For some reason though, there was a lot I did not know about the show. The first season seems a lot like Three’s Company. I remember it being a part of TGIF… but the first season wasn’t all that kid-friendly. Now when I say that, I don’t mean it was raunchy or inappropriate. In the first season, Mark Cooper, Vanessa Russell, and Robin Dumars live as roommates in a house that they rent together. I don’t know that I would live with a male friend mostly because who wants to constantly talk about putting the seat down? Mark, whose room is in the den, had initially moved in with Robin and Vanessa to help them with their rent. Gotta love the arguments that ensue over who spends too much time in the bathroom and Mark eating all the groceries. Robin is Mark’s childhood friend and Vanessa is Robin’s best friend (and sorority sister) from college. Robin is played by Dawnn Lewis. And if you read my post about A Different World, you would know how much I love her. Not sure why she had to leave. The first season worked just fine with her. She even did the theme song. It was my favorite. I didn’t get why she didn’t stay past season 1. When Raven and her mother take over in the house… It was one of the more seamless transitions that I have seen on television. (Still miss Dawnn though.)

So like I usually do in these instances, I have a list of episodes that I think are pretty great. I will say… I have enjoyed this show more than I thought I would. And more than I remember doing so in the past. So let’s jump into some of my favorite episodes from the show.

Hangin with Michelle (Season 1, Episode 2) – You guys know Michelle Tanner right? LOL. So this was not an episode that I remember seeing but again it makes perfect sense given that the shot has a spot on TGIF. Since Mark is a substitute teacher, he subs for Michelle’s class. I was hoping to see Tahj as Teddy. He’s not there but I do get to see Jurnee Smollett. Young me screamed out. Poor Mark is out of his league with the first graders. He ends up hurting his back and needing to be wheeled out of the classroom on a stretcher. Michelle comes to visit (being dropped off by Uncle Jesse.) but she ends up causes Mark more pain. Not purposefully but Mark is pretty good with kids. It is no wonder he is a teacher.

Cheers (Season 1, Episode 5) – Did Mark irritate people in a past life? Because he can’t seem to make into the PE department. The Principal wants Mark to help the Cheerleading team win the cheer competition. Seems like he is setting the team at a disadvantage. What does Mark know about Cheerleading? Nothing. I see Countess Vaughan here as one of the cheerleaders though. Mark may be about jokes but he does come through when students are involved. When Vanessa shows that she knows about cheerleading… Mark enlists her help to help him train the girls. He gets the girls pumped for their competition even though they come in second place. But the girls want him to remain their coach for the season.

My Dinner Date with Mark (Season 1, Episode 9) – Vanessa can be a bit sheltered and uppity… But she is good people. Reminds me of Whitley.. except less rude. Vanessa is given the opportunity to pitch her new idea to bring in a new client. She corners the client (Mrs. Walker) in the elevator and actually secures the meeting. The thing that annoyed me…. and this has to be because the show aired in the early 90’s was the fact that Mrs. Walker kept calling Vanessa a secretary as if there was something wrong with that or somehow beneath her. She doesn’t want to talk to anyone who is not an executive. Weird since the idea for how to invest her money came from Vanessa. When Vanessa figures out that her boss is stuck at the airport and wants her to reschedule… there is a dilemma. Vanessa tells Robin, there is no way she can reschedule since Mrs. Walker didn’t want to deal with her in the first place. It is Robin who suggests that she get someone to pretend to be an executive… because nothing can go wrong there. Who else could it be but Mark? Mark can be troublesome but he comes through in the clutch to seal the deal. But it is all ruined in the end.

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Season 1, Episode 14) – When teachers go on strike, Mark is left to try and find another job. He manages to secure a position in the mailroom of Vanessa’s company. Vanessa starts out thinking that she can order Mark around. However, Mark is never one to be told what to do. He manages to land a higher position which means that he is Vanessa’s boss. She can’t handle that. Mark dazzles accidentally on his short lived fame of playing with the Warriors. He is bringing clients without really trying. Mark has a natural ability which is driving Vanessa crazy. She tries to kill him but decides to quit first. Before she can do so, Mark is replaced with another celebrity and sent back to his teaching job. Poor Mark.

Piano Lesson (Season 1, Episode 19) – Robin’s boyfriend, Jason, gives Robin a necklace. Robin assumes that she will go to Hawaii that weekend. She cuts out on her hang day with Mark at the pool hall. She pushes Vanessa to go with him instead. (Recipe for disaster? Sure.) Vanessa does not fit in with the crowd even though she claims to know how to play pool. She gets Mark into a fight. SMH. When they get back home, they tell Robin they had a great time at the pool house and that they won the game. This leads Mark and Vanessa to go to a Jazz Concert. Meanwhile, Robin’s boyfriend tells Robin that he has to go to Hawaii for meetings and can not bring her along. She starts feeling like a third wheel to Vanessa and Mark. There is a great scene where they try to explain to Mark why Robin is upset, even though Robin never expressly said why. Mark even asks her why she didn’t just say she was mad and why? Poor Mark didn’t get it. LOL.

Free at Last (Season 2, Episode 5) – Vanessa has an idea that she is going to be promoted at her job… Toplin and Toplin (Is this a father and son? Are they brothers? I mean it is not essential to the story but I would like to know.) Things don’t go as planned when she attempts to move into the office with the help of Mark and they both meet the new guy… She is asked to train the new man that is going to be her boss. Needless to say, she makes far less than he does and is still expected to get him up to speed. (We have all been there right?) Mark later points out that her bosses would not have asked that of a man. (He’s not wrong.) He tells her to demand her promotion. So she does just that… But she ends up fired. She decides to pick up another job at a Japanese Restaurant. SMH. What would make her think she would want to work at a restaurant of any kind? She invites Geneva, Mark and Nicole to dinner. (Another thing I wondered… why did they keep making this man sit on the floor? It seemed like a lot for him to get down on the floor. Mark Curry is all limbs people.) He tries to save the day with the man on the hibachi up and quits. (Not his fault… Because Vanessa is notoriously bad at her job.) It is the disaster you are picturing in your minds. Pretty Funny though.

Air Cooper (Season 2, Episode 10) – They wore out the “Mark played for the Warriors thing.” More like he did. But I mean… At this point, it had already gotten him a job with Vanessa. So when he was offered a commercial by Vanessa’s boyfriend. I didn’t bat an eye. He thinks that he is going to be the star of the commercial. He tells everyone and of course they want to put in a request for new sneakers. And who wouldn’t. He cons his boss into renting out the gym so that it can be filmed. And he looks good with the ball in hands. But because he is actually talented that have to talk him into missing baskets. He doesn’t seem to get that the director wants to paint him in worst light possible. He catches on and decides to continue doing the commercial for the money. But P. J and the team back him up. There is a point where he walks over to the a sign hanging up on the gym wall behind him and pulling it down. It is times like that where I remember how tall he is. The great thing is at the end.. the commercial is made and the idea around it was revamped with Mark in a much better light.

Private School (Season 2, Episode 12) – Mark gets pimped out for Black History Month. (I won’t go into detail about how that is a trend for February…) P.J. assigns Mark to teach Black history at an expensive private school for one week. Seeing that the class is all-white, he decides to teach them “from slavery to Soul Train.” It doesn’t help that the school has much more amenities for teachers not to mention better pay. When the principal offers him a job at a much higher salary, Mark has a big decision to make. He takes his job as a teacher and coach seriously. And he wants to see all of his students succeed. But we all know how well public schools are funded, how well teachers are paid and how much worse it is when we are talking about intercity public schools. Mark manages to look past the money and stay with Oakbridge High.

It’s My Party and I’ll Die if I Want To (Season 2, Episode 14) – Is there nothing more 90’s than an episode where someone thinks they are dying? It is almost Mark’s 30th birthday and there is not a better present than Tyler finding a weird growth on his arm. Tyler is one busybody neighbor whose parents seem just find with sending him to disturb mostly Mark. (How come people do not lock their door?) Tyler tells Mark about a relative that had a weird growth and died. (There is no real explanation. Those two things may not even be connected but no matter.) Mark gets it removed at a doctor’s office where she tells him that she will call him with the results. (That big baby was scared of a needle.) So what ensues a series of miscommunications. Mark uses a baby monitor to listen in to Geneva and Vanessa to find out what he is getting for his birthday… (He doesn’t know that they know he is listening…) However, they sound like he’s not going to live long. He takes it to mean that the doctor called and that he is dying. He spends the rest of the episode crossing things off his bucket list and giving away his belongings. Bungee Jumping. It is at his party where it is revealed that he is fine. SMH. It is still pretty funny.

My Achy Breaky Back (Season 3, Episode 9) – This is by far my favorite episode of the series. No lie. I was watching an interview with Mark Curry where he talks about having to be physical to get the show. No where is it more apparent than this episode. So it starts off with an injury to Mark’s back trying to get groceries out of the car. Just before the injury he talks about getting an interview with a college basketball club. Is the back injury going to keep him from the interview? Absolutely not which may not be the best idea. He hobbles into school and refuses help until he is almost in tears. Ervin thinks he is helping but he just makes things worse. Vanessa talks him into coming to her doctor’s office for treatment. (Why in the world would he trust her at all is beyond me?) He ends up strapped to this table, getting electroshocks. When Vanessa leaves the room, he ends up spinning around uncontrollably. When Vanessa finally pulls him off the table… He can at least stand on his own accord with no pain. All seems to be well… until the next day when Marks starts having uncontrollable muscle spasms…. (He flings his cereal on Geneva. I had tears in my eyes. I could not have been counted on to film this scene with them.) Vanessa reveals that 2 out of 3 patients have the same issues. I would think that is something you would tell someone before you do a procedure on them. But hey. They try to get Mark to reschedule his interview but he can’t. He is like a walking tornado in that man’s office. It is some of the best physical comedy that I have seen in a while.

The Matchmaker (Season 3, Episode 20) – There is nothing like a family member (or anyone ) that shows up unannounced. In this case, we have Aunt Eunetta who takes 6 days to drive from Georgia to Oakland and parks her RV in their driveway. She spends her week harassing the trio by claiming she can match these single people up by reading their heads. Poor single people can’t ever get things done in their lives without an older person wanting to set them up. SMH. Like she actually strong armed Vanessa on the couch. Aunt Eunetta decides that Vanessa is the best person for Mark. The funny part would be dream sequences both Mark and Vanessa have about what their relationships would be like if they do get together. Mark and Vanessa decide to head out to the Anita Baker concert since she purchased the tickets for it prior to her and her boyfriend breaking up. Mark and Vanessa, get stuck in an elevator and share a kiss to dispel her prediction and discover that they enjoy kissing each other. (It is Vanessa’s idea… Mark never seems put off by it.)

R.E.S.P.E.C.T (Season 4, Episode 9) – Geneva is fed up with doing everything for everyone and having to work. (The working family woman’s plight.) Except in Geneva’s case… Mark and Vanessa are not kids. They should be doing their own laundry as well as cooking their own food. Mark is fed up with Geneva’s rules and opens his big mouth to say so. (Mark is usually not so pigheaded so this was disappointing but he gets it in the end.) Geneva decides to move out with Nicole since she is not getting any respect. Mark invites his inconsiderate friends Steve and Lydell to move in, causing Vanessa to move out. Very quickly we realize that the shoe is on the other foot. They don’t clean or pay for anything. Mark is the new Geneva which makes it easier for him to understand her plight. (Tyler is the one who points out that his complaints mirror Geneva’s and why she had so many rules.) Nicole and Tyler set Geneva and Mark up so that they can talk to each other and Mark can apologize… Eventually things get back to normal.

Rivals (Season 4, Episode 17) – Jamie Foxx guest stars…. After their teams trade pranks against each other’s mascot, Mark’s rival coach fakes a heart attack. Later, Mark is banned from their game. Mark tries to get people to believe that Jamie is faking but no one is on his side. Geneva is stuck between a rock and a hard place because she has to eject Mark from the game. Mark decides to dress up like the opposing teams mascot to gain entry to the gym and coach his team incognito. He gets them both thrown out of the game. They can’t even watch the game. They patch things up in the locker room because there is really nothing else to do.

True Confessions (Season 4, Episode 20) – This episode made me want to kick Mark in the shins. But do people use words anymore? Do they talk about how they feel? Did they ever? Anyway, after Geneva introduces Vanessa to a successful, handsome man, Mark does everything he can to sabotage the developing relationship. He interrupts their date by sitting in between them and talking about the history of basketball. (Like from its inception to the present.) Vanessa can’t get him to go away no matter how angry she is. Then he decides to make it up to her and her date by buying 4 tickets to a Whitney Houston Concert. He gets Vanessa to agree to double date with him and another woman. (Why she agreed is beyond me… It has to do with Whitney I bet.) What we find out later is that Mark’s date is the ex fiance of Mark’s date. (He had to know that to begin with.) Needless to say, the ex couple rekindles their relationship leaving Vanessa out to dry. Vanessa exacts on Mark by taking a crowbar to his car. She forces him to admit that he was jealous because he wants to be with her. (It goes back to the first episodes when Robin points out that Mark is attracted to Vanessa… and to the Matchmaker episode.) Vanessa is the one who suggests they share a kiss to make sure they have chemistry. It is Mark who suggests that they do it again.

Breaking Up is Hard to Do (Season 4, Episode 21) – At breakfast, Mark and Vanessa announce that they are dating. Things start out fine until they have dinner with Vanessa’s stale friends. Mark starts off tell her he does not want to hang out with Ben and Barb…. They listen to AM radio… I mean that is reason enough. (I ask again why they keep making this sit on the floor. He looks so awkward getting up and down. SOMEONE GET THIS MAN A CHAIR.) During the date, he complains that he is bored to tears…. I mean the man is talking to him about rice. (The fact that I found interesting though is when describes his preferred night… even though he mentions basketball… he says he wants to watch a game at home with her… And then the twins show up that know Mark and things progessively get worse… After their first fight, they decide that it would be better if they were just friends. It is a bit extreme I know. (I used to think my guy had to double date with me all the time.) Both Mark and Vanessa go on dates with other people (more to make the other person jealous than because they actually like the people they are dating. Mark actually dates the twins at the same time.) Eventually, since both Mark and Vanessa are stubborn, Geneva has to forced them back together in a ball pit… and yes that is as whacky as it sounds.

Will She or Won’t She? (Season 4, Epsiode 22) – Lydell comes over to let everyone know that he and his girlfriend, Florence have decided to get married. While both Geneva and Vanessa are ecstatic about it. Mark is not. He likens marriage to prison and wives as wardens. While Vanessa is disappointed to hear this… she isn’t shocked. This wasn’t the last time I heard this attitude towards marriage but why be in a relationship with a person you do not like? Also why not just be happy for your friend? Despite wanting to marry Mark, (because where is this relationship going?) Vanessa innocently has lunch with her former boyfriend. Geneva spills the beans on purpose it seems like because she did very little to keep her mouth shut. When Mark finds out, he frantically proposes marriage to her. SMH… Why would you do this only to keep her away from someone else. I wanted to pluck both of his eyes. LOL. Vanessa rejects him, thinking he only did it out of jealousy and she was not wrong. Since Mark is Lydell’s Best Man, he has the good luck to be the one to keep the man from jumping out of his skin and running away before he leaves the alter. Lydell repeats a lot of what Mark spouted about marriage but Mark assures him he is making the right decision. Mark decides then that the right decision is to seriously propose to Vanessa which he does at a Warriors game. It was cute. Probably better if she actually liked sports. But I will say it did take her by surprise.

The Ring (Season 5, Episode 1) – This man proposed with no ring ya’ll. So when they announce their engagement to Geneva, naturally she wants to see the ring. Mark and Vanessa eventually go ring shopping together. But Vanessa has expensive tastes… and Mark, who on a teachers salary, is trying to save money. The cheapest ring that Vanessa was looking at was $14000. Ma’am… what. This episode is over 20 years old but 14k seems like a lot for me. More because I don’t have that to throw around. Mark tries to save money and impress Vanessa by cutting corners and you and I know that never works. He enlists the help of Ervin… I am not sure why he called Ervin. Ervin is never the go to person. They end up at this back alley marketplace trying to buy a ring. The cheapest they found is 5K but Mark only has 2K and tries to work out a deal with the guy. He leaves with the ring but soon finds out that he needs to come up with the other 3K. Instead of taking the ring from Vanessa… although he tries… He ends up giving away his ride to make her happy. But she doesn’t allow that. It was a cute scene where he gives her the ring.

The In-Laws (Season 5, Episode 3) – Vanessa is in a tizzy because her parents are in town and want to meet Mark. She fears they won’t like him… She attempts to prep him for a meeting with her dad… and things go horribly awry. With all the preparation, Mark still gets drunk and makes a complete fool of himself. Well more like Vanessa’s father gets him drunk. It is a ploy to try to drive them apart but Vanessa stands her ground in her decision. Evenutally, her mother makes her father apologize and they have proper do over. But drunk Mark is great.

In the end, it was a fun rewatch. Mark is pretty funny and great at physical comedy. Watching this show led me to watch a lot of his stand-up. I was not disappointed. I enjoyed the characters and the fact that he was a black male teacher. There are still not enough of those 30 years later. It was a bit cheesy but I am always cool with that. Maybe it is me… but I do not think it got enough recognition back in the day. Like people don’t talk about it much. But thank goodness these shows are seeing a resurgence on streaming services. And here’s to hoping we get more shows like it. That is all for now.

Grocery Store…

1. Grocery shopping has gotten on my nerve so badly that I really avoid places like Walmart on a whole. I do not care how much money I could be saving. There is something about not being able to get out of there. I used to think that it was an issue with the locations nearest me, but then I traveled and I realized that they shifted to Supercenters… and cared not about getting people on the registers. Here I am 15 years later still complaining about their lack of registers. They want you in there and never to leave. I have been at places where they will see people waiting and then open a register. Walmart never does that.

2. In the pandemic, the grocery store was the place that I still had to interact with people regularly. And I am not talking the staff. The workers are usually great. (They really should be paid more money.) When I say people… I mean customers. I am not sure what it is about me that makes me want to bump into me with their cart…? People just walk like they are the only person in the store. I used to jump out of the way but now I keep walking and watch the look of panic on the other person’s face when they see me from a mile away… get in my path and then realize I am not moving to accommodate them.

3. So… what is with the need to walk down the center of the aisle? No one can get past you on either side… as you meander down the aisle looking at things you know you’re not going to buy. The person always looks up like “Am I in your way?” Of course you are. You are in everyone’s way because you are in the middle of the aisle. The aisles are narrow enough but here you come. Reading the ingredients on something you aren’t going to buy.

4. I would have assumed that chain stores had the same foot print. But it is incredibly annoying to walk into a store and it have a completely different layout than the one near your home or the one by your job. Makes the trip longer trying to figure out where they have stashed the product. Shopping for my mother, I spent 20 minutes at a store looking for where they kept the q-tips. Pharmacy or Baby aisle. It was neither by the way.

5. Goodness gracious… don’t let there be a storm coming then people lose their minds. Now keep in mind I live in an area where blizzards, tornadoes, severe thunderstorms aren’t frequent. (Rain yes. SEVERE thunderstorms… no.) So when there is an announcement that there may be some weather that is not sunny… people head out in droves to buy up all the eggs and bread they can find. That usually makes it hard for me on my weekly trips. They announced that there would be a bit of snow a few weeks ago. (Let me point out that when we get snow… it is usually gone by mid day.) I went in to get a few things and every other person had like 6 loaves of bread in their carts. Weird. I had to get loaf because mom eats toast with breakfast and it was almost gone.

6. So now I am heading into checkout and there is nothing better than standing in line and the person behind you … has their cart touching your back. And they can’t imagine why they keep getting the evil eye from you. Why are you so close? Why do I have to ask why you are so close? No one is going to hop in front of you blatantly. You don’t have to be so close.

7. The only complaint that I have with the workers… and I find that I am in the minority now… but when the baggers just jams a bunch of things into the bags. That annoys me. (I am aware though that people ask for that… so you know. A sign of the times.) My fruit ends up bruise and packages end up opened. It doesn’t save me any time or energy if I have to chase by water down that has rolled away. Just saying.

