The Gilded Age: The Complete Second Season... Reviewed!

If you’re a fan of high society drama and historical intrigue, The Gilded Age: The Complete Second Season is a series entry that should be on your radar. This season continues to delve into the opulent world of New York’s elite during the late 19th century, offering a rich tapestry of characters, conflicts, and cultural commentary.

Story

 

The second season of The Gilded Age picks up where the first left off, with the social dynamics of New York’s upper crust in full swing. The story continues to follow the lives of the wealthy Van Rhijn and Russell families, as well as the ambitious Peggy Scott. Peggy’s journey is particularly compelling this season, as she navigates the complexities of segregation, unity, and social justice, while gaining new ground.

Oscar Van Rhijn, ever the schemer, is back with his dubious plans to marry for all the wrong reasons, adding a layer of intrigue and drama. His mother, Agnes Van Rhijn, remains a formidable presence, upholding the old social order with an iron will, while her sister, Ada Brook, provides a softer, more compassionate counterbalance.

On the Russell side, Bertha Russell continues her relentless climb up the social ladder, determined to secure her family’s place among the elite. Her husband, George Russell, faces his own set of challenges in the business world, navigating the cutthroat environment of Gilded Age capitalism. Their daughter, Gladys Russell, begins to assert her independence, adding another dimension to the family dynamics.

Peggy Scott’s storyline remains a poignant exploration of the Black experience during the Gilded Age, highlighting the resilience and challenges faced by her community. Her interactions with the Van Rhijn, Russell, and her own family provide a rich tapestry of perspectives and conflicts, making her journey one of the most compelling aspects to me.

Visuals

The Gilded Age excels in its use of varied camera angles to enhance the storytelling. The series employs a mix of mid shots, worm’s eye views, and over-the-shoulder angles, creating a visually dynamic experience. These techniques help to immerse viewers in the grandeur and intimacy of the characters’ lives, making scenes feel both grand and personal.

The costumes in The Gilded Age are nothing short of spectacular. The elaborate dresses, while beautiful, make you wonder how comfortable they were to wear. The more modern-looking dresses with lower cut tops almost make you forget the historical setting, along with the scenes at church, where the fashion seems frozen in time and mirror the present. The deliberate blurring at the bottom of some scenes adds a unique touch, though it might not be to everyone’s taste.

A Similar Moment in History

Set against the backdrop of the late 1800s, this time period also reminds me of the Philippine-American War. This time period showcased contributions from the Black American community to Filipinos. Members of the Black American community were highly vocal in arguing for our right to independence from colonization and the interconnectedness is pretty cool.

Audio

The audio quality in Dolby Digital 5.1 truly shines, especially during scenes that capture the hustle and bustle of the city and lavish gatherings. The sound design enhances the immersive experience.

Price

The Gilded Age: The Complete Second Season continues to deliver the high society drama and intricate storytelling that fans love. Priced at $19.95, this season is a worthwhile addition to any collection. The cast’s stellar performances draw you in, making it a must-watch for anyone interested in historical dramas.

Extras:

The DVD set includes a variety of extras that provide deeper insights into the series:

• Behind the Gilded Curtain Featurette
• Character Featurettes - Agnes, Ada, Bertha, George, Marian, and Peggy
• The Black Elite: Then and Now Featurette
• The Real Gilded Age - Carrie, Cynthia, and Morgan
• Choose Your Side - Carrie, Christine, Cynthia, Denee, Morgan, and Julian
  
  

Overall, The Gilded Age: The Complete Second Season is a captivating continuation of the series, offering a blend of historical context, character drama, and visual splendor that is sure to delight fans.

Quality 5

Ease Of Use 5

Usefulness 5

Price 5

5 out of 5 Cool Points

Sophima

 + Blu 

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Captain Planet: The Complete Franchise... Reviewed!

This product was provided by Warner Bros. my opinions are my own.

Captain Planet: The Complete Franchise - A Nostalgic Journey with a Timeless Message

Time for a blast from the past with Captain Planet. If you aren’t familiar with the franchise, it revolves around the Planeteers, a group of five teenagers from different parts of the earth, handpicked by Gaia, aka Mother Earth, to come to the aid of the world that’s being destroyed by pollution. They aren’t going at it alone, because she equips each of them with different rings that represent elemental powers like earth, wind, water, fire, and heart to combat eco-villains.

