What’s Trending — April 21

Arts & Entertainment

Jeriann Tripodi, Staff

Header Image: Silk Sonic

Jeffree Star recovering after severe car crash

Youtuber and beauty influencer Jeffree Star was driving in Wyoming with his friend, Daniel Lucas, when the vehicle hit black ice. According to Star’s social media accounts, the car flipped over several times, but both men survived. In a post to fans, Star, 35, shared that he is in “excruciating pain” after breaking part of his back, but is expected to fully recover. Meanwhile, Lucas sustained internal injuries. 

Vulture

Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez split 

On April 15, former Yankee player Alex Rodriguez and pop singer Jennifer Lopez confirmed that they ended their engagement. In a joint statement, the pair shared that they will continue to be friends and wish the best for one another. A reason behind the split has not been made public, however, cheating rumors have been circulating in the months leading up to the breakup. Rodriguez and Lopez were together for four years and got engaged in 2019. They were set to marry last year, but postponed their wedding due to COVID-19. 

Page Six 

Helen McCrory dies (1968-2021)

On April 16, actress Helen McCrory passed away at the age of 52 after battling cancer. The London native was best known for portraying the character Narcissa Malfoy in the “Harry Potter” films. She was also known for her role in “Peaky Blinders” where she played Polly Gray. 

BBC

McDonald’s teams up with BTS for new meal

On April 19, fast food chain McDonald’s announced that they have teamed up with the Korean boyband, BTS, and will be launching “The BTS Meal” for a limited time starting May 26. The combo meal will consist of a 10-piece Chicken McNugget, medium fries and a medium Coca Cola. This meal will also include Cajun and Sweet Chili dipping sauces. 

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Koreaboo

“American Idol” airs first comeback episode 

On April 19, “American Idol” invited 10 fan-favorite contestants from last season (season 18) to sing on stage for the chance to join this season’s (season 19) Top 10. With one remaining spot, only one fan-favorite contestant from the past will be selected to join the nine current contestants for the chance to win the singing competition. One of the contenders from season 18 is Philadelphia’s own Louis Knight, who impressed the judges with his original song. “American Idol” airs every Sunday and Monday at 8 p.m. on ABC. 

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247 News Around the World

“Godzilla v. Kong” becomes highest grossing film during the COVID-19 pandemic

The sci-fi/action film “Godzilla v. Kong” is continuing to top the box office, and has officially become the top-grossing Hollywood film during the COVID-19 pandemic globally. The fourth installment in Legendary’s MonsterVerse, which has made over $390 million at the global box office, has surpassed “Tenet,” which earned $365 million last year. 

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Legendary

Number one on the Billboard charts: week of April 17, 2021

According to “The Hot 100” on the charts, the number one song in the U.S. is “Leave the Door Open” by Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak). Moving up to the top spot for the first time, this is the fifth week that the R&B/soul song is on the charts. According to the “Billboard 200,” the number one album in the U.S. is “Justice” by Justin Bieber. Moving from the second spot to the top spot, this is the third week the pop album is on the charts. 

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Genius

Academy Awards season: “Nomadland” review

Arts & Entertainment

Nolen Kelly, Staff

Header image: Hulu

When I finally got around to watching Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland” I was pretty excited to add another notch into my “Frances McDormand is a better actress than Meryl Streep, there I said it” belt. It is a very real belt and I will die on this hill. “Fargo,” “Almost Famous,” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” are three of my favorite movies of their respective decades and the one thing they all have in common is Frances McDormand. I initially was not too excited for this movie, but when I read McDormand was attached to it, it was enough to sway me. I went into “Nomadland” with some kind of expectation to be blown away, but I finished with something else — reality. After an entire town is shut down and forced to relocate due to the closing of a sheetrock company manufacturing gypsum, we follow Fern, a former worker who lives off the land.

I cannot stress how great Frances McDormand is. She always finds ways to reinvent her acting career and despite the bizarre connection of motherhood between her three aforementioned rolls from my introduction, McDormand has a wide range of talents that show just how timeless her performances are. In “Nomadland” I felt like I witnessed one of the rawest performances any actor has ever given. This was such a bare-bones and minimal performance I’m shocked it was even considered an actual performance. At no point did this feel like watching an “actor do acting,” but what felt more like a documentary on nomadism. Similar to “Sound of Metal,” this film is a masterclass of performance, and a very strong one at that. Rather than McDormand’s typical in-your-face yet subtly emotionally developing style of acting we see a very stripped back kind of performance that sets the mood for the rest of the movie. 

