THINK PIECES

‘God friended me’ – why arthur finer could be behind ‘the god account’

Since God Friended Me‘s premiere in September 2018, the identity of the elusive individual behind the God Account has served as one of the show’s central mysteries.

For those who are unfamiliar, the series follows an atheist named Miles (Brandon Micheal Hall), who receives a friend request from a Facebook account under the name God. With the assistance of his friends, Miles helps people whose names have been sent his way by the account, ultimately enriching everyone’s lives.

The ‘whodunnit’ element of the show was emphasised in season one but took a backseat in later episodes until recently with yet another false lead on who the mastermind behind Miles’ journey has been.

Personally, I think I’ve cracked it: I believe that Miles’ own father, Reverend Arthur Finer (Joe Morton), is the person behind the God Account. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons.

1 – arthur is a man of the cloth

While someone in Arthur’s position and vocation obviously take their connection to God very seriously, it is possible that he sees what is being done for the friend suggestions as miracles in a way which might justify the choice of name.

If Arthur is behind the account, perhaps he chose the name as a way to relate to ‘prophets’ such as Miles and Gideon (TR Knight) who carry out its wishes.

arthur had a lot to gain

Many characters have benefited from Miles starting his journey, including the man himself, going from a directionless aspiring podcaster to someone making a difference in people’s lives.

However, it is very interesting to note how much Arthur has gained since Miles started complying with The God Account. He’s reconciled with atheist son and lesbian daughter, found a new love interest in Trish (Erica Gimpel) and is now becoming Bishop of New York.

he has in-depth knowledge of miles’ life

Some of the Friend Suggestions thus far have included people that Miles already knew: his uncle, childhood friend and the man responsible for his mother’s death. There have also been instances where Miles related to the person he was helping.

Is it too far-fetched to assume that someone who had deep knowledge of Miles could be behind the Account? Well, according to this interview, cast member Javicia Leslie (Ali) also believes that the mystery person is somehow connected to Miles.

it wouldn’t be disappointing

One of the main problems with some shows featuring long-running mysteries is that the writers don’t even know who will be revealed until not long before. Shows such as The Mentalist and Pretty Little Liars have featured revelations that fans found disappointing and underwhelming.

However, if the writing so far is anything to go by, I’d feel confident that the God Friended Me writers know what they’re doing when it comes to this story. Not only is Arthur closely connected to Miles, he’s also a main character and not a random person introduced for one solely to be revealed as the person running the God Account.

Joe Morton is also a tenured and well-established actor, not just on God Friended Me but in his general career. He is more than talented enough to play the potential scenes where the shocking twist could be revealed.

a recent clue

In the eleventh episode of season two, Miles brings the theory that Arthur’s old friend Alphonse Jeffries is the man behind the God Account which Arthur is quick to refute.

If the writers have planned ahead and Arthur is indeed the person behind the account, I like to think that this was a little nod towards that.

We likely won’t find out the identity of this person, whether it’s Arthur or someone else, until near the end of the series. After all, could you imagine God Friended Me where Miles knows who has been instructing me?

unicorn on ‘the masked singer’ – why it’s definitely john barrowman

Unicorn is one of ten remaining mystery performers on The Masked Singer. There have already been many guesses for his identity. Louie Spence, Jake Shears and Frankie Grande have been some of the names suggested by the panel and viewers guessing on Twitter.

However, I concur with judge Jonathan Ross in that Unicorn is without a doubt, John Barrowman.

He has already been questioned about being Unicorn. His response led many to believe he is indeed the character.

Let’s take a look into why Barrowman is the man behind the mask.

1 – he’s ‘different from other horses’

This clue potentially has a double meaning. Some may interpret it as a reference to Barrowman’s homosexuality or the fact that he was born in Scotland but raised in the United States.

2 – Choice of costume

Unicorn, in case you didn’t know, happens to be the national animal of Scotland which is where Barrowman was born. There are a number of interviews which show that he takes great pride in his Scottish identity.

3 – his voice

Barrowman has a very distinctive Scottish-American blended accent which Jonathan Ross, along with many others, recognised from Unicorn.

4 – He has past history with itv

Barrowman finished third in the 2018 series of I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here (The Masked Singer presenter Joel Dommett presents companion series Extra Camp).

Since 2019, he has also appeared as a judge on Dancing on Ice opposite Torvill and Dean as well as Diversity’s Ashley Banjo.

These past connections with the channel would make him an easy person to contact and ask to be on The Masked Singer. Given Barrowman’s showmanship and extroverted nature, this show would likely be appealing to him.

We won’t know for sure who is under Unicorn mask until they are unmasked but Barrowman certainly seems like a very good bet as of now.

Who is chameleon on ‘the masked singer’? looking at fAN Theories

Chameleon was one of six masked performers introduced during Saturday’s The Masked Singer and has already proven to be one of the more complex identities to deduce.

While the judging panel: US comedian/Masked Singer judge Ken Jeong, presenter Davina McCall, chat show host Jonathan Ross and singer Rita Ora, threw out names including Reggie Yates and Nigel Havers, viewers have whittled down to a few popular although very different guesses.

These guesses include comedian and Pointless presenter Alexander Armstrong, Declan Donnelly of Ant and Dec and The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins.

Personally, I believe we can take Dec out of the running. He was mostly speculated due to his tweet about the show and being famously known for his short stature, is not tall enough to be Chameleon.

Hawkins’ name came into the fray after a neon light saying ‘The Darkness’ was spotted in the background of his clue video. While this is a very legitimate reason to suspect him, I don’t think this clue is that simple.

Of these three at least, my guess for Chameleon is Alexander Armstrong. In accordance with the clues, Armstrong has voiced cartoon characters such as Danger Mouse and Daddy Dog in Peppa Pig.

He also has a background in multiple areas of entertainment – comedy, television and radio presenting and singing, with one more predominant than the rest – comedy.

Most crucially, however, Armstrong impersonated fellow Chameleon guess Justin Hawkins on Lip Sync Battle UK, which is what I believe the aforementioned clue is referring to.

As Joel Dommett says, we won’t know for definite who the contestants are until they finally unmask. We’ll have to wait and see who Chameleon is.

Why hedgehog on ‘the masked singer’ is jason manford

During The Masked Singer’s launch on Saturday night, we were introduced to six costumed performers, one of whom was Hedgehog, who competed against Chameleon.

After looking at some clues and other factors, I believe the man behind the mask is comedian Jason Manford.

Why do I think this? Read below to find out.

1 – HEDGEHOG IS A PERFORMER

Although we couldn’t see his face, Hedgehog’s stage presence and confidence definitely gave away that he was no stranger to performing in front of big crowds.

2 – HIS STANCE/BODY LANGUAGE

Hedgehog holds the mic with one hand, which is very reminiscent of a stand-up comic.

Here’s a picture of Manford as a comparison. The stance and posture are very similar between the two.

His Voice

Personally, the Hedgehog sounds like someone from a Northern part of the country putting on an affectation to sound ‘posher’ – hence guesses such as Michael McIntyre or Jack Whitehall, whose voices naturally give that impression.

More specifically, however, you can definitely hear Manford’s voice in certain parts of the singing, which I picked up on after watching for a second time.

4 – MANFORD’S THEATRE BACKGROUND

As well as being a comedian, Manford has also performed on stage, with one production being Sweeney Todd. One of Hedgehog’s clues was that he’d once had a job that involved ‘dying onstage at 8:30 every night.”

Spoiler alert – Manford’s Sweeney Todd character doesn’t make it out of Act 1, which normally ends around 8:30 in evening performances.

5 – HE DIDN’T DENY IT

travelers (netflix; 2016-2018)

Travelers, for those unaware, was a science-fiction series streamed on Netflix between 2016 and 2018, for three seasons. Completely filmed and produced in Canada, its showrunner/creator was Brad Wright, who also co-created the long-running Stargate television franchise (SG1, Atlantis, Universe).

The premise of Travelers is this: Set in present day, groups of operatives from a distant, post apocalyptic future have their consciousness sent back in time into that of a 21st Century individual whose death was about to occur, according to their historical records.

Each operative – known as Travelers, designated with their own number, must assimiliate into both the 21st Century and the life of the person whose body they now inhabit — their “host”.

The series focuses on an ensemble cast, most of whom star as members of a team of Travelers, who make the journey through time during the pilot episode. Fans of Will and Grace may recognise actor Eric McCormack as team leader, new and improved FBI Agent Grant MacLaren, also known as Traveler 3568.

American Animals star Jared Abrahamson plays Trevor Holden (Traveler 0115), in the body of a high school student. MacKenzie Porter (Hell on Wheels) and Nesta Cooper (The Edge of Seventeen) play Marcie (3569) and Carly (3465), an intellectually disabled woman and abused single mother, respectively.

Patrick Gilmore, who has held roles in all three Stargate series, most notably Universe as Dale Volker, plays David Mailer, a normal 21st Century man who is Marcie’s social worker. Finally, Reilly Dolman stars as Philip (3326), a historian who becomes a college-aged meth addict.

My Travelers journey began in December 2017. It was that annoying time between Christmas and New Year that I decided to find something new to watch on Netflix. This show, based on what I had already watched, was a 92% match.

If you’re a fan of science-fiction, I would definitely recommend watching this. While it is only three seasons, I firmly believe that Travelers was ended before its time and the quality, in my opinion, never dipped.

There’s something for everyone – action, science-fiction, mystery, romance, family drama, light fluffy scenes and some seriously dark moments.

Remember too that the main creative force was also behind Stargate, a television franchise that sustained for fourteen years. This show is especially a treat for observant Stargate fans as there are quite a few appearances from actors who had been on those series.

This ranges from big and recognisable such as Amanda Tapping (Samantha Carter) or Louis Ferreira (Col. Everett Young) to more obscure selections such as starring cast member Reilly Dolman, who appeared on Universe during one of its more memorable storylines.

So, that just about wraps this up. Travelers has a special place in my heart and I will always look back on it fondly.

Hopefully someone else can enjoy the show as much as I did.

The Walking Dead recently began its tenth season on AMC as we continue to see characters adapt and survive in the post apocalyptic world originally created by Robert Kirkman for his comics of the same name.

Over time, given the nature of the show, we have had to bid farewell to many characters. Some were loved, some were hated. While their stint on TWD may be over, the actors still have thriving careers ahead of them through the exposure.

Let’s take a look and what some of the countless casualties have done since they were dispatched from the AMC hit…

Note: The very few characters that left the show still alive are not included in this list.

sarah wayne callies

Played: Lori Grimes

Debuted: Season 1

Left: Season 3

Lori, wife to Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and mother to Carl (Chandler Riggs), died in the third season while delivering her baby daughter, Judith. She was later put down by Carl to prevent reanimation as a walker.

Callies, already an established actress before joining The Walking Dead, followed up her time as Lori with a three season run on Colony (as Katie Bowman) while also having main roles in miniseries such as The Long Road Home and Unspeakable.

In 2017, she reprised her role as Sara Tancredi in a revival of Prison Break and twice returned to TWD via a vocal cameo in 2013 and 2018, the latter for Andrew Lincoln’s final episode.

jon bernthal

Played: Shane Walsh

Debuted: Season 1

Left: Season 2

Shane Walsh was Rick Grimes’ former best friend and policing partner who began a relationship with Rick’s wife, Lori, while the former was believed to be dead. This resulted in a daughter, Judith.

Evolving into an antagonist, he was ultimately stabbed in the chest during a final confrontation with Rick and shot in the head by Carl.

After his early departure, Bernthal landed several roles, most notably as Frank Castle/The Punisher in both Daredevil and The Punisher on Netflix. He also appeared in films such as The Wolf of Wall Street and Fury.

Bernthal made a return as Shane in season nine of TWD, as part of Rick’s final episode on the show.

steven yeun

Played: Glenn Rhee

Debuted: Season 1

Left: Season 7

Glenn Rhee was a former pizza delivery boy who becomes part of Rick Grimes’ core group of allies in the apocalypse. He grows significantly on the show, getting married to Maggie Greene (Lauren Cohan) and fathering a child.

He met his end at the end of season six, being bludgeoned over the head by Negan’s (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) barbed wire bat nicknamed Lucille, though his death was shown on-screen in the seventh season premiere.

Yeun has landed voice roles in projects such as Final Space and 3Below as well as starring in films such as Sorry to Bother You, Burning, Minari and The Humans.

chandler riggs

Played: Carl Grimes

Debuted: Season 1

Left: Season 8

Carl Grimes was Rick’s son, right-hand man and for many years, the youngest speaking role among the core group of survivors. While some characters grew up/matured in a metaphorical sense, this was literally true for Carl.

Unfortunately, he met his end in the eighth season following a walker bite.

In early 2019, Riggs began a recurring role as PJ Nelson on ABC’s A Million Little Things.

alanna masterson

Played: Tara Chambler

Debuted: Season 4

Left: Season 9

Originally associated with The Governor (David Morrissey), Tara becomes an important member of Rick’s group throughout her time on the show. She forms a romantic relationship with Denise Cloyd (Merritt Weaver) and friendships with Glenn (Steven Yeun), Eugene (Josh McDermitt) and Rosita (Christian Serratos).

