Rodney Mateo

In today’s day and age, racial tension is high around the world and is extremely prominent in the United States of America. Being an American for my whole life, these acts of racism are unjust and need to get fixed. Even though there is still a lot of the racism, the world has come a long way. The thought that slavery was actually legal is unfathomable. It has only been 242 years since slavery was abolished, it is still a pretty recent time period that people still remember too well. Does Roots (1977) still hold up in today’s day or is a just a dead stump in the ground? Let’s find out.

Roots take place during colonial times, the ripe time of slavery. It follows the journey of Kunta and how he and his people were plucked from their homeland and forced into slavery. He is brought on to a slave ship where he did not go quietly, staging a rebellion to take over the ship, but all the efforts failed. The ship arrives in Maryland, which is where they will be sold as slaves on an auction. He is bought but was not going to go without a fight. Kunta is proud of his race and refuses to change for anyone. Refusing to forget where he came from and what his name is, Kunta plots his escape waiting for the best moment to run away.

Kunta Kinte (LeVar Burton) was born in West Africa. He was getting firewood when he sees white men who then captures him. Kunta is sold into slavery but doesn’t let that destroy the person he is. He has a strong will to be free and will not forget who he is even if enslaved. Fiddler (Louis Gossett Jr.) is the one who made a pitch for his master John Reynolds (Lorne Greene) to buy Kunta. Fiddler teaches Kunta how things are around the plantation and how to speak English. Fiddler lets Kunta try to escape even though he knows that Kunta will get caught or worse. Since Kunta is Fiddler’s responsibility, letting Kunta go puts them both in jeopardy.

Roots is a living history book that holds up to even today’s standards. Just because it holds up doesn’t make it a masterpiece like it should be. Sadly, what holds Roots back is dialogue. Roots were put through the machine and was heavily whitewashed. It didn’t really show the full evil that was slavery. They thought it would be better to make it more for white people than actually pushing the narrative. If slavery was on Sesame Street, then this would be it. They had some adult scenes like Kunta getting whipped but other than that the show was soft and not accurate.

Even with all the whitewashing, Roots is still worth a watch in today’s age. With its flaws, the show is considered a blast to the past and is still a novelty. Based on true events, the story of Kunta is one of struggle and perseverance. Everybody watching this can learn something about slavery and how it was to a certain extent. The impact of the show still lives on today with a remake that was made in 2016.

Do you agree with me? Comment down below, share with your friends, and join the debate.

Water, Earth, Fire, Air. These four words should automatically give you goosebumps. If you were like me growing up in the early 2000s, this was the show to watch. My six-year-old self is currently jumping for joy trying to leap out of my soul. However, does this show live up to the hype as an adult, or is it only good through the eyes of a child? Let’s find out.

I know I may sound a bit crazy over the nostalgia or probably swayed into liking it because my younger self loved this series. After re-watching Avatar a couple of months ago, I can proudly say that this show lives up to the hype that it got when I was six years old. I would go on the limb to say it is one of the best cartoons for all ages ever created. For the most part, cartoons are not really story-driven and if they are the plot is not as good as what Avatar brings to the table. The story of a young boy who was graced with the power of the Avatar has to master the four elements to stop each of the surrounding nations from fighting one another, especially the fire nation who started this whole global war. Aang has to travel across the world to master these elements, while being on the run since he is the Avatar and the only person to stop the fire nation and bring the world back to peace. The heavy moral choices that Aang has to make because he is destined to be the Avatar. He just wants to live his life out as a kid and enjoy himself and doesn’t want to take on the role that is the Avatar. It’s not until later on into the series that Aang really accepts his role as the Avatar. Traveling alongside his two companions who make him a much better person over time. They help him master all of the elements to defeat the Fire Lord and restore balance to the four great nations.

The show hits on heavy topics that make it seem that it is not only geared towards children. I understand why it is still talked about after all these years. The show is not just hype but rather a celebration of something that was made extremely well. The show has everything for every type of person, from action and comedy to drama and romance. I think it does very well for initially being a children’s show. However,  please do not watch the live-action movie it was extremely horrifying to watch. This is the perfect show to quickly binge over a week, you will not be disappointed.

Do you agree with me? Comment down below, share with your friends, and join the debate.

