End of Year Wrap Up - Tori Style

End Of Year Wrap-Up

Tori Style

So during this last month of 2015, we at The Lettuce Podcast decided that we wanted to look back at the year and talk about the things in media that caught our attention. Now this might be because they were released this year, or it might be because it was the first time we found it, but what these items share in common is that they gripped our imaginations. I'm going to be starting us off, and I decided to go by categories, the first one being...

Television: The Flash

The Flash premiered in the 2014-2015 year and quickly became one of my favorite superhero shows. Many shows and movies in this genre struggle with trying to take the material too seriously or treating it like a joke. The first season of Flash combined serious and engaging drama with fun comic book tropes. This show truly embraces its origins and is one of the few DC properties that doesn't feel the need to be dark and gritty. One of my favorite things about this version of Flash is that the show is dedicated to showing that, even though Barry Allen has some extraordinary powers, they also have drawbacks and consequences that he always has to be conscious of. One of his most interesting powers, at least for me, is time travel and the ways a time jump can affect the same events. speaking of time, 

Television: Forever

Forever was another show that premiered in the 2014-2015 season, but unlike Flash, it was also cancelled in that year. Despite that this was another show that dealt heavily with time that really appealed to me. The premise of this show was that a doctor was killed in the 1800s but, because of mysterious circumstances, he came back to life and ever since then, he has been unable to die. He is always reborn in the nearest body of water, which in and of itself lends for some fun moments. This show really explores mortality and how we fear the passage of time, and even though it had its corny moments, I'm glad I got to watch it while it aired. 

Movies: Inside Out

This was the first Pixar movie to come out this year and, even though there were a few inaccuracies, it was a wonderful exploration of emotion. It was really cool to see a movie that is aimed towards children explore a complex topic like how the mind works. I loved that there really wasn't a villain and that all of the conflict came from perspective. I also can't deny that one of my favorite parts was the end credits where we entered the minds of many different characters and animals from the film. If you haven't seen it, or you've forgotten, do yourself a favor and indulge in a youtube visit. 

Music: Hamilton

I'm including this under music because I have only been able to experience Hamilton through the soundtrack. Hamilton is the story of Alexander Hamilton, the ten dollar founding father. Hamilton's life is full of drama and fight, as he claws his way from an island in the Caribbean, to George Washington's right-hand man, to treasurer of state, to one of only two people to have been shot by a sitting vice president. He is also responsible for one of our nations first sex scandals, as detailed in The Reynolds Pamphlet. This show is also just as much about his political rival Aaron Burr. Burr is responsible for some of the biggest numbers in the show, including Wait For It and The Room Where it Happens. One of the best things about this show is that it covers such a wide variety of modern styles. Guns and Ships is a fast paced rap number that I am still frantically trying to sing perfectly. On the other side, It's Quiet Uptown is such a moving and melodic song that I teared up the first time I heard it. I then had to quickly hide my tears since I was at work. This show will be a definitive show for my generation of broadway lovers, and it is one of those rare shows that will be able to cross interests and draw people to musical theater who swore they would never see a broadway show. 

Books: His Majesty's Dragon

So this series has been out for a long time and I actually tried it back when I was still in high school. This book is a historical fantasy novel that is set during the napoleonic wars and questions what those conflicts would be like if both side had dragons. Dragons in this world introduce the possibility of aerial warfare in the greco-roman world, so by the time the napoleonic era has arrived, dragons are an integrated part of the military, and when our main character bonds with an egg that his ship captures, he must make his way in this distinctly unique wing of the British King's military. I re-visited this series this year, and my larger knowledge of Napoleon, his conquests and his defeats made this series a lot more intriguing. You do have to have an interest in military history and tactics, since the story revolves entirely around war. As the story progresses however, you get to see Temeraire, our dragon, and William Laurence, our handler, in many different environments, including a diplomatic trip to China. This series is a really good example of historical fiction, and I am glad that I gave it another try.  

Podcasts: Read it and Weep

So this is a little bit of a cheat since I have been listening to this podcast for a long time, but it is truly one of my favorites and they started doing something that made me truly happy this year. This podcasts covers bad movies, books and television and over half of their episodes are sponsored by listeners. Between this and monthly contributions, they have enough funding that they were able to really have fun with their ads this year. They have always had storylines, such as space shark and meatburg, but this year they started doing fake, sarcastic ads for typical podcast sponsors. In this vein, one of my favorite things they did this year was their series of ads for bing, entreating you to bingle instead of google and even coming up with their own catchphrase. Adding this to a podcast that was already extremely fun to listen to and is one of the few podcasts I know that is willing to cover books just reaffirmed why I love this show and look out for a new episode every week.

So that is a quick summary of my highlights for this year. I hope it was fun to read, and maybe you found your new adventure for 2016. Have a great season lettuce heads! Arugulater!