The Disney Channel Drop

I think the Disney Channel has gone downhill. Big time.

Let’s flash back a few years to a time when the shows had decent writing and when the DCOMs (Disney Channel Original Movies) were actually entertaining. I grew up on reruns of Phil of the Future, Even Stevens, That’s So Raven, and many more. I also grew up watching new shows to the channel such as Hannah Montana, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Wizards of Waverly Place, short lived shows like Sonny with a Chance, and many more as well. I found these shows to be incredibly influential and I looked up to a lot of the stars, especially Miley Cyrus. Let’s just add her to the list of talented child stars who wanted to get as far away from image as possible. These shows weren’t just influential, they were actually entertaining. Whoever was behind the writing knew how to grab the attention of young people, creating the empire that is the Disney Channel. Though, I believe that this empire is starting to crumble and fall.

I tried watching some of the new shows and it was very hard to sit through an episode. I feel like instead of catering to a wide age range of kids, they’re simply trying to cater to the lowest demographic. The jokes aren’t funny, so there’s no need for the added laugh track. I just feel like the shows have lost the charm they once had.

Something just as iconic, or possibly more, than the shows on the Disney Channel are the DCOMs. These weren’t just movies, they were events. I loved watching the DCOMs. There’s so many great ones, but I think the greatest DCOMs ever made were the High School Musical movies. This trilogy was an empire in itself. Great writing, catchy music, charismatic characters, and a compelling story with a message all contributed to the success. These attributes could be applied to several other DCOMs as well. I can’t say the same for some of the most recent DCOMs. I went into watching Descendants thinking that I wasn’t going to like it. I was proven wrong and thought it was a wonderful movie. I don’t think the movie would have been as successful had it not been directed by Kenny Ortega, the great mind behind the iconic Disney classic Hocus Pocus and also the High School Musical movies.  If you have a great team behind the movie, it’ll probably be good. I just don’t feel like some of these movies have had a lot of effort put into them and I feel sorry for the actors that have to try and give their best performance with this material. 

The Pajama Game Review

I went to opening night of The Pajama Game and I thought it was wonderful. I have to say, I didn’t think this production was as strong as other productions such as Jekyll and Hyde or Nice Work If You Can Get It. This has nothing to do with the cast, they were fantastic as always, I think it was the overall plot that didn’t completely win me over. I felt it was continuous jumping from the factory to the office to the club to the outside and back to the factory. I just found it to be a little hard to follow at times. This was also how I felt after going to the preview, so I think it’s just a plot with some flaws.

I really enjoyed the overall concept and the 50s flair. I really enjoy musicals that are period pieces, so that was a big plus to my experience. One of my favorite things about this production were the costumes. They were nothing fancy or overly dramatic, but the simplicity of the costumes and the hairstyles brought a lot of spunk and charm to everything else.

I was very excited to see what the music was going to be like. From the preview, I thought the songs were cute. I particularly really liked There Once Was a Man and I liked it just as much seeing it for a second time. My favorite song was a song that I wish I would’ve seen at the preview because after seeing it, I wanted to see it again. This song was I’m Not At All in Love. I just loved it. I thought it was incredibly well done and all of the girls’ voices went together so perfectly. My favorite ensemble number was Once a Year Day. The costumes, the set, everything was working together so well. I loved the choreography and how complex it was at times. It was sort of hard to keep track of everything because almost everyone on stage was moving all at once, but that’s part of what made it so entertaining and fun to watch.

This has nothing to do with the performances or anything, but I was upset that a song list was absent from the program. I just like to be able to keep track of sequence of events. Other than that, I did enjoy the production, I just didn’t feel like it was the strongest. 

The Good Wife 7x19 "Landing" Review

-SPOILERS BELOW-

There was quite a lot that happened during this episode, but there’s really only one aspect of the episode that I want to focus on. This was the episode that I had been waiting for. This episode finally brought the return of Kurt McVeigh. His scenes were absolutely wonderful! At the top of the episode, fans of Kurt and Diane finally got the scene that they had been wanting and waiting for since the very beginning, a playful bedroom scene. I was on the edge of my seat during the entire scene and felt like I could barely breathe because I was happy and exhilarated by it. It was so adorable to see Diane so flustered over thinking that Kurt wanted a divorce after three years of marriage, though it turned out to be that he wanted to sell his ballistics business and retire so he could finally move in with her and really settle down. They’re both busy people, so it isn’t often that they get to see each other. This is such a wonderful step in the right direction for the both of them. It was so refreshing to see Diane so rowdy with Kurt and deeply in love.

When I first read that Kurt was going to retire, I selfishly wasn’t too happy because I would love to see Diane and Kurt working side by side at a law firm of their own. Though, after seeing Diane so happy and supportive of his decision, I was too. But, of course, it couldn’t be an episode with Kurt in it without some argument between Diane and himself. With the two of them being as stubborn as they are, I wasn’t surprised when there was a disagreement over the selling price. I loved seeing Diane so clearly jealous when she was discussing the matter with the potential buyer. These two as a pair always know how to work out their arguments and this situation was no exception. Seeing Diane almost cry over how happy Kurt makes her almost brought me to tears. They are such a beautiful couple and I am so grateful that they got to shine.

I was a little disappointed that they didn’t bring up the current presidential race. Diane is a democrat and Kurt is a republican. Diane loves Hillary Clinton, who is a candidate, and Kurt loves Sarah Palin, who is not a candidate, but did endorse Donald Trump. That would’ve been some amazing banter between them. Other than that, amazing episode. 

Reboots of Reboots are Stupid

It was just announced to the public that Benedict Cumberbatch will voice the Grinch in the upcoming animated reboot of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I’ll be upfront about this, I’m not happy about this. I just don’t see the need to reboot this story for a third time.

This idea just scares me. It’s being done by Universal, the same people that did the live-action version of the story back in 2000. The 2000 version, starring Jim Carrey as the Grinch, is one of my most favorite movies ever. I’m afraid that this new animated version is being created to ‘erase’ the live-action version because of it being under Universal. I hope the good people at Universal remember how big of a success their first go at this story was and that they have a very profitable attraction based on this movie at their theme parks during the holidays. Don’t forget your roots, Universal.