Originally one of the villains in Daredevil, this mercenary thought the only way to stop a criminal was to kill them. He had the same ideas as Daredevil just twisted in a murderous way. Being such a good anti-hero, The Punisher got his own spin-off show where he is back to doing what he is good at and that is not making friends. This murderous hero kills all sorts of thugs to uncover who killed his family. This show is not for the faint of heart, the gruesome ways the Punisher kills people will make the toughest of stomachs become squeamish. Does The Punisher live up to the expectations that Daredevil has made in superhero television? Let’s find out.

This actioned packed show also has tender moments that will have the audience feeling sympathy for Frank Castle. The love that he had for his family is the reason why he believes criminals should not have a second chance. After getting all that he loved taken away from him, the Punisher’s perspective on life becomes altered severely. The show does a great job of showing why Frank Castle does what he does and why every criminal should fear him and pray to not come across him.

Season two also brings out all the stops when it comes to the violence and the gore with most of the gruesome scenes not being able to be shown on YouTube. With a recurring villain from season one and a score to settle, both parties are out for blood. I think that this is an excellent spin-off but definitely is not as good as Daredevil. However, it is close. The Punisher was better as a reoccurring problem for Daredevil. Both have similar beliefs of justice, but they have two different methods that clash with each other creating great tension. Sadly, there will not be a season three due to Disney taking their property back. There may never be another form of The Punisher that was this gruesome ever again.

Do you agree with me? Comment down below, share with your friends, and join the debate.

Regular news too depressing for you, have no fear Seth is here. Cracking jokes on how Politicians look to the way they speak. The biggest victim is our current president Donald Trump. If you do not like him, then be ready for some slander. Those who enjoy him, avert your eyes and ears. The only way to make depressing news funny is to crack jokes on it. Death and murder are not a topic to be discussed but Politics have never been more interesting. Can this talk show replace your every day 6 o’clock news? Let’s find out.

A news show that gives the lighter side of the news. Not all news has to be depressing with death and destruction. Most of the news is about politics, especially nowadays that Donald Trump is our president. All news stories get some sort of joke attached to it but anything about politics seems to get it the worst. With segments like a “closer look” which Seth dives deep into a news story usually cracking more jokes. Also, celebrity interviews to promote what the celebrity has going on at the moment.

Seth Meyers (Seth Meyers) is the hilarious host of the show who has a large variety of impressions when mocking the people. He is talking about usually Trump. Throughout the show, there will be four new celebrities every episode. The celebrity guests speak about what is going on in their lives and answers questions that Seth asks them.

Seth Meyers has a wonderful stage presence; one could barely tell that he is reading from cue cards. His jokes are on point especially when he goes off-script. He is engaging with the live audience and the people watching at home. He is a hilarious human being that has impressions that are spot on and speaks for themselves. His best impressions are of Donald Trump, say what you will about Trump, but he is a funny guy. The celebrity guests are relevant revolving from actors to senators. The only real negative is the band that cues him in and out. They seem dull and the music is not that great. They have nothing on The Roots that play on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

During the interviews, Seth seems to have genuine conversations with the celebrity guest rather than just promoting what the celeb has going on. They talk about family and life in general, not everything is work-based, which is the highlight of the show. People watch the show for two reasons. The first reason is for the guests that they bring on and the second is Seth giving the news. The show is great to watch and more enjoyable than a regular news program. News is depressing and bombarded with death and destruction. Some people may not keep up with the news because of these depressing factors, but the Late Night with Seth Meyer makes current events enjoyable. The humor aspect keeps people coming to talk shows like these, not all news has to be sad. Can it replace regular news, no, because politics is 90 percent of the topics spoken. But if you are into to politics with a slither of news than this is the show for you.

Do you agree with me? Comment down below, share with your friends, and join the debate.

With diversity in cinema coming to rise, especially with movies like Black Panther, now seems the perfect time to strike while the iron is hot. With superhero movies coming out of the wazoo, there is also no shortage of superhero television. DC has its own mini interconnecting universe on the CW with shows, like Arrow and The Flash. The newest member of this universe controlling lightning, like a Pikachu from Pokémon, is Black Lightning also known as Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams). Does Black Lightning equal to or surpass the other CW superhero shows? Let’s find out.

After being experimented on when Jefferson was a child, he gained the power to control lightning at will. This led him to be the vigilante called Black Lightning. In his prime, he would fight crime around Freeland (the fictional city he lives in) trying to make it a better place. After many fights with gang members and coming home every day nearly beaten to death, his wife Lynn (Christine Adams) made him promise that he would quit the life of a vigilante. Jefferson was addicted to fighting crime and broke his promise to his wife, which became the final straw for her and she divorced him. Heartbroken from the loss of his lover, Jefferson stopped the life to become a principle. He tries to win his ex-wife over so they can be a family again with their two daughters, Jennifer (China Anne McClain) and Anissa (Nafessa Williams). After crime starts to become rampant because of a gang called the 100, Jennifer gets kidnapped by the gang and Jefferson has to suit up again to dispose of the 100 gangs from his city.

