The temperature has plummeted (to shockingly low depths here in Chicago, starting my annual ritual of wondering why I continue to subject myself to this weather), the holidays and 2020 are just around the corner, which means it’s time for that time-honored annual tradition: The Critic Best of List. 2019 was an interesting year for […]
Author: Jean Henegan
The Mandalorian – Chapter 5-7 Review
So, I’ve avoided reviewing The Mandalorian these last few weeks because, frankly, I didn’t have all that much to say about the show. It had fallen into a predictable pattern: Mando and Baby Yoda reach a new planet, they run into a friend/foe, Mando defeats the foe, they make a new friend, they leave the […]
Watchmen – See How They Fly Review
My favorite type of ending is one that refuses to tie everything up in a little bow. It’s Buffy looking out over the crater of Sunnydale, offering a small smile, while refusing to answer any of the myriad of questions being thrown her way. It’s not knowing just what fate will befall Paige Jennings as […]
His Dark Materials – The Daemon-Cages Review (A Newbie’s Perspective)
I have a confession to make: I broke down and asked Twitter to explain just what was happening with His Dark Materials. Not everything, mind you. I get the basic machinations of the plot (Magisterium bad, Asriel flighty, polar bears awesome, daemons = the soul of the person, people can travel between universes, Lyra is […]
The Expanse Season Four (Spoiler-Free) Review
Despite being in the era of Peak TV, where there is more than enough television to sate anyone’s particular appetites, there is one area where supply is not meeting demand: Science Fiction. Considering how the past decade has made more “nerdy” interests mainstream (see the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Star Wars films), that same […]
Watchmen – A God Walks into Abar Review
We’ve had a lot of time travel stories over the past few years, and almost all of them fall apart at some point in the narrative. But “A God Walking into Abar” might be the first that actually holds up all the way through while also giving us its own take on the grandfather paradox.* […]
The Top 10 TV Shows of the Decade
With the 2010s coming to a close, it’s my duty as a TV critic to create a Top 10 List of the best TV shows of the decade. Seriously. Check all the other entertainment sites. We’re all doing it. (And, if I’m honest, we’re all putting a lot of the same shows on our lists […]
His Dark Materials – The Lost Boy Review (A Newbie’s Perspective)
So just when I start to think I’ve got a grasp on the story, it goes off and introduces a new character that is apparently crucial to the story and the mirror to Lyra (who is clearly the special child of the magical realm). I don’t know if the books introduce Will to the story […]
Watchmen – An Almost Religious Awe Review
I have to admit, so much happened in “An Almost Religious Awe” that I don’t really know where to jump into this review. I suppose the best jumping-off point would be with the continuing deepening of what we know about our protagonist, Angela Abar – especially since she seems to be the link to the […]
The Mandalorian – Chapter 4: Sanctuary Review
Ok, I think it’s safe to say that the blueprint for The Mandalorian is to create interesting episodic adventures (wherein we spend time with characters far more interesting that Mando) as we slowly move toward some sort of conclusion regarding the galactic search for Baby Yoda. While I tend to prefer my television with an […]