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Movies/TV/Theaters

‘The Pitt’ Season 2 TV show review

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By: Calvin Westin

*Warning: This review contains minor spoilers

‘The Pitt’ is a medical drama TV show created by Scott Gemmill and starring Noah Wyle. Each season of the show is one whole day and follows the emergency department staff’s 15 hour work shift at the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center; each episode is 1 hour of their work shift totaling 15 episodes.

Season 2 takes place on the 4th of July holiday, where Dr. Robby (played by Noah Wyle) starts his last shift before his 3 month break. Dr. Langdon returns from rehab, and a new character, Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi, is introduced to step in during high pressure.

I think that season 2 of ‘The Pitt’ so far has its pros and its cons. To start with the cons, I wish that Dr. McKay (played by Fiona Dourif) would get more screen time. I noticed that whenever she would come back into the scene, I had completely forgotten about her because the show would have long scenes without her. She also almost never interacts with other staff, which brings me to my next con. I don’t like the creative choices of not putting main actors into scenes together or making them avoid a relationship. I understand that this could happen in real life, but I want to see more doctors with each other, such as Dr. Samira and Javadi, who have a close relationship outside of the show but not inside the show, as they never share one scene.

My last con is how this season feels slower paced and repetitive. One reason I liked and continued to watch season 1 was because of the chaos and how everything was messy in a way, just like season 1 of the restaurant drama show ‘The Bear,’ but just like this show, the later seasons became slower. I understand why some shows do this to show the growing maturity, but one season is only one day, and I think if this show continues, they need to have the following seasons be as fast as the first one, and then they can slow it down when it comes to an end.

This season also seems to keep showing the main characters’ past problems, which already took up a substantial amount of time in the first season, which I don’t appreciate because characters like Samira (played by Supriya Ganesh) are either not getting a good plot or becoming less featured or both. One thing I really appreciated from the first season was how Dr. Samira advocated for more empathetic patient care; the way she focuses on healthcare inequality, race, and systemic barriers was very important because racism in healthcare is still very prevalent, and many people don’t know that. But now in season 2, they have given her less success in these barriers being fixed, and it feels to me they are trying to make her an annoying character.

Now to talk about the pros of this season. My first pro is that they keep up with the times, for example, Dr. Al-Hashimi introduced an AI system for the hospital, and other doctors were criticizing it just like people today. And what I like is that it’s not in a cringey way like how other shows mock Gen Z with the most stereotypical phrases, but instead in a more realistic way, which brings me to my second pro about this show, which is realism. One of the main things this show is known for is how realistic it is; even doctors and ER workers have said how accurate the protocols and procedures are. This is probably the biggest reason I like and continue watching this show because of the realness this show has vs. others like ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ which is famously known as the most inaccurate medical TV show.

Overall, I would give Season 2 of ‘The Pitt’ a rating of 8.1/10 and would recommend this show to many, but it is rated TV-MA and often shows open wounds, so watch at your own discretion. You can watch ‘The Pitt’ on HBO Max

Movies/TV/Theaters

‘Waves’ movie review

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By: Janessa Castro Cruz

‘Waves’ is a young adult film made in 2019. The film is produced by Trey Edward Shults, Kevin Turen and Jim Wilson. The main cast of the movie contains Tyler (played by Kelvin Harrison), Alexis (played by Alexa Demie), Emily (played by Taylor Russel) and Ronald (played by Sterling Brown).

The film starts off with Tyler, it shows his routine and how much pressure is being put on him especially from his dad Ronald. He has a lot of anger built up but his girlfriend Alexis is the only one to keep him at peace. One night, Alexis finds out she’s pregnant, and they plan on getting an abortion but once they get to the clinic, she changes her mind. They leave the place and end up arguing in the car about it which leads to Alexis stepping out of the car and walking home. Tyler was very angry about the situation and destroyed his bedroom out of anger, and they ended up breaking up which led to Tyler to start taking drugs. Around that time, prom arrives. They don’t end up going together and she decides to go with her boy best friend. Jealousy overcomes Tyler through an Instagram post of them together, and he decides to show up at the prom’s after party to look for Alexis.

