Disjointed

Disjointed is a Netflix original about a woman who seems to be perpetually stuck in the 70s, fighting against the power that is the government and setting up a little family business that sells “medical marijuana” to people. Each episode revolves around the employees’ escapades in dealing with the fact that they sell marijuana.


This show is definitely designed for people to watch who are under the influence, with really basic plots in each episode, trippy transitions, and a lot of weed. Though the plot is very basic, watching sober is also quite the trip. For example, in the episode, “Eve’s Bush”, the shop gets a complaint from all the other shops around it that people are using the product incorrectly and smoking in the parking lot, which discourages people from going to all of the other shops. One of the shop owners, Doug, comes to the shop and addresses to the marijuana shop owner, Ruth, that all of the shops are giving them a formal complaint. Ruth then proceeds to overdramatize the situation, due to Doug calling it a “formal” complaint rather than just a regular complaint. Ruth pretends to pass out on the floor, causing Doug to storm out of the shop and everyone laughing at him (“Eve’s Bush”). The show very much has its saving moments, where even sober it can be very funny. Ruth does many things like this throughout most of the show, and it gets a laugh every time.


Disjointed, though being geared toward a very specific audience, has a lot of charm and can make for some very good background noise when you are cooking, working on a project, or when smoking illegal substances. The show even uses a laugh track, which it is very self-aware with. There are sometimes where it is very appropriate, like an 80s sitcom, but then there are other times where the track places every three or four seconds. That was done very deliberately, with the intended audience in mind, but it still adds a lot to the show and how silly the premise is. If you are looking for a fun, lighthearted show bearing some similarities to the Hallmark channel in the storytelling department, Disjointed the one for you.


Works Cited:

“Disjointed.” Disjointed, created by David Javerbaum, and Chuck Lorre, Netflix
Javerbaum, David, and Chuck Lorre . “Eve's Bush.” Disjointed, season 1, episode 2, Netflix, 25 Aug. 2018.

In the Mind of a Killer

Marvel’s The Punisher is a dark and intriguing Netflix original. The plot follows the villain from Daredevil season 2, Frank Castle, 6 months after his final killing spree. In the first episode, “3AM,” Frank is having flashbacks of playing guitar with his daughter. Before the show takes place, Frank’s family, a wife and two children, were brutally murdered in the crossfire of a gang fight, as far as the viewer knows. He then made it his mission to exterminate all gangs in the city to avenge his family. His tragic history and violent actions create a brilliant base for a great show.

The most striking thing about The Punisher for a first-time watcher was the empathy felt for a man with such a violent history. Immediately after the murder of his family, Frank decided to go on a murder mission of his own. As the viewer should know, his actions were not those of a morally sound person. However, the show constantly dives into flashbacks of sweet memories of Castle’s family. Especially during sleep, Frank has visions of his late wife waking him up for breakfast and smiling down at him. The sun shines behind her and the frame is filled with muted pastel colors. After a few minutes, Frank, along with the viewer gets ripped out of the dream and back into the dark reality. The pained expression Frank shows is one of a kicked puppy. The pained expression Frank shows is one of a kicked puppy. Seeing such a rough man with extreme pain shocks the viewer.

Along with the pain, Frank’s coworkers constantly throw around derogatory names and insults. They believe he is mentally challenged and simply someone to torment without consequence. All of them snicker and tease him relentlessly day after day. They rudely comment about his odd work habits and shove his things around without the thought of hurting the man’s emotions. The camera switches back and forth from their piercing smirks and Frank’s blank face. Once the coworkers turn and walk away for the night, anger floods Castle’s eyes as he continues to work. Consequently, he snaps back to his old violent ways and kills the gang that put him down every day as they attempt to kill the new recruit. Though most people would not resort to violence to resolve that issue of unjust treatment, viewers of The Punisher can most likely empathize with the need to finally snap and retaliate against such oppressors.

Marvel Entertainment and Netflix created a new TV show that might turn subscribers away from the violence. The empathy they cause, however, is well worth the gory scenes. The emotions conveyed make The Punisher truly excellent.








Works Cited


“The Punisher.” created by Steve Lightfoot, season 1, episode 1, Netflix, 17 Nov. 2017.
“Daredevil.” Daredevil, created by Drew Goddard, Netflix, 2015.

The Crown

For this week’s blog post I chose to watch The Crown. This series is a biographical story of Queen Elizabeth II journey becoming Queen of England and follows until around the late 1990’s. I spent most of my week watching the first half of the first season. I am eager to finish out the rest of the series, as I feel like that I have learned so much about the royal family that I never knew from watching this series.