Many fans lost their minds when Tara lost her head during the ninth season. Since being killed off, Masterson had a recurring role on the series Younger.

Michael rooker

Played: Merle Dixon

Debuted: Season 1

Left: Season 3

Merle was Daryl Dixon’s (Norman Reedus) redneck older brother and surrogate father figure. Originally a hostile antagonist, he ultimately dies as a hero at The Governor’s hand.

Rooker has had one of the most successful post-TWD careers with film roles in Guardians of The Galaxy (as Yondu – he’s Mary Poppins, y’all!) and TV stints on True Detective and upcoming The Dark Tower.

laurie holden

Played: Andrea

Debuted: Season 1

Left: Season 3

An original main character, Andrea was the older sister of Amy (Emma Bell) and played a role in key introductions — Rick to the main group, as well as The Governor and Michonne (Danai Gurira) into the overall story.

Since TWD, Holden has appeared on other series such as The Americans, Chicago Fire and Major Crimes.

sonequa martin-green

Played: Sasha Williams

Debuted: Season 3

Left: Season 7

Introduced in the third season, Sasha was an original character that did not feature in Robert Kirkman’s comics. She was the group’s sniper and had romantic relationships with Bob Stookey (Lawrence Gillard Jr) and Abraham Ford (Michael Cudlitz).

After leaving The Walking Dead, Green landed the main role as Michael Burnham on Star Trek Discovery and alongside other former cast members, returned for Andrew Lincoln’s final episode in 2018.

scott wilson

Played: Hershel Greene

Debuted: Season 2

Left: Season 4

Father of Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Beth (Emily Kinney), Hershel was a mentor figure for the whole group, especially his daughters and Rick Grimes. He meets his end at The Governor’s hand, a cruel execution.

After leaving Hershel behind, Wilson starred on The OA as the title character’s father. He sadly passed away in 2018, though returned for Andrew Lincoln’s final episode on The Walking Dead – his return was announced not long before his death.

michael cudlitz

Played: Abraham Ford

Debuted: Season 4

Left: Season 7

We met Sgt. Abraham Ford as the guard for Eugene Porter (Josh McDermitt) who allegedly knew where to find a cure for the apocalypse.

Originally a recurring character, Abraham joins the core cast from the fifth season and enjoys relationships with both Rosita and Sasha. He is killed, alongside Glenn Rhee, by Negan in the seventh season premiere.

Meanwhile, Cudlitz has since returned to TWD as director of several episodes while also having a one-season starring role on The Kids Are Alright.

emily kinney

Played: Beth Greene

Debuted: Season 2

Left: Season 5

During Beth’s three-season stint, we saw her leave her sheltered farm life, lose her father and experience the wider world of the apocalypse. She was accidentally and fatally shot in the head by Dawn Lerner.

Since Beth’s death, Kinney has appeared on shows such as The Flash, Arrow and Conviction. She made a vocal cameo in Andrew Lincoln’s final episode and one of her songs was played during a season ten episode.

jeffrey demunn

Played: Dale Horvath

Debuted: Season 1

Left: Season 2

A regular collaborator of Frank Darabont, DeMunn asked for Dale to be killed following his friend’s departure from TWD.

This was particularly shocking on-screen as the Dale character lasts much longer in the comics.

DeMunn has since appeared in Billions as Chuck Rhoades Sr.

katelyn nacon

Played: Enid

Debuted: Season 5

Left: Season 9

During Enid’s five seasons, we see her grow from Carl’s teenage love to Maggie’s protege and a valued member of the Hilltop community. While she sadly dies by The Whisperers’ hand in season nine, she made an indelible mark on the show.

Since leaving TWD in 2018, Nacon has appeared in a main role on Light As A Feather.

david morrissey

Played: The Governor

Debuted: Season 3

Left: Season 4

While there have been many major threats to our heroes’ survival on TWD, The Governor was the earliest and one of the most formidable. His reign is ultimately ended by Michonne and Lily Chambler (Tara’s sister) though not before dispatching Merle Dixon and Hershel Greene.

English-born actor David Morrissey has followed up The Governor with roles in Britannia, Good Omens and Black Widow.

tom payne

Played: Paul ‘Jesus’ Rovia

Debuted: Season 6

Left: Season 9

As his name suggests, Jesus was a very important character to the show’s history, introducing Rick and his group to the wider communities who become important allies. He was also notable as being Maggie’s right-hand man as well as openly homosexual.

Sadly, Jesus became the first major victim of The Whisperers, in a shocking twist.

Tom Payne can currently be seen in a leading role on FOX’s Prodigal Son.

madison lintz

Played: Sophia Peletier

Debuted: Season 1

Left: Season 2

Carol’s (Melissa McBride) daughter who was used to convey one of the more shocking moments – this show can and will kill children. Like some other characters, Sophia lasts significantly longer in the comic books.

Since 2014, Lintz has starred as Maddie Bosch, daughter of title character Harry, on the Prime Video series Bosch.

chad l coleman

Played: Tyreese Williams

Debuted: Season 3

Left: Season 5

Tyreese, despite his intimidating appearance, was a kind-hearted man who formed bonds with many of his fellow survivors. His death was one of the most emotional of the series – both loss of the character and what actually occurred in the scene.

Chad L Coleman has since had roles on shows such as The Expanse, Arrow, Roots, Freaskish and The Orville.

austin nichols

Played: Spencer Monroe

Debuted: Season 5

Left: Season 7

Younger son of Deanna (Tovah Feldshuh), the original leader of Alexandria, Spencer became both an antagonist to Rick and Rosita’s boyfriend – short-lived on both counts, before being killed by Negan.

Austin Nichols immediately followed TWD with roles as Sam Loomis on Bates Motel and Ethan on The Village.

tyler james williams

Former Everybody Hates Chris star Williams was a welcome addition to the TWD cast as Noah, a new friend of Beth’s who later joins the group on their journey to Alexandria, dying shortly after arrival in the community.

Williams reunited with Lauren Cohan on short-lived spy comedy-drama Whiskey Cavalier and also starred in Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders.

brighton sharbino & kyla kenedy

Played: Lizzie and Mika Samuels

Debuted: Season 4

Left: Season 5

Sharbino and Kenedy played siblings whom Carol cared for at one point during earlier seasons, until it ended tragically, as is the TWD way.

Sharbino has since made appearances on True Detective, Once Upon A Time and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. Kenedy, on the other hand, held a main role in Speechless between 2016 and 2019.

matt lintz

Played: Henry (Season 9)

Debuted: Season 9

Left: Season 9

Matt Lintz played an older version of Henry, Carol’s adopted son, in the ninth season. He is the real-life brother of both Madison Lintz (Sophia, Carol’s biological daughter) and Macsen Lintz (younger Henry).

Lintz made a brief appearance in a tenth season episode, as a traumatised Siddiq (Avi Nash) recalled witnessing the deaths of Henry and nine others.

steven ogg

Played: Simon

Debuted: Season 6

Left: Season 8

Steven Ogg’s Simon, a high-ranking Savior, was an original character that did not appear in the comic books. From first appearing as an unnamed character to achieving Also Starring status, the character was killed off after two seasons.

Ogg has appeared in other shows such as Westworld and The Tick.

robin lord taylor

Played: Sam

Debuted: Season 4

Left: Season 5

Before he was Penguin on Gotham, Robin Lord Taylor had a short-lived role as a friendly survivor named Sam, who formed a stable relationship with Rick Grimes during his short tenure.

He mostly appeared in a single episode of the fourth season, returning for a cameo in the season five premiere, where he was killed off.

As well as Gotham, Taylor has also appeared in a recurring role in the second season of You.

logan miller

Played: Benjamin

Debuted: Season 7

Left: Season 7

Benjamin was a resident of The Kingdom, mentee of both King Ezekiel (Khary Payton) and Morgan Jones (Lennie James) as well as older brother to Henry, Carol’s future adoptive son. He died after being shot by Jared, a Savior.

Since his time on TWD, actor Logan Miller has appeared in Love, Simon (also filmed in Atlanta, GA), Escape Room and Prey.

YA TV ADAPTATIONS – WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE FANS?

It is currently an exciting time for those who read Young Adult (YA) Literature in the past decade and a half. In recent months, it has been announced that three separate though beloved long-running series of novels were adapted for television audiences.

Reading a book is a unique experience that cannot be compared to other forms of entertainment. While most of the work is done by the writer, the ability and power of their words allows the reader to actively participate in the world that has been created.

Firstly, we will look at Alex Rider. For those unfamiliar with the story: Alex, a fourteen year old, is pulled into the world of espionage when his uncle/legal guardian is assassinated and his secret life as a spy is revealed.

Unlike the other two series that will be discussed, this one has fully come into fruition with casting, shooting and overall production complete, ready for release.

Of course, most will remember that the Alex Rider novels have been adapted once before – the 2006 film Stormbreaker was based on the first book and starred Alex Pettyfer, Mickey Rourke, Ewan McGregor, Robbie Coltrane, Alicia Silverstone and Bill Nighy.

The film was not a success and the possibility of seeing Alex Rider on-screen again was dead. This changed in 2018 with the series being announced.

It will tell the story of Point Blanc – the second book. Later, there was the revelation of Otto Farrant as the new Alex Rider. He will be supported by Brenock O’Connor (Tom Harris), Vicky McClure (Mrs Jones), Andrew Buchan (Ian Rider) and Stephen Dillane (Alan Blunt).

I am personally very excited to see this new iteration of Alex Rider. While the first outing was not as successful as some hoped, this new show has thirteen years worth of momentum on its side in order to do the books justice.

Author Anthony Horowitz serves as an Executive Producer.

Another prominent Young Adult series on the cusp of television is GONE, written by Michael Grant, which began in 2008 and ended its first cycle in 2013, with spin-offs being released between 2017 and 2019.

GONE depicts the small, fictictious town of Perdido Beach, which falls victim to a strange anomaly when kids start developing superhuman powers and everyone over the age of fifteen mysteriously disappears in plain sight.

A great appeal of the books is its vast, far reaching landscape as well as its widely diverse characters, many of whom we spend a significant amount of time. Although there is a definitive main character (Sam Temple), the stories are not exclusively from his perspective.

In 2013, it was announced that Sony Pictures TV had acquired the rights to make a potential GONE TV series. Sadly, nothing ever developed.

More recently, author Michael Grant has been collaborating with UK production company Engage Productions, led by AJ Riach, after an unbelievable series of events which led to Engage gaining the rights for GONE.

Currently, Grant and Riach are casting for a teaser scene, one that should be very familiar to anyone who has read the opening of book number two — Hunger.

Should the series be made for television, Michael Grant will be penning the scripts.

Finally, we have CHERUB.

Written by Londoner Robert Muchamore, it is well known at this point that he originally wrote the first book (which was published in 2004) for his nephew, who was a reluctant reader.

Since then, there has been a total of sixteen additional books across two series focusing on separate protagonists, as well as a set of prequel books (Henderson’s Boys) that take place during the Second World War.

This series depicts orphaned children working as spies for a secret branch of MI5 – Charles Henderson Espionage Research Unit B.

Although the primary characters are minors under the age of seventeen, the series is very graphic and does not shy away from what someone in this age range would realistically do in the dangerous or personal situations that these characters find themselves in.

The announcement of a Sony Pictures TV-Komixx Entertainment collaboration to make this series came in April 2018, although no major news has been released since then.

Overall, bookworms like myself on both sides of the Atlantic will be rejoicing. These novels were relatively close in publication time and as such, it is exciting that now, having entered adulthood, we get to experience the stories and characters once again in a whole new medium.

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER – WHAT MADE THE SERIES GREAT

If I were to ask you to to think of a long-running, beloved sitcom about life’s highs and lows regarding a group of friends living in New York City, you might answer, simply… Friends.

However, I am asking you to cast your mind back, specifically between the years 2005 and 2014 when another, yet very different show fitting that description was on television. Of course, I am referring to How I Met Your Mother.

HIMYM, as it is frequently abbreviated, ran for nine seasons on CBS, only one shy of Friends’ ten seasons on NBC. The much quoted, perennial writers’ adage of ‘write what you know’ was employed very successfully within the characters — like Ted and Marshall, co-creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas are best friends who attended Wesleyan University together, with the latter meeting his wife there.

Much like Ted at the beginning, Bays was a single man and looking for the right person.

For anyone unfamiliar, much of the narrative used in How I Met Your Mother is familiar territory – we meet Ted (Josh Radnor), a single guy in his late twenties who has just seen his oldest and dearest friends, Marshall (Jason Segel) and Lily (Alyson Hannigan), get engaged.

With the addition of a slick city womaniser in breakout character Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) and Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders), a Canadian-born news reporter who is Ted’s on-off love interest, you have the basis of a pretty good, standard sitcom.

As most know, How I Met Your Mother was anything but standard. Its hook or abnormality when compared to similar shows was a very specific plot device – a future Ted (voiced by Bob Saget), living in 2030, is narrating all these events – the entire show is made up of his memories.

Of course, as this is as a television series that is designed and desired to last many seasons, future Ted takes quite a while getting us to where he (and we) actually meet the elusive Mother (Cristin Milioti).

