This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, tv shows and movies being covered in Fangirlish Feels of the Week wouldn’t exist. We stand with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA.
We watch a lot of TV and movies! And we read a lot of books too, not to mention the time we spend on TikTok. In case all the reviews, interviews, news, and features didn’t give you a clue (wink, wink), we come together to highlight all those great moments that our favorite shows, movies, and books give us throughout the week. On these Fangirlish Feels of the Week, there are five categories and many thoughts! Ready?
Here we go!
Moment that made you collapse into a puddle of FEELS
Erin: I am all in on The Summer I Turned Pretty, and the moment with Jeremiah and Belly on the Tower of Terror, I loved it. I am fully Team Conrad, but I get why it is that she’s having a moment with Jeremiah. I get what is happening and I am here for it. When he tells her that he’s there for her and holds her hand and the look on her face… the way he looks at her. Even I, die hard team Conrad, almost switched teams for a bit.
Jasmine: Having two good days of my Sprina (Spencer and Trina) on General Hospital. Spencer was there for Trina as the supportive boyfriend in her time of need after her dad Curtis was shot. It was nice to see then get to sit and have a conversation that wasn’t an out of character argument (thank you Shannon Peace) Made up for him going ghost for two days last week.
Ashley: Learning that Bannon’s Nebula, which our crew visited in this week’s Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 2×06 “Lost in Translation” is named for Brian Bannon, the late partner of SNW actress, Melissa Navia hit me right in the feels. Especially in an episode that is really a treatise on grief, that knowledge is especially poignant.
Rachel: There’s a monologue from America Ferrera’s character toward the end of Barbie and it will strike a chord with every woman ever. It really emphasizes what the whole film is about and it really works.
WTF Moment of the Week
Rachel: The casual villainy of Universal Studios trimming the trees of a picket site so that striking writers and actors had no shade was remarkable this week. Just…wow.
Jasmine: Another one from General Hospital. I’m trying to wrap my head around how we went from Taggert (the man Trina believed was her bio-dad for 20 years) looking for a job and being offered the position of Police Commissioner (which apparently he didn’t take because Mac got the job?🤨) to him becoming an alcoholic.
Her bio-dad Curtis is now paralyzed because of being shot, so that’s already enough. It seems at this point GH now wants to give Trina double daddy trauma drama and I’m not here for it.
Ashley T.: The fact that the studios refuse to cooperate with WGA and SAG-AFTRA is still the biggest WTF for me. Especially when every episode and performance on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has been frakkin’ amazing this season, entirely due to a properly conducted writer’s room and stellar cast.
Erin: The end of episode 4 of The Summer I Turned Pretty. For fucks sake, that was hard.
Ashley W.: Elaborating on what Erin said in regards The Summer I Turned Pretty episode 2×04: WTF, Aunt Julia?!
Shana: The Anti-Flag/Justin Sane situation. We really can’t trust anybody, can we? WTF.
Tik Tok That Made Me LOL
Shana: Y’all finally broke Tanara. I’m scared.
What We’re Reading This Week
Rachel: I just started Marjane Satrapi’s autobiographical graphic novel Persepolis. I’ll be reading both parts and I already like it.
Erin: I have been reading Live, Theoretically, by Ali Hazelwood. I am not the biggest fan of her books, but I am really enjoying this one. Her books are growing on me.
Ashley W.: A great thing about the Spider-Verse is how it allows for a vast array of stories, from fun and quirky to dark and serious, and Edge of Spider-Verse (2023) #2 features one of my favorites. Written and created by Tony Award nominee David Hein, Spinstress is one of the Spider-heroes featured in the comic book.
Think Disney Princess meets Spider-Man in a Marvel musical setting, and that’s what you get from Spinstress. The familiarity of the classic Disney fairytales meets the well-known Spidey backstory to create a (mostly) sung-through narrative centered around a Spider-Princess.
It’s so fun and creative, and I love it. This issue features her second solo story, so it’s great to see more of such a wonderful character.
What We Rewatched This Week
Jasmine: Mermaids (1990) starring Cher, Winona Ryder, Christina Ricci, and Bob Hoskins. It’s one of my comfort films that I never get tired of. I watch it every time it comes on.
I’ve been dealing with a lot of stress and it’s just a feel good movie for me. I just adore the mother/daughter dynamic between Cher, Winona, and Christina. I feel like I’m watching an actual family. There is a realism too it that I find relatable in some ways.
Ashley T.: Gotta be honest, I watched and rewatched Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 2×06 “Lost in Translation” this week because it was that good and had that much to unpack. Give it a second look!
Erin: I always stop and watch Sweet Home Alabama. I don’t know why, it’s just comfort. I mean, I love love love Reese and that’s why I am always watching her movies. But this movie is just everything I love in a rom-com. And it always makes me happy.
Ashley W.: The alien/robot/non-human creature invasion of Earth is a popular storyline throughout science fiction. The take that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has on it, particularly in episode 4×15: “Self Control,” is extremely well done (and dare I say easily better than what Secret Invasion has done thus far).
As I continue my rewatch of the Marvel series, I’m reminded of why it’s not only an all-time favorite episode but also regarded as one of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.‘s best. Without spoiling too much, the suspense, impact, and straight-up fear that the episode depicts is exactly what I want and expect from an invasion narrative. Even on rewatches, the second-hand apprehension is always so high.
Shana: I’ve done about the first half of The Next Step season 4. The Alfie thing is even worse than I thought. Dude shows up because he basically stalked Riley to TNS after seeing her Internationals duet, somehow didn’t get a clue that James was her boyfriend after their “moment,” we’ll call it, on stage at that competition…and is somehow presented as the safe, supported, nice alternate potential “choice” while James is in London.
Like, what? This is toxic, especially when you compare it to Beth who also couldn’t take no for an answer in season 2…but was presented as basically “bitches be crazy” from the start. Again, while dude who came from another country with his obsession was just fine for it!
