The post Last Breath first appeared on Worth it or Woke.

Season 3 of Reacher follows Jack Reacher as he dives into the dark underworld of a powerful crime syndicate. Based on Lee Child’s novel “Persuader,” this season sees Reacher going undercover to rescue a DEA informant whose time is running out. Along the way, he confronts unfinished business from his past and faces off against formidable adversaries. Reacher (S3:E1-3) Review Looking slightly less roided out as well as less interested than in previous entries, Alan Ritchson once again dons the utilitarian t-shirt, jeans, and workboots of his most famous character to date in season three of Reacher. The first season of the show was a breath of fresh air to many who had grown understandably disillusioned with the dull, assembly line models of brassy, unstoppable girl bosses being churned out by Hollywood as inadequate replacements for masculine men. Massive, tough, intelligent, and noble but not afraid of getting his hands dirty in the pursuit of justice, Jack Reacher was a paragon of aspirational masculinity- a much-needed oasis in a sea of costumed estrogen. That the program was well done was merely the creatine-flavored icing. While still entertaining, season two suffered from a bloated cast (including some girl bosses) that left the show feeling far less focused than its progenitor. Then, Alan Ritchson, sailing on the warm winds of goodwill from those who appreciated the series’s general lack of wokeness, had to open up his big dumb mouth and call Donald Trump a “rapist and a con man,” instantly alienating a massive chunk of his Reacher fanbase. Some thought that that was the end of what had been shaping up to be a beloved franchise. However, Amazon Studios was already halfway through filming season three at the time, and the show must go on. So you can imagine that a lot is resting on the quality of this season. Will it be good enough to overcome Ritchson’s roid rage? Probably not. The first few episodes feel a little rushed and contrived, with a handful of competing plots. Few are particularly interesting, and with each vying for first place, the two catalyst plots get lost amongst the hurried narrative and uninspired and overproduced build-up to a promised physical confrontation between Reacher and an even larger character—so much so that I honestly forgot about them until one of the characters mentioned them again in the third episode. What is good is that season three, this time based on the 7th book in the series, “Persuade,” has, in many ways, returned to basics. Once again, Reacher is a one-man dynamo with a trio who provides occasional support along the way. Fans will enjoy watching Reacher think on his feet to quickly avoid detection, even if his solutions aren’t exactly as smart as they may have been in past entries. Regrettably, the supporting trio, led by the terribly miscast Sonya Cassidy, is rather dull, with little chemistry between themselves or with the big guy. Cassidy, who plays Agent Duffy, seems like a fine enough actress. However, few 110-lb women with girl-next-door good looks can successfully portray the tough-as-nails New England DEA team leader with a bad attitude written like a man archetype that has so poisoned American cinema and TV for decades now. Still, it’s early in the season, with five more episodes to go, and there’s enough badassery and time for the showrunners to pull it all together. WOKE ELEMENTS Wicked Waif of a Woman Sonya Cassidy, who plays New England DEA Agent Susan Duffy, is everything wrong with modern female characters. (I didn’t ding the Woke-O-Meter too hard because, so far, she’s in it very infrequently. It’s just that when she is in it, her character needs her @$$ kicked. Time will tell if the character gets worse.) She’s brassy and acts like a man. She’s written like a caricature of a man. She regularly barks out emasculating jibes at the men around her (i.e., she “jokes” like how a bunch of soy munching Left-coast weenies think men joke with one another). She’s constantly outsmarting the men around her and then putting them down. She’s not portrayed as being the physical match of men twice her size, but this only serves to exacerbate how unbelievable it is that neither of her subordinates has either decked her or become venomously resentful of her because she’s a woman and, therefore, “can’t” be hit no matter how deserving. Because, of course, He Is The cast is comprised chiefly of Reacher, the villains, and three DEA agents, so there’s little room for diversity. However, some might find it noteworthy that virtually all of the villains (save two) are white and that the only white male DEA agent is a young and scrawny screw-up doofus who serves as little more than a verbal punching bag for the female DEA agent. I didn’t mark the Woke-O-Meter too much for this because he’s only on-screen three times for a few minutes, but it was a close thing. 89% is Woke-ish. The post Reacher (season 3) first appeared on Worth it or Woke.

