Scrubs: My Ex’s Ex [S2:E3] – TV Review

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TL;DR – An episode that brings that old-school feel before kicking you in the face.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that aired this episode.

Charlie stuck in-between JD and Carla.

Scrubs Review –

When I was reviewing Season 1 of Scrubs, or Season 10 depending on your perspective, one of my main criticisms was that it felt isolated from the older episodes because most of the supporting cast didn’t make the jump. Today is the first episode where it felt like we were finally getting back to that level.

So, to set the scene, at Sacred Heart, there are three relationships on show. JD (Zach Braff) and Charlie (Rachel Bilson) are in that first stage of romance, Carla (Judy Reyes) and Turk (Donald Faison) are working through living together after so many years of marriage, and for Elliot (Sarah Chalke), well, she is single again. Which makes it the perfect time for JD to run into Sean (Scott Foley), his ex’s ex. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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The Diplomat: Windsor [S4:E1] – TV Review

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TL;DR – Delightfully chaotic as we get to watch a masterclass in dialogue.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Netflix service that I used to view this series.

Hal and Grace look out different windows during a car trip.

The Diplomat Review Introduction

My background is in International Relations, and it does not come up here as much as I would like, other than the occasional The Hitman’s Bodyguard jaunt. Well, today, given the situation of the world, I thought I would take a chance to have some wishful thinking in a world where the right things still matter, integrity still matters, to pretend for a couple of hours that everything hasn’t just gone to shit everywhere. Which is what I wrote when I dived into Season 3 of The Diplomat, and looking out at the world today, it still applies to Season 4.

So, to set the scene, everyone at the embassy is still dealing with the fallout of the Americans stealing a nuclear device from a grounded Russian submarine in British waters, which Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) did not know about, poor form, given that her husband Hal (Rufus Sewell) was the one who planned the covert military action with President Grace Penn (Allison Janney). Especially since Grace just got out from the cloud that she set in motion the events in Season 1 that led to the explosion on the British naval vessel. A lot of stuff went down last season. As both the President and Vice President made their way back to Air Force One, protestors blocked the highway. So, there is only one thing you can do: camp out at Windsor Castle for a while. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Japan Trip Day 13-14 – Explore-It

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TL;DR – It is time to take a bus, ferry, train, and plane home.

Disclosure – I paid for my flights, accommodation, entry, and everything you see purchased in this article.

Looking over the Japan Inland Sea at Hiroshima.

Exploring Japan –

I had always planned to go back to Japan one day, and had started making plans to go back in 2020. Then, well, 2020 happened. But late last year, I finally had the chance to put those plans back in motion as I flew out of Melbourne for Osaka, and thus my time in Japan began.

Sakurajima.

Alas, while I wish my time in Japan would last, one needed to return home for work, for one needs money for goods and services. But there was time left for one last look at the majestic Sakurajima.

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Street Fighter (2026) – Movie Review

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TL;DR – A complete mess of a film, with conflicting targets, wants, vibes, and narratives all colliding together in whatever we got in the final product.

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid-credit scene.

Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film.

1993 World Warrior Tournament II banner.

Street Fighter Review Introduction

If you had asked me a year ago if I was excited for a Street Fighter film, I probably would have looked at you oddly. The original was a bit of a camp mess, and video game adaptations in general have not been kind. However, the more we heard about this film, the more the dial shifted, and I became genuinely intrigued to see whether they could pull off such a chaotic premise. (Editor’s note: I was optimistic here before I watched the film; it does not go well for me)

So, to set the scene, for a long time, Ken Masters (Noah Centineo) and Ryu (Andrew Koji) were best friends, inseparable. That is until fate tore them apart in a way that only best friends can be ripped asunder: the death of their master Gouken (Don Lee). Many years later, in 1993, the next World Warrior Tournament is upon the world, and Chun-Li (Callina Liang) is on a mission to reunite the former friends and get them to fight. Still, none of them knows just what M. Bison (David Dastmalchian) has cooking in the background.

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Other Mommy – Movie Review

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TL;DR – Great production cannot save a profoundly hollow film from falling like a thud.

Rating: 1.5 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is a post-credit sting that you do not have to stay for.

Disclosure – I paid to watch this film.

Warning – Contains scenes with flashing lights.

A soft toy vulture on the top of a ball pit.

Other Mommy Review Introduction

Today we look at a film that is an odd duality. From the outside, this is a strongly constructed movie with a strong cast, engaging editing, strong cinematography, and an interesting spin on the supernatural monster mythology. It is also an insipid, hollow, dull exercise that turns a ninety-minute film into a slog.

