Time For An Update

Hi readers! I've been long overdue for a new post, but I didn't abandon you out of laziness. On the contrary, I've been super busy this past month!

Exciting news first: I've been published in The Mary Sue! This has been a years-long dream for me. The Mary Sue is a wonderful site that covers diversity and feminism in the media, and the thoughtful articles and commenters have really shaped the way I think about these complex issues. You can read my piece on Asian American casting in Hollywood here: http://www.themarysue.com/asians-are-interchangeable-casting/

I've also had a personal essay published by HelloGiggles, which is a huge step writing career-wise. My essay on revisiting childhood homes also means a lot to me, and hopefully resonates with people out there. You can read it here: http://hellogiggles.com/revisited-childhood-home/

Besides that, I've been busy reviewing The Expanse and Daredevil over at PopMatters, as well as a few shows like The Magicians at TV Fanatic. I also regularly contribute pieces for Tell-Tale TV. So check it out!

And in general, you can click on the "My Writing" tab above to find a current list of all my published articles.

Thanks for following, and expect more content shortly!

10 Things Rory Gilmore Taught Us About Life

All this talk about the new Gilmore Girls revival on Netflix is getting me thinking about the beloved drama yet again. Head over to Tell-Tale TV to read about my thoughts on Rory Gilmore's life lessons, both good and bad.

10 Things Rory Gilmore Taught Us About Life

The X-Files: Best and Worst of Season Three

It's time to review Season Three of the X-Files, often cited as the strongest season in the series!

The X-Files: Best and Worst of Season Two

We're looking back at the sophomore season of The X-Files!

The X-Files: Best and Worst of Season One

I am an X-Files newbie. Growing up, I would occasionally catch glimpses of episodes here and there on our microwave-sized television set, but I've never sat and watched an episode from start to finish, and have certainly never been attuned to its cultish fan base. Indeed, many believe that The X-Files was one of the first television shows to spawn an internet following, creating much of the common tv lingo we use today (i.e. "UST," "shipping"). When news of the impending X-Files revival broke, I decided it was finally time to watch the classic sci-fi series from beginning to end.

Review: Jessica Jones - Season One

Let's finally wrap up the first season of Jessica Jones!

List: Buffy Season Finales

I think enough time has passed since my Buffy obsession phase to take an objective look back at the best and worst of Buffy -- particularly the all-important season finales, where story lines supposedly get wrapped up amidst epic action sequences, major romantic shake-ups, and surprising character deaths.

Liveblog: Jessica Jones - 1.07 "Top Shelf Perverts"

I'm liveblogging the seventh episode of Jessica Jones because I'm too lazy to do a full review and it's my blog so I can do what I want (but I'm totally capable of writing full-length reviews daily, potential employers, honest!). Anyway, shit gets crazy in episode seven of Jessica Jones!

Review: Jessica Jones - 1.06 "You're A Winner!"

In which Luke Cage takes up too much screentime and says things like, "You let me be inside you!"

Is Luke capable of making a facial expression that isn't stoic? 

Review: Jessica Jones - 1.05 "The Sandwich Saved Me"

The show takes us back to Jessica's origin story while finally moving the plot forward in the hunt for Kilgrave.

Review: Jessica Jones - 1.04 "AKA 99 Friends"

I've been trying to think of a theme that ties this episode together. I want to say "paranoia," but I've already used that for last episode. So I'm just going to go with, "Boring."

Review: Jessica Jones - 1.03 "AKA It's Called Whiskey"

This is a story of watching and being watched. From Jessica's "I see you, asshole," to Kilgrave's "See you later," an elaborate cat and mouse game is unfolding, where anyone could be a player.

Review: Jessica Jones - 1.02 "AKA Crush Syndrome"

"It's better. Being alone. It's safer." The second episode revolves around the isolation and loneliness Jessica Jones has surrounded herself with. She's protecting other people. She's also protecting herself. But the premise of being alone is called into question as people are continually being thrust into her life as she begins her search for Kilgrave.

