10 Delightful Things that Happened In 2021

 This year hasn't been the year everyone wanted. We emerged from the pandemic only to find ourselves... Well, still in the pandemic, and the complications from events have not helped the overall situation. Despite this, some roses have managed to peak out through the gloom of 2021 and today I want to focus on those, because what we focus on is what will grow.

10: Disney's Animated Encanto and Luca

Disney did not slouch this year with it's animated fare. First giving us Luca, the touching story about a sea monster who wants to be human told through a beautiful friendship and impressive visuals (Does anyone remember when Pixar cut a scene from The Incredibles because they didn't want to mess with hair underwater?). Following it for the holidays was the musical Encanto, an enchanting film about a magical family with music by Lin Manuel-Miranda, the talent that brought us Hamilton. Despite having no children of our own, the Encanto soundtrack has been all but on loop at our house. 

9: Marvelous World of Marvel

I don't want this post to be Top 10 Things that Came Out on Disney+ This Year, unless they're going to start kicking over some sponsorship money, so I'm just going to say that Marvel had an excellent year and take a chance to plug my two favorites: Wandavision and What If? The fact that Marvel can cater even to my esoteric nerddoms like all-powerful magic beings and multiverse-level threats shows that Marvel truly does have something for everyone. 

Before I move past Disney let me also just mention: 

Cruella 

Olaf Presents

Muppet's Haunted Mansion

and 

Star Wars: Visions

8: Pokemon Games

This year we got three great Pokemon games (Two if you count Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl as the same game), and each one gave hardcore nostalgia fans something we wanted. For fans of the fourth generation we got the afforementioned Brilliant Diamond and Shiny Pearl, and for N64 fans we got New Pokemon Snap , a remake of the classic game with about a billion new Pokemon. The franchise is alive and well, and any lingering doubts will probably burn away next month with the new Zelda: Breath of the Wild inspired Pokemon Legends: Arceus. 

7: The Snyder Cut

As a DC fan it's been hard watching Marvel clock my favorite heroes in the box office, but this year we saw DC make one of its strongest strikes with The Justice League: Snyder Cut. A cinematic masterpiece featuring the original superhero team up. The film is rivaled only by Joker and The Dark Knight (I might be a Joker fan) in quality. It's no wonder cries of #RestoreTheSnyderverse can still be heard throughout the internet. 

6: Animal Crossing: New Horizons: Happy Home Paradise

Animal Crossing: New Horizons got a lot of us through the roughest part of the pandemic, and became the 15th best selling game in history according to Wikipedia.  As a farewell to the game Nintendo released a $30 DLC which was basically an entirely new game with all the cute animals our little gamer hearts could take. Most importantly: Wardell. 

5: Loop Hero

It's hard to review games on our blog, since they tend to take 40+ hours these days and we have jobs and families, but they're are a few games, including the several already mentioned and the ones that will be mentioned, that just had to be played. Loop Hero is an indie darling that absolutely needs to be played to be understood. You rebuild a destroyed world almost down to one molecule at a time, all while running around a constant loop of ever increasing intensity. Play it, if for nothing else so then you can be like the cool kids. 

4: The Suicide Squad

Controversial opinion I know since this movie is a hard R, but anything that releases with Harley Quinn or an adorable CG monster is my jam, and this had both. The film was a fun anarcic ride through a little slice of the DC universe and I rewatched it more times than I care to admit before it left HBO Max. Also if anyone knows where to get a King Shark Funko Pop that's not ridiculously priced hit me up. 

3: Rick and Morty Season 5

Another controversial show, but one that needs to be discussed: 

SPOILER

Season 5 gave us a complete picture of Rick's backstory, the reason that he's the angry antisocial drunk that we've all come to love to hate. We had a hint in season 3 that Rick watched his world's Beth and Diane killed by another Rick in order for him to be motivated to invent the portal gun. We then get Rick going on a multiverse killing spree, at first for vengeance but later out of nothing else to live for. It broke our hearts and explained everything. 

Wubba lubba dub dub. 

2: Monster Hunter: Rise

That wasn't an order sit down. 