In my opinion, there are a few important components that helped make HIYMYM into the huge success it became.

Firstly, a talented cast of actors. Looking at Season 1; Neil Patrick Harris, Alyson Hannigan and Jason Segel had already enjoyed stints on acclaimed shows while Josh Radnor and Cobie Smulders were still making a name for themselves.

Even though we didn’t spend much time with – *SPOILER* Tracy/The Mother, Cristin Milioti made the most of the scenes and made us feel fond and empathetic for her character in a comparatively short stint.

Of course, these were not the only characters in the show. While the core five were the central focus, HIMYM‘s strength in adding memorable supporting characters only worked in its favour.

Some of the many guest stars across nine years included Bryan Cranston, John Lithgow, Wayne Brady, Sarah Chalke, Nicole Scherzinger, Bob Odenkirk, James Van der Beek, Kal Penn, Chris Elliott, Marshall Manesh and Taran Killam.

Throughout the near-decade run, How I Met Your Mother also had a strong, consistent creative force behind the scenes. Carter Bays and Craig Thomas created the show in 2005, serving as executive producers for the duration. The strength of their pilot script attracted big names such as Alyson Hannigan and Neil Patrick Harris which is impressive considering the pair were first-time showrunners.

Pamela Fryman directed 196 of 208 episodes overall. The stability and consistency allowed the show to feel the same without the obvious differences in writing and directing styles.

Many of my fellow fans of the series strong disliked the ending – and were not afraid to vocalise this opinion. Personally, I did not have a problem with the ending. Not to say that I was entirely happy, as the content was upsetting, but I did not feel cheated or short-changed like some.

To me, it just made sense. The show made no promises that Ted and Tracy would get to live happily ever after — it’s called How I Met Your Mother, which was fulfilled by the end. At the end of the day, Robin may not have been the title character, but she was the female lead. I do not have cause for complaint.

Thank you Carter, Craig, Pamela and the talented cast of How I Met Your Mother. It was a wonderful journey that I may or may not have revisited multiple times since…

how john wesley shipp has benefited cw’s the flash

Veteran actor John Wesley Shipp has been a cast member on The Flash since the pilot episode in 2014. The gravitas and history that comes with Shipp having played Barry Allen over two decades prior to the premiere has proven to be a great asset.

An Emmy-award winning actor for his work in soap operas, there is no denying that he was a coup for the cast, regardless of whether he had played the titular character or not. Shipp’s enduring beloved father role as Mitch Leery on Dawson’s Creek likely helped fans get behind him as Henry.

Much like other actors on the show, Shipp has not been limited to playing only one character throughout his tenure, thanks in part to the “multiverse” established in the second season.

Unlike his colleagues, who have mostly played different versions of the same characters, Shipp has played three distinct roles entirely across his appearances in the six seasons to date.

From Barry’s wrongfully imprisoned father Henry to experienced speedster Jay Garrick and a very special role that held significant meaning for many fans…

I find Shipp’s work as Henry, particularly in the first season, as a source for some of the more memorable and beloved scenes. At this point, I had not seen 1990’s Flash and was unfamiliar with Shipp as an actor. However, I could tell from both the writing and performance that there was more meaning to the character than simply Barry’s father talking to him – an example of a great collaboration coming together.

Once I discovered Shipp’s connection to the character of The Flash, everything began to make sense. Quite cleverly, the writers used the context of a father and son for the mantle of the Scarlet Speedster to be passed on-screen.

Another favourite Henry appearance came in Season 5 – during the show’s hundredth episode. I will not spoil the particulars in case someone reading this has not seen that scene, but it is very emotional.

As the actor himself has said, “Henry always had a limited shelf life” meaning that the character’s very specific purpose had been fulfilled. From a storyline perspective, Barry had passed the point of needing Henry’s presence on a regular basis.

Naturally, since this is The Flash and not set in reality, that did not mean Shipp would be leaving the show. He instead transitioned into a new character, iconic DC Comics hero Jay Garrick, who in The Flash lore was the first man to hold the mantle.

Much like with Henry, I also really like Jay, though for different reasons. Despite being introduced four seasons ago, he is very much a mystery to the fans although this recently changed in the sixth season.

As the same actor plays both Jay and Henry Allen, Shipp is able to recreate a new on-screen dynamic with Grant Gustin – the paternal aspect is still there to some extent, just not in a literal sense anymore.

Personally, I think the turn of events that led to Shipp playing Jay were executed perfectly. We had already gotten to know and love him as Henry. Instead of introducing Jay right at the start, it felt like we had earned the right to finally have the original Flash side by side with Grant Gustin’s Barry.

Last winter’s Elseworlds crossover featured Shipp in a reprisal of his Barry Allen, who had last been seen in 1991, now confirmed to be a resident of Earth 90.

Although – spoiler – his appearance was brief, there was enough time for a meaningful scene with Earth 1 Barry (Grant Gustin), once again astonished by someone with the appearance of his late father.

Considering we never actually found out what happened to this Barry, he will probably appear again at some point — presumably in the upcoming Crisis on Infinite Earths.

On behalf of every Flash fan, thank you to John Wesley Shipp for his forthcoming three decade anniversary with the character, as well as an incredible set of performances across six seasons of the current show.

what we learned from the flash season 6 trailer

At the start of October, a new trailer for The Flash’s upcoming sixth season was released and with it, we got the most insight into the season thus far. Below, I’ll go over some key points and what they could mean for Barry and Team Flash.

surprising characters will return

The trailer revealed that two primarily Season 4 characters — Amunet Black’s (Katee Sackhoff) enforcer Matthew Norvock (Mark Sweatman) and Breacher/Josh (Danny Trejo), father of Cisco’s (Carlos Valdes) ex-girlfriend Gypsy (Jessica Camacho).

Of course, neither Amunet or Gypsy appear much on The Flash anymore, as their stories tied to the main characters have ended.

Whatever brings Breacher and Norvock back into the path of Team Flash is anyone’s guess. A mystery… for Ralph Dibny to solve!

chester p runk

Back in June, a casting call for season 6 went public, in which a “socially awkward math and science (who specifically is a bit obsessed with aliens and their tech)” was being sought for the show. Not much was known about this mystery person, including their gender although there was some speculation that they would be replacing Cisco, amid the Carlos Valdes exit rumours.

The trailer reveals that character to be named Chester P. Runk. The actor playing Chester is currently unknown, but more details should come to light as we move closer to the premiere.

joan & jay garrick

In the trailer, we see shots of Jay Garrick’s helmet and suit as well as John Wesley Shipp. An interview with new showrunner Eric Wallace confirmed that the veteran speedster will be returning in the second episode and from the trailer, we see he is accompanied by a character played by Michelle Harrison.

Given Wallace’s background as a comic book fan as well as being the executive producer, it is likely that Harrison is playing Joan Garrick, Jay’s wife, rather than her usual role of Barry’s late mother Nora.

new wells gets off to a rocky start

The newest version of Wells, played as usual by Tom Cavanagh, is seen confronting Cisco in the trailer.

In a different interview, Wallace revealed that while previous iterations of the character had been ” buddy-buddy friends with Team Flash. Even if they’re abrasive, [they] eventually come around,” this new Wells would get off to a rockier start, being described as ‘unpredictable and interesting.”

barry & the villain have a personal relationship

We see Heroes alum Sendhil Ramamurthy in character for the first time as Dr Ramsey Rosso, a former colleague of Caitlin’s (Danielle Panabaker) who becomes the season’s first Big Bad.

It is important to note that Rosso refers to Barry by name in the trailer – not his superhero name, his own name. The dynamic of the first three seasons worked because Barry had a personal investment in the villains – they were friends, mentors or time remnants who betrayed him. He did not know season 4’s Clifford DeVoe/The Thinker (Neil Sandilands) or season 5’s Orlin Dwyer/Cicada (Chris Klein) and Grace Gibbons/Cicada (Sarah Carter), before they became enemies.

team flash prepares for crisis

Various fragments of dialogue really drill home that Crisis is imminent. Not least Barry saying, “I have to prepare the team for this Crisis.” Cisco also comments, “We’ve gotta stop you from vanishing.”

It is definitely the most chaotic backdrop we have seen from these trailers over the years and definitely makes me, more of a television fan than of comic books/superheroes very excited for the upcoming season and the epic event.

Season 6 premieres October 8 on the CW.

Who is confirmed for cw’s crisis on infinite earths?

brandon routh – superman returns/legends of tomorrow

In July, it was announced that Legends of Tomorrow star Brandon Routh would return to the role of Superman for the first time in thirteen years in the crossover spectacle Crisis on Infinite Earths. He will also play his regular Legends character, Ray Palmer/Atom.

Routh isn’t the only big DC name to have confirmed his involvement. Let’s see who’s definitely joining him.

tom welling & erica durance – smallville

Another famous on-screen Clark Kent – Smallville’s Tom Welling, who played the role for a decade, was revealed to have joined the crossover in late September.

Welling will be joined by his former co-star, Erica Durance (Lois Lane), who previously appeared on Supergirl, part of CW’s Arrowverse franchise.

John wesley shipp – the flash

Former Dawson’s Creek patriarch Shipp has played a multitude of DC characters across almost three decades including Barry Allen/The Flash, Professor Zoom, Henry Allen and Jay Garrick.

Having been widely speculated beforehand, Shipp’s inclusion was announced in early September.

Burt ward – batman (1966-1968)

Ward, who starred opposite Adam West in the classic 1960s Batman, officially joined the Crisis line-up in July, as one of the first big names to be announced.

kevin conroy – batman: the animated series

Conroy, long-time voice of Batman in animation, transitioned to the live-action Crisis in August of this year.

tyler hoechlin & elizabeth tulloch

Hoechlin and Tulloch have already played iconic DC couple Clark Kent and Lois Lane in the Arrowverse and will continue in the roles for Crisis.

jon cryer – supergirl/Superman IV

Cryer, Supergirl‘s Lex Luthor, will be appearing in Crisis on Infinite Earths. Earlier in his career, Cryer starred in Superman IV as Lenny Luthor.

ashley scott – birds of prey

Scott will reprise her short-lived role as Huntress from Birds of Prey in Crisis on Infinite Earths.

lamonica garrett – the monitor/anti monitor

Garrett first played The Monitor in last year’s Elseworlds crossover and will also play his villainous counterpart, The Anti-Monitor.

cress williams – black lightning

Williams’ character made the long-awaited jump to the Arrowverse to take part in Crisis. It is unknown at this time which Black Lightning characters will also appear.

johnathon schaech – legends of tomorrow

Schaech will be officially reprising his recurring Legends of Tomorrow role as gunslinger Jonah Hex in the upcoming crossover. His inclusion has lead to some plot questions, as his character is based hundreds of years in the past.

osric chau – ryan choi/the atom

Former Supernatural actor Chau will play notable DC Comics character (and creator of Barry Allen’s season 5 Flash suit), Ryan Choi, for the very first time in Crisis.

In DC lore, Choi succeeds Ray Palmer (played by Brandon Routh) as superhero The Atom.

tom cavanagh – harrison wells/pariah

Last but certainly not least, long-time The Flash regular Tom Cavanagh, who plays Eobard Thawne/Reverse Flash as well as the multiverse doppelgangers of Harrison Wells, adds another important character to his DC repetoire as Pariah in Crisis on Infinite Earths.

the masked singer s2 premiere – thoughts and reaction

After two hours of eight celebrities singing in costumed disguise, we learned the identities of the first pair of casualties in this season of The Masked Singer.

Divided into two groups, we had Butterfly, Egg, Thingamajig and Skeleton in Group A while Group B consisted of Ladybug, Ice Cream, Tree and Rottweiler.

Ken Jeong strong believed that the Skeleton could be comedy legend Martin Short, while Robin Thicke theorised the Thingamajig was Michael Strahan versus Nicole Scherzinger’s Dennis Rodman as Jenny McCarthy surmised the Egg was Winter Olympian Johnny Weir.

Some other names thrown out for the various contestants include Lindsay Lohan, PewDiePie, Patti LeBell, Martin Short, Dana Carvey and Steph Curry. Whether any of these are correct, time will tell.

The formula has been revised since the first season – after competing against another celebrity, the losers face each other in a ‘Smackdown’ to decide their ultimate fate.

By the end of the episode, the four unlucky costumes were Egg, Ladybug, Ice Cream and Skeleton.

In the first Smackdown, Skeleton beat the scrambled Egg to send him packing later on while Ladybug left Ice Cream to melt in the hot sun of elimination.

Now that this was over and done with, time to find out who these two people were…

As McCarthy, Thicke and avid Reddit detectives suspected, Egg was none other than Winter Olympian, fashion designer and TV personality, Johnny Weir.

Weir was not a guess that I would have personally made. After seeing educated guesses on Reddit and other sites, the case for him started to become pretty strong. People knew what they were talking about and were proven correct.

Meanwhile, Ice Cream was revealed to be Tyler Blevins or ‘Ninja’, a popular gamer and former Twitch streamer.

Unlike Weir, where I had seen his name thrown around as a possible guess for his character, Ninja came completely left of field. His clues were hard to pin down to anybody specific and most people would honestly say that before the premiere, he would not have been on people’s minds.