I know that the Seuss purists were afraid of even the thought of the Chuck Jones cartoon being adapted into a feature length movie. I also know that there is a large majority of people that despise the live-action adaptation and would like to forget that it exists (I’m looking at you, 53% rating on Rotten Tomatoes). It really makes me sad that so many people don’t love and appreciate it like I do. I think the movie has its flaws, but in no way do I think it’s a bad movie. I think it’s a wonderful adaptation and I wish more people could enjoy it for what it is. So, in that sense, I don’t think this one needs an update. One I could see getting an update is The Cat in the Hat (which I think is in the works). I think that that live-action adaptation is absolutely terrible and even insulting to the source material. It’s like they tried to take everything that the live-action Grinch did right and completely derail it in a way that’s just upsetting. It was because of that abomination of a movie that Audrey Geisel, the widow of Dr. Seuss, put a stop to any other live-action adaptions of her husband’s work.

I have nothing against Benedict Cumberbatch. I know very little about him and I’ve never seen any of his work, but I’m sure he’ll do a fine job. I just will never see anyone else as the mean, green one unless it’s Jim Carrey. I’m no Seuss purist and it feels weird for me to be placed in the position they were in in 2000. I don’t dislike the cartoon, I just wouldn’t watch it over the live-action version. That live-action version is canon to me and it holds a special place in my heart. I’m sure I’ll enjoy this movie just fine, but it’s no replacement. All I ask is that they don’t completely discard events and characters that were introduced in the live-action version. 

A PSA to Moviegoers

Here’s the PSA, don’t talk during a movie. It’s simple and it’s told to you before every movie, but it’s still not followed. I’ll admit, I have talked during movies before, but I’m never loud enough to become obnoxious and disruptive.

I bring this topic up because I was reminded of a friend’s sleepover from last year. I had offered to bring Into the Woods to watch and my friend was all for watching it. It wasn’t just the two of us at this sleepover, it was a bunch of other people. At first, everyone was watching and paying attention, but that came to a halt very fast. Soon, phones came out and conversations started to pop up. By the middle of the movie, people had gone off to other areas of her basement and started to just do their own thing. We had to keep turning up the volume on the movie so we could hear it because people were talking so much and being loud. It was extremely frustrating. By the end of the movie, there were only four of us watching it and everyone else acted like they didn’t even care that they were being so rude. There were complaints about it being so long, the fact that it’s a musical, and just a bunch of other nonsense that I didn’t want to deal with.

If you’re not enjoying the movie you’re watching, fine, but don’t hinder the experience for the others around you. I’m baffled still by the behavior of the other people at the party. It was my friend’s party and she was the one that wanted to watch the movie. They should’ve been respectful and participated in what she wanted to do, not go off and do their own thing while being extremely obnoxious.

I know it’s difficult to sit for one and a half or even over two hours without getting fidgety or wanting to talk. I get that, I completely get that. We’re humans and it’s hard to remain still and silent for a long period of time. Though, you owe it to the others around you to treat them with respect. If you’re seeing a movie in a theater, then you obviously had to pay for your ticket to see that movie. You used your own money because you wanted to be entertained. You wouldn’t want that money to be wasted due to the fact that you couldn’t enjoy yourself and be entertained because people were having conversations around you, right? 

WhoHaha

Elizabeth Banks, one of my favorite actresses and most loved humans, recently created a website and a campaign titled WhoHaha. The goal of this campaign is to highlight the ”who behind the haha.” This whole thing is all about women and aimed at women. Elizabeth, who is an actress that does a whole lot of comedy, feels that there is a huge divide between who gets the comedic roles in Hollywood. Even though there has been an influx in successful female actresses in comedies, she’s right when she says that most of these roles go to male actors. I do believe that there is a gender divide in Hollywood and it is greatly in favor of males. I think it’s wonderful that Liz has come up with this idea to create a gathering point for women and to give them a platform to show just how funny women can be.

If it wasn’t for comedy, I might not have found Liz in the first place. I actually discovered her wonderful acting and comedic talents after having seen her as Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games. For a movie with a very dark subject matter and gritty atmosphere, she served as the comic relief and did a wonderful job in doing this. Outside of serving as the comic relief in a dark dystopia for four movies, she’s done many other funny movies like The Lego Movie and the Pitch Perfect movies. Pitch Perfect was a huge deal for Miss Banks. Not only did she have a role in both acting in the film and writing it, she actually moved to the director’s chair by the second movie.

She acts, she writes, she produces, she directs, and does all of this while being extremely funny. I think a lot of women can be inspired by Elizabeth Banks and should be. She shows that you can be happily married, a mother, a successful business woman, and can make an impact on those around you in a very positive way. I hope that with WhoHaha, the overwhelming movement to support women and feminism, and simply the push for equality between genders, that women will get the credit they deserve. Hollywood and everywhere else needs a huge reality check when it comes to seeing that both men and women should be seen as equals and that one gender should not be privileged over the other just because of old social standards. 

Bringing Movies Home

I am not a person that goes to see every movie that is released in theaters and I’m certainly not one to purchase a new movie very often, but when I do, it’s a big deal for me. I would consider myself to be a movie buff and I always get excited when a movie I’ve been wanting to see again is released for the public to bring home. I always gravitate towards getting the versions that offer a DVD, a Blu-Ray, a Digital Copy, and occasionally a bonus disc with special features (which is usually the version offered at Target). I wanted to talk about this topic because of the two most recent movies that I’ve purchased from Target. I have been buying my movies from Target ever since 2012 when The Hunger Games came out on DVD. I was so happy with the bonus discs that came with the Target exclusive, but the packaging wasn’t the greatest.

I think packaging is really important. A lot of movies and music are now switching to non-plastic packaging because it’s more eco-friendly. This is great for the environment, but not always for assuring the safety of the discs. With the other three releases of the Hunger Games movies, Target switched to having their exclusive content come in a very nice, hard cover book with movie stills inside to hold the discs. I really enjoy these books and I wish that the first movie could’ve been released this way. I think the exclusive book for Mockingjay Part 2 has the nicest look to it and is definitely my favorite in my collection.

I recently got Star Wars: The Force Awakens from Target as well, once again because I wanted the bonus disc with the extra content. I also wanted this version because I really liked the cover art on the Target version compared to the versions offered by other stores. I wasn’t super happy with this version. I still love the cover art and the stills offered inside, but I hate the packaging. It’s completely cardboard. It’s essentially the same format as what was offered for The Hunger Games, so I don’t understand why they couldn’t have made a similar style book to hold the discs. This would’ve made the extra five dollars that was needed to purchase this version more worthwhile. All of the options for consumers is ridiculous in my opinion and I wish there would just be one great version for a reasonable price. 