Jefferson Pierce aka Black Lightning is a man who just wants his family to be whole again and his city to be safe. Tobias Whale (Marvin Jones III) the leader of the 100 gangs has three goals. The first is to kill Black Lightning for all the meddling in all of his affairs. The second is to sell people with superpowers to foreign governments to make a lot of money. Finally, his last goal is to take over Freeland and make it his own dominion. Tobias with his large wealth seems to have endless source of resources to go against Black Lightning. But Black Lightning is not alone. Peter Gambi (James Remar), who raised Jefferson since his real father was killed, is his tech man or “guy in the chair.” He is in Black Lighting’s ear every time he is out on the field.

What Hank Stuever (Washington Post) says about the show is true, the show definitely feels more like a drama with some crime in it then a genuine superhero show. This is quite refreshing to get away from the action and enjoy people with powers trying to be normal. With one single villain in the story, it makes the clashing between Black Lightning and Tobias Whale have more emotional weight. It’s not just a story on good vs evil but a show that goes through heavy topics like racism and poverty.

This show is lacking a bit in the action scenes but is well worth the character development. It has a good message for living in today’s world of racial tension. As a superhero show, I would rank it pretty low but as a drama with some action it is great. Compared to the other CW shows in the same interconnected universe, I would say that it ranks in the second slightly behind Arrow. This is great but all the other shows are mediocre, so it wasn’t that hard of a choice. Don’t watch the show expecting beautifully choreographed fight scenes and stellar visual effects. The show heavily depends on how the actors work wonderfully with each other. Presenting relevancy with topics that are major problems in today’s day, this show teaches how to face those problems even if you’re not a walking battery like Black Lightning.

Do you agree with me? Comment down below, share with your friends, and join the debate.

Half hitman and half actor, Barry appeared on HBO, March 25, 2018. This show was created by Alec Berg and Bill Hader. They tell a compelling story on the life of a hitman, who wants to be an actor. This dark comedy shows how Barry (Bill Hader) controls a double life of a hitman and an actor who is trying to find his place in the world. Does Barry succeed as a comedy or is it worthy of a straight face? Let’s find out.

The main character of the story has the name of the title. Barry is an ex-special op for the military, who after his service lost his purpose in life. He met a man, named Fuchs (Stephen Root) who gave him a purpose in life and that was to be a hitman. Fuchs set up a hit for Barry in Los Angeles. Barry tailed his target and was ready to kill him. Barry followed him into an acting class, where he had to perform to not blow his cover. After performing he went out to drinks with the class and started to befriend his target. Barry found out that acting was the thing he needed to fill the void in himself and not be a hitman. After weeks of going to the acting class, the employers that wanted the target dead (which was the mob) did the job their selves. Now, they are coming after Barry for not completing the job. Barry has found his purpose in life to be an actor. He is trying his best to stay alive and become a full-time actor rather than a hitman.

Barry is a man who is extremely good at killing people but is an awful actor. He has this knack for killing people, which is useful for Fuchs to get his hitman business going since the pay is wonderful. Fuchs only wants to exploit Barry for his talents and doesn’t care about what Barry thinks or what he wants. Even after telling Fuchs that he is going to quit the killing business, Fuchs plays it off like nothing ever happened. When he realizes that Barry is serious, he tries his hardest to get Barry to stay. He is so desperate that he tries to sabotage Barry’s relationship with his acting coach Gene Cousins (Henry Winkler).

The show, Barry, is certainly a weird one with a strange premise, but it works for the show. This comedy is not afraid to really show the dark sides of humor with violence and killing. The show is funny, but it does a great job of putting drama in from the depression that comes with being a hitman to a tragic love life with Sally (Sarah Goldberg). Throughout the show, Barry has these dreams of what his life could have been if he never been a hitman. All Barry wants to do is live a normal life like his classmates at the acting class. The writing is strong, with even stronger actors really make these characters loveable. For example, NoHo Hank (Anthony Carrigan) is absolute comic gold, being a polite mobster hilarious in its own right. Your heart starts to melt when all he wants is friends and he keeps on getting pushed away.