With the two eliminations, fourteen masked celebrities remain in play and the eight sidelined this week – Black Widow, Flower, Fox, Eagle, Penguin, Panda, Leopard and Flamingo – will take to the stage for the very first time.

15 Years On; How LOST Inspired Other Fiction

September 22, 2004. As of writing, exactly fifteen years to this very day. The start of one of television’s greatest journeys.

Of course, now a decade and a half since its debut, the show has left a remarkable legacy – in the lexicon of television, writing in general and putting characters in unique, mysterious and life-threatening situations. Using the flashback device to inform characters’ backstories rather than having expositional dialogue.

Not too bad from being based on Survivor.

One example of a long-running series that was directly influenced by LOST isn’t even a television programme. Instead, a sequence of novels – GONE, written by Michael Grant.

Much like LOST, we follow a group of people who would not have interacted beforehand, thrust into a harsh new mutant world with no warning. Unlike LOST utilising plane passengers, these books feature kids aged fifteen and under from a Californian beach town. This is not to be confused with a recent Netflix series.

Some characters, some die. Most notably, however, is the central location Perdido Beach, with ‘Perdido’ being Spanish for the word Lost.

Other television series pay homage to an even greater degree…

Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse pushed boundaries over the course of six seasons, often throwing fans off with unexpected and often confusing narrative choices. Nonetheless, LOST was consistently entertaining, even in its weaker episodes.

The show also served as a training ground of sorts for Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis, who created another hit ABC television series — Once Upon A Time, with Damon Lindelof serving as an advisor to the pair.

Thanks to Damon, Carlton, the cast and many others behind making LOST for those six years. Remember: ‘I’ll see ya in another life, brotha!’

4.8.15.16.23.42

The Flash: How bloodwork will compare to other big bads

Back at San Diego Comic Con in July, it was announced that Heroes alum Sendhil Ramamurthy (Mohinder Suresh) would be playing Ramsey Rosso/Bloodwork, a Big Bad of The Flash‘s sixth season, to premiere in October. I was not familiar with Ramamurthy but the shared fans of both shows seem excited by his casting, so that is optimistic.

Bloodwork is set to differ from The Flash‘s other major foes in several ways. His powers, controlling blood, are definitely unique and the question is posed to how he acquired them. Particle accelerator? Flashpoint? Perhaps we will actually see Dr Rosso receive his powers, rather than him trying to repress them.

You may have noticed my wording as I said ‘a Big Bad’. Unlike previous seasons, where the villain was used for all 22-23 episodes, Rosso/Bloodwork will only feature in the first eight, which are before the Crisis on Infinite Earths event, after which a new Big Bad will take centre stage.

Additionally, his dynamic with Team Flash seems to be a callback to earlier seasons where he has a connection with the group, as a former colleague of Caitlin Snow (Danielle Panabaker), before becoming the villain. Unlike DeVoe and Cicada who were complete strangers before becoming The Flash‘s adversaries.

Of course, we have already seen the whole ‘new member joins Team Flash and betrays them’ story twice, but as there is a new showrunner this season, Eric Wallace, it is possible he may approach this frequently used conceit from a different angle, especially since he has less time to script it.

Bloodwork will also relate to Barry (Grant Gustin) on an emotional level. Like the scarlet speedster, the Comic Con trailer revealed that he has also suffered a recent loss in his life, which I will not name in case people are trying to avoid spoilers. The Big Bads have related to Barry in different ways during previous seasons, but never like this, so it should be interesting to see.

This is just scratching the surface, but we’ll all get a proper look at Bloodwork when The Flash returns on October 8 on the CW.

The Masked Singer Season 2: Early Predictions

Early assumptions as to who the mystery celebrities are in this season of The Masked Singer.

• The clue given for this character referred to tarot cards. Unfortunately, I have not got any specific person pinpointed yet, but my guess is a psychic medium, if anyone knows one that fits or perhaps an actress who is famous for playing one.

Clue: “I just pray I don’t fall over.” My initial, crazy guess is Madonna, since she fell while claiming an award in 2015. Her two divorces could also contribute to the show’s eight.

Clue: Clue: ”If you know an eagle’s body temperature, you may be hot on my tail.” An eagle’s body temperature is 106 degrees. Combining this with the early theory of Bret Michaels (based on the red bandana and overall style), I did a Google search for ‘Bret Michaels 106’ and discovered that this is the channel number for his radio show on SiriusXM. Personally, case closed – Eagle is Bret Michaels.

Clue: “Always work hard for the first and last vowels of the alphabet” Again, not entirely sure. However, the first and last vowels are AU, which is the chemical symbol for gold.

Clue: I love this mask as much as I love mascara.” Early theories have suggested varied names such as Annie Potts, Jennifer Lopez, Pink and Adrienne Bailon.

My guess is Bailon, who hosts make-up tutorials on YouTube.

Clue: Visual of the number ‘314’.

Of course, this is used for Pi Day so my guess as of now is someone connected to math, without having a specific name.

Clue: Signs pointing to Studio 46, which seems to be the name of a Massage Studio. Currently stumped on this one.

Clue: A calendar with February 14 highlighted.

“I’m made of sugar and dairy, and I live for half of February.”

A Twitter user has suggested this could be Freddie Highmore, and I agree. Not only is the build accurate, but Highmore was born on February 14 and one of his early roles was in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, about sweet treats.

Highmore is also not unfamiliar with competing in a reality show, having done Taskmaster in 2018.

Clue: The costume was made specifically to hide the singer’s silhouette.

“I’ve been spotted with the president.”

Absolutely no idea on this one, though the silhouette tidbit is clearly important.

Clue: Said viewers would like bamboo, “especially the way I prepare it.”

Too early for a specific person, but the preparation mention makes me think this could be a celebrity chef.

Clue: Every time you think you’re getting warmer… you’re getting colder.” Considering the gimmick of a Penguin and that line, my guess is Vanilla Ice.

Clue: “Violets are blue, roses are red, can you guess who’s behind this doggie head?”

Nothing to analyse here, as that clue does not offer any insight.

Clue: The number 4261 was prominently featured on a sign

As many sleuths have deduced before me , 4/2/61 could be a birthdate and the only name thus far that has this is Chris Meloni, of Law and Order SVU and OZ.

Looking at the skeleton, it does match Meloni’s physical build and he is not afraid to be quirky, as his recent show Happy! would suggest.

Clue: “Don’t call me Chewbacca, though we do celebrate together.”

Having heard this character sing during a preview on YouTube, my guess is Wayne Brady.

I am familiar with his speaking voice through Whose Line Is It Anyway – the voice and body movements seem to match Brady’s.

Clue: Referred to her performances as ‘delicious’.

Not a lot to go on, but perhaps someone connected to food?

If any of YOU think you know more about some of these, feel free to say on social media: Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, wherever you’ve seen the post!

18 things you may not have known about ‘the flash’

Barry Allen came speeding onto our screens over five years ago on Arrow, before being spun-off into his own show — The Flash.

Here are some things you may not have known about the long-running CW series.

1 – Eerie connections between the two flashes

Grant Gustin is the second actor to play Barry Allen/The Flash in a television drama based on the character. The first, of course, is John Wesley Shipp, who did it from 1990-1991.

What you may not know is that Gustin and Shipp have more in common than playing the same character.

For example, they were both born in January, their birthdays falling eight days apart (14 for Gustin, 22 for Shipp) and their shared birthplace is Norfolk, Virginia.

Gustin also happened to be born in 1990 – the year Shipp started playing Barry Allen.

2 – not the first superhero project for some of the cast

Although The Flash is a very unique show, some of the actors had dipped their toes into the superhero genre prior to joining the CW series.

Candice Patton (Iris) had appeared in two episodes of Heroes in 2009.

Hartley Sawyer (Ralph) starred in Caper, a Geek & Sundry superhero comedy and Jessica Parker Kennedy (Nora) guest starred on Smallville.

Danielle Panabaker (Caitlin) appeared in 2005’s Sky High alongside Michael Angarano.

3 – Jesse l martin spent years playing a detective

Before he ever stepped foot in Central City, Martin spent eight years as Detective Ed Green on Law and Order.

4 – strong musical theatre connections in the cast

As demonstrated in the third season episode ‘Duet’, there is a strong musical connection between the cast.

Grant Gustin, Carlos Valdes (Cisco), Jesse L Martin and Victor Garber (Martin Stein) have all performed on Broadway and are thus proficient vocalists.

5 – grant gustin was always team dc over marvel

Although he now plays The Flash, Gustin grew up loving another iconic DC superhero – Clark Kent himself, Superman.

6 – rick cosnett was originally cast as jay garrick

Eddie Thawne actor Cosnett revealed that the pilot’s originally plan featured him playing the original Flash, Jay Garrick.

Somewhere down the line, the story got redesigned and Cosnett ended up playing Detective Eddie Thawne.

7 – jessica parker kennedy is older than you think

For parts of Season 4 and most of Season 5, Kennedy played Nora West-Allen, Barry and Iris’ future daughter with boundless youtful spirit and enthusiasm.

What you may not know is that Kennedy is, in fact, older than both her on-screen parents, Gustin and Patton, as well as their Star Labs associates, Panabaker, Valdes and Hartley Sawyer (Ralph Dibny).

8 – there have been five showrunners to date

The Showrunner/Executive Producer is the most important job on any television show, overseeing all aspects that help create the overall series.

With this in mind, you may find it surprising that The Flash has had five Showrunners to date.

Co-developer Andrew Kreisberg in season one and in the second season, he was joined by Gabrielle Stanton, Todd Helbing and Aaron Helbing as co-showrunners.

Jump to season 5 when only Todd is remaining and the mantle is passed to Eric Wallace.

9 – seven actors played one character

One of Season 4’s storylines saw the villain, Clifford DeVoe, transferring his consciousness into the bodies of individuals he had given meta powers to.

Of course, as this is a fictional character, what was really happening was more and more actors were playing this part, reaching a total of seven.

Besides Neil Sandilands as his true form, Kendrick Sampson, Sugar Lyn Beard, Miranda MacDougall, Arturo Del Puerto, Hartley Sawyer and David Ramsey also stepped into DeVoe’s shoes throughout the season.

10 – ronnie raymond was killed for a very simple reason

Ronnie’s actor, Robbie Amell, did not have enough availability to commit to Legends of Tomorrow alongside Victor Garber, which meant that Caitlin’s newlywed husband had to die.

11 – tina mcgee was played by the same actress in both flash shows

Actress Amanda Pays played the character in the 1990s alongside John Wesley Shipp and later reprised the role for the newer iteration of the show.

Bonus: Alex Desert (Julio Mendez) and Vito D’Ambrosio (Anthony Bellows) likewise reprise their roles, or a version of them.

12 – keiynan lonsdale auditioned for another part

Although we all know and love Keiynan Lonsdale as Wally West/Kid Flash, he originally auditioned for another Arrowverse role – Jefferson Jackson on Legends of Tomorrow, which went to Franz Drameh.

Lonsdale of course ended up starring on Legends as Wally anyway, so everything worked out.

13 – wentworth miller helped cast an important character

Wentworth Miller had already appeared in one episode of The Flash as Captain Cold/Leonard Snart when his partner, Heat Wave/Mick Rory was going to be introduced.

Miller recommended his former Prison Break on-screen brother Dominic Purcell for the part and the rest, as they say, is history.

14 – CARLOS VALDES and grant gustin went to college with arrowverse co-stars

Valdes, who plays Cisco, attended the University of Michigan with Darren Criss, who played Music Meister (and also starred with Gustin on Glee). Criss and Valdes were members of StarKid Productions.

Gustin, on the other hand, studied at Elon University with Chris Wood, the actor who played Mon-El on Supergirl.

15 – the cast is more diverse than initially meets the eye

Although Central City is presented as somewhere that could be found anywhere in America, with the added layer of superpowers, the actors taking up residency are spread out across the globe.

There has been two Canadians (Tom Cavanagh and Jessica Parker Kennedy), an Australian (Keiynan Lonsdale), a Brit (Tom Felton) and two South Africans (Neil Sandilands and Kim Engelbrecht).

16 – frequently changing writing staff

What you may not be aware of is that the writing staff has changed significantly over the five seasons to date. The longest-serving writer I am aware of is Lauren Certo, since Season 2, most of the rest were hired in Season 4.

So, of course the seasons will ‘feel’ different from one another, if it is different people writing them.

17 – jessica parker kennedy did not audition for nora

Kennedy was made a straight offer based off past working relationships with casting director David Rapaport and then-Showrunner Todd Helbing, who had worked with Kennedy on a season of Black Sails, a pirate drama.

18 – tom cavanagh signed on to play reverse flash

Cavanagh has said on multiple occasions that had it not been for the opportunity to revisit Thawne, he would not have remained on The Flash.

Why Blurring The Lines Between TV and Real Life Can Be Harmful

For the most part, television is a medium that is enjoyed by all. We get invested into the characters, stories and worlds on our screens each week for several months of the year.

The evolution of the Internet in the past fifteen years has allowed fans to be more vocal than ever before.

Of course, this has positive outcomes – the writers and producers get visceral responses to their work and have an idea of what is working and not working in the show.

