What I'm Watching: Fall 2015

Fall TV season is in full swing! With all the different channels and different shows, it can be hard to decide what to watch. Throw in sports and online streaming shows, and the amount of content can become overwhelming. Everyone has his or her own way of choosing which shows to watch and how much time can be dedicated each week to keeping up with TV. This year, I thought I would do a quick write-up of everything I'm watching this season and why I think it's worth watching.

A quick note on how I choose what to watch: Basically, I watch anything that I watched last year that is still on the air. If a show exists within a fictional universe that I'm already invested in (such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe), I'll watch it. If a show is suggested to me by someone I trust and share similar TV preferences with, I'll give it a shot. My TV watching habits are all over the place, but I hope you'll find something in here that is helpful to you.

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Once Upon a Time
Sunday | 7:00 pm | ABC

Basically, Once Upon a Time is Lost but with fairy tale characters. The show airs on ABC, which is owned by Disney, so the number of different properties the show can borrow from is staggering. In its fifth season, Once Upon a Time is bringing in Merida from the movie Brave and bringing back fan favorite Mulan. I'm enjoying this season so far especially because it involves a lot of role reversal. Emma, the hero and savior, seflessly allowed the power of darkness to enter her body last season in order to save her friends, but now she is struggling with the darkness inside her as former villains Regina (the Evil Queen) and Rumpelstiltskin must learn to be heroes. Also of note this season is the show's 100th episode, which will air as the mid season premiere next March.

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Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Sunday | 7:00 pm | Fox

I'm sure most of you are familiar with Andy Samberg from Saturday Night Live, Hot Rod, and the Lonely Island music videos. Brooklyn Nine-Nine is his first project post-SNL. It's a cop show about a precinct of detectives working to fight crime in New York. But don't let the premise fool you. This show is hilarious. Two of my favorite actors on this show are Terry Crews and Andre Braughner, who lead the wacky precinct and all of its shenanigans. It shows the more humorous side of life as a cop, but it also has some more tender moments as well. In a time when the police are constantly portrayed in the media in ambiguous ways, it's nice to have a show that lets us see the police as people with lives like the rest of us. This season (season three for anyone who's counting) shows the precinct dealing with their new leader and the (possible?) resolution to the will-they-won't-they question that's been hanging over Jake and Amy's relationship since season one.

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Gotham
Monday | 7:00 pm | Fox

Gotham is basically the opposite of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. It's a crime drama set within DC's Batman universe. But don't expect the Dark Knight to show up anytime soon. This show takes place when Bruce Wayne is a young teenager. The main character is Detective James Gordon, a fresh veteran who returns to Gotham to rid the city of its corruption. Along the way, Gordon meets famous Batman villains like a young Catwoman, Penguin, Riddler, and even the Joker. Basically, the show documents how Gotham got to a point where it needed a vigilante like Batman in the first place. In fact, this season (the show's second) has been dubbed Rise of the Villains, and the bad guys are actually featured as prominently as Gordon. It's a really cool concept that's keeping me coming back each week for more. Gotham is one of the few shows I actually consider worthy of watching live rather than online later.

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The Flash
Tuesday | 7:00 pm | The CW

DC Comics knows how to do TV well. They got a head start on Marvel on the small screen, and it shows. The Flash is DC's second show on The CW, technically a spin-off of Arrow (see below). Whereas Arrow is very grounded and features excellent stunts, The Flash is more science-fiction and features incredible special effects. The show follows Barry Allen, a young man who is hit by anti-matter in an explosion and gains the ability to run at superhuman speeds (told you it was sci-fi). Barry uses his powers to fight crime within Central City, especially in regards to other metahumans, people given special abilities from the explosion. Last season introduced the concept of time travel, and this year, Barry and his friends are navigating the complexities of parallel universes when a portal opens up to Earth Two and the other-worldly speedster Zoom shows up to kill The Flash. I think the show has lost a little bit of its momentum going into season two, but we're about to learn more about the main villain in this week's episode, so hopefully we'll pick up a little steam from there on. 