The Importance of Score

Have you ever watched a movie without music? My guess is that you haven’t, unless it was a silent movie. All of the major Hollywood movies nowadays are always accompanied by score, yet I still feel that score is underappreciated. For anyone who doesn’t know, score is the background music that accompanies the scenes in movies. Often times, the scenes are filmed first, so the actors set the stage for the emotions the scenes are trying to convey. The composers are the real stars of the show. With every movement of the scene, the composers have to experiment with what instruments and arrangements would work the best to intensify the emotion of the scene. I feel that actors and directors get all the credit, but composers are the ones who help to tie everything together.

When watching a horror movie, everyone knows that when it all gets silent, something is going to jump out. This anticipation is often intensified by the quiet hum of violins that gradually gets louder. This anticipation would not be as intense if the score was taken out. I think score works very well in dramas. There are often cliffhangers and attention grabbing moments in dramas that receive great additions from score. In action sequences, there is often an orchestra accompanying them. I really love how orchestra and action go hand in hand. These scenes are particularly enjoyable in a theater with surround sound. Movie theaters are like the stage for composers to show off their work and really shine through.

I love when movie soundtracks are released with tracks that are purely score. The score itself is able to tell the story all by itself without the dialogue. Score lets your imagination paint the scenes in your head. Personally, I will sometimes only listen to score just to get lost in how beautifully thought out it is. I think score is wonderful and should be praised just as much as any other part of a movie. 

Two of my favorite composers who have written some of the greatest movie score are John Williams and James Horner. Unfortunately, James passed away not too long ago, but his work still lives on. I also feel like John has composed the music of several generations simply because he is behind some of the greatest movies ever made. 

Rock of Ages Review

I have friends who have told me several times to watch Rock of Ages, but I never got around to it. I got lucky and caught it on TV the other night after Mamma Mia! It must have been jukebox movie musical night or something. The fact that Rock of Ages is a jukebox musical actually had me worried. Prior to watching, I hadn’t watched any trailers and I had no idea what the plot was about. The most important thing about jukebox musicals is making sure that the existing songs actually tie in with the plot of the musical. I think Mamma Mia! does this extremely well, but this probably works so well because the entire musical is just ABBA songs. You can often tie a theme between songs done by the same artist, so it would be much easier to write a plot for that. This is what hurts Rock of Ages. The songs are fun, the way they incorporate the songs is fun, but I don’t feel like the songs move the plot along. For the majority of the movie, I didn’t feel like I was watching these characters singing these songs, I felt like I was watching a bunch of people doing karaoke in different locations. That’s the problem with doing a jukebox musical that involves a bunch of different songs from a bunch of different artists. It’s very hard to get everything to tie together in a way that makes sense.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Sherrie and Drew. I was totally invested very early on and I thought they had great chemistry. Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, and Tom Cruise all made me feel a level of discomfort, I’m not going to lie. It was also super obvious that they were getting some serious help and tweaks to their vocals. Some of the songs in this movie sounded very auto tuned and overdone, but I think that just added to the campiness of it all. I really enjoyed the protest scene with the mashup of We Built This City and We’re Not Gonna Take It. I thought these songs blended together very well and I thought this scene was also done very well.

I had the biggest problem with Catherine Zeta-Jones for almost the whole movie. I don’t have any issue with her or her performance, she’s amazing. It’s just her character. It was so hard to see her as this goody-two-shoes type. When I hear that voice of hers, I hear Velma Kelly from Chicago. I was just waiting for that bad girl to come out to match her sultry voice. I thought she was the standout performance.

Hairspray Live Announcement

NBC just announced that their next live musical is going to be Hairspray. I am extremely excited for this because Hairspray is one of my favorite musicals. Though I love the cast of the movie and thought the casting choices were absolutely perfect, I do have some ideas in mind on who should fill these roles once again.

I hope they do what they did with their live production of The Wiz in which they cast an unknown for the lead and allow celebrities or well-known names to fill the rest of the roles. From what I’ve read, it seems like I’m going to get my wish. I saw that they are doing open casting for Tracy, which is wonderful news. In the movie version, they did a nationwide search for the perfect Tracy and they found her in Nikki Blonsky, who was working at a Coldstone Creamery at the time. I really enjoy when big productions like this get unknowns for their leads because you don’t know what you’re in store for and it also is a wonderful way to put these unknown names out into the world so casting directors can see their talent.

I personally am not sure who I would want in every role. I haven’t sat down to think of a dream cast or anything like that. Live musicals like this are something that you should just allow to happen and wait to see if the cast that is chosen delivers a solid performance or not.

One role, in particular, that I completely have my sights set on is Velma Von Tussle. Christine Baranski has to play her, she has to. If you’ve seen the movie adaption of Into the Woods, you can clearly see how Christine’s portrayal of Cinderella’s Stepmother has some great similarities to Velma and I love when Christine gets to play a villain with great style. A lot of people watch these live musicals, so this would be a great opportunity to get Christine out there to those who don’t know her and how brilliantly talented she is. I’m also hoping this production exposes Hairspray to people who haven’t seen it before.

The role I have the most concern about is Edna. If you don’t know, Edna is Tracy’s voluptuous mother who is usually played by a male actor. I love John Travolta as Edna in the movie and I think he did a wonderful job in creating this very feminine persona for her. I just hope they can get someone to fill these big shoes well.  

Thoughts on the Hunger Games Dolls by Mattel

As an avid doll collector and huge fan of The Hunger Games, you can’t imagine my level of excitement when Mattel released a Katniss Everdeen Collector Barbie. To my disappointment, Katniss was the only character to be reimagined in doll form from the first installment. Nevertheless, I was very excited to get this doll and she is now a great addition in my collection. I really like how they dressed her in her arena attire, including the iconic Mockingjay pin. This was the most logical outfit to dress her in, considering the whole movie is about Katniss’ journey into the Hunger Games. The only criticism I have about this doll is the fact that she looks nothing like Jennifer Lawrence. She looks like any normal Barbie decided to go as Katniss for Halloween. Other than that, I think she’s a wonderful collector’s item.

