Untitled

[fullyfancyfan]

Ducktales Revival Skippable Guide

Please note that since the series is currently ongoing, this guide is subject to change as new episodes are released. Presently, all of the episodes listed below are skippable; but, I’d recommend watching anything that is bolded.

Total Episodes Skipped: 18

Season 1

The Impossible Summit of Mt. Neverrest!

The Living Mummies of Toth-Ra!

The Missing Links of Moorshire!

The Golden Lagoon of White Agony Plains! - introduces Scrooges rival/love interest Goldie; her second episode is much better

Season 2

Throughout this season, Louie is attempting to start up his own business. While not an essential subplot, I’ve italicized skippable episodes that further it for those interested in following it. The last three episodes encompass a mini-arc that leads into the season finale.

The Most Dangerous Game...Night!

The Town Where Everyone Was Nice! - The Three Caballeros guest star

Storkules in Duckburg!

Last Christmas!

Treasure of the Found Lamp!

The Outlaw Scrooge McDuck! - a much better introduction to Goldie

The 87 Cent Solution!

Raiders of the Doomsday Vault!

Happy Birthday Doofus Drake!

Nightmare on Killmotor HIll!

The Golden Armory of Cornelius Coot

Timephoon!

GlomTales!

The Richest Duck in the World!

[fullyfancyfan]

Tangled Skippable Guide

While the Tangled series was pretty good, it wasn’t without its share of lackluster episodes. All the ones listed below are skippable; but, I’d highly recommend watching the ones that are bolded.

25 Episodes Skipped

Season 1

Fitzherbert P.I.

Challenge of the Brave

Cassandra vs. Eugene

One Angry Princess

Pascal’s Story – learn how Pascal & Rapunzel met

The Wrath of Ruthless Ruth

The Way of the Willow – the only appearance of Rapunzel’s Aunt Willow

Season 2

The Return of Quaid

Goodbye and Goodwill

Forest of No Return – Adira earns the group’s trust

Freebird

King Pascal – the gang gets stranded on an island

There’s Something About Hook Foot

Happiness Is… - favorite episode of the season

Max and Eugene in Peril on the High Seas – the gang gets off the island

Curses!

The Eye of Pincosta

The Brothers Hook – Hook Foot leaves the group

Rapunzel: Day One

You’re Kidding Me!

Season 3

The Lost Treasure of Herz Der Sonne

No Time Like the Past – YouTube star Brian Hull guest stars

Day of the Animals

Pascal’s Dragon

Flynnposter – Eugene becomes Captain of the Guard

[fullyfancyfan]

The Peanut Butter Falcon Review

Actors with Down syndrome usually don’t get the leading role in a film, but that didn’t discourage 34-year-old Zack Gottsagen. Having formed a strong relationship with writing-directing duo Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz at an acting camp, Zack expressed his eagerness to star in a feature film. Believing that all actors should have the same opportunities, Tyler and Michael made The Peanut Butter Falcon and cast Zack as the lead.

Check out the Full Review Here:

https://genzcritics.com/reviews/2020/2/5/The-Peanut-Butter-Falcon-Overcoming-Adversity-In-Front-of-and-Behind-the-Camera.html

[fullyfancyfan]

The Mandalorian

The following episodes are skippable. Please note that this guide is subject to change as more seasons are released.

Season 1

The Child

The Gunslinger

The Prisoner

[fullyfancyfan]

Infinity Train Season 1 Skippable Guide

The following episodes are skippable. 

Season 1

Crystal Car

Unfinished Car

[fullyfancyfan]

What We Do in the Shadows

In the Dracula films, we saw vampires seeking out countless victims and in the Twilight saga, we saw them reveal their romantic side. But what do vampires do during their downtime?

Check Out the Full Review Here:

https://genzcritics.com/reviews/2017/11/20/What-We-Do-in-the-Shadows-The-Vampire-Life-in-All-of-Its-Blood-Guts-and-Glory?fbclid=IwAR3A7RxguATZfM8az0HTJCtv4xTjAtPRrDoBd4J8qe09fHmhxWaHLSPVOG8

[fullyfancyfan]

Ant-Man & The Wasp Review

When Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) hit theaters last year, I, regrettably, didn’t see it. Along with being a sequel to one of the weaker films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), it was the franchise’s third installment that year.2 When I finally got around to watching it on Netflix, however, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it culminated in one of the MCU’s best climaxes.