The movie is nominated for an impressive six Academy Awards for acting, directing and best picture. Basing a movie’s success off the number of awards it was nominated for or won is a terrible way to measure quality, but the recognition is still very impressive. I think that if there is anything for this movie to walk away with, it is the award for Best Directing for Chloé Zhao. She has already received some much-deserved recognition for it, and I couldn’t agree more. If the idea of the movie is to convey how scattered yet grounded it can be to have nothing but the people you associate with and the minimal possessions you have, then the structure of the story should resemble something close to that. I think this movie does the opposite of what many movies do, which is typically to use their time to establish a world we do not know and create the rules for us to understand. “Nomadland” is more about stripping away and deconstructing a world we do know and showing us something we may not fully understand right away: our own world. There is some kind of poetry when watching a woman who lived a “normal” life decide that continuing with the nothing she had was her way of finding some kind of catharsis that a home life could not give her. 

Searchlight Pictures

I talked about this movie with my parents after we had watched it, and I think they both described the movie the best after their respective viewings. My father stated, “Nomadland has two running stories — the story of McDormand living her life as a nomad and living her life as an older unemployed woman.” While my mother described it as “extremely chill, a think-about-life type of movie.” They both could not be more spot-on. Fern is an older woman who bounces around from one odd job to another, and the whole time she just wants to work and keep moving. There is no ulterior motive, no driving force and no end goal. Fern is just trying to get around. People do not always need a motive or a story to move forward, they just do it. Fern’s story is an examination of why we do the things we do for others and ourselves when we do not have much to offer. 

“Nomadland” is not a hard movie to watch, but it is not easy due to the very little story and action that happens. It requires you to pay attention without making you think, and it makes you think without breaking your brain. It is a good movie to experience for yourself and a good movie to have your own thoughts on. I really enjoyed this, and I think it is worth the watch. On a scale from “Awful” to “Perfection,” I would say “Nomadland” is “Great,” and we will have to wait and see if the Academy of Motion Pictures agrees at the Oscars which premiere at 8 p.m. on April 25.

What’s Trending — April 14

Arts & Entertainment

Jeriann Tripodi, Staff

Header image: NBC News

DMX dies at age 50 (1970-2021)

On April 9, rapper DMX passed away at the age of 50 after being hospitalized in the intensive care unit for a week after suffering a heart attack. DMX, whose birth name is Earl Simmons, rose to fame in the 1990s. Throughout his career, the rapper had 15 hits on the “Billboard Hot 100.” DMX was most popularly known for the hip-hop/rap song “Party Up (Up in Here).” 

People

Prince Philip dies at age 99 (1921-2021) 

On April 9, Prince Philip passed away at the age of 99 at his Windsor Castle. No cause of death was provided, but according to GlobalNews, the Duke of Edinburgh had suffered from several medical ailments in recent years. The patriarch of the royal family, and husband of Queen Elizabeth II, was the longest-serving consort in British history. 

Town & Country

Macaulay Culkin and Brenda Song are parents

On April 5, actor Macaulay Culkin (“Home Alone,” “My Girl,”) and his girlfriend, actress Brenda Song (“Suite Life of Zack and Cody,” “The Social Network”) quietly welcomed their first child together. According to TMZ, the couple welcomed a boy named Dakota Song Culkin. A close source shared that the baby was named after Culkin’s sister, who passed away in 2008. 

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Perez Hilton

Man arrested for trespassing onto Kendall Jenner’s property

A 27-year-old man named Shaquan King was arrested by Los Angeles police after trespassing onto model and reality star Kendall Jenner’s property. Making it past her security, King knocked on Jenner’s window and then swam in her pool. He was arrested and Jenner was granted a temporary restraining order against him. After King was released from prison, he immediately went to Kendall’s sister Kylie Jenner’s house and was arrested again. Kylie also got a temporary restraining order against King, and Kendall has since moved to another location. 

6abc

Ariana Grande will be a judge on the next season of “The Voice” 

Pop singer Ariana Grande will be joining NBC’s singing competition “The Voice” as a coach for its 21st season. Replacing Nick Jonas, Grande announced the news through Instagram by posting a photo of herself on set. Alongside the photo, Grande captioned that she is “beyond thrilled” to be joining Kelly Clarkson, John Legend and Blake Shelton on the panel. 

