Who Run the World? Girls!

I've been saving this post for a quite long time, but because today is the International Women's Day, I finished this one off for you to ignore read. So, am I gonna talk about Beyonce's song? Nope, I just borrowed the title from my twin-by-13-years. This post is going to be about my favorite female TV characters. No, you didn't read it wrong. I do want to talk about my favorite TV heroines. HEROINES. Women. Not men, women
Okay, I'm still a fangirl, but this time I will show you that I can fangirl over actresses too! Since I watch too much TV, it's hard not to have favorite characters. Men aside, I will honor my favorite female characters aka my TV heroines in no particular order:

1. Veronica Mars (Veronica Mars)

Oh my. I freaking love this girl. I can't talk about my favorite TV shows without mentioning her at least once. The sassy teenage detective who is actually smarter than any of the police in the show. She's brave and easygoing, despite suffering the rough times after her best friend Lilly was murdered. Once being in the circle of exclusive group in Neptune High, she had a 180-degree life change. She was drugged and raped at a party hosted by one of the members. The event turned her to be cynical, filled with anger and disgust toward the wealthy life of Neptune. Not just that, people looked at her as if she was a pariah because she stood with her father, the then-Sheriff Keith Mars, who wrongly accused Lilly's father of the murder. It wasn't any better as her mother abandoned them. Soon after, Keith became a private investigator and have his own agency, Mars Investigations, where Veronica worked at between school time. Apart from it, she also accepts investigating jobs from her friends and other people, and can easily solve the cases with helps from her best friends Wallace and Mac.
Kristen Bell became one of my favorite actresses because of this series. God, please bring back Veronica Mars (again)!

2. Spencer Hastings (Pretty Little Liars)
  

Before you say anything, let me say it first: I know Pretty Little Liars has been going downhill since... a very long time ago, but that doesn't make me stop watching it. I was one of those people who felt betrayed after that awful season 6 mid-season finale. But, hey, I don't want to be reminded by that episode again, ever, so let's just proceed to the brain of the squad: Spencer Hastings. I like her a lot, not just because she's like the Veronica Mars of PLL, but she also stands up for herself. I won't talk about her bad habits (stealing her sister's essay, boyfriend... ugh, drama). She's the brightest, bravest, richest Liar. She was the only one who could disagree with what Alison, their queen bee, said. She only cries if the situation is unbearable to her, otherwise she's strong as rock. There's one time when she broke down and started to get addicted to drugs. It really broke my heart to see how stressful she was. Troian Bellisario is just that good to portray Spencer, in any kind of emotions.

3. Emily Thorne (Revenge)

How many reasons to like Emily? Infinity times infinity! She's beautiful, mysterious, smart, the type pf girl you just can't mess with. She can take you down, I mean take you down, once she set her aim at you. She always look calm and rather cold, with that smile you don't know the meaning of. Her main purpose of the series was to, of course, get revenge, especially to those who have wronged her and her father. Even so, she has flaws--mainly her vulnerabilities and unstable emotions, which often gets in her own ways to get vengeance. But, let's don't forget how confident, independent, and well-organized she is. She has prepared everything to get her revenge done, including training herself to become quite a fighter. That's probably why I also like Emily VanCamp. Gorgeous girl!

4. Joan Watson (Elementary)

When it was first announced that the new Sherlock Holmes adaptation would have female Watson, the world was going crazy. They were judging even before the series aired. But, once it did, look what happened. Everyone loves Joan Watson! Lucy Liu even got several awards for her portrayal of Watson. Starting as Sherlock's sober companion, Joan learned to be a detective as the series progressed. Well, if you have Sherlock Holmes as your mentor, nothing would go wrong, right? Yeah, not really. She's always frustrated because of Sherlock's behavior. But because of that, she tries to not depending on him and often solves cases of her own. Sometimes her snarky comments make people shut their mouths off. She's also the one who can stand Sherlock and eventually the one who can 'tame' him, making them one of my favorite dynamic duos of all time. I love this Watson as much as other Watsons, and I will always defend her from those ignorant haters!

