How I Met Your Father 1x06 "Stacy" Review

Sid's fiancée Hannah arrives in New York. Considering how busy she would be, she's traveled to New York twice in quite a short number of episodes. Hannah's only there for a few seconds before she accidentally calls Sophie by the name Stacy, who's apparently Drew's ex. The atmosphere here is weird because the way it happens made me think Hannah had done it on purpose, but that doesn't seem to be the case. It's weird, but it serves the purpose of Sophie getting paranoid about Drew's ex.

Sophie and Drew end up joining Sid and Hannah on a couples' getaway. Sophie almost ruins the whole thing because of her jealousy over Stacy, but she and Drew make up in the end. It's a pretty standard storyline, and I don't feel like I have much to say about it.

Jesse gets a girlfriend in this episode, but it turns out that she slept with Ellen the night before she met Jesse. I don't think we'll be seeing her again, and I'm okay with that.

Valentina and Charlie had the most interesting storyline in this episode. Valentina finds out that Charlie has moved to countries for girls multiple times, but he insists that this time it's different. The episode ends with them saying, "I love you." While I found this to be the most interesting part of the episode, I'm not sure how much I believe it's really different considering how quickly their relationship has progressed. Though I do feel like they're going to be together for a long time on the show because that just seems to be where things are headed.

Sid and Hannah also have conflict in this episode as Hannah gets mad at Sid for always making decisions without her. Just like everyone else, they make up before the end of the episode.

Sid and Sophie have a bit of an unexpected heart-to-heart in this episode. I think that's the most they've communicated one-on-one on the show. Despite Jesse seeming like the "obvious" choice for the father, I haven't stopped being suspicious that the show might do something else, so I am watching every interaction between Sid and Sophie for possible hints that it's Sid who's the father. I could definitely see it from that one scene.

But, of course, it's probably going to be a long time before we actually know anything.

Star Trek: Discovery 4x09 "Rubicon" Review

 The situation with the DMA has progressed faster than I was expecting it too, which shouldn't be surprising since that happens a lot in Discovery. After Book and Tarka took the weapon, I thought more time was going to be spent actually chasing them and that they'd be stopped at the very end of the season. Now I'm realizing that the finale may have more to do with the unknown species itself instead of Book and Tarka.

Nhan comes back in this episode! This wasn't a shock since she was in the preview for the second half of the season, but it's still exciting to see her again. It was sad to hear about what happened on her home world, She mentions possibly coming back to Discovery in the future, so I'm curious if that's supposed to be a hint that she might rejoin the show at some point. Whether she does or not, it was great to see her, and I loved seeing her and Michael's relationship.

This episode gives us more between President T'Rina and Saru. I keep forgetting that's a thing that's happening until it pops up again. I'm honestly not sure how I feel. Mostly because I'm not entirely convinced of their feelings. I don't know that we've seen enough between them to actually have seen their feelings develop despite us being repeatedly told that they have feelings for each other.

There's some tension among the crew when Rhys starts voicing support for Book's actions and arguing with the other crew members about it. This leads to a line where he tells Bryce that he doesn't know what it's like to lose everything, but that seems like a strange thing to say? The whole crew has traveled into the future and lost most of the people they knew and cared about because of it. I don't know how he could argue that any one of them doesn't understand loss.

When Discovery's shuttle gets close to Book's ship, a security system Tarka installed kicks in, and they nearly die because of it. This immediately creates tension between Book and Tarka, which is unsurprising. Book's already been trusting Tarka more than I ever would have. I'd have expected him to be more cautious after that happened, but he doesn't really seem to.

Michael ends up reaching Book at the end of the episode, and he stands down. But Tarka launches the weapon anyway because of course he does. This was one of those moments where I was screaming at the screen the whole time about Tarka doing exactly that. It was incredibly obvious what was coming, especially after he'd already messed with Book's ship without telling him and damaged Discovery. The fact that no one seemed more concerned about Tarka doing it on his own seems so short-sighted that it kind of broke my suspension of disbelief.

