Re-Visiting the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3

 "Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3" (2023)

 James Gunn went on a wild ride when it came to writing and directing "Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3." In 2018, Disney fired Gunn after controversial comments that he made on Twitter re-surfaced. The outrage from fans and cast members was swift. Gunn was eventually re-hired, but I think that firing is what led him to become the new DC movie universe guru. It was after he was fired that he made "The Suicide Squad" and "Peacemaker." But luckily, before moving on to his new job, Gunn was able to conclude his "Guardians" trilogy. I don't even want to imagine a world where he wasn't able to do that.

Principal photography on "Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3" began in November 2021 and concluded in May 2022. The film stars Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Will Poulter as Adam Warlock, Sean Gunn as Kraglin, Chukwudi Iwuji as the High Evolutionary, Linda Cardellini as Lylla, Nathan Fillion as Master Karja and Sylvester Stallone as Stakar Ogord. The film was written and directed by James Gunn. "Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3" premiered on May 5, 2023.

A Long Time Ago During the Reign of the Empire: "Kanan: The Last Padawan" #2-3 & "Darth Vader" Vol 2 #1-7

 Star Wars

We are heading into the darkest time in the history of Star Wars. Order 66 has been executed. The majority of the Jedi have been decimated and the few remaining are in hiding. Emperor Palpatine is working to solidify his power with his new apprentice. These comic series tell stories from the start of this new era from two distinct perspectives. If you're a "Star Wars Rebels" fan (and honestly, how could you not be), you are familiar with Kanan Jarrus. This is his story when he was still Caleb Dume, Jedi Padawan on the run. Then, we pick up with the former Anakin Skywalker, now Darth Vader, after his resurrection post battle on Mustafar. This is Vader before he was one of the most feared men in the galaxy. These are stories that we haven't heard before. And the reason why I think these ancillary comics and books exist. Let's get to it.

"One Girl In All the World" Re-Watch: "Passion" & "Killed By Death"

 Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Angel steps up his terror campaign on Buffy and the gang. And then Buffy gets stuck in the hospital fighting of death... literally. Let's get into it!

"I Am the Moon" Re-Watch: "Making New Friends: Chibi Moon's Adventure" & "I Want Power: Mako Lost in Doubt"

 Sailor Moon S

We only got a little bit of Chibi-Usa at the end of the last episode but she's back in full force in the first episode of this post. We get a Mako focused episode for the second episode which I feel like we haven't had for a while. Let's get to it.

"Totally Schway" Re-Watch: "Hidden Agenda" & "Bloodsport"

 Batman Beyond

I feel like I'm being hard on "Batman Beyond?" Maybe too hard. I do like it but it's been a while since I've watched. Maybe things just get better later on? Maybe the movie is just so good that goodwill extends to the show? Let's get to it.

"Finger Lickin' Good" Re-Watch: "Tomorrow" & "Kyoto Sister School Exchange Event - Group Battle, Part 0"

 Jujutsu Kaisen

We've reached the final battle with Mahito and that exchange event with the Kyoto school that they've been talking about? Well, it's finally starting. We are midway through the season so that means there is a new opening! You can check it out below.

"The Truth Is Out There" Re-Watch: "Redux" & "Redux II"

 The X-Files

The fifth season of "The X-Files" premiered on November 2, 1997. It was a big season for the show. It was the first time the season was pre-planned, which is wild to think about. The fifth season was leading up to the first feature length "X-Files" movie that was set to be released in the summer of 1998. Originally, the fifth season of the show was supposed to be the last and it was going to transition to a movie series, but the show as so lucrative that it continued on. The movie was shot during the summer hiatus in 1997. Due to the need for re-shoots, there are several episodes in the fifth season where David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson don't appear at all or appear very little. It was the last season of the show that was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia. Production moved to Los Angeles with the sixth season because Duchovny and Anderson wanted to be closer to home. 

While this season was mapped out, it still feels like there are some wild left turns and season five features a lot of memorable episodes from the series. There is a black and white episode. There is an episode co-written by Stephen King. There is a classic episode about vampires. This may be one of the shortest seasons of the show, clocking in at 20 episodes, but it packs a lot and takes a lot of big swings. Let's get into it.