Win or Lose centers around a middle school softball team, the Pickles. The story unfolds during the week leading up to their big championship game. Each episode offers a unique perspective, delving into the lives and minds of different team members, coaches, and even their families. It’s a tale of teamwork, growth, and the ups and downs of pursuing victory, both on and off the field. Win or Lose (S1:E1&2) Review Animation intended for adults is nothing new. The Flinstones was the first primetime animated series to grace U.S. televisions with the express intention of targeting that particular audience. However, its combination of tackling universal family dynamics with colorful characters and top-notch vocal talent, all propelled by excellent writing, quickly found family members of all ages yelling, “Yabba dabba doo! Of course, since that time, the genre has become a billion-dollar industry featuring programs running the maturity gamut from deep, existential reflections on the nature of destiny and perseverance (Samurai Jack) to fart and incest jokes (Family Guy). These first two episodes of Win or Lose lean far more into the former’s camp. Episode 1 masterfully captures the soul-crushing anxiety of being the worst member of a sports team, while the second episode delves into the loneliness and longing for connection felt by many single people in their early 30s who are trepidatiously navigating the complex and often emotionally baren lattice of today’s dating continuum (thank God I found my wife during high school when the internet was dial-up and apps were served before dinner). Even though children with good parents who make them go outside and play may be able to connect with the concepts being portrayed, it’s doubtful that many of them will find the tone and story appealing. As for Episode 2, it in no way is something that children 8 to 12 need to be thinking about for a decade or more and is clearly not intended for them. Ultimately, the content isn’t compelling enough to warrant a watch by adults who should be far too busy with life and watching the second season of Severance to spare 20 minutes for Win or Lose. Both episodes feel like the somewhat overly emotional shorts that have been sporadically shown in theaters before a Pixar feature film. They are well done but not particularly profound, usually forgotten quickly after they are over, and certainly not fun enough to bridge the viewer age gap. Win or Lose INAPPROPRIATE ELEMENTS Who is it for? Both are too emotionally mature and dour for little ones while lacking sufficient insightfulness to entice adults. Lordy Lordy The Lord’s name is used in vain at least once: “Oh my God, look who’s driving the car.” I’m Too Sexy In the second episode, as the antagonist swipes his way through a dating app, it lands on a curvy gal in a tiny halter top posing in such a way to accentuate her curves. The antagonist has an avatar in the app who wears nothing except tighty whities. Main Streaming the Occult Episode 1’s antagonist’s mother reads and puts a lot of stock in taro cards. WOKE ELEMENTS What’s Not Woke Episode 1’s antagonist prays to God throughout the episode… usually in a respectful way (see next). The dad is a loving and supportive father. And Her Five Sisters Episode 1 opens with a heartfelt prayer for God’s help that quickly devolves into what appears to be an admission of a tween girl having pleasured herself, for which she quickly apologizes to God and promises never to do it again. This series is rated TV-PG, which is supposedly appropriate for children eight and up. White Girls Can’t Jump The only horrendously bad member of the softball team also happens to be the only white person (girl). Pat? There is a very young boy (I think it’s a boy. I can’t find out for sure, and I can’t even figure out who voices him) in a short scene in both episodes who wears large earrings (they are possibly gauges). Boys in Girl Sports There are probably mixed-gender softball leagues for junior high kids (this is central to the series), but there shouldn’t be. This is the time when the boy’s muscle and bone density begin to outstrip the girls, and hormones are beginning to go insane. It’s healthier for both to have their own athletic spaces by this time. Work Happy, Not Hard Episode 1 focuses on a little girl who is a terrible softball player on a really good team. Everyone, her coach/dad included, is incredibly supportive of her mediocrity. While her level of anxiety is unhealthy for someone so young, her attempts and desire to excel (she works incredibly hard every day at improving) are met not with encouragement and an explanation that she doesn’t need to have a panic attack, but only that she shouldn’t care so much, and it’s more important to have fun. Fly Over Country Diversity Has no one making movies and shows today ever been to a small town in the middle of America? There isn’t that much diversity in them. My graduating class of 230 (the biggest graduating class they’d ever had) had one black person and one person of Mexican descent, and the rest were white. This show has about six white people in it. Pushing Mops and Stool Inexplicably, the male school janitor is a flamboyant Eastern European who appears to wear lipstick. His sexual proclivities are never explicitly stated, but he’s clearly gay. The post Win or Lose first appeared on Worth it or Woke.