Queer Eye

It’s been a minute since I made a post that has to do with something other than music. For the last week I’ve been on a Netflix binge though so I figured it was the perfect time to change that up. Cue Queer Eye.

In the summer while at Electric Forest one of my suite-mates was in the midst of a Queer Eye binge. The second season had just come out. I decided to watch with her because I used to watch Queer Eye when the show was first on. The new Netflix series is a reboot of the show that first aired in 2003, if you didn’t already know. When I watched the new series, I liked the show but there was a lot going on at Electric Forest that took my attention away from a Netflix binge while I was there. Last week I decided it was finally time to watch the show and much like so many others my Queer Eye love grew.

For those who don’t know the basis of Queer Eye, it’s a reality tv show where 5 gay men makeover someone, typically a straight man. The original series used to be called Queer Eye For the Straight Guy but was eventually shortened to Queer Eye to broaden the makeover pool. The new show broadens that pool as well by making over a woman, a gay man, and a transgender man so far. The makeover involves more than just style and grooming. Usually there’s a home transformation and lifestyle changes involved as well. Each of the 5 gay men, known more affectionately as The Fab 5, specialize in their own areas of expertise.

Antoni Porowski stars as the Food and Wine Expert. He usually shows the makeover subject how to cook a simple meal and gives tips on food, cooking, and of course drinks. Tan France is the new Fashion Expert. He’s the one who goes through the subject’s wardrobe, takes them shopping, and creates he or she a personal style that reflects who they are. Karamo Brown plays the Culture Expert. He usually helps the subject in a motivational way to better their life. He also spends time getting to know the subject on a personal level. Bobby Berk is the Design Expert. He remodels the home or apartment of the subject into a modern and useful living space. Lastly, Jonathan Van Ness is the expert in Grooming. He gives each subject a hair cut and beard trim or shave as well as teaches he or she about personal care and grooming.

The first two seasons of Queer Eye are already out on Netflix. Season 1 premiered last February and Season 2 came in June. Both seasons are 8 episodes that were filmed in the Atlanta, Georgia area. The third season is slated for release in 2019 and will take place in the Kansas City area.

With all the hype Queer Eye has received in the last year, hopefully the show lasts for several more years/seasons. It recently won three Primetime Emmys for Outstanding Structured Reality Program, Outstanding Casting for a Structured Reality Program, and Outstanding Picture Editing for a Structured or Competition Reality Program. The show really is more than just a reality TV series. It brings to light issues in today’s society through each transformation performed by The Fab 5. I don’t remember the original Queer Eye doing as much and I think that’s what makes this reboot really special.

If you’re looking for a show to binge on Netflix, you won’t be disappointed if you decide to watch Queer Eye. I think the show has a little something for everyone and it might even teach you some tips too. With this new Fab 5, all things definitely do just keep getting better.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

When The Walt Disney Company purchased Marvel in 2009, it began creating a bunch of projects incorporating the famed comic book company. Captain America: The First Avenger, Thor, and a sequel to Iron Man were some of the first movie releases post-Disney purchase. All the movies had one thing in common though. Each plot line included elements that foreshadowed a disaster that would take a union of earth’s mightiest heroes to fix. This also meant an epic blockbuster picture known as The Avengers. The Avengers, or the team made up of Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Hulk, Hawkeye, and Black Widow, are a group of superheroes put together to save the world by an organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division), an FBI style agency that deals with super humans and any issues that may arise because of them. In the 2012 movie, the head of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), united the Avengers to stop Thor’s adopted brother, Loki, from taking over earth, which they succeeded at. Of course in the meantime, there were some casualties. One in particular was S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg), who played an instrumental role in several of the Marvel films leading up to The Avengers. However, the “death” of Phil Coulson helped to set up Marvel’s prime time live action television series premiering on ABC a little over a year after the release of the epic super hero movie.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. first aired in September 2013. It followed up on what happened to Agent Coulson (Gregg) after he supposedly died in the feature film. If you haven’t already guessed, he was brought back to life and the mystery of how eventually gets answered along the way. The series follows Coulson and his team, May (Ming-Na Wen), Ward (Brett Dalton), Fitz (Iain De Caestecker), Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge), and Skye (Chloe Bennet) as they face issues with people who have powers and with the terrorist organization, Hydra. At the end of the first season last May, Hydra had come full force at S.H.I.E.L.D. after being in a dormant state for so long with members of the deceptive terrorist group pretending to be S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. The second season which premiered this past September saw the addition of some new agents to Coulson’s team (Hunter (Nick Blood), Mack (Henry Simmons), and Bobbi (Adrianne Palicki)) as the story continued with S.H.I.E.L.D. trying to rebuild itself and put an end to Hydra. The final episode of the show’s second season just aired Tuesday night with a possible foreshadowing of the rebuilding of Hydra under a new leader and a new mystery involving the Kree Stone that was introduced in Season 2. A third season will begin in September with a continuation of the where the second season left off as well as new trials and tribulations for S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Coulson and the members of his team.

I first started watching Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on the date it initially aired in September 2013 (the night before I left for my first trip to California). I was a fan of The Avengers as well as Thor (Loki’s actually my favorite character…haters gonna hate), but I wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy the Marvel TV series as much. There was no reason to be hesitant though because I was roped in from the start. After the first episode, I knew the series would be filled with action, excitement, and twists as the series progressed. I’ve followed the show ever since. It’s lived up to my expectations.

My favorite thing about the show is how it’s intertwined with the rest of the Marvel Universe. When a new Marvel film comes out (sequels to Thor and Captain America were released post-Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. debut, as well as an Avengers sequel, Avengers: Age of Ultron, which came out 2 weeks ago), a small part of the show the week before the movie release and a small part the week after coincide with the film. It makes viewers want to go out to see the movie on opening weekend in case there’s anything important in the movie that relates to the show the following week or vice versa. Is it absolutely necessary to see all the movies? Probably not, but it helps. For instance, I’ve never seen any of the Captain America movies, nor do I plan on seeing them. When the latest one came out last April, the thought crossed my mind that maybe I should see it for the sake of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Fortunately I have friends who are Marvel fans too who went to see it. I asked one of them if there was anything I needed to know and she provided me with the info. Then again, I’m sure there were some things that happened in the movie that were a precursor to the newest Avengers that I missed out on. The whole system is a great money-making tactic. It’s also the only time I’ve ever watched a TV show that does something of this nature.

Not only does the show relate to the Marvel films, but it also includes guest appearances by characters from some of those films. Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Sif (Asgardian warrior), and Peggy Carter (now the lead character in another Marvel spin-off TV series entitled “Agent Carter”) are just some of the characters that have appeared on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and in the films. I’m sure with a third season beginning in a few months there will be more characters to add to that list. Who knows, maybe there will be a point when an Avenger makes a guest appearance. With the Marvel overlap, I wouldn’t put it past the show’s creators to make it happen.

With the number of successful Marvel films released in recent years, it’s no surprise that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has done well. The Marvel fan base has grown and with new films to be released in the not so distant future I’m sure the television show will keep thriving. If you’ve seen any of the Marvel films that I mentioned over the last 7 years, I’m sure you’d appreciate Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. if you don’t already. The story lines are constantly developing. There’s action. There’s a hint of mystery. There’s twists, turns, and curve balls thrown along the way. Not to mention, there’s the references and reminders that the show is part of the Marvel Universe. It really is flat-out, so cool. There’s no better way to understand it than to check it out and become a part of the world of Marvel. So what are you waiting for?