Movies…

Let’s move into the movie realm… I used to work for a 3rd party company that took calls (complaints) for a large moviehouse. I have never seen so many people complain about something that was not a big deal… Since working this job… the idea of going to the movies has worn thin for me. Now new movies are coming out on streaming services there is no need to rub elbows with strangers anymore. People are weird.

1. Nothing like sitting next to a person who keeps looking at their bright phone. (It is always weird to me how bright other people keep their phones… I wear glasses too…) Calling themselves being discreet but you can tell that they have no idea what they are doing. They usually have the brightest lights and think no one will notice after the lights go out. And then get offended when people say something about it.

2. Feet on the back of the chair… That has always annoyed me. It makes me agree with my dad. “This is not your living room.” I hate it even more now that I had to take a complaint call for a woman who was annoyed that she was asked to leave the movie with no compensation because people kept complaining. She actually called in like she was right. She was actually trying to explain to me that she had a right to put her feet up on someone else’s chair because she paid to see the movie. Customer service was never my strong suit because was a bit of a smart ass back then… I asked her… “Were you the only person that paid? Everyone else got in free then?” She got silent. It actually took her a minute t realize that I didn’t agree with her at all. She was actually trying to tell me that the customer that complained was overreacting because she had her feet on his armrest. She said he saw her feet there and should have sat someone where else. Ugh where do people get off? She escalated on me and my boss said the same thing. Get your damn feet off of me. Paying for a movie… or a concert… only entitles you to the movie or the concert.

3. People who go the shows with me usually are annoyed that I am not interested in sitting in the middle of the aisle. Usually because I have to go to the bathroom a lot. When the feeling hits me… I am not in the mood for having to climb over people who see you coming and make no move to try and accomodate you. (On the other side of things… They don’t want to be climbed over.) It is sad because every time a person gets up… you know they have to come back. Every time you have to get up and head down the row, you disrupt the movie for every single person in that row, behind that row, and directly in front of that row. Just sit. It’s only a couple hours.

4. Babies…. (And I mean legit babies.) I have no issue with kids in the movie theater or their chatter especially if it is a kid’s movie. Especially since I have been in adult theaters listening to grown people talk and even be on the phone. But there is something about a crying baby in the movie that just seems out of place. And usually instead of taking the child out they try to calm the baby while everyone else is trying to watch the movie. Like they legit try to hold off… I wonder why the infant… and I stress the word infant is at the 10 pm showing of Bad Boys for Life.

5. Latecomers. It never ceased to amaze me the number of people that would call in and ask for free tickets because they showed up to the theater late. I remember vividly this gentleman calling me because he was given a free ticket for one or other of the Marvel movies… It was 2013-2014.. so take your pick but he was annoyed that his family of 5 or 6 could not sit together after they showed up 45 minutes late. (When people say things like this to me… I wonder if they have ever visited a movie theater in their lives.) He apparently wanted free tickets for his family to come another day. Where was his family you ask… still in the theater watching the movie. (That made my eyes glazed over.) Most films have about 20 minutes of trailers, so if there is traffic or you can’t park, then you have a small window of opportunity where it is still acceptable to walk in. (So just imagine how late he was.) I would never enter a movie theater well after the movie has started and climb over people who have been sitting there 45 minutes. Much less think that there should be 5-6 seats together. History fact: Alfred Hitchcock wanted no late comers to see Psycho (1960) because they would have no idea what the plot twist at the end was about.

6. There is always a group of friends that think EVERY THING in the movie is hilarious. Are we watching the same movie? Nothing was that funny. I always wonder if they have had a few at dinner. But then theaters started serving alcohol… so… This issue is they laugh so loud and for so long that you’ve missed the next two minutes of the film.

7. We all know the happy couples that come into the theater and spend much of the movie sucking face. Why pay that kind of money to not watch the movie at all. Seems like a waste to me. And I do not want to listen to you guys suck face either.

In General…

1. Why are you misspelling my name and it is in the email or instant message I sent to you? Some people will say… it is no big deal but come on… Just put in a bit of effort.

2. If someone is giving you a ride, offer gas money. No matter where you live. I had a person ask me to drive them home from work on day… Two days before payday. And she wasn’t remotely in the same direction as I was going… I went out of my way about 30 minutes. Not once did she offer to spot me any money. Gas tank was on E. We almost didn’t make it. People doing you a favor arent to be taken advantage of.

3. It has been a while since I was in a place with an elevator … but there was something that was hard for society to grasp about letting a person off before you get on. The number of times that people almost bump into each other all day every day was interesting. Speaking of elevators… not sure why a person would get on a packed elevator and then when a door opens they don’t even move out of the way to see if someone is getting off.

4. UGH… not wearing headphone in public. No one wants to hear your music. No one is going to be impressed by your taste. They are going to be annoyed that you are raging against the machine at the grocery store while they trying to get a pack of chicken. I remember when this woman bought her teenager (13-14) in with his bluetooth speaker into the grocery store with his speaker wailing. I am just wondering why the adult that was with him figured it was okay.

5. Walking through people’s photos is weird. You see people at a theme park or something trying to get a picture… all of a sudden everyone needs to cross through at that moment. Doesn’t take much to go around.

6. Standing too close to other people in line… even before covid… I never understood why (like in the grocery store) you would need to be so close that you are breathing on me. Usually to make everyone uncomfortable… I turn around and face them pretending that I am looking for something… Then all of sudden everyone understands space.

7. Eating someone else’s food. I dont understand why this is hard. You shouldn’t be reaching into my plate for any reason. If I offer you something that is one thing. And if something is in the fridge and you didn’t purchase it… then it shouldn’t pass through your lips without talking to the person that did buy it. And no a person that didn’t buy it can’t give permisson.

8. Walking down the street side by side… There is always this look on the face of people who don’t feel like they should make room on the sidewalk. If I am walking by myself they really expect me to make room for them… now I just keep walking and watch the panic on their faces. It is like Russian Roulette.

9. Spam callers… they have the nerve to be annoyed when you bombard them with questions when they are the ones that call you repeatedly. GO AWAY.

10. People that take up two parking spaces…. there car is so precious to them but not enough for them to make a trek into the store. They still manage find two spaces close to the entrance.

11. Delivering packages to the wrong address. Something about the post office near me that doesn’t believe I should get my stuff unless I jump through hoops. There is nothing better than trying to schedule picking up your package and everyone and their momma making it difficult to receive the stuff you paid for.

12. Facebook requests…. for games or otherwise. No I am not interested in helping you with your farm… or whatever game your are playing. (But this was from like 10 years ago. Either people aren’t playing much on facebook or they aren’t bothering me.) The real issue I have is the business pages that “friends” want you to like and support… even though you haven’t spoken to these people in years. You only know me if you need support?

13. Speaking of… Don’t message me with a get rich quick scheme. No, I don’t want to make more money. If you had the money, you claim you did you wouldn’t be reaching out to me. There is always someone that has a pyramid scheme they want you to get in on. And it usually someone that you haven’t heard from in years. They now remember they know you.

14. I hate small talk. I don’t care about the weather nor do you care how I am doing… I find small talk hard to navigate. When it is over? What usually signifies the end? I could do without it. No real information is gleamed from it.

15. Public Transportation is a bit much. It really needs its own list. But it is the same thing with the elevators… people trying to get on before people get off. It can be overcrowded but yeah you can make this run smoothly if you let people get off first.

16. Speaking of public transportation… What is it with people that have to sit next to you.. The bus or the train is damn near empty but here comes someone hellbent on sitting next to you. Insert eyeroll.

17. Teachers who love to point out only a handful of people passed their exams. It is a weird flex… like if you have a lecture hall for 300-350 people and only like 10 people passed the exam… doesn’t that mean it is you? That maybe the way you are teaching this isn’t as effective as you think. It is not a sign that you somehow triumphed and are smarter than everyone else in the class. (That is usually a given specifically about the the topic you are teaching).

18. Cable companies… I went with just internet a few years ago and never looked back. Even with the streaming services that I use… it is nothing compared to that triple play that they kept pushing on people. They then upped the prices for internet… started charging people by usage (because no one wanted cable anymore.) I won’t even get into how sports channels and things keep getting cut but they keep raising the prices. You can’t even watch something for a major network without signing into a cable account. I know another streaming service that keeps upping the price but we aren’t getting more/better content. I got an email from my provider… that I was over my usage because I got new firesticks…

19. If you borrow something, return it in the same condition as I gave it to you. Respect people’s things. Don’t loan out things that were given on loan to you. I had several family members send me things (books, cds, etc.) and it took months to get those things back. Granted, I was younger and thought it would make me friends. But there was some things that were never returned to me… (I shouldn’t have loaned it out at all.) But it really soured me on giving things out to people. I had been friends with some people for years and they were just like… “Well I don’t know where… such and such is… ” Kanye shrug and they would get annoyed when you brought it up.

20. The Married Wives Club (This is self explanatory.)

That is all that comes to mind right now. Feel free to add to the list in the comments section. I may drop back in and add things as they come to mind.

You’ll hear about the bench stepping up in the biggest moments, OG Anunoby’s iconic putback, the Knicks claiming both the NBA Cup and the Larry O’Brien Trophy, and the parade that turned New York City into a sea of blue and orange.

Hockey has been a new thing that I share with my friend Leah. Nothing like enjoying something and not knowing the closest person to you enjoyed the same thing… but you two never mention it to each other. (See my post about the Black Girl Hockey Club.) If I remember correctly, it came up when Leah turned on a game and had been excited about Pittsburgh Penguins having won the Stanley Cup finals the year before. When I mentioned that I was disappointed with the way things had turned out for the Rangers, Leah turned to me and asked, “Do you like hockey?” She and I had been friends for about 10 years before we discovered our mutual like for hockey.

Before coming back to baseball, and getting into hockey, I hadn’t watched sports in years. Being stuck at home changes your outlook on things pretty quickly. Have to entertain yourself gets rough.

I realize now that I stopped watching the NFL years ago. Being a Dallas Cowboys fan would take a toll on anyone. I remember playing Madden 95 with my dad. Football had been in my life for decades. Me, my dad and my brothers just playing Madden and watching games on Sunday, Monday and Thursday night. In the way that life always works, we got older and went our separate ways.

Over time, it stopped being fun. No one was throwing super bowl parties and no one was thrilling to watch. For me, after Emmitt Smith retired there was no one worth really watching. I kind of dropped the NFL with the idea that I would come back to it… but a decade went by. I think my issue what that Dez’s catch was called an incomplete pass. It was such nonsense to me… and do not tell me nothing about biases. I enjoy watching a football no matter who was playing. But for some reason, I felt it was a blatant no call that changed the course of the game. (While I am back to watching the NFL, I am not sure I view it like I once did.)

But here’s the big issue and it’s a really big issue: you basically need cable to watch baseball, hockey & football. When I cut the cord, it was the best decision I ever made, at least at the time. We were paying too much for TV we weren’t watching, and the bill went up every year for no reason. Now? I turn on what I want, when I want. (Shout out to the Disney Bundle with HBO, Crunchyroll, Apple Music and Apple TV keeping me a float. Not having to pay makes decisions easier. While I have attacked my watchlist… staying up on the New York Rangers, Dallas Cowboys, and the New York Yankees was way harder than I thought.

I assumed getting back into sports would be as simple as finding a streaming service and paying a fee. But the world is always needlessly complicated. Even with a streaming service… blackout days are annoying (and that is the friendliest thing I can say)… It is more than that though… the real kicker is being penalized for being an out‑of‑market fan. Because of my location, I can only watch teams local to me. Watching my home-state teams? Out of the question. Imagine paying for a sports streaming service only to be told you can’t watch your team unless you also pay for cable. Why would I need the streaming service if cable already gives me the games? Punishing fans for cutting the cord… not cool.

Leah is very opinionated on the matter… I told her I was going to get center ice. And she immediately told me that there were better ways to spend my money. I was determined to prove her wrong… but for $160 there would still be blackout dates… Leah was right.

And please do not get me started on Gotham Sports app. The Gotham Sports App is a streaming service that provides fans with access to live games and award-winning original programming from the YES Network and MSG Networks, including coverage of the New York Yankees, New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, and Buffalo Sabres. In theory, it would have worked but the app was the worst. It was crashing and lagging. Originally, I thought it was going to be some sort answer to my prayers but there were going to be many bugs. Capitalism ruins everything. An app that started out for showing all the teams across all the sports in NY in one place really fucked up. Then they started charging per game. And then they started using location services so I was out.

I got Fubotv… (which was great by the way… ) It is a bit pricey but I get the feel of cable and any sports package I want. I also have access to MSGnetworks which kept me close to Knicks, Rangers and Yankees. I even got to add my ESPN Unlimited Package, so far so good. But fubotv has had its share of issues trying to get sports fans content. There was a time during the past two years where I was looking to see if I could just pay out of pocket for this network… no such luck… They have no clue how much money they could make if they just allowed people to pay for what they wanted.

https://www.cleveland.com/tv/2026/06/fubo-nbcuniversal-end-dispute-how-to-watch-now.html

You have to love social media where everyone thinks they know what they are talking about. And how they believe their solution is what is best for you. In a hockey Facebook group, when people were complaining about not being able to watch games…Some times things only work in certain situations. Imagine being told by someone in Connecticut that if you just bought a sports package you would get you certain channels. They do not know that they live in a surrounding area and in the south you will not get the same channels.

I do have ESPN Plus, but as far as baseball goes, it’s lacking. There is no such thing as live games. Not unless you sign in with your cable provider or MLB.tv. Last night, I missed the Yankees/Red Sox postseason game entirely. I could watch on demand if I stayed off social media, (because I would have to watch it a day later) but that takes away half the fun. MLB.tv is an option, but again the blackout dates based on my location mean I’d be paying and still not able to watch all the games I want. At this point, it might be easier to move back to New York.

On the hockey front, things look a bit better. Disney and the NHL agreed to a seven‑year contract that makes ESPN and ESPN Plus major hubs for streaming hockey starting with the 2021–2022 season. ESPN Plus is replacing NHL.TV as the out‑of‑market streaming service, offering over 1,000 games a season. ESPN and ABC get 25 exclusive national games, and 75 games a year will be exclusive to ESPN Plus and Hulu. ABC and ESPN will also broadcast half the NHL playoffs each season. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than nothing. (Imagine MLB agreeing to something like this… I won’t hold my breath.)

Leah and I were having a discussion as we always do. She is usually my sounding board to vent my frustrations about life. If you don’t have a friend like her, I recommend it. On this particular day, I was ranting about how fans in other regions are getting screwed out of being able to watch their favorite teams. It would be so much easier to just let people pay monthly for whatever game they want to see…. in any league. If I remember correctly, I was also on a rant about paying for MSG networks streaming service. I can’t imagine why TPTB would be leaving money on the table by not allowing out of market fans better options when trying to view the game. Leah in her way pointed out somethings are all about advertising… Companies pay big money in advertising. But I still wonder… (I have a lot of streaming services where I have not paid to be commercial free.) what does streaming a game have to do with not making money on advertising? I have another theory that they want to push people to pay for tickets to see games in person.. but alas…

Anyways… that was one of my latest rants. Hopefully things will get better for us out of market fans. Maybe big business will stop trying to punish us for cutting the cord. If you want to vent your frustrations, let me know your thoughts in the comments. This EPSN deal does mean that some people are listening. Here’s to hoping it opens other doors and here’s to hoping we leave cable behind.

Enter Red Robin. I began seeing the commercials for this place in my neck of the woods about 10-12 years ago. (circa 2008ish). The odd thing was that up until that point, any time you saw a commercial for something it was because they were building it at least about 20 minutes from you and if it hadn’t already opened… would be in the next 30 days. But try as I might, I could not find one near me. It was an odd cycle because the commercial would play… I would try to find it near me (which at this time was imperative because I didn’t have my own ride so it would have needed to be something I could walk to.) when I could not locate a place… I would sulk about it then forget about it. And the damn commercial would play again. Thinking back on it makes me laugh because it wasn’t one of those that played all the time, only once in a blue moon… There was so much time in between that I would forget the name of the place. But I lived kinda in the sticks… without a car the search was hopeless.

Fast Forward to 2014 – I was invited to go to Nashville with a guy that I used to know. It was his mother’s birthday… It was a place that I had never been so that intrigued me. We got in the car and left for the week. We did a lot on that trip… but one of the things that stood out to me was sitting in the truck, watching the scenery pass me by… (my favorite leisure time activity when I am not driving.) We pass by a shopping center where I notice Red Robin. I had to make a case for stopping and eating there. Hard to when I had never laid eyes on one. But how can you mess up a burger joint?

I think that the first think I remember was that they actually had a bar and served alcohol. It was almost like a combination of Steak N Shake (where I used to work… ) and a Taco Mac… where I also used to work. (Shout out to waitresses.) Seemed handy… simple operation and execution.

The other thing I remember was the menu was extensive. There was pages and pages of different things. Drinks, appetizers, salads, sandwiches, soups, burgers (of course), desserts and shakes. I love a place that has variety. I also love a place that has enough to intrigue me to come back and try it all. Therefore I plan to make many more trips to it in the future. I figured I would start with something simple. (Anytime I try something out for the first time, I usually go with something not too extravagant. Nothing that will turn me off right away. That’s just me.) I got the crispy chicken sandwich. Pretty good. Wish they had a spicy version… (I am picante myself.)

There wasn’t a whole bunch of fries which I love with any good sandwich. Steak fries are the best and it was a bummer to run out so soon. I soon figured out that there was a reason for that. They have bottomless fries. If I allowed them I could still be eating fries galore. When I asked for ketchup, I was delighted to find that they had a sweet and spicy ketchup. Check out the list here: (https://www.redrobin.com/pages/everyday-value/sauces/) So no downsides for me. My job now was to push the Red Robin agenda… on any and everyone. My first victim… MY SISTER… (Cue maniacal laughter.)

My sister being much younger than me… was a bit skeptical in the place that I picked. Mostly because I was about an hour away from where we lived. (After coming home from Nashville, I made it my mission to locate a place near me. There were three. All were a good distance from me… but when I got my car… I could con friends into going, especially if I drove.) My sister and I decided that we were hungry but she was tired of the same old same old. I told her that we could ride down to Red Robin.

Good Times. It is always fun to bring someone to a place that you love and watch them fall in love too. She didn’t think anything of getting in the car and letting me drive… I figured that I had about 30 minutes before she started asking questions. Right at that mark, she looked around and asked where we were… where were we going… how much longer? Etc etc. I told her it would be worth it when we got there. We get there and walk in and she was in awe from the time we walked in to the time we left. My sister loved the place. She was just as taken with the selection as I was and we ordered a bit of each thing. In Nashville, the first time around I was on a time limit. This time around… since my sister and I are on the same page… We decided that we were going to pick 2 appetizers, 2 different sandwiches, and fries and onion rings. We really did have a great time.

Nothing like boneless buffalo wings to start you off and a bit of strawberry lemonade. Wish they were a bit spicier but it was a great presentation nonetheless. You can order the wings in your choice of sauce: Buzz with bleu cheese, Whiskey River BBQ, Banzai, or Island Heat. If you get a chance to go definitely spring for the buffalo wing appetizer. Then the burgers came. Blue Cheeseburger (The Black and Bleu) for me and the Smoke and Pepper burger for my sister. Let me tell you… we were not disappointed. For burger joints, my favorite go-to is usually a Buffalo and blue cheese combination. I love it and this one was great. I usually don’t like the grilled onions on my burger (they are too slimy for bread to me.) But it somehow worked here.

My sister and I ate a bunch. So there was no room for dessert. That saddens me to this day… but I shall return and partake at some point. The only other thing to mention is the cost. The service is always great when I go… so I’ll be focusing on the price.

Update

Since moving to a place that has more Red Robin… I wore it out. Since my time in Atlanta, they added pizza. Nothing like a burger AND pizza joint. Means I live there now. Red Robin partnered with Donatos to serve crispy, thin-crust pizza. The menu features classics like Serious Cheese, The Works, and Founder's Favorite.

The pizza lineup includes:

• Mike’s Hot Honey Pepperoni: Family-recipe pepperoni, smoked provolone, fresh mozzarella, red pepper flakes, and a drizzle of Mike’s Hot Honey.

