Circus, But No Bread: The World of Panem in The Hunger Games

In 1516, Thomas More published Utopia, and the world learned a new word to describe a perfect society. Of course, the converse also had to emerge, so audiences have also enjoyed fictional accounts of when a society becomes the worst version of itself: the dystopia. This narrative is fertile ground for examining many themes. One recent popular and successful example is The Hunger Games trilogy. The world of Panem in The Hunger Games offers a profound commentary on the culture we live in as all good dystopian stories do because of the ways it bears a resemblance to our reality.

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The Strange Affair of Fairy-Kind

Every morning I bet you wake up and think, “Today I will contemplate the Napoleonic Wars and the many ways they could have been won or lost.” Okay, maybe that’s a bit dramatic. Even I, a History Major, admit I never gave old Bonaparte more than a passing glance when I was poring over history books. So I wouldn’t blame you if you retorted, “Heck, I’ve never given over three seconds thought to the old dude” and move on with your day.

Asking Deep, Irreverent Questions: Good Omens

Once, a friend paid me a compliment. He said, “You are the most devout ‘irreverent’ person I have ever met.” Okay, maybe it wasn’t a compliment. It was a perplexed, worried statement. I thanked him anyway. As a girl who loves to approach life with humor, even the “serious bits,” as author Terry Pratchett would call them, it’s no surprise I would love the series Good Omens.

Macgyver: A Childhood Hero

Macgyver. Now, I’m not talking about the new incarnation of the character, but the original version played by Richard Dean Anderson in the 1980s. I remember sitting in front of the television at age 6, enthralled by every miracle he worked with random, everyday items like a paperclip or a bit of tape.

Mission: Accomplished

Everyone knows the spy genre when they see it on screen. If you’re watching incredibly photogenic people in various incredibly photogenic locations around the globe (especially Europe’s capitol cities) doing incredibly photogenic and amazing physical feats, you’ve entered the world of international espionage. The success of James Bond in films in the ‘60s spurred many small-screen spies. One of these was Mission: Impossible, and it was a hit, running from 1966 to 1973. For over 20 years, the film franchise has been just as successful. Over the course of six installments, the Mission: Impossible series has improved in its treatment of female characters, its narrative continuity, and in maintaining its signature stunt work.

Where Eagles Dare (1968)

World War Two rages. The Nazis and their pals have conquered Europe and have made inroads into Russia. The Allies are finalizing their plans to invade France and begin pushing the bullies back where they belong… and then the unthinkable happens.

Marvel’s Agent Carter: We Know Our Value

Many have lauded marvel’s short-lived TV show ‘Agent Carter’ as a triumph for modern feminism (especially because of how the show deals with office politics – Peggy Carter versus the men of the SSR). And while there are more than a few feminist touches throughout the show, I think people who interpret ‘Agent Carter’ merely as a vehicle for feminism are missing the bigger picture.

Paul Milner: The Everyday Sleuth

Although Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle is most the center of this drama (with his name in the title, seems only fair, haha), and comes up with the final piece needed to solve every case, for this article I wanted to focus on another member of the main detective trio as he appeared through Seasons 1-5, Detective Sergeant Paul Milner.

Arriving in Paradise

Okay, let’s be honest with each other. It’s mid-February and winter is dragging its feet and the snowy blues seem like they will NEVER LEAVE! You look out the window and its 14 degrees out and grey and yucky and summer feels like it will never brighten the skies again. Yikes! So humans do the next logical thing. We fantasize about a nice tropical getaway, a paradise with shimmering blue-green water, palm trees, eighty-five degree breezes and a chilled, sparkling glass of murder. Wait, what? That last bit doesn’t fit? Oh, but what if you’re a sleuth, keen on solving mysteries, including that most morbid of its kind: murder? Or better yet, what if that’s your job!

Time for Love: Lucy/Wyatt/Jessica on Timeless

Familiar to any regular television watcher (or any YA novel reader), the love triangle trope has a long history and will probably never go away. Few use it well, however. The device itself lends to drama, so often that becomes the purpose of the storyline instead of furthering the relationships and character development. Timeless is a recent example of a love triangle done well on television. The Lucy/Wyatt/Jessica plotline is that rare thing—a love triangle well-executed for a vast majority of its screen time.