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(02/23/20 7:00pm)
Spoiler Warning
The Netflix original series, "Bojack Horseman'', released its final episodes of the last season on Jan. 31. The series comes to an end with all the choices Bojack made coming back to haunt him.
One thing that makes this last season so great, is that it has multiple different storylines and develops them all out until the final climax when they all come together.
In these final episodes, we follow Bojack, voiced by Will Arnett, as he and the other characters run a restaurant with celebrity chef, Joey Pogo (Hillary Swank).
The series started off with Bojack getting out of rehab and going to teach acting at his sister Hollyhock's college, Wesleyan University.
In the previous episode, it ended with Hollyhock (Aparna Nancherla) at a party talking to a guy named Pete. He tells her the events of what happened to him at his prom, the prom that Bojack went to back in season 2. This started to make things awkward for Bojack. This awkwardness is on par with the show and made me visibly cringe when watching the show. I loved this part because it brought out an aspect of cringe comedy that you can see in other shows like, “The Office”.
Bojack started his class and realized that he is good at teaching acting, meanwhile, Hollyhock started to play rugby. Bojack started to go to the games and spent time learning about rugby to connect with Hollyhock, despite her trying to distance herself from Bojack. Bojack looked like he was in his element and I enjoyed seeing a win for him amongst all the bad things that fell upon him. Although it seemed out of the ordinary for Bojack to have a good moment in his life, I appreciated it, despite how short-lived it was.
Paige Sinclair (Paget Brewster) and Maximillian Banks (Max Greenfield) had uncovered information about Sara Lynn's (Kristan Schaal) death, which they got from Mr. Peanutbutter (Paul F. Tompkins). Bojack, who told Mr. Peanutbutter the information when he was drunk, received a call from Paige and Maximillian about them knowing what he did. This part of the story would have felt out of place if it hadn’t been for the work the creators had been doing in the previous episodes in developing the story.
Bojack, Princess Carolyn (Amy Sedaris), Todd (Aaron Paul), and Dianne (Allison Brie), listed every bad thing Bojack has done and are trying to brainstorm ideas to get him out of this. Dianne suggested that Bojack come clean, but Princess Carolyn attempted to try to manage the situation. This is where Bojack tells Princess Carolyn that he thinks the best thing for her is to go on with her life without constantly putting out Bojack's fires.
Paige and Maximilian give the information they found out to talk show host Biscuits Braxby (Daniele Gaither) and Biscuits set up an interview with Bojack to discuss the events leading up to Sara Lynn's death. Bojack goes into the interview and is honest, which is received well by the TV audience and Bojack is looked to as a victim of drug abuse. After the interview, he did not seem remorseful, rather he seemed relieved.
After feeling good about his first interview, Bojack did another, but this time it did not go well. I was not very sympathetic towards Bojack because all of this had finally caught up to him, and he deserved it. It did make me feel a little upset because Bojack had finally found a place where he thrived and people enjoyed his advice and teachings.
In the next part of the story, Creator Raphael Matthew Bob-Waksberg was able to create an important scene that was able to draw sympathy from the audience. Bojack's acting class had finished their showcase and were having a cast party and asked Bojack to read the superlatives. He received the superlative for best director and it made a gut-wrenching scene that almost brought me to tears. We learned that Bojack waited 17 minutes to call an ambulance when Sara Lynn was dying, and he is accused of abusing his power to groom young women. After this, he is basically shunned by the public.
The best episode of this release was “The View from Halfway down”. This episode showed Bojack and a young Sara Lynn walking up to a house. When they are let in, they see characters from the show that died, including Beatrice Horseman, Corduroy Jackson Jackson, Herb, Crackerjack and Zack Braff. Sara Lynn became progressively older in each scene. They all sat down to dinner and tar dripped down from the ceiling. Everyone's dinner was directly related to how the characters died. Eventually, Secretariat showed up but with Butterscotch Horseman's voice, which represented how Bojack saw Secretariat as a father figure. They talked about if life is actually worth it. The party then moved to a stage, where all the characters performed and after finishing, they jumped into a door with nothing but black in it, with the door representing death. Bojack ran away while the black tar followed him, and he decided to call Dianne to which she does not pick up, but he talked to the voicemail anyways. Bojack accepted his death and as the credits rolled the sound of a heart monitor flatlining plays and as the credits finish rolling we heard a faint heartbeat.