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Agents of SHIELD
Tuesday | 8:00 pm | ABC

Agents of SHIELD is set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (think Avengers) and tells the story of the mysterious government agency SHIELD being run by none other than Agent Phil Coulson, one of the most beloved characters from the early MCU films. If you liked Coulson in Iron Man or The Avengers, you'll love SHIELD. In its third season, SHIELD is continuing where it left off last year with the team seeking out Inhumans (genetically enhanced humans) across the globe in order to form a team. Besides Coulson, the show features some beloved comic book characters such as Mockingbird and Daisy Johnson (aka Quake). There are also some original characters that did not exist in the comics before the show, and some of my favorites are Melinda May and the scientific duo Fitz/Simmons. SHIELD gives Marvel fans a dose of the MCU universe every week and includes fun easter eggs from the films for fans willing to watch closely.

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Grandfathered
Tuesday | 7:00 pm | Fox

I'm not going to lie. I started watching this show for one reason and one reason alone: the two lead actors. I've been a fan of John Stamos since I was kid watching Full House, and I basically grew up with Josh Peck as he went from The Amanda Show to Drake and Josh. In Grandfathered, Stamos and Peck play a father-son pair, and as you can imagine, the dynamic works really well. The premise of the show is that a successful single man finds out that he has a son he never knew bout. Sounds familiar, right? Well, there's a twist: At the same time Jimmy finds out he's a father, he also finds out that he is a grandfather. This sends his life into a tailspin as he has to reevaluate everything: his plans, his goals, his very view of himself. It's fun to watch Jimmy grow and learn how to be a family man after missing out for over twenty years. Grandfathered recently got a full season order, which means it's going to be around for a while. It's definitely worth a watch.

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The Grinder
Tuesday | 7:30 pm | Fox

The Grinder is the name of both a real comedy show that debuted on Fox this year and a fictional crime show set within the universe of the actual show.  The Grinder tells the story of two brothers, Dean (Rob Lowe) and Stewart (Fred Savage) as they deal with the end of Dean's long-running television show The Grinder. Dean, somewhat of a celebrity, moves in with his brother and decides to work at the family law firm, causing havoc for Stewart, who up to this point has been happy staying low-key and raising his family. Both brothers envy each other and push each other to become better. I loved Rob Lowe on Parks and Rec, and even though he's playing a very different character on The Grinder, he is just as hilarious. I didn't know much about Fred Savage before The Grinder other than the fact that he was Ben Savage's brother, but I enjoy his performance as well. This is a fun, family-friendly comedy that I enjoy watching when I just need a little brain break.

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Arrow
Wednesday | 7:00 pm | The CW

Arrow was DC's first major TV show to come out in the wake of Marvel's huge movie success, and it set the precedent for DC's incredible television presence. Arrow tells the story of Oliver Queen, a young billionaire who returns home after being stranded on a desert island for five years. As soon as he returns, he begins donning a green hood and using his archery skills to rid Starling City of its crime. Along the way, he wins over the heart of his city and assembles a team to help him fight injustice and corruption. This show features a lot of growth on Oliver's part, and the use of flashbacks to his time on the island enhance the story and create mystery. Arrow is a great show for anyone who likes action, stunts, and hearing an angry guy yell, "You have failed this city!"

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Star Wars Rebels
Wednesday | 8:30 | Disney XD

I promise this is the only cartoon I keep up with religiously, but can you really blame me? It's Star Wars. Rebels explores the time period between the two movie trilogies, a time when the Empire is building its strength and the Rebel Alliance is just beginning to form. The show follows a ship crew that includes a Jedi who somehow survived the purge, his new Padawan, a graffiti artist/explosives specialist, and a droid with an attitude. This season, the protagonists are finding their place within the young Rebel Alliance, and this comes with some growing pains. I love that this show gives me a dose of Star Wars every week, and I really appreciate the fact that there are several tie-ins to the Clone Wars series, as the show is created by the same crew. Star Wars Rebels is a great way to introduce kids to the Star Wars universe, but it's entertaining for adults as well.

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Jessica Jone
November 20 | Netflix

When I found out that Marvel and Netflix were teaming up for a series of shows, I was immediately excited. Netflix is the kind of company that understands the power of fostering a loyal fanbase through engaging, fan-centered content. And Marvel has the material to turn that into a reality. I don't know much about Jessica Jones, but if Daredevil (Marvel and Netflix's previous collaboration project) is any indication, we can expect great things from this show. Marvel is putting a lot into these shows, already ordering a second season of Daredevil and planning two more series before the epic tie-in miniseries The Defenders (kind of a street-fighting version of the Avengers). These Netflix shows give Marvel a chance to show off their lesser-known characters in more drawn-out ways than big-budget movies, and I'm really pumped to see where they go with Jessica Jones.