I’m incredibly grateful that Mattel decided to make more dolls for Catching Fire. With this round, they released another Katniss, Peeta Mellark, Effie Trinket, and FInnick Odair. One huge improvement with this set is that Katniss actually looks like Jennifer Lawrence this time around. I think this is a very interesting set. I was excited to finally have a Peeta, and following the trend started by the first Katniss doll, he and Katniss are sporting their arena wetsuits. They look great and they display very nicely next to each other. The doll I was most excited for was Effie. If any character was deserving of a doll, it’s Effie. Despite my excitement, she’s the one I have the most problems with. For one thing, she’s the only doll in the line with no articulation. This is frustrating to someone like me who likes to take pictures of my dolls in different poses. The only reason I can think for this choice is because Effie is basically Capitol Barbie. She’s always in heels, wears extravagant fashions, and is always cheery. This Effie doll has the classic rubber legs with bend and snap knees with a face that looks nothing like Elizabeth Banks and just like a simple fashion Barbie. I’m also not very happy with the outfit choice. I do love the outfit she’s in (the cast has dubbed this particular outfit as “gorilla arms”), but there are other Effie outfits that I like a whole lot more. I wish she would’ve been dressed in the butterfly dress from the Reaping scene. I may have my problems with her, but I’m still very happy to have her. The last doll in this set is Finnick. I love Finnick, don’t get me wrong, but I thought this was kind of an off choice. Since they made an Effie, I would’ve hoped Haymitch would be included as well. That wasn’t the case. I want a Haymitch doll badly, but I don’t think an official one will be made. Instead of just making Finnick, a whole set of the tribute alliance would’ve been great, but I’m still happy with what they did make. These are my favorite dolls in the collection.

They did not make a set of dolls for Mockingjay: Part 1, but did for Mockingjay: Part 2. This makes sense, there’s three books so three versions of Katniss is more than appropriate. This set includes Katniss, Peeta, and Gale. It’s interesting that they waiting until the last movie to introduce the love triangle together. These dolls look fantastic and are relatively screen-accurate. They’re a great addition to the collection.  

Though I’m very happy that these dolls are articulated, except for poor Effie, part of me wishes that they would’ve waited to make these. Now that the Made To Move Barbies are out, I see a lot of wasted potential. I did a little test to see if the Made To Move Barbie could hold Katniss’ bow the proper way and it turns out she can. It’s pretty sad when Katniss Everdeen can’t even hold her bow properly and a random Barbie can. I know the Hunger Games dolls were created with the intent that they stay in their boxes, since they are Black Label Collector dolls, but I have never been one to keep a doll in its box. 

The Good Wife 7x18 "Unmanned" Review

-SPOILERS BELOW-

Some really great things happened in this episode, I’m not going to lie. After this episode, I think the show is finally going in the direction that I want it to. Whenever Diane and Alicia are working together in court, I’m happy. They have a great dynamic and I think that dynamic will be explored even more in the coming episodes. I’ve said it before, but I really want Diane and Alicia to partner and run their own firm. They would be great together.

It was wonderful to see Anna Camp back as Caitlyn after not being on the show for over four years. It’s crazy to think she hasn’t been back since season three. I was also very excited to see Leslie Odom Jr. joining the cast for this episode. Because the show films in New York, there’s always guest stars coming on when they get some free time from Broadway. I love Leslie as Aaron Burr in Hamilton. I think it’s interesting that Leslie was the guest star instead of Lin-Manuel Miranda, the genius mind that created Hamilton, because he has openly expressed on Twitter that he would love to guest star. Leslie was not the first Hamilton alum to appear on the show. Jonathan Groff and Renée Elise Goldsberry, who had a recurring role in the earlier seasons as Geneva Pine, have appeared even before Hamilton debuted.

I was expecting there to be a throw down between Jason and Peter judging by the promo pics, but that wasn’t quite the case. Peter did get extremely ticked upon finding Jason in his boxers in Alicia’s apartment, but Jason handled it very well and left knowing he was in the wrong by being in this affair. The greatest part of the episode was something I had been waiting for since season one, Alicia finally told Peter she wants a divorce. THANK YOU, WRITERS! I know Alicia had two wonderful kids with Peter, but she never looked truly happy when she was with Peter. Alicia looks happy when she’s with Jason. I was smiling so much when she practically jumped into his arms. I hope they get a happy ending.

Nothing against Cary, but I’m happy that he decided to quit. That’s just one step closer to that Lockhart/Florrick (well, soon to be Cavanaugh again) firm that I want to badly. I hope he does great things with his life and can learn to move on. This was such a satisfying episode. If Judge Abernathy and Kurt were also in this episode, it would’ve been practically perfect. Luckily, the Kurt episode will soon be available to myself and many other fans who have been anxiously awaiting his return. The downside is we still have to wait anxiously because there’s a two week hiatus. 

Have We Seen the Last of Katniss Everdeen?

If companies get ahold of a successful product, they’re not going to want to let go of it any time soon. For Lionsgate, they have done pretty well for themselves by taking on The Hunger Games franchise. Whether you believe they split the last book into two movies for the sake of getting as much content in as possible or not, you can’t deny that they did it to cash in. This franchise is huge and has become a household name. Just because all of the movies have been made and there’s really no reason for expansion, I have a sneaking suspicion that Lionsgate will be releasing more films into the franchise.

These could be a multitude of things. Prequels, sequels, fleshing out other characters, you name it. I personally would love to see the 50^th Quarter Quell, or Haymitch’s Hunger Games, on the big screen. I was disappointed that this was left out of Catching Fire because it would’ve let those who haven’t read the books get to know why Haymitch is the way he is. I don’t think they’ll dedicate a whole movie to one character’s backstory, but it is an interesting idea.

If I could have my choice to another film in the franchise, I would want a sequel. A true sequel, picking right back up where we left off in Mockingjay Part 2. I would love it to backtrack a bit to delve in more to the events before the epilogue and then tie the epilogue in later on. A couple things that bothered me about Mockingjay Part 1 were that we weren’t told what Katniss and Peeta named their children or why Effie was not in the Victors Village with the rest of them in District 12. That kiss between Haymitch and Effie wasn’t just some kiss, it was love. I get that Effie still has ties to the Capitol, but she loves her team. Effie has cried multiple times about having to say goodbye to the kids, so I would think she would want to be with them. My ideal sequel would be the life of Katniss, Peeta, Effie, and Haymitch after they’ve settled down after the rebellion. I’m curious to know if Effie would ever give up her Capitol style or if Haymitch will stay sober for good. I want to know what kind of parents Katniss and Peeta are and how life is for them after they know they don’t have to worry about President Snow anymore. To an audience who prefers action, the sequel I want would probably come off as boring to them, but that’s okay with me. I just want to see these characters that I love so dearly finally get a life of peace, the life that they all deserve. 

