Casting JonBenet

Netflix announced a new original series to arrive on its platform this April, "Casting JonBenet." Since the release of the trailer, I've watched it about 700 times. I'm a big conspiracy nut, so let's just say I'm excited about this.

If you're unfamiliar with the murder of 6 year old pageant queen JonBenet Ramsey, let me give you the summary. On the day after Christmas in 1996, JonBenet was found murdered in her home in Boulder, Colorado. A ransom note was found in the house, eight hours after she was reported missing. The case was being followed nationwide and gathered a lot of media attention. To this day, no one knows who actually killed JonBenet. There are hundreds of different theories about the case. Most point the finger at either Patsy (who is now dead as well) or John Ramsey, her parents. Some even look to JonBenet's brother, Burke, who was 9 years old at the time, and firmly believe he killed his sister. And then there are the people who think someone else may have killed her. The case itself is really unique and fascinating, if you're interested I suggest you dive into the rabbit hole that is this case.

But anyway back to the series. The trailer depicts the series of being a documentary/reenactment. But if no one knows who killed JonBenet, how can they do a reenactment, you ask. Well here's the interesting part. The series is a reenactment of what people in JonBenet's hometown believe to have happened. There are multiple scenarios and so many theories and they're going to reenact a bunch of them. I don't think you understand how excited this makes me. I've always been fascinated by this case and I want to learn what people who experienced this case know. It's eye-opening if you ask me. To see what the people in this town have gone through, to see their own individual perspectives of the story. It's just so cool!

I personally think Burke killed his sister and his parents covered it up for him. I know that sounds a little dark, but the ransom note written was found to be Patsy Ramsey’s handwriting. Not to mention it was on her stationary. But it could’ve been any of them. Why didn’t they check the basement before they reported her missing? Why in Burke’s interview with Dr. Phil was he smiling when talking about the death of his sister?

We may never know the true culprit behind the death of JonBenet, but maybe this series will give us some insight and get us a little closer. I'll link the trailer below. Check out this series on April 28th!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KMEOaMCJss

Bo Burnham and his Comedy Shows

Netflix has a bunch of comedy shows on its platform, but in my opinion, the only ones actually worth watching are "Make Happy" and "what" featuring the one and only Bo Burnham. I discovered Bo over the summer and have been obsessed ever since. I can practically recite his one hour comedy shows word for word, joke by joke, which I know sounds insane, but he really is THAT amazing. I'll start the show laughing and end the show crying, it's really odd. In this blog I'm going to count down my top 10 favorite moments from Bo Burnham's show "what." I might include some of my favorites from other shows at the end though, because how could I not?

My Top Ten Favorite Moments From "what"

#10- "Andy the Frog"- Just a fabulous representation of Bo Burnham's storytelling skills. Classic Roger.

#9- "From God's Perspective"- A great song that's funny but also tells the truth about our society. You don't know whether to laugh or cry. One minute it's "I created the universe do you think I draw the line at the deli aisle" and then the next it's "Maybe God just doesn't believe in you."

#8- "#deep"- Another song where you expect one thing and get something totally different out of it. A hilarious song that I'm sure everyone can relate to.

#7- "My Dad Says I'm Too Flamboyant on Stage"- You just got to see this bit to understand why I love it so much *throws confetti in the air*

#6- "He Meant To Knock the Water Over"- This little bit is very unexpected, but is totally worth it. He does a great job of exercising the bit and honestly it gets me laughing every time.

#5- "Intro"- This intro is truly like no other. Despite it being "8 minutes if mime jokes" as Bo called it, it's really entertaining and probably the best thing I've ever seen. A masterpiece indeed.

#4- "Sad"- Don't be fooled by the title, this song made me laugh really hard. It just has so many great lyrics it's hard for the song to be actually sad. "A World On Fire" really set the tone for this song, which is just purely ridiculous. "LETS ROCK... no"

#3- "Left Brain, Right Brain"- This is another great song that I can proudly say I can reenact almost perfectly. This song is about how Bo's brain is split between wanting to be fun and silly versus strict and logical. Another introspective song with a great performance by Bo.