This was the best episode for me because of all the symbolism. Everything in this episode represents something. Whether it be how Sara Lynn ages or the meals that everyone ends up eating, it all has meaning. Each season there is one episode that experiments with very outlandish ideas and this episode does that so well. It guides the audience through a very brief history of many of the characters that died. The brilliance of this episode is that all of it is Bojack's head. Every person and how they look, talk, or act is all from the mind of Bojack, and he is subconsciously preparing himself for what seems to be the end of his life.
Inevitably, Bojack was sent to prison for 14 months in prison for breaking and entering. We saw that prison is actually good for Bojack because he had structure in his life. The episode took place 10 months after being in prison, and he is released for one day for Princess Carolyn's wedding to Judah. I enjoyed the ending of this show but I do think a couple of things could have been explored further. We never see Bojack connect back again with Hollyhock and this leaves an untied loose end. The show could have also ended with Bojack passing away. If they had ended it one episode earlier people would have been mad but understood that this was the end and that nothing more could have been done for Bojack.
During the wedding, Bojack talked to everyone and reflected on everything that had happened. He made amends with the many people he had scorned or treated wrongly in the series. For us as an audience, this is really all we can ask for. Knowing that he has made this step in the right direction has made the journey worth it.
"You do the Hokey Pokey and you turn yourself around, and that’s what it's all about," Todd said about Bojack's life after prison.
In the final scene, we saw Bojack and Dianne sitting on top of a roof, just as the first episode of the first season and this feels like a good way to send off our beloved half horse half man protagonist. Dianne and Bojack have gone through a lot of ups and downs since the first meeting six seasons ago to talk about his book. They spoke about how this may be the last time they may talk. The end credits for me was upsetting because the series I have come to love is now over. We have grown with Bojack and experienced many things with him. We have felt his pain and anguish from the beginning. It is also great to see that he is finally getting to where he needs to be in his life.
Overall, the blending of multiple storylines is perfect and could not be done any better. This last part and even the whole season does a good job of mirroring real life even though it has anthropomorphized animal people. It has helped viewers understand themselves, seek help and understand trying to get over depression. The main problem with TV shows these days is that they go on forever. They milk the money they get season after season and provide half-baked storylines just to appease the audience. This is not one of those shows. The ending for it is timely and could not be any sooner or later. I would give this season a 10/10.
(02/15/20 4:30pm)
Practice starts for the IUPUI men's basketball team, with one voice heard above the others, offering encouragement, leadership, and compliments to the other players. This voice belongs to Grant Weatherford.
Weatherford is a leader for the team. He has been on the team the longest out of all the players. "Grant's our leader, he’s one of the oldest guys on our team, he has been here probably the longest out of anyone," head coach Byron Rimm said. Weatherford first started his college basketball career at Purdue University, before deciding to attend a junior college in Texas called Midland University. He brought his talents to IUPUI and sat out his first season before moving into a starting position the next year. "Grant is pretty much the guy we lean on. He can play pretty much one through four," Rimm said.
Coming from Purdue, a Big Ten program, is a little different than one from the Horizon League, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some commonalities. "There are a lot of similarities, whether it be the continuity or the movement of offense,” said Weatherford. “Trying to preach to carry over the defense. Just toughness, there are a lot of similarities really anywhere you go not just IUPUI or Purdue but just have the carry over.” Many basketball programs have similar offenses and defenses, so it may be easier to transfer to a new team. One big difference is the amount of people watching from the stands as well as the people watching at home.
One big factor for his love of the game was family. Weatherford grew up in a very competitive household. "Everything we did, whether it was who could eat the fastest or who could get to the dinner table first. Everything was competitive," Weatherford said. Family is important and Weatherford treats his team like family. With his house mostly consisting of athletes, there are many stories to tell--but one stuck out to him.