Check Out the Full Review Here:

https://genzcritics.com/reviews/2019/10/18/Like-an-Insect,-Ant-Man-and-the-Wasp-May-Be-Small,-But-It-Shouldn't-Be-Underestimated.html

[fullyfancyfan]

Star Wars Resistance Skippable Guide

Outside of the latter part of Season 1 and a couple standalone episodes, Star Wars Resistance proved to be underwhelming. As such, this list is pretty brutal especially in regards to Season 2.

Total Episodes Skipped: 18

Bolded episodes are worth watching if you have time

Episodes with a “/” in-between them make up a two-part arc

Season 1

Synara’s Score

The Platform Classic

Secrets and Holograms

Station Theta Black

Bibo – Synara learns that Kaz is with the Resistance

Dangerous Business

The New Trooper – more troopers are sent to the platform

The Core Problem – BB-8 is replaced with a new droid named CB-23

Season 2

Live Fire/Hunt on Celsor 3

The Engineer

From Beneath

Relic Raiders – The Colossus picks up a new crew member

The Voxx Vortex 5000

Kaz’s Curse

Station to Station

The Missing Agent/Breakout

[fullyfancyfan]

Rebels Skippable Guide

Rebels has a more semi-serialized narrative than Clone Wars, which means fewer skippable episodes. Most of the episodes listed below are one off adventures that mainly exist to spotlight characters from the movies.

Watch the Bold Episodes if You Have Time

28 Episodes Skipped

Season 1

Droids in Distress – R2 & C3PO guest star

Fighter Flight – Ezra and Zeb steal a Tie Fighter

Out of the Darkness

Idiot’s Array – Lando Guest Stars

Season 2

Episodes where a new ship is acquired for the Rebel fleet are marked with an F.

Brothers of the Broken Horn – Ezra meets Hondo; only skip if you haven’t seen Clone Wars

Wings of the Master - F

Blood Sisters – bounty hunter Ketsu is introduced

Stealth Strike

A Princess on Lothal – F

Legends of Lasat

Homecoming - F

  Season 3

At the time, creator Dave Filoni and crew didn’t know Clone Wars would get brought back and as such they used this season to wrap up some loose ends from their previous series. While these episodes are satisfying if you’re a fan of Clone Wars, they are inconsequential to the story of Rebels.

The Holocrons of Fate

The Antilles Extraction

Hera’s Heroes

The Last Battle – for fans of the Clone Wars

Iron Squadron

The Wykanthu Job

Visions and Voices – the Rebels find the Darksaber

Ghosts of Geonosis – pointless Rogue One tie in

Warhead

Through Imperial Eyes

Double Agent Droid – Rebels at its silliest

Twin Suns – Ezra gets a new ship; cool fight scene 

Season 4

Outside of the first four episodes, this final season is completely serialized.

Heroes of Mandalore Parts 1 & 2 – only watch if you’re curious how the Mandalore storyline is resolved

In the Name of the Rebellion 1 & 2

Crawler Commandoes

[fullyfancyfan]

Clone Wars Skippable Guide

Total Episodes Skipped (Excluding Legacy Content): 74

Check Out the Official Viewing Order Here:

https://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-the-clone-wars-chronological-episodeorder

Notes:

- The following episodes are skippable; but, if you have time watch the bolded ones as this series has some fantastic standalone stories.

- Episodes with a “/” between them are part of an arc. If one episode is bolded but not the other, it’s because you don’t need to watch all the episodes as any key info is recapped in the intro.

- When Clone Wars was cancelled after Season 6, there were numerous arcs that were in various stages of production. While some of these stories were eventually completed when the series returned for its final season, others were released through alternative mediums (i.e. comics, novel). These arcs were branded Legacy Content and are included in this guide for your convenience.

