I’m a sucker for American History, especially the Revolution. But I like stories that keep the drama to a realistic perspective. I don’t like Turn because there isn’t as much history as there is drama. I liked Sons of Liberty in spite of the inaccuracies of the love triangle between Joseph Warren, Margaret, and General Gage. On paper, Hamilton shouldn’t work. But it does. It’s jam-packed with 46 musical numbers that establish who everyone is and moves the plot along. It’s basically... Read more
Band Candy is a fun episode to watch. The whole “adults acting as teens” has been done before, but this one is unique in just how it executes the idea. It’s basically like “Freaky Friday” without the body switching. This is also notable for being the first Buffy episode written by Jane Espenson, who would go on to write for Torchwood: Miracle Day and is currently a producer for Once Upon a Time. She also wrote Firefly’s “Shindig” and several episodes of Buffy... Read more
Last night I saw The Martian with two friends and my college Newman Club’s chaplain. I am confident saying it is the best movie of this year so far, and that the many good things I had heard about this movie turned out to be true. The movie opens with an intense sandstorm interrupting a Mars mission, during which the crew’s botanist Mark Watney is struck by debris and lost in the storm, believed by his fellow astronauts to be... Read more
You might notice that I haven’t really been commenting on the Synod of the Family. I have a perfectly legitimate reason for doing so. The Synod on the Family is basically like a giant Town Hall meeting. Keeping track of it would be like me watching C-SPAN. Ain’t nobody got time for that. I’m praying novenas and offering up decades of my Rosary for Pope Francis and the bishops, but that is it. I don’t wanna hear about who people say... Read more
If someone were to ask me what episode I would show to someone who’s never seen Buffy before, I would show them two episodes: “Prophecy Girl” and “School Hard.” Prophecy Girl is the Season 1 finale and it introduces the world that Buffy takes place in and all the characters really well. However, the reason I choose “School Hard” for this blog post is because this episode establishes the theme of the season, establishes the main cast, and introduces two characters... Read more
When is it ever gonna be enough? Why can’t nice ever receive real good? When can fear protect instead of leading to hate? Why does love always end before it ever begins? How much of ourselves do we have to give before we can begin to receive? Too many times have we been burned and yet strangers look at us- These hollow vessels and call it beautiful? We are but shells All we do is take in... Read more
“Tabula Rasa” has a similar plot to “Something Blue” because the events of the episode are triggered by a spell cast by Willow gone awry. But whereas “Something Blue” was mostly a hilarious episode, “Tabula Rasa” is both the funniest episode and one of the saddest episodes in the entire series. How the heck does that happen? Read on further to find out. SPOILER ALERT. If you haven’t watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer or haven’t seen this show in a... Read more
October is the month of the Rosary. I was taught how to pray the Rosary in Catholic school, but it wasn’t until I was in college that I really learned the beauty of the prayer. I still don’t pray it every day, but I know I’m not the only one struggling with that. This list will help you if, like me, you want to pray the Rosary every day but aren’t exactly sure how. 1) Start with just a decade... Read more
On paper, “Something Blue” should have been a bad episode. It was written by Tracey Forbes, who also wrote “Beer Bad” and “Where the Wild Things Are,” two of the least-liked episodes in the whole series. The episode is about Willow using magic to get over her broken heart, only for the spell to go totally awry. But something about this episode just had me laughing out loud. You wanna know what it was? Read the recap to find out! Previously... Read more
Lots of people look forward to certain seasons. Schoolchildren count the days to summer. Many corporations and television networks count down to Christmas. Baseball fans look forward to springtime. But my favorite season is and always will be autumn. Unlike everyone getting on the pumpkin spice bandwagon, however, I have my own reasons for loving October. 1) So. Many. Feast Days! St. Therese of Lisieux, the Feast of the Guardian Angels, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, and the feast... Read more
Monique Ocampo Writes
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