Picture this. It’s a cold Sunday morning in November. Heavy rain is beating against the window and you want nothing more than to retreat under a thick duvet and spend the day there. What’s your go to comfort? Maybe it’s flipping open that book you’ve been ‘getting around to’. Or possibly a crossword puzzle and a warm cuppa. For my partner and I, it’s the trusty Nintendo Switch. But what do we play? Eager to try something new, we headed to the Nintendo Shop to have a look for a new multiplayer game that we hadn’t already exhausted.
Through the masses of Mario games and farming simulators, we came across what I now believe was a hidden gem. It takes two. And let me tell you, we were bothblown away.
Without giving too much away, the main narrative within the game addresses the hardships of getting along and the impact they can have on those around you. I’m sure this is something that we can all relate to.
You and your friend will play as either Cody or May, parents to Rose, and spoiler alert – you’re not having the best of times. Thrown into a genre-bending world, you’re forced to work together through a variety of locations, game styles and areas. All whilst being miniature in size! Have you ever wondered what a child’s bedroom would look like if you were the size of a wooden doll? Or how you might navigate if you found yourself inside a vacuum cleaner? It Takes Two will quench those curiosities for you.
Like any blockbuster movie, the story begins with Rose overhearing her parents having an argument and wishes that they would become friends again. The next thing we know, mum and dad are waking up in the bodies of a clay figurine and a wooden doll. We’ve all been there, right?
Enter the ‘Book of Love’ – a talking counselling book purchased by Rose who will help guide you back to your daughter, but not first without making you collaborate in a somewhat annoying fashion.
Working together, you must complete puzzles, overcome obstacles and even use squirrel tech (yup, you heard that right) to make your way back to Rose and somehow transform back into human beings.
With an average playthrough time of 10-15 hours, this is a game that you don’t need to rush – nor is it overwhelming with hundreds of collectibles and areas to explore. If you find yourself finishing the game and wanting more, you can play through again as the character you didn’t choose the first time around! Each character has unique abilities throughout the game, so you really have to work together to navigate your way through the story.
If you have the game and your friend doesn’t they can download the friend’s pass at no cost and complete the playthrough with you! After all, sharing is caring! 🤍
I’ve been a little quieter on here than I’d like as life has been very busy at the moment. I managed to get myself onto a new career path after several long years in retail. I’ve taken the first steps in becoming a digital marketer which is super exciting and even means I get to do a little bit of creative writing too! You may be thinking; “It doesn’t sound like you’ve failed.” but I’ve actually tripped over many hurdles to get here, and I know that there will be many hurdles to come. And that’s perfectly okay
Whether it’s failing a level on a video game, flunking an exam or getting the dreaded ‘Unfortunately you were unsuccessful’ email after applying for a job vacancy, in one way or another we’re all bound to fail at something at least once in our lives. Just because we fail and make mistakes does not make us failures and here’s why.
Failing is inevitable: You WILL fail. We’re humans and therefore we naturally make errors and mistakes. Sometimes you may not possess the right skills, but that doesn’t mean that you never will. By accepting the fact that it is near impossible to succeed on the first time every try, you’ll be less hard on yourself and won’t feel as deterred from giving it another go. Most success stories didn’t get it right the first time. The beloved Walt Disney was told he ‘lacked imagination and had no good ideas’ by the editor of his former newspaper, and we all know how that turned out.
“I think it’s important to have a good hard failure when you’re young… Because it makes you kind of aware of what can happen to you. Because of it I’ve never had any fear in my whole life when we’ve been near collapse and all of that. I’ve never been afraid.” – Walt Disney.
You learn more from failing than from succeeding: By making mistakes, we are able to learn from them and know what areas we need to improve on. Instead of viewing it as set-back, view it as an opportunity for personal growth. Think of when you’ve ever started a new job. Your mistakes are pointed out but this isn’t to humiliate you or make you feel bad, more so to help you better yourself and improve your skills. If you never accept making a mistake you won’t ever be able to move forwards and learn from it.
By failing your eyes are opened to new paths: When you fail at something, you may realise that the path you’re currently on isn’t the one for you. Sometimes it may seem like the right one to begin with yet it develops into something that you’re no longer makes you feel content. Failing may make you reconsider pursuing other things or even perhaps changing your views and opinions. If you never fail, you’ll never discover all the other options the world has to offer you.