• Founder’s Favorite: Heritage pepperoni, sausage, shaved ham, and banana peppers.

• The Works: Pepperoni, sausage, green peppers, yellow onions, and mushrooms.

• Serious Meat: Smoky bacon, heritage pepperoni, and sausage.

• Very Vegy: Fresh tomatoes, green peppers, onions, mushrooms, baby spinach, and green olives.

• Serious Cheese: Smoked provolone cheese

The Pizza comes in 10 or 14 inches.

Other new items include:

• Towering double cheeseburger sliders

• Towering double bacon cheeseburger sliders

• Cowboy Ranch Double

• Bacon Club Crispy Chicken Sandwich

One of my issues has been the passing of my favorite icon, Bruce Lee. Yes he passed before I was born but when his very awesome movies were presented to me, that was not something I already knew. It was disappointing to find out that he passed away at a young age. So much life left in him. From that point on, I had really stayed away from the martial arts movies. Totally missing out on a lot of great gems. So I decided that I need to get back into a genre that I enjoy. These movies were recommended to me because it talks about Bruce’s mentor Yip Man. Now of course many things are fictionalized for the purposes of the movies... but that doesn’t make them less awesome. I am not going to go into what drives the plot in each film because that is a lot to write out. (Honestly, head to watchmojo’s channel on YouTube. They have a great video about what was fact and what was fiction in these movies.) But don’t get me wrong the acting in the movies was fantastic. My mother even loved them... and she is a hard person to please.

Here is where Netflix comes back into play. They’re always there when I want them. All of the streaming services have really stepped up and added a buttload of content recently. So of course Netflix had all 4 Ip Man movies. It was free so there was definitely no excuse. With quarantine, I swore that I would get some of the stuff on my watch list completed but while that has happened I have added a good portion of things so essentially I am back to where I started. Anyways I am going to pick my top moments, in no particular order. Now I am going through these movies years after they have been release but my goodness.... I still have to say it... SPOILERS AHEAD.... as if by now you didn’t know. So let’s get to it.

The Cotton Mill Fight. “Ip Man” - In the 1930s, Foshan is a hub of Southern Chinese martial arts, where various schools actively recruit disciples and compete against each other. Although the Wing Chun master Ip Man is the most skilled martial artist in Foshan, he is unassuming and maintains an almost invisible profile. As an independently wealthy man, he feels no need to accept any disciples and instead spends his days training, meeting with friends, and spending time with his family. The Japanese invasion in 1937 adversely affects the life of everyone in Foshan. The Imperial Japanese Army confiscates Ip’s house and repurposes it into their Foshan military headquarters. Ip and his family lose their wealth and are forced to move into a decrepit apartment. Desperate to support his family, Ip finds work at a Japanese coal mine. Ip later visits his friend, Chow Ching-chuen, who owns and runs a cotton mill in Foshan. Chow’s son tells Ip that a bandit gang led by Jin is harassing the workers and trying to extort money from them. He pleads with Ip to teach the workers Wing Chun in order for them to defend themselves. It is an interesting flip from the beginning of the movie where he refused to teach others. Ip concedes and what we get is an awesome montage of the cotton mill workers learning to defend themselves. I have a thing for training montages... When the gang returns, the cotton mill workers don’t necessarily win but that wasn’t the point. It would have been odd if they had... It is funny to kind of see how they are not used to combat but it doesn’t stop from jumping in there and sometimes forget what they are taught in favor of other methods. They were able to hold their own and give Jin’s gang a run for their money. Mostly because the gang wasn’t prepare for them to want to fight. They are able to hold off the gang long enough for Ip man to appear. And then of course all hell breaks loose. Jin’s character doesn’t come off as great in this movie but he’s not actually a villain... he gets better later. Watch the scene here:

Ip Man vs The Shipyard Gang “Ip Man 3”- One of the few mass brawls in the franchise... Normally when dealing with a martial arts master, one would be smart enough to know not to anger the person by kidnapping his son and threatening to kill him. In this movie, Ip Man gets involved when the school that his son Ip Ching goes to is under attack. Ma King-sang, a local triad leader, also works for Frank, (Mike Tyson) an American property developer and highly proficient boxer. Frank orders Ma to acquire a piece of land occupied by the school. When Ip goes to collect his son from school, he witnesses Ma and his men beating the headmaster, who refuses to sell. Ip interferes and restrains Ma, but is forced to release him. Ip and his students go on the defense of the school spending nights protecting the school. They fend off an attack by Ma’s men, who set fire to the school and attempt to kidnap the headmaster. Being on the bad side of the land developer made Ip a target but at no point do you worry for him... eventually Ip is set-up by Ma to lure him away from the school; meanwhile, Ma’s gang have abducted some of the students, including Ip Ching. Ip shows up to the shipyard with his trustee bamboo shoot. Ip arrives alone at Ma’s shipyard, where Ma holds Ip Ching at knife point and threatens to sell the children into slavery if the headmaster refuses to surrender the school. Bad idea... Ip goes beast mode...His preferred attack weapon... Bamboo.... I found myself thinking over and over... these people better be glad that Ip didn’t have malicious intent was purely defending himself. Watch the bad ass moment here (

Ip Man vs the Masters (Table Top Scene) “Ip Man 2” - Ip Man and his family move to Hong Kong in the mid-1940s after their escape from Japanese-occupied Foshan. Ip desires to open a school to make a living during the difficult times, but he struggles to attract students due to his lack of reputation in the city. One day, a young man named Wong Shun Leung appears and promptly challenges Ip to a fight, but is easily defeated. A humiliated Wong leaves, only to return later with some friends to gang up on him; Ip easily beats them as well. Stunned and impressed by Ip’s skills, Wong and his friends become Ip’s first students, bringing more disciples to help the school thrive. Wong has his own spot on the countdown so I won’t get into it here.... But just know that when Wong starts trying to attract more students to Ip’s school, a gang proceed to challenge him to a fight... word spreads and Ip Man is told that before setting up a school, he needs to attend a special ceremony to test his worth. The Ceremony is held with the Masters of various disciplines and their school looking on. In the center of the room, there is a table with stools overturned all the way around it. Ip is supposed to fight the grandmasters on the table without falling off to prove his worthiness. It is not short on the humor but the scene is epic. My mother and I watched these scenes together and what was great about it is her reaction to the action... “Nothing worse than being beat by a person who you can’t even be mad at.” The Masters’ curiosity of Ip changes to respect as they challenge him and he leads by example. Watch it here:

Ip Man vs Jin Shanzhao “Ip Man” - We first meet Jin in the early parts of the first movie. Jin is in Foshan looking for the strongest opponents. His original plan was to start a school in Foshan and he figured the best way to do it was to beat every master in Foshan. He also wanted to prove that Northern Chinese martial arts was better than the Southern styles. He battles two masters in different styles, one with weapons winning against them both. He storms into Ip’s house after being told that he is the best. He demands a fight from Ip who agrees. Again this scene is filled with humor with his son cycling through the fight and telling him not to damage things. Both Ip and Jin damaging things and Jin yelling that he will pay for the broken things. But Ip shows Jin why he is the best. I had to shake my head at the fact that he just waltzes in and throws his challenge down.

Ip Man vs the Muay Thai fighter (Elevator scene) “Ip Man 3” - First of all, I want you to know that this had to be the most epic and disrespectful shit I have ever seen. Who attacks a person on the elevator at the doctors office with his wife no less. There is honestly no honor amongst thieves. After Wing Sing reveals that has been diagnosed with cancer and may live only another six months, Ip accompanies her home from the medical visit. They get on the elevator and as the door closes here comes this hired henchman that steps on and everyone can tell that shit was about to go down. I was not prepared for a fight in an elevator though. I figured the guy would wait. But he swore he was going to win after taking them by surprise. The way he kicks off his sandals... Anyway the epic part of this scene is not actually the fight to me... and don’t me wrong Ip delivers the ass whooping... not so much that this guy deserves because... that disrespect... The great part for me was Ip’s wife (Wing Sing). She knew immediately that there was a threat and moved accordingly. Taking the package from Ip, and managing to stick behind her man... making her self small and staying out of the way. The opponent had no feeling towards the woman or if she got hit or hurt and that was why he needed a good damn thrashing. Shout out to Wing Sing... You don’t live with a man like that and not pick up some stuff and this scene was epic on her part even though she does no talking. When Ip finally steps out of the elevator, you know the real ass whooping is about to ensue. Ip defeats the boxer before the elevator reaches the ground floor. So no need to be so worried Wing Sing. It is the way he kicks the bastard out of the elevator and then steps out never looking back at her... letting her ride down by herself. Watch the tomfoolery here:

“I want to fight 10 men.” Ip Man - This is reminiscent of a Bruce Lee movie... where Bruce walks into a dojo and takes on the entire Dojo. In the first movie, things change drastically after the Japanese invasion of 1937. Remember that I mentioned above that Ip and his family are displaced and Ip takes a job in the Japanese coal mines. The Japanese General Miura is a Karate master, and he establishes an arena where Chinese martial artists compete with his military trainees. Those who win get a bag of rice. Li Zhao, a former police officer and Ip’s acquaintance, now works as an interpreter for the Japanese army. (I had a serious dislike for this character but the great thing about it is... It really made me think about how life is not all black and white. Zhao chose to be an interpreter to survive and help put food on the table for his family who are elderly and some disabled which we find out later... before then he just looks like a traitor . So I am not sure I feel that angry towards him anymore.) He offers the martial artists working at the coal mine the chance to earn a bag of rice for every match they win. At first, Ip declines to fight. However, when his friend Lin disappears after taking part in a match, Ip agrees to participate in order to find out what happened. Ip watches fellow Foshan martial arts practitioner, Master Liu, defeat one karateka, but then Liu requests to fighting three at once and loses. When Liu attempts to collect the winning bag of rice from the first match, Miura’s second in-command, Colonel Sato, shoots and kills him. Enraged by the death of Master Liu and figuring out that his friend Lin must have also been killed, Ip demands to fight 10 opponents at once. Despite having not practiced Wing Chun since the Japanese occupied Foshan (to conserve energy and thus save food for his family), he mercilessly defeats them all with a brutal barrage of blows, showing no restraint that he exhibited in earlier matches. Mercilessly being the key word here... prior to this... he showed real restraint and respect to his opponents not matter how disrespectful they were.... (See Jin or guy in elevator.) But here he completely dismantles the competition. Watch the scene here (

Ip Man vs the Hung Ga Gang “Ip Man 2” (Wet Market Fight)- Remember Wong Shun Leung who I talked a bit about earlier? He becomes Ip’s student earlier on in the movie. After he is defeated, he leaves and returns with 10 friends who also get beat up and then beg Ip man to teach them Wing Chun. He does... Wong puts up flyers about Ip’s new school and he ends up being challenged. The great pupil that he is.... he beats them to which they don’t seem to take kindly to. They kidnap him and when Ip comes to get his student all hell breaks lose at the fish market. The Hung Ga try and gang up on him and that yields a negative result. It is important to note that Wong seems to be able to hold his own even though his hands are tied behind his back. Watch the scene here:

Ip Man vs Cheung Tin Chi “Ip Man 3” - Now Cheung Tin Chi was introduced early on in the movie and you could never really tell what side of the fence he was on. He was about earning money to feed his son which I can’t fault but I was still unsure where his allegiance lie all movie. We first meet him after Ip Ching gets into a fight with his schoolmate Cheung Fong, their teacher, Miss Wong, asks the parents to come to the school, though only the Ips arrive. As an apology, the Ip family invite Fong to their home for dinner. At Ip’s house, Fong displays rudimentary yet impressive Wing Chun skills. When asked who his mentor is, Fong says that it is his father, Cheung Tin-chi, who shows up to collect his son shortly after. There seems to be no ill will between the two so there wasn’t a lot to worry about. (Although this encounter helps set up what happens in the 3rd act of the film.) Tin-chi participates successfully in underground fights to earn extra money but we see him again as Ip and his students defend the school from being taken over by thugs... Cheung happens to be passing by, and helps fight off the invaders and rescue the headmaster. Cheung’s skills impress Ip, and he thanks Cheung for his help.. so okay cool another admiral thing right...? Yeah I thought so too. Ma, the leader of the triads later offers Cheung a large sum of money to get revenge against Ngo-san on his behalf. Ngo-san is Ma’s old teacher. Cheung is hard up for money to open his own martial arts school and accepts the offer and attacks Ngo-san, putting him in the hospital. Poor old man. It is the act that participates the events that get Ip Ching kidnapped. What I left out of the entry above is that the triads make off with Cheung’s son too. Upon learning that his son was also taken, Cheung arrives and is allowed to leave with Fong, but after his son tells him that the triads still have his friends and they must do something, he returns and fights alongside Ip. Ip and Cheung are able to hold their own until a troop of policemen led by Po comes to arrest the gang. Tin-chi opens his martial arts school with the money he obtained from Ma, and claims that his Wing Chun is genuine while Ip’s is not. Building his reputation by defeating a number of local martial arts masters, Tin-chi publicly challenges Ip to a battle that will decide who is the true Grandmaster of Wing Chun. Now why? This man just wants to be left alone. Ip misses the match preferring to stay with his dying wife since he felt ashamed about neglecting her earlier and Cheung is named the winner. But it is Wing Sing who reschedules the fight. Wing Sing accompanies Ip to the fight. After a battle with poles, butterfly swords and a fist fight, Ip eventually overpowers Tin-chi with a one-inch punch while temporarily blinded. The Bruce Lee lover in me loved it.

Ip Man Vs General Miura “Ip Man “ - In the first movie, after Ip realizes his friends have been killed and he destroys the 10 men.... Japanese General Miura is impressed by his skills and wants to watch him fight again. But Ip doesn’t return to coal mining nor to the arena. Miura grows impatient and sends Sato, along with several soldiers, to track Ip down. These men actually come to his house play with his son and threaten to rape his wife. I really just couldn’t take it. Ip defends his wife, incapacitating Sato and three other soldiers accompanying him; however, they are forced to flee their apartment and hide in Li’s house with him and his family. Jin informs Miura of Ip’s connection to the cotton mill. (Jin is so not great in this movie.) The Japanese raid the mill and take Ip who asks Chow to take his wife and son away for protection. Miura says that Ip’s life will be spared if Ip agrees to instruct the Japanese soldiers in Chinese martial arts. Ip refuses and challenges Miura to a match. Miura accepts because of his love for martial arts and to avoid humiliating the Japanese people. It is a very public fight with a lot of pride on the line. So much so that the Sato says that if Ip starts winning, he will be shot. No doubt. Some people delight in other people’s pain. The fight is held in the middle of square in Foshan, and in the beginning it seems they are evenly matched but Ip slowly starts his rise to victory. Ip eventually overwhelms Miura, inflicting on him a severe beating through an impeccable defense and relentless and direct blows. It is fantastic to watch. For me, it is when Ip is shot and the crowd becomes hostile and takes matters into their own hands.

School Yard Fight “Ip Man 4” - Now I am going to start by saying this movie made me feel so much rage. Mostly because of the time period this was and the blatant racism. Now that is not to say that there wasn’t racism in the the other movies but my goodness this movie is over the top with it. That being said... I had to pause this scene several times in order to get through it. In this movie, we see that Wing Sing has passed away and it is just Ip Man and his younger son Ip Ching. Ip is told that he has throat cancer and due to smoking. Ip heads to San Francisco to find better schooling for his son... since Ip Ching has been expelled for fighting back against a bully. In order for Ip to get Ip enrolled in school, he needs a letter of recommendation from the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association. This letter is an issue which I will talk about in the next entry. Just know for now that the leader of Benevolent Association Grandmaster Wan doesn’t write the letter. But when Ip arrives at the school, he is kept waiting. So rude and when the person he is there to meet with arrives he is really kind of given the brush off. As he is leaving, he chances upon Wan’s teenage daughter, Yonah, undergoing racist violence from a rival cheerleader, Becky, and her male friends. Becky is mad that Yonah got chosen to be cheerleading captain over her and starts a racist tirade that quickly spills out into a physical altercation. The thing that got me wasn’t the racist tirade... and that in itself was bad... especially since it stemmed from who was picked for cheerleading but the fact that all of these guys on what I thought was the hockey team (because their weapon of choice looked to be hockey sticks.) were going to beat up this girl. They actually involved themselves in a conflict about cheerleading. Yonah fights back somewhat and does quite well, even though she complains when her father wants her to learn martial arts, but she is ultimately outnumbered, and Ip steps in to rescue her.

Ip Man vs Grandmaster Wan “Ip Man 4” - Because Grandmaster Wan refuses to give the letter of recommendation to Ip, when Ip escorts Yonah home, Wan incorrectly assumes that Ip is trying to get in his good graces. Wan challenges him to a duel. The interesting thing is when Wan sees that Ip is injured (from helping Yonah) Wan fights with one hand behind his back. Things get destroyed and I always cringe when that happens. The duel is pretty intense but gets interrupted by an epic earthquake. Wan tells Ip they will finish their fight at the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival. Ip refuses, explaining that he merely accompanied Yonah home for her own safety, and leaves. Watch the scene here:

The Lazy Susan fight “Ip Man 4” - This is not a fight in the traditional sense. By this time, Ip has been training Bruce Lee and Bruce has also relocated to San Francisco. Bruce has upset the local martial arts community in San Francisco by opening a Wing Chun school, teaching non-Chinese people martial arts and writing an English-language book on martial arts. When Ip shows up to the meeting with the Grandmasters, he is told that in order to get a letter of recommendation from them, Ip needs to renounce Bruce which Ip refuses to do. (While in reality there is no evidence to support that Ip ever came to America... his youngest son would not have been in high school but much older, there is truth in the storyline that Bruce Lee was creating waves with teaching anyone who wanted to learn the martial arts. So kudos to the filmmakers for tying that in.) The argument happens at a round table (Lazy Susan) during tea time. Both men keeping pushing it back and forth before leaning on it to show neither are budging in their stance and the poor table to survive under the pressure.

Ip Man vs Twister “Ip Man 2” - Hung, one of the Grandmasters that fights Ip on the tabletop at the beginning of the movie, invites Ip to a boxing event after clearing the air between them. The boxing competition allows for a demonstration by the various martial arts schools to help promote themselves and their Chinese culture. However, the event’s star boxer, Taylor “The Twister” Miller, an arrogant, racist and brutal man, openly insults and attacks the students, causing a brawl that the masters try to quell. Twister challenges Hung to a fight, saying that he will apologize to the Chinese if Hung can beat him, which Hung accepts. At first, Hung’s wider range of skills allows him to overcome Twister’s natural size and muscular physique. Hindered by his asthma, Hung is eventually beaten to death against the ropes, as he refuses to concede and allow the man to insult his culture and people. News of Hung’s death rapidly spreads throughout the city, enraging the Chinese populace. Very Rocky 4 like but I was still annoyed and heartbroken. Twister announces that in order to clear his name he will accept any challenge from the Chinese to participate in a fair, public boxing match, but arrogantly boasts that he could kill every Chinese boxer in Hong Kong and that he doubts any of the Chinese are brave enough to face him. Ip arrives and challenges Twister to a fight. Ip finishes training and begins his fight with Twister, using his more diverse techniques and great speed against Twister’s muscle. Ip later receives an illegal punch from Twister, and is prohibited from kicking due to the judges changing the rules during the match, allowing Twister to seemingly overwhelm him.(Complete Bullshit). Ip changes his strategy by attacking Twister’s arms to weaken him, eventually defeating him. Watch it here:

I didn’t feel no kind of way when Twister went down.

Ip Man vs Frank (Mike Tyson) “Ip Man 3” - Remember the American real estate developer that was trying to get the school Ip Ching went to? The same one that sent the fighter who attacked Ip and his wife... Yeah that is Mike Tyson. Weirdest thing ever but then again... I guess not. When none of the attacks on Ip man work, Ip goes to Frank’s office. Frank proposes that the have a three minute fight. If Ip can last the whole fight, Frank will leave him and the school alone. Initially overwhelmed by Frank’s muscle and sheer force, Ip begins turning the tide when he changes his strategy to attack Frank’s lower half. They fight to a draw after the three minutes pass; seemingly impressed, Frank keeps his promise. The fight is so intense I wondered when the damn bell was going to sound. It was dramatic and awesome.