Queen Elizabeth’s father, King George IV, dies when she is just 25 years old. Newly married and with two young children, and not expecting to be in this position for at least twenty more years, she takes the crown as the new Queen of England. At the young age of 25 I can imagine that taking on this role would be beyond overwhelming. At the exact same time she is mourning the death of her beloved father on top of all of it. Obviously, she doesn’t seem absolutely thrilled about taking the crown. Her entire life will be forced to change, and her husband isn’t thrilled about any of it, which makes the transition even harder. She is forced to change her last name and Phillip throws a little bit of a temper tantrum saying, “You’ve taken my career from me, you’ve taken my home, and you’ve taken my name.” Part of me can empathize with Phillip, of course this is difficult situation that he is he is being brought into, but what did he expect? He married a royal and had to of known this was bound to happen someday. Most of these decisions are not in her control, she fought to keep her last name but got completely shot down. While watching the first season, I couldn’t help but root for Queen Elizabeth. She takes the crown 1952, when all women gained the right to vote in in the United Kingdom in 1928. Personally, I see her becoming Queen an even bigger step for British women, and women in generally. She came in to power at a time when women were treated as much lesser then their male counterparts and expected to just be housewives. So here I am in 2018, cheering her on and yelling, “Girl Power!!!!” at my TV screen.

Overall, I find this show to be very interesting and education. The best part for me is the happiness and pride I feel for her as she takes the crown. Putting a young woman in that position of power is something that I feel is so amazing and inspiring. I’m sure any young woman would feel the same way.

Long live the Queen

The Beast

Many competitors have stared down The Beast. Many have been overtaken by The Beast, but some have conquered even some of the nastiest attacks thrown at them. The Beast that I am referring to, is the infamous obstacle course in the Netflix Original series Ultimate Beastmaster. Strongman Terry Crews hosts this game show like obstacle challenge that has competitors from 9 different countries. The top prize is 10,000 dollars, and requires the passing of 4 different trials. Each trial, the course raises difficulty with various obstacles introduced each trial run. Contestants are also eliminated each round based on the completion of the course, and the if it comes down to it, the completion time. In the fourth trial, Athletes from all over the globe have fell short in the conquerization of The Beast.

The aspect of the show that really grabs the attention of viewers, in my opinion, is the insane falls. Tension builds as the competitors race against time, one wrongly placed step can be the end for them. The tension that builds as this happens, is the reason I watched the show. You won’t create a personal connection with the competitors, because they are only on screen for a short amount of time. Although, when a competitor makes through the first couple rounds, you will tend to root for them when the challenges get tougher. When a favorite competitor falls short to The Beast, I always felt my heart drop. The show does a fantastic job of creating tension while watching. It was difficult for me to only watch one episode at a time.

The main characteristic of the show that really interested me, was the backstory given about the more notable competitors. The biggest thing that fascinates me about the stories, are the parks that individuals have built to train for the competition. People in the past, have built nearly scale sized obstacle courses to mimic that of The Beast. This is a lot of preparation to go through for the competitions. Most of the people that attempt The Beast, have normal everyday jobs. One of my favorite competitors from the first season of the series, was a small time shoe salesman. The shoe salesman built a park in his garage over a time span of many years. He trained most days when not on the job, and finally tried out for the show. He only made it to the third round, but received a lot of camera time. The attempt at an emotional connection to the competitors, really makes the show well-rounded.

The Beast has conquered more warriors, than has conquered it. The Beast is unforgiving in it’s insane pitfalls and slippery ledges. Many countries have tried, and many have failed. Netflix’s Ultimate Beastmaster is a game show that will leave your mouth wide open. Learning a competitors journey to the stage, to only see him fall short of his dream, keeps the tension high. This show is one that I will never forget. I would recommend this series to anyone that is a fan of obstacle courses or game shows. 

