This piece was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the actors currently on strike, tv shows and movies being covered in Fangirlish Feels of the Week wouldn’t exist. We stand with SAG-AFTRA.
We watch a lot of TV and movies! And we listed a lot of music, podcast, audiobooks…so yeah, we’re fangirling over a lot of things! So we come together to highlight all the feels they give us throughout the week. On these Fangirlish Feels of the Week, there are five categories and many thoughts! Ready?
Here we go!
What You’re Fangirling Over This Week
Shana: As I’m filling this in, I’m watching Stephen Colbert and his wife, Evie, do another one of their absolutely wonderful “First Drafts” segments together. They’re both so much fun to watch together, to the point where even my cold, dead heart is like “damn. Maybe I should’ve looked for something like that at some point.”
Miah: I discovered a CW masterpiece called Beauty and the Beast last week, and DAMN. Spent the last week watching all four seasons and squealing over Vincent and Catherine. Their chemistry is unmatched. Also, the show is low-key a comedy. I don’t think I’ve laughed as much as I did when the core five are interacting.
Amanda: After seeing Wicked on Broadway for the first time in the majestic Gershwin Theatre and being at the 20th anniversary pink performance, I have simply been on a Wicked high.
Ashley W.: What Amanda said. Attending the Pink Performance for Wicked’s 20th anniversary was an unparalleled experience. The energy in the theater that Sunday afternoon was absolutely incredible. And even if you’ve seen Wicked as part of its national tour or elsewhere, seeing the show on Broadway remains a must, because the Gershwin Theatre is stunning.
McKenzie Kurtz is phenomenal and the perfect Glinda. I adored her take on the character and am so grateful I got to experience her performance live. Needless to say, Wicked will be my musical hyperfixation for a while.
Rachel: This week’s episode of Loki really hit me in the feels when Loki admitted he wanted his friends back. “I don’t want to be alone,” he said. No one should doubt that Tom Hiddleston is perfect in this role.
Ashley T.: The finale of Star Trek; Lower Decks was *chef’s kiss.* But nothing made me fangirl harder than my babies Rutherford and Tendi and that tearful hug and goodbye at the end of episode 4×10 “Old Friends, New Planets.” Hit me right in the shipper feels. I hope to see them reunite very soon at the start of season 5!
WTF Moment of the Week
Shana: Yeah, this is coming out after Halloween…but whatever. The number of celebrity posts I saw either completely breaking SAG-AFTRA strike rules or whining about them instead of just coming up with new costumes that weren’t promoting struck work was just…WTF, man.
Especially since those types of posts came from a lot of people who haven’t been on the picket lines in many cases — and were from the top earners, who are set for life in every case I saw. Do better. FFS.
If it weren’t for the union, you wouldn’t be where they are, folks. And you’re so close. To throw it all away for this, when Patrick J. Adams apologized for, and deleted, his “I miss my friends” post because it happened to be behind the scenes photos of his friends? Come on.
Ashley W.: Once again, Loki’s newest episode quite literally had me saying “WTF?” at my TV. Watching episode 2×05: “Science/Fiction” made me feel a strange combination of confusion and intrigue but also, at certain moments, gave me the same trauma as Avengers: Infinity War.
Rachel: The loss of Matthew Perry from Friends was a terrible shock that I’m not getting over any time soon.
Ashley T: The SAG-AFTRA strike is still happening because the studios won’t cooperate, so that gets a big WTF from me. Matthew Perry’s death was so shocking and sad. Heartbroken over that one. Matt was, to use Bill and Ted’s vernacular, truly a righteous dude, because of his work to help those who battled addiction. I will miss him.
Jasmine: Like Rachel, I was also shocked to hear about Matthew Perry‘s passing. Then a couple days later we lose Tyler Christopher the original Nikolas Cassadine in General Hospital. The series has lost so many people. The hits just keep coming. As someone who grew up on soaps because of my mom, and I was always a fan of Tyler’s Nikolas, this one hits hard.
What We’re Listening to This Week
Shana: I recently saw Pinkshift, whose utterly stellar album “love me forever” had its first birthday in October, live. It was the “Eat Your Friends” tour with Jhariah, Pollyanna, and opener Babe Haven. Punk continues to thrive and evolve, and contrary to a certain song title, the kids might actually just be alright. Anyway.
