Shameless: A Hidden Gem of a Series

Image by Warner Bros.

Shameless (U.S.) follows the story of the eldest child, Fiona Gallagher, sacrificing her life to raise her five siblings. Their mother left them long ago, and their father, Frank Gallagher, is an alcoholic who spends most of his time at bars. This leaves 14-year-old Fiona, now 21 years old, with most of the bills and responsibilities until her younger siblings can contribute more. Shameless shows how far siblings will go for each other.  

Image by Oluwasogo Abraham

The Shameless series is complete after 11 seasons, and it was one hell of a ride. After re-watching it many times, I'm jealous of people that get to experience the craziness of the Gallaghers for the first time. This show is funny, dramatic, sad, frustrating and pretty much everything else possible. Be warned, though, Shameless is NOT rated P.G. (not even close.) There is sex and nudity in most episodes, and you will see it all. Don't let that be a deal-breaker, though, because the plot is well worth it. Maybe it's even an incentive.  

I would say it's a show about family above all else, but more accurately, it's about siblings. Every other family member cannot be trusted, and these siblings are quite the pair. From oldest to youngest, there's Fiona, Lip (Philip), Ian, Debbie, Carl and Liam, with Liam being only a year old. The Gallagher children live in a rough area, and Fiona works multiple jobs to keep them going. You get to watch them grow up, with them being 10 years older by the last season.  

Shameless (U.S.) is the remake of the U.K. version. Shockingly, the U.K. version is even wilder. Who knew that was possible? I haven't watched the original, but I'll give it a chance if the remake was that good. Although I'm warning you, the original is even less censored. A significant benefit of watching Shameless is feeling more normal. Seeing the insane things the Gallaghers must face every day just to get by makes you feel more in control of your life. 

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"Do you think I'm a bad mother?" 

"Did you leave either kid on the porch last night while you were gone on a drug run?" 

"No," 

"Then compared to what I grew up with, you're an excellent mother." 

Image by Warner Bros.

The side characters are unforgettable. Kevin and Veronica are the next-door neighbours and my favourite characters. Veronica and Fiona are best friends, and it's a beautiful friendship to see. There's also Sheila, a crazy yet delightful person. She looks like an innocent middle-aged woman, but there's much more than meets the eye.  

The series also touches on many important subjects, such as: 

1. Alcoholism and substance abuse

2. Mental illness

3. Domestic abuse

4. LGBTQ+ rights

5. Poverty

6. Abortion

7. Racism

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In 2018, actor William H. Macy, who plays Frank Gallagher, won an award for his outstanding performance by a male actor in a comedy series. Once you watch the show, you'll understand why. His performance makes it hard to believe that he's a normal person and has acted in movies like Jurassic Park.  

If you're looking for your next binge-worthy series, look no further. Shameless (U.S.) is the way to go, and if you finish this one, there's always the more unhinged and uncensored U.K. version to binge next. 

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Melissa Mahlig

Hi, my name is Melissa! I’m a 20-year-old student in the Professional Writing Program, and my love of writing manifested from an obsession with fanfiction. I love Wattpad, spicy food, anime and sleep. Weird/fun fact about me: I have a strange infatuation with Caesars (extra spicy, please!). Who needs therapy when you have iced coffee and books?

Naruto: Is It Worth Watching 720 Episodes?

Image by Masashi Kishimoto

I'm not here to tell you if you should or shouldn't watch Naruto because I would, without a doubt, say yes. I'm simply going to tell you what you need to know to make that choice for yourself! Now, what is Naruto? It is an anime (Japanese animation) created by Masashi Kishimoto. It follows an orphaned child named Naruto (shocker) and his journey from being feared and socially excluded (I wonder why…) to one of the greatest shinobi (ninja) ever. His ultimate goal is to become Hokage, the village's leader and strongest ninja. The show has 720 episodes split between the original Naruto (when he was around twelve years old) and Naruto Shippuden (when he was sixteen).  

Image by Masashi Kishimoto

Characters  

• Naruto Uzumaki, the blond, has a bubbly personality. He's immature, and although he may be a prankster, he's incredibly loveable. No matter his troubles, he always has a smile on his face (unless it comes to his rivalry with Sasuke, as you see in their group photo).

