Tag: Romance

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

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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 8 (“No One”)

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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. 

Island of Braavos

Lady Crane wows the crowd w/ her speech at Joffrey’s death.  She then patches up Arya, feeds her (something NOT so yum), and they have a nice convo before Arya goes to sleep (thanks to Milk of the Poppy). Essie Davis shows her motherly side, BUT is also funny and sassy.

If my soup didn’t kill you, nothing will.  -Lady Crane jokes w/ Arya

In the Riverlands

Four jerky guys are messing around by a campfire when The Hound attacks w/ his big axe (yikes)! 

Meereen

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There’s another new priestess in town… and she’s a black woman. (We need more meaty characters on this show who are POC!)  The people in the streets are now peacefully going about their business. Varys is going away (on a secret mission, of course); he and Tyrion have a little goodbye scene.

Varys, the most famous dwarf in the world. -Tyrion corrects his friend.

Kings Landing

I choose violence. -Cersei replies to Lancel

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Lancel and a small group of Sparrows are allowed into The Red Keep (thanks to Tommen, of course).  But The Mountain VERY brutally kills the first man who strikes his chest w/ a spike! 

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Riverrun

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Brienne and Pod are high above the siege on a ridge, looking at the red tents of the Lannister army. Then Brienne spots Jaime riding among the crowd of soldiers on that FAB white horse of his.  For a few moments, she just stares at him lost in her own thoughts, unaware that a few soldiers (w/ the red and gold banners) are riding up behind her. 

We get a SUPER fun scene w/ Pod and Bronn (LOVED it)!  Bronn wonders if Brienne and Jaime are hooking up (LOL- that’s what MANY viewers would like to see!!!)  It’s obvious to the former sellsword that she’s got feelings for him. 

Then the scene I’d been waiting for the MOST- Brienne and Jaime talk re: politics, military strategy, and honor in his tent. You can tell more from their looks than from their words; those two are definitely in a complicated relationship. She tries to give him back the Valyrian steel sword (Oathkeeper), but he insists it was always hers (aww).

You’re a knight, Ser Jaime! I know there is honor in you- I’ve seen it myself. -Brienne insists

Kings Landing

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Seven hells!  After her uncle, Kevan, relegates Cersei to the gallery w/ other ladies (instead of standing by her son’s side), Tommen proclaims that trial by combat is now “forbidden in the realm.” So, Loras and Cersei will be judged by seven septons. Tommen is TOTALLY in the pocket of the High Sparrow now! 

Back to Meereen

Oh no, poor Tyrion is now trying to get Grey Worm & Missandei to drink wine and tell jokes. Ugh, just NOT an effective (or even mildly funny) scene!  Peter Segal (Nerdette) was VERY disappointed w/ this ep, particularly this scene. 

Riverrun

We get another FAB scene- this time it’s w/ Jaime and the (still imprisoned) Lord Edmure Tully, who is the heir to Riverrun. Tobias Menzies finally gets to reveal more of his character.  It turns out that he has a son (whoa); you can tell he wants to protect him badly from the pain/anguish in his eyes.

Edmure wonders how Jaime can sleep at night after ALL the killing he’s been responsible for over the years. Jaime deflects the convo to Catelyn- her love for her kids and how much he admired her. Cersei is the same way, he explains, and he’ll do ANYTHING to get back to his sister.

You’ll serve Sansa far better than I ever could. -Blackfish tells Brienne w/ admiration before going into a fight w/ the Lannister men (offscreen).

The Blackfish dies fighting (offscreen, unfortunately) after Edmure surrenders to the Frey & Lannister armies. Um, how can you see someone wave at you in the fog when it’s nearly pitch dark!? Writers missed the mark there (like Edmure w/ his arrows at his dad’s funeral seasons back).

Back to Meereen

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Dany is back… w/ her dragons, BUT it’s rather anti-climactic. The masters are attacking the city from their ships- this is VERY cool CGI.

Back to The Riverlands

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We all bloody die, except for this one here! -The Hound exclaims in anger after coming upon Beric Dondarrion, Thoros of Myr, & The Brotherhood Without Banners

They let him kill (BUT only by hanging) two of the three rogue men who killed The Hound’s friends (including Brother Ray). There is some good dialogue w/ dark humor in this scene- taking a man’s boots while he’s still wriggling in the noose, mention of chickens, & talk of religion.

Back to Braavos

Lady Crane is killed (somehow) by The Waif) before she and Arya have their (Terminator or Bourne Identity scene, as Joanna Robinson joked) through the alleys of the city. How can Arya be healed this quickly!? Finally, Arya tricks The Waif (who’s running like the T1000) into following her into her room in The House of Black and White, then cuts out the sole candle!

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Jaqen shows Arya his admiration (silently), then lets her go. She has learned a lot and killed The Waif (who was sent to finish her off). YAY, she can reclaim her true identity, now go back “home,” and maybe even fight (Ramsay/the Whitewalkers) along w/ family.

“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.

Kings Landing

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).