5. Detective Sarah Linden (The Killing)

What I like most about Detective Linden is how determined she is. She's too faithful to her job that it cost her the relationships she has built to several people. Pain and deaths seem to affect her, explaining her determination to catch the killers in each case. She is paired with Detective Holden, whom she didn't trust at first, but soon to be the only one who could actually understand the troubles she went through. She always acts cold towards anyone, sometimes scornful. But I gotta say, I love how badass she could be with that poker face. Mireille Enos really did a good job at it.

6. Thea Queen/Speedy (Arrow)

Spoiled brat! That's what I thought about Thea when Arrow first started. She was the typical spoiled rich kid who wasted her money on drugs and party. But, she did it for a reason: she was devastated by the loss of her father and brother, Oliver. After Oliver got back, she started to get away from that life. I can say that she's one of few characters on Arrow who actually shows some character development. After a major turning point in the show, she changed. Under Malcolm Merlyn's training, she learned to fight and became a warrior like her brother did. Eventually, she joined Team Arrow under the name Speedy. She was no longer the crybaby, she's strong and can take care of herself. I felt bad on how people treated her at first (lying to her, even drugged her and made her kill someone), while she herself had already gone through worse things. I sure miss Thea/Willa Holland's long and curly hair from early seasons, but I love her new look even more. She's clearly not more boring than Felicity and Laurel. Sorry for those who like them, I'm team Speedy!

7. Liv Moore (iZombie)

I know I've said I don't like anything with zombies in it, but this show is an exception. Coming from the same genius man who brought Veronica Mars to live, iZombie is not your average zombie show. Forget The Walking Dead, this is actually a detective show. Well, how many show with crime-solving zombie as the main character? That's why I like iZombie (apart from it was also created by Rob Thomas). Olivia 'Liv' Moore was an ordinary medical student until she came to a party and ended up waking as a zombie. To hide her identity, she works at medical examiner's office, where she can also eat brains without actually killing anyone. However, it has impacts on her, as she can absorbs the memories and traits of the dead people whose brains she's eaten. With the visions and such, she comes to work with Detective Babineaux, who thinks she has psychic powers. Of course, the job has its own twists and turns. I always laugh seeing Liv changes characteristics every episodes, and Rose McIver is just so lovely. Aside from that, Liv also tries to find the cure for her zombie-ness, with the help of her co-worker Ravi, while trying to 'live more'. Get it?

8. Jessica Jones (Jessica Jones)

As I've explained before, Jessica Jones is a former superheroine who becomes a private investigator after being under the influence of a mind-controlling freak named Kilgrave. As a result of the experience, she suffered from PTSD that turns her into a sarcastic, cynical, and sharp-tongued woman, with fears still fill her whole body. When she finds out that Kilgrave is back, she almost breaks down again and tries to run away, but then she realizes that if she does this, she will never win and will always feel insecure. She decides to confront the fears, be tough, and brave because she, however, was once helping people with her ability of super strength and flying.
A little trivia: Krysten Ritter was starring as Gia Goodman in Veronica Mars season 2 and the movie. Both Jessica and Veronica are private investigators. Ah, I love PIs and detectives!

Honorable mention: Ran Mouri (Meitantei Conan/Detective Conan/Case Closed)

Who doesn't know this girl? Yes, the girl who waits so long for her boyfriend best friend to come home when actually he's been by her side all along. By appearance, Ran Mouri or Mouri Ran is a sweet and caring 17 years-old girl. Because of that, not many people know that she's in fact a national karate champion and physically strong. Not many people also know that behind that strength, she has a vulnerable heart and often cries for smallest reason, mostly because of Shinichi Kudo (who shrunk and became Conan Edogawa), that boyfriend best friend I'm talking about. They both like each other, but they're also friendzoned. That sucks, huh? But, even though she's in manga and anime form, Ran is an amazing character. She has both strengths and flaws, it makes her even more interesting. I can't wait to see her reaction of the revelation of Conan being Shinichi--must be both heartbreaking and exciting.