Butterflies

One of the most famous scenes from Corpse Bride is when Emily is transformed into a huge formation of butterflies. So, what does this have to do with Effie from The Hunger Games trilogy? Well, nothing, but the symbolism of butterflies does.

In Corpse Bride, the butterflies symbolize Emily’s soul being set free and is a beautiful final goodbye to Victor and Victoria. In The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Effie wears a headpiece and dress that are composed of monarch butterflies (lovingly known by fans as the Butterfly Dress). I’ve always seen this outfit as a gorgeous addition to the wide array of looks that Effie has worn throughout the films (and it has since become my favorite Effie look from the four films), but something clicked with me upon viewing Catching Fire not too long ago. This outfit is only worn in one scene, the Reaping. As the story goes, this Reaping was only a drawing from the existing pool of Victors from previous years of the Hunger Games. So, for Effie, this meant definitely sending Katniss back into the arena and either Peeta or Haymitch along with her. By the end of it all, Katniss and Peeta were reaped again and were left with the possibility that they may not make it out alive this time around. Background aside, why did this dress suddenly mean so much more to me? It’s all because it made me think of Emily. The butterflies are a symbol of freedom and farewell. Of course, the Reaping was not the last time Effie would see Katniss and Peeta before the Quarter Quell, but it was the last time they would see their loved ones and Effie felt greatly to blame for that. Katniss didn’t even get a proper goodbye like Emily did.

In nature, butterflies don’t start out as beautiful, winged creatures, they have to go through metamorphosis. They start out as caterpillars and, when the time is right, they form a chrysalis around themselves and go through the natural change of becoming a butterfly. Before Katniss and Peeta’s first Games, Effie is a caterpillar. She has been born into an unknown habitat, the Capitol. She strives to be like the others of her kind and adapt to their lifestyle. This is why Effie seems so outlandish when we first meet her. She’s a caterpillar, a naïve mind who is oblivious to the true dangers in life. What she doesn’t know is that her own habitat, her home, is her greatest danger. There are many other species, the other Districts, that would love to devour her.

When Katniss and Peeta enter the Games, Effie forms her chrysalis. She remains in this chrysalis well throughout the Victory Tour. She soon comes to grips with the events of Catching Fire and that is why Effie has been dubbed as the character with the most development in this film. Catching Fire is Effie’s metamorphosis. When she’s at the Reaping, in the Butterfly Dress, she finally hatches and becomes a butterfly. Effie realizes her perfect Capitol isn’t so perfect. She cares so much about these kids, it’s evident by the tears streaming down her face as she pulls out the names. Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch get her to realize just how dangerous the world really is, just as a butterfly would as it takes its first flight.  

The Good Wife 7x17 "Shoot" Review

-SPOILERS BELOW-

The beginning of this episode caught me completely off-guard. If you hadn’t been aware that you were watching The Good Wife, you wouldn’t have known. It looked like a completely different show. I thought it was cute, super loving and protective dad loves his daughter unconditionally –cute. It was adorable to see the daughter going to her first prom with a guy that she clearly really liked. I thought, wow, what a cute opening. That was until a bullet came flying through the front window of the house straight through the daughter’s throat. Oh, I was horribly wrong. I had no idea who these characters were, but this opening scene still brought tears to my eyes.

I was hyped for this episode, so hyped. I got myself all hyped up for nothing. I thought this was going to be the episode where Alicia finally agrees to partner with Diane and they being their wonderful reign of the legal empire in Chicago together. That didn’t happen, but we got to see Diane with a martini in her hand once again! That's always a wonderful sight on the eyes. I also thought this episode was going to bring the long awaited return of Kurt McVeigh, Diane’s husband. Mini rant time, sorry. This episode was about a gun store, gun control, and was called ”Shoot”, so how could it not be the Kurt episode? He’s a ballistics expert! This made me so mad. He’s been in two episodes with gun-related titles, “Bang” and “Silver Bullet” and I thought they would return to that with this episode. Since he is a ballistics expert, every episode that he’s been in has mentioned guns. I repeat, how could this not have been the Kurt episode? All of my predictions for this episode were wrong, it’s such a disappointing feeling.

Over the last few episodes, I’ve taken a liking to Jason. I got so worried when Alicia saw him kissing that other girl, which we later learned was his old friend and not another lover. I was relieved to hear this because I really didn’t want to hate Jason again right after accepting him. Alicia just looks so genuinely happy with him. Instead of Johnny and Finn in the past season, I wish Jason would’ve been there. I would’ve liked to get to know him more and to see if his relationship with Alicia would last this long. I just hate when good storylines are rushed (or completely washed over *cough* Kurt and Diane *cough*) All I want is for Alicia to finally divorce Peter. It’s long overdue and needs to happen as soon as possible. There’s no spark there anymore, at all. 

Adaptations

This post is about something that I’ve been thinking about lately. When books are adapted into movies, there is always a fear that changes will take place. This certainly happened with The Hunger Games movie adaptations.

Throughout reading the books, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark were my favorite characters. This mentality stayed with me as I went into the first movie. They have remained, throughout the four movies, characters that I absolutely love, but I don’t think I’d consider them my favorite characters anymore. That spot now belongs to Haymitch Abernathy and Effie Trinket. Why? How can a mentality change so drastically like that? It’s solely due to the changes that took place from book to movie.

I read the books during 7^th and 8^th grade, so of course I gravitated towards the female protagonist who was close to my age. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I don’t love Katniss anymore. I love her so much and she is still one of my favorite female characters ever. I just have a greater appreciation for Effie now. Talk about character development! In the books, Effie really never became humanized. She was always just a product of the Capitol who just happened to be connected to the one girl who challenged everything she ever knew. I never really thought of anything more of her than that. That all changed after I saw the movies, all thanks to Elizabeth Banks.

This mentality change for me is all because of the incredible depth that Elizabeth Banks and Woody Harrelson have brought to these characters. I can’t imagine what these films would be like had they not been cast in these roles. I usually don’t like huge changes when things get adapted, but Effie’s inclusion and her relationship with Haymitch were fantastic strays from the source material that actually made sense. Had the writers stayed completely faithful and basically cut Effie from the last two movies all together, it would’ve been a huge disservice to the audience. Elizabeth had been able to get inside of the head of this nutty character and strip her down to someone who is both likeable and human who feels real emotion. Book Effie is a Capitol Barbie, unrealistic and fake. Movie Effie is so real and you root for her. The thing that really makes these two my favorites is their screen-only relationship. Never in the books did those two ever flirt with each other because they were always bickering. When you really pay attention, they flirt so much in the movies. It all leads up to the kiss in the 4^th installment that leaves fans like me wanting more. The fact that the kiss was improvised, mostly by Woody, proves that these actors care about these characters and are ambitious enough to explore things that the audience never saw coming. For a couple that was never even meant to be a couple, they have become one of my favorite couples of all time. It’s just fascinating to me how influential visual representation can be. 