Barry is not for the squeamish with its violence and language, overall, the show is a good watch overall. It is not the funniest show you would ever watch. Don’t get me wrong its funny but the humor gets the job done. I feel that the drama in the show is more interesting and enticing than humor. I could have gone without it and might have enjoyed the show about the same. Each season only has eight episodes each, which can be binged in a matter of a week. Barry uses ideas that shouldn’t work for good television but ends up working in all the right ways. Fans should be eager for a season three whenever that comes out. With its dark comedy and cliff hanger to keep the story moving along, season three will be welcomed with open arms.

Do you agree with me? Comment down below, share with your friends, and join the debate.

“Legen…Wait for it…Dary!” One of the large pool of catchphrases that How I Met Your Mother has to offer. With popular trends on the show like the Playbook written by Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) or the yellow umbrella, which is one of the biggest plot points of the show. Is this show great due to the running gags that appear every other episode? Let us find out.

Just like the title of the show, it is all about how Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) met his wife Tracy (Cristin Milioti). The show begins with Ted telling the story of how he met his children’s mother. He begins by talking about his early life and all the goofy things he would do with his friends. Each character plays a significant role in each other’s lives, and how they helped Ted to get to his goal of meeting that special someone to be the mother of his children.

Ted is an architect, who is trying to find the love of his life to start a family. He is itching to start one but all he needs is the perfect woman. Barney is a womanizer who claims to be Ted’s best friend and is always looking for a good time. Lily (Alyson Hannigan) and Marshall (Jason Segel) are married,  who are also looking for the right time to have a kid. When they finally have one, they are now trying to have time to be with one another. They met in college and fell in love and also befriended Ted too.

The show has shaped the way I talk to my friends and I expect my life to be with them. How I Met Your Mother is a great representation of what friends should be like from the running gags to the inside jokes that only their group would understand. The traditions that they follow every year shows that they are committed to each other. For example, instead of having Thanksgiving, they have Slapsgiving all because Barney lost a bet to Marshall. This group is the pinnacle of fun, having a good time in any situation or scenario that comes across them.

How I Met Your Mother is hilarious in its own way, being one of the few sit-coms that is not episodic. It is one of the shows that the audience really has to pay attention to understand past references and plot overlapping within the seasons. Earlier, I asked if the running gags make this show great. Though it is a factor, the main reason is that the show is relatable. Everyone knows at least one person in their life that has some traits of the main cast. For example, Barney is a ladies man, and every guy has that one friend that they could get anyone they wanted to or at least have that personality, where their overconfidence casts a shadow over every other emotion.

Do you agree with me? Comment down below, share with your friends, and join the debate.

One of the first live-action superhero shows during the superhero boom in cinema. Does Arrow live up to the quality that superhero movies portray? Let’s find out.

This portrayal of the Green Arrow (also known as Oliver Queen) is an almost perfect copy of the comic book version. The story of Oliver Queen is a tragic one, after being lost at sea with his father and being stuck on an island for 5 years. After finding his way back into civilization, Oliver finds a book of names that belonged to his father with names of very bad people. Oliver is trying to right his father’s wrongs by killing everyone on that list with the skills he acquired on the island to survive. After realizing that killing people will not right his father’s wrongs, he becomes a superhero who fights for justice and vengeance.

Season 1 and 2 are done brilliantly with a strong villain in Deathstroke, who really make these seasons. Probably a top five villain of all time, sitting proudly on that fifth spot. In seasons 3-6, the show definitely dies down a bit with plot and the pacing of the story. The villains seem lackluster and their motivation is bland with the basic rule the city aspirations. If you can power through those three seasons, the show is definitely worth your time. The annual crossover makes it worth all the cheesiness that comes with being on the CW. Seeing the Green Arrow and The Flash coming together to fight evil is something special.

Besides the crossovers, season 7 definitely makes up for it when Oliver Queen goes to prison. After finally being accused and caught for the murders that he did in his earlier years, it is exciting to see him in prison with all the convicts that he put away. With his identity out and a huge target on his back, fans should be excited and sad to see the show end after eight years. Sadly, this does not uphold to the standards that the superhero movies have laid out. The quality of the show goes up and down more times than a roller coaster. Though it is still enjoyable to watch, the series could have been way better than what it actually is. I genuinely love the show only because my love for superheroes exceeds my love for a great show.

Do you agree with me? Comment down below, share with your friends, and join the debate.