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Believe me, I watch so many TV shows and have so many favorite characters, but these nine are the ones I can think of right now. Alright, hope you enjoy this long post! Do you have any favorites of the women I mentioned above? Or you have anyone else? Let's share!

Oh, and happy International Women's Day to us girls and women!!!

All the gifs shown here are not mine, just taken from Google. Credits to all the makers and uploaders.

Movie Marathon: David Tennant

Finally, I'm having another movie marathon! The last one was Luke Evans, and it was over a year ago. I'm so glad I could finally sit in front of my laptop for a long time again. This time, the actor that made me do so was... *drumroll* David Tennant!

David John McDonald, or professionally known as David Tennant is one of my favorite actors. You probably know him from the series Doctor Who where he played the Tenth Doctor, or in a more universally known Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as Barty Crouch, Jr. Yeah, the last one would do, because even though Doctor Who is a very famous series, not many people outside UK know it. As an example, there is only one friend of mine who has watched the series and eventually become its big fan. That, my friend, is who you call best buddy! Life is hard when people around you don't know about your favorite thing, isn't it?

Anyway, let's get back to Mr. Tennant. Since he was a kid, he always wanted to become an actor because of Doctor Who, the series which he was a huge fan of. Look at him now, he's living the dream(s) -- he became an actor and played The Doctor! He's not only a great actor who has played many different roles in his career, but he's also a voice actor. Once you hear him speaking, you will know that it's David Tennant--with his unique voice and Scottish accent. With that, he frequently does some radio works and audiobooks. He is also a stage actor, having performed with Royal Shakespeare Company. His most notable theater works are Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, and the most recent is Richard II. In early 2015, he was awarded National Television Award's Special Recognition. He's the man of many talents -- and you can't just resist that smile!

So, what makes you decided to do David Tennant movie marathon?
Kilgrave! Um, I mean, Jessica Jones. I can't lie, I think his Kilgrave is the best Marvel villain to-date (well, might be tied with Daredevil's Wilson Fisk/Kingpin). David played him really well and it made me wonder if there was someone out there like Kilgrave. I've also been following David's works for a while, but when I watched Jessica Jones, I was like "I think I should watch more of them."

Okay, so, here's the list of his movies (and TV series, and stage play), according to the time I watched them:
1. Jessica Jones (TV series) 
2. The Decoy Bride
3. Spies of Warsaw (mini-series) 
4. Learners
5. St. Trinian's II: The Legend of Fritton's Gold
6. Einstein and Eddington
7. United
8. Casanova (mini-series) 
9. Much Ado About Nothing (stage play) 
10. Recovery
11. The Pirates! Band of Misfits
12. The Escape Artist (mini-series) 
13. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
14. Blackpool (mini-series) 
15. How to Train Your Dragon
16. Hamlet
17. The Politician's Husband (mini-series) 
18. Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger!
19. Fright Night
20. Single Father (mini-series) 
21. Secret Smile
22. What We Did on Our Holiday

And these are the series I've watched before the marathon:
1. Doctor Who (re-watching it as of now)
2. Broadchurch (just finished the second season)
3. Gracepoint

After watching all of them, do you have any specific movies that you've been into?
Of course. Not only movies, but also the series. And for this post only, I will include the TV series in the list. Should've changed the title to 'Movie and Series Marathon: David Tennant' though haha.

The first, and probably everyone's top of the list, is definitely the long-running series Doctor Who. David played The Doctor (more specifically, the Tenth Doctor), an alien time-traveler--also known as Time Lord--from planet Gallifrey. Together with his companions, they traveled through time and space in his telephone-box-like time machine, TARDIS. Their adventure didn't stop there, as they always encountered evils and they had to battle them. David rose to fame with this role, and his performance is considered the best among the twelve actors who have played The Doctor. He got several awards for it, including National Television Awards for Outstanding Drama Performance.