The latest in the long running Monster Hunter franchise was as usual a delight to play, with even more giant monsters to battle and turn into fashion accessories. It's odd how the gameplay loop of "Kill giant monster, skin giant monster, go after next monster wearing the last monster's skin" never gets old. Plus in this one you can have a cat and a dog as your companions. MULTIPLAYER IS DEAD IF YOU HAVE THEM! 

1: More Temples Reopening

Oh, did you think they would all be geek related? 

Nothing has warmed my heart more than stopping at my local ice cream place to find it packed with young people in white shirts and modest dresses. It always puts a smile on my face as I get back in the car and look for somewhere less crowded (I'm not waiting in that line!). It means that temple work is resuming in earnest. One of the darkest moments in the pandemic for me was the closing of the temples, a sure sign that things were very much not okay. But now the work of God is happening again and the world can start to truly come back to life. We may not be back to normal yet, but we're slowly but surely moving that way. 

-JOE

New Beginnings 101 at Greendale

(Guest post by Tyler Q)

It was just another new semester at Greendale Community College, but it was our first one there. The pilot episode of the show Community opens with a bald man, the Dean, standing on a platform to share some words to the students.

“What is community college?” he asks. “Well, you’ve heard all kinds of things. You’ve heard it’s loser college for remedial teens, 20-something dropouts, middle-aged divorcees, and old people keeping their minds active as they circle the drain of eternity.”

“That’s what you’ve heard. However, I wish you luck”

The Dean smiles triumphantly at the crowd of students, who stare back blankly at him. The Dean suddenly realizes his mistake and scrambles through his cards in confusion.

“There’s more to this speech. There’s actually a middle card that’s missing”

The Dean never finds that middle card. However, the six seasons that ensued (and hopefully, someday, a movie) all clue us in on the hope that the Dean was hoping to instill upon the students. Because for remedial teens, 20-something dropouts, middle-aged divorcees, old people, or whatever else those students were, they needed to believe that Greendale would provide a new beginning for them. No matter where they came from, they would have chance to become something more while there.

While we may not find our own Greendale, we must obtain that same feeling of hope in this life despite the trials we each face. Without such hope, our life drudges on and we feel forever stuck where we are and as who we are. While Greendale’s motto was “Welcome to Greendale: You’re already accepted,” Jesus Christ Himself perfects this invitation: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). He’s not just wishing us luck, He’s inviting us to join with Him and to receive greater blessings than just success.

At least for me personally, that’s what I’m seeking right now -  greater blessings, especially “rest.” Amidst all my personal trials this year, this was also the first year that the pandemic has spanned the entire year. With the New Year looming around the corner, I sought a new beginning. I wanted to just leave behind any unpleasantness that has happened in the past year. But God has taught me to look at “new beginnings” differently.

In Moses 6:59, we read that each of us must be “born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten.”  Baptism is a symbol of being “born again.” But why would He ask us to be “born again” instead of we need something greater than that. Being “born” is great, but what’s the point if we are still in such an imperfect state, doomed to mess up again. Even after begin “born again,” we still fail due to weakness. Can’t being “born again” mean that we already enter into a perfected state?

Perhaps being born again isn’t just about becoming clean again. Perhaps it’s not about entering into a “perfected state” but instead a state that we are being perfected. This way, it’s not just about where we came from or even who we are today - though those are important parts of our journey of discipleship. It’s about where we are headed and what we are willing to do to make it there. When our lives are aimed towards Christ, that is when we feel the blessings of being “born again.” We feel light. We feel renewed. We feel sustained. 

Elder Clark S. Gilbert shared “Brothers and sisters, in this Church, we believe in the divine potential of all of God’s children and in our ability to become something more in Christ. In the Lord’s timing, it is not where we start but where we are headed that matters most.” Being “born again” is the starting mark of discipleship - a new beginning that isn’t about what we are leaving behind as much as it where we hope to become. We may not be perfect at the time of our commitment. But we become a people who when given an eternity will eventually reach perfection.

I invite all of us to use this New Year not as a chance to leave everything behind. We won’t be able to fully let anything go in our lives unless we fully embrace the Lord instead. For me, this New Year will be a time where I recommit to where I am headed - to Christ. Christ has already taken Himself our struggles. He will take care of them, and more importantly us, as we turn to Him with all our heart.

Who is Kingpin?

