Show Review: Stranger Things Season 3 (Spoiler-Free)

This review of the third and most recent season of Netflix’s original series Stranger Things will not contain spoilers, so if you haven’t seen the season yet but want to know my opinion on it as a whole, don’t be afraid to read here!

After what I considered a moderately disappointing sophomore slump following an incredible first season, I was eager to see where the Stranger Things creators, the Duffer Brothers, would take the Hawkins-based story in season 3. The second season left me desiring more of the nostalgia that was so abundant in the first season. The second season’s plot and flanderization of certain characters also left a lot to be desired in my opinion. Luckily, season 3 of Stranger Things was mostly a return to form for this incredibly original story.

Without going into too specific much detail, I will highlight some of my personal favorite elements in the new season. Firstly, I enjoyed the sometimes unconventional pairings of certain characters that enabled more character development than would have been possible if said characters stayed in their usual bubbles. This season’s plot comes off as cheesy or unrealistic at points, but its basic foundation is more similar to season 1 than season 2’s plot was. I also enjoyed the contributions from new characters and actors, specifically what I thought was a very impressive performance from Maya Hawke’s Robin. The delicate balance between tension, drama, and comic relief was achieved throughout the entire season, which made the 8 episodes go by unbelievably quickly. The Duffer Brothers have suggested that season 4 may be the show’s last, and after the finale episode, that makes sense to me.

Some of the season’s downfalls that put it a couple notches below season 1 may be seen as nitpicking, but the Duffer Brothers have set a standard of excellence that I’ve come to expect out of the show. The plot’s scope is a little difficult to suspend my disbelief for, and the scale of the show not simply being contained to Hawkins seems to be getting out of the control of the show’s writers. Throughout the season, some characters become the most exaggerated versions of who they once were, which is unfortunate. There is also some fan service, but that is to be expected in a very self-aware show that is a complete nostalgia play. Some of the season’s finale “boss fights” also left more to be desired, but I thoroughly enjoyed the finale’s emotional final scenes.

Overall, Strangers Things (season) 3 was not a disappointment. I certainly did not enjoy it as much as I enjoyed season 1, but I didn’t expect to going into it. I was pleased to find this season more compelling and enjoyable than season 2, and I think that Stranger Things will be remembered as an excellent and very creative, original story if it ends fittingly after season 4. If you’ve already watched season 3 and were hoping for a juicer, more in-depth review then I apologize - maybe one will be coming soon. If not, go dive back into the world of the upside down and enjoy the fireworks that this season of Stranger Things brings, there are plenty to be enjoyed.

SCORE: 7/10

2019 NBA Off-Season - Kevin Durant And Kyrie Irving To Brooklyn Nets Reaction

NBA Basketball’s free agency period began last night at 6PM EST sparking chaos as teams came to agreements with players and contracts were negotiated. That’s right, F5 season is upon us, and as all of the trades and signings continue to be reported by NBA insiders, I will keep refreshing my feeds to keep up with the latest deals. One of the biggest winners so far in this year’s free agency is the Brooklyn Nets. Much to many Knicks, Celtics, and Warriors fans dismay, both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have made verbal commitments to join Brooklyn’s young and impressive team, signing for contracts of 4-year, $164M and 4-year, $141M respectively in early July. Brooklyn also made their free agency splurge even sweeter by getting DeAndre Jordan to commit to a 4-year, $40M deal made possible through KD and Irving taking minor pay cuts. There’s a lot to talk about here.

First are the direct ramifications of the trade. The Brooklyn Nets have agreed to send all-star guard D’Angelo Russell to the Golden State Warriors on a 4-year, $117M deal. The Golden State Warriors plan on signing Splash Brother Klay Thompson onto a 5-year, $190M deal, and traded Finals MVP Andre Iguodala to the Memphis Grizzlies to clear up cap space to do so. The future will be very interesting for the Warriors, and matchups between GSW and Brooklyn will be must-see basketball.

Unfortunately Kevin Durant got hurt, as we all know, in the 2019 Finals and isn’t expected to come back to play by the time the 2019-2020 season rolls around. Hopefully this will give Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan enough time to settle into the New York spotlight, develop chemistry, and figure out how to get wins with their new group of teammates. Once Kevin Durant returns to action a year later, I will be expecting the Brooklyn Nets to be a top 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, especially if Kawhi Leonard leaves the Toronto Raptors in favor of the Los Angeles Lakers, which is looking more and more likely every hour. I do find it interesting that Kyrie Irving is teaming up to form a super team of his own after defiantly leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers to go lead a team of his own only to be humbled by his experience in Boston. Irving is a clutch and extremely talented player, but it seems that he needs good team chemistry to thrive and stay mentally fit to win big games, otherwise seemingly losing passion in the game.

