Tag: Marraige

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 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 6 (“Blood of My Blood”)

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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.  

The North

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We pick up right where we left off!  Bran is still in Warg mode- we see a brief history of Westoros in these flashback scenes. A partially-masked man, wielding a fire mace, on horseback rides up to save Bran and Meera.  (I was excited- I KNEW before he revealed his face that he was Benjen!)  The man (or should we say Wight?) is the younger brother of Ned and Bran’s uncle.  Benjen (Joseph Mawle) was previously a member of the Night’s Watch, much admired by Jon, who went missing beyond The Wall in S1. 

Horn Hill (The Riverlands)

Sam, Gilly, & Little Sam are in a cart going toward his home. It’s VERY green… & the castle is HUGE (I didn’t expect that)! Sam’s mom (Lady Tarly) and his lil sis (Tala) are SO happy to see him… and sweet to Gilly.

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Tommen is chatting w/ the High Sparrow, then he is allowed to see Margaery (FINALLY)! She says that the High Sparrow is “not what we expected” and that he “helped” her realize what kind of person she was. Tommen is a BIT surprised by her words, but looks convinced by her acting (pretty sure she is faking, as were MANY viewers/critics).

Back to Horn Hill

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After Gilly gets her makeover (or Pretty Woman moment, as Nerdette podcast said) we meet the rest of the Tarlys at the AWKWARD dinner scene. Dickon talks re: hunting; Randall fat shames Sam, then keeps cutting him down (as we expected). Notice how the camera focuses on the Tarly fam’s sword (Heartsbane)? It’s made of Valyrian steel- the material that can kill Whitewalkers.

When Stand by Your Man Gilly sticks up for Sam, saying that he killed a Whitewalker, Dickon giggles w/ disbelief. Randall quickly uncovers the fact that Gilly is a Wildling- he is disgusted. He calls her a “whore,” BUT Lady Tarly is NOT having it! She gets up from the table, taking Gilly and Tala w/ her.

Randall wanted Gilly and Sam out of his house, BUT said that he’d let Little Sam be raised up in the Tarly household.  Sam thinks that he will leave (alone) the next morning, BUT quickly changes his mind- YAY!   

We belong together- all of us! -Sam decides before taking Heartsbane from the mantle

Braavos

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We see more of the play- the scene where Joffrey is poisoned. Lady Crane (Essie Davis) as Cersei has a tearful scene by the dead body of her son. Arya admires her talent, as does the rest of the audience.  After the play ends, Arya and Lady Crane have a nice convo. She tells the tale of how she became an actress. Then Arya (who goes by “Mercy”) gives her opinion on how to BETTER Cersei’s grieving scene.  When Lady Crane tries to express her ideas, the lead male actor (Richard E. Grant) cuts her down w/ spite.  Arya ends up knocking the poisoned cup of wine out of Lady Crane’s hand; she declares that the younger actress wants her dead (which IS true).

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Then Arya goes to uncover Needle (her sword)- YAY! We know that she has chosen to be a Stark NOT No One (as Jaqen had hoped). She turns out the light; she can fight The Waif in the dark (since she was blind).

Back to Kings Landing

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Mace has a lackluster speech in front of the Tyrell army. Lady Olenna gets out of her cart, watching from the sidelines. Jaime rides up the stairs (which is VERY cool), then confronts the High Sparrow.  The old man says that no blood will be spilled today, Margaery has already been forgiven, and she has converted Tommen to The Faith. Seven Hells (as Robert would swear)!  Joanna Robinson (A Cast of Kings podcast) noted that the Kingsguard ALREADY had different armor on (to reflect the union of the crown and The Faith).   

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He’s beaten us- that’s what’s happening! -Lady Olenna explains to her confused son, Mace

Castle Frey (The Riverlands)

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We see Walder Frey (David Bradley) again- YAY! He berates two of his sons, who have lost Riverrun to Blackfish Tully (Catelyn’s uncle). And guess who’s just out of jail? It’s another uncle you’d been wondering about- Edmure Tully (the always FAB Tobias Menzies)!

Tommen fires Jaime from the Kingsguard, much to the knight’s shock/anger. A bit later (in Cersei’s chamber)- we learn that Jaime has been ordered to go to The Riverlands to capture Riverrun from Blackfish! Walder Frey needs Lannister help, and they have debt to pay.

Essos

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We see just how BIG Drogon has gotten (CGI budget must’ve been quite HIGH)! Dany rides away on her white horse, BUT comes back on one of her dragons.  The Dothraki are wowed (yet again), then she gives them a rousing call to action speech. Hey, Dany had to get her khalasar motivated to cross The Narrow Sea (when they have fear of water).

Recent Hits: TV, Film, & Theater

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All the Way (now showing on HBO)

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Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad; Malcolm in the Middle) TOTALLY transformed himself into LBJ- vocally and physically!  It was also a treat to see Melissa Leo (who plays Lady Bird) after a LONG time; I’ve been a fan of hers since her days on Homicide: Life on the Street.  I saw the play (Arena stage production) about 2 mos. ago; the film is V true to that, though there are changes made (as you can do more w/ cinema).  Anthony Mackie (who has NOT aged by much) has a meaty role as MLK, Jr.  Wingnuts (fans of The West Wing) will be happy to see Bradley Whitford (who portrays liberal Democratic senator- Hubert Humphrey).    

 

The Man Who Knew Infinity (now in select theaters)

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I went to go to a free screening about 3 wks ago; I had no expectations.  Well, I really liked it- and NOT just b/c of Jeremy Irons, the music, or cinematography!  Toby Jones (who often plays baddies) is just SO sweet/delightful as G. H. Hardy’s (Irons’) BFF/fellow mathematician.  Jeremy Northam has a side role as charming philospher Bertrand Russell; it was a nice surprise to me.   This is in the time just before WWI- that conflict also affects the lives of the Oxford community.

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British-Indian actor, Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionnaire; The Newsroom), does a FINE job as S. Ramanujan, a devout Brahmin Hindu math whiz who went from Southern India to Oxford U. at the age of 26.  Patel, who is still in his 20s, has a penchant for wide-eyed/innocent/eager characters; it works well here.  Ramanujan left behind his strong-willed widowed mother and lovely new wife, Janaki (Indian-American actress Devika Bhise). It’s been a LONG time since I’ve seen a modern/Western young woman portray a traditional/demure Indian housewife in SUCH a convincing manner! 

 

The Taming of the Shrew (STC: MAY 17-JUNE 26)

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I just saw this last SAT (preview matinee) w/ a gal pal (who luckily got free tickets online)- it was FABULOUS!  This production, directed by Chinese-Indonesian Brit, Ed Sylvanus Iskander, has a beautiful/intricate set and songs (by Duncan Sheik) which are performed by characters (who were NOT given monologues in Shakespeare’s original play).  

Yes, ALL the actors are male, BUT diversity is built into the show!  Indian- American actor Maulik Pancholy (Weeds) plays Kate, Sri Lankan-American veteran actor Bernard White (Silicon Valley) plays Baptista and Dutch/Mexican-Brit, Peter Gadiot (Tut), plays Petruchio.  Chinese-American actor, Telly Leung, has the best singing voice in the cast; he recently appeared as one of the leads in Allegiance (opposite George Takei). 

Get more info here!