"Being all boys and my sister, we used to not let her play very much and she used to get real mad, but then one day she hopped in and beat us all in 21," Weatherford said. He said that the best athlete in his family is, without a doubt, his sister.
Weatherford hails from Cicero, Indiana, a small town just north of Noblesville. Community is a strong thing in his eyes. "Growing up in a small town, there is a big community. Everybody knows everybody. People just like to see people succeed," Weatherford said.
Weatherford has stepped up his game since coming to IUPUI and has worked on being a better player for himself and the team. "I worked on being an offensive threat, not necessarily scoring a ton but being better at shooting the ball and working on ball handling," Weatherford said. Rimm has learned how Weatherford plays and functions, knowing exactly where to put him in many situations. "He’s one of our gritty guys and doesn't get too tired at times. We need him, he is a glue guy and we need him on the floor as much as possible," Rimm said.
Weatherford is an active leader on the floor for the Jags. As practice went on, the more I kept hearing his voice encouraging players and helping move them around to where they needed to go. His best games came against divisional teams in the Horizon League, with his career highs all being against those teams in the conference. As a sophomore last year, Weatherford was selected to the Horizon League's Academic Honor Roll for both semesters.
(11/20/19 3:20am)
Warning this review will have some spoilers.
Netflix's original series "Bojack Horseman" is coming to an end. The series put out half of the sixth and final season on Oct. 25. This comedic, but dark comedy has triggered many of conversations involving drug addiction, alcohol addiction, parenthood, and even self-acceptance. This season, if you think the past is behind Bojack you are very wrong.
This first half has set an exceptional start to the end. With the death of beloved co-star of Horsin Around and friend Sara Lynn, Bojack (Will Arnett) comes to grips with his mistakes and struggles. Bojack learns about acceptance and that he needs to take action for his own doings.
Princess Carolyn, Bojack’s agent, takes on a new role as a mother to a baby porcupine. This thrusts new responsibilities and challenges at her. Her nannies keep quitting, and she has to juggle her daughter and work life. Princess Carolyn will have to learn how to balance her busy work life with the challenges that come with raising a new baby by herself. Princess Carolyn is worn out from working and parenting at the same time. The animation in the second episode shows all the energy that goes into raising her child and working. Each scene with Princess Carolyn in this episode shows multiple versions of her as she goes about her day. I love the decision to have this effect because it shows how much work it actually is. Todd Chavez (Aaron Paul) comes to terms with his stepfather and his mysterious last name. Adding this shows another side of the show dealing with relatable issues. Mr. Peanutbutter works on yet another movie, Birthday Dad, and is also still in a relationship with his girlfriend Pickles. He struggles with another relationship that has a rocky road. The direction of Mr. Peanutbutter’s story adds another dimension to the show. His relationship shows the divide with different generations. Diane Nguyen (Alison Brie) works as an investigative journalist along with her partner Guy (Lakeith Stanfield). She soon develops a new relationship and has to deal with either keeping it up from distance or move to a new place and leave many things behind her. This brings more relatable topics like long-distance relationships. One of the main ideas of the show is to be wacky, funny, and dramatic while also being a relatable show. It is very hard to do this as an animated TV series but applaud its due diligence and accuracy.
The Sixth season delivers comedy, drama, and some real tearjerkers. The past does come back to haunt and even though Bojack knows this he still is not ready for what is about to hit him. The intro to the show is different this season and it always offers a foreshadowing for what is about to happen for our equestrian friend. I like this new intro because it gives the audience a new way to look at the show and drops subtle hints showing that the past is not really dead. My hopes for the next half-season is that Bojack takes hold of his choices and actively seek out those who he hurt, loved, and discarded. The second half of the season is to be premiered on Jan. 31.
(10/30/19 11:36pm)
The NBA season has finally arrived, and with that there are predictions for the playoffs to be made. I am here to bring bold predictions and thoughts about the postseason the looms in the distance.