It is kind of satisfying to know that Tarka can't even go back to his home universe because it's powered from the other side though. I have to admit. I have essentially no sympathy for him at this point.

Destroying the DMA turns out to have been for nothing because a new DMA appears in its place. Now they've made first contact with the unknown species, and I'm guessing that a potential conflict with that species is going to drive the rest of the season. I am curious to learn more about this species and to see what happens.

How I Met Your Father 1x05 "The Good Mom" Review

We meet Sophie's mom in this episode. She apparently doesn't live in New York, which is interesting. Sophie mentions moving around in her childhood, but I imagined that as being moving around the city. Now I'm wondering if she grew up in a lot of different cities.

It turns out that Sophie's mom as a new boyfriend named Charlie who's actually really nice. After Valentina spots Sophie's mom making out with Charlie's manager, Sophie has to face the fact that it was actually her mother who had ruined her past relationships. That turn of events wasn't hugely surprising, but it does have an effect on Sophie.

I'm wondering how much we'll be seeing her mom in the future.

Charlie still needs a job to actually survive of off, and he decides that he should deal with other people's trauma, starting with Sid and Jesse. This culminates with him being made a bartender in Sid's bar at the end of the episode, and I'm looking forward in seeing how that goes in the future.

Meanwhile, Ellen meets a woman at her grandmother's funeral across the hall when she goes over to steal some food. Ellen pretends to have been the old woman's friend because she likes the woman, but by the end of the episode, she exposes herself, leaving the woman angry. The woman is still apparently going to be living in their apartment building though, so I'm curious if she'll be a recurring character. I'd be excited about a gradual relationship developing between the two of them. Who else is Ellen going to meet that's passionate about produce?

Star Trek: Discovery 4x08 "All In" Review

Discovery is back! I had a busy day on Thursday, and knowing that I could watch the episode once I finished everything else really drove me to get work done.

The president is mad at both the admiral and Michael, especially since Book and Tarka seem to have used the admiral's code. I can't blame her.

Michael takes Owosekun with her to talk to a broker who she knows from when she was a courier. Ostensibly, they're going to get a star map, but she also asks about the isolynium that Book and Tarka need.

Of course, Book and Tarka end up having gone to the same broker. I wasn't expecting them to run into each other so quickly, but I enjoyed Michael and Book's dynamics in this episode. She can't do anything because she's not in Federation space, yet he's right there. It greated great tension.

The two groups end up in a competition to both win the isolynium that they need. Book and Tarka try to find a cheater while Michael and Owosekun hustle some guys in a fight. The fight scene in particular was quite a fun one that I really enjoyed.

Both pairs pay their price at the same time after Book and Michael help each other. I understand Book helping Michael since she was being physically attacked, but I am curious about Michael helping Book considering what was on the line.

At the end of the episode, we find out that Michael placed a tracker on the isolynium. I did think she was acting a little odd in that scene when touching the isolynium, so I wasn't surprised.  It gets me excited for what happens next in terms of stopping Book and Tarka.

It turns out that the unknown species is using the DMA as a mining tool. They're really building up this species and what they're capable of. I'm hoping we're not let down when we finally meet them. I'm not sure if I'm excited or just terrified thinking about what will happen.

The entire episode focused on the same story except for one scene between Culber and Stamets. I feel bad for laughing when Culber snapped at the robot to stop cleaning because he was doing it himself. It was a sweet scene between the two of them, and it makes sense considering that they've been building up to that for a while. But it did feel a little odd in the episode as it was the only scene not directly about the other storyline.

Overall, I loved the episode though, and I'm so happy that Discovery is back!

The Book of Boba Fett "Chapter 7: In the Name of Honor" Review

This episode is the season finale, and we finally get back to Boba Fett after not seeing him for ages.

We learn more about the blue bounty hunter Cad Bane in this episode too. We find out he's working for the Pyke syndicate and the mayor, which is no big surprise. However, we also learn that the Pykes are responsible for the Tuskens' deaths and they framed the bikers. That wasn't a huge surprise either, but I am thankful that it helps tie in the "present" storyline with the "past" one from earlier in the season. Even though it still feels like a somewhat flimsy connection.

