Author: Brandon Zachary

The following contains spoilers for Wicked: Part 1, now playing in theatersWicked: Part 1 features some incredible performances, raising the question of how stars like Ariana Grande face off against Broadway legends like Kristin Chenoweth in their shared role as Galinda/Glinda. Glinda (originally known as Galinda) is a deceptively complicated role in Evil. She is the second most important character Evilserving as a comedic and tragic contrast to Elphaba’s evolution into the Wicked Witch. Glinda has to be funny and even antagonistic, but with a surprisingly big heart and a sense of loss. The role was originated by Kristin Chenoweth,…

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The following contains spoilers for Wicked: Part 1, now playing in theatersWicked: Part 1The Biggest Special Moments Brings an important representation of the original musical to the big screen. Directed by Jon M. Chu and divided into two parts, Evil is the film adaptation of Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s Broadway musical of the same name. For the most part, EvilThe characters experience the same arcs and personalities they did on stage, albeit with an extended focus courtesy of the shift from medium to film. However, this love for the original Broadway musical prevails throughout the first film, which faithfully…

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The following contains spoilers for Gladiator 2, now playing in theatersEmperors Caracalla and Geta are important characters in Gladiator 2 and are directly inspired by two real-life Roman emperors. Gladiator 2 It’s a large-scale film, with multiple plots and characters’ machinations facing off against each other. To Gladiator 2In the cast of characters, this means multiple individual stories and motivations that conflict with each other. For most of the film, the clear villains are the emperors Caracalla and Geta, whose warmongering gave Macrinus an opening and began a festering revolution. In real life, Caracalla and Geta were in fact brothers…

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THE Alien: Romulus The cast includes actors who have headlined recent blockbusters and fresh faces who could become tomorrow’s biggest stars. Set chronologically between the events of Foreigner and AliensThe film follows a group of six young adults as they try to find supplies for a long cosmic voyage from an abandoned space station. However, they are unaware that the station is abandoned and in ruins because of the creatures trapped on board and are more than eager to attack any visitors. One of the often forgotten strengths Foreigner it was the way the film resisted traditional sci-fi casting and…

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The following contains minor spoilers for Arcane, now streaming on NetflixArcane officially became the canon for League of Legendsand that’s an exciting development for fans of the animated series. As with most adaptations, Arcane it initially appeared to be just an animated version of the original series that could take inspiration from and deviate from canon lore as much as necessary. However, similar to how other video game adaptations Precipitation it was revealed that it takes place in the same universe as the original games, Arcane is now the formal tradition of League of Legends universe. This is a promising…

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The following contains spoilers for Act 2 of Arcane Season 2, now streaming on NetflixOne of Arcaneof a show’s true strengths come from the ways the story brought dark pathos to League of Legends characters like Viktor and Warwick, highlighting their tragic evolution from good men to their final forms. Arcane It’s an ideal adaptation, a fun exercise for longtime fans that never feels alienating to anyone who’s never played the original. Using the expansive world of League of Legends characters and stories, ArcaneThe creatives shaped the world into a compelling, romantic, and dark story about humanity and power. One…

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The following contains spoilers for Act 2 of Arcane Season 2, now streaming on NetflixArcaneBlack Rose and Mel’s storyline in Season 2 hints at a potential expansion of the entire League of Legends universe. One of the remaining plot threads that still needs to be resolved in Arcane Season 2 Act 1 was the fate of Councilwoman Mel. Mel’s investigation into her mother Ambessa’s plans for Piltover was hampered by a sudden mystical attack apparently carried out by the Black Rose. This organization was teased to have a dark rivalry with General Noxun, and Mel appears to have been unwittingly…

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The following contains spoilers for The Simpsons Season 36 Episode 6, ‘Women in Shorts,’ now streaming on HuluThe Simpsons Season 36 gave one of the show’s saddest characters a surprisingly sweet storyline. One of the benefits The Simpsons Developing into such an adaptable show over the last few decades has been the way it’s been able to shift style and focus with ease between episodes while still maintaining the same sweet-natured core themes. Even outside of The Simpsons themselves, the importance of family, friendship, and joy in an otherwise cruel, bizarre, and dark cartoon world has been the driving force…

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Futurama season 12 codified the animated series’ multiverse, seemingly confirming that dozens of timelines introduced in the series previously exist in a shared multiverse. The season 12 finale, “Otherwise”, introduced the Ship Graveyard to Futuramacosmology, a rift in space-time where people could move between realities. During configuration FuturamaDespite the potential future status quo, the series has quietly confirmed that many of the bizarre alternate dimensions and timelines introduced in previous seasons appear to co-exist in this multiverse. Some alternative worlds, like Leela’s Wizard of OzThe dreams inspired by Season 4’s “Anthology of Interest II” are parodies of the universe that…

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The following contains spoilers for Act 2 of Arcane Season 2, now streaming on NetflixArcaneThe end of the second act of the second season sees Jayce kill another major character in the series, setting up a potentially cataclysmic turn of events going forward. Jayce was one of Arcanethey are more overtly heroic figures, wrestling with issues of power and responsibility as opposed to the more complex motivations of characters like Caitlyn or Jinx. Especially in contrast to the Black Rose’s machinations or Ambessa’s secret plans, Jayce has been a relatively straightforward character, especially in his friendship with Viktor. However, things…

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