I’m very excited for the coming days of free agency, and this is just one of the many moves that have even happened so far. It’s all getting a little hard to keep straight; Jimmy Butler is a member of the Heat, D. Rose a Piston, JJ Redick a Pelican, Kemba Walker a Celtic, and so on. The 2019-20 season of NBA Basketball will be fascinating for a number of reasons, but until then, I will continue to analyze and react to off-season shockers and Woj Bombs as they happen. Stay tuned.

Album Review: CASE STUDY 01 - Daniel Caesar

I’m happy to say that there is finally another album for me to review on this blog. Unfortunately, this summer has been somewhat slow as far as musical releases go. Luckily, R&B artist Daniel Caesar has snapped that cold streak. This album’s shock drop with no lead up singles was a very pleasant surprise, and while this album isn’t perfect, there are gems throughout that will be on repeat as the summer goes on.

I need to preface this review by admitting that Daniel Caesar has a special place in my heart. Caesar’s 2017 release Freudian (which I rated 8/10) was one of my top 10 album releases from that year. Since Freudian’s rollout, I’ve returned to tracks such as “Get You” and “Best Part” which have become quite sentimental to me because of my relationship. Going into CASE STUDY 01 both my expectations and hopes were high, and while I wasn’t disappointed, this generally seems to be a slight regression for Caesar.

The most accurate description I’ve been able to come up with for this project is “bottom heavy”. The second half of tracks, specifically from “SUPERPOSITION” and onward, are a return to form for Caesar that perhaps exceeds the quality of music he’s ever released. Tracks 7 through 10, “SUPERPOSITION”, “TOO DEEP TO TURN BACK”, “COMPLEXITIES”, and “ARE YOU OK?” both feel sentimental and experimental; nostalgic and brand new simultaneously - which are the exact qualities that I turn to Caesar for. Beat switches, soft accompanying acoustic guitar, and Caesar’s signature vocal performances really round out CASE STUDY 01’s rocky start.

“CYANIDE” is one of the only tracks from the front half of this project that really caught my attention. Unique flows and high production value will likely make this track the highlight of many fan’s listens of this project. Besides that song, however, I was underwhelmed with the beginning tracks. “ENTROPY”, “LOVE AGAIN”, and especially “FRONTAL LOBE MUZIK” featuring Pharrell Williams just didn’t hit the mark in my opinion. I can’t even pinpoint why exactly I’m not drawn back to these tracks, which is why I don’t exclusively review music, but there’s just something that feels hollow about these tracks. Objectively they aren’t bad, but again, “SUPERPOSITION” is what kicks this album online to me, and salvages rating points that the first half of this album couldn’t produce.

I’m happy to have another Daniel Caesar album downloaded in my library, and I’m sure some of the tracks will be repeat listens for me. This is a generally a good album that could have great if the same production and attention to detail were given to the opening tracks. I’m excited to see which direction Caesar goes from here.

SCORE: 6/10

Best Foot Forward: A Sneaker Series (Part 3)

I’ve decided to kick off the weekend with another submission from my sneaker series. This past week was the first lull here on the blog from me for a variety of reasons, and luckily one that didn’t last longer than a week, but I’m going to try to be better with consistency and frequency posting here. With that being said, let’s take a look at the sneakers being highlighted and discussed this week, which also happen to be four from my collection that have taken the spotlight recently and that get lots and lots of wear.

Pair 1 (Upper Left): Common Projects Chelsea boots in Brown Suede

I’ve been asked the question before “If you could only keep 3 pairs of shoes from your entire collection, which would they be and why?” and this pair of boots is always one of the first to come to mind. A perfect blend of elegant and street-worthy, the sleek silhouette of the Common Projects Chelsea boot is my favorite offering on the market right now. There are many alternatives, both more and less expensive, but Common Projects’ quality and craftsmanship make them worth the price tag in my opinion. I’m 20 years old turning 21 relatively soon and have worn this pair consistently since I was 18, and there are very few signs of wear and tear besides the darkening of the incredibly comfortable crepe sole which is to be expected. I’m as ecstatic to have this pair in my collection now as I was the first day that I unboxed these, and still in awe of the fact that I own the same pair I held in Barneys New York’s Chicago location thinking “one day… one day…” as a 16 year old.

