#blogwithbyn

[blogwithbyn]

Love Hard

I haven't watched anything with Nina Dobrev since TVD and I was interested to see her acting in a holiday rom-com. I must say, this holiday rom-com was actually quite funny. It had me laughing pretty hard at the first encounter between Natalie and Josh.

So without further adieu, let's get into my usual "what I loved" and "what could have been better".

What I loved:

1. Although the movie was pretty predictable, I appreciated that it wasn't your regular "fall in love instantly" type of christmas movie. I loved that the characters genuinely got to know each other before rushing into the relationship.

2. The duet between Natalie and Josh's characters during the christmas caroling. This scene really educated me, and let me tell you why. I really loved the song "baby, it's cold outside" before watching this movie. However, when watching this scene, Natalie points out that the lyrics of the song are kind of "rapey " and taking advantage of women. After listening to the song, I have to agree that it does sound a bit skeptical, and now I will never hear the song the same again. BUT, I really do hope that they release a version like Natalie & Josh's somewhere on a music platform because then I could really enjoy it more.

3. The depiction of Asian households. I am fully speaking this from my own Asian perspective. The idea that the typical Asian parent will compare you to one of your other siblings who is deemed "successful". Although this does not happen in my household, I know it happens in many other of my relatives' households and they depicted it pretty spot on.

4. Darren Barnett. He's just a great piece of eye candy. Although I didn't care much for his character, Tag, I appreciated that he was able to act more of his age rather than acting like an 18 y/o like in Never Have I Ever.

What could have been better:

1. I wish they could have included a "one year later" type moment to show where all the characters ended up. I wanted to know more about what happened with Tag after the engagement party, I wanted to know if Natalie's story got published, I want to know what happened with Josh's brother and whether or not he was still trying to 1-up Josh at everything.

2. Including more of Natalie's best friend/coworker. I really loved her character and wish that she had more screen time.

This movie, nonetheless, was such a funny holiday rom-com that I wouldn't mind watching again. As chaotic as it got, it was definitely entertaining.

[blogwithbyn]

Encanto

OMG! First of all, LOVE THIS MOVIE WITH MY WHOLE HEART. Ugh. I watched it again for the second time today and it's crazy how Disney movies made for children have the power to make a grown person cry.

What I loved:

1. The music in this movie was just so catchy. I couldn't get over it. It has literally been stuck in my head all weekend, which is why I had to rewatch the movie again. I don't think I hated any of the songs in this movie.

2. I really appreciated the respect for all dimensions of the Latinx culture. The representation of the whole Latinx culture from lighter to darker skin is what I absolutely loved the most, especially within the Madrigal family.

3. I loved that movie brought into light the pressure of fitting into family expectations and not feeling like you belong. I can definitely say that I have never watched a Disney movie where it was so relatable. The scene with Maribel arguing with her Abuela, really hits different when you have been in the same shoes as Maribel.

4. No romantic lead! Although I'm a sucker for romance movies, I am LOVING that Disney is no longer sticking to their usual Disney Princess love stories and are finally starting to expand to a much broader audience. Especially to an audience in which the audience can relate to.

5. THE CHARACTERS. I personally loved each and every character to their own extent. Luisa was badass, Isabel's power was so beautiful, and I just adored the characters Dolores, Maribel, Bruno and Antonio.

[blogwithbyn]

You Season 3

This show is so toxic....but I’m gonna keep watching it though. 

The amount of childhood trauma and relationship toxicity is crazy in this season. It really had me going back and forth saying, “wtf, Joe is crazy and stupid af” to “YOOOO, Love is crazy wtf!?”. 

Things I loved in this season: 

1) Love Quinn-Goldberg was looking SPECTACULAR this whole season. The makeup and wardrobe team really outdid themselves for this season. She looked so good. 

2) MARIENNE BELLAMY. That’s it. No need to go any further. This woman is beautiful and I absolutely loved that they casted her. 

3) Therapy. I loved that this show brought in contexts that there is nothing wrong with therapy and that it may be the best way to find solutions to complicated problems that keep reoccurring.

4) Learning from your past traumas and trying to work through them as best as you can. 

5) Depiction of disability and LGBTQ+. I personally loved the Dante character. The fact he worked in a bookstore while blind...the skill he must have.

Things that could have been better: 

1) The fact that Henry was neglected pretty much the WHOLE season...the baby was super cute too.