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Friends
Currently Available | Netflix

It's just a fact of life in this day and age. I'm always binging something. It's nice to have a show that I can turn on for a short study break or use for distraction from the pain when I'm at the gym. I probably don't have to make an argument for why you should watch Friends. It's classic, iconic American TV. But I have really enjoyed the few seasons of the show I've watched so far. I'm invested in the characters, their lives, and their relationships. There's a reason this show has stuck with people, and I'm glad I'm finally getting to experience that. It'll probably take me a while to watch through all ten seasons, but I'll get there eventually. It'll be worth the investment.

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So that's what I'm watching this Fall. On paper, it seems like a lot, but I can't imagine giving up any of my shows. Whether you like to watch a lot of shows or just one or two, it's nice to have something to keep up with each week and to be able to engage with others about. So what are you watching this season? Do we watch any of the same shows? Are there some I should add to me list? Let me know in the comments!

Back to New York

Visiting New York City is something I've dreamt of doing since I was a child. I've always thought of the city as a magical place full of really successful, interesting people running around doing really successful, interesting things. I always hoped that I would be able to go there one day, but never in a million years did I think I'd be able to travel there at such a young age. I certainly didn't think I'd ever be able to say I was going "back to New York." But alas, things turned out that way. Last week, I was blessed to visit New York City for a second time.

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Trying to share all the details of the trip would be lengthy, so I'll stick to the highlights. I was supposed to leave Dallas at 5:30 on Wednesday afternoon, but my flight was delayed for a few hours. Sitting in an airport awaiting a trip that you're really looking forward to is just painful. Now I understand why people hate flying so much. But with a little time and patience, I eventually landed at LaGuardia Airport around 2:00 am New York time. And when I got to baggage claim, I was reunited with my girlfriend Millie, and that made all the traveling worth it.

The occasion for my trip was Millie's birthday. She turned 23 on October 29, and I wanted to give her a special day to celebrate. We started with brunch at a little place called Café Orlin, and it was incredible. I was nervous taking Millie to a restaurant I'd never tried or even seen before, but it was a risk well worth taking. We took a walk in Central Park, which is just gorgeous in the Fall, and took lots of pictures. And we ended the day with a stroll on the beach at Coney Island followed by dinner at the original Nathan's. It was a wonderful day. Trying to plan out a whole day in a city you've only visited once before is stressful, but when you're exploring a city like New York with someone you love, you can't go wrong.

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Friday was a more low-key day. We spent most of the day in Queens. We happened to stumble upon the perfect breakfast place and had amazing bagels. We also got some quality Netflix time in, because that's what couples do. Friday night, we put on our costumes and went to a local music show in Astoria. I felt a little silly dressing up a day early (actually, I felt silly dressing up at all), but it was a lot of fun. New Yorkers love Halloween, and they have no problem telling you if they like your costume.

Saturday was my last real day in New York. Millie and I have this burger joint that we really like on Broadway, so we went there for lunch. Then we went to our favorite bakery for dessert. I don't know how she lives so close to that place without gaining a million pounds. It's just amazing. Then we took our second trip out to Coney Island, this time to participate in their Halloween festivities. They had a pumpkin patch, so we bought a pumpkin that Millie painted to look like a cat. We rode the famous Wheel of Wonder, which has been at Coney Island for almost 100 years. We went on a go-kart ride (Millie's first), and I won a prize out of one of those claw machines on my first try. I'm going to go ahead and call that a miracle.

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That night, we got dressed up in our costumes again and just enjoyed the city. We walked around Times Square and did a little shopping. Then we went to Union Square and walked for over a mile checking out places to eat. We ended up at a quiet, fancy little Italian restaurant. Despite the fact that I was in a giraffe costume, I wanted to take Millie somewhere nice on our last night together in the city. We had the best time sitting next to each other, enjoying good food, talking, and just being with one another. I couldn't have asked for a better way to end my trip.