#2- "Repeat Stuff"- Thanks to this song I can proudly say I know a quote from T.S. Eliot. This song is a fun little tune that pokes fun at the mainstream music industry and how it continuously panders to young teen girls. Despite it being a silly song, it does have a clear message that gets you thinking. He hits the nail on the head with lyrics like "I love your eyes and their bluish brownish greenish color."

#1- "We Think We Know You"- This ending is just so incredible. I can't explain it. It starts with having 3 characters address Bo about his newfound successes: a college airhead that mooches off his success, a big corporate agent that wants to change Bo, and a guy that criticizes Bo for thinking he's above everyone else. This ending really resonates with me because it's probably the most honest piece in the whole show. Towards the end it just repeats "We think we know you," and as the audience just sits in silence and takes in what he's saying, I think it's really powerful.

My Favorites from other Shows

• "Words, Words, Words"
• "Oh Bo"
• "Rant"
• "Are You Happy"
• "Can't Handle This"
• "Flaming Hot Cheetos"
• "Kill Yourself"
• "I'm Bo Yo" 
• "Rehab Center For Fictional Characters"
• "What's Funny"
• "Art is Dead"
• "Rant"

What we've learned here is that I love Bo Burnham. And you will too. Watch "what" and "Make Happy" on Netflix. If you don't have Netflix "what" as well as other music videos are on YouTube! Check it out!

Exposing My Family's Netflix Habits

By the title of this blog I know what you're thinking. What does Jess think she's doing? Let me explain. Netflix has this thing where if two people are already watching, a third person can't watch what they want. My younger brother, Jake, and my cousin, Sophie, are always watching at the same time so I can't watch my shows... and I've gotten pretty tired of it. When I finally get to watch and Sophie happens to be watching at the same time, Jake runs into my room, closes my laptop and runs away so he can watch. Or he just changes the password. So since I'm tired of their antics, today I'm going to expose what they watch to you guys. And maybe figure out why I can never watch my shows.

So first we're going to start with Jake.

• The first show that comes up in his continue watching is "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt." Which is something I told him to watch. To be honest it is a great show, I'd totally recommend it. I don't know why he likes it, but he's on episode 7 so they must be doing something right. I mean how could you not like Titus?
• Next show is "Black Mirror," which is surprising for me because Jake is the absolute LAST person I thought would be watching "Black Mirror." It's such an introspective and thought provoking show. I wouldn't be surprised if everything just went over his head. Another show I would absolutely recommend to anyone.
• The third show is "Raising Hope" which is something I've heard him talk about, but I've never watched myself. According to my "extensive" research it's basically about a guy raising a kid. He's on the last season, so we'll see what he'll be like when he finishes it. 

Overall: Jake watches some surprising shows. I know he also watches "Grey's Anatomy" but it's interesting because I only expected him to watch "Family Guy" and "The Cleveland Show." The other shows he has here are just a bunch he started, but haven't continued watching. Despite all this, I'm still salty. 

Next is Sophie, let's see what the people of New Jersey watch.

• The first show she has here is "Grey's Anatomy," I guess her and Jake have the same taste in shows. I'm probably the only person on this planet that hasn't watched this show, so sorry I can't provide a lot of commentary. She's on season 8 which is insane. I know this show has a lot of drama. Is she ok? Does she need a hug?
• The next show we have is "Family Guy" which is something I KNOW her dad hates her watching. I guess this show runs in the family (no pun intended) because all three of us watch it and enjoy it. "Family Guy," while ridiculous, is a pretty solid show with plenty of episodes.
• The third show is "Criminal Minds" which is something I've also never watched, but my sources (Allie Nadelman) tell me it's a nice filler show that's a tad unrealistic. Sorry Soph. 
• Here's a bonus show that I just had to add because I want to drag her for this. She's on season FIVE of "The Secret Life of the American Teenager." I've watched a couple episodes of this and it's just an awful show. Really Sophie? I could've been watching "The Office" dude!

Overall: She watches a lot of movies, but doesn't finish them. She clearly likes drama shows, but I'm kind of curious in her show selections. Jake and Sophie generally have the same taste in shows, which means I'm the odd one out, doesn't it? Shoot.

At least now I know what they're watching when they're booting me off of Netflix. They're clearly just as obsessed as I am.