Instagram

Post Malone appears in “Wrath of Man” trailer 

The trailer has been released for the upcoming mystery and thriller-action film, “Wrath of Man.” The remake of the 2004 French film, “Cash Truck,” tells the story of a man, known as “H,” who is newly hired as the security guard for an armored money truck. One day, a heist takes place and H unleashes his extreme precise skills. As a result, his surprised co-workers become suspicious about who he really is and where he came from. Although Jason Statham is playing the starring role, rapper Post Malone appears in the trailer as one of the unnamed robbers who is shot by Statham’s character. “Wrath of Man” is rated R and is scheduled to be released to theaters on May 7. 

People

Number one on the Billboard charts: week of April 10, 2021

According to “The Hot 100” on the charts, the number one song in the U.S. is “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” by Lil Nas X. This is the first week the hip-hop and electro-pop song is on the charts. According to the “Billboard 200,” the number one album in the U.S. is “SoulFly” by Rod Wave. The rap album is at the top spot during the first week of its release. 

Lailasnews

What’s Trending — Week of April Fool’s

Foolegian

Jeriann Tripodi, Staff

Header Image: Twitter

Ariana Grande will change name to Ariana Venti if petition gets enough signatures

One fan tweeted Ariana Grande and asked if she would change her last name to “Venti” if he started a petition and got 100,000 signatures. Grande replied to the tweet, and stated that she will gladly change her last name to “Venti” only if the petition gets no less than one million signatures. 

Pinterest

Bob Saget wished he chose La Salle

During a recent episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” actor and Temple alum Bob Saget shared one regret he has: he wished he would have chosen LaSalle for college. The Philadelphia native told Jimmy Kimmel that although he loved his alma mater and learned a lot there, he wished he would have chosen the “coolest college in Philadelphia.” 

Page Six

#POSTPONEMALOAN is trending

One recent college graduate’s personalized cap went viral and caught the attention of many people, including rapper Post Malone. The young graduate designed her cap by gluing on a picture of the rapper alongside the words “POSTPONE MALOAN,” suggesting in a comedic way that she wants her college student loan postponed. Post Malone shared this image, and announced that he is randomly selecting 50 winners who tweet “#POSTPONEMALOAN” and will pay off their student loans.  

Twitter

Josh Groban and Joel Osteen are related 

One Twitter user went viral after tweeting side by side images of singer Josh Groban and television preacher Joel Osteen. She confessed that she sometimes confuses the two men due to their similar appearance. Replies poured in, as others tweeted that the two men look so similar they must be related and do not know it. Curious fans then did a little digging and found that the two were indeed related. According to Ancestry.com, Groban and Osteen are distant cousins. 

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Twitter

Frank Reynolds named next president of La Salle University

Foolegian

Nolen Kelly, Staff

Header image: FX

FX

It was announced earlier this semester that La Salle’s President Colleen Hanycz would be stepping down from her role. We here at the Collegian have done our research and are very excited to welcome Francis “Frank” Reynolds to La Salle University. Frank is a short, stocky, disgusting man, but a proud lifelong Philadelphian. We know you are probably wondering what credentials Mr. Reynolds possibly could have to be a Lasallian leader.

As a child, Frank got to know the ins and outs of the mental institutional system as he was admitted with a rare mental condition known as “Donkey Brains,” although it was discovered Frank did not have any sign of “Donkey Brains” and has since had the condition expunged from his medical history. Frank is a well-traveled man who has owned and operated several businesses across the world such as a clothing manufacturing center in Vietnam that hired local young people for very efficient costs that was totally not a sweatshop, according to Reynolds himself.

FX

In the past, Reynolds has been in the furniture business, in a manner of speaking, and has often worked odd-jobs, getting to know the urban landscape of the city of brotherly love. Reynolds has two children that he knows of, Dennis and Deandra Reynolds, with whom he manages a local South Philadelphia bar, Paddy’s Pub, alongside their business associates and owners, Charlie Kelly and Ronald “Mac” McDonald. 

FX

Reynolds is in support of national gun rights, artistic expression, supports sex workers and is a connoisseur of unique hardboiled cuisine. Reynolds has even acted as drummer in a band for a short stint and has had multiple stage appearances at his local theater. He has invested much of his time and resources into such activities as skiing, rehabilitation for drug addicts, events sponsored by his bar and company trips to various places including Ocean City, New Jersey.

