Tag: Gender

Greenleaf: First Impressions of Oprah’s New Drama Series

Emma3 Comments

NOTE: This is a SPOILER-FREE review.

First of all, Oprah is NOT the star of this show (SOME will be disappointed by this fact); she is a recurring character- Mavis, a bar owner and older sister of the Greenleaf family matriarch, Lady Mae (Lynn Whitfield). The show, focusing on a black family running a megachurch in Memphis (where Oprah grew up), was created by Craig Wright (a former pastor). Yes, he’s a white man, but also a close friend of Oprah. Wright calls the show a “collaboration,” where he takes in feedback from regular church-going consultants and the lead actors. 

The viewer is put in the shoes of the main protagonist, Grace (AKA GiGi), played by theater veteran Merle Dandridge (check out this fun interview on Live! w/ Kelly). She is tall, elegant, and a single mom; she is also a journalist (by profession). As a very young woman, she used to preach at Calvary (as the town car driver recalls). GiGi returns home from Phoenix (after 20 yrs away) w/ her teen daughter, Sophia (Desiree Ross), for the funeral of one of her younger sisters (Faith). The house (or estate) has changed a LOT from that of her childhood, she tells Sophia.  At the gates, she is surprised to find her (very handsome) old flame, Noah (Benjamin Patterson), who is head of security for Calvary.      

The prodigal daughter returns… -Bishop James Greenleaf (Keith David) greets his daughter with these words, a big smile, and long hug

You’re not here to sow discord in the fields of my peace?  -Lady Mae asks GiGi

We see that Faith’s funeral is just family; also, she’s NOT buried in a graveyard. Hmmm…  At the family dinner (served by uniformed staff a la Downton Abbey), Gigi endures a trial by fire, which is lead by her sister-in-law/principal of a private charter school, Kerissa (Kim Hawthorne).  Her mother backs up Kerissa (as seen in the clip below from the pilot ep). 

One viewer called this show “a gospel version of Empire.” As the FOX drama takes music seriously, THIS show takes religion (Christianity) seriously.  From the eps so far, religion is NOT the problem, it’s the covering up of (ugly) truths. Saving face is also a big theme in this show; people will go to GREAT lengths to preserve their positions and respect w/in the church/family. OK, so maybe that reminds you of soap operas?  BUT those would never cover Black Live Matter (as we see in Episode 4). I’m not calling this MUST-SEE, but there are issues in this show that I feel are worth considering.       

Game of Thrones: Season 6, Episode 10 (“The Winds of Winter”) – Top 10 Moments

Emma2 Comments

SPOILERS: This post contains major spoilers from the season finale of the show.

10) The large bell is flung across the road by the force of the explosion, crushing several men.

9) The suspenseful lingering on Tommen’s window before he throws himself out of it (even before the dust can settle).

8) Sansa moving out of the way when Littlefinger tries to kiss her in the godswood.  Of his vision of the future, she says: “It’s a nice dream” (which is NOT a rejection or acceptance).

7) Cersei’s stone-cold confession speech to the shackled Septa Unella (after pouring wine over her face.) 

6) Davos confronting Melisandre (w/ Jon Snow as witness), revealing that she had Shireen (“I loved her like she were my own!”) burned alive.   

5) Lady Lyanna Mormont’s speech chastising some of the other Northern lords for NOT fighting against Ramsay’s armies (“…you refused the call”) before she declaring that Jon Snow is the “King in the North.”   

4) Arya killing Walder Frey (in exactly the same way that her mother, Catelyn, had been killed) after baking his two eldest sons into pies. 

3) Dany pins the small silver brooch on Tyrion and names him Hand of the Queen.  Their conversation brought out the emotional side of the Lannister outcast- he was close to tears.

2) Sansa and Jon’s conversation atop the Winterfell battlements, esp. the part where she states that he is IS a real Stark in her opinion.

1) Cersei is crowned queen (by Qyburn, now her Hand of the Queen).  The look on Jaime’s face is unlike anything we’ve seen before!  Is he doubting her finally?

    

Game of Thrones: Season 6, Episode 9 (“Battle of the Bastards”)

Emma2 Comments

SPOILERS: Don’t read this review if you haven’t seen or don’t want to know details from this episode of Game of Thrones.

