Tonight's Entertainment - Fatman

We need more Santa Claus movies with Mel Gibson as Santa!  This was entertaining as hell.  A great escape for a night.  And it comes with a great message every spoiled kid should hear at the end.

6/10 Stars

Hey Hey Hey....What Is Going On Here?

Before we get ahead of ourselves...there will be spoilers listed below.

This past week the Saved By the Bell Reboot dropped on Peacock.  I was a fan of the original in the 90s on Saturday mornings and before binging the reboot this past holiday weekend, I went through the College Years.  Even though it only lasted one year at Cal U, I liked the College Years.  Zack matured, some; Kelly grew up, AC's character blossomed more from just a jock and well Screech was screech.  And at the time they hit on a few items of growing up and being in the college setting.  

Now to the reboot.  Season 1 is 10 episodes and about oh a good 30 mins or so.  It brings in kids from a under funded school district to integrate with Bayside due to Governor Morris closing down some of those schools.  In all of it, in my mind, somewhere from when Belding and Screech left with the new class Bayside went, well Valley.  It's now a school for well off rich kids, and some not really that bright.  (I'll get into that)  

They try to keep some of the fun of the old show when they were in high school with Zack and Slater's pranks, and also hit in on some of today's issues regarding the situation they are in with schools merging.  It also ties in some nice little easter eggs from the past.  

The Old Gang

AC Slater and Jessie Spano are the main group that is in practically every episode.  AC is the coach/AD and Jessie is counselor.   Zack is now the Governor of California and Kelly is busy being the first lady.  We find out that Screech is off on the space station with his robot Kevin we also get a cameo from Lisa who is off in Paris with a fashion show. 

It seems as if AC has been in this position for a while.  Probably since college from what it sounds like.  He would have seen Bayside go from what it was to what it is now.  Leaving the College Years AC had gotten to be a strong personality and very confident.  He already was athletically but was growing as a person.  Kind of getting a little Jessie in him and getting involved in bigger issues.  Slater now seems to have got insecure and lost that knowledge he had.  The athletics department is also suffering and losing games acting like well pansies.  Slater in HS and College Years would have never allowed that.  

In the last years of high school some how Zack got a little smarter and then in the college years you could see that too, and then somehow got elected Governor, so he can't be dumb right?  Well it seems politics made him an idiot.  The way he comes off is as a character here shocks me from where Zack was.  Just watching him it's like WTF.  

Then there's Kelly.  She went all 90210 on Zack almost every time on the screen.  Saying she's going to seduce him or even in the max they are all over each other and pretty much needing a room.  And she was never a dumb student in school or college but she went totally ditzy here.  She had a few moments with Mac that brought back old Kelly that I appreciated.

Of the 4 oldies, Jessie was the one who kind of seemed to stay true to character.  She got to make fun of her caffeine pill episode (seen in the trailer) and gets a chance to grow here also from a somewhat weakened version of herself to Jessie F@#%^N Spano that we know.  The other thing I did notice is that Jessie showed a TON of cleavage in the episodes.  I'm trying to think if this was a nod to the Showgirls movies?

Lisa makes a surprise cameo from Paris over a face time call, and she really hasn't changed from who she is.  She's Lisa.  

They played off Screech being in space, but I was really shocked there was no Belding sighting.  Maybe Season 2.

The New Gang

Lexi, probably my least favorite of the new characters.  She's coming off as a rich kid bully, basically shes a Kardashian.  She comes close to making a turn and then goes back to her character but for a good reason.  I also look at this character and think, WHY IS SHE AT BAYSIDE?  She comes off as a girl I would think of seeing at Valley.

Mac is Zack and Kelly's son.  He is a entitled rich kid, which is nothing Zack or Kelly ever were. This kid is just spoiled and why do kids like him?  Ok it's high school and those type of kids seem to be the most popular.  He pulls pranks that he can and he comes off as more trash than his dad.  He does end up having daddy issues too which they hit on a good portion.  Really most episodes I didn't care for Mac, he had some moments but I don't expect him to change much throughout the series.

Jamie Spano, Jessie's son.  Repeat Jessie's son.  How is this kid this damn stupid?  Really?  Did you have to make Jessie's son Shaggy?  Why not give him some Scooby snacks, which I'm kind of shocked they didn't.  And how the hell do you give speeches like his to a football locker room and congratulate the other team for a good tackle.  And AC stands there and doesn't say anything.  WTF.  I was just really shocked at him.  Also being spoiled.  I never saw Jessie that way, why did they do that to him?

Aisha coming from Douglas over to Bayside she was the most manly of all the characters.  I understand girls wanting to play football and that happens here, but how does she not kick all the others asses.  Part of me thought they brought the football team down to elevate her.  Which in hindsight doesn't elevate her enough.  My 9 yr old daughter could have quarterbacked that team.  I do like the character though and curious where she goes.  The relationship between her and Jamie seemed forced due to the football team, but it will be interesting to see where it goes after what happened in the finale.  

Daisy is the main character that we follow around.  She comes from a poor family and is thrust into this rich kid world.  She reminds me of a mix of Zack and Jessie's characters.  One she gets Zack's cell phone and time out ability (easter eggs) and she's the smartest kid and most driven of them all.  She also has some really dumb story lines.  Yes the kids from Bayside befriend her but in a few episodes she turns just as bratty and spoiled rotten as them.  This seemed like a missed opportunity to keep her strong willed of who she is.  Also there is a party episode where she pregames and is really messed up.  It seemed like a missed opportunity to hit on not drinking as a young person.  By the end of the season she comes back.