Stranger Things

One day when a young boy disappears and a girl with superpowers appears, the town of Hawkins, Indiana finally opens its eyes to the fact that there has been illegal experimentation going on in their town. It also does not help this fact that the chief of police is a habitual drunk and has a healthy narcissistic view on life part of the time. The only people that seem worried that Will Byers disappeared are his family and his friends. Everyone else is worried it will happen to them or their family. Will Byers disappears under unnatural circumstances and most people just dismiss it as running away from home. His friends and mother do not think the same way. They have a more pessimistic viewpoint on Will not running away. They know Will and know he would not do that. After doing some investigation, however, the police start to realize that this was something more than what they originally believed. With the appearance of the enhanced girl named Eleven, many people start to realize there is something strange going on. This also leads to Hopper, chief of police, to start to suspect the involvement of the local national laboratory. While the police are investigating, Will’s mom starts to experience paranormal phenomena with the lights in their house. Mike is Will’s best friend and interacts with Eleven the most. Also Mike’s sister, Nancy, and her friend Barbara went to a party at the house of Nancy’s new boyfriend, Steve. While there, Barbara get abducted by the monster that took Will. Will’s friends slowly start to piece together the story with the help of their dungeons and dragons background with the help of Eleven. There is an attempt made to save Will from the realm known as “The Upside Down”, which is the monster’s realm. Some people go through the portal that is in the lab. Meanwhile, government agents are looking for Eleven and have traded the access to the portal for Eleven’s location. Season Two has the same characters, but with the addition of a few characters, has the premise that the events in the first season were only the beginning. There is a lot more to come, and Will will be a central part in the follow through of these events. Will has been going to the lab to receive treatments and to be tested. Eleven is also very keen on finding her family but she is too naive. When she finally finds one of her “sisters” she is brought into this crew of misfits that use powers for evil. Eleven does not like this and decides to leave due to the fact that she wants to be back in Hawkins. While she is away, Will has many visions of a huge spider looking thing that stands taller than all of the trees. Many strange events happen while all of this is going on, like pumpkin patch dying. The resolution to both of these season makes it all worth it to watch both season and have you hungry for more.

A Scandalous House of Cards

Spoiler Warning: Light Spoilers for House of Cards: Season 5 and Scandal: Season 7


To Ms. Olivia Pope,

I recently watched the show House of Cards, and am under the impression you would greatly appreciate the show. The show follows the character of Frank Underwood as he pushes his way through Washington politics to get the top, using any means necessary. I find this similar to your own push for power in ensuring President Mellie Grant’s gain the highest office at any cost.

The first few seasons of the show prove to be, in my opinion the most interesting, this stems from the fact that the narrative follows a more emotional storyline. Instead of seeing President Frank Underwood struggle with policy and holding on to power, we see Representative Underwood plot to hurt those who burned him and gain power as quickly and efficiently as possible. This can be done from a complex media campaign, your specialty, or through a more complex system of setting people up for failure and specific consequences. Again this can parallel the activities you took to ensure President Fitzgerald Grant won the presidency to the multiple coups and plans you created to take over the oval and B6-13.

While the story of House of Cards follows the character of Frank Underwood, for its majority, it also closely follows Claire Underwood, the first female president in the show’s fictional history (even if she starts as VP). Her character, while being secondary to her husband, also proves to have an interesting plot. This stems from her blind support of her husband in the earlier seasons, pushing him to seek revenge and accumulate power. Later, though, she changes her attitude using and manipulating Frank into accomplishing her will and giving some, albeit smaller amounts, of his power to her. This change creates Claire as a deeper character with great ambitions that culminate in her retaining the presidency. Olivia, I think you’d find this interesting. The slow steady rise in power Claire achieves is similar to Mellie’s and your own growth in power from under Fitz’s influence.

One of the main interesting aspects of House of Cards though, especially in the earlier seasons, is its unapologetic use of dark themes. Most shows, especially at the time of its release, try to target a large audience with comedy or more family friendly themes. House of Cards, though adopts themes of corruption, manipulation, among others. It shows a hidden rotten underbelly to politics that is not usually shown in political dramas. There are no gladiators in white hats saving the day. There are no patriots risking it all for the sake of the nation. All that exists, are selfish men and women clawing and fighting for each and every scrap of power and influence available. Now on whether this is realistic or not, I will leave to you, as you seem to be familiar with both sides of the argument. I do believe that this is, at least in part, what makes House of Cards different from most other political drama or TV shows for that matter.

Overall The first three seasons of House of Cards are emotional, dark stories that grab the viewer and bring them into a world of corruption and power politics. The other seasons lose some of these aspects but also add to the characterization of secondary characters in new and interesting ways. I would strongly recommend that you watch House of Cards. If not for enjoyment, then for the parallels to your own political atmosphere.

