FRIDAY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND POP CULTURE CONSUMPTION

You will pry my Britbox subscription out of my cold, dead hands

Welcome to my weekly (most weeks, don't ever hold me to it, a girl can be busy) pop culture round up. What pop culture I have been consuming and think might be worth while for you to watch/read/partake.

These past two weeks, I have been very into my Britbox subscription. You don't need to know how many streamers I am subscribed to (can't believe I am admitting we need to bring back cable) but if you know me, you know that I love all things British literature and murder mysteries. Eating their food? Absolutely not. I have standards. Beans on toast? Not in this lifetime. Anyway, here are the shows I can't stop watching and I know you're going to say "Karina, these shows have been on forever, where have you been?" and to that I say "LEAVE ME ALONE". I am late to every party.

Luther (Britbox) - I have been an Idris Elba fan ever since I met him as Stringer Bell on The Wire (yet another show that I didn't watch until the show had ended for years). I am convinced that Idris Elba could have been the next James Bond but because he's black, that wasn't happening, and now he's too old so we will enjoy him in other things. ANYWHO, apparently, he was on this show called Luther (this was after The Wire) and instead of heading a criminal conspiracy, he is now a detective inspector with Scotland Yard (I think) and still committing some crimes (I mean, he is a cop, they are always entering establishments without proper warrants) and the show is giving me Sherlock vibes in that there is a character that is the Moriarty to his Sherlock. I am three episodes into season one and I love it. Murder? Personal life in shambles? Sign me up.

Father Brown (Britbox) - As someone who loves Midsommer Murders and Endeavor, this show is right up my alley. I feel like I have mentioned it before but I am plowing through season one and kind of like how Angela Lansbury was definitely murdering all those people in Cabot Cove. How can one sleepy village in England in the 1950s have all these murders! I bet it's Father Brown!

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (Hulu) - I really wish Hulu would do more weekly episode drops instead of dropping them all at once because having discourse on the show whether it is with social media or real life is hard because everyone is watching it at a different pace. I binged all ten episodes, I still can't tell these white girls apart (especially Demi and Jessi) and Taylor is still a mess and her family sucks. You can tell who wants to get famous off this show (Taylor's mom Liann, Taylor's ex Dakota, Miranda's ex Chase) which again is fine but it comes off as desperate rather than natural. Also, Demi is not wrong in her problems with Taylor but once you mention anyone's child, it does not matter if you are right, the group will never agree with you. I hope she learns that lesson for next season (cue Jackie vs Teresa on RHONJ). This show also just hammers how fucked the Mormon religion is. First of all, the amount of teen pregnancies amongst this group (many of them before marriage, isn't that a big NO NO) really should make you do a soul searching of how your religion discusses sex, treats women, and is accepting of child brides? I didn't realize Mikayla got pregnant at 16 with her now husband who was 21. Nothing about this religion sits right in my spirit and the way these women discuss being a mother (looking at you Whitney) is low-key shoving these "trad-wife" values down our throats for mass consumption. Baby, you all got knocked up out of wedlock, you have five babies before 30, and you all hate your lives and use Tik-Tok as an escape. Sell your propaganda elsewhere. I enjoy the show for what it is but damn am I glad I broke free from the chains of religion.

Other Thoughts:

I am still reading book four of The Wheel of Time: The Shadow Rising. Which I am also still watching season two of the show. Listen, I am 240 pages in and I already had an OMG moment and had to text my friend (who read these books a long time ago) so I am looking forward to continue reading this book which hopefully won't take me forever.

Also, the Celtics lost to the Knicks, Tatum is out next year with an ACL tear. I am currently rooting for the Timberwolves and Michael Jordan's illegitimate son but they are currently down 0-2 against the OKC Thunder and I am not sure they are going to win! I am down bad on sports teams!

I am running my first race tomorrow (it's a mile) so I will be reporting back on that.

Otherwise... have a good Memorial Day Weekend and don't get rounded up by the Gestapo... I mean ICE.