Thursday, March 28Royal Holloway's offical student publication, est. 1986

Tag: tv

Bridgerton, Our Flag Means Death, and Diversifying History
Film & TV

Bridgerton, Our Flag Means Death, and Diversifying History

In our digital age, where information about any historical era is more readily available than ever before and any uppity fact-checker can send a Tweet, differing opinions about the extent to which historical drama has a duty to be ‘accurate’ abound. There are video essays a-plenty pointing out the inaccuracies and anachronisms in just about any movie or TV show with a historical setting. But lately, we’ve seen media embrace anachronism. Two recent and ongoing shows in particular, Bridgerton and Our Flag Means Death, use anachronism to increase minority representation and give their histories a diverse and modern twist. The goal, in any fictional narrative, is not to give a history lesson. Though the occasional YouTube video detailing the inauthenticity of a character’s hat in the lates...
The Worst Person In The World: the Nordic highs and lows of human connection
Features, Film & TV

The Worst Person In The World: the Nordic highs and lows of human connection

Joachim Trier’s Oslo trilogy may not follow stories that are directly linked, but there is a connection between them that even Anders Danielsen Lie, who stars in each film, noticed ‘feels just like a continuation’. That continuation may be loss, love, or loneliness, three themes that follow the central characters through each story. But whilst they aren’t always resolved, they haunt audiences with a sense of realism, often hitting close to home. ‘The Worst Person in the World’ or ‘Verdens verste menneske’ is Trier’s final installment, and a cinematic masterpiece in its own right. It captures the fragility of life through the lens of Julie, a 20-something woman who gets stuck in the indecisiveness of her ambition, a cultivated indication of what it means to be young and conflicted. “I f...
9 of the Best Relationships in Television
Features, Film & TV

9 of the Best Relationships in Television

Romantic Relationships Phil and Claire Dunphy – Modern Family Across 11 seasons of iconic television, Phil and Claire continuously proved they have one of the best onscreen relationships. From Phil’s optimistic nature and cheerleader mentality to Claire’s determined and competitive streak, these two balance each other out to form the perfect married couple. Mel and Jack – Virgin River  While the show keeps throwing obstacles at these two, they always find their way back to one another. Their pasts constantly make it difficult for them to focus on creating a future. Despite this,  Jack’s uncanny ability to get himself in harm's way and Mel’s speciality in helping those in need make for a dynamic that leaves viewers wanting more. Friendships Otis and Eric – S...
Streaming Services Saved My Life
Features, Film & TV

Streaming Services Saved My Life

The title might be a tad hyperbolic, but looking back on the months of being confined to the four walls of my home during the beginning of 2020, it makes sense. With the staggering halt to social interaction during the early days of the pandemic, film lovers lost out on the conventional cinema going experience. Transcending its responsibility as a source of our binge watching, streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+ satiated our cravings. With concepts such as Netflix Party and other group watching services, virtual film watching experiences allowed us to adapt to our new circumstances while capturing the social cinema feeling that we all missed and loved. With fleeting trends that aimed to keep us occupied during the seemingly endless days of lockdown, Netflix remained tried and t...
From Gilmore Girls to Ginny & Georgia: The Rise of the ‘Sexy’ Teen
Film & TV

From Gilmore Girls to Ginny & Georgia: The Rise of the ‘Sexy’ Teen

It hasn’t escaped the notice of viewers that on-screen sex scenes are becoming more and more frequent. As we move ever further from the Hays Code-era censorship, chaste kisses and prudish cutaways have become a thing of the past, a relic of the twentieth century. But it’s in films and television shows centred around underage characters where this development in on-screen sex is considered a moral grey area. Imagine a real-life 16-year-old. Maybe you have a sibling or a cousin around that age. They’re children, right? It’s downright uncomfortable to think of them in a sexual context. Yet when these 16-year-olds are portrayed by gorgeous Hollywood twenty-somethings, a high-school setting is not enough to deter showrunners and audiences from viewing fictional children in a sexual light.&n...
Which ‘Queer Eye’ is your accommodation?
Lifestyle

Which ‘Queer Eye’ is your accommodation?

