‘What If…?’ Retrospective: Episode Three Tells a Dark but Hopeful Tale
by Noah Tang
The third episode of “What If…?” pivots from the relatively light and cheerful tone of the first two episodes. It tells the story of how five of the six original Avengers are brutally murdered during the events of Fury’s Big Week, the seven-day period in which the films “Iron Man 2,” “Thor,” and “The Incredible Hulk” all take place. In the original timeline, this week was crucial in that it encompassed the formation of the Avengers.
However, this alternate ...
‘Dear Evan Hansen’ is an Impactful Film Critics Just Don’t Understand
By Sam Acosta
“Dear Evan Hansen” is a beautiful adaptation that brings the same big emotions that the original musical did. While some of the most popular songs are missing from the film, the story is still largely intact and communicated well. The new songs written for the film are also well written and well placed within the story's narrative.
The movie follows Evan, a high school senior struggling with depression and anxiety, whose therapist has instructed him to write letters of ...
Arts and Entertainment Podcast: Is ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ a misunderstood masterpiece?
Are the critics right in calling “Dear Evan Hansen” “a total misfire” and “one of the worst movie musicals ever made”? Or is there something beautiful and even remarkable to be appreciated even in light of the movie’s imperfections? In this episode, hosts Sam Acosta and Ben Hiett give their honest and original thoughts on one of the most polarizing movies in recent memory.
‘What If…?’ Retrospective: Episode Two Honors Chadwick Boseman’s Legacy
By Noah Tang
Episode two achieves a pleasantly surprising mixture of the “Black Panther” and “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchises, exploring what would have happened if T’Challa became Star-Lord instead of Peter Quill. In this timeline, Yondu Udonta delegates the task of finding Peter Quill to Kraglin and Taserface, who botch the job and take a young T’Challa by mistake. Surprisingly, the young Wakandan prince is not at all frightened by this experience and takes up Yondu’s offer ...
The Multiverse Unravels in ‘What If…?’ Episode Eight
By Janie Walenda
Full disclosure: I’ve never seen “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” I remember the Pinocchio song in the trailer, and I’ve seen maybe twenty minutes of the film total. That being said, I was excited to see Ultron return in “What If…Ultron Won?” He proves to be an intimidating villain, just as capable as Thanos of carrying more than one movie. This episode brings us a true age of Ultron, instead of the three days we got in “Age of Ultron.”
We open the ...
‘What If…?’ Retrospective: Episode One Starts off Series with a Satisfying Story
By Noah Tang
Throughout its run so far, Marvel’s animated series “What If…?” has revisited key points in the MCU, examining how the timeline could have proceeded had one choice been different. The episodes we have seen have shown that some alternate timelines unfold similarly to the main continuity while others diverge greatly from it.
The first episode, “What If…Captain Carter Were the First Avenger,” revisits the events of “Captain America: The First Avenger,” the change ...
‘What If…?’ Episode 7 Brings in Party Thor
By Janie Walenda
There’s no denying how important Thor and Loki have been to the MCU as a whole. Loki remains the MCU’s most iconic villain and remains a major character in this universe even after his tragic demise in “Infinity War” (thankfully, multiverses allow for such paradoxes). While the “Thor” movies have had their ups and downs, Thor himself has only grown in popularity, as evidenced by his upcoming fourth movie. This sibling rivalry defined much of the early MCU, ...
Arts & Entertainment Podcast: ‘Anne of Green Gables’
How do you translate a timeless novel to the stage? How do you prepare for a show in the midst of a COVID spike? Hear the answers to these and other questions from director Stacey Stratton and lead actress Hannah Bradley in this candid conversation about Cedarville’s Fall production of “Anne of Green Gables,” opening September 30.
‘Contagion’ Concerns a Different Kind of Pandemic
By Josh McClain
The novel “Contagion” by Erin Bowman came out in 2018, just before the era of COVID-19. Unfortunately, Bowman would have done well to wait until COVID made its appearance so she could take notes because our worldwide pandemic is quite frankly more creative than the infection Bowman attempted to resurrect.
Bowman’s sci-fi thriller begins in terrific form, initially earning every page turn. The story follows the evacuation of a space base crew, including research intern ...
‘Come from Away’ Offers Light During Dark Times
By Janie Walenda
When the U.S. airspace was shut down following the terrorist attacks on September 11, hundreds of aircraft were diverted to airports across Canada. Thirty-eight of these airplanes landed in a small town called Gander. The arrival of these airplanes nearly doubled the population of the town, adding close to 7000 people. “Come from Away,” a professionally recorded musical released on Apple TV+, shows the aftermath as the people of Gander strives to accommodate their ...