Ip Man vs Colin Frater “Ip Man 4” - Hartman, a Staff Sergeant in the United States Marines and student of Bruce Lee attempts to convince Barton Geddes, the Gunnery Sergeant on his base, to incorporate Chinese martial arts into their hand-to-hand combat training. Geddes, an arrogant and openly racist man, proves the Marines’ current Karate training superior by having Hartman fight the Marines’ Karate instructor, Colin Frater, who defeats him. Hartman doesn’t let the the topic die and goes over Geddes’s head. Hartman later manages to convince the unit’s commanding officer of kung fu’s potential, and is instructed to film the Mid-Autumn Festival happening at the Association for research purposes, infuriating Geddes. At the Mid-Autumn Festival, Frater shows up to challenge the Grandmasters at the festival. I didn’t get why they were so against learning Chinese martial arts if they had already learned Karate but okay. Frater proves his strength by defeating three grandmasters until Ip intervenes. I am always impressed by the grandmasters even in older age than can hold their own. There was even an older woman that really impressed me. I want to be like her when I grow up. Ip man steps in and defends himself surprising Frater and putting him in the hospital. It is great to watch. Check it out here:

Ip Man vs Geddes “Ip Man 4” - Becky lies to her parents, claiming that she had been bullied even though she and her friends were the aggressors. Her father Walters, an officer of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), is pressured into holding the Association responsible and deporting all Chinese associated with them. Wan (Yonah the real victim’s father), who was supposed to be present at the festival, is arrested by the immigration officers. Upon seeing Frater in the hospital, Geddes barges into the Association to find out where Wan is. Geddess heads down to the festival and brutally beats down the Grandmasters although I don’t get what they had to do with adding Chinese Martial Arts to the curriculum. He then threatens Walters to release Wan into the Marines’ custody before bringing Wan into the camp to fight him. Wan puts up a valiant fight. I mean the guy is no slouch. At first, Wan is able to match Geddes’ blows, but is eventually overwhelmed and seriously injured. I believe his leg is broken. Ip is brought into the Marines’ camp by Hartman, and ultimately defeats Geddes in a long and savage fight. And Geddess, even though he is the villain or one of them in the piece, doesn’t mean that he and Colin don’t possess skill but that makes when they go down so much better. Check it out here (

So I can’t leave off the Ip Man movies without talking about Bruce Lee. I love Bruce and even though I knew the movies weren’t about him I was glad that he was featured. There was no guarantee that he would be in the films... depending on the direction that they took. But I will talk about his appearances in the film.

• Young Bruce at the end of Ip Man 2 - Ip is later introduced to a boy named Bruce Lee, who wishes to learn Wing Chun in order to beat up people he does not like. Ip smiles and simply tells him to come back when he has grown up. (

• Bruce returns to ask to be Ip’s student- Ip Man 3 - Bruce Lee visits Ip and asks to become one of his students. After Lee demonstrates his speed, Ip neither accepts nor rejects him, but insinuates for him to leave by opening the door. (

• He teaches Ip to dance at the end of Ip Man 3 - This being a reference to the description that Bruce was an excellent dancer.

• He makes several appearances in the final installment - starting with Ip attending Bruce’s demonstration on Martial arts where he demonstrates the one inch punch.

But be sure to watch the actual footage of this event.

• Bruce’s Alleyway fight - He is challenged to an alley fight and it is bad ass. Shout out to Danny Chan who portrayed Bruce.

• Bruce provides refuge to the Association - Due to a tip-off by Billy, a subordinate of Walters and another student of Lee, the Association is empty by the time the immigration officers conduct their raid. Lee provides refuge for the Association, earning their respect.

• At Ip’s funeral - When Ip’s dies at the end of the last movie from throat cancer, Bruce attends the funeral of course and that was a hard scene to watch because we know that he dies a year later.
  

Alright so this was a fun dive into these movies. Be sure to let me know what you enjoyed about the movies or even let me know what your favorite martial arts movie is. I am always down to watch something new.

In my previous posts, I talked about the trips I wanted to go on as a kid. There were a lot of us and things that other people got to do seemed out of our reach. It was something that I got used to over the years. But now that I have nieces and nephews (and money) I have some things that I want to do with them. Seaworld… My nephew loves anything in the ocean. Disney because I mean, the Animal Kingdom. Legoland because I mean that seems like so much fun. My nephew would LOVE it. It would really be me and my siblings (read: SISTER and most likely Leah. She is like my sister in the way that she wants to do all the things.) wandering the kids around and riding rides. My mother was never one for crowds or walking in the hot sun so she will definitely not be there. And of course Universal. I was finally able to visit Universal a few years ago and it was FANTASTIC. Come with me as I wax romantically about it.

I was able to take this trip with a group of friends in 2017. I was working for a company that took a serious toll on me so I knew I was going to take PTO for several days. But unlike what I used to do, there was no way I would just be sitting at home for a week. I started looking online for something new to do. That was when it came to my attention that there was a new water park being added to the Universal Studios and suddenly I knew where I was going. (This is something I need to do with my siblings at some point.) I had never been to Universal so I was planning to go all out and ride all the things. (That is normally how I do theme parks.) I love them and I always try to ride everything at least once.

Volcano Bay is Universal Studios third park. It is tropical themed and it replaced Wet n Wild as Universal’s water park. This built around a large 200-foot-tall volcano named Krakatau. The volcano houses three drop capsule slides, Ko’okiri Body Plunge, the tallest body slide in America ranging at 125 feet tall, and also the first to travel through a pool full of guests. I was super excited. At the time I was watching the video for it,

It was a few days before it was going to open. I knew I would wait at least a month but I was worried that even in a month all of the kinks would not be worked out and I would be there with nothing to do. But also I mean, it was Orlando. I had a friend who had a birthday coming up and it didn’t take anytime to convince him. Most of my friends had been to the Orlando Theme parks before. We gathered a crew and headed down.

Several hours later we made it to our airbnb. Let tell you… I know I am not riding down to FL again by car. The ride is smooth but I just become so stiff. I was going to fly but we decided to ride in a caravan. (I shall do my shameless plug for high speed rail. Let’s get this.) Anyways, it is not hard to find an airbnb in Florida, much less in Orlando. The place was great. Several bedrooms and a lovely kitchen. There were at least 10 of us that went on this trip and everyone slept comfortably. It was decided that we would visit Islands of Adventure first and then head to Volcano Bay the next day. We were going to be there a week so we had time. I was told I would love Islands of Adventure because it had the most rides. And they were right. Next time I go, I will probably stay at one of the resorts on site and that way you get all of these perks (like getting access to the parks an hour earlier than everyone else.)

Islands of Adventure

So I was surprised to see that the park hadn’t been opened that long. As in opened in my lifetime. I was entering high school when Universal opened to the public May 1999. So that is cool. Islands of Adventure is modeled after a journey of exploration, where guests embark on an adventure to visit a variety of themed islands. Initially, the park featured six islands. A seventh, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, was added in 2010, themed to the highly successful Harry Potter franchise. (I was so stoked to get to Harry Potter World. I am of the HP generation so it was not something I was going to miss.) The eighth island, Skull Island, opened July 2016, and is themed to the King Kong franchise. I found out that it was a big circle and you get to walk from Island to Island. They are, in clockwise order from entry: Port of Entry, Marvel Super Hero Island, Toon Lagoon, Skull Island, Jurassic Park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, The Lost Continent, and Seuss Landing.

After walking through the main gate and through the shops and finally got to Marvel Super Hero Island. The great thing that I remember was it was HOT. (It was July in Florida for goodness sake.) But for some reason, Universal Studios was smarter than most theme parks where they had air conditioned waiting areas or at least fans and shady areas to wait. So I didn’t feel like it was unbearable to wait in line for rides which weren’t as long as I originally thought it was going to be. The first ride we come to is for the Incredible Hulk and that coaster was bad ass. I have been on many coasters before but for some reason this stands out in my mind. Mostly because there isn’t a climb to the top, a wait and then a drop. You really don’t even get a chance to settle in before the ride gets going. There was another cooler waiting area but these lines were LONG. Probably the longest line of any ride I would get on that day. But the ride was 1000% worth it. Just know that I was prepared for a certain type of ride and the ride managed to freak me out… starting before I was ready. Check out this video. (

I will say that they are pretty strict about you taking off things (Hats, sunglasses, flip-flops etc) that you will lose on this high speed ride. The security was tight but I got it. (They make you pay for lockers for that ride.)

I remember waiting for was The Amazing Adventures of Spider Man and not being hot or uncomfortable while I waited. (when my nephew found this out he almost had a heart attack. “You went and saw spider man and not me?”) I don’t think I had ever been on an interactive ride like that before. (I found out later that is what Islands of Adventure is all about.) But with the water hitting me at the exact moment and the feeling the heat from the “flames” was too awesome to forget. (Definitely got to bring my nephew back. He will love it.) Check out this video on it:

I think the last ride I did on this island was Doctor Doom’s FearFall. Think Six Flag’s Acrophobia. It was not for me. I am not into freefall rides. But I have nothing against this ride in particular. After leaving the Marvel Super Hero Island, we ended up in Toon Lagoon. There was a lot to do but we were just too hot to really explore. There was a lot of picture taking opportunities. But thank goodness this portion of park had a water ride. I was all for it. Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw falls does the trick. We went with it because it had the shortest line. It was pretty cool… but the while we were able to get wet… the water was warm. So I am not sure how much better off we were. It was almost impossible to stay dry on this ride…. so settle in and wait on the water.

Next stop was the Skull Island: Reign of Kong ride. Here was my second interactive ride. And this one was even more epic than the first. I was excited about this ride because I really enjoyed this movie. If you haven’t seen it… do so. We were loaded onto an expedition truck with one of five different drivers, each one containing their own backstory and dialog for the ride. There was complete immersion like with the Spider Man ride. But the ride was awesome. The graphics were the best. This was probably one of my favorites. Check it out here.

(I can’t wait to see my sister’s reaction.)

We crossed over into Jurassic Park. If you ever wondered what my favorite movies were as a kid, these were my faves. It was sad that we just passed through. I should have gotten on a ride here. I plan on forcing my sister and brother along with me when I return to Universal Studios. But I took plenty of pictures with the beloved Jeeps. We moved on because we wanted to eat and not be out in the sun for too long.

We moved onto the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Heading into the 3 broomsticks for food. But before that could happen… my friend and I spotted the Hogwarts express. (This cost additional money to ride and I also had no clue where in the park I was going to end up.) But that did not stop me from taking plenty of pictures. This is probably another thing that I will do with my siblings when I return.

Long Lines but it ran like a well oiled machine. Kind of expensive but it is to be expected when going to a theme park. There wasn’t a lot of places for a group as large as ours to sit together. We made it work so no big deal. The food was good. I recommend getting the Butterbeer because it was fantastic.

I enjoyed that there was garden salad… healthy food choice option with all the meals. I actually enjoyed the fact that we got plenty of food for the money and that it was pretty light feeling so that we could continue on with the park. Shepherd’s Pie is always fun.

After lunch we trotted around Harry Potter world. For a few short moments because it started raining pretty hard. But before the torrential rain pour, we spotted lots of people buying wands from Ollivander’s which was great. The whole experience was surreal mostly because it really looked like the movie set. My friends and I were able to make our way to the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride. We were waiting outside when the downpour happened. We were able to wait out the rain while waiting on the ride which was FANTASTIC. Prior to Universal, I was unprepared for the type of ride that I would be experiencing but by that time I was ready for the greatness. So check it out. (

Next time I come back I will ride the other two rides I missed: Escape from Gringotts and Hagrid’s Magical Creature Motorbike adventure. (Although I think the motorbike ride opened 2 years later. )

We made our way through the rest of the park but I think we were really just kind of shopping from that part on. The rest of the park (The Lost Continent and Seuss landing seems fun for the younger crowd.) We were exhausted and headed back home to prepare for Volcano Bay the next day. And boy, were expectations low but I was pleasantly surprised.

Volcano Bay

First thing I learned, through my research, is that once Volcano Bay is filled to capacity. They start turning people away. Makes sense right. So if you want to make sure that you are counted amongst the crowd they let in then you want to make sure you are up early and ready to go. (Keep in mind, those staying in a Universal Resort are also let in before the park opens.) Now I will restate that I went shortly after the park opened in 2017 (like a month.) So things may be different now but my group and I got up pretty early and headed out. We had to pay to park for the day of course. And we were filtered down to a large parking lot where hundreds of people were already gathered. We were being shuttled to the park itself. Not sure if that is something that they are still doing. Be sure to check that out before hand and plan to add that into your departure time. We were able to check in and get bracelets and get on the bus fairly quickly. It was a short shuttle ride but we were let out at the bottom of the hill and made our way up to the main gate.

On the shuttle bus, we were shown the video of the Tapu Tapu. (Wristbands that keep up with payments and line queues which I thought was extremely helpful.) There was a video posted about this place on Facebook after I had returned that I commented on talking about how great my experience was here. Some Jo Schmo commented that he thought all theme parks were stupid, way too expensive and had long lines and anyone who went there was dumb. (The issue with the internet is that anyone can use it.) When I responded anyone who decided to go to a theme park knows they are going to stand in lines. It is not a secret and this park is no different. The tapu tapu was extremely helpful because it cut down on the amount of time I waited in line. He was upset and told me if I want to waste my money continue going to theme parks. (Oh, well.) Anyways, once we made it to the gates we were fitted with the Tapu Tapu and sent on our way.

My crew and I were all able to get in and get lockers first. Of course, they were overpriced but they held our belongings all day. And then we were off around the park which was fantastic. It was easy to set up payments for everyone on their watch. Volcano Bay runs a cashless system so it is much easier to link your card information to your account and go on about your business.

The first thing we saw when we left the lockers was The Krakatau Volcano. You can see it from anywhere. It is like a guidepost which was helpful towards the end of the day. The thing was the plunge slides that were located inside the Volcano were closed so we didn’t get a chance to ride those. Super sad. So definitely something to do when I return. My sister would love it.

One of things that a lot of people didn’t know and also complain about is the fact that there is a weight restrictions. They weight everyone that are inline and if you are above a certain weight you will not be allowed on the rides for safety. Yes, seriously. So Since the pandemic I may have to get down to where I was to begin with… but still it wasn’t all that shocking. It is just something to know if you are going to go. Groups may be split or added with others to follow the safety guidelines. We started out in the wave pool in Wave village located at the base of the volcano. It was awesome. The water was cool and it doesn’t matter as it was like almost 90 degrees that day. There wasn’t a lot of people but at that point it was pretty early in the day.

We headed off to River village which houses the Kopiko Wai Winding River. You grab the inner tubes. Sit back and float away. Probably the most relaxing time I had at the park except for when my glasses floated away. Other than that it was great. It was also a great way to pass the time waiting on a ride. Check it out here:

The other river is not quite so lazy. TeAwa The Fearless River moves pretty quickly and guests are asked to wear a life vest. I did not have to wear a vest because we had inner tubes. But check it out anyway:

The crew and I ended up heading to the Honu multi-passenger slide. And it was all types of awesome. We were able to experience this altogether. Funny story about this slide… that I have to share. As with all of the rides, we had to stand on a scale to determine the weight of the group. We thought 5 of us could ride at a time. The gentlemen at the ride had us sit down and did so strategically. But we didn’t quite get that. So we all got on the rafts when the gentleman was attending to someone else’s question… and someone else took over with us. We were sent on our way. It is important to know that the weight restrictions are important for reasons that I didn’t really understand until I went on that ride. The ride was great but with all of the people on it we seemed to go over max speed. At one point, I thought we were going to go over the side of the slide. I think I saw my life flash before my eyes. So while I enjoyed that slide but in the end I would say that it is best to heed the rules. I could have been on the news and not in a good way. Check out the rides here. (

On the other raft ride, Ika Moana, we had learned our lesson. So that was epic without the fear of death. Good times. I also liked the Tube return. Those tubes were awesome but huge and I could have imagine climbing all of those stairs trying to carry that thing. Check out the other ride here:

The trippy thing is always when the inner tube turns and then your are going down the slide backwards.

For the other multi-passenger slides… (Puihi and Maku) there was a wait time so we had to you use our Tapu Tapu watches. The sign with the name of the ride on it also told you how long the wait was. You tapped your watch and you were placed in a virtual line. So you were able to ride something with no wait time, get food, or chill out until you got the notification on the watch to come back. I chilled in the Wave Pool and the lazy rivers until it was time to head to the ride. (You have 2 minutes to make it back to the ride before they move on without you.) So that saved us a lot of time standing around and not doing anything. Those damn stairs killed me though.

The one thing that didn’t have a line that we rode all day in between waiting for other things was the Taniwha Tubes. Four raft slides ridden solo or in pairs. They were pretty high up which is fine after the first two but you will spend the day climbing stairs. It is pretty windy at the top so be prepared to feel just a bit chilly before heading down. Check out these rides. (

The only ride I remember really waiting for was the Krakatau Aqua Coaster. It is an interesting combination of water slide and roller coaster. Great stuff. Worth the wait. And now I can’t even remember how long I waited. It is a 4 person canoe and they seat you in a particular order. Do not switch up. They know what they are doing. Check it out here:

When I return, I will probably start with the drop in plunges slides. They were closed when we came. I am not sure if they were being worked on or what but that is priority number one when I return. These include:

• Ko’okiri Body Plunge: A near-vertical (70-degree drop) speed slide with a trap-door start that passes through the Krakatau volcano, falling 125 feet (38 m). The slide will also pass through one of the pool attractions at the base of the volcano, described by the park as a “world’s-first” feature. Along with the Kala and Tai Nui Serpentine Body Slides, Ko’okiri Body Plunge is the tallest drop capsule slide in the world. It is also the tallest body slide in the world to send riders out of a drop capsule the entire height of the slide in one continuous descent.

• Kala and Tai Nui Serpentine Body Slides: A pair of high speed twisting body slides with trap-door starts. Along with the Ko’okiri Body Plunge, Kala and Tai Nui Serpentine Body Slides are the tallest drop capsule slides in the world at 125 ft.

• Ohyah and Ohno Drop Slides: Body slides with tall drops into the splash pools.

The only time the line was outrageous was when we waited to get food for lunch. I chalked it up to it being recently opened. But we weren’t going to leave the park so it is what it is. The food was pretty good. Just expensive but that was also to be expected. I am not sure if this was a more streamlined process yet or not but I hope so. I work in IT, so I know how openings or rollouts work so there wasn’t a lot about this park that annoyed me. Although, the lines here came close. It was a cashless system so you load the Tapu Tapu, tap and go. (I am sure that is what made the line long and slow moving. Because I am sure there were people who didn’t know it was cashless and didn’t load their money.) But all in all it was pretty okay.

You also have the opportunity to rent out private cabanas. Maybe I will do that with my group next time. Cabanas come in one and two-story varieties, and are located all throughout the park. These cabanas have a lot of great features including:

• Towel service

• Padded lounge chairs

• Complimentary fruit and snack basket

• Small fridge (replete with bottled water)

• Concierge service ( enables you to get any item from any of Volcano Bay’s four restaurants or two bars.)

I also hear that as you first enter the water park, a concierge will greet you and escort you to your home-away-from-home for the day. The Guest Experience Transformation (GET) tablet, which allows you to book and modify your place in all of the various attractions’ Virtual Lines right from the comfort of your cabana (that’s right – you don’t have to run all over the park swiping your Tapu Tapu at each individual slide’s TapTu Ride point).

Needless to say, it was the best day I had in at a theme park. There were a lot of complaints about the tapu tapu and not being able to stand more than one virtual line. But at what place can you stand in more than one line? A lot of the negative seems to come those who show up mid day. Because this is a theme park, and I am a bit anal… I had figured that midday is probably the worst time to show up if I actually wanted ride something. A little research goes a long way and it saves you trouble in the long run. Check out this video, it highlights the park, the pros and cons, and tips.

Think it will take a lot to convince Leah and Mariah to go with me? I don’t think so either

Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? is one of those cultural artifacts that didn’t just entertain us; it shaped how we understood the world, how we learned, and how we felt about being “the smart kid.” This is about the two mainstays of all things Carmen Sandiego: the PBS game show and the computer games that turned kids into reasoning machines.