The first time I remember seeing Kingpin was when watching a Spider-Man cartoon growing up. I didn’t know until recent years that he was also an archenemy of Daredevil and Hawkeye. But as he was revealed to be the head of the Tracksuits in Hawkeye episode 5, I wanted to flashback to when we last saw him in Daredevil. No spoilers for the Hawkeye season finale, just in case you haven’t seen it yet.

Now we don’t have any distinct confirmation that this Kingpin is the same as the Wilson Fisk in Netflix’s Daredevil series. It could be the same actor, but different version of the character. We are about to delve into a multiverse of madness after all. But until otherwise proven wrong, I’m going to assume this is the same MCU version of Fisk that Matt Murdock fought for three seasons. And since Daredevil was rated TV-MA, many of our readers might not know who he is leading into Hawkeye. So here’s what you need to know about Kingpin. 

Once upon a time, Wilson Fisk may have actually been a sweet kid. But his abusive father taught him to gain respect through violence. As this abuse involved beating Wilson’s mother, it was during one of her beatings that WIlson finally stood up for himself and his mother… and killed his dad. And then his mom helped him hide the body… in pieces… yeah, dark.

All this taught him that you have to make hard decisions to make the world a better place. So in wanting to rebuild New York after the Avengers fought the Chitauri… even if he has to hurt countless people to make it happen. Meanwhile, Matt Murdock (aka Daredevil) has taken the case of Karen Page, who was framed for murder. And as he digs into her case… he finds Fisk. After Kingpin kills Karen’s reporter friend, Daredevil takes on Fisk in the season finale battle (both figuratively in court and literally in blood).

While a power vacuum has gangs in a frenzy in Hell’s Kitchen, Fisk ascends into powerful positions in the prison. Once Frank Castle (who was fighting those gangs as the Punisher) is sent to prison, a temporary alliance is made between Punisher and Kingpin. And that’s the last of Kingpin… until after the Defenders fight the Hand.

After that point, Kingpin makes a deal to get out of prison (and finds out Daredevil’s secret identity along the way). Naturally, Fisk uses this to his advantage and frames Matt, while he himself goes free. In the end, things come to fists again as Daredevil fights Kingpin (in front of Fisk’s new wife). After this fight, and as new evidence comes to light, Kingpin is taken into custody again. With that taken care of, Matt is finally able to be Daredevil again and a friendly neighborhood lawyer-man.

As I mentioned before, we don't know exactly how or if Daredevil's Kingpin connects with what we saw in the Hawkeye episode 5 cliffhanger. However, we can assume he survived Thanos's Snap. And if he's the same Kingpin, we can also assume he got out of prison sometime after Daredevil and before the snap. But to explain why would go into some episode 6 spoilers.

With no particular superpowers in the comics (just some great strength and kevlar armor), his powers come from being a mob lord. Working his criminal connections and betraying those who might betray him first, he’s able to keep the upper hand. Even when he was an unknown man in season 1, he’s always one step ahead. 

If you want to learn more in depth about Kingpin’s MCU history, check out the YouTube videos at the bottom of this post, They’re the ones I used to refresh my memory for this post. Honestly, I’m just excited we’ve started reintroducing Netflix characters. This opens the door for more heroes to return. Maybe a Heroes for Hire Disney Plus show? Or Chloe Bennet returning as Quake in Secret Invasion? Or inhumans coming up in Ms. Marvel? Honestly, with the multiverse, anything is possible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3auTZEC8VE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPzuK3rsK54

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOfsvf4o1z4

Our Testimony to You

For Christmas this year, our team at Latter-Day Saint Geeks wanted to give you something special. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we thought it appropriate to share our testimonies as our gift to you. Merry Christmas from all of us!

Christmas has always been a special time for me. Some of my earliest memories of Christmas include traveling with my family to sing at the Washington DC Temple Visitor center. Even though I hated singing as a child (definitely not the case these days) there was something special about those experiences. I loved the lights everywhere as well as the international display of nativities. Each nativity represented a different set of people, with different clothes and features… but you know what? They all celebrated the same thing: the birth of Jesus Christ.