The next morning, I woke up ridiculously early to make my 6:00 am flight. Saying goodbye was hard, but by 9:00, I was back in Dallas, and I made it home before lunch. I miss the city, but more than that, I miss my wonderful girlfriend. I'm so thankful for the time we got to spend together and for the amazing time I had in the city that never sleeps. My time in New York was a welcome vacation, an opportunity to celebrate someone I truly care about, and exactly what I needed to rest, relax, and simply be. I'm already trying to figure out when I'll get it to go back. I'm sure it won't be too long. But until then, I'll have New York on my mind.

Getting My Act Together

"It just feels like every time I try to get my act together, something comes along and gets in the way." —me, a few days ago

My life often feels like a cycle alternating between complacency and struggle to change. I find an area of my life that I want to work on, and I work on it intensely for a short while. When I get to a place where my attempts at improving have become habitual and I'm happy with the progress, I back off and allow myself to cruise for a bit. But inevitably, I either revert back to my previous habits or find a new area where I want to improve, and the cycle starts all over again.

This is probably healthy. It's better to try to improve and have some success than to simply never try at all. The long-term result of this cycle is a slow but steady self-improvement, and for that I am very thankful. But sometimes, this cycle really bothers me. You see, starting the process of positive change takes a lot of energy because it is always met with resistance. Inertia—the law of physics that says objects at rest tend to stay at rest unless enacted upon by a strong outward —can be easily applied to people's habits as well. And mustering the energy to overcome that resistance is hard, especially when you think you've finally overcome it only to find that there's more resistance ahead of you.

I'm in the early stages of a period of self-improvement right now. I'm trying to do better in a few different areas, and one of them is money. I've never been particularly good at saving, budgeting, and managing my finances, so I decided to take steps towards improving that area of my life. I started building my credit. I changed to a bank that would better serve me and help me manage my funds. I even implemented a (very basic) budget that has done wonders for me. I started to feel really good about this decision, like I was making real progress. And then the resistance showed up.

Unexpected costs, the temptation to spend what little I had saved on some shiny new piece of tech, and frustration with the resources I was working with began to sneak in. And along with them came the question that I always have to face when I'm trying to improve: Does this even really matter? Is there any way I can possibly do better in this area, and even if I could, would it be worth it? Why even try?

I'm not going to lie; this resistance has been very discouraging to me lately. And I imagine that you've faced similar resistance when trying to improve an area of your life. Whether it's health, finances, education, your faith, relationships, or something else, there is always initial resistance we try to make a positive change. It makes us want to give up. Sometimes it feels like our only option is to stop trying to improve. But we can't. Because fortunately, there is more to the story than just the resistance.

Because in the midst of resistance, there is grace. There are people and situations in our lives that enable us to continue along the path to improvement. There are cheerleaders who are willing to support us. There are saviors who are willing to help us. There are listeners who are willing to put up with our rants about how unfair the world is. There are strangers who have no idea what we're struggling with but give us the encouragement we need simply by smiling at us on the street. There are Plan Bs to back us up when our Plan As inevitably fail. And there is a God who is willing to love us and guide us into being the people he has called us to be.

Make no mistake: If you try to get better, there will be resistance. But there will also be grace. And for that grace, I am thankful. I am thankful for the grace that God shows me by forgiving me when I fail. I'm thankful for the grace that other people show me through their support. And I'm thankful for the grace that I'm able to show myself when I look back on the small victories and say, "Good job, you'll do even better tomorrow." Because getting better doesn't happen overnight. And sometimes you take a couple of steps back before you can take a few more forward. But with grace, I truly believe that things can and will get better, and I'm trusting in that as I press on through the resistance.

The Trouble with Attachment

It seems like I'm always learning my life lessons from the inside of my car. I once wrote about a time my tire blew, my plans changed, and I learned a valuable lesson about flexibility. Later, I wrote about a time I got stuck in traffic for several hours and learned a lesson about anger. Well, this time my car decided to teach a valuable lesson about attachment, and it did so in the scariest way possible.

I went home to visit my family last month for my brother's birthday and had an amazing time. I got to watch Drew play football (and score a touchdown!), play with Aiden, and have a wonderful dinner with my family. It was my first time to come home all semester, and I couldn't have enjoyed it more. Leaving was really hard to do, but on Sunday afternoon, I said my goodbyes and hit the road.