My Introduction to Edutainment

Edutainment had been my thing before I even knew what it meant. I would love to have more kids game shows again. Edutainment seems like a new term for the year 2026, but Carmen Sandiego had been doing it for kids for decades. Edutainment is the marriage of two things that usually don’t get along: learning and actual fun. Most attempts lean too far in one direction. For example, either it’s educational but painfully boring, or it’s entertaining but teaches you nothing.

Shows like Ghostwriter, Wishbone, and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? really got the combination of learning and entertainment just right. Carmen built a world where knowledge was the key to solving mysteries, catching villains, and saving monuments. Learning wasn’t a chore; it was key to the reward (Catching Carmen.)

The Game Show: PBS’s Most Ambitious Geography Project

If you grew up in the ’90s, Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? wasn’t just a show; it was an event. I never missed it much to my mother’s chagrin. The aired on PBS stations from 1991 to 1995, with reruns continuing to air until 1996. There was a total of 295 episodes over five seasons recorded (65 each in Seasons 1 through 3, and 50 each in Seasons 4 and 5). Plenty for me to veg out on especially over the summer. My mother had had enough of Rockapella by the time I got to middle school.

The show wasn’t created in a vacuum. Sadly, it was a direct response to a National Geographic survey revealing that one in four Americans couldn’t locate the Soviet Union or even the Pacific Ocean on a map. (25% good lord.)

So PBS, WQED, and WGBH asked a simple question:

What if we teach geography in a way kids actually want to engage with?

PBS had a brilliant idea that they knew would engage kids. They built a game show that made geography seem fun and also walked you through what it meant to gather clues, use those clues to narrow down suspects and then get a warrant to capture the crook. I didn’t even know that I was also learning how to evaluate evidence and build cases like any detective would in the real world. But since I am older now, I understand why being to analyze evidence and figure out what is imperative to your argument is important.

The Chief: Running A Detective Agency

Could you have a show about a detective agency without a Chief like Lynne Thigpen. It was so sad to hear she had passed away in 2003. The great thing about the Chief was she loved puns and she treated kids like they understood what was at stake & and why it was important to capture Carmen. There was no talking down to us kids. During season 1, she introduced the gumshoes at the beginning of each episode and she told us about the caper ahead. She knew that her gumshoes could do it. She gave them clues and encouragement along the way.

Lynne played this like a dramatic role and for some reason that made it much funnier. It made the clues sharper and the stakes higher. The was the head of the ACME CrimeNet and took her job very seriously and wanted us to take our jobs seriously as well. She made the show feel important.

And when she passed away in 2003, the franchise never truly replaced her. Her absence was felt across the Carmen Sandiego universe because she wasn’t just The Chief. She was the heartbeat of ACME.

Greg Lee: The Cool Substitute Teacher

The Chief and Greg worked together when it to “training gumshoes” (where would I be without this show? Well, I would have no clue what gumshoe meant otherwise.) He was the slightly chaotic host who made geography fun. He wasn’t intimidating. He wasn’t overly polished. And that was exactly what the show needed. Greg appeared as the host who was ACME’s Special (later Senior) Agent in Charge of Training New Recruits. Together, the Chief and Greg created one of the most iconic duos in children’s television.

I just learned that Greg Lee was the voice of Mayor Bob White on Doug for both Nickelodeon and Disney. And now I cannot unhear it. That voice always sounded so familiar to me and now I know why.

Rockappella: The A Cappella Group My Mom Hated

Rockapella is one of the most delightful parts of the Carmen Sandiego universe. I loved them and for me they became synonymous with geography, trench coats, and the phrase “Do it, Rockapella!”

Apparently, Rockappella started as street performers. They were Brown University alumni singing on NYC corners with a hat at their feet. Their big break came when they performed on the PBS special Spike Lee & Company – Do It A Cappella in 1990. Producers of Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? saw them there and invited them to audition as the show’s house band. They got the job and the rest is edutainment history.

Their theme song which was written by Sean Altman and David Yazbek, became a cultural reset. Rolling Stone even named it one of the 100 Greatest TV Theme Songs. I sang it all the time. My mother hated it. I know when I got my ipod that I was the first song I put on it. They made me love and appreciate acapella music before I even knew what that met.

They weren’t just the house band. They were the show’s personality. They were included in skits in a few different ways:

• musical clues

• comedy bits

• end‑credits performances

• the iconic “Do it, Rockapella!”

The Format: How the Game Show Turned Geography Into Theater

One of the reasons Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? worked so well is that its format was clever. It wasn’t just a quiz show. For me, it was a three‑act mystery with a beginning, middle, and end. Just like a real live Scooby Doo and the gang minus the dog.

Act I: The Chase Begins

The three gumshoes are introduced, followed by Greg’s entrance into the office where he meets the gumshoes for the first time. Chief opened the episode with a dramatic briefing: a V.I.L.E. henchman had stolen something absurdly large (the Eiffel Tower, the Great Wall, the Edmonton Oiler, the concept of time, you know, normal crimes). This set the tone immediately: geography wasn’t just facts, it was the key to solving a global heist. Most times, Chief gave the reasoning for the heist examples: Vic the Slick steals Carmen Island as a gift for Carmen’s birthday, Patty Larceny steals the Lascaux cave paintings so she can turn them in as her school art project and Wonder Rat steals the Kenyatta Conference Center so that he can make it the centerpiece of his resort, “Rat-lantic City”.

Clues came through comedy sketches, songs, news segments, and Rockapella riffs. Each clue pointed to a location, and gumshoes had to identify the country or region.

Round One:

Each gumshoe was given 50 "ACME Crime Bucks" to begin the round. Various live action, celebrity, musical, animated, and costumed comedy sketches were performed, each providing clues to a geographical location of the day's crook. After each clue was provided, a map with three possible locations was shown to the gumshoes, and each one chose an answer. 10 Crime Bucks were added to the gumshoe's score for each correct answer.

Lightning Round / Chief’s Office

Partway through the round, a lightning effect played in the office signaling the start of the Lightning Round. Three questions, each with three choices, were asked to the gumshoes, all related to the area mentioned in the previous question. Correct answers were awarded 5 Crime Bucks. After the Lightning Round, Greg was called into the Chief's office. This was used as a comedy break, but not necessarily a rest break for contestants. The Chief and Greg would either announce that the gumshoe who captures Carmen would win a grand-prize trip in the contiguous United States or describe a home viewer contest in which viewers submitted the names and locations of the items stolen in four episodes for a chance to win a Carmen Sandiego T-shirt. Nothing like sending a post card hoping that your name was selected.

ACT II: The Informant Round

This was the show’s theatrical sweet spot. Gumshoes received clues from “informants” — actors, comedians, or recurring characters who popped in with jokes, riddles, or musical numbers. It kept the energy high and made the educational content feel like part of a story rather than a test.

The Phone Tap

The gumshoes were usually shown an animated scene where Carmen and the day’s crook were talking to each other on the phone about the crime committed. It was referred to as the phone tap. The clue in this case was based on the conversation between Carmen and her henchman, and was worth 10 Crime Bucks.

In the fifth season, after Greg left the Chief's office, there was a Training Exercise with the gumshoes in the alley outside the office. In this game, the gumshoes each opened a trash can in front of them and sifted through it to find a card. This was not my favorite… It was a little too much like the monkey statue in Legends of the Hidden Temple. On each of the cards was a flag of the location in front and a clue on the back, and after all three clues were read, the first gumshoe that got their card and the lid back on their trash can got the first chance to answer. The correct answer was given 10 Crime Bucks, and play moved back into the office.

The Chase

The Chase was a segment that began at the start of season 2. The Chase scene was usually performed by Rockapella and/or various studio guests, and on rare occasions with the Chief or Greg. In the Chase, gumshoes were provided clues about locations that followed a path. This round was played similar to the Lightning Round, where the gumshoes received 5 Crime Bucks for buzzing in and giving the correct answer.

The Final Clue

A little wager never hurt anyone right? It might. And this is where I can say I learned this the hard way. Greg showed the gumshoes the three locations before the clue was given. After that, the gumshoes were given some time to wager 0-50 Crime Bucks (with Rockapella singing “How much you gonna risk?” while the gumshoes made their wagers.), then were given the clue. If the gumshoe answered correctly, their wager was added to their score. On the other hand, if the answer given was wrong, the amount of the wager was deducted from the score. So many people in the lead lost the round, or others that were losing suddenly came up and made it to the next round.

The two highest scoring gumshoes continued on to the next round and followed the crook to the correct destination. In case of a tie for second place, Greg read clues related to a famous person or place. The first gumshoe to guess correctly earned 5 ACME crime bucks, and moved on to the next round.

Round Two: The Loot, the Warrant, and the Crook

It wasn’t until years later that I realized there was a reason that the loot, warrant and crook had to be found in a certain order. As an investigator, which is what we were pretending to be, it is important understand that you needed, the evidence of things stolen (the loot), the warrant for their arrest and then arresting the crooks. Catchy. It wasn’t enough to know geography. You had to build a case.

The show turned kids into detectives by making them follow the same logic chain real investigators use: What was stolen? Who stole it? Do you have the right person? And do you have the legal authority to arrest them?

The Loot was grounded the geography questions; every clue was tied to the stolen object’s cultural or historical significance.

You couldn’t just catch a crook. You had to earn a warrant by identifying the suspect’s characteristics. It was basically building a suspect profile and it taught deductive reasoning. It also prevented kids from winning by accident. You had to prove you knew who you were chasing.

Once you had:

• the Loot

• the Warrant

• and the correct suspect

…you could finally “catch” the crook.

Prior to starting round two, the Chief briefs the two remaining gumshoes on where Carmen’s henchmen can be. She describes various landmarks in what was called a "Photo Recon".

Fifteen landmarks, including those shown during the Chief's briefing, were displayed on the board, and hidden behind three of them were the day's loot, an Arrest warrant to arrest the crook, and the crook him/herself. Behind the other 12 were shoe prints, which indicated nothing was there.

The loot, warrant, and crook had to be found in that exact order in one turn in order for the crook to be captured. The highest scoring gumshoe from round one chose first, or the winner of a coin toss if they tied, and both of them continued taking turns until one found all three items in the right order, at which point the gumshoe won the game and threw the crook in jail.

If a gumshoe was able to find the loot, warrant, and crook in the right order on their first turn, he/she earned a chance to find a $100 savings bond hidden behind one of the 12 remaining landmarks. The winning gumshoe would pull a ring on a rope, activating a foghorn, in order to put the crook in prison.

Act III: The Map Sprint Finale (PBS’s Super Bowl)

At the end of the second round, the gumshoe wrote down a destination in the continental United States (season 1) or North America (all subsequent seasons) in a portfolio. Afterwards, the gumshoe received a phone call from the apprehended crook, that gave them clues to where Carmen may have went around the world. The Chief gave the gumshoe a list of 13 locations to which Carmen may have traveled.

Afterwards, play moved to a giant map that covered the studio floor—either Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, or the United States. In Season 3, the U.S. map was replaced with North America. The gumshoe was given 45 seconds to correctly identify seven locations (eight after Season 1). (In two first season episodes, if the map selected was Asia, the gumshoe was given 60 seconds instead.)

The gumshoe used several large markers with flashing siren lights on them. If a location was correctly identified, the light turned on and a siren went off. Incorrect guesses were marked by a two-note buzzer. One incorrect guess per location was allowed, but a second incorrect guess forced the gumshoe to leave the marker on the board and return for the next location. If the gumshoe succeeded and captured Carmen before time expired, he/she won the grand prize trip anywhere in the continental United States (season 1) or anywhere in North America (all subsequent seasons) plus a package of educational items similar to those given in round two. Otherwise, Carmen escaped and the gumshoe received just the prize package instead.

The brilliance of this round was that it paired geography with a physical challenge. It kept kids locked in. I usually tuned in just for this sequence. Kids weren’t just naming countries, they were looking at a giant map and trying to correctly identify them. I never missed it and I really felt like I could do it.

Do It, Rockappella!

The show is noted for concluding with Greg complimenting the winning gumshoe on their work (regardless of the result), while reminding the sleuth there was one more thing for them to do and "you know what it is": Greg, the sleuth, and the audience pointing and yelling "Do it, Rockapella!" into the camera. This signaled the group to begin their title song for the animated closing credits, which depicted members of Carmen's gang stealing the names of production staff members against a background. I never changed the channel until the song was over. It never mattered if the gumshoe won or not.

Prizes

I would love to have one a trip for me and one of my parents and a friend. I could see it. Me in Florida at Disney or Universal, with my Carmen Sandiego t shirt. But the grand prize was a trip to anywhere in the continental United States or anywhere in North America. For each trip, the winning sleuth, a parent, and a guest flew round-trip coach from New York City to the selected location. The sleuth spent one week at a luxury hotel chosen by the Chief. Later in Season 4, the sleuth stayed in the hotel of his or her choice. A rental car was included in Seasons 3–5. The sleuth also received extra money to add to the Crime Bucks as spending money.

Season 1: $250 Seasons 2–4: $500 Season 5: $750 (later $1,000).

Why the Game Show Still Matters

Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? wasn’t just a kids’ game show. It took the lead on a problem and helped a generation of kids with both geography and culture. With The Chief’s commanding presence, Greg Lee’s easy charm, Rockapella’s unforgettable soundtrack, and a great format, the show created a world where curiosity was power and knowledge was adventure. It taught kids how to think, not just how to memorize. It showed kids that global awareness was cool. For me, it made learning not feel like a chore. It was ahead of its time and it deserved to stay. But sadly, nothing good stays and everything has a shelf life.

Decades later, the show still holds up because it respected its audience. It believed kids could handle complexity, humor, narrative, and stakes and it delivered all of that with style. Carmen Sandiego didn’t just steal monuments; she stole the hearts of an entire generation and replaced them with a compass pointing toward curiosity.

The Computer Games: Cozy Mysteries for Overachieving Children

If the game show was fun and flashy, the computer games were slow, atmospheric, and deeply immersive. Another time where the learning sneaks up on you. I think my obsession with looking for and gathering clues was shaped by my tv show watching growing up and my obsession with catching Carmen fueled that. Carmen Sandiego gave us millennials a double whammy with the computer games which can still be played here:

https://classicreload.com/search?search_api_views_fulltext=Carmen+Sandiego

The newer game is here online: https://carmensandiego-game.com/

And can be purchased for the Nintendo Switch as well as the PS5.

I remember when the large body computers came to 5th and 6th grade. They were preloaded with Carmen (Where in the USA is Carmen Sandiego?) I was hell bent on finishing all my work so that I could go the computer lab and catch Carmen. But there was not enough time in the day. We do not have a computer at home so my time was limited. That means Carmen had the upper hand. I remember my friend and I had a competition going trying to see how many times we could get to the computer lab and try and catch Carmen. I finished middle school as a Master Detective. Sadly, I didn’t caught Carmen… but in Covid… I finally got her. It was one of my crowning achievements of lockdown.

The Carmen Sandiego computer games were early examples of “stealth learning,” where the educational content is embedded so naturally that players absorb it without conscious effort.

They worked because:

• They rewarded curiosity.

• They made research feel like adventure.

• They taught geography, history, and deduction without ever feeling like homework.

These games didn’t rush you. They let you sit with clues, follow leads, and feel like a detective. And now it is all coming together for me as to why I am so into Detective stories.

The Big Titles

• Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? (1985)

• Where in the USA…

• Where in Time…

• Where in Europe…

Each game had its own flavor, but they all shared the same core: learning through exploration.

The Format of the Carmen Sandiego Computer Games

The Carmen Sandiego computer games all followed a simple educational format. Whether you were chasing Carmen across the world, the USA, Europe, or time itself, every case unfolded through the same core loop.

The Crime Is Announced

Every case begins with a V.I.L.E. henchman stealing something absurdly large or historically important:

• The Leaning Tower of Pisa

• The Liberty Bell

• The Magna Carta

• A dinosaur skeleton

• The entire island of Manhattan (yes, really)

This sets the stakes and gives you your mission: track the thief across multiple locations until you catch them.

From Location to Location

Each stop gives you three types of clues:

A. Physical Clues

These hint at the next destination:

• “The suspect withdrew money in yen.”

• “They were seen eating paella.”

• “They asked about a river that flows through Cairo.”

These clues teach geography, culture, currency, languages, and landmarks. You had to know how to decipher clues and figure out what the next step is.

B. Suspect Clues

These help you build a suspect profile:

• “She loves opera.”

• “He has red hair.”

• “She’s an expert in robotics.”

These clues narrow down which V.I.L.E. henchman you’re chasing. The computer spits out the name of the henchman the more information you put in.

C. Environmental Clues

These are often visual or atmospheric:

• A postcard

• A newspaper clipping

• A local informant

• A travel brochure

They reinforce the geography lesson. Either you were paying attention or you weren’t because you only have a short timeframe to catch the culprit. You had to make a decision quickly and stick by it.

D. You Use Reference Materials to Decode Clues

This is the part that made the games great. And gave me a love for all things reference material. My grandmother had Brittanica and I always started my research papers in the reference section of the library. I am finding out that is a lost art. But I believe it is foundational. I think I knew how to use these things in school with little to know prompting because of games like this.

You had to consult:

• the in‑game almanac

• the encyclopedia

• the world fact book

• the history guide

• the atlas

These weren’t optional. You learned by looking things up, not by guessing and not with ChatGPT. It makes sense that teachers loved the games and did not have an issue with us playing it. They taught research skills before the internet existed.

E. You Issue a Warrant

Once you’ve gathered enough suspect clues, you open the ACME database and select:

• hair color

• hobby

• favorite food

• eye color

• Favorite Sport

If you chose wrong, you’ll catch the wrong suspect and then case fails. The game reinforced the use of deductive reasoning, logic, & attention to detail. Little did I know, I was being introduced (at a high level) the concept of legal procedure. It was the computer‑game version of building a case file.

F. You Follow the Trail Until the Final Location

After several stops, you reach the last destination. If you’ve:

• followed the clues correctly

• identified the right suspect

• issued the correct warrant

then the game rewards you with a dramatic arrest sequence.

If not?
The suspect escapes, and you start over; a surprisingly effective way to teach persistence. I cannot tell you all how many times a henchman has escaped because I had the wrong information or how many times I have captured the WRONG henchman. Tragic.

G. You Capture the Crook

The arrest scene varies by game, but it’s always theatrical. I always get my henchman. But it was satisfying every time.

Why the Computer Games / Video Games Still Matter

The Carmen Sandiego computer games were quiet learning revolutions disguised as floppy disks. The games taught us how to follow a clue, how to chase a lead, how to think like a detective long before I knew what critical thinking was. I was made a detective well before I was turned onto Sherlock Holmes. They made geography, research, and culture seem fun. They rewarded curiosity and patience and the thrill of figuring something out on your own. Carmen Sandiego opened the world up. Me and my generation will always be the better for it.

Carmen Sandiego: The Icon at the Center of It All

Carmen Sandiego is one of those rare fictional characters who transcends her own franchise. She’s not just a villain, not just a protagonist, not just a mascot; she’s an archetype. A silhouette so instantly recognizable that you can identify her from a hat brim alone. And yet, despite being everywhere, she’s also deliberately elusive. That’s the magic.

I do not believe that up to where I started watching the game show or playing the games, that there was anything I had seen where the protagonist was female. She was brilliant, so brilliant that no one could catch her. She was a criminal mastermind in her red trench coat and fedora.

Carmen’s crimes are intentionally spectacular; she steals monuments, continents, time periods, and abstract concepts. These impossible thefts are the narrative engine of the franchise.

She’s one of the few educational characters who became a genuine pop‑culture icon who appears in:

• video games

• three TV shows

• books

• comics

• a Netflix reboot

• endless merchandise

Her silhouette alone is branding. She’s the rare educational figure who feels cool and that’s why she’s lasted over 40 years.

Final Thoughts

The game show and the computer games are two sides of the same brilliant coin. One was loud, musical, and full of energy. The other was quiet, thoughtful, and immersive. Together, they created a franchise that taught us that learning could be dramatic, stylish, and genuinely fun. I am glad that Carmen is still around and I am hoping to hook my niece onto the new games. I mean I have a switch so I may buy that and test it out. And do a review later. That means my beef with that marauder is long from over.

