Entertainment

Happier World in Animal Crossing

By Elaina Bancroft

Editor-In-Chief

Love it or hate it, Nintendo’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons for the Switch is taking the world by storm. Released on March 20, the game is a therapeutic getaway from the negative and overwhelming society we are living in. There are no battles, time restrictions, boss levels, or strict rules, just a simple game on an island where your main goal is to relax and create. The idea of the game is simple: your job is to pick fruit, find fossils, decorate your house and island, plant flowers, fish, catch bugs, and help out your neighbors. Upon collecting raw materials from trees and rocks, players can craft furniture and decor and decorate their islands. Senior Jillian Stepanik says, “I wish I could pay off my student loans by selling twigs and bugs but life just isn’t as pure as this game.” People from all corners of the world are partaking in this calming and rewarding adventure, visiting friends’ islands, and relaxing.

According to Business Insider, the game sold 13 million copies in its first six weeks, making it the No. 2 best-selling game in the U.S. for the year, behind only Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. In real life, we have to stay at least six feet away, but in Animal Crossing, friends can spend hours at a time together on their islands - no social distancing required. A major factor in Animal Crossing’s success is the feeling of control it gives its players: you can plant a tree and watch it grow, plant a garden and see hybrid flowers appear, craft benches and make a garden, or do whatever makes you happy. The world is your oyster in this game, giving people much needed control in a world where it sometimes feels like none is to be found.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is an adorable game for the Nintendo Switch. (Photo from Google Images)

Pictures from Google. Collage by Meg Nassif.

A New Day, A New Show

By Meg Nassif

Editor-In-Chief, Trends Editor

Wake up, eat, do nothing, repeat. Our lives have gotten quite monotonous and boring lately but have no fear, Netflix is here! Since the beginning of our nation-wide stay-at-home order, Netflix has really stepped up their game. By the time you finish one show, you have three more to start! But if you’ve watched some of the newest releases, you know that nobody is complaining. With the majority of new releases being Netflix original shows, audiences are impressed with how captivating the new shows really are.

Within the next few weeks, there are several new releases that many audiences are looking forward to. May 14 brings season four of Riverdale to Netflix, with the show White Lines premiering the next day. Fans of The Society can also look forward to a season two coming later this year. And for those looking even farther ahead, a third season of YOU has been confirmed for 2021. But for now, here’s what you need to know about the current hottest shows on Netflix:

Tiger King

Tiger King is a Netflix original docu-series following Oklahoma zoo-keeper Joe Exotic and his wild life that has landed him in a prison cell. The show focuses on Extoic’s fued with self-proclaimed animal activist Carol Baskin. The show reveals to the audience that Baskin’s ex-husband Don Lewis went missing in a mysterious way. According to Fox News, the wave of viewer questions that has hit the Florida police has caused them to re-open the case of Lewis’s disappearance. The show is full of laughter, mystery, and heartbreak. While it is intended for mature audiences, it is a great show that everyone can enjoy.

STAR RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Too Hot To Handle

A paradise retreat and the 14 best looking people Netflix could find, what could go wrong? Although the show’s contestants were chosen for their good looks, the show focuses on encouraging them to create relationships and bonds that are deeper than just looks. Although this sounds great, the concept has made some viewers quite uncomfortable. Senior, Kierston Guy says, “ I watched the first five minutes and hated it.” As someone who has watched the whole series, I would agree that it is a very different concept and takes some getting used to. The show had good intentions, however; I think that there should have been more focus of encouraging personal growth within the participants.

STAR RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Love Is Blind

Dating, living together, and getting married are all big steps in any relationship. But what if all of these things happened within about two months? Oh, and did I mention by the time you're engaged, you’ve never seen your partner face-to-face? Love Is Blind is a new and innovative dating show to see if love is truly blind. Participants go through speed-dating rounds in rooms called “the pods.” Here, the participants have deep conversations and share some laughs without being able to see each other. Within two weeks, participants have the opportunity to propose and get engaged to the person they connected with in the pod. But when they finally see each other face-to-face, will the connection still be there? The show focuses on creating relationships with people’s personality, rather than their looks. A fan of the show, senior Ana Ackerman says, “I think it’s neat that you can form such strong connections behind walls without even meeting someone personally. It really shows that connections aren’t just made by looks.”