Character Analysis: Lip Gallagher

WARNING: Possible spoilers for the show "Shameless"

I've been recently watching the show "Shameless" (U.S. version) and literally nothing else. The show is amazing, but even the word amazing here seems like an understatement. It's full of drama, which is probably why it's so good. I totally recommend it to anyone and everyone.

As I'm watching the show, there's been one character that's continuously stands out for me. Phillip aka "Lip" Gallagher. In a show many characters and so many stories, one would assume it would be hard to favor just one character over everyone else. I don't know how to explain it but Lip is just... better.

I think the directors of the show just do a great job of developing his character as a whole. His cynicism and stubbornness blend together so well it's hard not to love him. Even when he does stupid things you can still find a soft spot for him. Despite Frank being a horrible and distant father, Lip has developed the ability to care so deeply for the people he loves. You just know he puts his family above everyone else based on his actions. Even though he's the second oldest child in the family, he tends to act more as the parent when it comes to maturity. He knows what's important, unlike Fiona most of the time. But even though he cares so much, I find it so interesting how he can be distant himself at times. His experiences growing up have definitely shaped him to be the person we see on the show. He has this tough exterior, but inside you learn he's just hurt by his father and mother's treatment of him and his family.

We see this especially in the episode "It's Time to Kill the Turtle" (season 1, episode 8) after Debbie and Carl start to really bond with Frank because he was offered $3000 to be sober for two weeks. Everyone, including Fiona, actually starts to like this "New Frank" but time and time again we see Lip just ready for Frank to go back to his old ways just so he could say "I told you so." He tells Debbie and Carl to not get too attached to this Frank because he himself had seen Frank like this before when he was their age. He told the kids what was eventually going to happen and while he ended up being right in the end, it shows that Lip will never get over his distrust and overall hatred of Frank.

Lip also is incredibly book smart and school smart. Everyone at home is looking to him to go to college and get a job so he can support them, but Lip doesn't want that. He has all this pressure put on him and it's interesting how he's so modest with his intelligence. He likes to underestimate himself and brush aside what he can do.

While he was supposed to be finishing his senior year, Lip quit school to support Karen, who was incredibly toxic and not a good person for him to be hanging around. He constantly sells himself short when he has the opportunity to do so much better.

Overall, I just really love Lip and I can't wait to see him grow up as a character as I continue with the show. Watch "Shameless" on Netflix now!

SNL should come back to Netflix

I'm starting a petition right here, right now. "Saturday Night Live" needs to come back to Netflix. I remember coming home everyday in seventh grade, plopping onto my bed, ready to watch the next episode in my binge watching spree. I even memorized everyone's name in the intro. At the time I watched the seasons from the 2010's on the platform, but Netflix at one time had every episode of SNL in existence available to stream for its members. Now, SNL has disappeared off of the face of the earth on the platform.

I think it would be a great opportunity for SNL to expand their audience and get more people to watch episodes that have previously aired on TV. Purchasing the episodes on YouTube isn't really worth it if you can't rewatch it afterwards you know?

I know I personally miss the talents of Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader on the show, and putting it on Netflix would give me as well as other SNL fans a chance to relive their crazy antics on sketches like "The Californians" and "Target Lady." If episodes from the 80's and 90's were put on Netflix, SNL would likely benefit from the amount of people streaming it. A lot of these older episodes aren't on YouTube and only available on disc. How many people nowadays are actually willing to buy something on a disc?

SNL has always been a popular show but has had recent popularity with the bits of their show they post on YouTube. The people not willing to stay up and watch the show when it airs, usually go to YouTube to catch up. Their political sketches have definitely gotten the most popularity, getting millions of views each day. They've even resorted to re uploading episodes to get more views.

But what happens if people want to look for more? They can get bits and pieces of an episode yes, but there's no way to get a full SNL episode without recording it, or if you want older episodes, buying the disc. There has to be another way!

I went to Netflix's chat feature to see what I could do about my predicament. Katy, the employee who assisted me, said that the show was taken off the platform because their licence wasn't renewed. The only way we can get it back is if we all request the show. So help me out and request for SNL to come back to Netflix!

The Magic of Filler Shows

Imagine: You're watching the season finale of your favorite show. When the episode eventually comes to a close, you're likely sitting in your bed, stuffing your face with food, contemplating what you're going to do with your life. We all have a filler show that we watch for the sake of filling the hole another show has left in our hearts.