In the beginning, I learned it was written/created by Mindy Kaling. And I was intrigued it if this was going to be along the same lines as The Mindy Project or different. I watched the Mindy Project in 2016 and thought it was pretty funny. So I was down.

My YA Drama Era Never Ended

I love YA drama. My high school life was pretty boring, so maybe this is my way of living vicariously through fictional teenagers who make catastrophically bad decisions with full confidence.

Never Have I Ever is a coming-of-age comedy-drama television series starring Maitreyi Ramakrishnan. Though it takes place in the San Fernando Valley, the show has been reported to be loosely based on Kaling’s childhood experiences in the Boston area.

It premiered on Netflix in 2020 and helped hold my attention during the pandemic. And when I say “held my attention,” I mean I watched all 10 episodes of season 1 in one sitting. They’re only 30 minutes. GOSH.

The story centers around Devi Vishwakumar, a 15‑year‑old navigating grief, identity, friendship, and the absolute clownery of teenage feelings. After her father Mohan dies suddenly, Devi loses the sensation in her legs for three months. One day she miraculously stands mostly because she’s trying to see her crush, Paxton Hall‑Yoshida. After a socially horrible freshman year, she decides she’s going to reinvent herself… but friends, family, trauma, and hormones do not make it easy.

It was interesting enough to see if she was going to be able to reinvent herself… I know the feeling.

The Receipts: Critics Loved It Too

On Rotten Tomatoes:

• Season 1: 95%

• Season 2: 94%

• Season 3: 95%

So needless to say… Leah knows how to pick a show. Let me walk you through the moments that had me screaming, cringing, crying, and occasionally pausing to breathe. As always: spoilers ahead.

Season 1: The Foundation of Chaos

Devi’s Father Dies

So maybe I didn’t know what the show was about to begin with. But let me tell you I was UNPREPARED!!! I mean I was a whole 2 minutes into the show. When they say suddenly… that is an understatement. It doesn’t help that Devi’s parents are having an argument about her just before his death occurs. Her mother doesn’t seem to get her… And her father was understanding and the bridge between the two. His death is huge and both Devi and her mother have a long road ahead of them.

His death shapes everything that follows.

Devi Proposes Hooking Up With Paxton

ARGH!!! What was she thinking??? Actually… It isn’t far fetched but still. I knew I was in for a chaotic season when it started out like this. And then Paxton is just like… Sure okay. Sir what? The whole exchange is cringeworthy. I had to pause several times just to get through this. Paxton is super silent through most of her blabbering… I couldn’t handle it.

Nalini Decides Not to Sell the Scooter

I understand as an adult dealing with the loss of a loved one… It is complicated and has many layers. That being said… 16 year old me would have reacted like Devi. It is hard to get rid of my own stuff and I can’t even fathom giving away things that belong to a gone loved one. As an adult, I don’t think Devi understands how hard it is for her mother as well. I was glad she decided not to sell. I am glad that she decided to relive old memories by taking the two-wheeler out for a spin.

Paxton and His Little Sister

Devi accidentally stumbles onto Paxton sister… who for some reason he wants to keep hidden away. That reason is revealed pretty quickly. His sister has been being picked on even though she is awesome… and to make matters worse she is picked on by even people they called friends. I mean people are stupid. What can you do? I’ll tell you what you can’t do… Tell your sister never to interact with people. Calm down overprotective daddy. My favorite is that she usually tells him about himself which is great.

Coyotes

In her father’s old garden, Devi sees a coyote who picks her father’s tennis ball up, leading her to believe that it is her father’s reincarnation. Devi attends a party where she sees Paxton flirting with Zoe and gets drunk in response. Intoxicated, Devi sees a coyote outside and talks to it, believing it is her dad but gets attacked on her arm. (Dad wouldn’t do that.) You can’t help but feel bad for Devi here. Paxton takes her to the hospital. Later, he affirms their relationship’s platonic nature and starts following her on social media.

College Admissions

Goodness Gracious… I loved this scene… Maybe a bit too much. At a Ganesh Puja celebration held at the high school, Devi’s mother Nalini asks Devi to smooth-talk Ron, a college admissions advisor. He is there because he is married to someone they know… But like… I really wondered why someone would be married to him. Ron asks Devi to use her father’s death and her temporary paralysis as a story to get into college to stand out, but she refuses. I loved the way she tells him about himself. What a bum. It is sad that he had a point though. College Admission essays can be tedious and really something that stands out would be best. But he seems to talk about her father’s death callously.

Model UN

Devi joins Model UN to escape Nalini’s punishment and fuels the lie that she and Paxton are sleeping together; another girl on the bus overhears her and spreads the rumor. She and nemesis Ben join forces to get the members alcohol. And they seem to be bonding… Do I like Ben? Do I hate him? Who knows honestly. The next day, Devi turns against him in UN for accidentally spreading the rumor to the other members, and gets them to stand alongside her.

Ben All Alone

Many of the scenes in the show are super cringeworthy. While Ben seemed to be just a jerk… there are more layers to him… and everyone. Ben is a perfectionist who cares a lot about school and his grades. Ben, Shira and his father have a Clippers game planned, but the day of the game at school Shira tells him that she forgot and made other plans. Walking through the halls he sees Trent and Marcus and asks them if they want to go with him and his father, but they don’t accept the ticket, because they don’t want to go with him. Home sitting at the door waiting for his father he gets a text from him saying that he’s not going to make it to the game. He was surprisingly sad after the text. Because his father cancelled, he gives the tickets to Patty to take her sons. Goodness… I know that feeling. Things go from cringe to sketchy. TheRealPickleRick69 asks him on Reddit to join him at North End Pizza. When he enters North End Pizza he sees a grown up man, who he thought was going to be younger. Sitting at the table he tells Rick that the setup feels sort of sketchy to him and was going to leave, after Rick tells him that he has no one to talk to about his cartoons. Ben is strangely moved by Rick telling him his story and sits back down. Taking a pizza to eat, he tells Ben that the pizza is hot and to blow slower and slower on it. Realizing that something is wrong, Ben leaves. (I was screaming… RUN BEN! RUN!) SN: Do not meet random strangers on the internet.

Kamala’s Arranged Marriage

Kamala… She has to be my favorite character’s. Devi is not all that nice to her. It is probably jealousy. Kamala is Devi’s cousin who moved in with them a little while after Mohan’s death. She’s doing her PhD at Caltech and is incredibly smart but is mostly known for her stunning looks over everything else. She is brilliant. But her family wants to move here into a marriage. She is secretly dating a man… which she doesn’t share with her family because he is Asian. I was so pulling for them… But alas. She breaks up with her secret boyfriend to honor her parents’ wishes and have her marriage fixed.She ends up having to meet the family before meeting the man. And it feels stressful just watching it. It’s almost like a job interview where Kamala needs to show that she can be a traditional housewife who knows her way around the kitchen and can take care of the household. (What is the man supposed to do?) Kamala is brought face to face with another woman who was shunned by her community for marrying for love outside her community, and even the woman tells her it’s a bad idea to do things out of love. Kamala’s suitor is a smart, modern man named Prashant, and the more she gets to know him, the more she warms up to the idea of an arranged marriage.

Nalini Wants to Move Back to India

Can you really blame her? Her husband passed away suddenly. Her rocky relationship with her daughter has become more rocky. She needs help from her family. Devi doesn’t want to go! Shocking. (16 year old me did not want to move either. ) Devi moves out and in with Ben… (WHERE ARE BEN’S PARENTS???) Nalini visits her on Mohan’s birthday and asks her to spread her father’s ashes with her, but she refuses, thinking it is a ploy to move her. Ben, concerned at her actions, urges Fabiola and Eleanor to help Devi and they reconcile their friendship. (Devi wasn’t the best of friends… She is dealing with trauma but she is more interested in Paxton than her friends. Teenagers need to work on being great… hormones and brains not fully developed and all that.) Devi is encouraged to go to Malibu, but she has no means of transportation, so Ben drives her. At the beach, Devi encounters John McEnroe who helps her find her family. Devi, Nalini, and Kamala spread Mohan’s ashes and she agrees to move back in with them. This seen made me cry… Like mother and daughter need a break… and to mourn.

Season 1 Finale Feelings

The way season ended had my feeling some type of way. Ben and Devi… Paxton and Devi… WHAT WILL HAPPEN?? Luckily for me… I didn’t have to wait long. Season 2 hit shortly after… and I had to prepare myself for the cringe. But I jumped right into it and spent my day with Devi and her family. The drama did not dial down. So let’s get to Season 2.

Season 2: The Triangle, The Trauma, The Tumult

The Ben/Devi/Paxton Triangle

Season 1 ended with Ben and Devi kissing and this one starts with Paxton showing up at her house afterwards. (It’s raining men.) However, no one in this situation is mature. So DRAMA. They agree to have a date at his house which leaves Devi indecisive about whether to date him or Ben. (Because his dates all involve his friend Trent.) At Eleanor and Fabiola’s behest she decides to break up with Ben but fails to do so and ends up dating him. However, she decides not to date Paxton after their first date goes awry. Despite this, she gets back together with him. Devi ends up dating BOTH Ben and Paxton at the same time. Her friends tell her it’s a bad idea. It is a bad idea. She does it anyway.

It All Falls Down

I said this was a bad idea. I SAID THAT DIDN’T I??? SN: Devi doesn’t listen to me or anyone. Devi plans to throw the ultimate party and invites only Paxton because of his fake ID, so he can bring alcohol. Eleanor accidentally invites Ben too, and they both find out that Devi is dating both of them. Paxton angrily leaves, and Devi follows him into the street, where Paxton gets hit by a car. (You should have heard the way Leah screamed… Because she really didn’t see that coming. I won’t talk about how I violently jumped. One of the things that floats through my mind… (Devi ran after Paxton… To explain… She didn’t stay with Ben. And that is not going to bode well.) The way I cringe when Devi says “If I were a guy… You guys would be praising me.” (On some level… That may be true. But it doesn’t mean that it gives anyone a pass or isn’t shitty.)

Nalini Wants to Move (Again)

Whilst planning to move to back to India, Nalini tries to sell her patient roster to Dr. Chris Jackson, a prominent but arrogant dermatologist. However, she coldly gets rebuffed. Nalini still wants to move with Devi to India, as she doesn’t feel at home in California feeling she needs family support. She heads home to visit and her parents seem to have a lot going on and have no interest in helping her when she gets back if she she does come back. Mohan’s mother tells her there is no reason to return. Instead she brings her mother-in-law Nirmala to her house as she believes her mother-in-law should be where Mohan lived, whilst also believing she could offer the family the love and support they needed to go through tough times. I agree that she feels alone and I thought this was a great move.

Poor Kamala

But as a woman we have all been there. I would like to pretend that isn’t the case but obvs…. Kamala gets the opportunity to work under a very accomplished member of Cal-tech but instead, she has to deal with his assistant Evan. Evan doesn’t take her seriously at work and makes her do all the grunt work. He is a sexist tool. When she brings up these issues with Prashant, he tells her to just keep her head down and work through it until they get tired and stop. This pattern is seen recurringly throughout the season where Kamala is not being respected by her bosses and when she tells her Prashant, he brushes it off as not that big of a deal. UGH….

FALLOUT

Things land where they may. After the chaotic party, both Paxton and Ben avoid Devi. (I mean… We knew this was coming.) Paxton is shown with a broken arm, preventing him from participating in sports, which ends his entrance into college with a swimming scholarship. I mean… He needs to have actually been doing schoolwork. It is not that he isn’t smart… He just doesn’t try. We all know a person like that. For revenge, he makes Devi do all of his homework (AND SHE AGREED!!!… I WAS SO FURIOUS….) until his sister and a visit to his grandfather convinces him to stop acting coldly towards her. He then reconciles with Devi. Devi then tutors him, and Paxton passes an exam in the process.

Eleanor’s Abusive Boyfriend

OMG. Eleanor… Run away. He is not dreamy… He is a jerk. Period. But it is an interesting glimpse at how easy it is for anyone to fall into this trap. Eleanor dated Oliver until she kissed her childhood crush and classmate, Malcolm. Not the best… I am not sure Eleanor gave the relationship a chance… But I didn’t feel like they meshed well. So Malcolm it was… But Malcolm wore thin on me quickly. Malcom has shown signs of being a toxic, controlling boyfriend. He is arrogant and narcissistic. He is a manipulative guy because he gaslights Eleanor into thinking that her friends were consistently trying to break him and Eleanor up. In actuality… He was a controlling jerk. Devi alongside Fabiola find out that Malcolm is cheating on Eleanor and stage an intervention for her. However, Eleanor gets back with him and scorns her friends after Malcolm makes an excuse. (She made a lot of excuses for him.) He breaks up with Eleanor just because his arrogance got damaged by Fabiola and Devi’s suspicions, telling her it happened due to her friends’ “toxic feminism.” She was better off… And the tool broke up with her in a text message.

Why Can’t Devi Be Great???

There is a new girl in school… another Southeast Asian girl who Devi perceives to be everything she is not… Cooler, prettier and everyone likes her… No one thinks new girl is crazy. Things get smoothed over after they have a sleepover, and Devi and Aneesa get acquainted. They sneak out in the night where they meet up with a few boys including Ben and Malcolm, Eleanor’s crush. Devi gets a nose ring on a dare by Ben, who gets a tattoo, only later revealing that it isn’t real, in revenge. The next morning when Nalini discovers Devi’s nose ring, Aneesa covers for her. (It almost lulled me into a false sense of security. Like… Okay she needs a new friend. This is good. NOOOOOOO!!!!) Jealousy does rear its ugly head. To boost her PE grade back to an A, Devi is forced to run a 24 hour relay. Devi realizes Ben and Aneesa will be together the entire time. Paranoid, she constantly tries to separate them by forcing the other to run the relay lap. (She could have spent her time apologizing to Ben… Or understanding that since she messed up their relationship that Ben is allowed to move on but alas teenagers grow and learn.) After she sees them going into Trent’s tent assuming they will have sex, Devi spreads a rumor that Aneesa has anorexia. (Why Ma’am?) After seeing a distraught Aneesa and finding that she in fact does have anorexia and that she transferred to Sherman Oaks High School because of being humiliated for it, Devi leaves the relay feeling guilty about her actions but doesn’t confess to anyone. After spreading the rumor about Aneesa’s anorexia, Devi desperately hopes not to get caught. However, when Aneesa reports the rumor to the principal, she and Devi are enlisted to investigate who spread the rumor. Devi frames Zoe and Shira for spreading the rumor but later confesses out of guilt and consequently gets suspended the next morning at school.

Kamala Fights Back

She has been struggling to be taken seriously at her workplace. She first thinks that by going out after work with her coworkers that it will smooth things over. It was enraging to watch some her have to navigate these things just to be taken seriously in a field where she is smarter than the male counterparts in charge. Kamala finds out that Evan has plagiarized her discovery and has credited everybody on his new article draft except for her. (So much for getting along with coworkers.) Using advice she received from Devi and Setseg, a fellow scientist, Kamala puts her name on the article and stands up to Evan who can’t do anything but stand there like a bumbling idiot. It was glorious. I was in the feels.

Paxton’s Glow Up

An angry Paxton tells Devi that he failed his quiz and that she should’ve been there to help him. Enraged, Devi tells him that he needs to be a better student. (Sir!!! WHAT??? I WANT YOU TO BE GREAT!!! GO FORTH…) Listen… I get that she hurt him and should apologize… SHE SHOULD NOT BE DOING YOUR HOMEWORK. Alas… He seems to get his butt in gear. Paxton helps debate whether or not Daisy Buchanan was responsible for the murder of Jay Gatsby. He is on the winning team… But he feels inferior to Ben who has wonderful orator skills. (Who’s shocked? Not me.) Like we all see why Ben was the other guy for her. Paxton, taking Devi’s advice about not relying on her for good grades, brings his grandfather to explain his experiences in Japanese internment camps, for his extra credit assignment in Facing History. (I loved this… and his relationship with his grandfather. Apparently, his grandfather refused to talk about it to anyone. But he agrees to help Paxton out.) That night, he sneaks into Devi’s room to make out with her, but calls her “pal” the next day. UGH… 2 steps forward and 1 step back… They are trying to kill me.

Aneesa and Ben

Now look… I get that Ben wants to move on… and that he may be into Aneesa… However… I am not sure that sitting in your ex flings house flirting with your new crush (her friend) is appropriate. Devi gave permission… and I don’t feel like Aneesa needed her permission but the PDA on my couch seems like a lot. We are supposed to be working on a project. Maybe you can wait to suck face until you leave my house. 2 points for Nirmala though.

Nalini & Dr. Jackson: The Love-Hate Rivalry

I was all for it. But I knew it was going to be difficult for both her and Devi. It is hard to move on especially after losing someone close to you. Her interests comes in the the form of fellow dermatologist Dr. Chris Jackson. Dr. Jackson has his own product line, he does a lot of cosmetic work, and his office looks like a spa, whereas Nalini thinks that’s undignified for a medical office. I sympathize with Nalini. While I do not have any children to look out for, I figured that Nalini doesn’t have a lot of adult dating experience. (I understand girl.) I think her and Mohan have been together since they were young so this thing with Dr. Jackson is super new. Dr. Jackson puts her into his mailing list much to her annoyance. She continues to be rivals with Dr. Jackson, until they attend the retirement party to her professor’s party, where she learns he is a good person. Nalini becomes good friends with Dr. Jackson, soon after she asks parenting advice from him after she learns how Devi bullied Aneesa. Chris’ advice works bringing Devi and Nalini closer than ever, as Devi considers her a hero now. However, when Devi figures out that her mother may be seeing someone…..she reacts badly. SMH. (Devi… let your mother be great.) She breaks soon after seeing how Devi didn’t accept them and how she couldn’t move on from Mohan so soon. I wanted something great for Nalini but maybe it is too soon. The fallout with Devi is large and dramatic. I should have been prepared. That night, Devi takes Kamala to his house to spy on Nalini and Chris but gets caught. Nalini scolds Devi and returns home with them. After Nalini breaks up with Chris later, Devi berates her for her actions. However Nirmala slaps her and tells her that it is her mom’s decision. Afterwards, Devi comes to terms with her feelings and is diagnosed with psychosomatic weakness. by Dr. Ryan. Nirmala helps Devi and Nalini reconcile and the two watch a videotape of a pregnant Nalini with Mohan deciding what Devi’s name will be.

Paxton… I Just Want a DAXTON Endgame

However, Paxton (and all of the teenagers… have made me a little annoyed…. And it is mostly because I am unsure of how I would react in the same situation…) Unsure of her relationship status with Paxton after being called “pal”, Devi asks for Eleanor and Fabiola’s advice. With their recommendation, she asks Paxton to the winter dance but gets rejected. When Devi has an emotional breakdown, Ben, who saw Paxton’s rejection, consoles her. Paxton doesn’t want people to know that he still wants her after she cheated on him… But I mean shit or get off the pot. With Ben’s, Fabiola’s and Eleanor’s encouragement, Devi breaks up with Paxton. After Trent asks Eleanor to dance, a lonely Devi decides to leave but Paxton shows up to win her back. (He hits her with his car…. I mean that happened too much in this season. Can people not drive?). He tells Devi he’s there as her boyfriend. They reconcile and dance in front of an astonished crowd. When Ben reacts negatively, Eleanor apologizes for convincing Devi to date Paxton and assures that her feelings for him were real, to his dismay.

Season 2 ended with my OTP… I loved it. Poor Ben though. He looked so distraught. Also there was Kamala Runaway Briding it. I knew there was going to be fallout from that and I could not wait to see it. So I was hellbent on seeing Season 3. Apparently, I don’t use Netflix enough BECAUSE I TOTALLY MISSED IT. But I sat down and caught the 10 episodes in 1 day.