Review: Jessica Jones - 1.01 "AKA Ladies Night"

Who is Jessica Jones? The pilot episode of Marvel's newest neo-noir superhero venture deftly asks this question in a story that is both twisted and compelling, leading you through the dark, labyrinthine streets of New York City, where sordid affairs appear around every corner, and the nightmares of your past haunt you in your waking hours.

Most Moving Moments: Everwood, 1.02 "The Great Doctor Brown"

Quick Recap:

Andy and Ephram are still trying to figure out how their lives will function without Julia. It's hard for Andy to not revert back to his old ways of putting his patients before his family, skipping dinner on his children in order to take care of the Dudleys, a family living in unfortunate circumstances. Ephram takes Andy to task, knowing how unfair it is to Delia that she will have to grow up without a mother. Both of them realize that they are all Delia has now.

Amy continues to befriend Ephram; however, Bright warns Ephram that she won't give him the time of day as soon as Andy helps Colin recover from his coma. Confirming his fears, when he lies to Amy and says that Andy won't help Colin, Amy gives him the brush off. Ephram feels like a giant douche for lying to Amy and squashing her hopes of helping someone she cares about, as he should.

We also get a glimpse into Harold and Edna's frosty relationship. Harold himself is a product of grief, holding a grudge against his mother for remarrying so quickly after his father died. He admires and loves his father so much that he wants to be just like him -- a beloved town doctor. Unfortunately, warm and friendly is not in Harold's nature, and he's got to reconcile his love for his father with his acceptance of who he can and cannot be.

List: Things That Worry Me About the Gilmore Girls Revival

When I first heard that Amy Sherman-Palladino was reviving Gilmore Girls for four, 90-minute episodes on Netflix, I'm pretty sure I squeed at the top my lungs along with the rest of America. But as someone who believed that Gilmore Girls wrapped up rather neatly at the end of season seven, I gradually started to fill with dread at the thought of new story lines that could unravel everything I enjoyed about the show. Here are some of those things I worry about.

Review: Veronica Mars - 1.03 "Meet John Smith"

This episode explores the lies we tell ourselves and others in order to survive -- the delusions that can protect us from truths we may not be ready to face, but can also lead to our downfall, if we're not ready to fully commit to them.

Review: Tig

I'm generally not a huge fan of stand-up comedians. Their shtick is usually stale: sexist jokes about dating, lazy jokes about stereotypes, and the obligatory jokes about what city they're currently in. Maybe that's why I find myself becoming more and more enamored with Tig Notaro: she's not a typical stand-up comedian. After listening to her legendary show at the Largo and watching the documentary, "Tig," on Netflix, I fully believe she has earned her rise to comedy fame in these past few years.

Most Moving Moments: Everwood, 1.01 "Pilot"

I've been thinking a lot about how to write about Everwood. I've tried liveblogging, I've tried recapping, but none of those formats were really able to capture what it was that I wanted to convey about this show -- how I felt while watching it, and how I wanted readers to feel when reading about it. I concluded that this was the best way to accomplish that.

When you get down to it, the main reason I love this show so much is for its realism in emotional drama, often stemming from the basic tragedies of life. So many of the characters' conversations have mirrored my own in my life, and while there are some plot lines that may seem a little unlikely, the reactions and growth of the characters are always organic. Everwood is really a show about death, and how people in all walks of life deal with that simple truth of mortality. Some find in themselves a spirit of resilience; others, just brokenness. Death is what really motivates us all in the way we choose to live, affecting our relationships with everyone around us. And with just a hint of snowy magic, the sleepy mountain town of Everwood, Colorado leaves us with a sense of hope, and an understanding that, too often, tragedy and joy go hand in hand.

After my own mother passed away, this show became all too relevant, and watching grief being handled with such pathos and elegance on this show was, for me, a cathartic experience.

Liveblog: Veronica Mars - 1x02, "Credit Where Credit's Due"

Welcome to episode two, or as it's more widely referred to, "That's the one with Paris Hilton, right?" Rough times.