Meereen

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We’re here to discuss the terms of YOUR surrender.  -Dany declares to the slave masters

Dany’s dragons are ALL out (YAY)!  They burn up several sailors on one of the ships in the slavers’ armada, then totally destroy that ship.  (She’ll need the rest of those ships to sail to Westeros w/ her army of Unsullied and Dothraki.)  As some viewers noted, the CGI fires were NOT as strong as they’d expected. 

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Tyrion seems to be (unofficially) the Hand of the Queen now.  Also, wasn’t it cool when gracefully/quickly Grey Worm sliced the necks of the two slavers!

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Yara and Theon get an audience w/ Dany; Tyrion is also there to advise.  Tyrion cuts down Theon, who had made fun of him WAY back in S1.  The Greyjoys let Dany know of their uncle’s (Euron’s) plans to give her 1,000 ships in exchange for marrying him.  I LOVED the chemistry between Dany and Yara (as did MANY viewers)!  The two strong women leaders form an alliance (w/ a handshake). 

Winterfell

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The day before the big battle, Jon, Sansa, Davos, and even young Lyanna Mormont (LOVED her little mean face) ride out to get the measure of Ramsay and his bannermen.  Did you count how MANY times Ramsay (who is himself a bastard) called Jon “bastard?”  It was almost in every sentence!

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Just don’t do what he wants you to do!  -Sansa warns Jon re: Ramsay’s (game-playing) mindset

Davos and Tormund have a brief talk the night before the battle.  Then Davos goes for a walk and finds the little deer that he’d carved for Shireen last season.  Uh oh, Melisandre better watch out!

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Was there ANY hope for poor Rickon!?  Hmmm… maybe for a second I thought he could make it across the field.  But we know (from previous seasons) that Ramsay is VERY accurate w/ his bow and arrows. 

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On the second watch, I realized that he was missing on purpose until the last one (which struck Rickon in the chest).  Jon rode out to try and rescue Rickon, which was exactly what Ramsay wanted! 

The battle was one of the best Medieval battles I’d ever seen… and battles in general.  –Itamar Harel (GoT Academy)

The director definitely took inspiration from Braveheart (EX: Lord Umber’s battle cry) and Saving Private Ryan; several critics and viewers pointed this out.  The dead bodies of the Northmen and Wildlings getting piled up one on top of another brought to mind the crowded graves of the Civil War (as seen in Glory). 

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Wasn’t this shot (from high above the battle) just AWESOME!?  The lords of The Vale (under orders from Littlefinger) ride in and knock the Bolton soldiers (w/ the tall shields) over like dominos.  Then, they enter the center of the fight and have at it w/ ALL the soldiers.

Your words will disappear. Your house will disappear. Your name will disappear. All memory of you will disappear. -Sansa declares to Ramsay before his own hounds (unfed for seven days) attack him

What did you think of the (VERY satisfying) demise of Ramsay?  I thought that Jon would just punch him to death, BUT it was Sansa who FINALLY got her revenge- YAY!!! 

 

“The Who and the What” (Round House Theatre: Bethesda)

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This domestic comedy (w/ dramatic themes) is a MUST-SEE for theater fans in the DC area! It’s a powerhouse production (laughter, tears, and VERY timely themes) playing until SUN, 6/19, at the Round House in Bethesda. I was interested in seeing this play from the day that I got the flyer in the mail! My friend (who is Pakistani-American, like the lead characters) and I went to see the 2nd pay what you can (PWYC) show- a SUN matinee. We both LOVED it, as did most of the audience (which included just a sprinkling of POC).

“His [Ayad Akthar’s] characters are well-defined and three-dimensional. His dialogue is nearly peerless in American writing.” -Ryan Taylor (DCTheaterScene.com)

The Who and the What centers on successful, pious, Atlanta businessman, Afzal (Tony Mirrcandani), and his two grown-up daughters: scholarly Zarina (Anu Yadav) and bubbly Mahwish (Olivia Khoshatefeh). Since his wife was lost to cancer many years ago, and he is now retired, his daughters are now his main concern.  Since Mahwish has had a serious boyfriend since age 16, Ali (a Pakistani-American young man from a well-off, local family), Afzal is worried re: Zarina’s singlehood.  He takes some steps to find her a husband (using an online platform, of course) w/o her knowledge. Ayad Akthar was partly inspired by Shakespeare’s comedy, The Taming of the Shrew, and also by the stories of many 1st gen Pakistani-American/Muslim women he knew growing up.

