Show – Harmony's Pop Culture Corner

The Bear Season 1&2

Harmony Moon — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 05:28:31 +0000

I originally checked this show out because of everyone talking about Jeremy Allen White…and I’ll say I’m impressed. Being from Illinois, it made me happy to see the setting being in Chicago. The whole premise was also intriguing as I have always loved the world of food and restaurants. A fine-dining young chef is suddenly left in charge of his family’s sandwich shop after the untimely death of his older brother. Carmy has to deal with his own mental health while surrounded by the strong personalities of his coworkers, all while trying to keep the shop afloat. Every one of these characters were fantastic, and the actors did remarkable jobs bringing them to life. I watched season 1 and 2 back to back because I just couldn’t stop. Each episode was like an adrenaline rush over and over. Getting to see the complicated relationships and dynamics of everyone develop from running The Beef in season 1, to transforming it into The Bear in season 2 was amazing. I look forward to the next season and seeing what happens next for everyone. This show doesn’t hesitate to show that the characters can be shitty people, but I think it makes you like them more. It transforms the characters from just people on a screen to people you can actually imagine in the real world. For example, I couldn’t stand Richie in the beginning. He was honestly an asshole and felt so full of himself. But as the show continued on and we got to see more about him and the reason he acts how he does, he slowly became one of my favorite characters. It’s easy to understand how this show has been on a lot of people’s minds. From the writing, to the cinematography, and the themes…it’s truly a masterpiece.

Avatar the Last Airbender 2024 Season 1

Harmony Moon — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 19:19:45 +0000

This series has held a special place in people’s hearts since it came out in 2005, and rightfully so. When Netflix announced they’d be making a live action remake, I, and many people were nervous. Live action remakes do not have the best track record for being good, so the worry was understandable. However, I think this show was pretty good. The casting of the characters was well done in my opinion and each actor brought new life to their role. They are following the same format as the original with each season, or book, being dedicated to a different element Aang has to learn. While they were not able to completely cover each plot point from the original, they still managed to keep the most important moments. They also were able to add some more background to certain parts that were only talked about in the cartoon. For example, instead of just hearing about the attack of the Fire Nation on the Air Nomads…we got to see it. Instead of just hearing about the Agni Kai between Firelord Ozai and Zuko…we got to see it. We also got to see the day that the Southern Water Tribe was attacked by the Firebenders and sadly lost Katara and Sokka’s mom. I think witnessing these events added a new layer of understanding to the characters. For me, I think the effects and general atmosphere of this show were the best part. The costumes translated well into real life. The bending effects were cool and believable. All the locations were also absolutely gorgeous. Overall, I thought this remake was very good. I’d have liked a bit more of the humor everyone loves from the cartoon, but maybe we will see it more in the next 2 seasons.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1

Harmony Moon — Sun, 07 Apr 2024 01:30:21 +0000

I had been waiting impatiently for this show since it was first announced and followed EVERY update. Percy Jackson is one of my all time favorite series and I was so excited to see it finally get the attention it deserved. To start off, I absolutely adore this cast. Walker, Aryan, and Leah were born to play our Celestial Trio. The way they each brought Percy, Grover, and Annabeth to life was like the characters stepped out of the book. The rest of the cast was also full of amazing talent too, both known and unknown. Now it being an adaptation, I accepted the fact going into this that not everything would be book accurate. I’ll admit, some things did throw me off when it came to certain choices, but in the end I came to an understanding of why. The main one being how Percy seemed to make quick understanding of mythological beings and creatures. In the books, Percy didn’t always know who he was going up against and had to figure it out. In the show though, Percy had a past knowledge based on us seeing Sally, his mom, telling him mythology stories as he grew up. At first I didn’t like this choice, but when I realized that the episodes were only 30 minutes long, it made more sense than having to draw out Percy figuring things out before facing the challenger. The world of Percy Jackson is so full of amazing fantasy that I believe the team brought to life perfectly. Some plot points did, admittedly, feel rushed. But as I mentioned before, in the time they were given a lot had to be accomplished. Overall, I thought this season was very good. They’ve got a great foundation laid out for our confirmed season two, and hopefully future seasons three through five.