I know there are many secular aspects to Christmas, but I will always be grateful for the Light of the World being born that night in Bethlehem long ago. Because of Him, I am able to overcome the challenges I find myself drowning in. Because of Him I can become free from the chains with which I am all too often bound. Because of Him I have hope that someday I will be reunited with my loved ones that have passed on. I know He loves us, each of us, whether or not we believe in Him. “That Christmas night so long ago has filled my life with light because I know that He lives now as He did then, a King in Bethlehem, whose love never ends. Shine for me again, Star of Bethlehem.” 

--Paul

I love the gift giving part of Christmas. There's something special and connecting about seeing someone's reaction when they open a thoughtful gift. Or when I open a gift and realize someone knows me and sees me more than I realized. Sometimes these gifts come and I don't understand why it's being given. Like when the Pevensie children in The Chronicles of Narnia were given weapons from Father Christmas, they didn't know they were going to be heading into battle. But Father Christmas knew them better. Just like Heavenly Father knows us better than we know ourselves. Sometimes I struggle to understand why God has given me the life circumstances I have, but I believe He is guiding us. I believe He wants the best for us, even if we don't understand what that is. If He can place the star of Bethlehem so that its light reached Earth perfectly on the night of the Savior's birth, He can work miracles for me. 

--Spencer 

I know that the Savior of our world can touch and change hearts in ways nothing else can. I know that because that’s happened to me, and I’ve felt that change continue in me since that point. He makes me want to be better, and I want to share those feelings with others as a result. I love exploring new ideas and know that as we “seek.. out of the best books words of wisdom,” we’ll find important ideas and concepts that can continue to make the world a better place. I know that Jesus Christ lives and that gives me every reason that I have to be happy, and for that I am forever grateful.

--Garrett

When a Jedi learns about the Force, it starts off as a very simple belief in something that can't be seen. Over time, with training, and with many experiences, a Jedi's understanding of the Force becomes much more nuanced and intricate, scarred by battle, buoyed by positive experiences. Likewise, my own testimony has changed dramatically over the years. I've gone through a number of faith transitions as my experiences (both traumatic and healing) have shaped my life. I no longer make blanket "I believe" statements if I don't know something. Instead, I testify to the things that I really do know.

My testimony is not nearly as wide as it was when I was younger, but it is much much deeper than ever before. What I know, I absolutely know. So here's what I know: Heavenly Father loves me, in a way that I cannot comprehend. He wants me to be happy, regardless of the choices I make. He would do anything for me. He sent Jesus to save me. The Atonement is so much bigger than I am able to understand, yet I know that I can (and should) take advantage of the healing power of the atonement however I can. God's love is the greatest Force in the universe.

--Ryan

The Lord loves all of his children. He wants all of us to find happiness and an understanding of his true nature. To help us find our way, if we choose to, he scatters truths throughout the world. He reveals truths to those who seek it - no matter what walks of life they come from. Seeking "words of wisdom" from the "best books" serves to help us all more fully understand our own nature and the true nature of the world around us. And if we are patient and seek long enough, it leads us back to Him.

--Stephen

Christmas lights, songs and the coming of snow doesn't make me excited for Christmas, they actually make me wince internally. What does spark excitement for Christmas is when I look into the faces of children, and I get to picture their excitement when they see Christmas through the unjaded lenses of childhood. Children are at this time of year exemplars of our Savior. They give openly, they receive openly, they see everyone and everything not for what they are but for the possibilities they could be. They don't see the mistakes we've made over the years, the times we were short or tired, they see the heroes we love when we introduced them to a new fandom or reveled in one they found on their own. They see in us the best we could be just as Christ sees us.

We are told to "Be as little children" and then to "Suffer the little children to come unto me", to be humble and believing and willing to see all the wonders this world could have and to follow Him as we would a parent. This holiday season remember that despite everything else the true miracle was around a miraculous child and all he would do for the world, and that we celebrate that above everything else.

--Joe

Closing off with the words of modern-day prophets...

“And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.”

(D&C 76:22–24).

"We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles—that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son."

(The Living Christ)

Always Winter, Never Christmas

“It's always nice to look out the window
“And see those very first few flakes of snow.”

My family and I moved from Utah to Texas earlier this year, so for the first time (unless another winter freeze hits) we’re going to have a warm Christmas. Growing up in Canada and then living in Utah, I’m used to winters akin to the White Witch’s reign in Narnia. 