He storms out of the house which makes his parents worried, and once he arrives at the party he sees Alexis walking upstairs with her boy best friend. He assumes the worst and once Alexis comes back down he follows after her. She went into the garage for some drinks and that’s when Tyler appeared. They started arguing again about whether or not she should abort the baby and should they get back together. She slaps him across the face because he was yelling at her and that’s when Tyler punched her, killing her. He runs away and Emily finds her body and eventually Tyler gets caught by the police which leads him to get life in prison.

The second half of the movie is about his twin sister Emily and about how after the tragic incident with Alexis she didn’t feel the same. She would get death threats and keep to herself, until one day a boy named Luke asked her on a date. She decided to go and they really liked each other. From that day on they would talk everyday and would go on trips with each other. They became a couple, and they were there for each other through the most rough times, like when Luke’s dad passed away, and when Emily would blame herself for Alexis. They made each other happy.

This film really feels like two different movies. The first half really shows toxic masculinity and the intense relationships between Tyler and his family. The film had a lot of vibrant colors for whatever emotion was portrayed on the screen. The second half of the film was very calming, as it emphasized love and forgiveness, dealing with the hate and overcoming the pain. The film did feel like a wave of emotions; I really like this movie because of that. The soundtrack was amazing as well (Frank Ocean, Tyler the Creator), it had a lot of good powerful songs.

I give this movie a 5/5. I recommend this film to whoever likes to feel the emotions through the screen. You can watch this film on Tubi, Hulu, and Amazon Prime.

Movies/TV/Theaters

‘Dexter’ TV show review

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By: Abreham Debele

*Warning: This review contains minor spoilers

‘Dexter’ is a television show about psychological thriller created by Jeff Lindsay in 2004. The show revolves around a man who is a forensic blood spatter analyst for the Miami police department. Throughout the show we see the main character struggle with violent urges, following a moral code, and living a double life.

Dexter Morgan is a forensic blood spatter analyst for the Miami police department, helping solve murder cases. However, he secretly lives the double life as a serial killer who targets murderers. He follows a strict moral code that was instilled within him from a very young age. This is supposed to keep Dexter in check so he doesn’t harm innocent people. Growing up, he experienced severe traumatic events such as his mother getting murdered right in front of his own eyes. After the incident, he was adopted by a Miami police officer. His adoptive father tried but failed to break Dexter out these weird behaviors, but nonetheless it didn’t lead anywhere. Throughout the show we see Dexter change from someone who thinks he is a pure monster to recognizing his humanity.

Throughout the show Dexter works as a forensic blood spatter analyst while also hiding his secret. Throughout the show, we see Dexter use Miami metro database information to track potential targets. In each episode of Dexter, he does his job as a blood analyst and uses his lunch breaks to look for potential killings. Throughout the show we see Dexter face villains every season while also keeping his identity in check. This gets evermore difficult as the show progresses. His friends become suspicious because of his activity and actions. This leads to multiple climactic endings that keeps the viewer invested.

Dexter has multiple relationships with female characters through the course of the series. Characters such as Rita Bennett, Lila West, and Debra Morgan play a major role in his life. He first dates Rita Bennett, who he initially sees as a safe cover for his double life, but he gradually develops genuine feelings as the show progresses. Lila West was important for Dexter’s character because she taught him to accept the monster he is rather than running away from it. As she teaches him to bring out his darker impulses. Lastly Debra Morgan, Dexter’s sister remains a central character throughout the series, she helps Dexter throughout the show in the more emotional parts of the series. Throughout the show we see how Dexter grow and learns from every female cast character he meets and connects with.

You can watch ‘Dexter’ on Paramount+ or other streaming services with a subscription.