Sadly, it can also impact people’s lives in a very negative way.

‘Shipping’, as explained above, is the idea of pairing characters people want to see romantically but are not in the established canon. As well as television shows, this can also be applied to movies, books and other forms of entertainment.

A big example of shipping that comes to mind exists on CW’s The Flash, which began in 2014.

In the show’s storyline, main character Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) pined for, dated and married Iris West. These characters have been romantically involved for decades in the source material (comic books) and are given the ‘ship’ name WestAllen – derived from their surnames.

However, there are some fans who believe Barry is better suited for the other regular female character on the show – Caitlin Snow, thus forming SnowBarry.

While this might seem innocent enough, people take these fictional relationships too seriously. Since they cannot vent at Iris or Caitlin, they target the actresses online and leave negative comments, which from what I have seen, are extremely harsh and damaging to an individual’s self-esteem.

On one occasion, I came across what can be best described as a ‘hate blog’ for a character on a television show. I will not name who or the name of the blog, but some might know who I am referring to.

Remember, if you are insulting how a character looks, sounds, their physique, you are in the process also offending the actor, a real life human being.

Don’t criticise an actor for decisions their character made. Yes, they may be the person on-screen, but they did not write the material.

Of course, not just shipping can have negative effects.

In recent news, 13 Reasons Why actress Grace Saif left social media due to an overwhelmingly negative reaction . Her character, Ani, a newcomer, was involved in storylines which involved events from previous seasons.

Bear in mind – not even particularly targeted towards Saif, or her performance, but decisions and actions attached to her character which, once again, the actress is not responsible for.

Not that I am advocating insulting the writers either, but people take their opinions too far and it can cause serious damage.

In a nutshell, what I am trying to say is this.

Everyone is perfectly entitled to have an opinion. No one is denying you that right. However, it is unfortunate that some choose to display their opinion in sometimes disrespectful and hurtful ways which can seriously impact others.

In a world full of precarious situations, being a little kinder is not too much to ask, surely?

8 things you didn’t know about lost

Warning – This post contains references to certain plot twists. If you have not watched all six seasons, be aware that there may be spoilers.

1 – CARLTON CUSE JOINED THE SHOW BECAUSE DAMON LINDELOF NEEDED HIS HELP

Everyone knows Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse as the two main creative minds behind LOST.

What you may not know is that Carlton joined the show to specifically assist Damon Lindelof.

Damon created the show with JJ Abrams, who left to do Mission Impossible, leaving Damon as the sole, inexperienced showrunner. Although he wanted to quit, his former boss Carlton talked him out of it and came on board.

2 – DESMOND AND BEN WERE ORIGINALLY SHORT-TERM CHARACTERS

Desmond Hume (Henry Ian Cusick) and Benjamin Linus (Michael Emerson) both debuted in the second season.

They were originally supposed to be guest star roles, but Cusick and Emerson impressed the right people to make them series regulars.

3 – MATTHEW FOX (JACK), JORGE GARCIA (HURLEY) AND DOMINIC MONAGHAN (CHARLIE) ALL AUDITIONED FOR SAWYER

As the pilot script was not completed at the time of auditions, there was only limited material for auditioning actors to read.

For this reason, Matthew Fox, Jorge Garcia and Dominic Monaghan all read Sawyer’s lines in their auditions, although they ended up playing other characters.

For that reason…

4 – YUNJIN KIM (SUN) AUDITIONED TO PLAY KATE

Much like with the above situation, Yunjin Kim auditioned to play Kate.

However, after impressing with her resume and audition, it was decided to create a new character – Sun – specifically for Kim and as a result, the character of Jin (Daniel Dae Kim) was created as her husband.

5 – TERRY O’QUINN (LOCKE) DID NOT AUDITION AT ALL

O’Quinn already had a working relationship with JJ Abrams through Alias and a result, received a phone call with an offer, rather than having to audition.

6 – ADEWALE AKINNUOYE-AGBAJE (MR. EKO) LEFT THE SHOW FOR A SAD REASON

Fans were shocked at Mr. Eko’s unexpected death, when he was becoming such a crucial part of the show.

As it turns out, both of Akinnuoye-Agbaje’s parents died in close proximity back in the UK, so he understandably wished to leave Hawaii.

7 – THE PILOT DIED IN THE FIRST EPISODE BEACUSE JACK DIDN’T

Seth Norris (Greg Grunberg), pilot of Oceanic 815, dies in the very first episode at the hands of the Smoke Monster.

Norris was killed off to replace Jack, who was originally set to be killed off at the end of episode one in a shocking twist, with Kate being leader of the survivors.

Once plans changed, JJ Abrams brought in his longtime friend Grunberg to play the short-lived character.

8 – LOCKE’S BIG TWIST WAS CONCEIVED ON SET

In the fourth episode, Locke (Terry O’Quinn) was revealed to have been paralysed prior to crashing on the Island.

This idea was introduced by Damon Lindelof, during production of the previous episode after JJ Abrams had suggested that Locke had a secret.

13 things you didn’t know about 13 reasons why

Polarising Netflix drama 13 Reasons Why released its third season at the end of August and its hard to believe how far the show has come since it debuted in early 2017.

Here are some facts that even the most dedicated followers of Liberty High’s troubled student body may not know.

1 – DYLAN MINNETTE (CLAY) AND KATE WALSH (MRS. BAKER) APPEARED ON THE SAME SHOW BEFORE

Dylan appeared in an episode of Grey’s Anatomy, a long-running ABC medical drama that Kate Walsh once starred in, as Addison Shepherd.

Unfortunately, Dylan missed Kate by about a season, as she was already starring in the Grey’s spin-off Private Practice.

2 – ALISHA BOE (JESSICA) HAS A DIVERSE ETHNIC ORIGIN

Alisha was born in Oslo, Norway to a Norwegian mother and Somali father. She moved to the US aged seven, after her mother married an American man.

3 – ROSS BUTLER (ZACH) HAS WORKED WITH ANOTHER ROSS ON NETFLIX

Ross appeared in 2015’s Teen Beach 2, in which he co-starred opposite Ross Lynch, who plays Harvey in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

4- CONFUSING CHARACTER – ACTOR NAMES

On the show thus far, there have been three actors named Brandon – Flynn, Larracuente and Butler, who play Justin, Jeff and Scott.

Bryce is played by an actor named Justin, just like a character whom most of his scenes are with.

Season 3 introduced Charlie St. George, played by Tyler Barnhardt, who interacts with Devin Druid’s Tyler Down.

5 – KATHERINE LANGFORD (HANNAH) AUDITIONED FOR BOTH HANNAH & JESSICA

Australian actress Langford auditioned for both Hannah and her best friend turned enemy Jessica Davis, landing the former as we all know by now.

6 – STEVEN WEBER (PRINCIPAL BOLAN) MAY SEEM FAMILIAR TO YOUNGER AUDIENCES

Weber appeared as the villain, Hugh J. Magnate, in the 2011 Nickelodeon film A Fairly Odd Movie – Grow up Timmy Turner! based upon the popular animated series FairlyOdd Parents.

7 – DEVIN DRUID (TYLER) APPEARED IN A MOVIE WITH DANIEL RADCLIFFE

Devin (far left) appeared in 2016’s Imperium opposite Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe.

8 – OVER A DECADE BETWEEN TWO OF THE ACTORS

Despite playing High School peers of a similar age, Timothy Granaderos (32) is over a decade older than Devin Druid (21).

9 – MARK PELLEGRINO (BILL STANDALL) IS KNOWN FOR HIS ROLES ON MANY OTHER SHOWS

He has appeared on LOST, Dexter, Supernatural, Prison Break, Revolution and Quantico, among others.

10 – BRANDON LARRACUENTE (JEFF) AUDITIONED FOR JUSTIN

Brandon played ill-fated Jeff, who was like an older brother to Clay. This makes it crazy that he almost played Justin, who actually became Clay’s brother.

11 – CHRISTIAN NAVARRO (TONY) COULDN’T DRIVE BEFORE 13 REASONS WHY

In an interview with Conan on TBS, Navarro shared that he did not know how to drive when auditioning to play Tony Padilla, whose beloved mustang is a huge part of the character’s life.

12 – DEREK LUKE (MR. PORTER) AND PARMINDER NAGRA (PRIYA SINGH) PLAY LOVE INTERESTS ON GOD FRIENDED ME

On 13 Reasons Why, Derek Luke plays guidance counsellor Mr. Porter and Parminder Nagra plays his successor at Liberty, Priya Singh.

On another show, CBS’ God Friended Me, Luke and Nagra play long-lost lovers Henry Chase and Pria Amar, whose estrangement plays a role in the first season’s storyline.

13 – HANNAH AND ANI HAVE MORE IN COMMON THAN WE THINK

The late Hannah Baker (Katherine Langford) and new regular Ani (Grace Saif) have more in common than we realise.

• Both girls narrate the series during their time on the show.
• Both show an interest in Clay Jensen
• Possesses similar vowel sounds in their names – think about it, Hannah and Ani.
• Have encounters with Bryce Walker, under much different circumstances
• Outsiders to the events going on around them – Hannah being dead, Ani being new and uninformed on some of the context
• Their actresses, Langford and Saif, were both raised outside of the United States

Who voices the ‘Phineas and ferb’ characters & WILL THEY RETURN for candace against the universe?

Phineas and Ferb premiered on Disney Channel over a decade ago. Although the series ended back in 2015, the characters have returned in Milo Murphy’s Law, set in the same universe.

Here is a run-through of the actors who brought the iconic characters to life throughout the entire Disney run and whether they will be returning for the upcoming Disney + film, Candace Against the Universe.

Phineas flynn – vincent martella

Everybody’s favourite triangular shaped head inventing prodigy (there are many to choose from, after all) was voiced by actor Vincent Martella, known for playing Greg on Everybody Hates Chris prior to the show. He has since played characters such as Patrick on the Walking Dead and Bradley on Milo Murphy’s Law since it began.

Phineas will of course be returning for Candace Against the Universe, with Martella reprising the role,

FERB Fletcher – thomas brodie-sangster/david errigo jr

Ferb, second of the two title characters, is unique in that he has been voiced by two different actors (well, three, if you count the original plans – more on that later).

Throughout the run on Disney Channel, 2007-2015, English actor Thomas Brodie-Sangster voiced the character. Sangster was best known for his performances in Love Actually and Nanny McPhee.

When the character returned in Milo Murphy’s Law, he was voiced by David Errigo Jr., presumably because Brodie-Sangster was too busy.

Ferb will return in Candace Against the Universe, voiced by Errigo Jr. once again.

Candace – ashley tisdale

The boys’ busting obsessed older sister was voiced by Ashley Tisdale, a Disney Channel star who had appeared in High School Musical and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.

Obviously Candace will be returning for Candace Against the Universe – the hint’s in the title – though it has been confirmed that Tisdale will also be returning to play her.

Isabella – alyson stoner

Named for co-creator Dan Povenmire’s daughter, the boys’ neighbour and Phineas’ unnoticed love interest was voiced by Alyson Stoner, another young actress who had previous Disney work including Suite Life alongside Tisdale. She also appeared the two Cheaper by the Dozen movies with Steve Martin.

Isabella will be returning for Candace Against the Universe, once again brought to life by Stoner.

Perry the platypus – dee bradley baker

Perry’s vocal effects were done by veteran voice artist Dee Bradley Baker, who has racked up countless credits over a 25 year career.

Both Perry and Baker will be returning for Candace Against the Universe.

Dr. heinz doofenshmirtz – dan povenmire

Co-creator Dan Povenmire voiced Doof as well as performing his other duties on the show, which included storyboarding and songwriting. His previous credits include The Simpsons, Family Guy and Rocko’s Modern Life.

Is it even a question if he’s returning for Candace Against the Universe? Of course he is.

MAJOR MONOGRAM – JEFF ‘SWAMPY’ MARSH

Phineas and Ferb‘s other co-creator, Swampy Marsh, likewise did double (triple? quadruple?) duty as the voice of Major Monogram, head of the O.W.C.A. He previously worked with Povenmire on The Simpsons and Rocko’s Modern Life.

Marsh, of course, will reprise the role of Monogram in Candace Against the Universe.

JEREMY – MITCHEL MUSSO

Mitchel Musso simultaneously appeared on Hannah Montana, Pair of Kings and PrankStars while doing Phineas and Ferb.

It is unknown at this time whether he will appear in Candace Against the Universe though considering Jeremy’s connection to Candace, I wouldn’t bet money against it.

Fun Fact: Musso was originally intended to play Ferb in the series, before it was decided the character should be British.

BALJEET – MAULIK PANCHOLY

The boys’ nerdy friend Baljeet was played by Maulik Pancholy, a talented actor who also played Jonathan on 30 Rock and two unrelated characters named Sanjay Patel.

Pancholy will be reprising Baljeet in Candace Against the Universe.

Buford – bobby gaylor

Gaylor, a former stand-up comic, wrote for the show as well as playing Buford. He was also the physical inspiration for a member of Love Handel.

Buford will return in Candace Against the Universe with Gaylor at the microphone once more.

