TV

The Obi-Wan Kenobi limited series on Disney + was something that a lot of people including myself were excited for, the question is did it deliver? The short answer is yes this series promised a bridge between "Revenge of the Sith" and "A New Hope" with a look at Obi-Wan and Vader and it was exactly that. This series shows in my opinion very well the mindset that Kenobi and Vader are in 10 years removed from the fall of the republic and their final duel on Mustafar. Something else this show does very well is show us a more in depth look at the imperial inquisitors. The inquisitors were first introduced in "Star Wars: Rebels" and further expanded upon in the Darth Vader comics and the video game "Jedi Fallen Order" I have loved getting to see all the different members of this group and how they each operate a little different. The other big question I had going into this show was how would they get Obi-Wan off Tatooine and I believe they found not only the best but the only possible solution. At this point in the timeline guarding Luke Skywalker is the biggest mission Kenobi has so getting him to leave would have to be something big. Vivien Lyra Blair gives an excellent performance as Princess Leia and joins a fantastic supporting cast alongside Moses Ingram, Sung Kang, Rupert Friend, and Hayden Christensen. The reunion of Kenobi and Skywalker was something we were told early on about the show and in my opinion it hasn't disappointed. While this show doesn't add anything extremely groundbreaking to the Star Wars universe like "The Mandalorian" it has been a chance to flesh out well know characters like Kenobi, Vader and Leia while giving us a nice emotional bridge from one trilogy to another. Seeing Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen back together as Kenobi and Skywalker has been a big enough reward for the shows creation so everything else is a nice bonus. A worthy addition to any Star Wars marathon.

Final Score - 8/10

I was completely unaware of this series existence before my family vacation to Los Angeles in the summer of 2022. While there I had the amazing pleasure of meeting Selena Gomez who not only stars in this series but was an icon of my childhood and my biggest celebrity crush since I was 8 years old. I happened to be passing by the Directors Guild Of America office and saw barricades, security guards, and a red carpet so I thought I'd check out what was happening. After some questioning I found out it was the season 2 premiere for a Hulu show called "Only Murders In The Building" and after a quick google search I knew this was an event to hang out outside and see if I could meet anyone in the show. After a few hours I got to meet Selena Gomez as she was leaving and it was an incredible experience and she was so kind to take time to say hi to everyone that was waiting and take photos. After meeting her I definitely wanted to check this series out and I was not disappointed. I'm not usually into the true crime and thriller genre but this series captured my attention with the first episode. Right out of the gate the individual acting as well as the group chemistry between the three leads, Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short is one of the best group dynamics I've seen on TV ever. The comedic timing and real feeling you get off these characters really makes you think they either are or very easily could be real people and that is all due to the phenomenal acting. The other major thing that made it impossible to stop watching was the use of cliffhangers and twists to end each episode. Framing the story as the trio doing a podcast on a murder made it very easy to end each episode with a new piece of evidence or a new suspect. Allowing the episodes to have thrilling endings and "send the investigation into a whole new direction" without feeling forced. That is the big reason why cliffhangers work so well in this genre and tend to feel forced or fall flat in others. While this series is a suspenseful investigation of a murder don't let its title fool you this is still very much a comedy as well and the jokes and gags of this series shine with the performances of not only the leads but also the supporting cast. I went into this series as a casual Selena Gomez fan and now I can honestly say I'm a huge fan of the entire series. With season 2 already four episodes in I can't wait to keep watching and see what happens next.

Final Score - 9/10

I discovered this show because of my love of stand-up comedy and Gabriel Iglesias is one of the best and one of my personal favorites. When I saw he was doing a sitcom for Netflix I was instantly interested, and it didn't disappoint. "Mr. Iglesias" sees Gabriel return to a fictionalized version of his real life high school, Woodrow Wilson High School as a history teacher. The halls of Wilson High and filled with an extraordinary supporting cast including Sherri Shepherd as Principle Paula Madison, Jacob Vargas as Gabriel's childhood best friend and fellow teacher Tony Ochoa, Maggie Geha as new history teacher Abby Spencer, and Richard Gant as English teacher Ray Hayward. The students of Wilson High are given memorable moments and realistic high school struggles by amazing young actors, Cree Cicchino as Marisol Fuentes, Fabrizio Guido as Mikey Gutierrez, and Tucker Albrizzi as Walt. The cast does an incredible job making you feel like your watching a real high school environment with real struggles and consequences. The comedic timing by the cast both "student" and "faculty" is very well done which is to be expected from a stand-up comedian. Despite being a comedy this show also tackles some serious issues as well like bullying and trying to decide a path after high school and it tackles these topics very well in my opinion. While it only went for two seasons I highly recommend "Mr. Iglesias" to anyone wanting a quick binge show with a strong cast and good amount of laughs to keep you drawn in. The laugh track that's become common with sitcoms can be kind of annoying at times and some of the jokes don't land as big as I think expected but beyond that this show is good. The cast is great, the setting and themes are all well done and the chemistry and comedic timing keeps you entertained as you blow through this show which honestly could've had a few more seasons in my opinion. A solid recommend for anyone with Netflix.

Final Score - 8/10

Much like the first season the second season of "Only Murders In The Building" is an exciting mystery beginning to end. The story picks up right after the cliffhanger of season one with Mabel (Selena Gomez) finding the body of Arconia building president Bunny Folger (Jayne Houdyshell) in her apartment. This season follows Mabel (Gomez) along with Oliver (Martin Short) and Charles (Steve Martin) as they uncover who is framing them for Bunny's murder. This season brings back minor characters from season one giving them bigger roles like Cinda Canning (Tina Fey), Teddy Dimas (Nathan Lane), and Howard Morris (Michael Cyril Creighton). This seasons investigation also bring in some new standout characters like Detective Kreps (Michael Rapaport), Alice Banks (Cara Delevingne) and Charles's daughter Lucy (Zoe Colletti). The twist, turns, and cliffhangers of season two kept me just as drawn in waiting for the next episode as season one did despite some of the episodes feeling a bit like filler. Every episode ended with a big reveal or new clue but some of the parts in between felt long by seasons end. One thing I did enjoy was the more time we got with Charles, Mabel, and Oliver dealing with their personal struggles. Each of the three main characters had their own arch throughout the season separated from the investigation that helped them grow as characters. The Arconia and it's residents also seemed to be more fleshed out this season and have more time in the spotlight which was very nice. The balance between comedy and drama continues to be expertly done and the cast all put out amazing performances every opportunity they have. No character seems underdeveloped, misused or like they're there for no reason, everyone serves a purpose and with a large cast that can be hard to do. I'm going to get into SPOILERS from this point in the review on so this is the SPOILER WARNING. I thought the finale was amazing and brought all the characters, plot points, and cliffhangers to a head and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. From Alice (who I was already suspicious of) coming to the party late, to the fake out of her being the killer and "stabbing" Charles, to the revel that Mabel, Oliver, and Charles had been working together with Cinda Canning and that her assistant Becky "Poppy" Butler was the real killer along with Detective Kreps this final episode had so many fake outs and twist it was hard not to be on the edge of your seat. This season was just as good as the first in my opinion and much of that is due to the use of its ensemble cast while still keeping the true focus on it's three main leads. The relationship between Mabel, Charles, and Oliver continues to be the highlight of the show and despite them being on their own journeys this season and sharing less screen time together those moments are well worth it. The season finale also leaves us on a really huge cliffhanger and with an A-list actor like Paul Rudd coming into the picture next season I'm already super excited to see what new direction the investigation will go. Season two is definitely worth checking out and I can't wait for season three.

Final Score - 9/10