Second is, please don't get bored, Jessica Jones. David had played villains before, but not as terrible, scary, and convincing as Kilgrave, the mysterious man with mind-controlling ability who had a past with the titular character, Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter). I really want to go on, but I already explained about this series here, and even if I want to talk about Kilgrave only, one post won't be enough :))

Third is Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, a.k.a the very first David Tennant movie I've ever watched. Hogwarts hosted The Triwizard Tournament, a dangerous tournament where the underaged Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) was mysteriously selected as one of the competitors. I was in 6th grade that time, and I was too in love Daniel Radcliffe to pay attention to the guy who played Barty Crouch, Jr., whose appearance was not that long. But I did realize that that guy was good looking. But well, I was only 11 that time, and I thought Daniel was the most good looking guy in the movie. As I've grown up and known more about movies, I've found villains are more compelling than the heroes themselves, so when I watched this movie again, I was intrigued. David did a good job--and that tongue flicks, though!

For the fourth, I'd have to go with another series, Broadchurch/Gracepoint. Here's the thing: Gracepoint is the US remake of Broadchurch, in which both of them have David as the lead roles, DI Alec Hardy (Broachurch) and Emmett Carver (Gracepoint). Both were the detectives who investigated the death of a young boy in respective small towns, accompanied by their detective partners Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman in Broadchurch, Anna Gunn in Gracepoint). Even though they're basically the same series, you can easily notice the difference, other than the actors. Hardy and Carver are also the same characters, but they're different. Despite all that, I recommend you to watch both series.

Fifth is Hamlet. This was originally a stage play by Royal Shakespeare Company, but then was adapted to a television film with the same actors. To be honest, I never watched Hamlet in any kind before. I only heard of the plot, but never really got it why it was so phenomenal... until I watched this. David played the titular character, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, whose father King Hamlet (Patrick Stewart) just died. Convinced that the King was murdered by his own brother, Hamlet's uncle, Claudius (also played by Stewart), Hamlet sought vengeance while struggling with his own sanity. I never thought I would sit through this kind of thing, but guess what, I did! Three hours of awesomeness. David killed it, and for a second I thought he went insane for real haha. It would be more awesome if I could see the stage play. (Quick trivia: Benedict Cumberbatch has also played Hamlet in the newest stage production.)

Sixth is The Escape Artist. Since I was hooked up with How to Get Away with Murder, I found this mini-series as intriguing. Will Burton was a talented barrister who never lost a single case. But when he agreed to defend a prime suspect in a murder trial, his brilliance bit him back with an unexpected result. It's thrilling and sometimes just makes you want to clap your hands because of its cleverness.

Seventh is Fright Night. It's basically the second movie of David's that I watched. Having known him from Goblet of Fire, I was excited to see him as Peter Vincent, a magician who claimed to be an expert on vampires. He helped Charley (Anton Yelchin) to get rid of his vampire neighbor (Colin Farrell)--but of course, it wasn't that easy. This is an enjoyable movie that has some funny moments that will crack you up, especially David's lines. They were just simple lines, but I was laughing so hard when he said them.

Eighth is Recovery, a TV movie about the life of a family after Alan Hamilton (Tennant) woke up from a deep coma that was resulted by an accident. His behavior completely changed, and it put his relationship with his wife and sons under a great pressure. I'm not gonna lie, I cried watching this. I could imagine if Alan was my father, and he was acting like that. I, too, would feel pressured, but at the same time, he was still my father. We couldn't leave him like that no matter what, could we?

