03 Squirt decides we should ride the Monorail to the Lego store so that he can Hulk smash Lego Hulk. So that’s what we do.

2:44 Back in DCA (after successfully NOT buying any Legos, go me), we get in line at the Starbucks in the park.

3:01 I’m actually handed my coffee.

3:23 Squirt wants a Groot car, so we head over to the Marvel store, which is at the exit of the Guardians ride. Lucky me, there’s a whole set of Marvel themed cars!!!!! #sarcasm Squirt changes his mind and goes for the Rocket Raccoon car instead. You do you, boo.

4:06 Monsters Inc time. Look! We actually went on a ride! And Matt is there waiting for us when we are done.

4:53 After purchasing two cocktails and a snack from Food and Wine (check this post for Food and Wine highlights) we sit down at the new tables in front of Wine Country Trattoria.

5:24 Time for Cars Land. Squirt says hi to Mater, then spends an inordinate amount of time looking at cars we don’t buy in Sarge’s Surplus Hut, then says hi to Lightning.

6:02 Squirt wants to see Groot. Not meet Groot, because he is super tall and kinda scary, but he wants to look at him from a safe distance. We walk to Guardians, cutting through a bug’s land and riding two rides on our way. Mom doesn’t ride anything that spins, so it’s a good chance for Squirt to ride on some of those little kid rides that I can’t stomach.

6:33 We make it to Guardians only to find Groot is gone for the day. So we go meet Cap instead. Not a shabby replacement, even if Squirt finds him terrifying. (For the record, he has met Cap before and knew what to expect, and he asked to meet him, so totes not my fault that he’s scared.)

7:01 Dinner time. We walk down to ESPN Zone. Not my first choice in dining, but they have booze and March Madness is on so whatevs. #basketballsucks

7:24 We slide into our booth after a remarkably short wait time. The clouds have gathered at this point and it’s about to rain any minute.

8:43 Full and exhausted, we make it back to our car, just as the rain begins to come down.

9:41 We finally arrive home. Normally the ride home is much shorter, but thanks to the rain and LA drivers who can’t handle it, it takes us almost an hour to make it home. Squirt goes straight to bed, and I go straight to the wine.

It was a successful (and longer) Disneyland day for us, and I’m glad it was a good one because Squirt is now blocked out for three weeks while the madness of Spring Break ensues. I’ll be back at the parks a couple of times solo and with Brianna, so make sure you are following me on Instagram for all the highlights (@falonloveslife)!

Thank you for sharing!

March 19, 2018

2018 Food and Wine Festival Part One

Falon California Adventure, Cocktails, Disney Booze 1 Comment

March 2nd marked the beginning of the 2018 Food and Wine Festival at California Adventure, and it is one of my favorite times of year at the park. I was a little eh when I saw the food offerings for this year, not because they didn’t sound good, but because there weren’t a ton of new items on the menu. However, there are lots of delicious sounding new cocktails on the menu, and I am all about that. And there’s enough new food for me to hit up just about every booth. I haven’t checked everything off my list yet, but I have made some good headway. Here’s what I’ve tried so far:

At the Citrus Grove booth, I tried the Meyer Lemon Macaron. I’m pretty sure this was offered last year, but I didn’t get a chance to try it. The lemon flavor was super tasty, but this is a reeeaaaallly sweet treat. Like you should probably split it with at least two other people because if you ate the whole thing yourself you’d probably go into some kind of sugar coma. Very yummy, but proceed with caution.

Also at the Citrus Grove booth, this is the Crispy Orange Chicken and Rice. I really liked this dish, but it is super salty. I loooooove salt. I salt everything. And it still made me cringe a little. So if you are not a salt fan, this is probably not the one for you. But the flavor of the sauce is good, and the crispy chicken was good. Also, this one was a good portion size, always a bonus.

My sister tried the Mac and Cheese at Garlic Kissed and said it was okay. I am a mac and cheese fan so I always gravitate to the different variations they offer at Food and Wine, and most of the time I am disappointed. They just seem to lack a lot of flavor. But I will probably try this one for myself, just to make sure. You know, for research purposes.

This past week on my second trip to Food and Wine, I hit up the Strawberry Patch booth first. This Watsonville Strawberry Pie was legitimately my breakfast. Pie for breakfast is always a good idea. This was a great mini pie, and I would eat it again and again.

Also at the Strawberry Patch booth is the Strawberry Frose, which is basically a strawberry rose in frozen form. And yes, it is as delicious as it sounds. I could take down about ten of these. And then I would be drunk.