Season 3: Breakups, Glow-Ups, and Ghosting

Kamala’s Fallout

So Prashant is sitting at dinner with his family. Nalini and Nirmala are there. Kamala is not. She got overwhelmed and ran off and ended up with Devi’s teacher, Manish singing karaoke. Fast Forward to dealing with her family. Prashant decides it is best for them to break up, much to Devi’s grandmother’s dismay. Nirmala first uses the silent treatment on Kalama. Nalini has to step in to try and smooth things over. But Nirmala is firm in that Kalama has embarrassed her and the family. She urges Kamala to speak to Prashant and try to win him back… but he isn’t trying to hear it. (I can dig it. I understands her reservations but says that e is ready for marriage and wants a wife that is ready as well. Shoutout to Kamala for letting him know that his work advice was trash.) They agree that breaking up was the best thing to do. Sorry Nirmala.

The Devi/Paxton Thing

Since this is high school, Devi and Paxton are the talk of the town. But it doesn’t take long for Devi to get her own head. Some times we are our own worst enemies. It doesn’t help that there is a rumor that Paxton is only with her because she puts out. Typical high school. But Devi can’t shake the feeling. Given the advice by Dr. Ryan, Devi realizes that being in a relationship will not solve all her problems. After a confrontation with Zoe, she realizes that Paxton might not stay in a relationship with her if she doesn’t have sex with him. After a conversation with Kamala, she realizes she is not ready to lose her virginity and Paxton supports her as well. Contrary to what people think… He is not all sex all the time. But she really should have spoken up sooner.

Devi & The Troll

Thank Goodness social media became a thing after I got out of school. It was hard enough for me as it is. Devi discovers that she has a troll who warns her about Paxton’s intentions. Paxton doesn’t seem too fazed about it. He claims he ignored the trolls that try to talk to him about Devi. (O_o what?) Devi continues to get messages from her anonymous troll. After some digging, she realizes her troll is one of Paxton’s exes from the orchestra club. Hayley warns Devi to get out before Paxton hurts her. Hayley claims they were friends from an early age… but once they had sex… He stopped talking to her. (Goodness gracious. I just want Paxton to be great. Devi brings up to Paxton that he needs to apologize to Hayley. After some back and forth… he decides to do so…. Which leads to an apology tour where all the girls he has wronged before want an apology from him. Hayley and Paxton rekindle their friendship… and everyone seems happy again.

Nalini gets a “Friend”

This one hit close to home because I have been in a situation where people appear to be friends but they really just like feeling superior for whatever reason. Nirmala hosts a party to find a new fiancé for Kamala. During the party, Nalini makes acquaintances with a nutritionist named Rhyah while Kamala decides to date Manish, to Nirmala’s disappointment. Things seem to start off well. But you can see Rhyah’s smugness early on. I really hoped it was nothing but more on that later.

Valentine’s Day

Man did I hate Valentine’s day. It was because I was always the odd person out. So I get how Devi is feeling. But hey she has a new beau…. and I been there too. Because now you with someone and it is hard to believe it… But I was shouting at the screen… Like BE HAPPY DEVI!!! On Valentine’s Day, a compatibility test reveals that Devi is compatible with Eric while Paxton is compatible with Haley, doubling Devi’s jealousy towards her. Later, Devi and Eleanor have dates with Paxton and Trent respectively for Valentine’s Day, but their perception of their boyfriends is damaged. Devi can’t get out of her own head… Due to her growing paranoia about the compatibility test, Paxton breaks up with Devi while Eleanor and Trent repair their relationship after revealing their insecurities to each other. I got Devi and Paxton for a total of about 5 episodes across all 3 seasons. Paxton saying he can’t love her until she loved herself dug deep in me.

Post Breakup/ Enter Des

We have all been there… And some of us had a hard time bouncing back. Devi in her case is pushing through… Seven months after breaking up with Devi, Paxton has a new girlfriend named Phoebe, surprising her by the fast relationship. Trent asks Eleanor and Paxton to throw a birthday party for him and invite the entire school, but Devi declines an invite using her mother’s Navaratri celebration as an excuse. Paxton thinks she’s avoiding dealing with the break up… (And I was more than a little annoyed about that. Like I do have a life outside of you and I have other things going on. It has been almost a year. To assume that I am hung up on you… a bit big headed.) After Nalini learns from Rhyah that her son, Nirdesh “Des”, does not have any friends, she asks Devi to accompany him to Trent’s party to her dismay (Gotta love your parents voluntelling you to do something.) but she finds herself attracted to him after meeting him. (Take that Paxton!!!) I like Des telling her about herself to begin with but also offering to help her. (Paxton is that you I see jealous in the background?).

Ben Has A Breakdown

I was wondering when this was coming. It seems as though with no parent watching him… Ben spiraled out of control. (Andy Samberg is back.) Hoping to attend Columbia University to make his father proud, Ben ignores advice from Patty and Principal Grubbs about not working too hard. He was taking WAY TOO MANY CLASSES… and not eating properly. This is why kids need adults in their lives. Devi warns that he needs to slow down. But alas he has to be rushed to the hospital by none other than Paxton. He starts experiencing occupational burnout and feeling pain, the latter of which is caused by fecal impaction. The two actually bond… Ben has to have surgery to remove the impaction and with no adults around Paxton gets to serve as his over 18 bud. Ben helps Paxton on his college essay, the quality of which, impresses Principal Grubbs. Trent, noticing Paxton’s happiness, subsequently thanks Ben. After the experience, Ben takes the advice given and decides to work in moderation while improving his relationship with his father, who tells him that he is proud of him.

Kamala Moves Out

This was hasty and not the best decision. I wanted there to be understanding between her and her grandmother but Nirmala hates Manish. And he doesn’t win any points by not knowing anything about his family. Nirmala hosted a party to find a new fiancé for Kamala and when Kamala brings Manish… Nirmala is less than impressed. Particularly because he is “just a high school teacher”, doesn’t have any knowledge of his culture and seems like a giant kid. Kamala gets tired of trying to smooth things out between the two. Kamala struggles with Nirmala to gain the latter’s acceptance of her relationship with Manish. Kamala moves into her own apartment but finds that she dislikes it. However, she stays after receiving encouragement from Nalini. (It is an apartment complex for child actors and their parents. The landlord is skeevy… and she gave him ALL HER MONEY??? What in the world?!!!) Later, Nirmala explains to Kamala that her disapproval of her relationship stems from her fear that Manish will be irresponsible just like her late husband. She wants Kamala not to have to do everything like she had to do. However, when Manish scolds Devi for cheating but decides not tell Principal Grubbs, that gains him Nirmala’s admiration.

The Devi/Des

Des seemed okay to me to begin with but there was something about him I couldn’t put my finger on. They seem to hit it off at the party… but several weeks after Trent’s party, Devi awaits for Des to reply to her text but he does not reply. Believing that her flirting skills are rusty, Devi attends a charity event hosted by the school’s drama club, hoping to improve. (That sounds as awkward and cringey as it is. Maybe it is more cringey.) Meanwhile, using advice that Ben gave her, Devi embarks on a relationship with Des after having dinner with him and Rhyah. (Sometimes people show you who they are… and you need to believe them but I am sure I would have dated him too.) They run around behind their mother’s backs. It is a shared experience for them. During a date with Des, Devi finds out at their schools’ respective debate teams will soon be competing against each other. Desperate for her team to win, Devi disposes of Des’ notes during a fire drill, allowing Sherman Oaks to win the competition. It did seem like his school was cheating and for some reason that was allowed. Des seems okay with the fact that she sunk to subterfuge to win. Later, Devi decides to send Nalini, Kamala and Nirmala away to watch Shen Yun so she can host a game night between her and Des’ friends to get closer to him. (She plans to get away with Des and have romantic enquirer.) However, the game night goes awry when Des’ friend Parker, begins demanding alcohol, forcing Des to leave until Paxton and Trent arrive with liquor. (Like really dude?) Despite this, Devi finds Parker damaging her father’s favorite tennis racket in the garage. (Who comes to someone’s house and starts breaking stuff up… no matter what his excuse is? His parents are getting a divorce and I know how difficult that can be… but still.) In her bedroom, Paxton consoles her but Des walks in on them and leaves with his friends, believing Devi is cheating on him. After seeking advice from Dr. Ryan, Devi’s repairs the tennis racket and searches for a place to hang it in honor of her father. She later reconciles with Des and they begin making out in his bedroom but Rhyah walks in on them. Rhyah, Nalini, Des and Devi have an open conversation about the relationship between the latter. To everyone’s surprise, Nalini allows Devi and Des to date as she considers him to be from a “respectable family”. You can tell… that Rhyah is not feeling it. She thinks her and her son are better than Nalini and Devi. (Insert Eyeroll.) Des and Devi are excited they don’t have to sneak around anymore and accompany Devi to her first band concert since her father passed away. (This information is lost on Devi until she sees a hallucination of her father in the crowd.) She has an anxiety attack which leaves her stuck on the bathroom floor. Rhyah finds her there and talks her through it like she cares… but later she tells Des to break up with Devi because she thinks Devi is a nut job. Des ghosts her again instead of just saying he wants to break up… (Because he doesn’t really want to but is a jellyfish.) Devi does find him and forces the truth out of him… and he gets an iced coffee shower for his troubles which Rhyah witnesses. She brings Devi to Nalini but after learning about Rhyah’s true feelings, Nalini terminates their friendship. Good Riddance Particularly to the fake friend. Des didn’t stand a chance.

Paxton finishes high school / Devi contemplates her next move

A dismayed Trent believes that his relationship with Paxton will end to due the latter’s acceptance of an offer to attend Arizona State University. However, with Eleanor’s help, he realizes that Paxton will always be his friend and reconciles with him. Devi is accepted into Shrubland, a school for competitive students due to being “academically gifted.” Her senior year could be great but I understand not wanting to be away from the familiar. After much hesitation and a tour of the school, she decides to go. Disheartened, Ben convinces her to not attend which Devi misinterprets it as jealousy. After attending Paxton’s graduation, she realizes that she doesn’t need to travel far to fit in as she already does. After a heart-to-heart conversation with her mother, they both agree not to attend Shrubland. In this finale, Devi looks happy and like she has finally figured out that there are people in her corner that genuinely care about her. And she is starting to love herself. Ben and Devi who earlier talked about “1 free boink coupon” on their deathbed. At the end of the show Devi pops up at Ben’s home, handing him her boink coupon and the pair wordlessly understanding the proposition.

So these teenagers are pretty dramatic lives and it takes a lot out of me. But I have enjoyed watching the show flesh out these characters. I look forward to season 4… I wonder how things will be tied up for these characters.

• What becomes of Ben and Devi’s relationship? What happened behind the closed doors?

• How big of a role will Paxton play in season 4 now that he has graduated? How is he dealing with college life?

• What is next in store for Manish and Kamala? Will there be a push for her to get married again in season 4?

• Will Nalini get a real friend to hang out with? (I think she deserves it.) Will she revisit a romantic relationship? If so, how will Devi handle this?

Season 4: Devi’s Senior Year: The Final Boss of Herself

Ben & Devi: The Boink Coupon Fallout

The aftermath of Ben and Devi's sexual encounter is awkward, with each feeling like they disappointed the other. Well, one thing about being in high school is that sex is made out to be more than it is by kids who do not what they are doing and definitely do not know the bodies of others. As a result, Ben ignores Devi all summer while pursuing a relationship with Margot. Ghosting after taking someone’s virginity is harsh but I have to remember these are kids. (Like come on guys, communicate effectively.) Once senior year starts, Devi gets into a public feud with Margot over Ben. I get that Devi was acting out… But there was something about Margot I did not like and I could not put my finger on… However, when Devi’s car gets vandalized, I wasn’t sure Margot would do something like that. Nalini tells Devi she will have to pay for the car repair, leaving Devi short on money to make the school's visit to New York campuses.
But it is so tiresome to see how none of the adults are interested in the things happening to Devi and are quick to just blame her. Weird. It seemed like in the age of technology, it would be easy to find out who did what and when and assess the proper punishments. One thing I notice about young adult shows and novels is that adults are useless. The teachers/principal and other adults seem SUPER NOT HELPFUL.

Paxton’s Return: The College Dropout Arc

I was never sure about Paxton going to college. He was lazy and not interested in doing school work at all. But he made it and I was proud of him. However, he is not able to adjust from being the top in high school to being the bottom rung in college. It is a hell of an adjustment but he didn’t even try. He was on the end of some bullying and could not handle it at all. Like get your room changed, try on campus things. Like TRY. Paxton's issue is that no one likes him at ASU, but the truth is he doesn't stay there long enough to know that, as he dropped out after only two weeks. Sure, he was never going to be as popular in college as he was in high school. Paxton essentially ruled the school, doing whatever he wanted, and in college, he couldn't wield that kind of power, especially as a freshman. He attends a single party before giving up because it's not like his high school experience. He just gave up and he drops out of college and returns home to work as the assistant swim coach for the school's team which allows him to attend parties, hang out with his old friends, and essentially hold on to his high school life. I’ve also wondered how he was able to coach or get the job coaching because he does not have any credentials or have any idea how to work with kids.

Eleanor & Ethan Or Devi & Ethan?

Trent proposes to Eleanor, but she declines, stating that they are too young. But then Trent breaks up with Eleanor because he feels he will hold her back from her ambitions. Eleanor decides to move on from Trent with their newly popular classmate, Ethan. In theory, I figure this makes sense because they are both kind of artsy. But there is something not right about him that I can’t put my finger on. And then we discover that Ethan vandalized Devi’s car, (Devi realizes that it was Ethan who vandalized her car. She notices that he writes “t” the same way the vandal wrote it. She confronts him about it, and he reveals that he mistook her car for a teacher’s who had given him bad grades. Devi threatens to destroy his skateboard if he doesn’t pay for repairs. Her aggression makes Ethan attracted to her.) but her previous accusation of Margot has already driven a wedge between her and Ben. Now, why would you accuse someone with no proof only to find out that the person didn’t do it and your friends new man did… and not only that but that man is now interested in you. Devi thrives in chaos. Ethan shows up at Devi's with spray to clean up her car. He hits on her, and she realizes she likes him, but Eleanor does too. His explanation was that he thought it was a teacher’s? What the fuck? If that is not a red flag, I don’t know what is. But these are teenagers who love red flags.

Fabiola and the Robotics Club

A little explanation in why women want separate clubs for themselves. It starts younger than most people think. Fabiola begins to notice the lack of women in the robotics club and it is not because the women aren’t interested. She is the only woman and when she does a poll, others say they feel unwelcome. It seems that Fabiola took no interest in what the other members of the robotics club said or did, as long it didn’t bother her own work but also that the other members of the club saw her as one of them and dialed it back. Fabiola and Aneesa discuss the toxic masculinity embedded in the Robotics team after noticing a lack of female students joining. They vow to work towards changing the environment and encouraging more women to join. Michelle agrees to join the team after seeing Fabiola stand up for STEM women.

Definitely Devi and Ethan but why?

Devi struggles with Ben avoiding her, while Ethan's apparent attraction to her makes her worry about betraying Eleanor. Devi wakes up from a wet dream about Ethan and realizes that she is betraying Eleanor. She tries to avoid Ethan but we all knew that wasn’t going to work right? Things escalate when Ethan invites Devi, Eleanor, and Fabiola to a party, and Things reach a boiling point at the party when Eleanor witnesses Devi kiss Ethan. Eleanor confesses that Ethan had kissed her just moments earlier, triggering a confrontation between the two friends. However, Fabiola believes that Ethan is to blame and that he is not worth the trouble. Fabiola seems to be the person that has to most sense here… but does Devi listen? Does she ever? Ethan confesses his feelings to Devi, kissing her. Devi sets some boundaries for a monogamous relationship, signaling an end to her brief phase of being indecisive about Ethan and Ben. But I am not sure that I would date a guy that also kissed my friend and stirred up drama between she and I.

The Princeton Issue

Devi meets with her college advisor about applying to Princeton early, but it turns out that she will not receive a Letter of Recommendation from Dr. Keyes. I mean none of the adults at the school like her. So that makes things difficult. Devi’s academic adviser, Professor Warner, warns her about potentially harming her academic success by being in a relationship with someone like Ethan. How right she is… but I mean, at the college fair, Devi shares Professor Warner’s concerns about Ethan with her friends, Eleanor and Fabiola. While they agree that Ethan is only good for fun, Devi disagrees. Devi cuts the line at the Princeton University booth and interrupts a prospective student, much to the displeasure of the representative. Whenshe cuts the line and boasts about her achievements she gets dismissed Devi. Who told her this was the appropriate way to handle things. Ethan suggests damaging Akshara’s car as retribution, but Devi is against the idea. During the lunch, Ethan steals Akshara's wallet, prompting Devi to break up with him and return the wallet to Akshara. Fabiola’s mother meets with Professor Warner to discuss college applications and convinces her to prioritize her own future and apply for all colleges, regardless of her friend Devi’s plans. Or lack thereof. Fabiola learns that Princeton has a top-tier robotics program, and applies to Princeton Restrictive Early Action at her mother's behest, which risks putting her at odds with Devi, who also wants to be admitted.

Heading to New Jersey

And maybe this is what Devi needed to see. The students of Sherman Oaks High School are taken on a college tour. Devi goes to visit Princeton while Ben visits Columbia. Eleanor auditions at Juilliard with Fabiola providing support, as she avoids having Devi see her at Princeton. Devi is excited about her visit to Princeton because of another student who goes there and someone she once idolized, Blair. But Blair is not who she used to be. Burned out on being the golden child and given a chance to spread her wings have really changed things. Blair takes Devi to a nightclub instead of showing her around Princeton and is no longer the studious student she once was. Devi becomes uneasy when she learns that Blair was expelled after suffering academic burnout. Ben does not fair any better. He gets a special tour of Columbia University thanks to his father’s connections. However, he soon realizes he does not fit in with the students there and feels less intelligent than them. Eleanor becomes emotionally distraught after getting rejected from Juilliard. Everyone is down and they decide to hop on the train and meet Devi at a party. Everyone is loosening up, dancing and having fun but it is never that easy. Devi is groped by one of the college students and Ben comes in just in time to punch him and save her. Devi and Ben talk about their college aspirations and reconcile their friendship. The group must return home early due to Professor Warner’s anger over their night out.

All Hell Breaks Loose

Devi grapples with the stress of college applications and the emotional turmoil of being deferred by Princeton. As the story unfolds, Devi becomes increasingly anxious about her college prospects, feeling like she has let her mother and herself down with her behavior in high school. And I mean she has. Her suspension for bullying Aneesa, her confrontation with Ethan over Akshara’s stolen purse, and her lack of a recommendation letter from Dr. Keyes all weigh heavily on her mind. I didn’t see where she took anyone’s advice about other schools and did not try to get other recommendation letters. Fabiola secretly applies to Princeton and accepts a spot without telling Devi about it, leading to a heart-wrenching revelation that threatens to tear their friendship apart. Devi feels betrayed and hurt by Fabiola’s deception, and it takes a significant amount of time and effort for the two to reconcile. I didn’t understand what her feeling of betrayal was about. Devi made it seem like she had some sort of stake or entitlement to things that she did not have. Other people are allowed to apply to university and you have to get over the decisions after they are handed out. Ben, on the other hand, was thriving in his early acceptance to Columbia University, relishing in the self-confidence boost and recognition from his peers. Fabiola and Devi reconcile after Paxton advises them both to deliver an emotional essay in class. Devi becomes the swim team's equipment manager to get a varsity letter in a last-ditch attempt to gain more credentials for Princeton. Devi, despite having been deferred by Princeton, resolves to continue pursuing her dream of attending the university and refuses to give up on her goal which is good. By episode’s end, the Devi, Eleanor, Fabiola trio is back on solid footing, but their time together is fleeting: Eleanor drops the bomb that she’ll be graduating in two days to get a jump start on her acting career.

Paxton & the Swim Team

Professor Lindsay Thompson calls for teachers to volunteer for a potluck, with no one volunteering aside from Professor Shapiro. Paxton, on the other hand, avoids the potluck by claiming to be busy on the day. As swim team season begins, Paxton bonds with the recruits while trying to ignore his conflicting feelings about leaving ASU. He also reluctantly agrees to train Eric after school.. and I thought this was great. Eric was a funny character, though sometimes crude. The team throws a party at Paxton's, which is discovered by the substitute teacher, Lindsay. She tells him he should have handled it more maturely and stopped the party. Paxton seems to be having a hard time becoming faculty and no longer a part of a student body. Eric reminds him that there is no shame in trying even if one fails. Paxton’s bond with Eric leads him to push himself and Eric. While helping Devi sort through swim supplies, Paxton and Devi get locked up inside a storage room, leading them to confront their past. They kiss, but the moment is interrupted when Coach Noble opens the door, giving Paxton a warning about being careful as a teacher. He is making too many choices like he is still a student. Eric makes the swim team, inspiring Paxton, who starts becoming more comfortable as part of the school staff. Devi and Paxton talk about the kiss, agreeing that neither wants to pursue a relationship.