STAR RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hollywood

The life of a moviestar may seem glamorous, but the characters in Hollywood live a life of struggle. Set in the 1920s Hollywood film scene, we follow main character Jake Castello and his journey to stardom. The show tackles many important social topics that were prominent at the time and remain relevant today such as racism, homophobia, anti semitism, and women's rights. The show also features some well known actors. Playing an agent, we have Jim Parsons, known for his role as Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory. And playing an up-and-coming director we have Darren Chris, known for his role as Blane Anderson on the hit show Glee. “ I really enjoyed Darren Chris. He is such a talented actor,” says senior Alli Radziwon. The Netflix original series brings laughter, tears, and drama to the viewers, but it is a show for mature audiences.

STAR RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Circle

Can you tell the difference between a real person and a catfish just through social media? The Netflix original show The Circle gathers a group of participants all striving to win a cash prize. As the show goes on, people are voted out because of suspicion of being a catfish. The participants’ only way of communicating is through The Circle, a social media platform that is reminiscent of Instagram. The participants earn the ability to add posts to their profile and chat in group and private messages. Solely through their posts and messages, the participants form great friendships and learn a lot about the true reality of social media. This is a great show for all audiences and portrays a valuable message that everyone should hear.

STAR RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Never Have I Ever

Not your average coming-of-age story, Never Have I Ever follows an Indian and Hindu girl named Devi Vishwakumar and her friends through their sophomore year of high school. From parties to Model UN, Vishwakumar and her friends navigate the ups and downs of their teenage years. The light-hearted comedy also teaches viewers of traditional Hindu holidays and practices. Senior Alli Grant is a fan of the show and says, “I really appreciate the accuracy of the plot! It shows real struggles that teens go through so it’s very relatable. Also, I loved the representation of so many different cultures. The show taught me a lot.”

STAR RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Half Of It

The struggles of young love show their true colors in this story about a group of teens from the fictional town of Squahamish, Washington. High school football player Paul, enlists the help of the school’s biggest nerd Ellie to help him with his crush. What starts as writing an innocent letter to Paul’s crush Aster, quickly becomes a mess that Ellie is forced to navigate. Personally, I found the Netflix original film quite boring and predictable. It seemed as if the writers tried too hard to make it deep and introspective, but overall it just seemed cheesy to me. However, not all viewers shared my thoughts. When asked about the movie, senior Tia Johnson said, “I was interested how the movie turned out. I like that in the end, Ellie, Aster, and Paul all found themselves.”

STAR RATING: ⭐⭐

AJ & The Queen

Who would’ve thought that a 10-year-old orphan and a drag queen would have anything in common? In AJ & The Queen we follow drag queen Ruby Red and orphan AJ through their cross country road trip through America’s drag scene. Ruby Red, played by the iconic RuPaul Charles, finds herself in a few tough situations with AJ, but becomes her mentor through it all. This show is perfect for anyone who loves vibrant and inspiring stories. Fans of shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race would love this show as well, it even features some Drag Race favorites like Bianco del Rio, Latrice Royale, Jinkx Monsoon, and Chad Michaels.