Thoughts on Season 1 of Fuller House

Warning, spoilers. Though, I’m sure you’ve heard plenty plot points about this show already. But, I digress. I loved Fuller House!

I had my doubts when this series was announced. I was really hoping they wouldn’t lose the integrity of the original. Not that Full House was a remarkable or deeply moving show, but it holds a very special place in the hearts of millions, including mine. I can genuinely say that this sequel greatly fulfilled my nostalgic needs.

I loved the pilot, it was wonderful. I enjoyed the transition from the old theme song and the original opening credits to the new cover of the theme and paralleling opening credits 29 years later. I was so happy to see all of the returning cast (unfortunately, no Olsen twins). Though I was sad that Michelle was absent from this sequel, I loved what was created because of their absence. The shade thrown at Mary Kate and Ashley for not returning was hysterical. I usually hate when movies or TV shows have their characters break the fourth wall (for those who don’t know, this means when the characters speak directly to the camera to speak to the audience). Here, they had the entire main cast look directly at the camera for a good 30 seconds, acknowledging the situation. This show is also very self-aware. I laughed so hard when Kimmy (whom was probably my favorite character on the show) made the comment about how it’s no wonder that Olsen twins don’t need to act anymore considering that their fashion line is incredibly expensive.

I was quite surprised with just how many references to real life and the outside careers of the cast there were. It’s a bit strange that they aren’t treating it like a universe of its own, but it’s funny nonetheless. I don’t understand why people are complaining about how campy this show is. Have you not watched the original? The original is so much a camp-fest and always have to have a group hug and a moral. The continuing campiness didn’t bother me at all. I actually really appreciated it.

As for the new characters, I also had my doubts. It took me a little bit for them to grow on me, but I did really like them by the end, especially Max. I thought Fernando was sort of a weird introduction. He really reminded me of Esteban from The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. He was comical and it was interesting to see him bounce off of Kimmy. As the show went on, the kids were developed fairly well and I did enjoy seeing them interact with everyone else. I wish I wouldn’t have binged all 13 episodes in one day. It left me with nothing to look forward to, but I couldn’t stop watching! I’m so happy that it got renewed for a second season and I look forward to seeing what’s next. 

The Good Wife 7x16 "Hearing" Review

-SPOILERS BELOW-

It’s amazing how your opinion on something can change so rapidly. I went into this episode with dread considering that all the promos showed was Jason and Alicia. I was also upset with the advertising for this episode. Since it was the 150^th episode of the series, special ads were made. Thing is, all the wrong characters were being displayed. Of course there was Alicia, but also Jason, Eli, and Ruth. No sign of Diane or Cary. I’m still pretty disappointed with the way they’ve treated Diane and Cary, two characters that have been at the core of the show since the very beginning.

After the beginning sequence, I felt very conflicted. For the first time, I thought Alicia and Jason were cute. This was shocking to me that I was thinking this. I’ve gone this whole season not liking Jason and suddenly he’s really growing on me. I thought it was adorable to see them kissing in the shower, sharing junk food, and to see Alicia cuddling up next to Jason and laying on his chest. I never did like when Alicia was with Will, or the many other guys for that matter, so I’m not really bothered by the fact that she’s seeing Jason now. I’ve don’t think I’ve ever seen Alicia as happy with as she is with Jason.

I loved the return of Veronica and Owen. I’ve always enjoyed these two. “Come in, we have bagels!” had me laughing even after the episode ended. I also laughed a lot at the almost instant liking Veronica took to Jason. It was a lot of fun to see. I was quite surprised at the amount of times I laughed during this episode. Several instances included; Eli’s crusade to listen to the court through the vent in the handicapped bathroom, Mike Tascioni and his beloved service animal (emotional support Chihuahua) Tom, and just Alicia and Jason’s overall antics trying to keep their relationship under the radar.

My favorite part of the episode, and my favorite episode of the season, was the sudden luncheon between Diane and Alicia. I have so desperately wished, wanted, and hoped that Diane and Alicia would team up and start their own firm. So, seeing Diane praise Alicia’s growth and offer her the opportunity to partner really got to me. I actually teared up because of how sincere Diane was being with her. This is of course not the first time that these two have been in negotiations, the other time being talks of merging firms after Will’s death, but this was the first time Diane has offered to partner and start a female run firm. I’m sincerely hoping that Alicia takes Diane up on her offer so they can rule Chicago together with their trusty ballistics expert and investigator. 

The Big Bang Theory's 200th Episode

It’s Sheldon’s birthday! This was an amazing setup for an amazing accomplishment for the show. I can’t believe there’s been 200 episodes of a show about a group of nerdy friends –and it’s still going strong! I really enjoyed this episode, but I was unhappy with the length. This isn’t any fault of the show, though. It’s a sitcom in 2016. That means you get about 2/3 of the show and at least 1/3 of commercials. It’s really a shame that it felt like I watched 2 minutes of the episode and then it was over. Considering the actors get paid millions per episode, I wish that the viewers would be given a bit meatier content.

I loved the amount of guest stars that they were able to bring back for this episode. My favorite was, of course, the return of Dr. Beverly Hofstadter. She was surprisingly very sweet and caring in this episode. It was a nice change. It wasn’t too out of the ordinary considering that Beverly is quite attached to Sheldon. It was so cute to see her drinking out of a Batman cup. When they said that Barry might have a shot with Leonard’s mother, I thought oh no, Bev got drunk again. I thought this because one of the last times she got drunk, she came back to Leonard and Sheldon’s apartment and placed a passionate kiss on Sheldon. It was so awkward when Barry called her a cougar and started really flirting with her. I was surprised that she didn’t have a comeback for him. It was a very funny element for the episode.

Another great element was that Adam West made an appearance. Hearing Sheldon’s story about how he was always told that Batman would come to his party, but never did was so sad. I was really happy when the guys decided to get the real Batman to come to his party, even if all Adam cared about was getting paid for being there. It would’ve been even better if he put on a Batman costume at some time during the party.