Mr. Reynolds will make a fine addition to the La Salle family and I for one am very excited to see what he has in store for all of us here at La Salle University.

Academy Awards season: “Sound of Metal” review

Arts & Entertainment

A mostly spoiler-free rundown of the Oscar nominee

Nolen Kelly, Staff

Header image: New York Times

Riz Ahmed was announced as one of the candidates for the coveted “Best Actor in a Leading Role” category for his performance as Ruben in “Sound of Metal,” making him the first Muslim actor to nab the achievement and I could not be more excited. I have been a fan of Ahmed for a while and I knew it was only a matter of time before he found that one role as his breakout performance. He had a not-so-memorable appearance as Bodhi Rook in the “Star Wars” spinoff movie “Rogue One,” but had a solid supporting role as Rick in the Jake Gyllenhaal thriller, “Nightcrawler” (2014). After seeing a promotional image of Ahmed as Ruben for this film it grabbed my attention as he put on a few pounds of muscle then copy and pasted Justin Timberlake’s bleached blonde ramen hair from his NSYNC days. “Sound of Metal” is about a drummer for an experimental metal band who starts going deaf and must deal with the repercussions.

I kind of expected this to be a spiritual sequel to “Whiplash” (2014) but really the only through line between the two is that they share a character dedicated to drumming. As I previously stated in the description of the movie, Ruben begins going deaf and his struggle through the movie is to either regain his hearing, continuing to drum with his ailment, or give up drumming forever. Along for the ride is his longtime girlfriend, Lou, who is the vocalist for their band. She is part of his motivation and acts as his voice of reason throughout the film. 

Amazon Prime Video

Before I get into everything else, I thought Lou was very underappreciated in this movie. “Sound of Metal” is absolutely the ‘Riz Ahmed Show,’ but Olivia Cooke’s performance as Lou was pretty heartbreaking; she had to figure out not only what was best for Ruben, but  also had to figure out what it meant for their band and for them as a couple. Although Ruben is the main character, I do not think this story would have happened, or happened the way it did, without Lou. 

I enjoyed this movie a lot. This was a very simple story and it conveyed all of the right emotions at the right times. There was not any point throughout that I was not fully engaged with the story and the characters because I just wanted to know “What’s next?” It is not an intricate or complicated story by any means, but it is just so unabashedly human and sympathetic that it is easy to lose yourself in the story. I will not spoil the end of the movie because I think it is best to just watch and enjoy it without knowing. But, by the end of the movie, I felt like I was on the same page with Ruben. After everything we saw him go through to get to where he is it feels like he made the right decision at the end of the film. One aspect I really loved about this movie is that I started off just watching it casually, but by the end I became so engrossed I felt like I was a part of Ruben’s journey. 

This movie is driven by its performances and all of them are very strong. I have talked about him a lot already, but Ahmed as Ruben is so great. He is not stoic. He is not calm. He is not okay. Ruben has this rare character trait where he has a reasonable reaction to all of the panic and uncertainty that happens to him. Not many characters that I know of from other shows or movies react to their story in a way that exemplifies what a human would feel in that situation and instead try to figure out how to move on. When Ruben realizes he really is deaf he has a scene in his RV with Lou that feels like I really am watching someone struggle. 

“I can’t hear you. I can’t ******* hear you. I’m ******* deaf.” Ruben says to Lou as he loses his grasp on what keeps him stable. As I am writing this review I realize now that Ruben approaches his new deafness through the five stages of grief similarly to the way someone deals with loss. He denies it, becomes angry, bargains with his people, becomes sad and finally just accepts himself in his own way. The movie is not saying being deaf is like dying, but in Ruben’s position as a drummer and someone who has needed and relied on their hearing, deafness was death. 

That Shelf

There is not too much else I can really talk about without giving the plot away. I think this movie is something that should be watched and enjoyed without knowing too much else plot-wise. Again, it is not at all a complicated story, it just feels better to see the story through. It is a very character-driven film and all of the characters are so engaging, you just want the best for everyone in any situation. This movie is a fantastic examination of what sound and the lack of sound can do for people and is now available on Amazon Prime. I left this movie having an appreciation for sounds, silence and communication through sign language and hopefully everyone else will too. “Sound of Metal” is very much worth the watch and I would say this movie was a solid “Excellent” on my scale. 