First, we start off with the Eastern Conference. I have the Milwaukee Bucks taking the number one seed. The 2019 MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo, looks to be in great form to start the season. They finished the first week 2-1 with wins over the the Rockets and the Cavaliers, but fell to the Heat in overtime.
The number two spot in the east is a hotly contested spot, but I am going to have to give it to the Philadelphia 76ers. They lose guard Jimmy Butler but get Josh Richardson. They also made a great move in picking up former Celtics big man Al Horford, and let's not forget that Ben Simmons has been working on his jump shot over the offseason. The Sixers faced off against the Celtics and had a commanding 107-93 victory. They are currently the only 3-0 team in the Eastern Conference.
The third seed goes to the Raptors. They may have lost Kawhi Leonard, but that is not slowing down the 2019 Most Improved Player, Pascal Siakam. With help from Fred VanVleet, the Raptors secured a victory over the Pelicans on opening night. They have also accumulated wins against the Bulls and Magic. They are sitting at 3-1, with their first loss coming at the hands of the Celtics.
The fourth seed will be awarded to the Boston Celtics. After parting ways with Kyrie Irving, the Celtics picked up Kemba Walker. Walker now has a team to work around including Gordon Hayward, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown. They are sitting at 2-1 with wins against the Knicks and Raptors.
The Brooklyn Nets will take the fifth seed. They started off the season with a loss Timberwolves, a game where Kyrie Irving had 50 points, ensuring that he still is going to put up good numbers. The key with the Nets is: will Kevin Durant come back this season? It's very improbable that he will make it back in time. The Nets are sitting at 1-2 with a win against the Knicks. They also lost to Memphis, with both losses going to overtime and being decided by one point.
The sixth seed will be awarded to the Pacers. The Pacers were busy in the offseason, acquiring nine new players to the team, including TJ Warren, Malcom Brogdon, and Jeremy Lamb. Domantas Sabonis was signed to a four-year contract extension, and this is all happening while Victor Oladipo is working on getting back to the court. They have started 0-3 with two losses to the Pistons and one to the Cavaliers. If the Pacers can string some wins together, they can get Victor Oladipo back from his injury and make a run to the playoffs.
The Atlanta Hawks will take the seventh seed. Despite having a rough season last year, Trae Young proved he can perform in crunch time. With the additions of Jabari Parker in free agency and Cam Reddish in the draft, the Hawks will make a run for the playoffs. The Hawks are at 2-2 with wins against the Magic and Pistons and losses to the Heat and the Sixers.
The last seed will be won by the Miami Heat. Despite not making the playoffs last year, Jimmy Butler will lead them to a playoff berth. Don't forget about Justise Winslow and Bam Adebayo to help score points. Miami has started out strong, going 3-1 with wins against the Hawks, Bucks, and Grizzlies.
Now we make our way to the Western Conference, which is hotly contested so far. At the first seed in the West, I have the Clippers. Kawhi Leonard is making waves on the Clippers, averaging 27 points a game with 6.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists. LA is 3-1, accumulating wins against the LeBron-led Lakers, Warriors, and the Hornets. Their only loss was delivered by Devin Booker and the Suns. They have accomplished all this without Paul George; when he gets healthy, I don't know who will be able to stop the Clippers. They also having three-time Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams off the bench.
At the second seed, I have the Nuggets. Led by All-Star big man Nikola Jokic, who is averaging a double-double, the Nuggets have come out strong, starting 3-1 with wins over the Trail Blazers, Suns, and Kings. Their only loss is from the new duo of Kristaps Porzingis and Luka Doncic on the Mavericks. Jokic is already showing he is ready to get back to the playoffs after losing to the Trail Blazers last postseason.
For the third seed, I have the Trail Blazers led by Damian Lillard. The Blazers have a record of 2-2 with wins against the Mavericks and Kings and losses to the Nuggets and Spurs. Damian Lillard is already back to his regular form, averaging just under 31 points a game. Don’t forget about CJ McCollum, who is aiding in the scoring by averaging 23 points. They have Jusuf Nurkic rehabbing from his gruesome injury from last year, and he’s expected to come back soon.