Vanessa – olivia olson

Doof’s teenage daughter was played by actress/singer Olivia Olson, who had previously starred alongside original Ferb actor Thomas Brodie-Sangster in Love Actually. She later voiced Marceline in Adventure Time.

Olson will return as Vanessa in Candace Against the Universe.

“Mom”/Linda – Caroline rhea

Named for Dan Povenmire’s sister, Phineas, Ferb and Candace’s mother was voiced by Caroline Rhea, known as Aunt Hilda on Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

Rhea has been confirmed to return for Candace Against the Universe.

“dad”/lawrence – richard o’brien

Lawrence was voiced by Richard O’Brien, known for writing The Rocky Horror Picture Show, a horror comedy musical and for hosting game show The Crystal Maze in the UK.

It has not been announced at this time whether O’Brien will return in Candace Against the Universe.

Important Side Note: Tyler Mann (Carl) will be returning for Candace Against the Universe.

The film will premiere in 2020 on Disney+.

Could will friedle appear in ‘crisis’ ?

Later this year, CW’s Arrowverse franchise will launch what is their biggest and most ambitious crossover to date — Crisis on Infinite Earths. As the name implies, the story involves several Earths throughout the shared multiverse, a plot device that allows several past DC actors to appear.

Some may look at the headline and wonder why Will Friedle being in this crossover would be a possibility. Those people likely know Friedle best from Boy Meets World where he played the well-meaning yet maniacal older brother Eric Matthews for seven seasons.

However, Friedle is also a prolific voice actor. One of his first voice roles, concurrently to Boy Meets World, was on a show called Batman Beyond.

Friedle voiced Terry McGinnis, a teenage boy mentored by an aged Bruce Wayne to become Batman. There are plenty of other twists and turns along the way, but that would be spoiling the show.

One of the confirmed names for Crisis is Kevin Conroy, who voiced Bruce Wayne in Batman Beyond and will play the character once again. With this addition plus Mark Hamill rumoured to be reprising the Joker, why not go for a full reunion?

This goes back to the headline. It asks could Friedle appear in the crossover. The answer to that is yes. Anyone theoretically could appear, it comes down to the story and what characters are needed. It’s really will he appear, but that would be very confusing to read.

Of course, Friedle could no longer play a teenage Terry in live action and until recent appearances on Girl Meets World, had effectively retired from screen acting.

As of writing, there is no word on how big Conroy’s role is in the crossover. It could be for five minutes or even five seconds. However, his recent admission of a body scan implies a longer appearance, possibly enough time to call Terry or vice versa.

Batman Beyond was not the only time Conroy voiced Batman. There is not a complete obligation to include Friedle as there was only one project.

However, if their intention is to honour DCTV history, this would be a cool way to do it.

How New SHOWRUNNER ERIC WALLACE WILL IMPACT THE FLASH SEASON 6

Eric Wallace has taken over as showrunner for The Flash’s sixth season and fans are wondering whether he can improve what is perceived as a decline in quality from the show.

Since Wallace is a different individual and a unique writer to his predecessors, there are aspects that he will undoubtedly do his own way. Some things may be prioritised that were not before and others take more of a backseat. It’s an exciting time.

One thing we do know is that Wallace is a fan of Iris West-Allen. Both he and Candice Patton (Iris) mentioned this during San Diego Comic Con and when a fan on Twitter (@Jeffrey_Misener) asked the writers who their favourite character to write was, his answer was Iris.

So, what does this mean? Well, we know that Iris is finally getting the journalistic development that has been six seasons in the making – she will be hiring employees and building the Central City Citizen.

Patton also shared photos on Instagram, saying that Wallace had given her to go-ahead to have her natural curly hair on-screen. None of the above was a thing as recently as the fifth season.

Wallace has also described Season 6 as ‘chills and thrills’. With the new villain, Bloodwork, he wants to have the same scary feel that Season 2 had with Zoom.

According to rumours, Wallace has also taken note of major complaints from the past few seasons and is trying to rectify them. For example, Wally West will be returning and there will be two villains instead of one in the season, to prevent the story from becoming stale.

If interviews are anything to go by, Wallace seems clear in his vision and knows what he’s doing.

Personally, the premiere on October 8 cannot come any sooner.

VOICE ACTORS YOU DIDN’T KNOW APPEARED IN OTHER NOTABLE ROLES

dAN castellaneta – the simpsons

Dan Castellaneta is of course best known for his long-running role as Homer Simpson, Krusty the Clown, Grampa and many others on The Simpsons…

But did you know he also voiced ‘Grandpa Phil’ from Hey Arnold?

FRANK WELKER – SCOOBY DOO

Legandary voice actor Frank Welker has voiced Fred Jones on Scooby Doo since the franchise’s inception in 1969…

Did you know he has also voiced other iconic characters such as Megatron from Transformers, Curious George, Futurama’s Nibbler and the canine sleuth Scooby Doo himself?

john dimaggio – futurama/Adventure time

DiMaggio plays fan-favourite roles in both adult and children’s cartoons. Alcholic robot Bender on Futurama and Jake the Dog on Adventure Time.

More recently, he voiced ‘King Zog’ on Matt Groening’s newest cartoon Disenchantment.

LANE TORAN (TORAN CAUDELL) – HEY ARNOLD/RECESS

As well as being the original voice of Arnold on Hey Arnold, Toran also voiced King Bob on Recess.

HANK AZARIA – THE SIMPSONS

Simpsons voice actor Hank Azaria (Moe, Chief Wiggum, Comic Book Guy and many others) has also worked extensively in live action.

Two examples are seen here in the 2007 film Run Fatboy Run and the television series Brockmire.

TRESS MACNEILLE – THE SIMPSONS/FUTURAMA

Tress MacNeille has major roles in both of Matt Groening’s major series…

She voices both Agnes Skinner on The Simpsons and Mom on Futurama.

RICKEY D’SHON COLLINS – RECESS/DANNY PHANTOM

Collins voiced polar opposite characters on two beloved cartoons…

Athlete Vince LaSalle on Recess and geeky Tucker Foley on Danny Phantom

LAUREN TOM – FUTURAMA/ANDI MACK/FRIENDS

Tom played Amy Wong on Futurama, the title character’s grandmother on Andi Mack and Julie on Friends.

PHIL LAMARR – SAMURAI JACK/FAMILY GUY/FUTURAMA

LaMarr voices the title character on Samurai Jack, reporter Ollie Williams/a judge on Family Guy and uptight bureaucrat Hermes Conrad on Futurama.

Maurice LaMARCHE – PINKY AND THE BRAIN/FUTURAMA/Codename kids next door

Former stand-up comedian LaMarche has had an extensive career in voiceover, with his roles including The Brain in Pinky and the Brain, Kif Kroker on Futurama and Father on Codename Kids Next Door.

BEN DISKIN – CODENAME KIDS NEXT DOOR

Diskin played a dual role of Numbuh 1 and Numbuh 2 on KND.

TOM KENNY – SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS/FUTURAMA

Aside from his signature role as SpongeBob, Kenny voiced Fry’s older brother, Yancy Jr. on Futurama. You may remember Yancy from one of the saddest endings — Luck of the Fryrish.

billy west – futurama/doug/ren and stimpy/space jam

Although best known recently for providing voices to many Futurama characters; Fry, Professor Farnsworth, Zoizberg and Zapp Brannigan just to name a few, West has also voiced the title characters in Doug and Ren and Stimpy as well as voicing Bugs Bunny in the live-action/animated film Space Jam.

Why westallen is the flash’s ‘otp’

Before I get into the meat and bones of the post, I will clarify the headline for anyone who doesn’t understand. OTP is internet slang for ‘One True Pairing’ used when pairing characters romantically in television series or films. This action is known as ‘shipping’.

Full disclosure, I am not a ‘shipper’. I watch shows for what they are, rather than making it about who the characters are sleeping with. Nor will you see me posting vile comments to those who have opposing opinions.

WestAllen – Barry Allen and Iris West, existed long before the CW show ever came around. Grant Gustin and Candice Patton are the latest embodiment of what has been a popular, established couple in fiction for over six decades.

Casual fans are either unaware or prefer not to acknowledge that The Flash, like its fellow Arrowverse shows, are based on comic books. Some of the storyline and backstory is carried from panel to screen. I am not a lifelong comic book fan either, but I recognise and respect the history that was laid down before.

In the CW Flash, a lot of backlash is directed towards Iris West, unfairly might I add. Since Iris isn’t real, Candice Patton is insulted online by ‘shippers’ of rival ‘ships’ who would prefer Barry to be with someone else.

Although not the case as a whole, some of the reason behind people disliking CW Iris and her relationship with Barry is that Patton is African-American, whereas the character is traditionally Caucasian.

My stance is if the producers thought Patton was the actor best suited for the part, then that’s final. She’s Iris.

A slightly murky plot point that some fans misunderstand is the nature of Barry and Iris’ past. Some call it incestuous based on the fact that they were raised under the same roof. This is only true in a philosophical sense, as they never considered themselves siblings and Barry was not formally adopted, so their relationship is not legally frowned upon.

As much as people like to debate, the decision of Barry Allen’s love life was made long ago. His heart belongs to Iris West and always will.

How ANDI MACK Broke the disney mould

Disney Channel’s groundbreaking sitcom Andi Mack ended its run earlier this year, but the legacy it leaves behind will live on forever.

From the outset, Andi Mack was atypical compared to other shows on the channel. Not only featuring an Asian-American family as the central characters, it also had plot threads that were quite mature such as discovering your older sibling is, in fact, your parent while your ‘mother’ is actually your grandmother.

That, and exploring the relationship with your biological father, who didn’t know you existed and vice versa.

Pretty intense stuff for a Disney show.

The show’s cast was extremely diverse and represented many walks of life.

Andi Mack also showcased strong, well-written female characters such as Andi, Buffy, Bex and Celia, played by Friends and Futurama star Lauren Tom.

In October 2017, Andi Mack evolved even further with the revelation that main character Cyrus Goodman (Joshua Rush), would be coming out as a gay in the then-upcoming second season.

Cyrus is both the first gay main character on Disney Channel (a minor, adult same-sex couple had been featured on Good Luck Charlie) as well as one of the youngest depictions of a gay teen on television, with the character being 13 at the time.

Both Cyrus and Rush’s legacies in television history were cemented with that announcement.

Showing Disney Channel’s young audience that love can be more complex than just a man and a woman is incredibly important. Compared to some generations where homosexuality was ‘weird’ or ‘wrong’, a positive outlook is being imparted at a crucial stage of their development.

Indeed, Andi Mack was a very different show to those that came before.

Its true to life, meaningful stories and characters will ensure its importance for many years to come.

How does hannah baker’s absence affect ’13 reasons why’ season 3?

Australian actress Katherine Langford, who played central character Hannah Baker in the first two seasons of 13 Reasons Why on Netflix, does not appear in the third season, released this past Friday.

Both creatively and emotionally, the end of Season 2 was clearly the right time for both Langford and Hannah to move on.

That being said, her presence is felt throughout the third season. One could even argue that Hannah’s rape at the hands of Bryce Walker was part of the motivation to kill him, without naming the murderer, for those not caught up.

After all, Hannah is a major reason why (no pun intended) that many of these characters are even associated with each other. Her tapes are what brought them all together, for better or worse.

Intelligently, the season does not use time to give characters emotional monologues about Hannah Baker. That story is done.

New character Ani (played by Grace Saif) is Hannah’s de-facto replacement in the group of characters. Think about it. She’s the narrator and Clay’s love interest.

Comparing Hannah and Ani would be ridiculous, as they are very different characters and people.

To sum it up, Hannah Baker is indeed gone for good.

However, her legacy will not be forgotten.

MICHAEL SCOFIELD V LEONARD SNART; WHO WAS WENTWORTH MILLER’S BEST CHARACTER?

Across his two decade and counting acting career, Wentworth Miller has been fortunate to land not one, but two, memorable and lasting roles on beloved shows.

He played lead protagonist Michael Scofield on Prison Break. Michael was a genius who deliberately committed a crime to be sent to prison. His goal? To break his brother, Lincoln (Dominic Purcell), an innocent man, out.

Five years after Prison Break ended, Miller began playing Leonard Snart, better known as DC supervillain Captain Cold on CW’s The Flash in a recurring capacity though later became a regular on the spin-off, Legends of Tomorrow. Snart’s partner in criminal activities, Mick Rory, is played by Purcell.

I am in a unique position in trying to make this decision. I did not watch Prison Break when it was originally on, only doing so years after the fact. As a result, I got to experience Miller as both Michael and Snart around the same time.

While they are very different characters ethically, there are similarities which helps to see why Miller was sought out for Snart (the later of the two) in the first place. Both are tactical geniuses who put their skills to different uses. They also have fraught, complex relationships with those around them.

Both Michael and Snart have also died and technically come back to life. If one had stayed dead, they may have been my choice out of sentimentality. Again, similarly, both of their ‘deaths’ (in Michael’s case) were heroic and selfless.

It’s a very close contest but my choice is…

Michael,

As flawed as he is, Michael is a good man. When he supposedly died, he left behind a wife and son. He has more connections and love in his life whereas Snart is a lone wolf. I feel more empathy for Michael as a result.

