Why the True Blood Finale Got it Wrong

Sookie

It’s really over.

By Amanda Festa

My biggest problem with the True Blood finale was not what you may think. Sure, it was a little slow paced and had a tragic lack of Viking abs, but my main problem was this: on a show that lauded differences, pushed the metaphor of “embracing your light” to dramatically literal proportions, and made a central theme of the equal value of all relationships, the ending paid a surprising amount of lip service to the idea that the purpose of life is procreation.

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Confessions of a (New) Battlestar Galactica Fangirl

Battlestar Galactica

By Amanda Festa

Battlestar Galactica was one of those TV shows that somehow slipped through the cracks for me when it originally aired. I don’t know how it happened, but it shouldn’t have. I love sci-fi, almost anything that airs on SyFy, spaceships, chicks who save the world, robots, universe building and anything with strong character development. Not watching was a mistake and gods dammit, it had to be rectified. So, in a little over a month, I watched four seasons of what I can now say with certainty is some of the best television has to offer. Also, if anyone knows where I can get a replica Six dress, please let me know.

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A Lesson in Epic from Veronica Mars

By Amanda Festa

Veronica Mars brings to the table all of the important life lessons: Don’t sacrifice who you are for money, power, or success. And, above all, don’t sacrifice passion for comfort.

Veronica and Logan

Epic.

When Veronica Mars was abruptly cancelled in 2007, fans were not happy. Sure, it was a great show, and it had a ton of untapped potential (Dick Casablancas and Eli Navarro were characters just scraping the surface in the third season). But, fans are more likely to swallow the bitter pill of a prematurely cancelled show if they are at least satisfied with the ending.

For Veronica Mars fans, this was a problem. In the final episode (clearly not originally conceived as a series finale), Veronica is dating likeable (but ironically disliked by fans) Piz (Chris Lowell), while she is on a slow build to reconciling with her ex-boyfriend (and runaway fan favorite) Logan (Jason Dohring). As a longtime Logan fan, I will offer this disclaimer: It’s not that we necessarily needed Logan and Veronica to end up together, but we needed something more than them ending on terrible terms, with only the vague implication that maybe someday they will be able to be in the same room together – a notion we are only given as they exchange a fleeting glance, imbued after the fact with meaning to placate the throngs of torch-carrying shippers. Continue reading

A Generation Y Guide to Social Media History

It’s not-so-casual Thursday in the office.

By Amanda Festa

[Check out a new and improved version of this post on BuzzFeed — Now with more GIFs!]

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We would be lost without the internet. Even the information for this post was — like everything else — acquired in part by ‘Googling’ it, which is a real verb, people. Wrap your mind around that.

Let’s take a look back at the long, data-fueled, social media-driven road that has led us to where we are today — checking our Facebook pages every fifteen minutes, during which you saw me post this link and felt the need to click on it instead of doing something productive. Luckily, this post includes a valuable history lesson and not just a Tumblr of cat GIFs. Continue reading

Skins and the Teen Drama Rebellion: Why it’s not a Cautionary Tale

Skins1By Amanda Festa

“Damaged people are dangerous. They know they can survive.” – Josephine Hart

There was something that drew me to the British teen drama Skins.  It was gritty and intense, approaching issues in a way that wasn’t sugar coated and didn’t always end with a convenient lesson and a well-timed group hug. Because sometimes in life shit just happens. And it was refreshing to find a show about teens that are not thirty-year-old men masquerading as high school sophomores.  I’ve heard the show be described as realistic, and while there are parts of it that are extremely indicative of contemporary youth culture, if it is real, there is something horrific to be said about the current conditions of adolescence that is noticeably absent from the CW Network.  Continue reading

5 Things We Loved This Week – Wk. of June 9, 2013

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Throwback Thursday Goes Back to the Creek

By Amanda Festa and Kyle Leahy

Dawson's Creek

For our first Throwback Thursday, let us take you back to the year 1998 to a little shore town called Capeside. Contributors Kyle and Amanda were Dawson’s Creek fans from the beginning, but that’s where their commonality ends. This Thursday, we dive headfirst into the Creek — with our favorite memories of the seaside town, it’s well-spoken residents, and one of the best teen love triangles of our generation. Continue reading

5 Things We Loved This Week – Wk. of May 19, 2013

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5 Things We Loved This Week – Wk. of May 12, 2013

The Vampire Diaries  Continue reading

Thoughts from a Walking Dead Fangirl

Random musings on the show, my undying (undead?) love of Daryl and why Carol is my spirit animal.

By Amanda Festa

The Walking DeadI joined the ranks of The Walking Dead fans late to the game.  I was too busy with vampires and werewolves; did I really have time for zombies too? The answer should have always been a resounding yes.  Forgo sleep and responsibilities and watch three seasons back to back, pausing only to work, sleep, eat and minimally socialize. (An outing with me during this month-long process found me bleary eyed, diffusing questions about my work week with follow-up commentary on Michonne’s jawless entourage.) Continue reading