Seasons 1 –3

Season 3 contained so many prequel episodes, that Star Wars.com had to create a chronology guide (the link is posted above). Thankfully, you can skip most of them and save yourself the headache.

Cat and Mouse 

The Hidden Enemy

The Movie 

– Just watch the Battle of Christopholisis, which comprises the first 20 minutes

Supply Lines/Ambush

Rising Malevolence/Shadow of Malevolence/Destroy Malevolence

Downfall of a Droid/Duel of the Droids

Bombad Jedi/Cloak of Darkness/Lair of Grievous

Jedi Crash/Defenders of Peace

Trespass

Storm Over Ryloth/Innocents of Ryloth/Liberty on Ryloth 

–  Introduces Cham Syndulla who plays a key role in the follow-up series Rebels.

Holocron Heist/Cargo of Doom/Children of the Force 

Bounty Hunters

- Debut of several bounty hunters that reappear throughout the series

The Zillo Beast/The Zillo Beast Strikes Back 

Senate Spy 

- Padame discovers a new droid factory on Geonosis

Legacy of Terror/Brain Invaders

Grievous Intrigue/The Deserter

Lightsaber Lost

Sphere of Influence 

– Tribute to George Lucas (at least the character he played in Revenge of the      Sith)

Evil Plans/Hostage Crisis/Hunt for Ziro

Senate Murders

The Citadel/Counter Attack/Citadel Rescue

Padawan Lost/Wookie Hunt

Season 4 

Water War/Gungan Attack/Prisoners

Shadow Warrior

Mercy Mission/Nomad Droids 

Kidnapped/Slaves of the Republic/Escape from Kadavo

Deception/Friends and Enemies/The Box/Crisis on Naboo

Season 5

A War on Two Fronts/Front Runners/The Soft War/Tipping Points

- Last appearance of Lux and the debut of Saw Gerrera 

The Gathering/A Test of Strength/Bound for Rescue/A Necessary Bond

- Originally intended to serve as the pilot for a Younglings spinoff series

Secret Weapons/A Sunny Day in the Void/Missing in Action/Point of No Return 

Season 6

An Old Friend/The Rise of Clovis/Crisis at the Heart 

The Disappeared Parts 1 & 2

Legacy Content

Son of Dathomir

A 4 part comic series that continues Maul’s story from where we left him in Season 5. Since the comics can be difficult to track down, I’ve posted a link to a fantastic audio version that’s been created.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWAkCt4q3o0

Dark Disciple

A novel that concludes Ventress’ story.

A Death on Utapau/In Search of the Crystal/Crystal Crisis/The Big Bang

A lighthearted adventure with Anakin and Obi-Wan. While the animation was never completed, all of the dialogue was recorded. Originally posted on StarWars.com, the episodes can be found on YouTube. Please note that links are subject to change.

Episodes Can Be Found Here:

A Death on Utapau 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc8ABcsyyoc

In Search of the Crystal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE44YsiNea8

Crystal Crisis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDzzDHFad8Y&t=690s

The Big Bang

https://www.starwars.com/video/star-wars-the-clone-wars-story-reel-the-big-bang

And More!

In the mid-2010s, the Clone Wars crew did a couple panels where they discussed several story arcs that were planned for the series in addition to what’s listed above and below. At the time, the crew didn’t know that they’d get a Season 7.

Untold Clone Wars

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yKM6RExLlI&t=2847s

Ahsoka’s Untold Tales

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lS4sclln5J4&t=1838s

Season 7

The Bad Batch/A Distant Echo/On the Wings of Keeradaks/Unfinished Business

While Ahsoka’s arc (episodes 5-8) isn’t great, I decided to exclude it from the list. Not only does it contain key character development but it leads directly into the series finale.

[fullyfancyfan]

Comics - More Than Good vs. Evil

With so many great superheroes picking my favorite one is difficult. Over the years, The Amazing Spider-Man and the show Batman: The Animated Series have stuck with me because of their mature themes and relatable characters. Growing up my favorite superhero was Spider-Man whose struggle to balance being a superhero with his everyday life as Peter Parker continues to intrigue me. Unlike more traditional superheroes who lead double lives, such as Superman or Batman, Spider-Man’s superhero identity has real, and often negative, consequences on his personal life. While Peter frequently defeats the villain, it often results in him appearing unreliable to his friends, family, and girlfriends due to him disappearing or not being somewhere he promised he would be. Even with all of Spider-Man’s superpowers, Peter Parker endures the same struggles that many of us experience, making him relatable in a way that more traditional superheroes are not.