About an hour into my drive from Greenwood, AR, to Waco, TX, I hit a long patch of Oklahoma road that has no cell phone reception. This used to annoy me, but I've learned to accept it. I now come prepared with pre-downloaded music to listen to so that my jam session doesn't get cut off. When I came to the area on this particular trip, I was listening to a lecture from Suzanne Stabille on the Enneagram (specifically my Enneagram number, five). As I was listening to this lecture, I thought I heard a clinking sound, like something had come off of my car. And then immediately, everything started failing at once.

The first thing to go was the power steering. That's always a sure sign that something is wrong. So as I was driving down a back road in Oklahoma with no cell reception, struggling to painstakingly turn my steering wheel to keep my car on the road, I noticed that the battery light on my dashboard had lit up. At this point, I knew I had to pull over. So I started looking for a driveway to pull into. But my search was cut short by my engine's thermometer, which went from a safe temperature near the bottom of the gauge to that red part at the very top that means, "Shut off your engine now!" in a matter of a few seconds. My poor car couldn't go on any longer. I put on my emergency lights, pulled over to the side of the road, and tried to stop myself from panicking.

It all turned out fine in the end. A nice family let me use their phone, and I called a wrecker to tow me back to Fort Smith. I spent an extra night at home and was back on the road the next day. But what I realized through that experience is that I'm entirely too attached to things. Attached to my physical possessions, like my car. Attached to my view of the way the world should work (for example, the idea that my car should always work correctly). Attached to my schedule and my timeframe and my way of doing things. In that situation, I felt like I was losing all of those things, and it was rather terrifying, but also strangely freeing.

The truth is that my car isn't always going to be there. It isn't always going to work correctly. And it isn't always going to get me to where I want to be at the exact time I want to be there. And that's OK. Those aren't the most important things in life. And rather than reacting to these realizations with fear and dread, I can rather learn to accept them as a part of life and allow myself to become detached from the things that caused these negative feelings in the first place.

I'm not saying we shouldn't be connected to things. I'm very connected to my friends and family, my jobs and school, and my home here in Waco. These are things that are important to me, a part of me, and they should be. But if I convince myself that these things are permanent and never going to change, then I'm setting myself up for heartbreak. There's nothing wrong with connection, only over-attachment. There's nothing wrong with making a plan or holding a certain ideology. The problem comes when we become so attached to those things that we can't imagine our lives without them, and so we are unwilling to even stand the thought of losing them. That's being overly attached, like I was to my car, and it's not healthy.

Everything we know is transient. Nothing we can see, hear, or touch is permanent. And there really isn't any such thing as a sure thing. Maybe those statements seem depressing to you. It's probably a little healthy that they do. But it doesn't have to be a bad thing. Isn't it true that the impermanence of a thing actually adds to its value?

I mean, think about it. I spent more time thinking about and appreciating my car in those hours that I wasn't able to use it than in all the time I've had it. Because confronting its impermanence made me realize its value and how much harder my life is without it. We cherish the moments we have with our loved ones not because they're permanent but because they're special, and we know that they are limited. If a parent believes that his or her child is going to remain a kid forever, he or she is going to miss out on a lot of opportunities for special moments. But if we realize that life is impermanent, that the time we're in will soon be over, then we can truly start to appreciate how special these moment are.

I'm thankful that my car is back in working order. And from here on out, I'm going to try not to take it for granted again. Because it won't be around forever. I learned that truth the hard way. But I also learned that being overly attached to things is a problem for me, and it's something I need to work on. Because ultimately, all this stuff is temporary, and that's OK, because that's what makes it mean so much. So I'm going to grasp the things I love, just not so tightly that I can't let them go. And I'm going to connect in a healthy way—not attach in a destructive way—to the impermanent, transient, temporary, yet beautiful things that make my life what it is.