I really enjoyed the bonding moment between Penny and Sheldon. I also enjoyed when they all went around and each person at the party said something nice about Sheldon. They’ve all had their frustrations with Sheldon and everyone has been annoyed by him in some way, but they proved that they all love him and are happy to have them in their lives. 

The Good Wife 7x15 "Targets" Review

-SPOILERS BELOW-

This was a very interesting episode and I really enjoyed seeing the return of Elsbeth. She hasn’t been in an episode in a very long time and she was very due for some more screen time. For as serious as this show is, I’m still so surprised that Elsbeth is even a character. Yes, there’s humor on the show, but Elsbeth is just in a world of her own. Her fiery, red hair perfectly matches her over-the-top personality. I really have missed her quirky presence and I’m very glad that she has returned, though I don’t think she’ll be back.

I loved how she made her screen entrance, bent over doing her stretches and looking towards the camera through her legs. She’s so entertaining, I really don’t know how to describe her. I was hoping that Elsbeth and Diane would have a scene alone together, but they didn’t. They did have a brief scene, but it was with a few other people in the room. I really loved the scene in an earlier season when Elsbeth went up and hugged Diane. It was like a clash of very different personalities and I loved it. It’s a bit of a shame that she never became more regular.

I should’ve known when I saw the promo picture of Diane, Elsbeth, Eli, and a random guy with a dog, that this random guy would have some connection to Elsbeth. Turns out that he was Elsbeth’s ex. This was such a weird character introduction, but it was entertaining. My favorite part in the episode was when Elsbeth’s ex and Eli went into the building and were told that there were dogs allowed and Eli protested, “Tom is a service animal. He’s an emotional support Chihuahua.” Eli always has some great lines and this one was nothing short of great.

Mini rant time. Jason walked into David’s office and referred to him as a cowboy. Why, why, why, why, why would you do this writers? As someone who loves Kurt McVeigh, I was super offended to hear someone other than him being referred to as a cowboy. Kurt has been the cowboy since Season 1. On his first date with Diane, she said, “Cowboys. Who knew I loved cowboys?” Kurt is the cowboy. End of story. Jason is getting on my nerves so much. His little smirks at Diane made me mad too. Stop trying to be Kurt, Jason.

I’ve voiced how I feel about Jason before, as well as his relationship with Alicia and that opinion has not changed. I hated their make out scene in her office with the lights off. It was just weird to see Alicia using Jason as a reason to not drink, then guilt-tripping him into making love with her again. I’m not with the writers on this one, I don’t find Jason charming and I have never found myself swooning over him. I wish that Alicia would just stop trying to date since she can’t seem to keep a healthy relationship. 

The Good Wife 7x14 "Monday" Review

-SPOILERS BELOW-

I’ll be honest, I was excited for this episode. Sadly, I wasn’t blown away by it or anything. Seeing the promo this episode and the fact that both Alicia and Lucca were going to join Lockhart, Agos & Lee was an interesting and intriguing setup for the episode. This plot direction has been used so many times before, I don’t know why I continue to get excited by it. Alicia started at the firm, started her own firm, went back to the firm, then went totally solo and worked out of her apartment, and now she’s back. Alicia can never stay in one place for too long.

Not only has she jumped from firm to firm, but she has jumped from man to man. She started off married to Peter, until he went to jail. She remained married to him, but then cheated on him with Will. Then, Will died (ouch, open wound that isn’t completely healed). Then came Finn, Johnny, and now, Jason. The two of them have been flirting for a few episodes now and I wish they’d stop it. Alicia needs to take a break from guys and collect herself, because she is clearly a mess. She still remains “married” to Peter, but I hope they’ll divorce eventually. It makes no sense that they are still together considering the amount of affairs that Alicia has had.

I’m unhappy that now Cary is trying to flirt with Lucca. He too has had his fair share of relationships. In my opinion, the writers should stop creating relationships and then going nowhere with them (case in point, Howard and Jackie). Kurt and Diane are the only couple on the show with a healthy marriage and yet they haven’t gotten any screen time this season. Kurt hasn’t even been mentioned. This is just sad. It has been confirmed by the Kings that Kurt will be coming back sometime this season but we still don’t know when. For as interesting and beautiful this couple is, they have been severely underused. I want to know if this is solely because Gary Cole is busy on Veep or if the writers just don’t want to dedicate screen time to them. It’s a real shame considering how large the fan base is for this couple. It seems all the writers seem to be doing is swooning over Jason (judging by their many tweets on Twitter).

I feel like overall I’m not enjoying the show as much as I used to and that saddens me. I’m hoping that some great storylines come out of the rest of the season. 

Thoughts on the Monster High Reboot

When I first heard the news that Monster High was going to completely rebrand themselves, I was very concerned. I’ve always loved their message of embracing your flaws and doing what you love. For the last few years, they’ve had the slogan “Be Yourself. Be Unique. Be a Monster.” With the recent reveals of the redesigns at Toy Fair and Play Fair, it seems that even they have forgotten what their brand means to people.

The core five dolls –Frankie, Draculaura, Clawdeen, Cleo, and Lagoona have all received new faces and different fashions. They have claimed that this ‘new face of Monster High’ is due to the fact that the dolls are too scary. I know that the target demographic for these dolls is very young girls, but I’ve seen plenty of young girls who love these dolls and aren’t scared by them at all. It’s unfortunate to see this brand conform. The whole reason these dolls became so popular is because they were different. A lot of people were attracted to them solely because they were perfectly imperfect.

They’re monsters. Monsters shouldn’t be cutesy. I don’t mind that the dolls are dressed in colorful fashions, in fact I love that they are. What I don’t like is that these new dolls are going to both colorful and extremely cutesy. I feel like Mattel has lost their direction and is running out of ideas. They didn’t need to rebrand at all, their sales are actually doing very well. It’s just really upsetting to me to see them do this. I wish they would see what their consumers want first instead of just making these decisions. A petition to recall these changes was created and received a huge amount of signatures, but I don’t think that Mattel is going to change a thing.

I started collecting these dolls back when they first came out. There was a period of time when I lost interest in the dolls, so I kept the two that I had and didn’t get any more. After a while, I started collecting again and I still am. I have so many of these dolls now and I don’t intend to stop collecting. I’ve never looked at them and thought they were scary. I think they are gorgeous and I share this opinion with thousands of other people. If parents think that they’re too scary, they should just give Barbies to their kids. 