The Planeteers and Their Mission

The Planeteers aren’t simply blasting enemies with rings; they face different challenges that requires them to think strategically as individuals and as a team. The rings certainly come into play when needed but they aren't the just blasting their way to solutions. When those challenges become too great, they combine their powers to summon Captain Planet, a hero created by Gaia based on the different elements. He doesn’t simply use all the powers the rings provide; he also has super strength and is basically indestructible like Superman, but his form of kryptonite is a direct attack with pollution. He even needs help from the Planeteers at times when pollution has him down for the count.

Considering the format and having to fit the show within a 30-minute segment, you do see and feel that the pacing of the show is sped up a bit in some areas to make sure that the show’s key points are represented (like the message presented to the audience at the end of each episode), but it doesn’t render the show unwatchable. You will notice a shift as we get deeper into the later seasons as well.

The Eco-Villains

Each episode reveals the dirty deeds of the eco-villains like Hoggish Greedly and the evil they’re dishing out on the planet. They also have to take on Looten Plunder, Verminous Skumm, and others like Dr. Blight, who is actually able to take on Captain Planet (but I'll leave it at that).

Visuals and Art Style

Visually, the show held up well, delivering a late 80s to mid-90s comic book-inspired art style for the animation. When you get into the New Adventures of Captain Planet, you will notice a change in the art style a tad, which is a bit more refined. The characters look similar, but you can tell there are some differences, and the Planeteers are older.

Why Parents Should Pick This Up for Their Family

This show is worth parents picking up for their children for more than a few reasons. It showcases teamwork, perseverance, the ability to do your part to impact the world no matter where you come from, your age, height, the ability to work together with others no matter where they come from, and the importance of doing good for the planet as well as in the world. Sadly, a number of people would hear this and call it fantasy, but the ability to contribute is a very real thing. Here's an example from my own life:

I was one of those kids who felt like what I contributed would make a difference, and it remains in me to this very day. We lived on a certain street in Fort Myers, Florida, at one point in my life that was pretty nice, but people would take trash and throw it on the ground when they passed through (I didn't get it). It was a road that ran between two major highways, and so people would utilize it often. I don’t know what it was, but when people saw trash, they saw justification to throw even more trash there. I didn’t care for it, and I grew up on Captain Planet, the Magic School Bus, and the elementary school that I went to was big on teaching recycling and promoting the preservation of nature because it’s good for the earth as well as humans and animals.

So with the approval of my mom (who didn't liter and was extremely supportive), I took trash bags and literally went up & down the entire street picking up trash until it was all bagged up. What happened after that was little to no trash being thrown on the ground on our street. Maybe they didn’t want to be the cause of the problem again, and our neighbors began taking better care of their yards. Maybe the energy rubbed off on them, and maybe it will inspire you too. By the way, there's an actual Captain Planet Foundation that I had no clue about. They work with kids to young adults up to 23 years of age in different capacities for each group (elementary, middle school, high school and beyond).

One thing I don’t care for is the New Adventures of Captain Planet’s intro theme music. I don’t know who heard that and thought it would really turn someone’s head, but someone lied to them in my opinion because it sounds bad.

Pricewise, you can get Captain Planet: The Complete Franchise for $99.99 SRP, which isn't bad for 15 DVDs packed with 6 seasons that serve up 113 episodes of over 43 hours of wholesome action. At the same time, we have to give you the hook up for $69.96! 

Overall, Captain Planet: The Complete Franchise is a nostalgic journey that still holds valuable lessons for today’s generation. It’s a solid 4 out of 5 stars.

Story 4

Visuals 5

Audio 3

Price 5

4.25 out of 5 Cool Points

 + Sophi 

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Succession: The Complete Series finally comes to Blu-Ray

This Blu-Ray set was sent to us from Warner Bros. My opinions are my own.

Succession: The Complete Series has captivated audiences with its gripping portrayal of the Roy family’s power struggles. With the release of the Blu-Ray version, fans looking to own the series may waver between the DVD and Blu-Ray versions. If you’re still rocking a DVD player, the decision is clear. Let’s break down why you might want to get the Blu-Ray version if you have a Blu-Ray player.

1. Video Quality

Blu-Ray:

• High Definition (HD): The Blu-Ray version offers superior video quality with 1080p resolution (16x9), providing a crisp and clear viewing experience.
• Enhanced Visuals: The Blu-Ray version showcases the series in stunning detail, making the intricate set designs and character expressions more vivid as they fight for power.