“And later on we can go outside
“And create the impression of an angel that fell from the sky.”

I grew up building snow forts and making snowmen. We’d have snowball fights and go sledding down a nearby hill. As a kid, the year’s first snow was just as fun as Calvin describes it (minus the demon snowmen). But as the winter rolls on, especially as an adult, winter just seems to persist and it feels like it’ll never get warmer. Even though we know spring will come, it can still be depressing at times. 

“When February rolls around I'll roll my eyes
“Turn a cold shoulder to these even colder skies
“And by the fire my heart it heaves a sigh
“For the green grass waiting on the other side.”

Life has emotional winters, as I’m sure we’ve all experienced. I mean COVID sometimes seems like a winter that’ll never end… and it’s even stopped holidays to some extent. Always winter, but never Christmas.

“It's always winter but never Christmas
“It seems this curse just can't be lifted
“Yet in the midst of all this ice and snow
“Our hearts stay warm cause they are filled with hope.”

If we look back into the White Witch’s endless winter in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the winter didn’t end all of a sudden. And the end didn’t begin until the Pevensie children began bringing hope back to Narnia. And the first thing to happen (even before the springtime thaw began) was Christmas. Father Christmas brought the children their presents, only adding to the hope of Narnia’s freedom. 

“And everything it changed overnight
“This dying world you brought it back to life
“And deep inside I felt things
“Shifting everything was melting
“Away oh away
“And you gave us the most beautiful of days.”

Christmas brings us hope, even if you don’t celebrate it for religious reasons, as we look towards a better world, in the midst of the darkest time of the year (at least in the northern hemisphere). And it only gets brighter and brighter after Christmas. “Halfway out of the dark,” the Eleventh Doctor said (Doctor Who: “A Christmas Carol”). 

“Cause when it's always winter but never Christmas
“Sometimes it feels like you're not with us
“But deep inside our hearts we know
“That you are here and we will not lose hope.”

It’s hard to find hope sometimes. Obviously on this blog we testify of the reality of Jesus Christ, especially at this time of year. But even after Christmas is over and we look forward to 2022, we will still look to Him. At New Years we often talk about change and new beginnings. While I’ve made my thoughts about New Year’s resolutions known before, I believe in change, because I believe in a Savior. He is where our hope comes from. 

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

(Lyrics by Relient K “In Like a Lion”)

Learn to love yourself, Spiderman.

I’ll let you know when the major spoilers start. Very minor spoilers for now.

Was Spiderman: No Way Home the best superhero movie of the last decade? Well, probably. I loved it, not gonna lie. I’m a pretty big geek, though. 

(Quick recap of the ending of the last movie) The movie starts off right as the last one ended. Mysterio has revealed Spiderman’s identity to the world, which was one of Peter’s top priorities. He was scared it would endanger the people he loves or change his life, and it does alter things in ways he had hoped to avoid. He quickly becomes a worldwide celebrity instead of just a 17-year-old kid. Mysterio really messed up his life and blamed all the evils he performed (giant holographic drone monsters) on Spiderman at the end of Far from Home, which adds to the chaos. Who hasn’t wanted to change their life in some way and undo things that went wrong, especially when it hurt others? Of course Peter wants to make that right, and of course he doesn't understand the consequences that could cause.

On a different note: Multiverses can be fun. I loved when the CW series in the Arrowverse did a multiverse series and we got to see everything from Smallville to two versions of Brandon Routh standing next to each other as different characters. We even got a connection to Ezra Miller’s Flash from the Justice League movies! Those of us that have enjoyed and been along for the ride loved every second of it as all of our dreams came true right in front of our eyes. 

The introduction of the Multiverse to the MCU has been a long time coming and one that was introduced in such a fun way. The Disney+ series Loki really started that intro for us, but we haven’t seen much come of it until now. 

*SPOILERS BELOW* *PROCEED WITH CAUTION*

Oh. my. Goodness. This movie was so much fun. It was a happy minefield of Easter Eggs. 

Starting things off strong was Matt Murdock from Netflix’s Daredevil. This was a *huge* surprise to everyone, as most had assumed the Netflix Marvel shows would never really connect to the MCU. It was also perfectly timed with the reveal of the Kingpin from the same series showing up in Hawkeye only a few days before! Apparently all of those connect as well. So does Venom now. 