Ninth is Secret Smile. Another thriller, another antagonist played by David, comes in form of Brendan Block. He met a woman named Miranda (Kate Ashfield), fell in love, and then got dumped. Only weeks later, he came back to Miranda's life as her sister's boyfriend. What was actually Brendan's intention? You won't know if you don't watch! Just a heads up though, imagine that Brendan is a younger version of Kilgrave without the mind control thingy. And, I just can't get away without saying this, he was so handsome in this! (Isn't he always? Lol)

The last is What We Did on Our Holiday. David Tennant and Rosamund Pike? Two of my favorite people in one movie! They played husband and wife Doug and Abi, who were on the verge of divorce. For the sake of Doug's father's birthday party, they traveled to Scotland with their three children. But, it all took a twisted turn as the children that they seemed to ignore all the time, did something beyond imagination. I loved how they combined the comedy and drama with some tragic and heartbreaking aspects in this. It's funny, it's sad, it's having its moment. Oh, and also, can Tennant and Pike work together again please? :')

Honorable mention:
The Politician's Husband, Much Ado About Nothing, and United (because I love Manchester United sooo much!)

That is a long post! I just can't stop talking about it because it's still fresh in my mind. I could short-review all of them, but then I have to divide this post into two--and I'm so lazy in doing that haha. There are still so many of his movies and series out there, but I could only find these ones. I also watched his gigs in The Friday Night Project on YouTube, and that made me want to see him more in comedic roles! The reviews above are just my opinions, and it doesn't necessarily mean that the others are not worth watching. In fact, you should watch all of them! :D
For us David Tennant fans, no need to worry. He has so many upcoming movies that we should patiently wait for. While you wait, why don't you vote David for Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actor in People's Choice Awards? Click here and cast your vote!
If you can't wait any longer, you can always do David Tennant marathon!

"When you're playing a real person, there's a balance between playing the person in the script and playing the person as he was in life. You have to be respectful and true to who that person was, but at the same time tell the story in the film."

- David Tennant

Catch you later!

Pics were taken from Google, then were made into a collage by me. I made the gif myself.

Currently Addicted To: Marvel's Jessica Jones

Okay, how do I start this? I LOVE JESSICA JONES. Wait, who's Jessica Jones--or what is Jessica Jones? Sorry, I'm too excited to talk about this series that I forget to give you a proper introduction.

Marvel's Jessica Jones or Jessica Jones is a new series from Netflix. Marvel, you say?! Yes, this series happens to be a part of Marvel Cinematic Universe, like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Agent Carter, and Daredevil (which aired by Netflix too). Yes, this is a superhero series. But, no, you won't see much of superhero(ine) actions (aside from some fighting scenes) because the titular character, Jessica Jones, is actually a former super-heroine who becomes a private investigator.

From the premise, you can see why I already loved this series, since I love Marvel and detective thingy.

(One thing you should know about JJ that it is not a series you'd like to watch with children around. The series' dark, noir, and mature content are not suitable for children. So, be advised, that this isn't Avengers-type of shows.)

Di series ini, Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) adalah seorang mantan pahlawan super yang memiliki kemampuan berupa superhuman strength dan terbang. Ia memiliki masa lalu yang kelam, yang nantinya akan kita ketahui perlahan-lahan selama series berlangsung. Karena itu, ia mencoba untuk hidup normal dengan menjadi private investigator/detektif swasta yang sarkastik, tough, dan tentu saja, badass.
Namun, sebuah kasus hilangnya seorang gadis, membuat Jessica kembali dihantui oleh masa lalunya. Di situ ia diberi dua pilihan--terus berlari dari kenyataan atau menghadapinya.

Nah, yang menjadi daya tarik dari series ini adalah bagaimana seorang Jessica Jones melawan ketakutannya terhadap seseorang dan sesuatu dari masa lalunya. Perlu diingat bahwa bahkan seorang superhero juga manusia dengan hati dan perasaan. At least, Jessica is. She is pictured as an ordinary human being (with extraordinary ability) in which we can relate.

