Currently...

You might notice something a little bit different about this week’s Currently… There’s a lot less media! I decided I wanted to pivot to talk a little more about the media I’ve watched, or at least am excited about. I hope you enjoy my thoughts on the stuff below and take a moment to watch both. The new Black Panther film can be watched for a $5 ticket at Wonderland Cinema and “Wednesday” already released all 8 of its episodes on Netflix. I hope you’ll take a moment to watch both and enjoy them just as much as I did. Both have a lot to teach all of us about the human experience, and how truly magical it can be sometimes.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
On the day I wrote this article, which was Tuesday, November 29, I opened my Instagram homepage to a birthday tribute to Chadwick Boseman. He would have been 46 years old. I took a moment to reflect on the pain of when he passed away. How shocking and startling the news was. Boseman’s death was the first time I felt like I lost a hero. Of course, he was so much more than just a fantastic and talented actor. When he stepped into the iconic suit of the Black Panther, he became an icon, a larger-than-life character that exemplified Black pride and joy. Leading up to the release of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” the sequel to the memorable first film, I found myself incredibly nervous as to how Ryan Coogler would keep Chadwick Boseman’s work sacred, but still continue this film series’ important work forward.

I was pleasantly surprised. I sat down in the theater wearing white, surrounded by classmates and students (you KNOW I had to support BSCF and ASA’s screening; it was a fantastic event btw!). The film opens with the sounds of tears and mourning, focusing the camera quickly on the film’s titular character, T’Challa’s younger sister Shuri. Giving audiences a moment to breathe, grieve, and remember, it then launches into a grandiose, relevant tale that captured my attention completely and never let my concentration drop.

I debated strongly whether this article would be chock-full of spoilers; I really wanted to gush about my favorite moments and characters. The highs, the lows, the absolute artistry and return to superhero magic that this film was. But truly, you have to see it for yourself.

“Wakanda Forever” is easily the best film in Marvel’s Phase 4 and keeps its audience crying and cheering (sometimes at the same time; if you watched that post-credits scene, then you know what I’m talking about). It’s a must-watch, a must-see, a veritable theatrical must-buy.

Wednesday
For fans of the famous “Addams Family” film comes a Netflix series spotlighting the series' eldest daughter, Wednesday. In a new decade, Wednesday, after being kicked out of public school for tormenting her brother’s bullies with piranhas, is sentenced to the torture of high school at Nevermore Academy, a boarding academy famous for hosting “outcasts” or those with special abilities like herself. At first, Wednesday pushes back, viewing her new werewolf roommate Enid and the rest of those grateful for the shelter that Nevermore provides as crazy.  However, after insanity ensues, from attempted murder to a beast on the prowl in the nearby woods, she knows she’ll fit in just fine. Perhaps Nevermore is exactly what she’s needed all along.

The series, just 8 episodes long, is perfect for fans of Enola Holmes who’ve longed for a darker twist. Wednesday Addams keeps people at arm’s length and constantly reiterates her absolute distaste for them, making her a harsh & successful detective. She may not work to win the audience’s love, but it is for that very reason that audiences love her. The show also brings back favorites Gomez and Morticia, with a surprise late-season cameo from another beloved member of the Addams family (shhh no spoilers allowed!).

Personally, I loved the series. I binged all eight episodes over Thanksgiving break, the series’ mystery stringing me along in search for an answer. I’ll admit, I came for the mystery (I love a good whodunnit), but I stayed for Wednesday. She’s just got so many walls up against the world, hiding under this love of darkness and horror, and it's a joy to watch those who love and care about her slowly break those walls down. She realizes along the way that maybe caring for those you love isn’t a weakness, but a strength. We are all only as good as our support system, I suppose.
Of course, my only issue with the series was probably #WednesGAY, or the lack of it. Wednesday Addams has never felt like a classic, cishet, character, and I would have liked to see just a little more queer representation in this quirky character who has made lots of queer people over the ages feel seen. As drag queen Crystal Methyd states, “ Wednesday Addams is a queer icon because at her core, she revels in being an outsider…Instead of being shamed by the differences between her family’s way of life and that of society at large, she embraces what makes her different.” And while maybe I can compromise on a straight Wednesday, her taste in men is so… average. Also, let’s be honest, she doesn’t seem overly interested in either of them. Here’s to hoping Season 2 brings us a dark, spooky, interesting guy (or girl) that matches her energy.
If you’re looking for an easy, spooky, binge with lots of heart, I’d recommend. This is one of the best things I’ve seen from Netflix so far and if the streaming service continues in this direction, maybe I’ll decide to renew my subscription this year.