So, to set the scene, on the surface, the Martin family of Ursula (Jessica Chastain), Russ (Jay Duplass), and little Bela (Arabella Olivia Clark) are the perfect unit. Maybe mum works a bit too much, maybe dad should have more going on in his life beyond painting miniatures, oh, and maybe Bela should not see Other Mommy (Jessica Chastain) in her closet at night.

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Japan Trip Day 12 – Explore-It

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TL;DR – I spent a day in Kagoshima watching a volcano erupt.

Disclosure – I paid for my flights, accommodation, entry, and everything you see purchased in this article.

Looking over the Japan Inland Sea at Hiroshima.

Exploring Japan –

I had always planned to go back to Japan one day, and had started making plans to go back in 2020. Then, well, 2020 happened. But late last year, I finally had the chance to put those plans back in motion as I flew out of Melbourne for Osaka, and thus my time in Japan began.

Sakurajima at sunrise.

I had woken up early, and instead of going back to bed, something called me to the window as I watched the Sun rise behind Sakurajima. It was honestly breathtaking. I know that Mt. Fuji is the undisputed king of Japanese mountains, but can I please submit my petition for Sakurajima to be considered the second-best mountain in the country?

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Japan Trip Day 11 – Explore-It

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TL;DR – I spent a day in Kagoshima, the last city on my Japan trip.

Disclosure – I paid for my flights, accommodation, entry, and everything you see purchased in this article.

Looking over the Japan Inland Sea at Hiroshima.

Exploring Japan –

I had always planned to go back to Japan one day, and had started making plans to go back in 2020. Then, well, 2020 happened. But late last year, I finally had the chance to put those plans back in motion as I flew out of Melbourne for Osaka, and thus my time in Japan began.

Shinkansen.

A new day, and conversely the last Shinkansen that I would be taking on my trip as I made my way down to the southernmost city on the main Japanese islands, Kagoshima, which is on the very edge of the stunning Kagoshima Bay in Kyushu.

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Japan Trip Day 10 – Explore-It

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TL;DR – My plans get a change-up at Suizenji Park.

Disclosure – I paid for my flights, accommodation, entry, and everything you see purchased in this article.

Looking over the Japan Inland Sea at Hiroshima.

Exploring Japan –

I had always planned to go back to Japan one day, and had started making plans to go back in 2020. Then, well, 2020 happened. But late last year, I finally had the chance to put those plans back in motion as I flew out of Melbourne for Osaka, and thus my time in Japan began.

Indian curry.

Today was the day that my hubris finally reached an impasse I could not breach. One of my main goals on this trip was to take a day trip to Nagasaki, and after some moving around in my timetable, today was meant to be the day to do it. However, I had woefully underestimated the travel time to the city from Kumamoto; also, for the first time on my trip, all the trains were booked out. So, I had a choice: wallow in my failure, okay, I did that for a while, or find out somewhere else to explore, and I eventually chose the latter. This involved taking another tram deep into the east of the city.  

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Japan Trip Day 9 – Explore-It

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TL;DR – I took a day trip to Miyakonojo.

Disclosure – I paid for my flights, accommodation, entry, and everything you see purchased in this article.

Looking over the Japan Inland Sea at Hiroshima.

Exploring Japan –

I had always planned to go back to Japan one day, and had started making plans to go back in 2020. Then, well, 2020 happened. But late last year, I finally had the chance to put those plans back in motion as I flew out of Melbourne for Osaka, and thus my time in Japan began.

By pure fluke, I had discovered just before leaving that a good friend of mine, who lives on the other side of the country, would not only be in Japan at the same time as me, but they would also be in Kyushu at the same time as me. Fast-forward through some schedules being compared, and we discovered that there was one day that we could catch up, and that was in the small mountain town of Miyakonojo. The first part of the trip for me was to take what turned out to be a very swanky train to Kagoshima, and then a local into the mountains.

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Japan Trip Day 8 – Explore-It

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TL;DR – I walked around Kumamoto Castle.

Disclosure – I paid for my flights, accommodation, entry, and everything you see purchased in this article.

Looking over the Japan Inland Sea at Hiroshima.

Exploring Japan –

I had always planned to go back to Japan one day, and had started making plans to go back in 2020. Then, well, 2020 happened. But late last year, I finally had the chance to put those plans back in motion as I flew out of Melbourne for Osaka, and thus my time in Japan began.

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