I’m kind of sad the presentation for the Meyer Lemon Ginger Mule isn’t a little prettier because it was so tasty. Like, you could at least throw a lemon wedge or a sugar rim on there. This drink, available at Citrus Grove, was absolutely delicious and I will be making my own version at home over the summer. Yummy.

At the Peppers Cali-Ente booth, I gravitated to the Lime Margarita. I love a spicy marg, and this one was actually better than I thought it would be. Just enough kick, but not too spicy. A lot of ice in that cup though. I see you, Disney. We also tried the Jalapeno Popper Mac and Cheese, which I really liked. The mac and cheese itself is just fine, but when you get a good combo bite with the bacon and jalapenos, it’s a great combo.

I still have quite a few items on my list to try, most importantly, the mimosa flight. Brianna and I will be hitting the parks during her Spring Break so we’ll be getting our drink on then.

Have you been to Food and Wine yet? What are the can’t miss items on your list?

Thank you for sharing!

March 16, 2018

Eight Uses for Baby Wipes that Don’t Involve Butts

Falon Home Decor, Product Review 1 Comment

This is NOT a sponsored post. Also, none of these statements have been evaluated by anyone other than me so don’t come whining if you mess up your shizz after trying one of these tips.

Way back before Squirt was actually born, I signed up for a subscription on Amazon for just one product: baby wipes. I knew no matter what, we would go through an infinite number of wipes during his early days (and I was right). In the beginning, we received one box a month and we used them all. Now that Squirt is mostly potty-trained, I’ve cut down our subscription to every other month,and guess what? We still use them all. In the baby days, aside from wiping butts, we used wipes to clean hands, pacifiers, toys, you name it. Now that the kiddo is older, the usage of baby wipes has evolved. And I use these suckers for ev.ry.thing. I have a pack on my dining room table, in my office, in my purse, in my Disneyland backpack, in my bathroom, in Squirt’s bathroom, in my car, and in my wedding bag. Guys, a wipe is for so much more than butts. Here are just a few ways I use my baby wipes!

Make-up Remover: We’ve always used sensitive skin baby wipes, which means they are a perfect double for make-up remover wipes. I use one pretty much every night to take off my eye make-up before cleansing my face, and on nights when I’m too lazy to cleanse, I use them to take everything off my face. No real research here as to the effectiveness of baby wipes versus actual make-up remover wipes, but I can tell you the baby wipes get the job done and are about one-fifth of the price.

Craft Tool: I go through probably a pack a month of baby wipes in my craft room. I use them to wipe off paint brushes, clean up spills, remove small stains, and give my hands a quick clean when I don’t want to step away and do a full wash. If it weren’t for baby wipes, my white craft table would be a rainbow collage of spilled paint and glue stains.

Deodorant Remover: This is probably one of the best hidden uses for baby wipes. Baby wipes will remove deodorant stains from your clothing with one small wipe. No lie. For the record, I pretty much only wear cotton based fabrics so I can’t speak to their effectiveness on fancier fabrics like silk, but they work like a charm on casual fabrics, and they have saved me more than once from walking into a meeting with embarrassing white stains.

Electronic Wipes: Just want to make it very clear that this statement is not verified by any electronic company in any way, shape, or form, but I use baby wipes to clean all of my electronic screens on the reg and they are magic. Everything from our TV to my iPhone, to our iPad and laptops, all screens get baby wiped.

Duster: If you know me at all, you know how much I hate cleaning. Baby wipes are the only way anything in my house gets dusted. I used to use disinfectant wipes, but after learning that you then have to wipe everything down after usage to eliminate the yucky chemicals, I said eff off to that. I’m not cleaning up after my cleaning supplies. Baby wipes are the perfect substitution. I can wipe down the entire living room with just a few quick swipes.

Other things I have accomplished with baby wipes: removed black scuff marks from furniture, removed marker stains from a lacquer table (fresh marker stains), and cleaned coffee stains. Because God forbid I wear a white shirt without dripping my Starbucks all over it.

Do you have any household items that you have repurposed? Share your hacks!

Thank you for sharing!

March 14, 2018

My Top Six Favorite Podcasts

Falon Podcast 0 Comments

If you’re new around these parts, you might not know that I co-host a podcast with my nerdy bestie Brianna called Drink Talk Fangirl. Our podcast is available on iTunes and Stitcher, and if you haven’t listened yet, get your ass over there and download that shizz. Since I love podcasting myself, I figured I would take some time today to talk about the podcasts that I love to listen to. My podcast listening varies depending on what’s happening in my world at the present moment (like when I’m querying, I listen to writer podcasts and during Game of Thrones time I listen to recap podcasts, etc.) but these podcasts are the ones that are pretty steady for me. I like these bad boys all year round.