Just to reiterate that Snart is also a character I really like. If I were using percentages, it would only be 1-2% between the two in this decision.

CAN BRITISH TV BE ENJOYED IN AMERICA?

Entertainment in some countries can be so specific that it is difficult for international fans to follow what is going on, without understanding the dialect or pop culture references.

In recent months, I have discovered a gentleman on YouTube by the name of Taffe316 – Noah Taffe. He has begun a series in which he reacts to various content from British entertainment whether its commercials (ads for us), game shows, sitcoms or soap operas. Each video begins with ‘American Reacts…’ followed by whatever he happens to be reacting to.

Some of the wide array of shows he has watched are Doctor Who, The Inbetweeners, Coronation Street, Only Fools and Horses, Red Dwarf, Taskmaster, Father Ted, This Morning, Mock the Week and Who Dares Wins.

Despite commenters having to clarify the meaning of dialogue from time to time, Taffe seems to genuinely enjoy what he’s watching, despite being on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

We are all human at the end of the day and some things are just plain funny, regardless of where it was made. As an individual, Taffe comes across as being intelligent and observant so even when the story is leaning into an area where he may not have any knowledge, he quickly picks it up.

Comedy seems to the main area where tastes diverge. From what I have observed and I am no expert, British comedy seems to be more subtle and intellectual while American comedy is more in your face and punchline driven. Many Americans enjoy British comedy to appreciate the difference in style.

As mentioned above, the channel I was referring to (Taffe316) can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEwuCz-ZuyROVL2Lj3EUVXQ

How JOHN WESLEY SHIPP’S FLASH PAVED THE WAY FOR GRANT GUSTIN

When CBS’ The Flash premiered in 1990, it starred Emmy-winning daytime soap star John Wesley Shipp in the title role of Barry Allen – the superhero known as The Flash, the fastest man alive.

Unfortunately, it was an expensive series to produce and was ultimately cancelled after one season.

In 2014, twenty-four years later, another series known as The Flash began on the CW. The brainchild of future mega-producer Greg Berlanti, this iteration features former Glee actor Grant Gustin in the lead role.

Fun Fact: Grant Gustin was born in 1990, the same year that the original Flash premiered.

Fun Fact #2: Shipp and Gustin were born in the same month (January) and the same city (Norfolk, Virginia)

Although the two shows are on different networks and aired at different times, they are very connected to one another.

At the time that Shipp’s series began in 1990, he was the first actor to play The Flash in live-action as a serious acting role. The show was a precursor in a way to the multitude of comic book based entertainment we have today – straight drama, with the backdrop of superheroics. Before, people thought of a superhero show as a comedy, light stories to not be taken seriously.

Despite the many films and shows made about superheroes, Shipp remained the only live-action Flash for twenty-four years, until Gustin’s show on The CW came along.

Although Gustin is Shipp’s spiritual successor in taking on the role of Barry Allen/The Flash, there are also links in a much less subtle sense. The Arrowverse, as the grouping of CW superhero shows are known, loves to pay homage to what came before.

For the first couple seasons of The Flash, Shipp played Henry Allen, Barry’s father. Of course, fans wanted there to be a passing of the torch from Shipp to Gustin, which they got in the form of an emotional father-son talk.

With the introduction of the multiverse, Earth-3 speedster Jay Garrick and an older 90’s Flash, both played by Shipp, have also come into the fray to mentor Gustin’s Barry Allen.

What would a cherub adaptation look like?

In 2018, fourteen years after The Recruit was published, it was announced that Sony would be developing a television series based on Robert Muchamore’s CHERUB novels.

Although beloved books, there are some obvious questions that need to and will be addressed, by yours truly. Information that fans of the books would probably want to know.

After all, book to screen informations do not always go as planned (i.e. Cirque du Freak) and considering CHERUB’s unique and ambitious premise, the hope should be to not derail it too much

1 – When Is It set?

Like I said, The Recruit was published in 2004 and the plot is set around the same time, 2003-2004. Muchamore chose to set his novels in the present day, from when he started writing.

That poses the question – will the TV series set in 2004 or moved forward in time to whenever the year of release is? After all, the world has evolved significantly over the past fifteen years. Surely, some espionage techniques would be different now compared to then, just going off the technology we have available.

Especially since CHERUB’s operatives are children, they would most likely use phones and the Internet. Whereas James and his friends relied on face to face interactions to connect with their targets, one could argue that it could be done over the phone. In fact, a kid wouldn’t have to be involved.

Have an older agent pose as a child then when the inevitable meet-up happens, send a briefed child agent in their place. It’s a lot less exciting than the books, as you can tell.

2 – What characters will appear?

Look to any major adaptation and you will find that some characters have been cut to save time.

Harry Potter is an example – Peeves the Poltergeist and some students that Harry was friendly with never appeared in the films.

CHERUB has such a large (no pun intended) cast of characters and the likelihood is that some will be merged in the adaptation? The question remains – who will appear?

Obviously, as the protagonist, James Adams will be involved. As will his sister Lauren, best friend Kyle and love interest Kerry. Those are a given. Bruce Norris, another friend of James’ and Lauren’s friend Bethany are also likely.

The adults, with their own distinct roles – Zara, Ewart, Meryl, Mac and Mr. Large, should also be in the clear.

Many of the other characters, who have varying roles of importance in the story, may be put together. Someone like Mo, for example, who only appears briefly, may not make the cut. Even Mr. Large’s cohorts, such as Mr. Speaks, may be omitted.

3 – How gritty will it be?

For a series aimed at children, CHERUB had quite mature content. After all, Muchamore was not writing a fairy tale. He was showing the criminal activities of dangerous people which is quite a serious topic.

In the novels, there were depictions of violence, sex and children put into life threatening situations.

From interviews, I discovered that Muchamore used what he referred to as the ‘EastEnders’ test – anything in his books could also appear in EastEnders, a BBC soap opera.

Whatever happens, I am looking forward to see CHERUB on the screen. To finally see James Adams as a living, breathing boy and locations such as CHERUB Campus fully realised will surely be a beautiful sight.

DAVID MAZOUZ & SEAN PERTWEE : BRUCE & ALFRED ANALYSIS

Throughout Batman lore, there is always one consistent presence by Bruce Wayne’s side — his loyal butler, Alfred Pennyworth.

From the many adaptations of the Batman character, there have been countless pairs of actors who have taken on the roles and made the partnership their own. From Bale and Caine, to West and Napier in the 1960s.

In the recent FOX television series Gotham (2014-2019), we see a different take on this universally known relationship. Here, the characters are played by David Mazouz and Sean Pertwee.

Fun Fact: Prior to Gotham, David Mazouz was best known for playing Jake Bohm, the silent, autistic son of Kiefer Sutherland’s character Martin, on FOX’s Touch (2012-2013).

Fun Fact #2: Sean Pertwee is the son of Jon Pertwee, the third actor to play Doctor Who.

For starters, we see a younger depiction of the Bruce-Alfred dynamic. Typically, we would see Thomas and Martha Wayne’s murder, then jump a few years to the point where Bruce is ready to become Batman.

Gotham, on the other hand, is an origin story. We stay with young Bruce and explore his feelings and personality in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy.

We see a different side of Alfred, too. Michael Caine’s recent turn is an example. Usually, he is a kind, wise, elderly butler who offers Bruce some wisdom and guidance but does not get involved in the action due to his age. A very grandfatherly kind of role.

Pertwee’s Alfred is not only younger, but tougher, given a background in the SAS, an elite branch of the British military. He acts more like a combination of protector and guardian than the Alfred we are used to seeing.

This version of Alfred also has more of an edge and an opinion, challenging Bruce on occasion while still being courteous and respectful as the butler.

It is clear to see from interviews and social media that Mazouz and Pertwee get along tremendously in real life. This translates into the characters’ close bond. Yes, I am aware that actors are literally paid to pretend, but that kind of sincerity and realism always helps.

Gotham also allowed Bruce and Alfred have an actual arc to get to the iterations we are more familiar with in popular culture. This is much more rewarding than simply jumping in time in a matter of seconds.

Overall, as you can probably tell, I really enjoyed this depiction of Bruce and Alfred.

I am not a comic book purist, so I did not mind that there were differences to the characters. Other adaptations of comic book properties have been blasted by irate fans even before the premiere because of announced changes to the source material.

Luckily, a lot of other people seemed to like this too.

PHINEAS AND FERB – BRAINS TO SCREEN – STORY OF A GREAT CARTOON

Phineas and Ferb is one of the most successful cartoons in recent memory. Airing on Disney between 2007 and 2015, it amassed numerous accolades and won support of fans, kids and adults, celebrities and civilians, alike.

On August 17, Phineas and Ferb celebrated the 12th anniversary of its airing. Having been a fan since the very beginning, I thought I would mark the occasion in my own way by sharing the incredible story I learned about how the show ended up on TV.

For a show that is so beloved now, did you know it took almost 2 decades to get on screen? Co-creators Dan Povenmire and Jeff ‘Swampy’ Marsh had worked together on other shows – The Simpsons and Rocko’s Modern Life being an example and decided to create their own show to keep working together. Their initial idea: a doodle that Povenmire drew at a restaurant, which evolved into Phineas.

Sounds easy, right? Wrong. As anyone who’s seen the show would know, it is quite complicated with a lot of different elements – musical numbers, extravagant inventions which people would have to draw and three separate storylines.

Although all the big networks passed on the show, Povenmire and Marsh never gave up on the show and pitched it every once in a while.

Professional opportunities took Marsh over to England, which is where he was when Povenmire called with the news that they were finally going to be working on Phineas and Ferb, on Disney Channel.

They filled their world with a collection of familiar voices – Richard O’Brien, Caroline Rhea, Ashley Tisdale, Dee Bradley Baker, Kelly Hu, Alyson Stoner, Maulik Pancholy and Olivia Olson.

Cast in the title roles was Everybody Hates Chris star Vincent Martella, better known as Phineas, while Love Actually’s Thomas Brodie-Sangster played Ferb.

Povenmire and Marsh, of course, had their own roles to play in the show.

Povenmire played Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz, inept evil scientist and nemesis of Agent P, or the “semi aquatic egg laying mammal of action.”

Marsh played Major Francis Monogram, head of OWCA, boss of Carl and Perry the Platypus.

Once again, a very happy Anniversary to Phineas and Ferb! Of course, the adventure is not over yet, with an upcoming movie (Candace Against the Universe) due to premiere on Disney +.

ERIC WALLACE – WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE FLASH’S NEW SHOWRUNNER?

It was announced in March 2019 that Eric Wallace would succeed Todd Helbing as Showrunner/Executive Producer of CW’s The Flash.

To many casual viewers or those who have no interest in writing, the name may mean nothing to you. In order to remedy this, I will provide some insight into Wallace’s career to justify his appointment to such an important role.

Wallace worked on the hit series Teen Wolf, so he has experience in writing TV drama. Unlike his predecessors on The Flash, however, Wallace combines this with a background in comic books.

Not only is he a fan, describing himself as a comic book nerd at San Diego Comic Con but he has also written comic books in the past, most notably Mr Terrific, who Arrow fans would recognise as Curtis Holt. Wallace wrote about a different iteration under the mantle.

Considering The Flash is heading towards Crisis on Infinite Earths, one of the most famous comic book events in history, having someone who knows their history in charge is an invaluable move.

Wallace also plans to use his comic book knowledge in mapping out the season. Having taken note of the persistent fan complaint of one villain over 22 episodes becoming boring, season 6 will instead consist of two halves or graphic novels, as he referred to them.

Heroes actor Sendhil Ramamurthy will play Bloodwork, the villain for the first “graphic novel” while Wallace has not yet revealed which character he has chosen to be the post-Crisis Big Bad. Popular choices include Red Death, Godspeed, Cobalt Blue and the ever-looming Reverse Flash.

With all this in mind, I am feeling very optimistic about season 6. We appear to be in safe hands with someone who is passionate and knowledgeable about what they are doing and this is the best we can hope for.

Who Should Return For Crisis on Infinite Earths?

CW’s Arrowverse will launch its sixth annual crossover — Crisis on Infinite Earths in winter of this year.

The biggest spectacle that the franchise has attempted thus far, it will feature guest appearances from classic DC names such as Burt Ward and Kevin Conroy.

Those big names got me thinking. “Who from the Arrowverse itself should return from this crossover?” After all, in a genre like this, a character is never really dead and gone, so we could potentially be seeing comebacks that have been years in the making.

As the title of the crossover implies, it is about infinite Earths. Basically, someone could return but play an alternate universe dimension of their deceased character. To avoid that confusion, I will simply name the actors who should return. It will also mention who they played, in case any faces are unfamiliar as well as the show they originated on. There are 5 shows in the crossover, only one has not premiered yet, so there’s bound to be one or more that people have never watched.

Note: I am not expecting every person on this list to come back. Who knows, maybe only one person I mention here actually will. This is just a list of people whom I’d like to come back.

This list will also likely be mostly Flash oriented, since that is the show I watch primarily in the Arrowverse.

RICK COSNETT – THE FLASH

Rick Cosnett played Eddie Thawne, a main character during The Flash‘s first season. The detective partner of Joe West, romantic partner of Iris West and somewhat of a friend to Barry, he died in the finale of that season.