In his search, Afzal finds Eli (Brandon McCoy), who he feels has the right mindset to be a good match for Zarina. Eli MAY seem like an odd choice to a LOT of the audience- he’s a white convert who came to Islam while living in inner-city Detroit w/ activist parents. But he’s also the imam of a humble masjid, very smart, and passionate about putting faith into action (which Afzal admires).

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Zarina is amazed and (a BIT) angry when she hears about her father’s matchmaking!  She has ONLY been focused on writing a book for the past 3 yrs, neglecting her personal life. But Zarina decides to give Eli a chance, much to the joy of BOTH Afzal and Mahwish. There is NO denying that they have a LOT in common, which helps create chemistry between the two. Zarina doesn’t intimidate Eli- he is intrigued by her… and her book (though she is reluctant to divulge much info about it).  In the second half of the play, this book’s controversial content will be the main point of conflict between Afzal and Zarina.

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Disgraced, for all its brilliance, is a cold piece of work, mechanical in its stripping down of its character’s dignity. The Akhtar of The Who & The What is a gentler sort, more interested in the possibility of his flawed characters finding a little bit of grace and Eleanor Holdridge’s fine production at Round House is one of my favorites of the year.” -Ryan Taylor (DCTheaterScene.com)

Mr. Mirrcandani is a standout here- he is NOT only very adept w/ the text, he ALSO connects to it (unlike what I saw in the recent Arena Stage production of Disgraced). Though there are universal themes in this play, it will have a special resonance for those from Muslim/South Asian/immigrant backgrounds.  “Everyone looked familiar,” my friend commented (wiping away her tears) after the final scene.  I couldn’t agree more!    

Game of Thrones: Season 6, Episode 7 (“The Broken Man”)

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SPOILERS: Don’t read this review if you have not yet seen or don’t want to know details from the latest episode of Game of Thrones. 

Cold Open

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A bunch of smallfolk (peasant) men are building a sept in a beautiful green valley, watched over by a new character (played by the FAB Brit veteran actor, Ian McShane).  The women are prepping veggies for cooking while children run about.  Three men are carrying a tree.  The biggest/tallest man is carrying a tree by himself; it’s Sandor Clegane (The Hound)!  As some viewers guessed, he was NOT dead after his tough battle w/ Brienne and abandonment by Arya.

Then the credits play.

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What I believe is that there’s something greater than us! -Brother Ray concludes re: his view of religion

We learn how Brother Ray found The Hound (when he was close to death) and helped him get better, then on this (more peaceful) path.  Though The Hound is skeptical re: the gods/religion, Brother Ray is NOT bothered at all (being a chill spiritual type, NOT someone w/ all the answers).

Kings Landing

Congress does not require desire on a woman’s part, only patience. -The High Sparrow gives his view of marital relations

The High Sparrow and Margaery talk re: the poor, before he gives her some (creepy) advice.  Looks like he and Tommen have been talking about some VERY personal matters!  He also gives a NOT quite veiled threat to life of Lady Olenna.

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Lady Olenna is pissed off- she insults/threatens Septa Unella w/ a few sharp words before Margaery calms her down a bit.  Though her grandma fears for Loras (“the future of House Tyrell”) and wants her to leave, Margaery insists that SHE is the one who should leave ASAP!  The crumpled up pic of the rose tells the older woman that Margaery is NOT a fanatic (merely playing a role).

The North

Jon gets the support of the Wildling leaders after winning over the giant (Wun Wun).

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I wonder if you’re the worst person I’ve ever met…

Lady Olenna gets some nice cuts into Cersei w/ her sharp tongue (LOVED it)!  And Cersei WAS “stupid” to put The High Sparrow in such a position of power in the first place.  The Faith Militant are beyond anyone’s control, since now King Tommen has swallowed the hogwash fed him by the High Sparrow 

Riverrun 

Bronn is back… FINALLY!  Twitter was abuzz w/ love for the profanely funny sellsword turned reluctant knight. 

