The Healing Powers of Dude, Season 1

Last week, a new Netflix series premiered, and while it has some wacky moments, it's got enough heart and inspiration to win over.

The first season of The Healing Powers of Dude is about an 11-year-old boy named Noah (played by Jace Chapman) suffering from a social anxiety disorder and the one thing that could help him is a dog named Dude, who's trained to be a support therapy dog. After getting the dog, Noah makes new friends with Amara and Simon (played by Sophie Kim and Mauricio Lara). He even has a crush on a girl named Valerie (played by Gabrielle Quinn).

But he also deals with fun and supportive parents (played by Larisa Oleynik and Tom Evertt Scott) and a young but wise little sister in Embry. While anxiety is Noah's enemy, Dude has his own in the school's principal, who dislikes dogs and pulls off a sad, cruel, and yet exciting way for season two.



I very much enjoyed this first season, and while it has some goofy yet funny moments, the show has heart and inspiration and tackles mental health head-on in the rightful way of social anxiety. This ensemble cast is fantastic, and while Chapman steals the show, Kim and Lara give such an excellent performance as Noah's best friends, while Oleynik and Scott are amazing and hilarious. The writing was as good as it has some strong character growth.

While this show has heart and inspiration, it hits close to home for me as I, too, have a social anxiety disorder. Whether at school, family gatherings, or public places, I was the kind of person who shut down like a hermit crab, and while therapy support dogs weren't a thing, I had the one thing that had helped me, and that was television. Watching one episode of a comedy or a drama helped me calm down my nerves before going anywhere.  I think this show is for parents to watch with their kids and not only watch but also teach.  The show serves a great message, and I hope that the show gets another season.

You can catch the first season of The Healing Powers of Dude available on Netflix now.

Animal Among Us

If you think that "Animal Among Us" was a film that you know all too well without seeing it, guess again. This film keeps you guessing until its mind-blowing ending. 

When a campground is reopening celebration fifteen years after two girls were murdered and lead to a best-selling novel, Anita and Penelope Bishop (played by Larisa Oleynik and Christine Donlon), deals with issues of an animal like creature on the campsite, after two people had been attacked and killed. But when the author. Who wrote the book on the previous murders comes for the celebration at the Bishop's mother; the plot twists and turns about man and creature.

"Animal Among Us" is a horror film that might have the same plot devices as previous classic horror films like Friday the 13th. I enjoy some originality in this film; while for a 90-minute movie with some slow parts, it builds to an ending that I would have never had thought of. Larisa Oleynik, who won Best Actress in a Feature at Northen Horror Fest 2019, gives a stunning performance unlike we've seen her do from her previous roles. Even Don Frye and Erin Daniels were outstanding and stood out in the film as well.

I give the film an 8/10.

You can catch "Animal Among Us" available now on DVD and digital.

Supergirl "The Bottle Episode" Preview

After a crazy and thrilling Crisis event, Supergirl returns with a much, much deeper threat. 

A new threat comes upon Supergirl and it's Lex Luther. Here's a promo of this Sunday's episode:

You can catch Supergirl Sundays at 9/8c on The CW.

What's the plan, man? The Good Place "Chapter 49: You've Changed, Man"

With only minutes to spare, who will Eleanor and team come up with a way to stop the judge from erasing EVERYTHING? Here's a recap!

As soon as Chidi got all of his memories back, showing confidence; he tells Eleanor, Micheal, Tahani and Jason that the best way to stop the judge was to negotiate an idea of a system that would work middle ground to the good and bad place. But just as they tell the board of their idea and agreeing before hearing it, they talk to Shawn and things don't go so well.

Meanwhile, as the Judge looks for her remote to erase the Earth; Janet tries to talk her out of it while they go in Bad Janet and even Disco Janet as well. With no luck of finding it and given a no to Eleanor and Michael's idea; the Judge goes into Janet to find the remote. While there, Janet pulls off a prank but surprises her with a special guest, Timothy Olyphant.

As Shawn was brought in; Eleanor and the team talk about their plan for a system that will work with both groups; but Shawn turns down the idea and goes his merry way of peeing in the water fountain. Michael pulls off one last move to make Shawn agree and just as the Judge finds the remote all of the parties were in agreement but the question relies on how will this work. Chidi?

"You've Changed, Man" was such a good episode. While there were a lot of hilarious moments like Chidi doing things that he's never done like having confidence and not worried at all. And he's got me thinking of eating some warm pretzels. Yummy, yum yum, right?  The Olyphant appearance was fantastic and even though he was in for a few minutes or a scene, it was probably the top three moments of the episode. While Jackson and D'Arcy gave strong performances, Maya Rudolph was amazing as the judge in this episode.

As much as I would love to give my theories to how this will end; I don't have any as I just rather watch and follow the characters with each moment occurring. But I think that this ending will be an emotional one, to say the least. Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

You can catch The Good Place tonight at 8:30/7:30c on NBC.