Grogu arrives on Tattooine! I find it kind of cute that R2-D2 drove him. And he's wearing the armor! I knew there was a good chance of him choosing the Mandalorian, but I still love seeing it happen. The way he threw himself at Mando when he saw him was adorable.

The majordomo offers to negotiate on Boba Fett's behalf and ends up telling the Pykes that he won't negotiate instead. I've come to find his character a lot more entertaining now than I did in the beginning, and since he managed to survive this episode, I wonder if we'll be seeing more of him in the future.

Everything erupts into a fight, and all of Boba Fett's associates help. The people of Freetown even show up. It's the only thing tying the whole season together really, since we see a lot of people.

The rancor also ends up connecting to everything as Boba Fett uses him during the fight. The best part about this is Grogu being the one to calm it down and put it to sleep. Him falling asleep right beside it was adorable!

Though Cad Bane ostensibly dies during the fight, I have a hard time believing he's actually dead. We find out in this episode that he and Boba know each other, and it's hinted that they have an interesting past. If the show gets a season two, then I feel like he's coming back. (And maybe that season would actually focus on Boba Fett more.)

Fennec Shand kills the head of the Pyke syndicate, so unless someone fills that power vacuum, we have to have a villain other than the Pykes if the show continues.

We get an adorable scene at the end of the episode where Grogu is tapping on the glass to get Mando's attention and then gets flown back in the seat when Mando goes fast. I didn't realize how much I missed him until this episode. Even though he was in the earlier episode, seeing him with Mando is different.

We get an end credits scene with Vanth in the bacta tank and the modifier standing over him. This has to be hinting at something. I'm not sure if it's Vanth appearing again in one of the existing shows or it's a hint at a possible Vanth show. (The Book of Boba Fett had a "preview" at the end of The Mandalorian's season after all.) I guess we'll have to wait to find out.

How I Met Your Father 1x04 "Dirty Thirty" Review

This episode focuses on Sophie's 30th birthday and also her developing relationship with Drew, particularly how she feels like she's much more immature than Drew.

I do get the "different kind of adults" thing. I also like the relationship Drew and Sophie have, especially at the end of the episode where he assures her that he doesn't care and they bond over Christina Aguilera. While I know he's not going to be the dad so there's an expiration date on the relationship, I'm looking forward to seeing how it develops.

We learn more about Jesse and Ellen's backstory. Their dad cheated, which led to their parents getting divorced, and Ellen moved with their mom to Iowa while Jesse stayed with their dad. Before this, I'd assumed they were both from Iowa, but I guess Jesse actually grew up in New York. Or, at least, he didn't grow up in Iowa. The scene where they make up was sweet, and I'm looking forward to seeing them become closer over the course of the series as they actually learn about each other.

Charlie and Valentina also get into an argument this episode about not being an actual couple, but they end the episode deciding to be in a relationship. Honestly, for a bit, I thought they might actually break up, but nope.

Overall, I enjoyed this episode. I'm liking the cast so far and the relationships between the characters, both romantic and otherwise, as they develop.

Book Review: The Rise of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee

Published: July 16, 2019
Publisher: Amulet Books
Received: purchased
Read from October 17, 2021 to February 5, 2022

Synopsis from Goodreads: 

F. C. Yee’s The Rise of Kyoshi delves into the story of Kyoshi, the Earth Kingdom–born Avatar. The longest-living Avatar in this beloved world’s history, Kyoshi established the brave and respected Kyoshi Warriors, but also founded the secretive Dai Li, which led to the corruption, decline, and fall of her own nation. The first of two novels based on Kyoshi, The Rise of Kyoshi maps her journey from a girl of humble origins to the merciless pursuer of justice who is still feared and admired centuries after she became the Avatar.