Have you been binge-watching 'Queer Eye' and desperately scrambling to find the answer to the age-old question: if one of these men was a Royal Holloway University accommodation, which one would he be? Well, look no further than this fool-proof guide to which ‘Queer Eye’ guy is your accommodation. Founders Hall - Jonathan Van Ness Founders is loud and Founders is proud! When you hear “Royal Holloway”, your first thought goes immediately to the wonder that is Founders. Similarly, when you hear ‘Queer Eye’, you immediately picture the beautiful long locks of Jonathan Van Ness. And of course, it goes without question that JVN’s penchant for perfect grooming and impeccable style really vibes with the evergreen beauty of Founders.  Gowar and Wedderburn - Tan Frances Let’s face it, ...
10 films and TV shows that would be better if they were gay
Culture & Literature, Film & TV

10 films and TV shows that would be better if they were gay

Love Island It would just be better, right?   High School Musical If Chad and Ryan's homoerotic performance of 'I Don't Dance' in HSM 2 didn't convince you something steamy was going on in the locker room after that baseball game, I don't know what will.   Titanic ‘Jackie, I want you to draw me like one of your French girls’.   To All The Boys I've Loved Before This could be a great bisexual one. Stick a few girls in. You'd have to change the title I guess, but it would be worth it.   Gilmore Girls Some people preferred Dean, others preferred Jess, and Logan was there too, but there should be one thing that we can all agree on: Paris should have been gay. Whether or not Rory should have ended up with Paris is up for deb...
Love Island and Racial Diversity
Opinion

Love Island and Racial Diversity

This year, Love Island saw its first black woman, Samira Mighty, entering the villa and the show failed her. From the moment Samira was not chosen by any of the Love Island men in the first episode, I knew that she would be facing this kind of rejection for the rest of the series. Throughout the show, she was either seen as a second choice by the men or served her role as an asexual agony aunt there to save the relationships of her white friends. Unfortunately, Samira’s experience on the show is simply representative of black women’s experience in the real world. Misogynoir is a portmanteau that combines ‘misogyny’ with the French word for black, ‘noir’. The term, coined by the black feminist Moya Bailey, is often overlooked by mainstream feminist discourse as it describes the racialise...
The Strangest Thing about Season Two
Culture & Literature, Film & TV

The Strangest Thing about Season Two

*Mild Spoilers ahead* Unless you live your life as a certified hermit crab, you’ve likely heard at least whispers of the latest phenomenon of popular culture, Stranger Things. The greatly anticipated second season of the Netflix Original was released on 27 October, to both critical and commercial acclaim. This season certainly lives up to the formidable legacy left by the first, possibly even surpassing it in terms of quality. And while the narrative of this season feels completely fresh, the lasting effects of last season’s trauma are still very much present. The captivating opening scene to the series broadens the immersive universe of the show, yet there is a lasting impression that this season only scratches the surface of the immense backstory of the ST universe. This scene, acc...
Doctor Who’s regenerating – in more ways than one…
Culture & Literature, Film & TV

Doctor Who’s regenerating – in more ways than one…

The casting of a new Doctor is actually a reflection of the intended audience, writes Beth Carr. Months of speculation and waiting ended at the weekend: not only did Federer win Wimbledon in straight sets but the identity of the next Doctor in Doctor Who was revealed. A hood was dropped and the secret of Jodie Whittaker’s casting was out. You might know her from Broadchurch, working with Doctor Who’s new showrunner Chris Chibnall, or from playing ditsy Beverley in St Trinian’s. She’s also no stranger to sci-fi after starring in 2011 film Attack the Block. Despite this success under her belt, Whittaker’s casting has caused a tsunami of response from both fans and non-fans of the show. The reason? She is a woman taking over a role traditionally and exclusively played by men, a Time Lor...