Nalini Deserves Love

In previous episodes, the house was falling apart. The stairs were trash. Nalini injures herself on the termite-infested stairs, which Mr. Ramos, the family’s contractor, was supposed to repair. Nalini discovers that Mr. Ramos is being dishonest about the extent of the damage when he removes the entire staircase. WHO DOES THIS? Like what kind of person just does that? Earlier, when Devi went to college tour, Nalini is excited to have the house to herself but soon grows anxious in its silence. Which makes perfect sense. Andres, Margot’s father, continues to do odd jobs to help Nalini and offers to stay with her. A week after Devi and Ben begin flirting through text, she realizes that Nalini is flirting with Andres and decides to support her mother. Andres declines the invitation to the dinner because of the enmity between Margot and Devi, prompting Devi to make peace with Margot. After seeing this, Andres agrees to go to the dinner, and brings Margot along. It was nice to see Devi do something nice for her mother. And want new love for her mother… Especially after she crashed out over the dermatologist. The dinner seems to go well for the parents but not for Margot and Devi…. As Devi and Margot put on their best game face at dinner for their parents, they discuss Ben, and Devi realizes that although Ben hasn’t been texting her much, he has been constantly communicating with Margot. Which seems not that big of a deal for people on the verge of graduating and neither of whom are dating him but the two confront Ben about it, leading to a confession from Ben that he has feelings for Devi. However, things take a turn when Ben arrives (This man is high as a kite not a good look in front of the parents.) at Devi’s house with flowers and realizes that Margot is there too. After a chaos-filled night, Devi and Margot comfort each other over Ben rejecting them and joking about hoping that their parents date.

Prom Confessions

Devi lies to her mother and her friends that she got into all the Ivy League schools. I wondered what purpose this was supposed to serve. Putting off the inevitable. Devi is left reeling after discovering that she has been rejected from all of the colleges that she had applied to. More and more, students are realizing that it takes more than straight A’s to get into college. I get having a dream that you want to accomplish but having to pivot is also a valuable lesson to learn. It doesn’t help when Principal Grubbs announces over the intercom that Devi has been accepted by all the Ivy League schools. The same principle that was not interested in lifting a finger to find out what happened to her car. I was like… okay. The lie will out. Devi feels overwhelmed and guilt-ridden, so she comes clean to her friends while en route to the prom. The limousine driver crashes from all the damn feral screaming. At the National High School Tech Fair, Fabiola impresses Dr. Tye from Howard University with her robot, Gears, and is offered a spot on the team in the fall. She admits to the girls that her intention to attend Howard instead of Princeton. Poor Eleanor has been going through it. She didn’t get into Julliard and she was not getting any parts even having to go up against her deadbeat mother. When Eleanor vents to Trent about not getting any parts, he gives her the idea to direct her own films and act in them. But I am not sure how beneficial this is for her in the long run. How come no one telling her to find something to fall back on? The weird affirmative action undertones and Fabiola going to a HBCU so that Devi may get off the waitlist to Princeton is… I am not sure I have the words. But I guess I should have seen that coming.

Finale

Well, everything is tied up in a neat little bow. Devi is accepted into Princeton and wants to celebrate with Ben, but he is leaving for an internship in New York. She graduates valedictorian and spends the summer with her friends. I think that I enjoyed very much that they all went their separate ways. New and different life experiences. Paxton, now in a relationship with Lindsay, returns to ASU to pursue teaching. I was so glad to see Paxton give college a real try and pick something that he wants and apply himself. Ben flies back from New York and surprises Devi at the wedding reception, where he and Devi admit they love each other. The two abscond to Ben's home and have sex; I guess it was better this time because they later decide to give their relationship a shot in university, given the proximity of their campuses. And I felt closure with the montage that I saw of everyone. Ben and Devi are still together, Fabiola killing it at Howard. Eleanor directing her own movie and Kamala and Manish still dating. So alls well that ends well.

Conclusion: A Love Letter to Chaos, Growth, and the Girls Who Feel Too Much

After four seasons of absolute clownery, heartfelt moments, chaotic decisions, teenage hormones, cultural nuance, grief, healing, and more car‑related incidents than any high school should reasonably experience… I felt drained and slightly empty watching kids grow up and move on. I know that is the point in life but still it hurt. What makes this show special isn’t just the comedy or the drama; it’s the honesty. Devi is messy, loud, impulsive, brilliant, selfish, loving, dramatic, and deeply human. Never Have I Ever is ultimately a love letter to complicated girls, academic overachievers, and anyone who has ever tried to reinvent themselves after life knocked them sideways. It’s funny, heartfelt, chaotic, and real and it leaves you with the sense that everyone, no matter how messy, deserves a chance to grow

But now? I really need to get to some of these titles. I bought them. I displayed them. I dusted them. I admired them. I just… didn’t read them. I was probably stuck in Atlanta traffic somewhere, dreaming about reading instead of actually doing it.

As time goes on, I want to spend less time watching television and more time getting through my collection. So here’s my updated list — the manga I want to tackle over the next year. And hopefully, writing this down will hold me accountable.

Alright… let’s jump into it. If you’ve read any of these, let me know.

Tokyo Ghoul & Tokyo Ghoul:re

A dark fantasy about humans vs. ghouls — creatures who look human but can only survive by eating human flesh. The story follows Kaneki, who becomes half‑ghoul after a disastrous date (yes, really). So I watched the anime… and like most people, I feel it did really well in the first season… but after that things hit the fan. I was slightly confused as to what was happening which led me to get the series. I want to read and fill in the blanks left from the anime. So here is the deal… I probably bought the original box set 4 years ago… with the :re purchased a while later. So I really need to hop on that. My Kaneki funko pop is looking real judgy.

Why it’s worth reading:

• The manga explains EVERYTHING the anime rushed or skipped.

• Rich psychological themes: identity, hunger, morality, trauma.

• Beautiful, gritty artwork.
  Length: 14 vols (TG) + 16 vols (:re).
  Emotional damage level: Medium‑high.

Vagabond

A fictionalized retelling of the life of legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. This was a recommendation from people on Twitter. Because we were in a pandemic, I ran out a got the manga while supplies lasted. It was a hard time because many book stores kept cancelling the orders… but then I got them… and haven’t read it. So I need to read it asap… I plan on doing a write up to my reaction.

Why people love it:

• Some of the best artwork in manga history — period.

• Deep philosophical themes about violence, purpose, and mastery.

• Slow, meditative pacing that feels like reading a samurai epic.
  Length: 37 vols (on hiatus).
  Emotional damage level: Existential.

Noragami

So I started watching the anime with a friend of mine. But the show is only 2 seasons… so I had to go to the manga. It took me forever to find all the volumes. I always say if you can get your hands on hard copies that is better. But it could just be better for me. I couldn’t wait to see where the story is going… and then I didn’t. I know, I know. Shame on me. Hopefully the anime comes back soon. But I need to read up on the stray god.

A stray god named Yato tries to gain followers and become famous, but he’s broke, chaotic, and occasionally useless.
Why it’s great:

• Found family vibes.

• Humor mixed with surprisingly heavy emotional arcs.

• Gorgeous character designs.
  Length: 27 vols (Completed).
  Emotional damage level: Sneaky — it hits when you least expect it.

My Hero Academia

So I started buying this series because I didn’t want to wait to see what happened in between seasons in the anime. And initially I was reading… But I have definitely slacked off. So I need to jump back into that. I loved the story that but life got in the way and I need to battle back. Good Story. I miss it.

A world where almost everyone has superpowers (“quirks”), and hero society is basically celebrity culture with punching.
Why it’s worth catching up:

• Strong character development.

• Big emotional arcs (Deku, Todoroki, Bakugo — all of them).

• The manga goes way beyond the anime.
  Length: 40+ vols (completed).
  Emotional damage level: Moderate but frequent.

One Piece

So with this long of a series… I had to buy this in boxsets… So this will probably be one of the last things I read. I know it is going to take me a while and I am cool with that. Oda claims he is almost done (he always says that…) But I think he is serious… so I will finish the collection and read what I need to read.

A pirate adventure about dreams, friendship, and punching corrupt governments.
Why it’s iconic:

• Worldbuilding unmatched by any other manga.

• Characters you will love forever.

• Emotional arcs that sneak up on you.
  Length: 100+ vols (ongoing).
  Emotional damage level: High, but in a good way.

Food Wars - Shokugeki No Soma

Food battles… like I watch on the Food Network. Culinary school like I used to want to go to… I am down. But since the show ended… I have had no drive to read the story… But again since I bought it I should read it. Ill reintroduce myself to Sōma and the gang shortly.

Culinary school meets shonen battle manga. People have dramatic food orgasms. It’s fine.
Why it’s fun:

• Creative food battles.

• Surprisingly good character growth.

• Recipes you might actually try.
  Length: 36 vols.
  Emotional damage level: Low — mostly delicious chaos.

The Irregular at Magic High School

The Manga is only online. But I ordered some light novels… And there is so much more left to this story… And I have to find out how it turns out. Where does Tatsuya end up? I had to order these because they take years in between the seasons of the show… And no one (read: me) has time for that.

Magic + science + political intrigue

Why it’s compelling:

• Detailed magic system.

• Slow-burn worldbuilding.

• Light novels go way deeper than the anime.
  Length: 20+ light novels.
  Emotional damage level: Mostly intellectual confusion.

Moriarty, the Patriot

Sherlock Holmes anyone? Well more of a young look at his archnemesis. Hell I am down. This time around I want to read first before watching the show. So I may start here. This one is fairly new… Only 19 volumes. But because it is ongoing… I may run into issues when I start something new. Who knows?

Why it’s great:

• Victorian crime drama with flair.

• Clever twists on classic Holmes stories.

• Beautiful art and strong atmosphere.
  Length: 19 vols.
  Emotional damage level: Medium — mostly vibes.

Demon Slayer

So this show has been great nonstop to me. I loved it… But I heard it was coming to a close. So I got the box set when it came out…. And I really need to read it. I want to know how things are going to end… But in all actuality… I probably won’t finish it before the show ends… But that is fine.

So I really want to get things done in a year or two. I want to scale back watching television to make time for it… and then I can jump back into anime with a vengeance. Once I am done reading I can decide if I want to donate these to a library or whatever. But if you guys have anything that I should add to my list. Let me know.

In Loudmouth we follow the story of Shelby a hockey blogger who has just landed her dream job, as part of the Ice Knights media team. Not only does she get to do what she loves everyday, work with her favourite team, but she gets to do it using her own blog The Biscuit. Things do not get of to a very good start for Shelby when another reporter gets the scope of a lifetime when she overhears a conversation that Shelby has with her mum, where not only does some major tea get spilled but it’s about the very team she has just started working for. Feeling extremely guilty for the part she played in blowing up not only one guys life but two of the Ice Knights players all Shelby really wants to do is hide and wallow in her guilt, so when her boss Lucy says she has the perfect mountain cabin Shelby jumps at the chance of some alone time. The problem… Ian has the same idea.

Ian has had his entire world flipped upside down. And to make matters worse, somehow managed to injure his thumb, benching him till him till the team doctor clears him, so all Ian really wants to do is drown away his self pity with a bottle of scotch while he stews on what has become of his life. I get it… but we all know where this is going. (I’m okay with a little predictability.) I get why Ian is having an issue… thinking that your life is one way… and finding out that everyone else around you knows something you don’t is a big deal. (I, myself, have been through something like that.) The outcome of that information was disastrous and a friendship between Ian and Alex was ruined along with the potential of a season championship. It is a pretty big fallout. The very last thing he expected when he arrived at the cabin that Lucy from PR had organized for him, was to get poked with a taser by the very girl he was trying to get away from. And then a snowstorm sets in… because why not? LOL.

For two people that supposedly can’t stand each other… (Not sure why Shelby can’t stand Ian, she is the one that outed his business.) they sure hopped into bed together pretty quickly. (I don’t have an issue with it but it was unexpected.) There was a power outage… so what else is there to do? But what happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas. Shelby is invited on a trip with the team with the effort of trying to repair Ian and Alex’s relationship.

I will tell you guys… Avery Flynn knows how to write shitty parents… and parents that love their kids. For me, it pulls at my heart when parents can’t be bothered and are shitty to their kids. Ian’s dad leaves a lot to be desired and that is all I am going to say about that. Because he deserves some other words and maybe a brick to be thrown at him.

I was pulling for these two from the very beginning and really was dreading the crash of boy loses girl. It pulled at my heart strings even though it was a fun read. Anyone who knows me knows enjoy hockey and that I was loving this series. I think this book is a great addition to it. I would rank it second out of the three. I listened to this on audible and Tim Paige does Ian P justice. He worked so well with Kelsey Navarro as Shelby. I loved it and would recommend listening to it if you get the chance.

What I have noticed about Avery Flynn and what keeps bringing me back is she has a lot of well developed and fleshed out characters with real issues. The women are strong-willed and a bit vulnerable (because hell women can be and are both.) And the men are not threatened by the women in the stories, not emotionally constipated and actually share what is bothering them to their friends at least. (But yes… I know that this is in fact written by a woman. However, it is good to depict how sharing and communication are key in any relationship or friendship.)

This story is no different. Fallon is an ER nurse who gets roped into helping Zach Blackburn (the defensemen for the fiction Ice Knights hockey team) “the most hated man in Harbor City” who has come down with the flu by his PR Manager and her friend, Lucy. She never wants to leave her friends in a lurch. So she heads out to Zach’s house… who is less than happy to see her. (Translation: He was a complete douche.) He is not great with gratitude and puts a plan into action to make Fallon leave. During the course of the stay though… they discover that he doesn’t actually have the flu but food poisoning from one of the puck bunnies he smashed the night before. When he does finally succeed in pushing Fallon away, (which he has skills with doing.) Fallon is caught by the media leaving his house. (It is revealed that he was given food poisoning on purpose so miss puck bunny could play nursemaid. I mean who does this?????!!!!) So it starts a media frenzy, because no good deed goes unpunished, of the new puck bunny that Zach is cozying up with. Fuel is added to the media fire when Zach’s hockey game starts to improve. The media deems Fallon as Zach’s Lady Luck aka #TeamZuck (What a stupid name. But I could totally see that trending on Twitter or something.) But as with anything on social media… they love you until they hate you and it isn’t long before the trolls start with their mean comments about Fallon’s looks. Such is the case when women aren’t conforming to the standard. She is the subject of hurtful comments and memes. (Douches). When the Ice Knights lose the next game – at which Fallon is not present – Zach is pushed by several people, including Coach Peppers, into asking her to attend the next one, and while she thinks that whole Lady Luck thing is a crock of shit, she agrees to go if Zach will make a personal appearance at an upcoming benefit to raise money for the free neighborhood health clinic where she volunteers. Zach never makes personal appearances, but if it’s the only way Fallon will turn up at the games then he is down. And to his surprise, actually finds himself enjoying the day, so much so that he actually makes plans to come back with the rest of the team.

Zach is the most hated not only because of his bad attitude but people in the city also feel like he is an overpaid lousy hockey player. He can’t seem to get his game back on track and because of that, the Ice Knights are on a serious losing streak; and in addition, he’s bad-tempered, rude, and stand-offish, has never made the attempt to befriend his teammates, and certainly never makes an effort to be nice to fans. What is great about this story is that while Zach was currently not playing as well Avery sets up a fantastic story as to why he is the way he is. I call it an onion. There are so many layers to Blackburn and his relationships and I want to say kudos to Avery for making it as realistic as possible. As a friend of mine says… it takes a bit to get to the soft nougaty center. Dealing with fans seems like the thing that celebrities should do… but people really feel entitled to know personal things about people’s lives because they see them on tv or read a book they have written. And because of that feeling, fans can be rude as fuck.

Fallon Hartigan is me and I am she. She is educated and a team player. She goes to the mat for people she cares about. Fallon is a no-frills, no-nonsense kind of woman, and isn’t anything close to the puck bunnies Zach has been seen with. (Which she originally prides herself on but becomes a hindrance later on.) She comes from a large and loving family. (And by that I mean they are in each other’s business and very opinionated. Accurate depictions of some families… definitely my family.) She is a die-hard hockey fan and not really into what other women are into or really what she believes women should be into. (Spa days, getting your nails done, hair and makeup, etc). Besides being intelligent, Fallon is also a big softie at heart. She volunteers for the neighborhood free health clinic and takes to heart that there might not be enough money to keep it up and running because she knows the people in the city need it.

What is interesting is that Avery tackled internet trolls in the best way, meaning that I wanted to throttle everyone that wrote rude shit. Meaning that it is a lot like reality… Oh well. She is constantly being called manish, because being interested in someone is hard enough, without the added feature of him being in the spotlight. Fallon may be tough as nails to people which of course equals her being a bitch for having an opinion in a man’s world. Not to mention liking sports… especially hockey. Even though she is tough as nails, she does give in to her anxiety which has had a spotlight put on it since meeting Zach. Once she admits that there is more to Zach than him being a douche and that she likes him… nothing helps a person backpedal more than comparing yourself to past lovers. She constantly tells herself that she is not what Zach normally goes for. But Zach is not to be deterred. The idea of her being his Lady Luck gave way to real feelings.

Zach: “If we walk out of here together right now, there’s only one way tonight ends.”
Fallon: “How’s that?”
Zach: “Naked. Sweaty. Drained. Exhilarated. Probably sore. Definitely satisfied.”
Fallon: “Let’s go.”

Yeah, I would have gone too. I enjoy that both of these characters have deep-seated insecurities that they have to work through. These are both well-rounded characters and I found myself wanting to know more about each which doesn’t always happen. This is a slow burn in the best way. Avery strikes a good balance between the fun, flirty romance with witty banter and astonishment at layers being peeled back and the darker themes that lend depth to the story. The fictional social media posts are, sadly, the sort of things that are only too familiar in the real world. The criticalness of people on the internet who don’t know her but want to judge her by the way she looks hit home for me and not in a good way. It is the mark of a great writer to stir up emotion in the readers. And Zach’s experiences, while not typical, are not unheard of either (Think Gary Coleman, Macaulay Culkin.) The romance that develops between the big-hearted, take-no-prisoners Fallon and the grumpy but lovable Zach, is really well done and their chemistry just sizzles and is suffocating.

And I have to say the narration was intriguing. The story is told in two POVs. (Zach and Fallon) Because of that, the story is narrated by both Savannah Peachwood and Brian Pallino. Both of whom are new to me but they performed this well. I look forward to listening to these two work together again. They worked really well together and I’m happy to be able to say that I enjoyed listening to them. I’m really picky when it comes to my narrators. I sampled every story before I purchase it. If I don’t like the narrators, then I purchase the paperback so that I can read it on my own.

So those are my thoughts. Read it, listen to it…. tell me your thoughts below.

So my last post was a review of me stumbling on to the awesome hockey romance that is Parental Guidance by Avery Flynn. So it was to my delight that there was another in the series. (We will talk about the book Tomboy from her other series that introduced these Ice Knights characters that I stumbled onto the other day. You’ll find I do a lot of stumbling.) Alas, I shall do a post about that as soon as I finish that book. I am currently listening/reading now because I need something to listen to it before the third book in the series comes out. (Loud Mouth by Avery Flynn, Ice Knights series book 3). Also I need to know how this all started. But now for the topic at hand, Awk-weird caught my eye not only because I am obsessive and have to get a whole collection especially since I enjoyed the first story in the collection, but because I couldn’t tell whether or not the lady on the cover was pregnant or not. The summary intrigued me. I mean the boy meets girl he barely knows and knocks her up but they find love and make things work has always been one of my favorite tropes (although fake dating always wins out in the end.) This could have turned out to be super cheesy but instead was endearing and heartwarming.