Movies/TV/Theaters

‘Suits’ TV show review

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By: Amir Salaad

Warning: This review contains minor spoilers

‘Suits’ is a television drama about lawyers created by Aaron Korsh (executive producer) in 2011. This television drama revolves around two attorneys who work together with their colleagues at a law firm in New York City. The rating of this television drama is TV-14, and it is characterized by the use of smart intellect, heavy office drama, and the occasional strong language in each of the episodes.

Mike Ross is a college graduate with a photographic memory and a genius level IQ, and was able to avoid going to jail after being caught with drugs during a raid of a drug house. He accidentally walks into the law offices of the top law firm in New York City where he meets Harvey Specter, one of the top attorneys in the city. Although Mike has no formal education or license to practice law, Harvey believes Mike’s knowledge and confidence are exceptional enough to hire him on the spot. However, Mike and Harvey know that Mike will have to remain under the radar at the law firm, particularly since Mike has no official documentation to prove his qualifications to be hired as an attorney at the law firm. The firm’s managing partner Jessica Pearson, and Harvey’s rival at the law firm, Louis Litt are people they particularly have to be cautious of.

As each episode of the television drama progresses, Harvey and Mike continue to represent clients in high stakes cases, all while attempting to maintain the secret surrounding Mike’s background. The closer the television drama gets to the end, the more serious the cases become, the more powerful the clients become, and the more severe the consequences become for both the client and the attorneys representing them.

The relationship aspect of the television drama is what sets ‘Suits’ apart from other legal dramas. At first glance, it would appear that Harvey is arrogant. However, as the television drama progresses, it is shown that Harvey is very dedicated to the concepts of loyalty and trust. Mike, on the other hand, has feelings of guilt knowing he does not deserve to be an attorney and works hard to keep up with his peers. Also, Rachel Zane (played by Meghan Markle) develops her character by becoming more confident and determined, and Donna Paulsen (played by Sarah Rafferty) develops her character by continuing to demonstrate she is a sharp, loyal, and intelligent individual who consistently thinks ahead of the game.

I think ‘Suits’ is a very interesting show and its complexity keeps you interested. At first you don’t really know what you’re getting into, but as you keep watching you get to know more and more about the characters and their emotions. Sean Cahill (played by Neil McDonough) is my favorite character as he starts off as sort of a bad guy, but later he and Harvey become friends.

I would give ‘Suits’ a 9.5/10. You can watch it on Netflix and other streaming services.

Movies/TV/Theaters

‘The Maze Runner’ movie review

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By: Janessa Castro Cruz

‘The Maze Runner’ a film made in 2014, is dystopian and young adult fiction. There are 2 other movies, ‘The Scorch Trials’ and ‘The Death Cure’ and they are all based on the novel series of the Maze Runner. The first film was produced by Noah Oppenheim, Grant Pierce Myers, and T. S Nowlan. The main cast of the movie contains Thomas (played by Dylan O’Brien), Teresa (played by Kaya Scodelario), Newt (played by Thomas Brodie), and Gally (played by Will Poulter).

The film starts off with Thomas arriving barely awake in an elevator, he is confused and once the doors at the top open he finds himself in a forest glade that is surrounded by a shifting maze full of monsters. He is also getting stared at by a bunch of teenage boys who also arrived in the same elevator. They are all confused on why they are there, and they don’t even know how to get out.

Teresa arrives a few days later, and they are all confused on why a girl is there. She’s scared but finds comfort in Thomas and comes to find out they both have been having dreams about each other.

Thomas and Newt come to an agreement that he should go in the maze and find a way out, Thomas does that and some go with him and some stay behind in the glade. They find the exit and find out that scientists put them there but later they all get kidnapped.

This film is a very interesting one, and the lack of context at the beginning gives it suspense. The cast is amazing and strong and they play their characters really well. The monsters inside of the glade are called the “Grievers” and they look half robot and half animal which is very interesting to me. The cast’s performance in this film really impressed me and this film is very good.

