Media Consumption Round Up - Apr '25

Whoooooo, another busy month. We’re settling into our new place well, but there is still so much to do (and get used to). The added commute isn’t that horrible, but it’s a change to how we operate daily.

Our evenings consist of resetting the kitchen, doing the dishes, and packing lunches and breakfast. This is necessary or else the morning after is complete chaos. It’s not that horrible, but our TV and movie time hasn’t been easy to come by.

A Quick Update_____________________________

These Media Consumption Round Up articles aren’t my favorite thing to write. I think it’s nice to know that I’ll always have at least 1 idea of what to write each month.

I do this so I can take stock of what I’m taking in and think critically about it, even for a short minute.

Moving forward, this is going to include pieces of media that I have finished during the month or pieces that I have significant thoughts about.

Movies

Movies are a bigger commitment than TV shows. That doesn’t make much sense when you consider the near feature-length finale of Severance season 2, but it’s true.

Sitting down to watch a 45-minute show (and then accidentally watching another) is much different than sitting down to watch an hour and forty-five-minute movie. The only reason we watched the movie we did was because I got bored while folding laundry and just wanted to put something on. It took us two days to watch.

Cheaper By the Dozen

Everything that happens in this movie, from start to finish, is bad. The movie isn’t bad, it’s just a constant flow of things going bad.

I enjoyed this movie as a kid but as an adult, it felt like a great movie to have on while doing something else. The ending is sweet enough, but I think the family-first theme kind of fell flat. I think if they showed the family’s happy life before the big move, that would have helped.

It was just chaos, it gets worse, then it gets better.

TV

We’re TV people now.

AppleTV is the only subscription we pay for and it is so worth it. That being said, most of our TV time happens while folding laundry, researching landscaping products, and just recovering from the day.

Scavenger’s Reign

I started this show in November 2024. It’s mind-blowingly good. This way my wife-is-gone-and-baby-is-asleep show so I watched it on and off.

Scavenger’s Reign is about a group of scientists who survive a spacecraft crash onto a very alien planet. Every creature on this planet has wildly unique designs and reasons for existing within the ecosystem of the wider planet.

The art direction is on display, and powerful, the entire time. The animation is beautiful, and every stroke feels intentional and perfectly executed.

It’s refreshing to see an animated adult show from an American studio that isn’t trying to be Family Guy, American Dad, or Rick and Morty.

If you’re squeamish, this show might not be for you.

SWAT

Alright, look. Sometimes, you need something that doesn’t make you think and doesn’t do much.

Zelphia put this show on while she was working on the couch one evening and I kept finding myself going full brain rot mode and staring at the screen while trying to pack lunches.

This show is very similar to the typical NCIS and CSI’s of the world. However, they try to deal with some heavy topics very frequently. They do so in a heavy-handed way and there isn’t much nuance. It’s not great in this regard.

However, I would do anything for Hondo (main character). All the characters in this show are great. They’re all dealing with their own stuff and they bring their own personality to the team - this is the best part of the show hands down.

Most of the time while this is on I’m sitting on the couch next to Zelphia playing a game on my RP5. It’s a big vibe.

Video Games

Rez (Finished)

I've already written a lot about this game. Check out my write-up about it below.

Drill Dozer (Finished)

I enjoyed this game from start to finish.

I wrote enough about it in last month’s round-up, but I should mention that the final handful of levels and story beats are surprisingly sweet and heartfelt.

Tears of the Kingdom (Finished)

The final moments of this game are amazing. I don’t have much more I can say about it other than wow.

I’m sure I’ll revisit it to play some of the side stuff I missed when I’m having a rough night and just want something familiar.

I’m also sure I’ll have moments of realization of all the amazing moments I experienced.

I’m also also sure I’ll have something more extensive to write about it at some point.

Persona 3 Reload (Started)

Persona 3: Reload came out February 2024. While I was excited to eventually pick it up, I still had Persona 5: Royal to finish, AND my daughter was about to be born. Buying a new 60-hour video game was on the last of my to-do list.

Well a couple of months later, a good friend of mine bought it for me - so I dedicated myself to finishing up Persona 5: Royal so I can dive into this game.

Now, a year later, I finally started Persona 3: Reload.

I was immediately taken aback by the tone of it. Persona 5: Royal (The only other game in the series I’ve played) has a very upbeat and fun tone, but Persona 3 is much more… sad.

If Persona 5 is: Isn’t it fun being a teen, let’s eat ramen!

Then Persona 3 is: Everyone will die eventually. Why try?

Mario Golf: Advance Tour (Started)

We’re so back.

The weather has been getting so nice and it’s perfect for taking my lunches outside. Mario Golf has been accompanying me on my lunch breaks and it’s the perfect match.

This game was released for the GameBoy and it departs from the traditional Mario formula - there are no Mario characters (yet).

Instead of playing as Mario characters, you play as a kid trying to be the best golfer. There are 4 golf courses and four pros at each of those courses that you need to beat to win the game.

What’s so surprising to me is that you can explore the places between the courses and find challenges to complete and places to practice. By completing these challenges you get XP to spend on leveling up and improving your skills as a golfer.

Y’all, it’s just so good and nice and you should check it out if you got a chance. I’d recommend reading the manual before getting into the game - real old-game vibes.