Changes on the Doll Market

Mattel recently released a new addition to their Fashionistas line –tall, petite, and curvy dolls.

 The last few months have been very productive and profitable for the corporate giant, who is behind some of the most popular doll lines. Before this new wave of dolls, Mattel had released a new doll to the market, the Made to Move Barbie. This doll is described as being the ultimate posable doll and now has double joints (so she can now do things like finally being able to hold a cellphone to her ear!) This was not the first time Mattel has used double joints in their dolls. The first time was with their new character in another one of their lines, Monster High, by the name of Gooliope Jellington. This doll was very revolutionary in two respects: she is the first 17” Monster High doll to be released and she was the first doll of her kind, from Mattel at least, to have such a wide range of articulation. They simply sized down this design and made a few tweaks to give us the Made to Move dolls.

Having a doll with articulation is a huge must for the doll market in our current time. Are people still attracted to the Fashionistas or Hasbro’s new line of Disney Princesses even though they have stiff limbs? Yes. A doll is not categorized as being good or bad just by whether or not they have articulation, but having it is a huge selling point. Articulation is something the dolls with the new body types lack. I hope they release these new body types with the Made to Move bodies at some point. I think these are gorgeous dolls, but I have personally held off on picking any up for myself because of this lack of articulation.

This is a huge move on Mattel’s part. Not only have they created the different body types, but the Fashionistas will be released in a large array of skin tones, eye colors, and hair textures and colors. These changes have gained a lot of positive response, but have also generated some negative response. Some people feel that Barbie is doll that is known for having unrealistic body proportions and that girls should recognize that. My take on that is, what’s wrong with wanting a doll that looks like you?

Out of these new dolls, I really love the curvy dolls –especially the one with the blue and black hair. I’m quite pleased that Mattel decided to do this. A few years ago, a doll called Lammily was produced and she was supposed to be the “realistic” Barbie. She certainly is thicker and more sturdy, but I wouldn’t exactly call her realistic. I own this doll and I find her body to be awkward. She sits weird, her legs are bowed, and her articulation is not very good. When I compared Lammily to the new curvy dolls, I definitely like Mattel’s approach a lot more. They’ve been emulating women for such a long time now, so I think they have the upper hand when it comes to how to proportion and design these dolls. 

Where's Rey?

I recently read an article by Leonard Pitts and saw a few videos all regarding the same topic –Where’s Rey?

If you haven’t heard about this fiasco, long story short, Hasbro excluded all toys featuring the character of Rey in their lineup of toys for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The toy manufacturer claimed that including Rey in their toy lineup would spoil plot points. This is a complete load of crap because she is featured in the trailer, masked and unmasked, and is seen within the first fifteen or so minutes of the movie. I think this is ridiculous and I don’t understand why they chose this route.

I was very surprised to hear that this is not the first time that Hasbro has excluded female characters from their toy lines. This happened with Gamora in their Guardians of the Galaxy toy lineup as well as with Black Widow in their Avengers toy lineup. Perhaps they think that these fantasy/action movies are more geared toys males and that the young boys in their target demographic would not want to play with toys depicting female characters. I don’t know. I thought we were past the gender divide, but maybe these heads of corporations think otherwise.

Personally, I think it is extremely important for female representation in toys for little girls, especially in such a popular and well-known property like Star Wars. Rey may be a creation of the Mouse House, but she is no Disney Princess. It’s fine for little girls to aspire to be princesses and want to wear frilly dresses and tiaras, but it’s not often that they have a female role model that breaks this stereotypical mold. Rey is a scavenger, a pilot, and she’s not afraid to get dirty and fight for what’s right. I think she’s a brilliant role model for women everywhere, not just little girls, and the toys should reflect this.

I’m hoping that Rey does not turn into the next Slave Leia. Personally, I don’t see the problem with Leia’s slave outfit. It’s a representation of what she was at the time, a slave. Unfortunately, Leia has been turned into a sex symbol because of this and it’s all people seem to think of when they think of Leia. They forget that she is a strong, wise, witty, and tough adversary for the Rebel Alliance, who is now the leader and general for the Resistance. At the moment, Rey has not been given any provocative outfits and I don’t know why she’d ever need them. Besides, she’s a Disney Darling now, so it’s a long shot that that would ever happen.

A second wave of toys has been released, including Rey, so all of this controversy should be silenced. 

The Good Wife 7x13 "Judged" Review

-SPOILERS BELOW-

I enjoyed this episode a lot too. At the beginning, I thought it was going to be a Diane-centric episode, but it was once again all about Alicia. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing because I liked seeing Alicia break further. The throwing of the plates in the past was her phase of being angry. Now, with her breaking down in front of Lucca, I feel that Alicia has really let it all sink in and she just needed to get her feelings out. It almost felt like she had suicidal tendencies. I liked seeing Alicia be so open with Lucca and to see them having a real bonding moment to help further their friendship. Though, that breakdown scene was phenomenal. There was so much raw emotion and it was a very believable performance, one that might score Julianna Margulies another Emmy. I’m overall very surprised that after all of this she so pleasantly forgives Eli. I’m betting this is because of her little kiss with Jason in the elevator. I was hoping this couple wouldn’t happen. Will is rolling in his grave.

Diane was finally back in a court setting! I thought the whole case about the decision to shut down the college newspaper was interesting. I felt like it was a bit rushed since it was quickly agreed upon to shut it down and Diane’s client that she was helping seemed indecisive about going further in trying to win back her right to keep the newspaper. I thought it was also interesting that Diane is so interested in getting Jason to come work for her firm. I don’t know if it’s because she likes the way he works or if she really needs another investigator to replace Kalinda –side note, it seems really weird to me that Archie Panjabi left The Good Wife (rumored to have been on bad terms with Julianna Margulies), but now news has come out that she has been cast on another new law show.

I was very intrigued to see the tease of Cary once again representing Alicia and the possibility that she will return to LAL. I’ve wanted her to go back to LAL for a while now. I really want the friendly relationship that Alicia and Lucca share to be between Alicia and Diane. Judging by the promo pictures I’ve seen, including Alicia sitting across from Diane in her office, I think she will go back or is at least considering going back. I bet she’ll ask for a raise in pay, or demand it, if she does indeed go back. I’d like to see Lucca transfer over as well because I like Lucca and I think she’d fit in well over at the other firm. I hope this also means that we can finally get rid of David and Howard.