Two of Walder Frey’s sons argue w/ Jaime for a bit, BUT he slaps one down (w/ his golden hand- OUCH).  The siege is now under Lannister command, with Bronn organizing the set-up. But why does House Frey have such terrible-looking clothing!?  And they ALL dress and look alike, too, which is NOT helpful to viewers. 

Bear Island (The North)

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My mother wasn’t a great beauty, or any kind of a beauty! She was a great warrior though.  She died fighting for your brother, Robb. -Lady Lyanna Mormont retorts when complimented by Sansa

This child actor is just FAB- sassy, decisive, & only 12 y.o. in reality (though playing a 10 y.o.)  She has NO patience for flattery, history, or small talk.  Lady Lyanna (who was named after Lyanna Stark) even rides into battle on the back of a bear (in the books)- WOW!   

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Ser Davos (who had such a way w/ Shireen Baratheon) is able to get the little ruler to listen. 

…make no mistake- the dead are coming. -Ser Davos predicts

Then we learn that ONLY 62 men are available to fight from House Mormont!  LOL…

Back to Riverrun

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As long as I’m standing, the war is NOT over. -Brynden (Blackfish) Tully explains to Jaime at their parlay

Blackfish is NOT impressed w/ Jaime; they met for the first time here.  Jaime’s armor (could be Tywin’s) doesn’t fit quite right on him, as Joanna Robinson noted (A Cast of Kings podcast).

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House Glover

They don’t want to fight; after all, the Boltons helped them get their castle back.  The new lord (younger brother of the one who died fighting for Robb) is disgusted that the bulk of the Northern army is made up of Wildlings. 

A portside brothel (Volantis)

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We quickly learn that Yara likes the ladies (NOT a big shocker there).  Then she urges Theon to drink.

“Why couldn’t they have done that… w/ a guy?  You can say, oh, she’s dominant, but she also takes a woman’s role,”  Peter Segal (Nerdette) wondered the SAME thing as me on my first watch of this ep.  

If you’re so broken that there’s no coming back, then end it.  Take this knife…  -Yara begins, but then gives him a pep talk (tough love- she’s Ironborn after all)

Back to The North

Sansa wonders if Davos is the best man to be Jon’s right hand man.  Then she sees the men arguing and shoving each other; this army is NOT looking cohesive.

Sansa writes a secret letter to someone (Littlefinger, no doubt). Follow this link to learn more about her letter!

http://winteriscoming.net/2016/06/07/see-most-of-what-sansa-wrote-in-that-mysterious-letter/

The Riverlands

Brother Ray talks about his past life (as a soldier), the violence he participated in, and his view that a person can change their life.  Then three men (maybe from The Brotherhood w/o Banners?) ride up, asking him about horses, weapons, and food.  He is calm and pleasant, but these strangers don’t seem too happy.

Braavos (Island of Essos)

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Arya survives being stabbed multiple times by The Waif (who was disguised as a VERY old woman)- yikes!  She stumbles through the streets, clutching her stomach that’s bleeding.  No one helps her!  Or is this even the real Arya? 

We are led to believe Arya got stabbed, however there are some problems with what happened this episode. First off, Arya seemed different from the start. Her scene with the merchant, her walk all seemed very confident, which is unusual after the events this season. … Also, where did she get the money from? Why was she not carrying Needle [her sword] with her? How come after all she knew about the faceless man she just stood there on a bridge not paying any attention?  –Reddit user iPlayNL wrote.

That wasn’t [A]rya. She would have been carrying Needle. She wasn’t aware that [Jaqen] said not to make her suffer, so making a big show of her suffering doesn’t make sense. It was [Jaqen] testing the waif, and by stabbing her in the stomach and not just slashing the throat, she disobeyed orders just like Arya did. [Jaqen] is gonna lay some faceless justice down. -Reddit user froschkonig expanding on the above theory

Back to The Riverlands

While The Hound was off chopping wood, some men (who could be followers of the Lord of Light) came along and killed ALL the Smallfolk.  And they hanged Brother Ray from logs of the unfinished sept- what a shock!  But, let’s face it, Brother Ray and his followers were just TOO good for this world (of GoT).  The Hound gets the big axe- ready to fight!