In This Case, I Would Look Away: Episode 1-3 of the Santa Clarita Diet

WARNING: The review you are about to read has unmarked spoilers and gore. If you wish to have a sunshiny rest of the day, DO NOT READ!
     The Santa Clarita Diet is another watchable show viewable on Netflix, a service without pesky commercial breaks. I say watchable in that your bog standard viewer won’t be able to take his or her’s eyes off their screen while it is on, though this may be from sheer horror rather than pure enjoyment. The TV-MA rating is well earned for intense language, sexual situations (though only very much implied) and gore, which I feel is simply gratuitous. For the most part, the sex and language usage are waved away by Shelia's disease, saying it causes her to be ruled by her id. In reality, I feel this is the equivalent of a young child swearing; it is to masquerade maturity and intelligence but fails miserably. Instead, we get a show whose only hue is off color.
     Now I am a firm believer of giving credit where credit is due and I would like to compliment the set designer. Every element in every set feels perfectly in place in the average American town, down to the dull color palette of interiors. However, even though this was done well, not everything else was.
     The gore is another element that is over done. While I am no doctor, nor would I ever pretend to be one, I don’t believe that the amounts and pressures of blood shown are believable. For example, here is a couple of volunteers showing 6 quarts, or the amount of blood in a human body:

http://www.laurelleaffarm.com/item-pages/farm/antique-blue-green-glass-mason-jar-old-zinc-lid-2-qt-fruit-jar-1858-patent-date-Laurel-Leaf-Farm-item-no-m69175.htm
And this is the amount of blood in the first victim:

Adapted from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/757167756071807073/

https://hiddenremote.com/2017/02/05/5-things-can-never-unsee-santa-clarita-diet/
     Now that looks like a heck of a lot more than 6 quarts to me. I am usually a supporter of shock humor, a phrase which here means humor that is unexpected, usually bloody or vulgar. However, I feel like The Santa Clarita Diet goes a little overboard on this front. Though it is possible I don’t quite have the measure of either show, I feel that iZombie is more tasteful here, by showing a mostly clean brain and very few gory elements.
     An element that is not over-the-top are the performances, which I think is a pity. I think the show could use a great actor, one like that wonderful Neil Patrick Harris in another certain Netflix show. A performance such as this would reduce the apathy the audience after such unfortunate events. As it is, the characters in the show never seem to react in disgust with all of the grotesque events happening around them. While so may feel that this is a comment on the nature of suburbia, I think it is just jarring. If I am to relate to these characters, I expect the emotions they display to match my own. If they don’t seem to care that they are burying a body, I, as a viewer, won’t care. Maybe you will care more than I do, but maybe not.

The Punisher

The Netflix Original The Punisher is an exciting and thriller show. It is about an ex marine named Frank Castle. When serving in the war he was ordered to do many things that he did not agree with. Certain corrupt people in the military were performing very unjust torturing techniques. Frank Castle new about the torturings so the military tried to kill him to keep it a secret. The military tried to kill him but he got away so they ended up killing his family. The military portrayed Frank Castle as a criminal and told people that he was killed. This makes for a great revenge storyline that sets up the whole show perfectly. Revenge is a common characteristic in movies because most people like comeback stories.


Frank Castle got a new identity and started working as a construction worker. He is a very sad and angry man. In one episode you can really see the anger in him because he gets to work early and stays late breaking down cement walls with a sledge hammer. Later in that episode he was at the construction site in the middle of the night getting his anger out. He saw some fellow coworkers trying to kill another coworker by throwing him in the back of a cement truck. He kills all of them and saves the man in the back of the cement truck. This is the start of the show and begins the storyline.


A man that goes by the name of Micro is another main character in the show. He was also turned on by corrupt people. He found Frank Castle and wanted to team up with the people that crossed both him and Frank. Micro was shot in the chest and then fell into a river. Luckily for him, he had his cell phone in his shirt pocket and the bullet hit the phone and did not penetrate his body. He couldn’t go back to his house and family because his family would be killed if they knew what had really happened to him. Micro and Frank make a good team because Frank is a former marine with unique skills sets, while Micro is an advanced computer hacker that can hack into just about anything.


While Frank Castle and Micro are teaming up, there is another storyline taking place. Agent Madani and agent Stein are go looking for Frank Castle. Everyone believed that Frank Castle was dead, but agent Madani knew he was not. She was wanted to take him down because she believed he was a criminal. When she started to do more research on him she found interesting information. She found out that he was set up and by higher up people. She started investigating on these corrupt people and wanted to take them down after her partner agent stein was killed. She is now wanting to team up with Frank Castle to take down these people.





This show is a great and intense show that as many twist and turns throughout the first and only season available. It shows the how motivating revenge can be.