What’s Trending? — March 24

Arts & Entertainment

Jeriann Tripodi, Staff

Header image: Republic Records

Hailey Bieber opens up about marrying Justin Bieber at young age

Insider

In a recent interview with Elle, Hailey Bieber shared the reality of what it was like for her to marry pop singer Justin Bieber at age 21. She shared that the first year of their marriage was difficult because she received harassment from his fans to the point where she had to turn off her public comments on Instagram. The supermodel also shared that although the pair, who were friends for years before dating, received criticism for marrying young, they both were experienced for their ages and knew what they wanted in life. 

Kylie Jenner receives backlash for asking fans to donate to makeup artist’s GoFundMe 

MEAWW

Media personality and socialite Kylie Jenner has received criticism after asking her followers to donate to her former makeup artist, Samuel Rauda, who needs money for medical expenses after being seriously injured in a car accident. Jenner, who has donated $5,000.00 to the cause herself, is receiving angry comments. These comments express how she should cover the entire cost herself since she is one of the world’s youngest billionaires. 

Crew member dies on the set of “The Conners”

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@reelmfishman via Instagram

A man named Terrel Richmond died after suffering a sudden medical emergency while working as a technical crew member on the set of the ABC sitcom “The Conners.” Werner Entertainment issued a statement that expressed their condolences for the “much loved member of ‘The Conners’ and ‘Roseanne’ families,” who has been a crewmember for more than 25 years. The incident occurred as the “Roseanne” spinoff was finishing production on its third season. “The Conners” team paid tribute to their longtime friend.  

Official trailer is released for “Four Good Days”

Deadline

The first official trailer for the drama “Four Good Days” has been recently released. Starring Mila Kunis and Glenn Close, this emotional and eye-opening film follows the journey of 31-year-old Molly as she fights to overcome her drug addiction after many failed attempts. During the process, she reconnects with her mother who is determined to help her win the fight. “Four Good Days” is rated R and will be released to theaters on April 30.

Number one on the Billboard charts: week of March 20, 2021

Republic Records

According to “The Hot 100” on the charts, the number one song in the U.S. is “What’s Next” by Drake. This is the first week the rap/hip-hop song is on the charts. “Drivers License” by Olivia Rodrigo, which was previously the number one song for eight weeks straight, dropped to the fifth spot. According to the “Billboard 200,” the number one album in the U.S. is “Dangerous: The Double Album” by Morgan Wallen. The country album is at the top spot for the tenth week straight.

What’s Trending? — March 17

Arts & Entertainment

Jeriann Tripodi, Staff

Header Image: Harper’s Bazaar

A-Rod and J-LO address breakup rumors

NJ

It was recently reported by Page Six that former Yankees player Alex Rodriguez and pop singer Jennifer Lopez have called off their two-year engagement after rumors circulated that the former third baseman had an affair with “Southern Charm” star Madison LeCroy. Lopez and Rodriguez later made a joint statement, obtained by People Magazine, that although they have thought about calling it quits, they are still trying to work things out. However, neither addressed the cheating rumors. 

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian are no longer on speaking terms

People

Rapper Kanye West and reality star and socialite Kim Kardashian are no longer speaking to each other despite co-parenting their four children following their divorce. However, Page Six claims that the former couple already cut off communication before their divorce. West, 43, has changed his number and told Kardashian, 40, that she may only reach him through his security. Despite this, the “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” star still trusts her former husband around their children and wants them to have a relationship with their father. West has requested to visit the children only while Kardashian is not home.

“The Bachelor” airs shocking finale

Los Angeles Times

On March 15, “The Bachelor” finale aired and Bachelor Matt James surprised viewers when he decided he did not want to get engaged after the final two ladies met his mother and brother. James then decided to pursue a dating relationship with contestant Rachael Kirkconnell. Afterwards, the “After the Final Rose” episode caught up with the couple and discovered that they broke up after images surfaced of Kirkconnell attending an antebellum-themed party back in 2018. Former football player Emmanuel Acho led the discussion as he filled in for host Chris Harrison who stepped down after receiving backlash for defending Kirkconnell’s past actions. The episode addressed the racial controversy, and Kirkconnell expressed her sorrow. The “ATFR” episode concluded with the announcement of two Bachelorettes. Both women were fan favorite contestants from Matt James’s season. 

