Irrelevant But Awesome

Alexa:  I will freely admit that Netflix’s “A Christmas Prince” is objectively a bad movie, but it is perfect for those of us looking for some pure holiday cheese. It has just the right blend of Christmas magic, royal scandal, the picturesque scenery of fake European countries, and absurdly rushed romance. Naturally, I was hoping for more of the same with “A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding,” but I was pretty disappointed! Naturally with a title that includes the words “Royal Wedding” I was expecting just that - some fabulous royal wedding planning with plenty of drama. But the wedding was almost the subplot of a movie about this England/Switzerland hybrid country’s financial collapse and the corruption that led to it. Naturally Amber, perhaps one of the world’s least experienced investigative journalists, uncovers the truth with her extensive note taking (i.e. writing the word “Fishy?” in her untouched reporter’s notebook) and Princess Emily’s random hacking skills. And p...

Alexa:  I have to admit something. I didn’t grow up watching Monty Python, and as such, I’ve always felt like I’m missing something when I view it now. Monty Python is notoriously hilarious but I don’t laugh out loud at it as much as I feel like I should. I felt that way about “Holy Grail” and had the same reaction to “Life of Brian.” It’s not that I don’t like it or don’t think it’s funny. On the contrary, I think this movie is whip-smart in its social commentary and its humor. The Python guys have such a unique sensibility, and “Life of Brian” is expertly executed. I just found myself appreciating it as an art form more than I found myself actually laughing at it, if that makes sense. I acknowledge that this is a personal failing on my part, to recognize that it’s funny without laughing much. There were a few moments that really had me rolling, like the grammar correction scene Jason mentioned and the “what have the Romans ever done for us” bit. But as revered as Python is, ...

Chris:  I wonder if anybody was actually convinced with all the times Jimmy talked about being fine and robot-like with his lack of sadness over his father’s death because this could be a case of him protesting too much. In the previous seasons, we saw how he’s reacting in different scenarios in regards to his dad. The extreme emotion over his dad sending him a soccer jersey, the one-on-one conversation they had when his dad came to town that seemed to really resolve some issues and finally, when Jimmy had every intention of being angry with him over the phone, Jimmy instead to be adorable and tell his dad about his book being sold. Jimmy is more emotionally connected to his father than he cares to admit which is a running theme for Jimmy throughout the show. Jimmy likes to act like he isn’t bogged down by common human emotion but in actuality, he’s just as emotional as anyone else. So I don’t know if he really believes this death doesn’t affect him but much like the drawer th...

Chris:  You know Edgar is bad off when someone like Vernon feels to need to be serious and tell Edgar that he needs help and hopefully that’s the awakening Edgar needs to realize that he can’t get by on his own. I realize that if you’re just reading my reviews and not watching the show, it sounds like this is the most dramatic show of all the dramas. First off, my reviews aren’t nearly as good as the show so get you a Hulu subscription and stop being a weirdo. Secondly, I feel like if I talk about the humor, I’ll be saying the same thing over and over about how funny and original the jokes are and there’s really a few different ways to convey that without sounding repetitive. However the drama and the issues being tackled by the characters are ever-changing and really the humor of the show serves as an entry point to talk about some rough subjects. The irreverence of the humor brings these huge serious issues down to our level to show that they aren’t some unconquerable mounta...

Chris:  Well the interesting facts just keep coming with this season with the debut of Gretchen’s therapist who also happens to be Poussey from Orange is the New Black and it’s great to see her not having to wear a jumpsuit. While the death of Jimmy’s father will be the major story of this season, Edgar’s PTSD is the main issue much like Gretchen’s depression was in the previous season. It’s like the show is taking every character’s major but solvable problems and knocking them off one by one. Edgar’s condition isn’t something new but this is the first time it’s really been front and center. Right now, Edgar is in the stage of where he thinks he can be off his meds and be okay because it’s preferable to not being able to perform in the bedroom. This is common solution many people take with any problem, Gretchen even tried it herself last season and led to the majority of her emotional outbursts and eventually feeling nothing. It’s easy to sit here and wish Edgar wouldn’t refra...

Chris:  Well let’s start off with a couple interesting things within the episode and they all revolve around Gretchen walking over to the Hispanic church service. First of all, the security guard outside the door when she leaves the club to walk across the street is the same bouncer she hooked up with in season one when she was trying to get even with Jimmy. I appreciate that even though he didn’t have any lines, the guard still look surprised and a little nervous when he realised it was Gretchen that walked by him. Secondly, Lucha Underground fans should have noticed that the minister of the Hispanic church is none other than the man in charge of LU, Dario Cueto. All your kayfabe is broken. And finally, as another reference that the church wasn’t there a week ago and will be something else soon, the name of the church is Iglasia Mas o Menos which translates to “Church...more or less.” I know these things are inconsequential to the plot of this episode but the little attention...

Alexa:  I’m a sucker for offbeat, low-key sci-fi fare and “The Lobster” certainly checks a lot of those boxes. I thought the trailers gave off an “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” vibe, but “The Lobster” has little in common with anything else I’ve ever seen. While ultimately not as poignant or thoughtfully constructed as “Eternal Sunshine,” there is a lot about “The Lobster” that works. Director Yorgos Lanthimos (who is currently gaining strong Oscar buzz for his new movie “The Favourite”) creates a distinctly bleak world. The hotel is polished and refined but with an almost ashen color palette that hints at something sinister. It’s a world obsessed with romance but one built on a superficial foundation of instant gratification rather than investing time in cultivating a real connection. Is having nearsightedness in common really enough to forge a lifetime of love? It’s certainly an intriguing and timely commentary bolstered by the direction and performances, but I agre...

Chris:  Well if there was ever a sentiment expressed in You’re the Worst that I can agree with, I can’t believe it came from Vernon when he said “Don’t see The Babadook.” I do love that this episode addresses what I originally thought was a huge plot hole and that was “Why doesn’t Gretchen just get the correct meds from a licensed professional?” And now that the show has given a very Gretchen-appropriate answer, I feel silly for ever wondering that in the first place. I enjoyed this episode because the stress of the season in the main plot had mostly already been resolved in the previous episode so I felt like I could sit back and enjoy the rest of the cast either resolve their arches or start new ones for next season. It’s interesting to see Lindsay, who has made improvements over the course of this season, get back together with Paul which is something she would’ve killed for earlier but now it’s like she instantly regrets it as soon as she has to sit “side-bitch.” Of course...

Chris:  This is it. This is the episode that put You’re the Worst on a higher pedestal for me and this was made me determined to do a review series about it with the ultimate goal of trying to get as many of my friends hooked on this show as I am. Specifically, the moment I’m mostly referring to is the blanket tent scene that was all in the build up which made this seemingly simple moment resonate on such an emotional response with just about everyone I’ve talked to that has watched the show. No, the moment doesn’t fix Gretchen but it did make her finally feel something again, something she had been desperately tried to do over the course of the last few episodes and had reached the point where she assumed she would be like this forever. This doesn’t absolve Jimmy for wanting to go to the cabin weekend retreat with bar girl but he does finally do something right by just being there. In my own thankfully brief experience with depression, simply being there for the individual th...