Review:

As someone who's been a fan of Avatar since the show first aired when I was eleven, I've been very excited each time we've learned that there's going to be more. The movie was a disappointment, and Korra was a bit of a mixed bag. People have complicated feelings about it. I actually like Korra, though it's not on the same level as the original for me. The comics are also fun, and I've enjoyed the ones I've read, but I don't really connect with comics in the way I do TV shows or novels.

That was why I was excited to hear that there were going to be novels set in the Avatar universe. Avatar Kyoshi also had an interesting backstory that had already been introduced in Last Airbender, so learning more about her had me excited, and I wasn't disappointed.

Honestly, I could talk about this book for ages, but I'm going to try and focus on several of the biggest thoughts that I have after reading.

As I said before, there's a lot of potential for an interesting story about Kyoshi just based on what we learn about her in the original TV series. She was the longest lived Avatar, living for a longer period of time than a human being should be able too (over 200 years) which was never explained on the show, and she had a whole island and group of warriors named after her.

This first book addresses all of that in a way that felt very natural to the story currently being told and without it feeling like those details were being dropped just to explain things in the original TV show. I love the way it was done. As someone who's seen the TV show many times, I picked up on ways this story connected to the show, and I also have some theories about the second book based on what I know about Kyoshi from the show. However, you could pick up this book without ever having watched the show and be just as engaged in the story.

The Rise of Kyoshi also means that we now have two queer Avatars, which isn't something I could have imagined when I was watching Last Airbender as a kid. It's amazing.

Kyoshi wasn't anything like what I expected her to be, and I really like that. In addition to Kyoshi, we get a large cast of new characters, and every single one of them was unique and interesting. I particularly like how Jianzhu is the villain of the story, but we can see how he justifies his actions as being for the good of the world. It makes him a particularly great villain and humanizes him in a way that Ozai never got. (Azula was a bit more than Ozai, but I think it makes more sense to compare Jianzhu and Ozai as Ozai was always the one Aang was supposed to face.)

I did like Rangi, but she was quite closed off emotionally, which admittedly made a lot of sense for her. I hope we get to learn more about her and how she thinks in the second book. She's very devoted to Kyoshi too, and I'd like to see more of her as her own independent person and not necessarily as Kyoshi's teacher or protector.

Outlaw gangs called daofei play a huge role in the story, which was another surprise. By Aang's day, they seem to have (at least mostly) disappeared, since the pirates that we do see in Last Airbender are nothing like the groups we see in the book. I assume that Kyoshi's time as the Avatar will have a lot to do with these daofei and possibly be why they're almost nonexistent by the time Aang is born.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Rise of Kyoshi. It's an engaging and fun backstory for Kyoshi, and I'm excited to read the sequel and learn more about what happens next.

How I Met Your Father 1x03 "The Fixer" Review

The whole group is trying to convince Jesse to join Tinder at the start of the episode. This episode seemed particularly packed with brand names. I know it wasn't the first time Tinder was mentioned, but between that and even Hello Fresh getting a name drop, it felt a little overdone.

We get to meet a new character in this episode: the assistant principal at Jesse's school who's played by Josh Peck. I was actually kind of impressed with him in the role. I find it funny to have him and Hilary Duff playing romantic interests, since it's Disney and Nickelodeon meeting. I really like him as a character so far.

Charlie and Ellen decide to become roommates, and I'm actually excited for their friendship. I hadn't considered it before, but I like the way they played off each other in this episode. I'm excited to see more of them figuring out New York together.

Overall, I enjoyed this episode. I feel like I'm learning more about the characters and how they relate to each other. I like a lot of the dynamics and am looking forward to seeing more.

The Book of Boba Fett "Chapter 6: From the Desert Comes a Stranger" Review

This week gave us another episode with very little Boba Fett. He does actually make an appearance this time at least, even if it's for less than five minutes.

Instead of Boba Fett, we get to see some other characters we haven't in a while, including Cobb Vanth. I never expected to see him again in The Mandalorian, let alone in The Book of Boba Fett. It was kind of weird seeing him without his armor too. I'm kind of surprised he didn't make an attempt to make other armor himself after he lost the Mandalorian armor.

