What I’ve Been Watching #3

This was meant to be published before the other one, oops. Oh well, I was so excited about Miss Americana that I wanted to gush about it. To make up for the lack of movies in the other post, here’s one with a majority of movies instead of shows. The movies were watched around the end of last year/beginning of this year.

I also thought it would be fun to share some quotes that I liked from each show/movie that I watched. It’s a lot better and less intimidating to look at the images incorporated in the post compared to seeing a million words on the page without images. I made all these myself, so I’m a little proud of them. I’m working on incorporating them into the previous two posts. I should’ve done the quotes before, but at least I just started this series, so it’s all good, right?

TV Shows

Reign (2013)

Season 3 (2015)

Synopsis:

The season follows Francis’ declining health and death partway through the season, leaving Mary a widow and struggling to find new footing since she’s no longer bound to France as its queen. Francis’ brother Charles is crowned the new underaged king, with Catherine as regent. The third season also introduces the court of Queen Elizabeth of England, who plots against Mary, fends off marital prospects, and deals with her secret love affair with Robert Dudley.

Wikipedia

This season was another tear-jerker. I know how the history plays out with his real fate, but how young of a life the historical Francis lived. Only to live to 16 — what an age and time to be a king and die at such a young age. That was such a rough scene to watch. I admittedly teared up watching that scene.

Highlighted thoughts:

• Catherine will forever get her way — even though she’s trying to protect them, but causes them emotional and physical harm in the process. Such a twisted logic
• Finally, we get a glimpse into Queen Elizabeth’s backstory and her storyline begins
• So crazy to think that Charles was technically crowned king at 10 years old, although his mom was regent until he was old enough to rule. I mean, look at a 10-year-old male now, would he be fit to rule a country, or even at 15? Again, what a time
• I forgot about Leith and Claude’s relationship, but I’m shipping it because Claude is a better person, and Leith is still good as gold
• Oh, that’s right. I forgot that Bash runs off with Druids to learn and one day become a seer for Mary, or so he hoped to be

This season was crazy with Mary’s rivalry with Elizabeth, the rollercoaster of Lola and Narcisse, more of Catherine’s plotting, and Elizabeth’s story arch that gets me emotionally invested in her as well. I liked this season a lot, and it’s crazy how just a change of perspective shows how anyone can be viewed as a hero or villain once you get attached to their storyline. Why can’t we all win and be happy!?

Season 4 (2017)

Synopsis:

The season has Mary returned to Scotland and trying to regain power in her homeland. She has to manage her allies, such as her bastard half-brother James and the outspoken Lord Bothwell, as well as her enemies, such as the Protestant preacher John Knox. Tensions mount between Mary and Elizabeth, with Mary marrying Lord Darnley, an English Catholic claimant to the English throne, in the hopes of taking England. In France, Catherine has to protect her son, King Charles IX, from the ambitions of her daughter Queen Leeza of Spain and her younger son, Henry.

Wikipedia

This is the final season, and it always makes me sad when I get close to reaching the end of a series I love. In this season, they’re all going their separate ways. Mary is ruling and fending for herself in Scotland, Catherine is dealing with situations in France, and Elizabeth is in England maintaining her rule and the threats to her reign as well.

Highlighted thoughts:

• I forgot about those flashbacks at the very end. I definitely cried watching those
• Why can’t Leith be happy?! First Greer, now taking away any chance for Claude and him to have a real future together, it pains me
• It’s a strange concept how Mary and Elizabeth never met one another in person. They may have never truly known what each looked like. I’d like to think they would’ve been friends, if they were allowed to be
• Mary couldn’t ever have a relationship filled with love like she had with Francis, and my heart was sad for her in this series since Dudley was arrogant and power-hungry
• I guess they couldn’t have drawn out the show for Mary to get married a third time, and with potential happiness, but I wish they would’ve expanded more because the end seemed super rushed. [Don’t they all?] Plus, you’re telling me that Mary is in her 40s during her execution? No way, that wasn’t portrayed well enough to me. Elizabeth looked slightly older, but definitely not the historical age whenever it took place

I think what I really love about this show is how strong the women are. Even though it’s only a show, the royals must have had the grit in a world where kings always rule their queens. In this show, it’s Mary’s and Elizabeth’s right to rule their own county.

This is not a show where people get happy endings, especially for the royals of that time period. I kind of like how the writers of the show were ruthless in yanking away happy endings to the fictional characters that I’ve grown to love so much. Mary lost basically all the people that she loved, and Elizabeth was said to be lonely due to wearing a crown because she couldn’t trust anyone, which is true.

There are so many reasons why I love this series. Like I said before, lots and lots of fiction, but it probed my curiosity to look up the facts and history the accuracy, so I learned a few more things. I just want everyone to have love and happiness, so I’m a sucker for anything that pertains to it.