Life Is Sacred

There is an irony present in our society that absolutely baffles me. On the one hand, we fear death above most everything else. We use euphemisms, distractions, and straight-up denial to protect ourselves from the reality that each of us will one day die. We try to convince ourselves that we are safe and that death is something we do not have to deal with. But on the other hand, we are constantly bombarded by the seeming omnipresence of death in our lives. News media, entertainment, and life itself seem to be intent on forcing us to deal with death head-on. No matter how hard we try to shield ourselves from death, we are reminded all the time that it is real, and that every living thing is headed in that direction.

Lately, it seems that this paradox has come to the forefront in our society. Through a combination of different issues, America today more than ever is being forced to face the reality of death and to decide how we are going to deal with this reality. It seems that our vain attempts at avoiding the subject have finally, utterly failed, and our living rooms, classrooms, sanctuaries, offices, and storefronts (not to mention digital spaces like social media) are now filled with conversations about death. Since this is such a huge issue right now and it is a matter of such great importance, I thought I might contribute my voice to the conversation, not only to help me think through these issues but to share what I think with others in hopes that my reflections may be helpful to someone else.

Even more confusing and troublesome to me than the paradox mentioned above is the utter hypocricy that we employ when trying to appropriately deal with death when it confronts us. I'd like to note that I'm not talking about reactions of individual people to deaths of friends or loved ones, but rather reactions by our society as a whole in response to deaths that make national news headlines. Namely, we try to respond to and minimize death by creating more death. 

Think about it. When terrorists come to our country and kill American citizens, we respond by waging wars against entire nations in an attempt to kill potential terrorists before they get a chance to kill us. When a person commits murder, the reaction of the so-called American justice system is to condemn the murderer to death. And when a developing child threatens the life or quality of life of the mother, we terminate the child, donate the body to science in an attempt to find new ways to combat death, and accept money to compensate for "shipping and storage." This is how we as a society react to death: by creating more death. We're fighting fire with fire and hoping that this will in some way put the fire out.

But here's the reality of the situation: Death will never defeat death. And trying to combat death with more death results in simply that: more death.  This is not only illogical; it is unacceptable.

We will never be able to  confront and respond to death in a healthy way until we first recognize and appreciate the true value of life. I recently came across a term called sonder, and it is one that has become very impactful for me. It refers to the recognition that every other person on the planet has a life just as vivid, complex, and meaningful as one's own. I believe this is the key to understanding the value of life and the first step to appropriately responding to death. If we could see that every person we meet and every person we see has a life that is just as important and central to them as ours is to us, then maybe we could start to see what a tragedy a life cut short truly is.

I'm not saying this is easy, or even that I've truly grasped this concept as well as I should. There are over seven billion people on this planet, and that number alone is difficult enough for the human brain to comprehend. Trying to take the complexity of one's life and multiply it by a number that large is nearly impossible for one to do. But you don't have to try to start that big. Start small. Start with the person you are closest to, maybe your significant other or best friend. Think about how that person perceives life and realize that to them, their life is as central and important as yours is to you. Once you can grasp that, widen the view a little bit. Keep expanding until you can include all the people you like, and then expand even more into people you are neutral toward, and eventually to people you even dislike. Each time you take this step of expanding, you will start to see that the people around you matter just as much as you do, and you'll be well on your way to understanding the value of human life. You might even one day be able to live out Jesus' call to love your enemies (which, obviously, means you aren't going to kill them).

Because the truth is that other people are people too. Your best friend is a person just as much as you are. Your family members, friends, and peers are people just as much as you are. The person you pass on the street is a person just as much as you are. The person you buy your groceries from is a person just as much as you are. Your worst enemy is a person just as much as you are. And as hard as it is to admit, even a terrorist or a murderer is a person—just as much as you are.

In order to live ethical lives and bring about justice in our world, we must understand this basic truth. Other people are still people, even though they are not us. Each person's life matters. Each person's life is precious. Each person's life is a sacred, God-given gift that no one else has the right to take away from them. No person or entity has the right to take another person's life under any circumstances. Period. Life is just too precious for that. 

I understand that this may seem extreme. And I understand that one may be able to come up to exceptions to the rule I've put forth. I recognize that there is such a thing as necessary evil and that death cannot be avoided. However, I would urge each of you to truly, prayerfully consider the value of a human life before you ever even start to decide to condone the taking of one. Because life is precious. It is sacred. And as we consider current issues such as the death penalty, war, abortion, and others, we must remember just how precious life is.