2) The ending. I know I said I didn’t like the toxicity of Joe and Love’s relationship, but seeing Love’s end really did not sit well with me. I wish they could have parted ways and we watch them grow and be crazy without each other. 

I heard that a season four will be coming out for this series, but I’m wondering what more they could have Joe do...or will he actually get caught because Theo’s memories will comes back?

[blogwithbyn]

Riverdale Season 5

Was a little disappointed to not find Nina Dobrev in this season, but I mean, it was only rumored for her to be in this season, it was never confirmed. I might just be a little salty for her leaving TVD the way she did....ANYWAYS. Back to Riverdale.

Things I loved about this season:

1. I loved that they finally branched out of the high school scene and showed them living their lives in the adult world. What I truly loved about this was that they depicted each character going through a struggle in their adulthood. That it doesn't always turn out successful for everyone, and I loved the reality of that.

2. The incorporation of Toni Topaz's real pregnancy! The fact that Riverdale really let Toni's character shine, in spite of her pregnancy in real life. I loved that she was able to be part of the new season.

3. NEW RELATIONSHIPS. As much as I shipped Jughead and Betty, things got weird when they shared their half brother Charles. I felt maybe this was why they decided to have the characters branch out to new relationships. My favorite new relationship to emerge is Ronnie and Reggie. Love that for them.

4. Bringing some backstory in! I always love when shows provide a subtle backstory as to why a character acts the way they do. Seeing Hiram's backstory was nice. Although it doesn't dismiss him being a terrible person, I loved it nonetheless.

5. The Whyte Worm being located under Pop's. The idea of the Southside Serpents having their own place to hangout again made my heart warm, especially because Pop's holds a deep place of comfort for Jughead, who was a former Serpent.

Things that could have been better:

1. The relationships of Fangs, Kevin, Toni and Cheryl really broke my heart. Don't get me wrong, the LGBTQ+ representation was great, since Fangs and Toni's characters are both bisexual. However, it made me wonder why the writers decided to cast it this way now and not earlier in the season.

2. The Southside Serpents have just been irrelevant since Season 2 and I was really hoping to see more of the Southside Serpents. Especially after having their hangout right under Pop's. I also wish we got a bit more screen time with Sweet Pea.

3. Since when did Riverdale become a musical? Other than Josie and Pussycats, when did the rest of them begin to sing? I didn't mind it for the Heathers episode in the earlier seasons, but honestly, there are some shows that are not meant to be musicals, and this is one of those shows.

Things I hope get answered in Season 6:

If there is a season 6, there are a couple of things I hope get answered. For instance, who is the Trash Bag Killer and what is his infatuation with Betty? How did everyone who exiled Hiram not see him plant a bomb? What happens with Cheryl?

[blogwithbyn]

Cruel Summer Season 2

WOOOOOOOAAAH. Cruel Summer S1 was good but S2?? SO much better. I think the casting for each of the characters was pretty good, and honestly, the last episode had me F*CKED up. I KNEW WHO THE KILLER WAS IN MY BONES BUT SECOND GUESSED MYSELF BC OF THE WAY EVERYTHING UNFOLDED buttttt, this is usually what pulls me in for thriller series.

I will say, I'm upset with the way it ended in the last episode though because I really wanted to see what Megan did. With Megan being a coder, I know she tracked that mf. I just wanna see her get that justice!

I'm really hoping they continue this series bc the way it has me off my seat with every episode was crazy, especially this season. ALSO, the theme of it being in the 1999-2000s was dope. I love the nostalgia.

[blogwithbyn]

Money Heist Season 5 Finale

Honestly have been dreading writing this post because I did not want this series to end. I'll try my best to give my review of the finale without any spoilers.

What I Loved:

1. The first 5 episodes of this season were a whirlwind and just kept you off your seat. This season definitely tapped into my emotions as well. I haven't cried from a show since watching Atypical.

2. I personally loved ALL the character development and growth that happened in this season. We saw a lot of character growth from the Professor, Tokio and Alicia. I loved that for all of them.

3. The scene where they are singing "Bella Ciao" is my favorite. I only wish that they included it at the end as well, but either way, probably one of my favorite scenes from this season.

4. MUSIC CHOICES. Not saying that they didn't have good music choices in their previous seasons, but I felt like these ones really did justice for their scenes.