The Healing Powers of Dude: A New Netflix Series

On Monday, Jan. 13th, Netflix will release a new series that might be just up your alley for you and your family to enjoy.

The Healing Powers of Dude is about an 11-year-old boy (played by Jace Chapman) who has social anxiety disorder but gets help from an emotional support dog named Dude (voiced by Steve Zahn of War For the Planet of the Apes and You've Got Mail).

Along for the journey are his parents played by Tom Evertt Scott (ER, Southland, 13 Reasons Way) and Larisa Oleynik (The Secret World of Alex Mack, 10 Things I Hate About You, and Animals Among Us).

After watching the trailer that came out a couple of days ago, it really looks so fun, cute and inspiring. The cast looks solidly good. I believe that this is a series that the whole family should be watching come Monday evening.

Here's the trailer:

You can catch The Healing Powers of Dude tomorrow on Netflix.

Chidi the Answer Please! The Good Place "Chapter 48: The Answer" Fall Finale

The fall finale of The Good Place asked the question and gives the answer to that question. Here's a recap!

With no time to spare Eleanor get Michael to bring back the original Chidi and to do that Michael will have to put all of Chidi's memories back in the right order. By doing so we see moments of time he comes home after birth to save his parent's marriage from divorce with a counterpoint presentation.

Piece by piece we see Chidi's memories come in order to his girlfriend dumping him to writing a horrible book; even the moment he gets killed by a falling air conditioner. Then we get to where he's in The Good Place from the moment in season one to the multiple versions from Michael to even when all things started to happen between Eleanor and Chidi's relationship. And by the time we catch to the moment where he loses his memory, we see him talking to Michael and then asking Janet to hold a note for him if he ever gets back.

As Chidi comes back full memory and all, Eleanor tells him that he needs to help save the universe before the Judge reboots the universe. Chidi says that it's gonna take a lot of time but then ask Janet for the note and when he reads it it says "there's no answer" but "Eleanor is the answer." 

"The Answer" was as good as any clip show I have seen in years; probably since Community. It was a brilliant and witty character growth of Chidi since the peeps in the chill episode. While we hoped to learn that Chidi has the answer to the question to save the world; it apparently relies all on Eleanor. How will she be the factor into this is the million-dollar question and with only four episodes to go, I'm nervous and emotionally intense to see how it all ends. Overall, I give this episode a 9.5/10.

You can catch the return of The Good Place tonight at 8:30/7:30c on NBC.

"You Mean the World to Me": Chicago Fire "Best Friend Magic" Fall Finale

CROTIS FOREVER!!!!!

The fall finale of the Chicago Fire was one to remember for all the right reasons and more.

While cleaning up the firehouse, Cruz finds an old drone that belongs to Otis and is determined to fly it once more. But as Cruz tries to fix it, he tells Ritter that the reason why he's doing this is that he was the one who hid the drone. After repairing the new part, something was still wrong, and when he checked it on the computer to find a video of him and Otis about to fly the drone with "Best Friend Magic."

The story that we've been waiting for since the rumors and news broke was the return of Dawsey. Let me say that this episode wasn't a disappointment. Dawson returns to Chicago for a fundraiser but stops at Firehouse 51 to see Otis' memorial. After Casey and Truck 81's skyscraper rescue, Casey and Dawson have a moment to talk, but he gets invited to a charity event she's attending to get donors.

After thinking it over and asking advice from Brett, Casey went and had a ball dancing and learned that Dawson wanted to come to Chicago. As Casey and Dawson danced away, the two returned to her hotel and had a one-nighter. Just before she leaves, Dawson leaves a message for Casey, offering to come to help her out. It doesn't look like it's the end for Dawsey. That worries me.

Kidd shows off that she can handle the workload of driving Truck 81 and being at the academy. But it does have a toll, and it shows when Brett and Foster order her to go home to rest, and as she drives off, she hits a van with a mother and daughter inside. After learning that the mother and child are okay, Bowden sees the effects both jobs have on Kidd and tells her that he's going to help change that for her and the rest of the future trainers.

Severide opens up another arson case that proves a guilty man innocent that involves a company burning down their property for insurance.  After getting Casey's input on it, Severide and the team get the help of the SWAT and CPD detective to raid the suspect's whereabouts at an abandoned warehouse, where Severide finds the suspect in the basement. And we leave the episode with the suspect holding a firestick and Severide one-on-one in a dangerous basement.

"Best Friend Magic" delivered more than what I had expected. This episode was well written, with character growths packed with suspense and emotions. The Dawson and Casey might have been the episode's highlight, but I give Cruz's story the winner as it was powerfully well written, mainly at the end when Cruz sees that video of him and Otis. 

While the Casey-Dawson gave me chills and emotions, that moment when they danced took me to breathe away in more ways than one. And I think this won't be the last time we see Dawson. And the Kidd storyline was good and, I believe, an educated moment as well. And Severide is leaving with an intense cliffhanger. OMG!! Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

You can catch the winter premiere of Chicago Fire tonight at 9/8c on NBC.