• Sasuke Uchiha is the last living member of the Uchiha clan after their assassination… or is he? He is the show's "hottie," and girls obsess over him.

• Sakura Haruno obsesses over Sasuke (which he hates) and is pretty useless for over 50% of the show (whoops, my bias is showing). She heavily relies on others to protect her, which gets annoying, but she (very) slowly grows.

• Kakashi Hatake is the copycat ninja. A mask is always covering his nose and mouth, and he typically covers his left eye, so only his right eye is visible most of the time. He's able to master any fighting skills just by watching them. He also becomes Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke's teacher very early on (so don't worry, it's not much of a spoiler). There are many more characters, but you'll have to watch the anime if you want to see them.

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Lessons  

There are lots of lessons in Naruto, but a few include:  

1. Redemption is always possible  

2. It's okay if your potential takes time to manifest  

3. You can never dream too big  

“If you don't like your destiny, don't accept it. Instead, have the courage to change it the way you want it to be!” -Naruto Uzumaki

They marketed the anime for 12-17 years old, so having children exposed to these teachings is beneficial. Although anyone at any age can benefit from these lessons—I certainly have. 

Fillers

Image by SIMKL

This was my only problem with Naruto. Out of 720 episodes, 255 episodes (or 41% of the show) are filler. BUT if this is an issue, multiple sites tell you which episodes are filler, and you can easily skip past them. If you don't know what a filler episode is, it's an episode with nothing related to the main storyline. Usually, writers use filler when the anime has caught up to the manga (Japanese comic books). So, a filler is then used to give the manga time to catch up. I have skipped most filler episodes but have watched some because they can further develop side characters (for example, Kakashi's backstory).   

Now, 720 episodes may seem excessive, but that is how Kishimoto fits the entire journey of Naruto Uzumaki into the series. If you want to laugh, cry, and invest in watching characters grow up, then give Naruto a shot! 

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Melissa Mahlig

Hi, my name is Melissa! I’m a 20-year-old student in the Professional Writing Program, and my love of writing manifested from an obsession with fanfiction. I love Wattpad, spicy food, anime and sleep. Weird/fun fact about me: I have a strange infatuation with Caesars (extra spicy, please!). Who needs therapy when you have iced coffee and books?

The Simpsons Can Predict the Future

Source: Phyllis Thomas

The Simpsons is the less funny version of Family Guy (just kidding...maybe), and it's about the hilarious, everyday life of a dysfunctional family. It has been running since 1989, and there are currently 33 seasons with no end in sight. Some episodes were entertaining but ended up much more than that—they ended up coming true. Now, The Simpsons have built a reputation for predicting the future, and it's hard to argue with. You may think it is a coincidence, and I would too if it were one, two, or even three circumstances. But no, there are over 15 times when the show predicted things correctly, and I'm here to explain a few.   

Season 10, Episode 5: Disney Taking Over Fox  

source: ivanv

In 1998, an episode called "When You Dish Upon A Star" showed 20th Century Fox as "a Division of Walt Disney Co." Over 20 years later, in 2019, Disney reached a deal with 21st Century Fox to gain its film and television assets. It cost Disney over 70 billion dollars, but hey, at least The Simpsons were right.  

Season 11, Episode 17: President Donald Trump   

source: Jay Verma

In 2000, the episode "Bart to the Future" showed how Donald Trump became President and caused a budget crisis. 17 years later, the prediction became a reality and Trump was elected the 45th President of the United States. The Simpsons also nailed the prediction about debt. Trump left the country in an additional $7.8 trillion in debt before his term ended in 2021.   

Season 29, Episode 1: The Game of Thrones Finale (Beware: SPOILERS!)  

source: Jay Verma

The Simpsons made another successful prediction in the series Game of Thrones. The episode "The Serfsons" shows a dragon that lays waste to a village of innocent people. This scene bears a striking resemblance to season eight, episode 5 of Game of Thrones when Daenerys Targaryen and her dragon incinerate the people of King's Landing. Somehow, The Simpsons predicted one of the most incredible plot twists in the series.   