While these shows may not be our favorites, they're always there to comfort us when we're getting over the end of our favorite show or when we're in that weird transition period when we're looking for a new show to obsess over. I mostly turn to comedies and sitcoms to get me through this rough time. When I finished the second season of "Lovesick," I started watching the new season of "Family Guy." When I was angry at Ted from "How I Met Your Mother," I started watching "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia."

It's a vicious cycle really. I always feel like I need to have a show ready for me to watch. Even if it's not a good one. I guess it's a comfort thing. It's nice to have a Plan B when you're out of shows to watch or are waiting for a show to come back.

But filler shows don't have to be something that you just give up after you find a new show. With the right show, a filler show could easily creep up on you and turn into one of your favorite shows. Sometimes it's the fact that it's so reliable makes the show even better. When I first started watching "Lovesick," I expected it to be a show I'd give up after a couple of episodes. But I eventually found myself watching every episode on Netflix and anxiously waiting for a new season (which should totally happen watch it now!). I guess that's the true power of a filler show. You don't expect much out of them, but they eventually become something that you enjoy watching.

All in all I guess what I'm trying to say is that filler shows are nice because it's not something you feel like you have to commit to when watching, but it's always for you there just in case. Below I've linked the summaries of some filler shows that I personally love. What are your favorite filler shows? Let me know!

Lovesick:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4051832/?ref_=nv_sr_1

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472954/

Blue Mountain State:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1344204/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Bob's Burgers:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1561755/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Chewing Gum:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5097050/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

A Series of Unfortunate Events Review

WARNING: Spoilers ahead for "A Series of Unfortunate Events"

When I heard that Netflix was going to add their own version of "A Series of Unfortunate Events" to their platform I was beyond thrilled. The book series was one of my favorites as a kid and having it come to life made me, as well as other fans very excited. I was truly ready to see what Netflix (with the help of the author Lemony Snicket) had in store for the show.

Neil Patrick Harris's performance as Count Olaf was something I was very hyped for. And he definitely delivered. While his character on the TV show was a lot more one dimensional than the Count Olaf in the book series, his wacky and unique performance made up for it. I also enjoyed Harris's singing of the theme song each episode. I think the theme song gave off the perfect vibe for the show as a whole. His fourth wall breaking was also pretty hilarious.

I can definitely say that the show stayed true to the book's plot line, right down to Mr. Poe's cough. Somehow though, it was able to leave out the character development of Violet, Klaus, and Sunny. While developing other characters like Uncle Monty and Aunt Josephine, the TV show left out the major elements that made the Baudelaire orphans the Baudelaire orphans. Violet, who's characterized in the books as this genius girl who loves to invent, only invents things about two times this season. The rest of the time she basically just holds Sunny. Even the inventions she makes are unrealistic. Like a machine to find a stone at the bottom of the ocean after just throwing it 100 feet away? No way. Klaus's book smarts aren't really addressed as much in the TV series as they are in the book. The Klaus in the TV show seems to only state facts when it's convenient for the plot. You don't really get to see who Klaus really is otherwise. Sunny's biting was unrealistic, but acceptable for me because it was used for comedic effect.

The show really played on the theme that adults are idiots, but made it more blatantly obvious than the book did. Mr. Poe's stupidity was seen as the punchline to every joke. Just as he rescues the kids from Count Olaf aka Captain Sham in "The Wide Window," he turns around for one second and lets both the orphans and Count Olaf get away. In "The Reptile Room" Uncle Monty doesn't realize Stefano was Count Olaf until the end, but even then he doesn't realize Count Olaf's true intentions. I wish this concept wasn't as emphasized in the TV series because even the book version of Mr. Poe would've been able to figure these out.

Overall, I enjoyed the series very much and can't wait for the next season. It has its flaws, but what doesn't? Reliving the deaths of Uncle Monty and Aunt Josephine really got to me because I felt like a kid reading the books all over again. Patrick Warburton was an interesting choice for Lemony Snicket, but I think it definitely worked out well and kept the show interesting. The show is marketed more towards kids obviously, but it's a very great show.

"A Series of Unfortunate Events" is on Netflix now! Go watch it!