Lady Gaga filming movie in Italy 

LATimes

Pop singer and actress Lady Gaga is currently in Italy shooting the biographical crime film, “House of Gucci.” Starring alongside actor Adam Driver, Gaga will be playing the notorious Patrizia Reggiani, who arranged to have her ex-husband, fashion mogul Maurizio Gucci, murdered in 1995. Fulfilling her role, Gaga was spotted on set wearing a short brunette wig and gold jewelry. Directed by Ridley Scott, actors Al Pacino and Jared Leto will also be a part of the cast. “House of Gucci” will be released this upcoming November. 

Number one on the Billboard charts: week of March 17, 2021

According to “The Hot 100” on the charts, the number one song in the U.S. is “Drivers License” by Olivia Rodrigo. This is the eighth week the pop song is number one on the charts. According to the “Billboard 200,” the number one album in the U.S. is “Dangerous: The Double Album” by Morgan Wallen. The country album is at the top spot for the ninth week straight.

tripodij2@lasalle.edu

Marvel’s “WandaVision” in review

Arts & Entertainment

Nolen Kelly, Staff

Header Image: Marvel Studios

Editor’s Note: This review does not contain spoilers for the story of “WandaVision,” but does comment on some of its themes and content styles that may hint toward plot points for some readers.

I’ll start off this review by saying that “WandaVision” is already a success because it got me to rewatch “Malcolm in the Middle,” which is an amazing show. But, onto the main review: Marvel Studios has taken a quick breather from releasing two movies a day during these unfortunate COVID times to focus on a few miniseries centered on some characters that have already been introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) through films like “Avengers,” “Captain America” and “Ant-Man.” The first show on their list, “WandaVision” picks up a little while after the events of 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame” focusing on Elizabeth Olson as the titular Wanda Maximoff, a Marvel Comics character known as the Scarlet Witch, and Paul Bettany as a sentient android named Vision. What follows is a story told through unique visuals, clever referential writing and very few of Marvel’s typical tropes that make this an interesting debut to the small screen.

Marvel Studios

I was excited for this show since it was announced in April 2019, but I also tempered my expectations as it would be Marvel Studios’ first television series. I enjoyed Maximoff and Vision in their previous appearances of the MCU and the creators teased that each episode of “WandaVision” would focus on different decades of TV shows, starting in the 60s and moving to modern day. At first, they had my interest — then they got my attention. Each episode’s style is based off of a different decade of television and spoof “I Love Lucy,” “Bewitched,” “The Brady Bunch,” “Growing Pains,” “Full House,” “Malcolm in the Middle” and “Modern Family.”  From the get-go they nailed the aesthetic of every single decade. They included laugh tracks, emotional music when the problem is being resolved, theme songs that pay homage to the original show while including their own unique style and most episodes even feature some fun commercials. The costumes, camera work, thematic elements and episodic style of each show is pretty impressive, but the actual plot of “WandaVision” in between is something else. 

I have been wanting Marvel to get weird and psychedelic for a while, which is why I enjoyed the “Doctor Strange” film so much. The magical aspect of the MCU is crazy and hopefully we see more of it going forward into future projects. I knew this show would be a good ticket into the weird witchery the MCU had to offer and oh man, it is weird. Maximoff is a witch and an entire show about a witch is guaranteed to get creative. Without giving too much away, the show breaks its own reality a few times and leads to some spooky and compelling moments that make you wonder what anything means. Olson’s performance as Maximoff was great and she fit comfortably into each roll she filled. She goes through several rapidly shifting emotions throughout the series, and you can’t help but feel for her along the way. Bettany as Vision was also super fun to watch because he was finally given more space to stretch his comedic chops and breathe more as a character and a sentient being. Now with that all said I, of course, have some problems. 

Marvel Studios

First off, I feel like I should appreciate it when Marvel does the whole “obscure details that come back in a big way” trope that they do, but it’s just annoying at this point. It is not of huge importance to the overall plot, but it is just a Marvel thing that bothers me when they do it. My biggest issues with the show are the momentum, an individual character and some dialogue. I would say the first five episodes do a really good job of building suspense and showing a world that unravels piece by piece each week. By the sixth episode, the show feels like it has presented everything to the viewer. There is no more mystery — and typically I would be okay with that since the world is in front of me, but not when the rest of the story is plateaued from there on out. It feels anticlimactic. There are other notable moments in the remaining four episodes, but they just don’t pack the punch I feel like they should. Just to be clear, I do not think the later episodes are inherently bad, but they just lack anything substantially interesting compared to what the series began with. The writing just gets a little weak and depends mostly on the aesthetic of the show to carry the story rather than pushing their own story creatively.