In my opinion, this film is one of my favorites and I’m giving this a 4.7/5. I would recommend this movie to whoever finds it interesting. It might be a little confusing but I like how the characters find a solution to their problems without knowing the risk that lays ahead. You can watch ‘The Maze Runner’ on Prime Video, Peacock, and Fandango.

Books/Art

‘Twilight’ chapter 7

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By: Ivy Dahl

Summary:

Chapter seven of ‘Twilight’ begins with Bella having a nightmare where she’s at La Push, the beach she was at in the last chapter, seeing Jacob transforming into a wolf to attack Edward.

She awakes from this nightmare extremely confused, and with her mind full of questions that won’t let her sleep, so she decides to research on her computer. She starts by typing just one word: vampire. She sifts through websites, many of the things she read seeming like they were just stories for kids. But there were a couple of legends that stuck out to her.

Overwhelmed by her thoughts, Bella decided to go on a hike in the woods outside her house to clear her head. It was dark and eerie outside, just like it had been in her dream and when she came across a fallen down tree log, she sat on it like a bench. She thought in a place like this it seemed more reasonable to believe vampires existed. Everything about Edward aligned with him being a vampire including the way he talked so formally, as if from a different time. Also, his impossible strength and his constant reassurance that he’s too dangerous to be around. And even knowing all this, Bella knew one thing even more: she still wanted to be near him.

With her thoughts finally clear, Bella returned to her house, finished some homework and drifted back off to sleep.

When she wakes up the next morning, she’s in a much better mood because of the clarity from last night. This good mood follows her to school, where she decides to sit outside while drawing since it’s sunny. Mike approaches her and tries to use her good mood to his advantage by hitting on her, but she turns him down and tells him to ask Jessica out instead.

Bella goes to lunch and sees that not only is Edward missing, but his entire family is. She’s so bummed out by this that when Jessica invites Bella to go dress shopping in Port Angeles, she just mumbles an agreement.

When Bella gets home, Jessica calls her to tell her the trip is postponed to tomorrow because Mike asked her out.

The chapter ends with her and her friends leaving for Port Angeles the next day.

Review:

This chapter is supposed to be the big realization about Edward, yet afterwards it doesn’t feature him at all or have any kind of confrontation with him about what Bella thinks she realized. Instead, it just features her talking to her friends at school about stuff that isn’t really related, which makes it fall flat and lessens the impact of it on the plot. I’d give it a 5/10.

This is my last ‘Twilight’ chapter review, and I know there is quite a lot of book left, so if you have a lot of time, I would suggest you read the rest of the book! If you don’t have a lot of time, you can watch the movie.

Tech/Games

BIRD GAME 3 META ANALYSIS (JOYSTiCK Reviews Special)

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By: Daniel Kendle

Hey, gang! I’m Ms. Smeegle, and I’m filling in for Mr. Whatshisname for this review. I hope you enjoy!

‘Bird Game 3’ is among 2025’s most popular games, hitting Steam shelves to a collective peak of 1.2 million players. The game is a match-based multiplayer experience where you take control of a bird as you fight for your team, steal eggs, and battle foes. It’s reminiscent of games like ‘Overwatch,’ ‘Marvel Rivals,’ and ‘Apex Legends,’ being a 5V5 first-person experience against other online players. The difference, of course, is that ‘Bird Game 3’ is the world’s first FPP: First-Person Pecker.

Obviously, the game hasn’t been out for super long, so it’s hard to definitively say which birds are best and which are worst. As of January 2026 – the time at which I’m writing this – we’re currently in the midst of Season 4, Regulation E. In this regulation, the following birds have been banned from ranked play:

  • Phoenix (banned to Ubers)
  • Wood Duck
  • Emu

This narrows down the full list of usable birds to a solid 22: not the largest-ever roster for a Regulation, but a good one still. It’s also nice to have some birds from Season 1 and 2 finally become legal again, like Rooster and Titmouse.