The past year has been hard for everyone. Covid-19 has seriously affected our daily lives and mental health and probably will for the foreseeable future. A simple mistake could be enough to tip you over the edge if you don’t view it with a positive mindset. Be kind to yourself.
Warning: The following content may be unsuitable for readers under the age of 18.
Dear reader,
It’s me again. Ya boi. This is going to be a long one.
I did it! I came up with something to talk about that isn’t serial killers or cute little games with animals and pretty scenery. Polar opposites I know, and if you wanted me to talk about that and now you’re feeling disappointed, fear not I say! All in good time. For I have developed a fool proof method for determining spontaneous topics to chat about. You wanna know what it is, don’t you? Drum roll please..
I noted down a bunch of things I wouldn’t mind waffling on about (serial killers, scenery and cute games with animals, the usual) and then I carefully folded them up and put them in a box. Now that I say it out loud, I’m basically picking names out of a hat aren’t I. Anyway, the box has spoken! Today’s pick is something that I imagine the majority of the population has become extremely familiar with over the past year. You guessed it, Netflix.
What’s your go to when you want to chill out and pass some time? Maybe when you’re alone, or maybe when you’re with your significant other. I know I’m not the only one who spends an endless amount of hours watching shows on Netflix. Even the Netflix original movies aren’t so bad. I usually watch documentaries on true crime cases and serial killers for hours on end, however I’m going to try and stay clear of that right now and have a look at a few different Netflix shows that are a bit more diverse and hopefully will peak your interest. I know I enjoyed them.
Modern Family (Seasons 1-8)
Modern Family is a mockumentary show that isn’t necessarily new to a lot of people. I remember it being aired on the TV, however it never really captured my attention and I thought it was just another generic American Sitcom, so I often flicked the channel over whenever it came on. When I had exhausted almost every show on Netflix that I could manage, I noticed that Modern Family had been added. I decided to give it a chance and watch it from the beginning, and I can honestly say it was one of the best decisions I’ve made in the huge international debate of “What do you wanna watch tonight?”.
The show follows three dysfunctional households that all belong to one family, the Pritchett’s. Created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan in 2009, the three families represent three different kinds of family structures; Nuclear, Blended and Same-Sex. This makes the show a tastefully diverse watch whilst holding onto a very light-hearted and relatable sense of humour, following the endeavours of the ‘modern family’ and making us laugh by displaying situations that are encountered by most families in everyday life. I have lost count of the amount of times I’ve had a right good belly laugh at the actions of the characters in the show, and I can honestly say it’s a great way to let your hair down (providing you have any) and get lost in the organically funny series. Currently, Seasons 1-8 of the show are available to stream on Netflix. The full series (1-11) is available to watch on Now TV. Unfortunately, the show ended in early 2020. Yet another treasure which that unforgiving year took away from us. Maybe this is why the cast all look so distraught in the above photograph. I feel you guys.
Still not convinced? Here’s the Top 10 funniest moments of Season 1-8.
Behind Her Eyes is a recently created Psychological Thriller Series released by Netflix on February 17th 2021 which is based on the best-selling novel by Sarah Pinborough. The show focuses on Louise, a single mother who bites off more than she can chew when she befriends the wife of her new boss. The series moves from weird to weirder over the several episodes that it runs for. This is one of those shows that you get hooked on and before you know it, you’ve finished the entire series in one sitting. Yes, I’m speaking from experience.
Without giving away too many spoilers, Behind Her Eyes presents us with a love triangle and a mysterious back story to a number of the characters involved, as well as teasing our emotions and taking us on one hell of a rollercoaster ride in an attempt to figure out the plot. I’ve been on the Big Dipper at Blackpool Pleasure beach and I can honestly say this show has more ups and downs. The series also debuts a range of stunningly colourful scenes, sometimes giving off the vibes that the characters are in a fairytale, only to be dragged back to a gloomy reality within a split second for the next scene. If you’re looking for a program that gets you thinking and has an unusual story line, you should give this one a watch. I can’t really discuss too much about this series without spoilers, so I think I’ll move onto our next bingeworthy nugget.
How can I describe Big Mouth? If you’re easily offended, or dislike the sexualisation of inanimate objects such as couch cushions, then dear reader.. this show is not for you. However, if you do have a bit of a dark sense of humour and enjoy the likes of shows such as South Park and Family Guy, then you may very well find that Big Mouth is right up your alley. I first watched this on my mobile phone whilst on a lunch break at work a couple of years back, and I had to try my hardest not to burst out laughing in the canteen.