Hopefully you got those post-credit scenes as well, where Dr. Strange and Wand are talking about undoing this mess, or maybe it’s about stopping an evil Dr. Strange from the What if… series (which, I stand by my opinion, was mediocre at best.) It was a surprising tie-in though. 

Let’s get to the real heart of this movie, though.

Peter having to watch the people he loves get hurt and learning from other Peters who have had to do the same thing. Really, they all seemed to imply that the deaths of Uncle Ben or Aunt May right after they gave a “With great power comes great responsibility” speech was what forged Spiderman into Spiderman. It was an anchor on his path, despite it torturing him and making him angry enough to let someone die, or to kill someone. The two older Peters admitted it would hurt and haunt them the rest of their lives. 

It was also about empathy and finding our tribe. Imagine if you got to meet a different version of yourself from a different universe. What would you say if that version of you talked down to him/herself? Let it slide? Could you see the effort that person was making to be better and the successes that person has had? If so, why can’t we see that in ourselves? The other versions of us certainly could. A friend once introduced me to a wonderful song called Be Kind to Yourself by Andrew Peterson. In it he asks a really good question:

How does it end, when the war that you’re in is just you against you against you? 

You’ve gotta learn to love, learn to love, learn to love your enemy, too.

Two other Spidermen who have experienced that loss are able to help and support Peter in a way they only could, partly because they are a version of him. He was able to mourn with MJ and Ned, who could see his pain and knew him. It’s easy to tell ourselves that others don’t *really* understand though, but that’s really just a cop out as we wallow in misery. People do understand, and some of them can be safe to talk to if we’re willing to open up and be real. What if we did that and found people who could understand us in a way others didn’t fully grasp? I’ve experienced that and have tried to bring that empathy back into my life because, like in this movie, those experiences aren’t reality by themselves. We have to go back into the real world, but we have the ability to make our world a better place, full of love, compassion, and understanding. 

It still breaks my heart that Peter couldn’t let his friends share his pain, though. That wasn’t really his choice to make, especially when they had told him otherwise and to undo the spell. Do I get why he made the choice to leave them behind in the coffee shop? I do, but I still wish he had pushed through that. Having people who see us as we really are, for all that we are, is a gift. Having those people love us when we’re afraid they won’t, is a life changing gift. Check out this spot-on quote from The Moment of Lift. 

Love can transform us, when we're known and loved. The next paragraph as a wise woman told me, is where the rubber meets the road. "Trying to help others while keeping them at a safe distance cannot truly help them or heal us." Poor (literally now) Peter Parker gave that option up for his friends. 

He's going for a new beginning, I think, but he's made it a lonely one. We can do better than that. 

-Garrett

3 Interesting Origins to Dungeons and Dragons Monsters

 Most monsters from the world's greatest roleplay game are creatures from mythologies from around the world, but not all mythologies are born alike. Over the centuries some have lasted longer than others, and some monsters were made up just for the game. So here's three interesting origins to some Dungeons and Dragons monsters. 

3: Tiamat

The legendary Queen of Dragons has ruled far longer than when Gygax first put pen to paper. Tiamat started life as a Babylonian goddess of the sea and water, and took the form of a massive sea serpent. In the myth she went to war with her king lover and created an army of monsters, several of them resembling modern interpretations of dragons, and went to war. After she was slain in the battle however, her body was used to form the land and sky, her eyes were used as the source of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and her blood helped spawn mankind. I like to think of this origin as how she would up in the Nine Hells, her current prison in Dungeons and Dragons lore. 

2: Tarrasque 

When I was but a baby player the Tarrasque was just a myth told around game store tables, a legendary monster designed to kill naughty players who didn't listen to their DM's. Imagine my surprise when I found out that the D&D kaiju was real (well, a real myth) and wasn't just made up for the game! Historically, the Tarrasque comes from southern France where it was a terrifying dragonlike being with a protective shell keeping it safe from damage, much like its spell reflecting shell would do in-game. The local villagers sought the help of a local saint to defeat the monster, who did by using holy water and a cross. The Tarrasque and the saint are celebrated today in some parts of Europe, where large models of the monster are paraded through the streets and I presume the villagers throw dice at it. 