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) just faced another reality check with Captain America: Brave New World’s shocking 68% drop in its second weekend at the box office. After a decent $88.8 million debut, earning a respectable $141 million domestically and $289.4 million globally thus far, the film plummeted hard in its sophomore outing, pulling in just $28.3 million. For the MCU brand—once synonymous with record-breaking blockbusters—this sharp decline reflects a deeper issue more significant than the drop itself. Captain America Throws More Than His Mighty Shield… The Numbers Don’t Lie To put this into perspective, the 68% drop for Brave New World aligns more with the infamous slips of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (70%) than Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (47%), the latter of which went on to have a much longer box office legs. What’s worse? The film earned a B- CinemaScore—a record low for Marvel. Even Eternals and Ant-Man 3, considered quintessential MCU misfires by fans and critics alike, managed a B+. Yikes. Adding insult to injury are comparisons to MCU’s heavy hitters (Avengers, Endgame, Black Panther), which scored A+ CinemaScores and cemented Marvel’s dominance. Brave New World made Marvel history, but not in a good way. Frankenstein’s Monster of Subplots James Carrick’s Worth it or Woke review doesn’t hold back, calling the movie “a Frankenstein’s monster of sewn-together subplots and ridiculousness.” From cyborg senators to Sam Wilson’s inexplicable transformation into a physics-defying superhuman (without ever taking the super-soldier serum), the film’s absurdities pile higher than a stack of unanswerable plot threads. Our full Captain America: Brave New World review is now available.https://t.co/cUO0N8v2UK — Worth it or Woke? (reviews) (@worthitorwoke) February 15, 2025 Carrick points out that the movie suffered from its chaotic production—a “nightmare behind the scenes” filled with reshoots and tension. And boy, does it show. He describes the pacing as spasmatic Whack-O-Mole plots that pop up randomly, making the narrative feel stitched together..”. Who needs cohesion when you can ride a rocket like a surfboard, right? A Captain Without a Compass The biggest problem, however, isn’t just the messy production. It’s Sam Wilson himself—or rather, how poorly the character has been handled. Carrick nails it when he says, “While [Sam] may lament more than once in the film that he didn’t take the super-soldier serum, this iteration of The Falcon doesn’t need it.” He can somehow survive forces and injuries that would liquidate any normal human. Here’s the thing about Captain America (the original Steve Rogers version): his super-soldier serum gave him a plausible edge in battles. Sam lacked that serum yet defies all laws of biology to duke it out with villains like Hulk. Add to that the laughable addition of his pint-sized, freight-train-kicking sidekick, and you’ve lost whatever suspension of disbelief audiences might have granted. Poor Audience Reception Overrides the Numbers Rotten Tomatoes reports an audience score of 80%, but as Carrick and many others have speculated, this feels artificially inflated. Rumors have circulated for years that Rotten Tomatoes moderates reviews with clear biases and is no stranger to overselling “approved” narratives, and the inclusion of a black Captain America certainly fits what many believe to be its intersectional preferences. Yet, in spaces like X, the gloves are off. Fans have slammed the movie for being too “woke,” with unnecessary narrative pandering that detracted from telling a compelling story. Even famed video game director Hideo Kojima took to X, questioning plot gaps and expressing confusion over how the film fits into the larger MCU timeline. I watched “Captain America: Brave New World” in IMAX. I vaguely remember Sam receiving the shield in “Endgame,” but when did he officially become Cap? Is it because I haven’t seen “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier?” And what’s this about the Avengers being reorganized? I’m also… pic.twitter.com/R1WltUhS3u — HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) February 23, 2025 For all its flaws, Brave New World did feature the likable Anthony Mackie back in the lead role, whose charisma is one of the few anchors in this lost-at-sea disaster of a superhero flick. Carrick remarks that Mackie’s talent “isn’t even close to enough to save this disaster of a film.” The Second-Weekend Plunge Was Inevitable Marvel’s golden era of Avengers-level loyalty has clearly waned. Audiences are no longer rushing to theaters only to be strung along by tepid setups for future cash grabs because, quite frankly, they’ve been burned one time too many (The Marvels, anyone?). Reduced audience enthusiasm becomes glaringly clear when compared to historic MCU performances. Iron Man (2008) had a lifetime gross of $318.6 million domestically, kicking off a wave of goodwill. Even the original Captain America (2011) grossed over $176 million, laying the groundwork for the character’s arc. By contrast, Brave New World