At the fourth seed, I have the Spurs. They are sitting at 3-0 to start the season with wins over the Wizards, Knicks, and Trail Blazers. DeMar DeRozan is having a great start to the season by averaging 22 points a game, and a steady presence in the post with LaMarcus Aldridge will help the cause.
At the fifth seed, it’s the Mavericks. Luka and Kristaps have proved that they can synergize well for the Mavs and have helped them start 3-1 this season. They have wins over the Nuggets, Pelicans, and Wizards. Their only loss has come at the hands of Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers. Combined, Kristaps and Luka are averaging 47 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. They are a hungry team ready to prove themselves after not making the playoffs last year.
I have the Jazz led by Donovan Mitchell at the sixth spot. They have a record of 3-1 with wins against the Thunder, Kings and Suns. Their only loss came at the hands of the Lakers. They lost Ricky Rubio last year but picked up knock-down shooter Bojan Bogdanovic, who is averaging just under 24 points a game. They also have last year’s Defensive Player of the Year, Rudy Gobert.
At the seventh seed, I have the Rockets. James Harden is ready to redeem his loss against the Warriors last year, and with the addition of the only player to average a triple-double three seasons in a row, Russell Westbrook, the Rockets will be striving for the Finals this year. The synergy of Westbrook and Harden needs to be perfect for them to make it to the playoffs in this heavily contested conference.
The final seed in the West is going to be the Timberwolves. Despite going below .500 last year, they have come back with a force. Karl-Anthony Towns has been keeping his dominant pace over any of the other bigs in the league. The difference this year so far is the backcourt. Unlike last year, they have come alive to help Towns alleviate the back pain from carrying their team. They have started out 3-0 with wins against the Nets, Hornets, and Heat. Hopefully this energy and play will carry over for the rest of the season.
The bulky Western Conference will be decided by a one or two game lead on other teams. It will be a tight race through the whole year. The same goes for the Eastern Conference as well.
East Playoff Standings
Milwaukee Bucks
Philadelphia 76ers
Toronto Raptors
Boston Celtics
Brooklyn Nets
Indiana Pacers
Atlanta Hawks
Miami Heat
West Playoff Standings
Los Angeles Clippers
Denver Nuggets
Portland Trailblazers
San Antonio Spurs
Dallas Mavericks
Utah Jazz
Houston Rockets
Minnesota Timberwolves
(10/23/19 7:45pm)
Students attending IUPUI professor Malcolm Moran’s sports writing class recently had the opportunity to cover Indianapolis Colts games, an opportunity not normally seen in journalism programs. The students in the course were given press passes and seats in the press box for Indy’s contests against the Oakland Raiders and Atlanta Falcons-- all thanks to Moran. Since taking over as the director of IUPUI’s Sports Capital Journalism program, Moran has built a relationship with the Colts that allowed for access to the games.
"It is probably one of the biggest challenges you can give a class," Moran said. "It's the real stuff and I can prepare you the best I can and we can sit here and talk about different things to think about, but at some point you gotta do it. That's a challenge to do it at the highest level. You don't get much higher than a National Football League game."
The students got a taste for what they will do after graduation. Moran is trying to make this happen for classes in the future as the students will also cover Indiana Pacers games later in the semester. These trips for class help to hone their writing abilities and give the students a feel for what they want to do in the future.
"I think there is an understanding for the value of detail, and that's the biggest thing," Moran said. "It's hard to do if you've done it for awhile and it's your profession, but it's even harder to do if it's your first experience. Another reason it's a valuable experience is that it doesn't matter if it’s a National Football League game or a high school game, part of the learning process is to focus in on what you’re concentrating on and tune out all the other stuff."
Moran wants to show the students how business is conducted in the professional world--these experiences help to drive home the points he talks about in class. My experience was one I will not be forgetting. Covering the Colts game was a great event and helped me experience the workplace I am striving for, gave me an idea of how things work for beat writers, and just an overall amazing time.