The Amazing Spider-Man series developed over time introducing more complex stories and mature themes. For me, one of the most powerful moments was the death of Peter’s first serious girlfriend, Gwen Stacy, a deeply emotional story arc about the loss of a loved one. In addition to making the stories multifaceted, the writers also made the decision to let Peter age so that he matured along with the readers. While I enjoy a simple good vs. evil story, I found the Spider-Man’s evolution made the series compelling.

For similar reasons, Batman: The Animated Series is one of my favorite TV Shows. The stories often have more depth than hero vs. villain. The antagonists typically are not evil for the sake of being evil but innocent people who have been changed by some unfortunate event or accident. The origins for Spider-Man’s villains tended to be unimaginative with an average-joe gaining powers through chemicals that make them evil, crazy, or both. The origins for Batman’s villains are more complicated and usually written as tragedies not accidents. In Batman: The Animated Series, a lot of time is spent exploring who the villains were before they became villains. This enables the audience to understand what drove the person to become evil. As a result, I often sympathize with the villains even when they are breaking the law. For example, Harvey Dent is initially portrayed as a good person, so that his transformation into Two-Face is tragic. Similarly, Joker’s right-hand-woman Harley Quinn isn’t just his minion. The episode “Mad Love” portrays Harley as the victim of an abusive relationship and explores how the Joker tricked her into sympathizing with him. The Mad Hatter, formerly known as Jervis Tetch, is more than a lunatic brainwashing people to do his bidding. In The Hatter’s debut episode, “Mad as a Hatter” we are exposed to the forces that drove Jervis to the point where he felt the need to resort to mind control.

The most compelling elements of comic-books are the inclusion of intricate characters and mature themes. These elements, allow me to get invested in series such as The Amazing Spider-Man and Batman: The Animated Series, consuming each issue or episode. As long as writers find ways to create compelling characters and rich storylines, I will continue to be devoted to following superheroes.

[fullyfancyfan]

Zootopia - More than a Cute Animal Film

Ever since The Princess and the Frog, Disney’s been experiencing a second renaissance. When a new Disney film is released, the question is no longer whether or not it will be good but how good it will be. With Zootopia, Disney has shown that like the animals in the film, they are willing to evolve presenting a film with mature themes of present not present in their earlier works.

Set in a world where animals not only walk and talk but have put aside their predatory instincts, the film follows bunny Judy Hopps (Jennifer Goodwin). Judy has come to the city of Zootopia in order to fulfill her dream of becoming a police officer; but because she is the first bunny officer, she is discriminated by her boss Chief Bogo (Idris Elba). Hopps has been tasked with an assignment she is intended to fail. Judy has to find several missing mammals within 48 hours or she will lose her job. In desperate need of help, Hopps is forced to recruit Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) a fox and con artist who was present during the disappearance of one of the mammals. During her search, Hopps learns that even though Zootopia is supposed to be a peaceful city, there is a clear divide between predator and prey.

While the marketing features many cute animal gags from sloths working at a DMV to literally addressing the elephant in the room, at its core Zootopia is about discrimination. The theme is present throughout the film showing how it allows some animals to succeed while others are left to suffer and how we can discriminate against others without intending to. The conflict is present throughout the film continuing to escalate as the case progresses. By the third act, everyone has or is a victim of racism, a victimizer of racism, or both. Hopps and Wilde don’t find the solution quickly as in real life there is no easy solution to prejudice. As a result, the road to restoring harmony involves various twists and ending fake-outs providing a story that while long ensures that the resolution is earned and not the result of deus-ex-machina. By taking the time to allow both the characters and the audience to explore various forms of discrimination, Zootopia is able to go from an enjoyable buddy-cop film into a phenomenal exploration of racism.

9/10