After combing through various different websites, it seems the most popular bird online is Bald Eagle, with about 38% of registered teams having one. Makes sense; for being among the last S-tier birds not already banned in Ranked. It’s stat spread is great, with a ⅗ in HP, ⅘ in Offense and Defense, and ⅗ in Swiftness. Sure, it doesn’t spec into any of its highest stats completely, but opting instead for a more neutral playstyle is beneficial for a Carnivore-built bird. Its Bird Power, ‘Patriotism,’ is also pretty based, temporarily-maxing out its Special Move meter whenever an egg is stolen from their nest.

Besides Eagle, other notable birds include Opium Bird and Hummingbird, which’re hardly surprises. The latter in particular has been a mainstay pick for team comps since even Regulation B in Season 1, due to its stupidly-small hitboxes and Special Attack cooldowns. ‘Nectarite’ sucks, but the Bird Ability can be easily-circumvented through user “NBok43’s” recently-discovered Pollenport glitch. I imagine it’ll be patched soon, but for now its continued letting Hummingbird remain a meta threat.

Some nerfs to birds have also affected the player base, for better or worse. Birds with ‘Bug Boost’ for a Bird Power have had a severe drop in usage: its effect previously let Insectivore builds gain a temporary 1.5% Defensive boost upon eating 10 insects, but now, in addition to the requirement being 20 insects, the boost is only 1.2%. Oxpecker, Swift and Woodpecker users have become a rare sight only because of this. Another nerf is to Penguin, with its unique ‘Flipper Fodder’ Power now only letting it release 5 “Penguissiles” at a time as opposed to 7.

Overall, the changes made to ‘Bird Game 3’ in its newest Regulation have been net-positive for most. The Ranked meta has never been healthier, with more and more birds actually seeing competitive viability. With this most recent patch, I can only hope that the game continues to soar from he-

“Doctor, look! There! Her pulse is rising, I think she’s regaining consciousness!”

“We can’t lose her again this time. Hector: fetch front desk support. We’re gonna want to alert her family.“

Wh…wha? What’s going on?

“Ma’am? Ma’am, this is doctor Mackenzie of the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona. You’re going to be alright.”

Mayo Cli…w-why am I-!

“Ma’am, you were in a car crash with your wife and son 46 hours ago. They perished in the wreck, while you stayed in fatal condition. We need you to relax, please – Marjorie, hand me the anesthesia.”

They died? But I-I didn’t even see anyone else driving! I couldn’t have…have…

“No one could’ve. It was a freak accident: a couple of drunk teenagers T-boned your vehicle on Interstate 430. Your relatives wanted hospital personnel to tell you all this when you woke up.“

…

“I’m…I’m sorry for your loss.”

…Janus…

“…thank you. Ma’am, I need you to close your eyes again and count to 20. Everything is going to be okay.”

Travel/Food

Protein coffee review

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By: Norah Hoglund

I am definitely the type of person who wakes up in the morning and isn’t hungry. I rarely eat food in the morning because right when I wake up it always sounds so unappetizing. Even so, it’s important that I consume protein in the morning to give me energy for the day. That’s why I tried this protein coffee.

The brand I tried is called Javvy. I got it at Target and they have a ton of different flavors to choose from. I tried the French vanilla and the mocha.

The brand stuck out to me because it has natural ingredients and uses stevia as a sweetener, which is a really good and healthy alternative to sugar. The coffee has no added sugar and it has 10g of protein per scoop.

Review

This coffee is super easy to make. I filled up a cup with half water and half whole milk, added a scoop of the coffee, and used a frother to mix it. If you don’t have a frother you can put it in a bottle and shake it up, it works just as well.

When I tried this coffee, I was actually very surprised at how good it tasted. It tasted pretty much like how you would expect a normal latte to taste. It is the perfect amount of sweetness, in my opinion, without having the weird flavor that sometimes accompanies an alternative sweetener to sugar. The coffee flavor is not particularly prominent, but I like that because I don’t like strong coffee flavors.