Big Mouth is an animated adult sitcom which follows a group of kids during the coming-of-age period of their lives whilst exploring puberty with a ‘matter-of-fact’ attitude towards sex and the human body. The edgy show introduces bodily aspects in the form of characters which adds to the overall comedic effect and leaves un in tears of laughter at the persona of the likes of the Hormone Monster, Depression Kitty and Tito the Anxiety Mosquito.
With episodes standing at a comfortable 20 minutes running time, the show is very easy to watch so you can work your way through the multiple series in pretty good time. There are currently 4 seasons on Netflix, with a fifth one in the making and due to be released in Autumn 2021. I hope you’ll be as excited as I am! The controversial humour and somewhat relatable experiences take you back to your early pubescent days and remind you of the ‘changes’ you went through. However, as much as the show pushes the boundaries of jokes and humour surrounding puberty, it is also pretty well known for addressing social and political issues that kids today may often be faced with. Cool, right? We could all use a good laugh right now.
Okay, Yes I apologise, a serial killer slipped through. Have you ever heard of the term morbid curiosity? Because I feel like it rules my life. I’m going to try and discuss this documentary series with as positive of an attitude as I can. If you don’t know me very well, you also won’t know that I watch a lot of documentaries and videos on true crime cases and serial killers. I’m not too sure why I enjoy watching them, but I do. They fascinate me, and somehow I disassociate myself from the fact that these are real people and real cases, which I think makes it a little easier for me to talk about than it would for other people.
Anyway, Night Stalker is a docuseries on Netflix that focuses on the true crimes committed by Richard Ramirez in the mid 1980s. Before being caught, Ramirez was nicknamed ‘Night Stalker’ by the police for his gruesome acts and criminal offences. He was notorious for breaking into his victims’ homes, raping them, killing them and stealing whatever valuable belongings he could find. The documentary shows interviews with police and detectives who worked the case tirelessly to capture Ramirez, news broadcasts from the time it was taking place and we even get a glimpse into what kind of evidence was being gathered, and how Ramirez was finally taken down. If you’re planning on watching this, please be warned that it is extremely disturbing and if you’re easily upset then maybe give this one a miss.
If you’re like me and have an unnaturally strange interest in this case and serial killers in general, you should check out Bailey Sarian’s youtube video discussing the same story. However, Bailey takes a deeper look into Ramirez’s past which is omitted from the documentary, and shines a little bit of light onto how he behaved the way he did. It’s still f**ked up.
How are we doing after that last one? Everybody good? I promise this one is for everyone. Not only has The Office [US] provided us with some of the best quality memes and gif content known to man, it’s also another incredibly hilarious series to watch. Steve Carrell and John Krasinski bury their way into our hearts and set up camps there in this brilliant mockumentary series. Personally, I think that The Office [US] runs rings around The Office [UK]. Sorry Ricky Gervais, you tried.. but David Brent has nothing on Michael Scott.
Dunder Mifflin is a paper company in Scranton. Sounds ordinary? Think again. The Office [US] documents the every day lives of the manager of the Scranton branch and his colleagues who are followed around with cameras 24/7, capturing the hilarious encounters and ordeals that they often find themselves in. I suspect more often than real employees of an average paper company. Never in my life have I wanted to work in an office, but I’d work at Dunder Mifflin with these guys any day.
If you’re looking for a show that will not only leave you laughing at some of the cringe-worthy comments and situations that Michael Scott gets himself into, but will also leave you absolutely falling in love with the characters and gushing at their relationships, then my dearest reader you need look no further. The Office will hand all that to you on a silver platter. Each episode is about 25 minutes long, which seems to be the perfect length to get everything in without feeling like it’s been crammed in or leaving you with Michael Scott blue balls.
Are you still here? If you have any suggestions for shows that I can binge-watch that you think top the above, or maybe if you disagree with me completely and think that my picks are a pile of shite, please leave me a comment! I’d love to get your opinions.
Once again, I find myself not really knowing how to sign off at the end of a post. Have you ever had a phone call from a family member on your birthday, and they’ve wished you a heart-felt ‘Happy Birthday!’, to which you’ve responded ‘You too’? Do you remember that awkward feeling you got when you realised what you’d said? That’s how I feel trying to find a way to end one of these things. Almost as bad as calling your teacher ‘Mum’.
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