Di mana ada hero, di situ ada villain. Give it up for Kilgrave, yang diperankan dengan sangat brilian oleh David Tennant (sebagian besar dari kalian pasti kenal dia dari Doctor Who)! Zebediah Kilgrave (Killgrave di komiknya--dan saya rasa seriesnya nggak pernah mengungkapkan nama depannya), sosok misterius dari masa lalu Jessica yang dapat mengendalikan pikiran (mind-controlling) orang-orang. Dia lah orang yang menciptakan rasa takut di dalam diri Jessica. Dia lah penyebab Jessica mengidap PTSD/Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Kenapa? Mungkin kalian harus nonton series-nya biar lebih greget.

Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones

David Tennant as Kilgrave

(Krysten Ritter and) Rachael Taylor as Trish Walker

(Krysten Ritter and) Eka Darville as Malcolm

Mike Colter as Luke Cage

Selain dua karakter yang sudah saya sebut di atas, Jessica Jones memiliki karakter pembantu yang tidak kalah menarik. Trish Walker (Rachael Taylor), sahabat Jessica; Malcolm (Eka Darville), tetangga Jessica; Will Simpson (Wil Traval), seorang polisi yang memegang peran cukup penting di series ini; Hope Shlottman (Erin Moriarty), si missing girl yang menjadi sumber masalah; Jeri Hogarth (Carrie-Anne Moss), yang saya juga masih nggak ngerti keberadaannya itu buat apa; serta Luke Cage (Mike Colter), love interest Jessica yang nanti juga punya series sendiri (Marvel's Luke Cage). Masing-masing karakter memang punya kekurangan dan kelebihan sendiri, tapi itu yang membuat series ini semakin menarik untuk ditonton. 

Favorite character?
Kilgrave, of course. In fact, he is like the most interesting character in the series. In the comics, he is called 'Purple Man', who has purple skin. Whereas in the series, they don't paint his body purple (thank God), but give him some purple outfit and purple lighting to imply it. Kilgrave, with his mind-controlling ability, is very terrifying, scary, intimidating--mostly because he is portrayed realistically by the amazing David Tennant. Dia nggak berasal dari planet lain ataupun berniat untuk menguasai dunia seperti villain-villain lain dalam film superhero. Because of that, he becomes one of the most compelling villains in MCU. Dan, sebagai fans berat David Tennant, memang sangat menarik melihat dia memainkan peran yang berbanding terbalik dengan peran yang membuat namanya melejit, The Doctor dalam Doctor Who. I'd give a thousand claps and standing ovations for this guy for perfectly portraying a mind-controlling maniac. Maybe he deserves an Emmy or Golden Globe? :p

Banyak yang membandingkan series ini dengan Marvel's Daredevil, series Netflix yang juga merupakan bagian dari MCU. Dua series ini sama-sama menggunakan dark tone dan memiliki villain yang realistis, namun dari subgenre-nya sendiri sebenarnya berbeda. Daredevil, dianggap sebagai 'best superhero series of all time', memiliki cerita yang lebih serius dan dark, serta full-action di setiap episodenya. Sedangkan Jessica Jones lebih mengarah ke psychological thriller dan cenderung lebih 'ringan' dibanding Daredevil. Mungkin karena mereka merupakan dua dari empat series Marvel yang tayang di Netflix, membandingkan keduanya adalah sesuatu yang 'wajib'.

Oke, guys. Saya sangat merekomendasikan untuk menonton Jessica Jones. Sebanyak 13 episode telah dirilis all-at-once. Yep, I was binge-watching this because I just couldn't stop! I love this. Tapi sebelum itu, jangan lupa juga untuk menoton Daredevil. Keduanya cukup berkaitan, dan kalaupun tidak, tidak ada salahnya untuk menyaksikan Daredevil karena series itu memang bagus banget. Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, dan Iron Fist merupakan series yang nantinya akan di-crossover di miniseries Marvel's Defenders. Wow, makin keren aja MCU! Can't wait for those series!

"Knowing it's real means you gotta make a decision. One, keep denying it. Or two, do something about it."

- Jessica Jones