1: Displacer Beast

Not originating in myth, the Displacer Beast started life in the science fiction novel The Voyage of the Space Beagle, where a similar beast pretended to be unintelligent until it infiltrated the ship and started killing crewmembers, which sounds like something a cat would do. 

Non Dungeons and Dragons side note: The author, A.E. van Vought sued 20th Century Fox because he thought that another alien from the same book bore a striking resemblance to the Xenomorphs from the movie Alien. The lawsuit was settled out of court. That's pretty cool. 

-JOE

Who Could be the Next Doctor?

(Guest post by K.T.)

Doctor Who Series 13 has wrapped and aired (minus three specials coming in 2022). A whole article could be written to discuss lingering questions and concerns that are the result of the Flux and its aftermath, but we can leave that for another day. For those of you that have yet to see Season 13, don’t worry, there will be no spoilers here… Well, unless you weren’t aware that Jodie Whittaker’s time as the Doctor is coming to an end (sorry!). Whittaker’s fate and the events to bring about the next Doctor have yet to be revealed, but that hasn’t stopped a lot of folks from wondering who is going to be the next Doctor. And, that’s what we are going to talk about here. There are plenty of articles  from writers  with more experience giving real, practical guesses as to the identity of the next Doctor. You won’t find that here so much. Instead, this list is going to be comprised of the “dream” picks, regardless of how likely they are to be. You never know though, anything could happen!

Series 14 of Doctor Who is set for 2023 and expected to be very exciting with the return of Russell T. Davies as the beloved showrunner (many believe to save a sinking ship, but things haven’t been that bad, have they?). Throw in a new Doctor to the mix and we have the opportunity to see great things come out of the show. So, who would be a great pick to be the next Doctor? Let’s see below. 

Hugh Bonneville 

I know what some of you are thinking. “The guy from Downton Abbey, really?” but hear me out. Hugh Bonneville is known for a commanding presence in his roles and that is something Doctor needs. The whole universe either fears or respects the Doctor.  Furthermore, while I didn’t mind him, there are many who weren’t fond of Peter Capaldi. Another gray haired actor wouldn’t hurt to show that age doesn’t make a good Doctor (I mean the Doctor is over 900 years old after all).  

John Boyega

John Boyega’s beloved role in the Star Wars sequels would bring a popular well known name into the role, which is likely to attract new viewers. That’s besides the great acting that he would be sure to bring. 

Bennedict Cumberbatch 

Sherlock Holmes, Doctor Strange. Cumbersbatch seems like the perfect fit to play the Doctor. He’s already played one doctor with time traveling abilities, why not another? This is a pick that anybody should love.

Judi Dench

Judi Dench’s acting career goes back more than half a century. She has held a number of award winning parts, and would add a great layer of personality to the Doctor’s history. At the age of 86, she might be too old to want to take on the role, but that doesn't mean she wouldn’t do great in it. 

Henry Cavill

Superman, The man from UNCLE, and even the Count of Monte Cristo; Henry Cavill has been in some large roles and big name movies. He is a fabulous actor that is  also beloved by a lot of fans. There are many folks that would enjoy seeing him in that role, I know I would. 

Tilda Swinton

The Ancient One or White Witch ring any bells? An actress known for playing some characters of mystery, the Doctor seems like a wonderful fit. As we continue to learn, there is so much about the Doctor that we just don’t know. 

Dev Patel

Known for his roles in Skins and Slumdog Millionaire, Dev Patel has played great roles in both the comedic and dramatic. Those are two traits that are very important for anyone who plays the Doctor. Dev Patel would definitely be enjoyable to watch. 

Emma Watson 

Emma Watson really needs no introduction. Between the Harry Potter Series, Beauty and the Beast and other films, she’s a household name. With that said, some might argue she is younger than most others that are cast into the role, but nonetheless, we all know she’d do great in it. 

Naomie Harris

Known for starring in 007 and Moonlight. Adding her to Doctor Who would bring an attractive actress into this action packed role that lots of fans would love. I certainly think she would be enjoyable to watch. 

So, what do you think? Which of these actors would you like to see as the new Doctor?