Last Thursday, the Jhariah/Pinkshift collab “Eat Your Friends” single dropped, and the official video came out this week. So, obviously, I’ve been listening to that (and all those tracks celebrating their birthday) a lot this week.
Amanda: To prepare for the movie coming out in a few weeks, I’ve officially started the audiobook for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. I remember when this book was initially announced and released, I didn’t want to read it, because why would I want to read the story of an awful, terrible, vile character?
But then they cast Rachel Zegler and Ashley Liao in the movie. So then I knew I was going to want to read it before seeing the movie. I’m normally not an audiobook person, but it’s narrated by Santino Fontana, and the audiobook is the only thing available at my library.
Rachel: I found the “What a Barb” podcast recently. It’s all about Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington of Bridgerton. They are one of my OTPs, so listening to other fans who love this couple as much as I do is a lot of fun. The hosts are also quite insightful and perceptive. And I have a bunch of episodes left to listen to!
Ashley W.: Simu Liu recently released a new song called “If It’s Time.” I loved his first song, “Don’t,” and his newest single is just as good and has become a staple in my daily playlist. It’s a simple yet sincere ballad of vulnerability and hearbreak that captures the emotion of the narrative well.
Ashley T.: I am a total nostalgia addict so during the Halloween season, I cue up all the Halloween episodes of The Holiday Special Podcast. Host Rick Reynolds covers all manner of holiday specials for all holidays. I love me a holiday special so his podcast is one I incorporate into my holiday season.
Jasmine: I’ve been in my PVRIS bag so I’ve been re-listening to all Lynn’s albums. Her vocals are just so incredible and her songs are just so good! From the lyrics to the musicality. Every album has NO skips for me. If you’re new to PVRIS, I recommend giving her third album “Use Me” a listen to start with.
What We Rewatched This Week
Shana: I completed my “one Scream franchise installment per night” rewatch of all six films on Halloween night. I would like to reiterate my undying devotion to Sidney Prescott and Gale Weathers, as well as my bitterness over the people in charge who wouldn’t pay Neve what she was worth to get her back for VI.
Rachel: I rewatched the original Night of the Living Dead for Halloween. Horror is my least fave genre but there is no denying the effectiveness of this one. That ending, man…
Ashley T.: Loads of Halloween specials were in my queue this week, but the ones I absolutely have to rewatch (multiple times) every year are It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!, and Disney’s Halloween Treat. Again, this is me feeding my nostalgia needs, but it doesn’t feel like Halloween to me without them.
Badass Character of the Week
Rachel: Bertha Russell, baby! The Gilded Age season 2 premiere started things off strong and Bertha got a mic drop moment against Mrs. Astor in their polite battle for 1890s New York society. I can’t wait to see what else is in store for Bertha this season. And what she’ll wear!
Ashley T.: I’ve got to give it to two characters this week. First up is Beckett Mariner on Star Trek: Lower Decks 4×10 “Old Friends, New Planets.” Mariner has been dealing with her emotions surrounding the death of her friend Sito in secret for so long that it’s been super unhealthy. Her finally getting it out of her system is pretty dang badass. Plus how she handles Locarno? Defeats him with logic.
The second is also from Star Trek: Lower Decks 4×10 “Old Friends, New Planets,” my girl D’Vana Tendi. Tendi stepping up to the plate and offering to go back to Orion if she could get what she needed to save Mariner is truly badass.
There’s nothing that Tendi loves more than doing science as part of Starfleet (except maybe her guy Rutherford…even if she’s not figured it out yet). The fact that she was willing to give all that up to get her sister to cooperate was a bold move. I’m so excited to see where this act will take her in season five of Star Trek: Lower Decks.
Jasmine: In Found 1×05, Sir tells young Gabi (Azaria Carter) they are going to leave where they are and start a new life. He wants her to pick a new name for their new life. When she is ready to tell him what her name will be, Sir is elated. But, Gabi who is strong and brave, stares him right in the face and tells him her name will be Gabi Mosley and it will stay that way because she’s not changing her name for anyone.