Movies

Marriage Story (2019)

Ouch. This movie hurts my heart and I held my tears until the very end; that’s what got me. It had some humorous parts, and I love Adam Driver. It was interesting how the movie was executed of it coming full circle with reading the list of things they loved about one another.

Synopsis:

Charlie Barber is a successful theater director in New York City. His theater company is currently producing a play that stars his wife Nicole, a former teen film actress. The couple is experiencing marital troubles and sees a mediator, who suggests that they each write down what they like about one another, but Nicole is too embarrassed to read hers aloud and they decide to forgo the counseling.

Wikipedia

Highlighted thoughts:

• Loved, loved the lists that they made about one another
• I liked Charlie’s attempts at the end to be somewhat better after it all
• I laughed as Charlie was on the floor while his kid goes to the fridge, like all is well and that his dad isn’t bleeding to death on the floor
• Questioning really messes with people’s perspective. Forcing them to dig up dirt on one another seems like another kind of portrayal for someone you loved
• Poor kid, caught up in the middle of it all

It was heartbreaking to see how a relationship may seem so lovely but as time progresses, it can fall apart and reveal ugliness that wounds the person that we’d grown to love.

What may seem so sturdy and strong may break due to its true delicate form when placed in rough hands.

Gerald’s Game (2017)

I’ve watched a few Stephen King movies and they all have a similar aesthetic to them. I’m not sure how I feel about this movie. I was intrigued with what Jessie would have to do in order to escape — and she had to survive after enduring it all.

Synopsis:

Jessie Burlingame and her husband Gerald, a successful and aggressive lawyer, travel to their secluded lakehouse in western Maine for an unplanned romantic getaway. The titular “game” involves handcuffing Jessie to the bed for lovemaking, a recent addition to their marriage that both partners find exciting. This time, however, Jessie finds herself reluctant after being handcuffed to the bedposts and asks to stop, only to be ignored by Gerald, who pretends her protests are only part of their game. Realizing her husband is deliberately feigning ignorance and that he plans to rape her, Jessie lashes out, kicking Gerald in the chest. The shock causes him to have a fatal heart attack. He dies, leaving Jessie still handcuffed to the bed.”

Wikipedia

I couldn’t be as invested as before the scene where she finally manages to free herself. The cutting of the glass so she could bleed more and escape? I had to look away and I cringed. I wish that scene didn’t cause me lose my attention, but it did.

Highlighted thoughts:

• My fear of being of being restrained is more intense since Jessie couldn’t free herself after Gerald died. Not being able to escape frightens me enough!
• Constant wonder in these trapped situations: How did she go to the bathroom? I mean, she was stuck there for over a day
• Interesting crime and story of the distorted man that’s later arrested — so it was partially real
• I couldn’t watch her cut herself to slip through the handcuff. Could you?
• That poor pup just needed some food and love

I didn’t particularly like this movie, so I may not watch it for a while, if ever. I may decide to in a few years or so, but I think I’ve watched all that I’ve wanted to of it.

It: Chapter Two (2019)

I’ve been wanting to watch the second chapter for so long, but Stephen and I never saw it in theaters — which was good because he left after 30 minutes into the movie, haha. We watched the original movie a few years ago — which was a lot tamer compared to today’s remakes of them. I could vaguely remember the events in the original movie, but I forgot the majority of them by the time I watched the remade one.

Synopsis:

In 2016, Derry, Maine, Don Hagarty witnesses his boyfriend Adrian Mellon being murdered by Pennywise after a gang of homophobic youths beat them up and throw Adrian off a bridge while leaving the annual Derry carnival. Overhearing a police scanner and investigating the scene, Mike Hanlon discovers It has returned, and calls his childhood friends, Bill Denbrough, Ben Hanscom, Beverly Marsh, Richie Tozier, Eddie Kaspbrak, and Stanley Uris, back to Derry to honor the promise they made in 1989 to kill It if it came back.

Wikipedia

Highlighted thoughts:

• It was a high hope for Mike to believe that they would all reunite after 27 years. Even though they made promises as kids they really didn’t have to come back. Then again, I know that ruins the movie’s point
• I thought the intense scene with Beverly almost drowning in the bathroom stall and Ben being buried alive was such a neat transition and connection
• James McAvoy is such a good actor! Near the end, I could really hear his previous Hedwig character coming out, haha
• Eddie pulling the knife out of his cheek to stab the mental patient made me cringe at the thought. I mean, could he really have done that?
• I really liked the scene at the Asian restaurant where they were imagining all the crazy stuff happening

It’s always a mix of feelings whenever old movies are remade. Of course, ones like this becomes more gory with their film capabilities. I think I liked this one well enough. All that time, they were able to kill It with some sharp words? The simplicity of how things can be sometimes when we push past our fears.

What have you been watching lately?