Bitch Sesh: This is first on the list because it’s first in my heart. I love Bitch Sesh so much that I have withdrawals on their off weeks. It’s the only podcast that I am always up to date on, I never fall behind because I listen to their episodes religiously. Bitch Sesh is hosted by Casey Wilson and Danielle Schneider, with amazing guests each week who range from Jerry O’Connell to Jessica St. Clair. The main topic is Bravo’s Real Housewives, which if you know me at all, you know is one of my all-time favorite shows. I watch almost all of the franchises and it is one of the highlights of my week. Casey and Danielle occasionally dip into other Bravo stand outs like Vanderpump Rules and Below Deck, but the Housewives are their bread and butter and they are superstars in Bravo-land. Only King Andy Cohen ranks higher than these gals.

You Must Remember This: Hey look, a podcast on my list that has nothing to do with reality TV! It’s literally the only one! Yay me! I’ve talked about YMRT on our podcast before and it remains one of the most interesting ones I listen to. YMRT focuses on the early days of Hollywood, and each season delves into a particular facet in film industry history. My favorite series so far has been Dead Blondes, but I also really enjoyed her take on Jane Fonda and Joan Crawford in their spots, along with the early days of MGM. If you are at all into movies and Hollywood, this is one you need to listen to. Just be warned that the host can be a bit annoying, but the info is so good, it makes up for it.

Straight Up with Stassi: I have no shame in saying that I have always been #TeamStassi. I’ve watched Vanderpump Rules since the very beginning, and even though the girl has said some DUMB things throughout her time in the spotlight, I’ve always thought she was one of the realest on the show. She tells it like it is. Even though Stassi has said plenty of stuff that I don’t agree with, I appreciate the fact that she puts herself out there, and when she does say something ignorant, she seems to be willing to listen to the criticism and learn from her mistakes. I have respect for her because she seems to listen to the other side in those situations where she pisses people off, and it can’t be easy to do that in such a public forum. So kudos to Stassi for that. She also attracts some interesting guests, though I could do without the constant presence of her BFF Rachel, who is not my fave.

The Bitch Bible: I discovered Jackie’s podcast through another podcast (Heather Dubrow’s, but I don’t listen to hers anymore because she’s Heather and that’s all she talks about) and she is hi-larious. Jackie also spends a lot of her time watching reality TV, so she and I have a lot in common. She doesn’t give an eff about what others think of her, and she lives her truth. The offensive things she says are much less offensive than the things Stassi says, and she lives in So Cal so we could totally be friends (except her husband is loaded so we will never run in the same circles).

Almost Famous with Ben and Ashley: Okay, this is kind of a new one for me and I really only discovered this podcast during the madness that was the end of this Bachelor season. Ashley I. has never made my list of favorite Bachelor alumni, but she has grown on me over the years. Ben Higgins, however, is a total dreamboat and I am low key in love with him (minus all the God stuff). Watching him on Winter Games and then as he made the rounds to ATFR, and now listening to his sexy AF voice come over my radio and through my headphones….sign me up. Also, I like hearing insight on Bachelor Nation from people who actually experienced it. So I’m in.

Edit That Out: This is also a new one for me, discovered again because of the glorious Bachelor finale we all just experienced. Michelle Collins hosts this show (you might remember her from the after show during Paradise) and her insights into the franchise are spot on and hilarious. I’m looking forward to dipping into her thoughts on all things reality TV and pop culture.

Assuming you are at all into reality TV, you should definitely check out some or all of my favorite podcasts! And please don’t forget to download and subscribe to my podcast, Drink Talk Fangirl! And leave us a review, please and thank you!

Thank you for sharing!

March 12, 2018

MCU Viewing Part Nine: Agents of SHIELD and Captain America Civil War

Falon Marvel 1 Comment

Aaaaahhhhhhh. That’s my nice long sigh of relief to be back in the Marvel world that I love the mostest. Y’all know I have been struggling with the Netflix/Marvel partnership series and it has been putting a serious kink in my motivation to get this shizz finished before Infinity War. But I flew through this section because it was all the things I love about the MCU! If you need to catch up on my MCU challenge, check out Part Eight before you read this post! (And here’s the original post if you’re interested in going back to the beginning.) And now, bah bah bah bum! Onto the best chunk of the list so far!