A Closer Look at Adventurous Brutes

While La Casa de Papel may immediately gain the viewer’s attention through its alluring Romance title, those who hold themselves to a higher standard should be warned: this television show is not for the faint of heart. The tale follows a young woman named Silene Oliveira (secret name, Tokio), who is wanted by the police for successfully executing fifteen heists. Just as she was on her way to meet her mother, a mysterious man lets her know about her imminent capture. She learns that the man is known as “The Professor”, but he refuses to give more information.

As the story progresses, the viewer may find themselves unable to take a hiatus. The plot develops at a fairly quick pace, and unnecessary information is left out to fast-forward straight to the action. After the Professor states that planning for the heist is going to be a five month process, the story continues straight to the day of attack. The director was also sure to keep the heist from ending by the time the first episode came to a close.

We are connected to the band of uncouth characters, perhaps as a means of escape from our periodically overbearing lives as people with developed ethics. Fictional narratives such as these are an enigma in the way that even though we possess a proper set of morals, we still find ourselves hoping for the success of Tokio’s malicious deeds. This is evident when the love interest of Tokio is shot after an error on her part. Those who watch will be aware that they share Tokio’s pain on potentially losing her second partner. The director reinforces this by inserting a flashback into the story highlighting Tokio’s relationship with her lover.

As hinted at previously, the viewer should be aware that La Casa de Papel contains some uncivilized content. Of course, the supplementary debauchery only serves to support the main theme of thievery. The plot is littered with firearms, murders, and bare-chested women. The dialogue can, at times, contain talk of coitus and other vulgarities. The theme of sex outside of wedlock also makes its way into the plot - I would advise anyone who may be offended by this to take note of the transgression, yet try to not let it taint your perception of the plot in general.

A television show such as La Casa de Papel may be fitted for a younger, ruder audience, but that may not stop a more proper individual from enjoying it. I would encourage people of any social standing to give this show a proper viewing. After all, such a show offers a proper individual something that Wuthering Heights cannot: a plot with a fast pace, a chance to see how the other half lives, and how the character’s struggles lead them to take their misfortune into their own hands. The same way that books provide an escape into the unknown and dangerous, La Casa de Papel lets us live life as the ruffian we never became (thankfully).

A Look into the Normalcy of Royalty

Peter Morgan’s historical drama, The Crown, follows the lives of the British royal family, specifically focusing on Queen Elizabeth II. The show allows curious viewers to explore a world that the vast majority of audience members has never been exposed to. However, more importantly, it also reveals the normalcy of the royal family and the trials and tribulations they undergo, humanizes legendary figures who play on a world stage, and demonstrates that to be great does not require great circumstances of birth, but rather great character.


The events in The Crown and their worldly scale keep viewers precariously on the edge of their seats: the threat of war; the rise and fall of a nation; the writing of history itself. Simultaneously, the show deals with issues and decisions that are very relatable to the normal members of the audience: trying to decide how best to raise one’s children; keeping the fire of a relationship going long after the honeymoon phase has ended; balancing professional duties with personal desires. Even the most normal person in the audience can relate to these struggles and can relish in the commonalities between themselves and members of the royal family.


While showing the normalcy of the royal family, The Crown also allows viewers to see that despite their portrayal in the media as being virtuous and well-principled people, members of the royal family face many of the same moral dilemmas as common people: extramarital affairs and their aftermath; situations that, even just on a personal level, can have consequences for the actor; forgiveness, or the lack thereof. These are facets of life no one, royal or not, may be exempt from. The show is a friendly reminder that no one is perfect.


While the show does highlight some of its main characters’ imperfections, it does display the great courage of these characters. Life in the spotlight is hard. It is harder still, however, when the whole world is affected by the decisions that are made in that spotlight. The decisions made by Elizabeth II, the queen, and her family, impact large groups of people and have great sway on the morale of society and the world as it is known. To succeed in such an atmosphere requires tremendous amounts of courage and perseverance, especially in a society where politics are dominated by men. For Queen Elizabeth II to not only thrive but to survive in that environment draws on her vast reserves of determination, inner resolve, and confidence. Besides making decisions that affect the general populace of the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand (among others), the Queen has to be steadfast in her decisions and show no signs of weakness.

In conclusion, The Crown, created by Peter Morgan, shows the normalcy, humanity, and great courage of its characters, allowing the audience to see that the difference between them and the characters they may look up to is not so great: courage and resolve in the face of overwhelming odds and circumstances makes all the difference.