Another character we get to see in this episode is R2-D2! That was a fun surprise. Seeing Grogu was too. I'd missed him, even though him popping up in The Book of Boba Fett is still questionable to me.

We also see a bunch of other droids who are building Luke's future Jedi school. That bit felt kind of ominous considering what happens to the school later, and hearing that Grogu might be the first student there in the same episode where we saw his memories of the Great Jedi Purge was a little sad.

(Seeing those memories and being reminded that Grogu is actually older than Luke despite Luke being his teacher felt a little jarring too.)

CGI Luke was... Honestly, I don't know how I feel. I was worried they'd do it but didn't really expect them to because it seemed like such a bad idea. There were times in the episode where it wasn't too bad, but other times, it was very obvious that it was CGI, which took me out of the story. I'm just not a fan. It felt unnecessary, especially since this is The Book of Boba Fett and Luke doesn't seem very important to the story of Boba Fett himself. The series is just going off on tangents about other characters. But if we were going to see so much of Luke, they also could have recast him like they did Han Solo.

We get quite a bit of Grogu's training in this episode. It's the second episode in a row that feels like it should have been in The Mandalorian instead, and I'm still just as confused as I was then about why we're seeing this now.

At the end of the episode, Luke makes Grogu choose between the armor the Mandalorian brought him and Yoda's lightsaber. We don't see what choice he makes, but it's clear it's an important decision, which only makes it more baffling why we're not seeing him make it in The Mandalorian.

Meanwhile, the Pykes are causing more trouble. They kill Vanth and also plant a bomb that wreaks havoc. This part of the episode at least does connect with the larger story of The Book of Boba Fett. I'm hoping we'll see more of it in the next episode.

How I Met Your Father 1x02 "FOMO" Review

This episode aired at the same time as the first episode, but I watched them about a day apart. That might have affected how I feel about the episode. One thing I can say is that I have less to say about this one than the first, which I expected. It's a half-hour sitcom, so there's not always going to be a lot to talk about when it comes to individual episodes.

At one point in the episode, Sophie says, "This story is about the journey, not the destination," and also that she'll be with a lot of guys before she gets with the father. Which...yeah. Anyone who watched How I Met Your Mother would be expecting that. It's interesting because I think one of the downsides of HIMYM was that it didn't always feel like it was about the journey that it was supposed to be about.

I didn't think about this until I was reflecting on this episode later, but where Ted's story starts with his children is actually incredibly weird and pointless in the grand scheme of things. It has nothing to do with meeting their mother. Even when looking at the whole show in context, it makes no sense that he would start the story there, so it's about a "journey" in a certain sense, but it also kind of isn't.

How I Met Your Father is already a bit different here in that we know Sophie met the father in the first episode, so at the very least, it makes sense that she started the story there. It seems like this time around it will actually be about the journey of them getting together and not just nine years of Sophie's life where she finally meets the father eight years into it.

But let's get into thoughts specifically about this episode.

There's a scene where Sophie and Valentina make drip coffee using a kettle, and it made me laugh. I know very few people in the US who have kettles, and I've had friends from other countries ask me how Americans make tea without kettles multiple times. (The answer is that a lot of Americans don't make tea at all, and people who do often use the microwave.) I made coffee the exact way they do in this episode when I lived in Japan, but I honestly don't know anyone in the US who does that. I'm sure some people do, but I definitely don't think it's common, so that was interesting, I guess.

Most of the episode is centered around Sophie and Valentina trying to set the guys up as friends, while Sid convinces Jesse that they're trying to set Sophie up with him. It was a pleasant episode, though noting super noteworthy happens.

I found Charlie more annoying in this episode. I know he's supposed to be an aristocrat who doesn't understand how the "real" world works, but there are so many moments where it surpasses the point of believability, and if it keeps up, I feel like it's going to get old fast.

This episode makes me think even more that Jesse is the father. Or, at the very least, we're supposed to think he is. I still think it would be interesting if we wound up being surprised by one of the other guys being the father, but I'm not holding out hope for it.