Season 9, Episode 1: 9/11 Attack  

source: Sky One

Now The Simpsons didn't outright predict the attack of September 11, but there were some strange "coincidences." In the 1997 episode "The City of New York vs Homer Simpson," a moment suggests the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre. One frame shows a brochure that says New York at $9 a day, and behind the nine are the twin towers... making it look like '9/11'. What makes matters even stranger is that it was the only episode of the series to make jokes about the World Trade Centre.    

Now that you've heard of a few coincidences... are they really coincidences? I could've brushed past The Simpsons guessing an episode of a show correctly. Even Disney buying Fox wasn't much of a surprise (Disney has a lot of power and basically owns everything now, it's not that shocking). But to predict one of the biggest tragedies in existence? I will pay extra attention to future episodes because you never know which episodes might come true next.  

source: mimosa (tenor)

Melissa Mahlig

Hi, my name is Melissa! I’m a 20-year-old student in the Professional Writing Program, and my love of writing manifested from an obsession with fanfiction. I love Wattpad, spicy food, anime and sleep. Weird/fun fact about me: I have a strange infatuation with Caesars (extra spicy, please!). Who needs therapy when you have iced coffee and books?

Supernatural Should Have Kept Its Original Ending

Supernatural spoilers below

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An alternative reality full of monsters and demons sounds scary, right? Well, in the world of Supernatural, it is a reality. Luckily, there are also "hunters" in this world, and the Winchesters come from a line of them, including Dean Winchester. The show begins with Dean finding his brother, Sam, who at the time is happily living with his girlfriend, Jessica. Sam isn't happy when his brother shows up unannounced, as he does not want to leave this life with Jessica. He's irritated when Dean's reason for coming is to find their father. He continuously refuses; unfortunately, Jessica gets caught in the crossfire (literally), and Sam no longer has a reason to say no. 

Dean is concerned that something has happened to their father, John Winchester, so they head out to find him while killing a few demons on the way. Season one continues with fearful episodes, causing audiences to cover their eyes and occasionally scream from jump scares. These were the good old days of the show when the episodes were meaningful. The seasons continued this way until season six came out, and from there, they become repetitive, with lots of fillers and losing their meaning.    

source: jstarrc/jsc tumblr

Eric Kripke, the creator of Supernatural, intended for the show to end at season five, and it should have. I admit that the following seasons are full of humour and amusing to watch. The next seasons also create more time to bond with the characters like Dean and Sam and watch them grow from boys to men. You also get to see how strong the bond between brothers is and the lengths they'll go to save one another, but over and over again. Castiel is first introduced as a mindless robot-like angel with only a mind for his God's rules, ends up changing significantly. He ends up acting like an average human... and even becomes one. Castiel is my favourite character because of how cute, innocent and loveable he becomes. Yes, all of that wouldn't have happened if the show ended at season five, but it wasn't worth continuing for another 10 years. I never even made it to season 15, as I gave up after season 10 because of how repetitive it is. However, I know how the series ends, and I'm not a fan.   

Source: lucia diaz

Stopping after season five would have been an excellent way to end the series. Sure, as far as Dean knew, Sam was in hell, but the audience seeing Sam from the streetlight leaves so much to the imagination. Fans could have created their own ending from that. Dean has always gone above and beyond, taking care of everyone, so he deserves a happy ending, not Sam. But Sam’s alive at the end of the season, for those that like his character. This is a win-win situation, unlike the actual ending of the series. The last episode of season five also shows Dean having his apple pie life, a wife, a kid and a white picket fence. That would have been a perfect ending for the Winchester brothers, but they decided to carry on with their wayward son, and there is peace now that they are done.

Melissa Mahlig

Hi, my name is Melissa! I’m a 20-year-old student in the Professional Writing Program, and my love of writing manifested from an obsession with fanfiction. I love Wattpad, spicy food, anime and sleep. Weird/fun fact about me: I have a strange infatuation with Caesars (extra spicy, please!). Who needs therapy when you have iced coffee and books?