Smugglivus 2015: Ana’s Best of the Rest (TV, Movies, Comics, Podcast)

Clearly, both Ana and Thea are bananas, and in addition to reading and reviewing obscene amounts of books, we also obsess over multiple television shows, movies, video games, and all other manner of geekery. With that in mind, we needed to create ANOTHER list (we are list makers, yes we are) for our end of the year celebration. We give you our very own BEST OF THE REST (everything that isn’t a book).

I consumed a lot non-bookish media this year because of Fangirl Happy Hour (the podcast I co-host with Renay). I watched a lot of movies, TV shows, listened to podcasts and read more comics than in any previous year and here is my top ten:

Agent Carter – Season 1:

Falling in love with Peggy Carter and this show was easy – because Agent Carter is a punchy, fun, sad, fist-pumping series. Hayley Atwell plays Peggy with gusto, the show has a bunch of awesome secondary characters and I can’t wait for season 2.

Jessica Jones – Season 1:

Jessica Jones is probably the most powerful show I have ever watched. It’s a story that focus, centers its tale around women – around OUR experience – and around the survivors of terrible abuse by calling abuse for what it is.

I have a bit of a rant ready for the reactions to the show but I am saving that for the Airing of Grievances. For now, I will just say that this is a show that deserves to be watched and talked about.

Sense8 – Season 1:

I fell hard for the characters of Sense8 more than I fell for the (sometimes convoluted) storyline but man, those characters, those eight characters found a place in my heart in a way that a multi-cast series hadn’t since LOST. I CARE so much about what happens to these people, it’s not even funny. Bonus points for the diversity of its characters and the amount of LGBTQIA in the series – it was such a beautiful thing to watch and embrace.

Max Max – Fury Road:

I had zero interest in this movie until it came out and the MRAs started complaining about how it was all about women. Ta muchly, MRAs, for helping me find one of the best movies of the year. This is the feminist post-apocalyptic, road movie adventure of your dreams. Furiosa is amazing AND THE HERO and she doesn’t die in the end.

Jupiter Ascending:

Arguably the most RIDICULOUS movie of all time? Maybe. But roller blades in space with a guardian angel werewolf bodyguard and space bees and a young woman who conquers all is a movie after my own heart.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

I never thought this was going to happen since after being scarred for life by the prequels I was wholly prepared to have a dedicated Star Wars section within the Airing of Grievances but here we are. I love this movie SO MUCH. It might even be GASP MY FAVOURITE OF ALL STAR WARS MOVIES. There, I said. I never cared for Luke Skywalker that much and watched for robots, Han and Leia and adventures. Now, I have all of those plus a new triad of AMAZING characters updated, upgraded to the 21st century AND the cutest new droid ever.

I cried a lot during this movie. Of sadness and joy.

I ship Poe and Finn SO MUCH. So much – maybe they will pull a Korra and do the thing.

Serial Podcast – Season 1:

I remain deeply conflicted about Serial and its quite sensationalist nature – just as I couldn’t stop listening to this real crime case podcast, I also couldn’t stop thinking about how exploitative it all seems. But the production value is amazing, the case itself is incredibly interesting – and even, enraging – and the show is addictive. I even went on to listen to a different podcast – Undisclosed – about the same case. My conflicted feelings aside, it is also true that without Serial and Undisclosed, this case would not have been reopened and a potentially innocent man would still be in jail with his appeals for a new hearing on new evidence denied.

Bitch Planet – Vol 1:

Bitch Planet is kinda like Orange is the New Black in space AND without Piper. Also, much darker. Overtly intersectional and feminist, with an appealing packaging where its extra materials are as important and exciting as what’s within the covers, Bitch Planet is unabashedly loud, proud, in-your-face, angry feminism. It’s fucking glorious.

Ms Marvel – Vols 1 -3 :

Kamala is the teen superhero I didn’t know I had been waiting for all these years. I have read all three collected volumes and some of the new issues (as the comics went back to issue 1 again) and I love Kamala so much – her issues, her feisty-ness, her internal conflict, her friends and her earnest desire to be a good superhero. Plus, nothing beats the Kamala-faces:

Lumberjanes – Issues 1 – 17:

The most delightful, heartwarming and cute comic I read in 2015, I love Lumberjanes for its girl-centric, girl-friendly, adventure-fantasy involving campers and cats and rainbows, COOKIES and cute things. FRIENDSHIP TO THE MAX.