Mr Toddman is the principal here and most of his scenes are really hard to watch.  He's no Belding and he forces everything.  I didn't mind his interactions with Jessie and Slater and he has a really great moment in the 9th episode that I would hope would keep him on that path.  Also why did the writers try to Lucas this and tie him back to the group in the original series.  TERRIBLE.  Not all things need to be connected.

Devante is probably my favorite character of the new group.  In the 80's and 90's shows would mostly have the big kid be in sports.  Football and Basketball, etc.  But they had him with no interest in that.  He goes the route of theater.  Really liked that.  Wouldn't have minded if he did both and been more diversified and the football team could have used it but you learn his back story to of why he's maybe only doing one.  He doesn't talk as much as Aisha and Daisy but he is the most effective especially moving the main theme of the series along.

I enjoyed sitting down with the kids and watching the episodes and loved the moments of the old gang and the little easter eggs thrown throughout but overall on the first season I was frustrated with the little stories and what I saw as missed opportunities for this reboot.  I really hate to say it but the trailer was probably the best part of the series.  The old gang almost took steps back in their 30 years since the original series aired.

A few things I did like, I liked the expanded view of the school.  In the original you really only saw one class room, Belding's office and those iconic red lockers.  The views off that hallway give you a better idea of the school as a whole, and there's no more 1/2 size gym.

I really think that there are better ways that season 2 can go from where it is:  

• I think you need to give Jamie Spano a spine, I don't know if you can give him knowledge. And grow some balls if you're going to be a football captain
• Mac is gonna stay Mac, he's a Morris
• Can Lexi transfer to Valley?
• Daisy needs to not forget about her roots while becoming a Bayside Tiger.  Learn from Jessie and stand up 
• Devante keep doing what your doing 
• Less Toddman forced jokes and interactions
• Bring Screech in, have Zack give him a parade after getting back from the Space Station
• AC needs to get his confidence back and get that Tigers back and be strong
• We are going toward a Jessie/AC relationship again, just keep being Jessie though

I know I'm probably harder on this than most reviews but I loved the show and enjoyed it on Saturdays and reruns and in prime time.  Willing to give Season 2 a go and really hope it happens.

Not every reboot series can be Cobra Kai!  

Starting to feel somewhat like Christmas

Yes I'm a grinch, but over the years the kids have tried to warm my heart and it has happened in the past few years.  It still freezes up and needs to re-thaw every year but seeing them and their excitement over this time of the year help.  Addy's eyes and smile last year visiting Santa I think increased my heart size 5 times.  Lord knows what I spend on Amazon doesn't help at all.  

Last night we went to go see Santa at the tree lighting in Norwalk.  Santa really lights up Ry's eyes and really all of the kids.  Ryleigh got to tell Santa what she wanted for Christmas, a Barbie Dream House, the 2020 version.  Yes she knows what each year's house looks like.  In the end we got a cookie, some candy canes and hot cocoa.

Then that damn ELF showed up.  

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving 2020 during a pandemic was a lot different this year, but than again what this year has been close to normal.  

The 4 of us stayed here in Norwalk, and did a virtual Thanksgiving with Mom and Dad in Marshalltown and then Mike, Sue & Brendan in West Des Moines.  

We all meet up on Google Meet and chatted for about 30 minutes while we were just getting started to eat.  

This was my first ever attempt to cook any form of turkey that wasn't a slice of shaved turkey on a grilled cheese.  Bought us a turkey roast and well at first it didn't turn out so good.  I sliced into and it was raw in the middle.  Cranked up the heat and about 45 mins later it was ready, along with everything else.  

Along with the turkey made some taters/gravy, stuffing, corn, green bean casserole, rolls and cranberry sauce.  No Thanksgiving is complete with out Bent River Sweet Potato Ale either.  Those always go down smooth.  The kids cheers'd with sparkling grape juice.  

With all that has gone on in the past year, it wasn't the day we originally invisioned for Thanksgiving coming into this year but we made the best of it all.  There was a lot of laughing, and good times.  Got Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving and Garfield's Thanksgiving Special watched and kicked off some Christmas viewing with Home Alone.  

We also got to celebrate the Hawks beating Nebraska for the 6th year in a row!

With Christmas only about 4 weeks away I'm betting we will have the same set up coming up for that too.  Thankful for technology so the kids can all connect.   

Ryleigh - Girls on the Run 5k

 Since Covid has hit, the kids and I haven't had to many activities that didn't get cancelled.  One of the things that did was Girls on the Run in the spring of 2020 for Ryleigh.  She got 3 practices in and then it was axed.  

Cautiously she wanted to do it again and signed her up for it.  Today was the culmination of the fall season of 2020 for Girls on the Run and I got to be her running buddy for the 5K.  

She conquered running into 40 mph winds head on for the first half of the run and then had it pushing us the last half.  We finished in 31:35.  Not to bad for her first 5k and my first on my fixed knee.  Hopefully in the spring covid will be gone and we'll improve on our times.