What could have been better:

1. I felt that the last five episodes were rushed. We didn't see much of how Berlin's son and Tatiana got into the picture.

2. I was hoping to see a flashback with Tokio, Nairobi, Berlin, Moscow, and Oslo looking down on their crew or moving on. Something similar to when Nairobi passed and she saw all her heist mates in heaven. I was kind of upset I didn't see that.

This is definitely one of those shows that is going to live in my head rent free. I'm so sad it is over, but I applaud the whole cast for doing an amazing job with this series.

[blogwithbyn]

Dynasty S1-S4

I really needed something to watch on Netflix because I was running out of shows to watch while I did chores. I decided to give the show Dynasty another shot. I tried watching this show a few months back and personally wasn't interested in it. However, after giving it another try, I ended up getting hooked and watched all four seasons on Netflix. Here is a quick recap of what I loved about the show and what could have been better.

What I love:

1. I love the actors that they casted in this show. This show has Elaine Hendrix for crying out loud. Meredith from the Parent Trap (Lindsey Lohan version) is back and better than ever.

2. Specific characters. I personally loved Fallon, Kirby, Anders, Sam, Monica, Jeff and Culhane. When things fell out with Fallon and Jeff and Fallon and Culhane, I personally thought "damn, they gonna kick these characters out now", but I'm SO glad they didn't.

3. I loved that Fallon was such a business person and never gave up on what she wanted. It's very rare to see women in high prestige titles or coming out on top of a very successful company and I felt like this show depicts the struggle of being a woman trying to make it on top. Especially when those around you underestimate you, and especially if they're your family and it's not handed directly to you.

4. LGBTQ+ representation!! SAMMY JO! Always have to mention when shows include LGBTQ+ representation because I love that it's becoming more visible on screen.

5. The wardrobe of each character was phenomenal. Especially, Fallon, Jeff, Sam, Monica and Kirby. I personally loved each of their outfits and I felt like it really tied their whole character together.

What could have been better:

1. CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. Every time I thought a character was closer to a character development moment, they went right back to square one. The only people who I felt had character developments were Kirby, Culhane, Sam and SOMEWHAT Adam. I was hoping for a little more character development from Fallon. I know they want to keep Fallon's character interesting, but I feel like she always falls back to her same habits and I just want more for her.

2. Replacing Natalie Kelley. I originally loved her as Cristal but I got really upset when they killed her off the show and recasted her with not one, but two other actors. I just ended up not caring for the Cristal character as much after Natalie Kelley left, but I will say the third Cristal played Mrs.Carrington so well.

3. The fact that they just forgot about Steven. Steven became irrelevant (although he pretty much was) after season 2. Even though I didn't care much for his character, I wish he was still included. Especially with everything that happens in Season 4. I want to know how this will affect him and his journey to finding himself.

4. Now that I'm writing this, I'm just thinking about how they actually recasted Alexis Carrington as well. I realized that throughout the seasons they were swapping people out and introducing new characters like their story wasn't already crazy enough lol like how many more Carringtons have we not met yet!?

5. Pairing Fallon with Liam. Even though I am happy Fallon ended up with someone she truly loves. I was really rooting for her and Culhane. Was kind of hoping to see more diversity there. Appreciated them trying to diversify it by using crazy Evan haha

Of course season 5 is gonna start off crazy. All the enemies made will definitely be returning. Some things I hope to see is Steven return to Carrington Manor and find out everything that he missed while he was gone, what happens with Jeff and his condition, character development for Fallon in this season (hopefully lol)..It'll be interesting to see what plot twists they'll throw in this season and what new Carrington may or may not arrive.

[blogwithbyn]

Night Teeth

Let's be honest, I chose to watch this because I saw a post about it on twitter and Megan Fox looked so good. I was bummed out to find out when I watched the damn thing and she was literally only in the beginning. But it's okay, because Debbie Ryan also looked really good in this movie as well.

Let's get into the review. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. It was kind of just "meh" to me. I could be having these biases because I'm so used to the TVD series and their spinoffs.

I'm not sure what it was about this movie. Maybe it was the choice of characters that were casted. I felt that some of them were very bland and others just did not live up to the vampire role. If i'm being completely honest, I did not like the Benny character. There was something about him that was just lacking for me.

If I had to give this movie a star rating from 1 - 5, I would rate this a 2.5 out of 5. Could have been way better.