fails to compete at its projected $113 million. A poor CinemaScore, reliance on overblown special effects, and nonsensical action scenes all factor into its abrupt halt at the box office. The MCU has a massive branding issue to solve. Sliding into irrelevance, Brave New World underscores the trouble facing Phase 5 and beyond. After a massive week 2 drop for #CaptainAmericaBraveNewWorld the MCU media shills continue to run cover for the film. The fact is that it is currently tracking 15% behind where Quantumania was domestically and 20% globally at the same point of its release…based on these numbers… — OMB Reviews (@OMBReviews) February 23, 2025 Where Do We Go From Here? With Captain America positioned as a linchpin for the MCU’s next phase, its faltering box office success (read failure) isn’t just concerning—it’s potentially catastrophic. The last few years have seen Disney’s juggernaut struggle to regain its footing, and Brave New World might embody everything wrong with its cookie-cutter approach to modern blockbusters. If the MCU continues to shrug off fan backlash as “audience fatigue” or wrongfully assumes woke narratives will carry water despite poor execution, its new normal might just look like its second-weekend box office receipts—a resounding 68% drop. For a full breakdown of the film’s unapologetic absurdity and sewing-machine editing, read James Carrick’s hilarious and scathing Worth it or Woke review here. It’s worth the click—unlike Brave New World, which doesn’t appear to be worth the price of a ticket.The post Captain America: Brave New World’s Second Week Box Office Plunge first appeared on Worth it or Woke.

Five months after the jaw-dropping finale of Severance Season 1, we’re thrown right back into the unsettling world of Lumon Industries. Mark and his coworkers, who briefly got a taste of life beyond their corporate prison, now face the fallout of their shocking discoveries. This season peels back even more layers of Lumon’s eerie control, forcing its employees to confront the disturbing reality of their dual existences—one as obedient worker drones, the other as clueless “outies” kept in the dark. Severance (S2:E1-5) Review So far, season 2 of Severance justifies a binge of the first season for those who haven’t already seen it and a weekly reminder to watch Season 2’s next episode for those who have. Simply put, it’s the best thing currently streaming. Quality conspiracy thrillers are as dependent upon excellent performances and thoughtful direction as they are hi-concept, and Severance has all of the above in spades. However, ultimately, they are only as good as their final payoff/reveal, and while, so far, the creatives behind Severance have done a masterful job of parceling out gripping reveals, that only beg more questions, only time will tell if it’s a genuinely well-thought out slow burn mystery like (most of) The X-Files or an aimless fart literally blowing smoke like Lost. In the interim, what we have is a show with a commanding cast, brilliant design choices, and tight, natural, and economical dialogue that bends audience minds with its almost miserly grip on grand revelations. Adam Scott, who many still only know as the doting straight man to Amy Poeller’s compulsively people pleaser in Parks & Recreation, leads a stellar cast as Mark, a man deeply wounded by the recent death of his wife, and who is looking for a means of escaping his pain without facing it. Scott, whose dual personas receive the lion’s share of screentime, seamlessly transitions between his two, for all intents and purposes, different characters, presenting us with one of the series’s most compelling questions, “Are we the sum of our memories: or biological reactants that respond to exterior stimuli like little more than sophisticated lab animals?” Adam Scott as Ben Wyatt in Parks & Recreation The rest of the cast is a mixture of relative unknowns and heavy hitters like John Turturo and the legendary Christopher Walken. Yet, whether or not you recognize them from their respective bodies of work, each one, both supporting and core cast members, is nothing short of perfect With at least one more season to go before we find out exactly what is going on, Severance is a gamble, but so far, it’s one worth taking. WOKE ELEMENTS You Gotta Have More Gay Cowbell In the first season, it is revealed that both John Tuturo’s and Christopher Walken’s characters are gay. They share a very chaste office romance that consists of little more than furtive looks pregnant with longing. It didn’t take up much time, and the “romantic” elements added nothing to the narrative, but they were there and, therefore, noteworthy nonetheless. As of episode 5 of this season, their relationship is mentioned twice more, and Walken’s character is briefly reintroduced at the end of the 5th episode. Again, the romantic aspect of the relationship adds nothing to the story, and although the two actors have chemistry, it doesn’t come across as the amorous variety. This makes the relationship all the more distracting. Their gayness exists for the sole purpose of bolstering the idea that homosexuality is biological rather than a product of one’s environment.  The post Severance (season 2) first appeared on Worth it or Woke.