My next huge issue with the show is the dialogue. Again, I will not go too far into detail as to why, but there are a lot of jokes and forced dialogue that do not work. There are two or three characters that speak mostly in clichés and it gets pretty stale pretty fast. And speaking of pretty stale pretty fast, there is a character in the show who is from another MCU franchise who I did not like at all. I can’t say who they are because it gives a bit away, but they are presented in a very important position and almost everything about this character falls flat for me, even their eventual reveal as a comic book hero. Their chemistry with the world and other characters, their purpose, the direction and future implications are just so bland and annoying that I think the show would have progressed way more smoothly if they maintained their same arc for the first three episodes and then built them in a completely different way. If you’ve seen the show, you know who I’m talking about. 

Aside from some bland direction and a small dip in pacing, I thought this was a pretty solid start for Marvel’s venture into limited series television. There were a few scenes that made me actually jump out of my seat with excitement, and a few others during which I continually checked my phone to see what else was going on. It is definitely worth the watch for all of the Marvel freaks and geeks out there and for those who appreciate TV history like me. To rank the show from “Awful” to “Perfection” I’d say it was “Good.”

kellyf4@lasalle.edu

WHAT’S TRENDING — March 10, 2021

Arts & Entertainment

Jeriann Tripodi, Staff

Header Image: Entertainment Weekly

Lady Gaga’s dogs get stolen and dog walker is shot

On Feb. 24, two of Lady Gaga’s dogs were stolen at gunpoint. At around 9 p.m., Gaga’s dog walker, Ryan Fischer, was walking her three French Bulldogs when a car pulled over. Two men exited the vehicle and demanded Fischer hand over the dogs. When the victim struggled with the suspects, he was shot. The suspects then fled with two of the dogs. The Oscar and Grammy winning singer, who was in Rome during the robbery, offered a $500,000 reward for the dogs to be returned. Since then, a woman found the dogs, Koji and Gustav, tied to a pole and turned them in to Los Angeles Police Department. Meanwhile, Fischer is recovering at a hospital. 

Out

Billie Eilish gets restraining order against alleged stalker

Pop singer Billie Eilish has been granted a temporary restraining order against her alleged stalker, John Matthews Hearle. In legal documents, Eilish stated that the 23-year-old, who also goes by the alias “Adam Lucifer,” has been camping outside her home and watches her each time she leaves and enters. In addition, Hearle has made gestures that suggested he would harm the 19-year-old star, and has sent her letters containing death threats. 

NY Daily News

Alec and Hilaria Baldwin quietly welcome their sixth child 

Actor Alec Baldwin and wife Hilaria Baldwin have shared to social media that they have welcomed a newborn together. Fans were surprised because the pair welcomed a son five months prior; however, a source close to the couple shared that the newborn girl, Lucia Baldwin, was welcomed via a surrogate mother. In an Instagram post of the child, Hilaria Baldwin captioned: “Just like your brothers and sisters, you are a dream come true.” After Alec Baldwin fired back at a troll, the Baldwins have disabled their comments. 

The Mirror 

“The Bachelor” airs “Women Tell All” episode

The most memorable women from this season’s “The Bachelor” returned to recap and relive the craziest moments. In an audience-free studio, the female contestants got to face Bachelor Matt James for the final time to receive closure as to why they were eliminated. However, they also shared some laughs together. In addition, the ladies confronted the villains of the season. A disclaimer was aired at the beginning of the episode to inform viewers that the episode was taped before host Chris Harrison’s racial controversy took place. 

Norman Lear honored at 78th Golden Globes 

At the 78th Golden Globes, Hollywood legend Norman Lear was awarded with the Carol Burnett Award honoring his excellent career in television. The television producer and writer, who is the third person to receive the accolade, proudly shared his gratitude towards comedic actress Carol Burnett. Lear also shared that laughter and his family have helped him reach 98 without ever feeling “alone.” 

Variety

Number one on the Billboard charts: week of March 10, 2021

According to “The Hot 100” on the charts, the number one song in the U.S. is “Drivers License” by Olivia Rodrigo. This is the seventh week the pop song is number one on the charts. According to the “Billboard 200,” the number one album in the U.S. is “Dangerous: The Double Album” by Morgan Wallen. The country album is at the top spot for the eighth week straight.

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