Pair 2 (Upper Right): Nike X John Elliott Air Force 1 Low in White

The recent reemergence of this classic Nike silhouette’s rising popularity, the fact that I live in Atlanta, Georgia, me wanting to have a matching pair with my stylish and amazing girlfriend, and the collaboration with one of my favorite streetwear labels John Elliott made this pair a must-cop for me. It’s no secret that white Air Force 1’s are now the go-to sneaker for many millennials. Their versatility, comfort level, and history make for an easily-recognized and iconic pair to add to any collection. The Air Force 1’s relevance to me is even higher thanks to Atlanta’s hip-hop history, making it a staple in Georgian streetwear. I knew that my girlfriend had wanted an all-white pair of AF1’s for a while, so nearing our 1 year anniversary I got us both a pair in so that we could match. John Elliott’s reimagining and manipulation of the classic sneaker also made this absolutely necessary. The embossed leather swoosh, double tongue, and silver aglet are perfect additions to a nearly perfect sneaker.

Pair 3 (Lower Left): Air Jordan 4 Retro “Bred”

Michael Jordan is my favorite, and in my opinion the greatest, basketball player of all time. Not only did MJ bring 6 titles to my Chicago Bulls franchise, he did so in style and iconic fashion. One of Jordan’s first truly iconic moments, dubbed “The Shot”, eliminated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the 1989 Eastern Conference playoffs, and was made while wearing the “Bred” Air Jordan 4, cementing a spot in sneaker history and making this pair an instant classic. It also didn’t hurt that the 2019 retro (30 years after the original release) was done perfectly: great materials used, solid construction, and very comfortable to wear.

Pair 4 (Lower Right): Saint Laurent SL/06 Distressed in White

These are easily the most unique pair of luxury sneakers that I own. Out of the box, these shoes look worn. That is the point. Contrasting the cleanliness and elegance of my Saint Laurent Wyatts featured in Part 1 of this series here, this low-top sneaker is rugged and an entire aesthetic of its own. Understated luxury, even with a loud and embroidered branding on the side that looks hand written, shines on this pair. These sneaker accompany my style very well, and the eggshell white color accompanies almost every outfit paired with these.

I hope that this series continues to inform and entertain you about sneakers, fashion, and myself in general. It will certainly continue soon, as long as more NBA speculation and analysis, self-reflective posts, advice posts, and many more. Stay tuned.

My Hopes Are High For Seasons 2 Of Big Little Lies... So Far So Good

After what many years-long fans considered to be an abomination in Game Of Thrones season 8 (I personally didn’t think it was that bad), HBO finds themselves on the precipice of a new era of dragonless broadcasting. Their other hit series Westworld will not return until 2020, and many are hopeful but cautiously skeptical as to which direction that series is headed after a complicated season 2. Curb Your Enthusiasm and Silicon Valley are likely to end after their next seasons, so I’m hoping that there are new productions that captivate audiences like so many of their series have for years. Another series of HBO’s that is likely to end after the current season wraps is Big Little Lies. Based on Liane Moriarty’s novel of the same title, Big Little Lies is a captivating story about abuse, family, and as you could guess from the title, keeping secrets from those close to you. I haven’t read the book yet, but from what I’ve read about it, the events in the novel conclude the same way they did in season 1 of the television adaptation. The show, however, is continuing into its second season and is being written in part by Moriarty to extend the original story. I was initially disappointed and extremely skeptical about there being a season 2 of this show just because of how well I felt season 1 ended, but now that the first two episodes have aired, I am completely relieved and excited to see which direction the show goes.

The performances this season are phenomenal so far and we are only two episodes in. My season 1 MVP, Nicole Kidman, is being rivaled by the legendary Meryl Streep who is new to the Big Little Lies universe, and so far is a force to be reckoned with. It’s apparent how seriously the actors involved here are taking their roles when listening to them discuss the process in interviews, such as when Kidman detailed how traumatic and humiliating filming some of the season 1 scenes were for her. Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, and Zoe Kravitz are demonstrating their skills and ranges with these dynamic characters, and the rest of the cast seems fully committed to getting an authentic story to the screen by any means necessary. The soundtrack and editing for this series are superb as well, just as they were in season 1, and the hour that the show takes every week seems to fly by. Every time a new episode comes on, I feel fully immersed by the weight of the dynamics and circumstances in Monterey yet again.

If you haven’t heard of or given Big Little Lies a chance yet, I highly recommend it. I enjoy television shows with strong dialogue, a realistic and compelling story, and production that brings it all together. This series isn’t lacking in any of those departments. Now that I’ve gushed about my interest in this series, I’m going to go sit in a corner and wait until tonight’s new episode.