The Artful Dodger

Harmony Moon — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 21:02:15 +0000

I am a simple woman…if Thomas Brodie-Sangster is in something, I will watch it. He has been a favorite of mine for many years, and I can always trust the projects he’s involved in to be great. This show was no exception. Not only does Thomas Sangster play an amazing Jack Dawkins, but add in Maia Mitchell as Lady Belle, and David Thewlis as Fagin, and you’ve got a cast that works seamlessly together to bring these characters and story to life. I’m not the biggest Charles Dickens fan, but being a reader, of course I know the story of Oliver Twist. Then we have this show, which follows a character I know many people loved from the original, Jack Dawkins, 15 years older and trying to leave his life of pickpocketing behind to become a surgeon who challenges the status quo in a colony in Australia. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this show with the perfect mix of period and medical drama that added in elements of romance and the world of crime. Each character was well written and showed loveable aspects of themselves while also not shying away from the fact that they have their flaws. Jack cares about helping people, but he also struggles with his past and the urge to return to crime. Fagin, while seemingly good-hearted, is also very selfish and doesn’t always think of how others might be impacted. Belle is ahead of her time, wanting to be in the world of medicine and make progress, but forgets how privileged her life is being the daughter of a governor. These three are truly the heart of the show, but that’s not to say the other characters also didn’t display the same well-roundedness. Everything was well paced and each storyline built up the characters and the world this show takes place in. Overall, this show was a masterpiece, and I can only hope that it gets the love it deserves so that we may see more of this story unfold.

XO, Kitty

Harmony Moon — Sun, 30 Jul 2023 01:48:12 +0000

I didn’t know what to expect going into XO, Kitty. All I knew was that I had enjoyed ‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before’ and was a fan of K-Dramas. After watching it though, I must say it gave me all the ‘classic’ feelings. Giddiness when characters were having sweet and romantic interactions. Anxiety when the drama was growing. Happiness when things worked out how I hoped they would. The main character, Kitty, is someone we’ve already known from her sister’s story…but now it was her turn, and it was nice getting to see more into who Kitty is as an individual. Throughout the season we see her grow more into herself as she takes the leap to live abroad and learns new things about herself. The other characters also all had their own merits too. Dae being the sweetheart you can’t help to love. Gia being the back and forth character who sometimes you like and sometimes you hate..and of course…Minho, the sarcastic hottie who you also can’t help but to love. It’s hard to pick who I hope Kitty ends up with in this seemingly love-square, but however it goes, I think I’ll be satisfied. Overall, I’d rate this show as very good, and I’m excited to see what happens next. I can only hope that we witness more growth from Kitty, and can see more into the lives of the others as well on their journeys.

Lockwood & Co.

Harmony Moon — Sat, 11 Feb 2023 00:43:50 +0000

I have not been keeping up all that much with original Netflix shows, so at first, I wasn’t aware that this show existed. Scrolling through suggestions with my mom and this pops up, so we checked it out. This show is, firstly, very well done. I found out that it is based on a book series of the same name, and while I haven’t read the books (yet), from what I’ve heard from readers, this show stays pretty true to the source material. It’s got the perfect blend or mystery, suspense, and action. The concept is also a very cool one too. Following three youths with gifts that allow them to see, hear, and fight ghosts… which have become a big problem in the world. Our three main characters are also quite likable in their own ways. George is the quirky brains of the group. Lucy is the stricter one who keeps the boys in line. Lockwood is the brooding leader you can’t help but love. I absolutely adore these three characters and their relationships with one another. It’s so very tender and caring, and you watch their bond grow deeper throughout the season. Overall, I would give this show a rating of great. I hope it gets renewed for a second season, and I think I’ll be checking out the books, too!