Overall, I think that this is a great product and I would definitely recommend it to anybody. I love lattes and this gives me that without the unnecessary sugar and with extra protein added. I now drink it every morning! I rate this product a 10/10.

Movies/TV/Theaters

‘Memoir of a Snail’ movie review

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By: Marina Yang

‘Memoir of a Snail’ is a film created in 2024, written and directed by Adam Elliot. This movie centers around the two siblings Grace Pudel (voiced by Sarah Snook) and Gilbert Pudel (at first voiced by Mason Litsos, and later on Kodi Smit-McPhee), with other side characters that each meets throughout their stories. This is an adult-film (rated R), it will show and talk about more graphic things such as cussing.

The movie starts off with the birth of the two siblings, and their lives staying together until separated by the cruel death of their only guardian, their father. They unfortunately cannot stay together as they are taken in by two different families. Each have separate issues from each other as Gilbert is somewhere in a desert and Grace is somewhere more urban. The movie mainly revolves around Grace’s perspective with her major champion, Pinky (voiced by Jacki Weaver). There are occasional switches to Gilbert’s perspective through his letters/narrating. Grace’s life journey is about her biggest problems, which are overcoming her fears, love and loneliness; all represented by a snail. Snails retrieve back into their shells as a defense/fear mechanism as she backs into her comfort zone, restricting herself from her goals at times.

The movie has a realistic take on people going through mental issues, and overall just struggles throughout life (as this is inspired off the writer’s own life experience). This make the movie more likable and relatable than some other films may be. Plus, its unique claymation style gives the film character, and definitely shows how long and detailed they worked on this movie. This movie can resonate with people in different ways through the characters traits, common interests, etc., attracting certain crowds.

This movie was nice, I’d say with a realistic reality to the movie without some kind of nice cover-up. Also, claymation/stop-motion movies are one of my favorite styles to see in movies. I’d give this movie a 4/5 as I wouldn’t say I completely relate entirely, but I could to a certain point in the movie. I could say I could name some people who may have similarities to this film in a way though. I’d definitely recommend checking out this movie once you’re free, though.

This movie is available to watch via subscriptions or buying on streaming services.

Movies/TV/Theaters

Review of Part 2 of the Hit Netflix TV Show ‘Lupin’

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By: Karl Salkowski

(Image credit: Unsplash)

‘Lupin’ is a crime drama directed by Louis Leterrier set in modern-day Paris, France. After the first part reached widespread critical acclaim and popularity, a second part soon followed. Released on June 11, 2021, part two continued the story of brilliant criminal Assane Diop while significantly expanding the scope.

Part 2 uses a similar formula but shifts its focus away from the past and instead towards the present day. This season focused on developing Assane Diop’s familial relationships, contrasting with the revenge driven focus of the first season. This season highlights Assane’s sacrifice and the life he gives up for his family and friends.

The lead actor who plays Assane Diop, Omar Cy, gives an incredible performance throughout this follow up season. Overall, he acts very convincingly, adding lots of additional depth to the character of Assane Diop. However, most of the writing for the side characters in this season felt rushed and unnatural.

Personally, the character writing in the second half of the season frustrated me, and the cliffhanger at the end left a lot to be desired. This season is an excellent follow up to the first season, but it struggles to find its footing. The story sometimes feels choppy, but overall it does tell a consistent narrative filled with many twists and turns.

The second part often struggles with its quick pacing and overcomplexity, but it is still able to deliver a very interesting and enjoyable experience. I would definitely recommend this show to anyone interested in crime dramas or the heist genre in general. Although my rating has been fairly harsh, I did thoroughly enjoy this show and would definitely recommend it. If I had to rate this season, I would give it an 8 out of 10. It is a great follow up to season 1, excellently expanding the narrative and the life of Assane Diop.