DVD:

• Standard Definition (SD): The DVD version is limited to 480p resolution, which doesn’t capture the same level of detail as Blu-Ray.
• Basic Visuals: While still enjoyable, the DVD’s video quality is less sharp, which might be noticeable on larger screens.

2. Audio Quality

Blu-Ray:

• Superior Audio: Blu-Ray version has Dolby Digital Surround and DTS-HD Master Audio, offering a more immersive sound experience.
• Clearer Arguments: Enhanced audio quality ensures that dialogues, arguments, the disses, and sound effects are more distinct.

DVD:

• Standard Audio: The DVD comes in Dolby Digital 5.1, which is good but not as rich or dynamic as Blu-Ray.
• Basic Sound: The audio quality is adequate for most viewers but lacks the depth and clarity found in Blu-Ray.

 Your audio device also plays a factor. 

3. Special Features

Blu-Ray:

• Season 1 Disc 3: The cast and crew break down the action of the first season’s heart-stopping finale.
• Season 2 Disc 1: Four inside the episode featurettes.
• Season 2 Disc 2: Three inside the episode featurettes.
• Season 2 Disc 3: Three inside the episode features, An invitation to the set with the series’ storytellers, Meet the Roys, Character recaps.
• Season 3 Disc 1: Succession: Controlling the narrative - Episode 2.
• Season 3 Disc 2: Succession: Controlling the narrative - Episode 4 and 5.
• Season 3 Disc 3: Succession: Controlling the narrative - Episode 7 and 8, Who said it? with Sarah Snook & Alan Ruck and Nicholas Braun & Matthew Macfadyen, Roy family food chain.
• Season 4 Disc 1: Controlling the narrative: Breakdown of each episode.
• Season 4 Disc 2: Controlling the narrative: Breakdown of each episode.
• Season 4 Disc 3: Controlling the narrative: Breakdown of each episode, The cast of Succession’s advice to their characters, The best of Logan Roy, Who said it: Logan & Gerri and Tom & Greg, Scene Swap: Tom & Greg character recaps.

DVD:

• Season 1 Disc 3: The cast and crew break down the action of the first season’s heart-stopping finale.
• Season 2 Disc 1: An invitation to the set with series’ storytelling, Four inside the episode featurettes.
• Season 2 Disc 2: Three inside the episode featurettes.
• Season 2 Disc 3: Three inside the episode featurettes.
• Season 3 Disc 1: Succession: Controlling the narrative - Episode 2.
• Season 3 Disc 2: Succession: Controlling the narrative - Episode 4.
• Season 3 Disc 3: Who said it? With Sarah Snook & Alan Ruck and Nicholas Braun & Matthew Macfadyen, Roy family food chain.
• Season 4 Disc 1: Controlling the narrative: Breakdown of each episode.
• Season 4 Disc 2: Controlling the narrative: Breakdown of each episode.
• Season 4 Disc 3: Controlling the narrative: Breakdown of each episode, Who said it: Logan & Gerri and Tom & Greg, Scene swap: Tom & Greg character recaps.

4. Storage and Packaging

Both the Blu-Ray and DVD versions of Succession: The Complete Series come with similar storage and packaging. However, there are some considerations to keep in mind:

• Disc Security: The case design for both versions has been noted to have issues with discs not always remaining in place. This can be a bit frustrating as you need to be careful to prevent the disc holder from falling out.
• Cost Efficiency: While this design might help reduce manufacturing costs, it would be beneficial if the discs could snap securely into place to avoid any potential damage.
• Solution: Put the discs in a durable storage case.

When it comes to pricing, there is a noticeable difference between the two versions:

• Blu-Ray: Priced at approximately $85.40, the Blu-Ray version offers high-definition video, superior audio, and additional special features, making it a worthwhile investment for those with a Blu-Ray player.
• DVD: Available for around $58.99, the DVD version is a more affordable option, providing a standard definition viewing experience that is still enjoyable.
  
  

Choosing between the DVD and Blu-Ray versions of Succession: The Complete Series depends on your preferences and equipment:

• Blu-Ray: If you value high-definition video, superior audio, and additional special features, and have a Blu-Ray player, the Blu-Ray version is the way to go.
• DVD: If you’re looking for a more affordable option and are content with standard definition, the DVD version will still provide an enjoyable viewing experience.

Regardless of your choice, reliving the drama and intrigue of the Roy family is sure to be a thrilling experience. Jump into the full review below and find out why I give Succession a 4.5 out of 5!

Succession: The Complete Series... Reviewed!

Sophima

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