STAR RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Outer Banks

You’ve never seen a treasure hunt quite like this! On the island called Figure Eight, there are two groups: the haves (a.k.a. the Kooks ) and the have-nots (a.k.a. the Pogues). Outer Banks’ main character John B and his fellow Pogues, Key, JJ, and Pope, go on a wild adventure to find the gold from the Royal Merchant, a ship that sunk many years ago. Before his disappearance, John B’s father spent his life searching for this treasure, and John B is determined to finally fulfill his father’s legacy. Through their journey they face an abundance of obstacles like a dirty cop, a psychotic rich man, and one tropical storm after another. Finding a teenager right now that hasn’t seen Outer Banks, is a hard thing to do. The show was an instant hit, after no time at all if was trending on Tik Tok, Twitter, and has spent time as the #1 Trending show on Netflix. “I liked how the group of friends cared so much about each other. Overall, the show was full of action and adventure which I really like!” says senior Robby Bomer. Senior Jake Stairs simply adds, “ I wanna be like John B when I grow up!” Although Netflix has not confirmed that there will be a season two of Outer Banks, there is no doubt in my mind that there will be.

STAR RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Some Good News When We Truly Need It

By Alli Radziwon

Entertainment Editor, Treasure

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and extended time in isolation, many have found it difficult to keep a positive mindset. While it seems like the world is crumbling around us, John Krasinski has made it his mission to spread positivity. On March 29, Krasinski debuted his YouTube series, Some Good News, which is a news show that is dedicated entirely to positive news. Krasinski is known for his role as Jim Halpert on the beloved comedy The Office, and even brought his former co-star, Steve Carrell, on the YouTube series in the first episode. “I love John Krasinski with all of my heart! He’s such a kind person,” said junior Aubrey Krunszyinsky, who is a huge fan of the show.

Not only did Krasinski create the series to spread positivity, he is also using the platform to celebrate students from across the world. In a time where many high school milestones are unfortunately cancelled or postponed for seniors, Krasinski took special care in making sure students still had a chance to celebrate, albeit virtually. On April 17, he hosted a virtual prom for the Class of 2020 via livestream with musical guests such as Chance the Rapper, the Jonas Brothers, and Billie Eilish. On May 3, he hosted a virtual graduation for both high school and college seniors who would miss theirs. Guests included Oprah Winfrey, Malala Yousafzai, Samuel L. Jackson, and Ryan Reynolds.

John Krasinski is also using the platform to celebrate essential workers such as doctors, nurses, restaurant workers, and retail workers. He even partnered with AT&T to provide free cell phone service to every doctor and nurse in the United States. He also partnered with PepsiCo to donate three million dollars to the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund, which helps restaurant workers.

At the end of each episode, Krasinski states, "Remember that no matter how hard things get, there’s always good in the world.” In times like this, these are words to live by.

John Krasinski brings happiness during the quarantine. (Photo from Google Images)

The last episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars became available for streaming through Disney+ on May 4, also known as Star Wars Day. (Photo from IMDb)

The Clone Wars Executes Order 66

By Rhett Hoffer

Reporter

When viewers tuned into the ninth episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ final season last month, they were met with a pleasant surprise. Preceding the episode was plain, bright green text that read “A LUCASFILM LIMITED Production.” Although this confused some, many recognised it as the original Lucasfilm logo, this particular version only appearing before the original theatrical cuts of George Lucas’ first three Star Wars films. It was at this moment, either consciously or not, that everyone watching knew that the finale of this twelve year old animated TV show was going to be a proper movie (albeit split across four 25-minute episodes). “Wow. Best Clone Wars arc I’ve ever seen and a very emotional ending to a great series,” said senior Lucas Zundle, a lifelong Star Wars fan.

Since the beginning, one looming creative obstacle had remained for finishing the show: there had already been a Star Wars movie about the end of the clone wars. In 2005, Episode III - Revenge of the Sith finally filled in audiences with how Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader, thus bridging the gap between the classic original trilogy and the modern prequel trilogy. So what else is there to say with a cartoon about the same thing?

When The Clone Wars debuted in 2008, it invented two characters revolving around Anakin Skywalker that were strangely absent from Episode III. The first being Captain Rex, second-in-command of Anakin’s 501st clone battalion, and a clone himself; with the second being Ahsoka Tono, Anakin’s teenage apprentice. Because of the audience’s foresight into future events, there was dramatic irony pertaining to the eventual challenges these characters would face if they were to survive the war. One would be given orders to betray the Jedi, and the other would see her master fall to the dark side.