Agents of SHIELD, Season 3, Episodes 11-19

The Basics: Produced by Marvel Studios and ABC, season three premiered in September of 2015 and featured all of the original lead cast. Season three is available on Netflix.

One Sentence Summary: The fate of the Inhumans is in the balance as Hydra and Hive (aka the former Grant Ward) try to experiment on them to create a crazy powerful army.

Full Summary: Check out the detailed episodic breakdown here.

My Reaction: ALL THE FEELS. First and foremost, when the team gave Bobbi and Hunter the “spy’s goodbye” I cried my mother effing eyes out. Like tears streaming down my face, huffing in my breath, actual sobs. On top of that, we FINALLY got our Fitz-Simmons love connection and I was living for it. Some other things I loved in this chunk: Mack calling Daisy and Lincoln “Shake and Bake”. Coulson, always Coulson. Finally getting sexy Ward back, even though he’s now an evil POS. Brett Dalton is pretty so I’m okay with it. We finally saw the take down of Hydra, which I was ready for a season ago. And May battled the Chairman from Iron Chef, and it was everything I hoped it would be.

My Rating: 9 out of 10, just for the spy’s goodbye and Fitz-Simmons action.

Captain America: Civil War

The Basics: Released in 2016 by Marvel Studios and Disney, Civil War brings together all of the Avengers except for Thor and Hulk (who are off on their own badass adventure, but we’ll get there soon enough). Civil War is available on Netflix.

One Sentence Summary: The government wants to regulate the Avengers, Tony is on board and Cap is not so the team splits on this issue as well as the issue of Bucky (aka Winter Soldier) and his brainwashing/crimes.

Full Summary: A lot goes on in this movie, so if you want the full lowdown, you can read it here.

My Reaction: This movie marks a turning point in the MCU, not just in terms of the characters’ storylines, but in terms of the quality of the films. We all know both Avengers films were great, and we know the Guardians of the Galaxy films are great, but for the most part, up until this point, the individual movies have been just okay. Not terrible, but not stellar. Civil War changes that (maybe because it feels more like an Avenger movie than an individual movie?). But from here on in, the individual movies are pretty freakin’ awesome. I love that this movie tackles some real issues: mainly the idea of government regulation, and the morality of sacrificing the life of one to save the lives of many. All interesting things to think about. In terms of things I loved in this movie: I love meeting Black Panther, I love seeing the evolution of Bucky, I love the quote “conflict breeds catastrophe”, I love Baby Spider-man. I love that Bucky’s cell is D23. I love Paul Rudd. I don’t love Cap and Iron Man fighting. I don’t love Peggy dying. I don’t love Cap kissing Peggy’s niece. I don’t love Vision and Wanda falling for each other considering Paul Bettany could be Elizabeth Olsen’s dad. And really, truly, how the eff am I supposed to believe that a nerdy 17 year old Peter Parker doesn’t know what an AT-AT is? I mean, my three year old knows what an AT-AT is. Writing fail. It’s a glaring error in an otherwise practically perfect script.

My Rating: 9 out of 10, by far the best of the individual movies up until this point.

Agents of SHIELD, Season 3, Episodes 20-22

The Basics: Same as above.

One Sentence Summary: The hot guys die.

Full Summary: Click here if you want the full breakdown of the final three episodes.

My Reaction: In the aftermath of Civil War, the world is dealing with the Inhumans and making them register themselves so the government can track them. All kinds of changes are happening at SHIELD. There’s some great acting in these final episodes, particularly from Brett Dalton, as we see the final take down of Hive, which sadly comes about due to Lincoln sacrificing himself for the greater good (an ongoing theme in the MCU that I think we will see again in Infinity War). Lincoln and Ward were two of my favorites, so to see them meet their end in the same episode was heartbreaking, though it was needed. I’m kind of scared about season four at this point because we lost a lot of team members this season, and from the last little snippet in the finale, it seems like we may be losing Daisy too. I don’t love the events themselves, but I loved how the season finale played out, the whole thing was really well done.

My Rating: 9.5 out of 10, the best SHIELD finale so far.

I might as well make this announcement now because I have reached my breaking point. I have decided to eliminate the Netflix standalone series from the remainder of my MCU challenge. Life is too short to watch shitty TV. I’ve watched two seasons of Daredevil, one of Jessica Jones, and half of Luke Strange. I’ve given it my best effort. I’m going to attempt The Defenders and Inhumans, but I make no promises to finish them. Honestly, the movies and Agents of SHIELD are the core of the MCU and that’s where I’m going to focus the rest of my attention from now on. Word.

Thank you for sharing!

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