Orphan Black Season 3 Review: “Can Great Characters Save An Underwhelming Story?”

Orphan Black Season 3 Review (Spoilers)

Season 3 of Orphan Black had this feeling that it could go off the rails at any given moment. In a season that introduced a number of new moving parts in an already complicated story, ultimately the writers landed on what has been the show’s continual source of strength.  The theme of a makeshift yet united family and the bonds of sestrahood is Orphan Black’s go-to cornerstone. The sestrahood, of course, being the characters played brilliantly by lead actress Tatiana Maslany. Because the sestras were very well established in its first season, even when their current arcs aren’t as satisfying, they firmly ground the show and it’s hard not to remain invested in the fate of these characters.

Game Of Thrones Season 5 Finale: “Breaking Down The Big Shocking Deaths”

Game Of Thrones Season 5 Episode 10: “Mother’s Mercy” Review (Spoilers)

It’s been said before that no one is safe on Game Of Thrones. Season 5 finale entitled “Mother’s Mercy” lived up to that adage. In what is arguably one of the most shocking deaths to date, we say farewell to another major character that’s been on the show from the very beginning.

Game Of Thrones: The Best Underrated Characters

When we think of the most important characters on Game Of Thrones there are several who immediately come to mind.  There are also many supporting characters who we can’t get enough of because they may not appear in several episodes in a row. Some are scene stealers. Some get the most quotable dialogue. And some are bad-asses.

Here are several of those characters we would love to see get more screen time or simply deserve some appreciation. Don’t worry if you haven’t caught up with the latest episodes, these are minimal spoiler descriptions.

Game Of Thrones Season 5 Episode 9: “The Dance of Dragons” Review

Game Of Thrones Season 5 Episode 9: “The Dance Of Dragons” Review (Spoilers)

Going by previous seasons, Game Of Thrones has conditioned viewers to expect the unexpected in its penultimate episode. High expectations can be bit of a double-edged sword. It adds to the intensity knowing a regular character could get killed off and in anticipating a season defining moment. On the other hand, setting the bar high could result in a let down if that game changing event doesn’t land as hoped. The good news is that on its own merits, “The Dance Of Dragons” is a solid episode. It just happens to be in the shadows of “Hardhome”, one of Game Of Thrones’ best episodes to date. A better way to think about these two episodes is that they’re not in competition with one another, rather it’s a great one – two punch to the final stretch of Season 5.

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013) Movie Review

This post is part of MovieRob’s Genre Grandeur – Sci-fi/Fantasy Animated Movies (non Disney/Pixar). For all the great reviews in this feature, head on over to the wonderful MovieRob.

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013)
Director: Isao Takahata
English Voice Cast: Chloë Grace Moretz, James Caan, Mary Steenburgen, Darren Criss

Director Isao Takahata may not be as well known outside of Japan as his fellow Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki but he’s a masterful filmmaker in is his own right. Takahata’s first movie in 14 years is a wonderful animated fantasy drama that pulls on the heart strings.

The story is based on the oldest Japanese folklore The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. In the beginning, an old man sees a glowing bamboo shoot in a forest. Now the bamboo is not empty or barren. The bamboo blossoms like a lotus flower revealing a tiny baby princess inside. The old man takes the princess back to his home and together with his wife raise the baby as if she were their own.

Game Of Thrones Season 5 Episode 8 “Hardhome” Review

A common sentiment is this season hasn’t had that wow factor. That moment or event were all fans are raving about around the water cooler. Sure, there was a highlight scene with Tyrion and Jorah versus the stonemen in Valyria. While the consequences of that scene is still reverberating on a personal level as Jorah comes to terms with grayscale disease, it’s implications won’t ripple into other storylines.

Then there was Sansa’s wedding night which garnered lots of heated discussion but was divisive of the fan base rather than something everyone could get behind. This all changed in a big way in Hardhome. As good as all the other scenes are, the epic battle against the undead army stole the episode and ramps up this season’s momentum several notches.