What supervising director and writer Dave Filoni did with the project was ingenious. This final arc takes place concurrently with Revenge of the Sith, convincingly interweaving events with the new story, and focusing solely on what happens to Rex and Ahsoka. Not to mention technical achievements, like Sam Witwer’s incredible voice performance paired with Ray Park’s motion capture lightsaber combat to make the fan favorite character Maul more alive than ever.

This series was always good at recontextualizing the prequel era of Star Wars. In this case, it has really outdone itself, proving to be a standout piece of lore and work of art.

Just Blame it on Baby

By Drew Coletta

Lead Reporter

Armed with a face mask in his new album art, Charlotte rapper DaBaby is not letting this pandemic stop him. He released his new album Blame It On Baby on April 17, seven months after releasing his last album. While several musicians have delayed their albums as a result of the coronavirus, DaBaby is moving forward fearlessly. It’s the kind of confidence when your songs are known to become TikTok hits and TikTok hits are known to become Billboard hits.

Blame It On Baby features hit songs “Rockstar” and “Pick Up” that instantly went viral on TikTok. The album features contributions from Quavo, Future, Roddy Ricch, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Ashanti, and Megan Thee Stallion. “Great album. Rockstar is the best song” said senior Richard Thomas. This is DaBaby’s third full length studio album, and he hopes to keep making his millions as he moves his way up in the rap game.

DaBaby is featured on his new album cover for Just Blame It On Baby. (Photo from Google Images)

Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid are celebrating Gigi's 25th birthday and the announcement of their future baby. (Photo by Gigi Hadid)

Baby Girl Coming for Gigi and Zayn

By Zia Stipp

Reporter

Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik are officially going to be parents soon. The model and singer have been dating on and off since November 2015 and are self-isolating at the Hadid family farm in Pennsylvania. Possible pregnancy rumors began to swirl after fans found clues in Instagram photos from Gigi’s 25th birthday party. TMZ reported on the possible pregnancy soon after, and the news has since been confirmed by Gigi's mother, Yolanda Hadid.

Gigi Hadid announced the news on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon saying, “Obviously we wish we could have announced it on our own terms but we are very excited and happy and grateful for everyone’s well wishes and support.” She later revealed that she is pregnant with a girl and exclaimed, “We literally could not be any more excited.” This news is very exciting for many One Direction fans because they have been following Zayn's relationship for a while. Junior Melody smith said that she “has been a oOne Direction fan forever and is so excited to hear this news!”

Return of Resident Evil 3

By Tanner Wilkinson

Reporter

The success of the original Resident Evil 3: Nemesis had many fans hoping for a remake, especially after the success of Resident Evil 2 remake. After an accidental leak in late 2019, the remake of Resident Evil 3 was officially confirmed in 2019. Following the iconic character Jill Valentine, a member of the police force known as S.T.A.R.S., fans will see her fight through the Raccoon City Incident, where a zombie outbreak occurs due to the release of the G-Virus. Not only is Jill dealing with zombies coming at her, but also the mutant monster Nemesis, who was created to kill her.

While the game is very enjoyable, it is quite short. Most playthroughs range anywhere from three to seven hours, but it is a very enjoyable time the whole way through. IGN’s Lucy O’Brien states, “Resident Evil 3’s 2020 remake does an amazing job of recapturing the horror and tension of the late ‘90s original.” From playing as Jill running from Nemesis in the city, to the flirty mercenary who only appears in 3, Carlos Oliveira, travelling through the police station, the game always has something exciting in store. The game came out April 3, 2020, along with an online survival game called Resident Evil: Resistance, and released classic outfits on May 7, 2020. It is available on Playstation 4, Xbox One and PC now.

Fans of the Resident Evil series get their first ever look at Jill Valentine's amazing new design in Resident Evil 3 Remake. (Photo by CAPCOM)

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