Cosnett has already returned in some form – as a past version of Eddie when Barry time travelled and as the Speed Force impersonating Eddie but never as a version of the character from after his death or an alternate version.

Many fans want Cosnett to return as Cobalt Blue, a nemesis of Flash in DC Comics who has… close connections to him, to put it that way. Cobalt Blue’s surname is Thawne and Cosnett resembles the drawing.

I think it would be really cool for him to return in some form, whether it’s as a villain or we see an alternate Iris and Eddie who got married. Who knows?

VICTOR GARBER – LEGENDS OF TOMORROW/THE FLASH

Garber played Martin Stein, a character who featured on both The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow, more prominently on the latter, as one-half of the supervillain Firestorm.

Although Garber left the Arrowverse to focus on theatre work, surely he could be tempted back for a cameo?

FRANZ DRAMEH – LEGENDS OF TOMORROW/THE FLASH

Drameh played Jefferson ‘Jax’ Jackson, one half of Firestorm’s second iteration and a regular on Legends of Tomorrow for the first three seasons.

I really liked all three actors who were involved with Firestorm, so to see the character return in some combination among the three (which also includes Robbie Amell) would be awesome.

Shantel vansanten – the flash

VanSanten played Patty Spivot, a Police Detective and brief girlfriend of Barry’s in season 2. Not expecting her to play a huge role, but a cameo would be nice if the crossover wants to honour the episodes that built up to this point.

jessica camacho – the flash

Camacho played Gypsy, Cisco’s ex-girlfriend who possesses similar powers during seasons 3 and 4.

Considering breaching to other Earths will likely play a huge role, they will need all the help they can get.

Whether she will ever reunite with Cisco remains to be seen, though that particular arc seems to be over for the time being.

TEDDY SEARS – THE FLASH

Sears played Zoom aka Fake Jay Garrick during The Flash‘s sophomore run.

Although that character could now only appear due to time travel, some have speculated online that Sears could appear on an alternate Earth as a version of Jay Garrick that isn’t Hunter Zolomon/Zoom.

PAUL BLACKTHORNE – ARROW

Blackthorne played Quentin Lance on Arrow for seven seasons. Considering his daughter Sara is the lead (pretty much) on Legends, seeing an alternate version of her late father could be a good scene.

jessica parker kennedy – the flash

Kennedy played Nora West-Allen, Barry and Iris’ future daughter during the fourth and fifth seasons of The Flash. Although *spoiler* Nora met her end at the end of season 5, it would be great to see her again in some form as Kennedy was a great asset to the show.

TOM FELTON – THE FLASH

Felton played Julian Albert during season 3, leaving during the gap between that season and its successor with just a brief line of dialogue explaining what happened to Julian.

Felton has voiced an interest in returning on a number of occasions and Julian is due some resolution, so why not make it happen?

MATT LETSCHER – LEGENDS OF TOMORROW/THE FLASH

Although Tom Cavanagh has popularised the character and played him more regularly, Matt Letscher plays Eobard Thawne in his true likeness and does a pretty good job of it.

Crisis would be a perfect time to bring Letscher back as Cavanagh will already be playing two roles – Pariah and the unidentified as of writing Wells in season 6.

EMILY BETT RICKARDS – ARROW

Arrow’s leading lady Emily Bett Rickards, who played Felicity Smoak, left at the end of the seventh season, seemingly for good.

Considering how important Rickards’ character is to the overall scope of the Arrowverse, it would be a shame to not bring her back.

WENTWORTH MILLER – THE FLASH/LEGENDS OF TOMORROW

Wentworth Miller has already played multiple versions of Leonard Snart across the Arrowverse.

Objectively speaking, he is one of the best adversaries/allies of Barry Allen and a well-liked character overall.

VIOLETT BEANE – THE FLASH

Beane played Jesse Wells/Quick, a speedster from Earth 2 as well as daughter of that Earth’s Harrison Wells — Harry. She dated Earth 1 speedster Wally West (Kid Flash) for a time.

Considering her abilities and ties to Team Flash, she’s a logical person to contact in a time of crisis, no pun intended.

Only thing preventing this is Beane’s obligation as a series regular on God Friended Me.

kEIYNAN LONSDALE – THE FLASH/LEGENDS OF TOMORROW

Lonsdale, who played Wally West/Kid Flash, has already been confirmed to return for a multi-episode arc in season 6.

Who knows if that includes Crisis?

MICHELLE HARRISON – THE FLASH

Barry’s late mother has showed up for key events in the past: time travel, when he was trapped in the Speed Force during Season 2. Notably, the Speed Force chose to resemble Nora when Barry willing entered the Speed Force in Season 3.

Naturally, it’s safe to assume that Harrison will turn up, in one way or another.

John wesley shipp – the flash

Out of everyone on this list, John Wesley Shipp is almost a certainty to appear in Crisis.

He has played three separate but very important roles throughout The Flash: Barry’s father Henry, veteran speedster from Earth 3, Jay Garrick and Earth-90 Flash, a reprisal of Shipp’s performance in the 1990-1991 series The Flash.

Considering how other iconic DC stars are making an appearance, it’s safe to say that Shipp will be involved in some shape or form.

LOST – EXPLAINING THE ENDING ONCE AND FOR ALL

Ever since the LOST finale aired in 2010, receptive for this episode has been very divisive mainly because people find it confusing or that it under delivered in concluding the show. There has also been criticism for the ‘flash-sideways’ storytelling and not enough answers were given in relation to some of the big unanswered questions.

Some believe that the finale confirmed a long-running fan theory that existed since the first season – no one survived the plane crash and the experiences on the Island were a form of purgatory. Basically, a ‘they were dead the whole time’ scenario.

I’ll be honest — my LOST experience began in 2014, a full decade after it initially began. Even though I finished the series within a few months, I have been sitting on this ending for four years less than other fans.

There is one scene in particular during the finale that people are either forgetting or disregarding. It features the character of Christian (John Terry), with his son, main character Jack (Matthew Fox). One word to describe this scene is ‘exposition’. The writers literally used Christian to confirm a lot of the questions from when season 6 began. I was paying attention, so I do not feel cheated there.

To recap. All the events that took place on the Island, spanning the first six seasons, were all real, at least, in the fictional context of the show. Real people, real events, real life.

The only ‘fake’ part of the story was the ‘Flash sideways’ or alternate dimension if you’re not familiar with the term. That is indeed set in the Afterlife, years after all the characters have passed away. They find each other, remember their lives and move on to whatever’s next.

Some confusion lies with the physical appearance of the characters in the church. We know that some — Kate, Hurley, Sawyer, Claire and Ben, referring to those in and around the church, survived the events of the series. Presuamably they lived out their lives, aged and looked nothing like they did decades earlier.

Well, yeah. But as Christian said to Jack, these people’s experiences on the Island was the most significant part of their lives. So, I guess they revert to how they looked back then. Including Aaron, who was an infant throughout his whole stay.

From a real-life perspective, can you imagine how clunky the story would have become to age up Evangeline Lilly, Jorge Garcia and the others as well as try to explain it in the plot for the viewers’ benefit? Would have been extremely difficult and chaotic.

There were also some notable absences in the final scene. Of the 19 characters present in the church, 15 were affiliated with Flight 815 in some way, including Christian who was a corpse and Aaron whom Claire had not yet given birth to. The exceptions are Desmond, Penny and Juliet, who were either close associates of the group or the significant other (in Penny’s case).

Michael’s spirit was trapped on the Island. Walt’s absence could imply he replaced Hurley and had not yet died.

Ana Lucia already appeared in the previous episode and did not have her memories back, so she was not ready to move on. Mr Eko’s actor did not reach an agreement on pay.

Faraday, Miles, Charlotte and Lapidus were late additions and not as connected to the 815 passengers.

Unlike many, many other people, I quite enjoyed the finale. I thought the ending message and the idea of reuniting with loved ones in the Afterlife was beautiful.

Personally, I did not feel cheated when it came to having questions answered, though like I said, I saw LOST in a condensed format compared to those who watched it live between 2004 and 2010.

Finales have a difficult task – not only do they have to wrap up the series in a satisfying way creatively, it also aims to please the fans somewhat. The Game of Thrones finale is somewhat similar to LOST in how it was received — coincidentally, I binged and enjoyed that whole series too.

It is impossible to make everyone happy. I feel like LOST really tried. Even if the writing was questionable at times, it remained a show of high quality and deserving of its praise and accolades.

I enjoyed the finale, understood it to some degree… hopefully now you can, too.

CHARACTER APPRECIATION – HURLEY (LOST)

Hugo Reyes, better known as Hurley, was a main character on all six seasons of the ABC drama LOST (2004-2010). He was portrayed by actor/comedian Jorge Garcia.

Hurley is one of the most identifiable and recognised characters from the show. Before I had ever even watched LOST (I started after the show had ended), I was aware of who he was. Interestingly, despite becoming so crucial, he was not even part of the original plans, being created specifically for Garcia after he impressed the producers.

Of all the castaways on the island, I would say that Hurley is the purest. He has been a good friend and ally to the other characters, namely Jack, Charlie and Ben as well as many others. His brief relationship with Libby was also nice to see before its tragic conclusion.

Since he is one of five characters (along with Jack, Kate, Sawyer and Locke) to appear in over 100 episodes, we see quite a lot of Hurley throughout the series. His survival is likely due to his popularity with the fans — Nikki and Paulo did not even last a whole season before being killed off.

For me, Hurley’s unexpected friendship with Ben was one of the highlights of the show. Although it was not obvious when looking at them, they had a lot of similarities. Both had played second fiddle to a leader for some time – Jack for Hurley and Jacob in Ben’s case though were capable of so much more than just being a sidekick.

I imagine Hurley would be a fairer leader to Ben than Jacob was. This is supported by their exchange outside the church in the finale.

Overall, Hurley was a lovable character who served as comic relief for much of his time on the show. On the occasions when he had to be more serious, Garcia knocked it out of the park.

Comparing the Pilot to the final episode, he has much more layers than what meets the eye.

Does LOST translate into 2019?

Although ABC’s Lost began in 2004 and concluded almost a decade ago, it remains a show that people are interested in. Some, like me, have rewatched the series on multiple occasions to relive the experience.

The Lost Boys Podcast, hosted by Jacob Stolworthy and Jack Shepherd, explore this concept. Stolworthy is watching LOST for the 8th time, Shepherd for the 1st. It’s a great podcast if you want to check it out.

One reason that LOST is still so watchable is that it takes places on an island, away from civilisation. For the most part, there are very few identifying references to place it in a specific time. After all, if you don’t have access to Internet or phones, why bring them up?

There are still numerous fan pages for both the actors and the show. In recent Comic Con panels for Ant-Man, Evangeline Lilly (Kate) is still regularly asked about the show.

Other shows that began around in the same time, set in 2004, would not have had the same effect. Lack of social media and relatively archaic phones and devices compared to now would be immediately obvious.

Furthermore, people who were relevant then might be either dead or out of the spotlight. Someone who was born in 2004 watching a show that was made at that time might not fully understand.

Some stories are so brilliant that they can be told at any time. There are still adaptations being made of work by Dickens, Conan Doyle and even Stephen King has had multiple screen versions of some of his novels. People of all ages have heard of characters such as Oliver Twist, Sherlock Holmes or Carrie.

LOST had great writing. Sometimes it went off-track, but when you consider the names that were involved and their successes in the industry — JJ Abrams, Damon Lindelof, Carlton Cuse as well as Once Upon a Time creators Adam Horowitz and Eddy Kitsis, who were staff writers on LOST.

If a show has a strong premise, interesting characters, compelling plot and a unique location like LOST did, then there is no wonder it remains successful, 15 years later.

EVOLUTION (OR DEVOLUTION) OF BOY MEETS WORLD’S ERIC MATTHEWS

Boy Meets World aired on ABC from 1993 to 2000. You likely remember the epic love story between lead character Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) and his girlfriend turned wife Topanga (Danielle Fishel) or maybe even Cory’s friendship with bad boy Shawn Hunter (Rider Strong).

Another character you may remember is one Eric Matthews (no, not the Detective from ‘Saw’), Cory’s older brother. Here he is if you need a reminder.

Eric during the later seasons was a zany, airheaded and extremely unintelligent individual often acting as a comedic counterpoint to Cory, Mr. Feeny (William Daniels) or Jack Hunter (Matthew Lawrence). As Will Friedle (Eric’s actor) said himself, the character basically became a human cartoon.

What you might have forgotten was during the earlier seasons, Eric looked this:

Eric was the cool, suave, charming older brother who had a new, hot girl on his arm in seemingly every episode. This version of the character could not be further apart from Plays With Squirrels. So, what changed?

The real life answer is that initially, Eric filled a specific role in Boy Meets World. Since it was meant to show Cory as a struggling middle child, Eric had to be characterised in a certain way to justify this. For example, he takes a girl to a baseball game instead of his younger brother during the first episode.

Later, when the writers had more knowledge about Will Friedle’s acting and how far he was willing to go, they adjusted the character accordingly and thus led to Eric 2.0, the far more memorable version.