Netflix's "Dear White People V3" and "Disenchantment"

When Netflix first announced they would be making Dear White People way back in early 2017, I was pretty excited. After all, the film was pretty good even if the trailers gave away the best moments of the film. Season 3 continues the strong tradition people have learned to expect from past seasons: A strong cast, a completely socially aware series and enough laughs to keep pushing you into the next episode.

That’s not to say “Dear White People” is without its flaws. As the entirely self aware cast explains, a third season of a Netflix show struggles to stay relevant, even with the best of minds. Just ask “House of Cards” or “Stranger Things.” But it can be done. In tis case our series lead Sam White (played by the incredibly talented Logan Browning) is off on an adventure of self-discovery while there is no real director for the season. While I am unsure if the whole “what is my purpose” thing is good for any series, Browning manages to make things work, even if it means she runs the risk of fading into the role of a secondary character. In fact the directionless plot forces each episode to tackle new problems in the traditional format of what we’ve come to expect from a cable show.

For those who liked Sam’s activist quest and the resident’s of Parker-Armstrong’s fight for… integrated… or segregated… housing… you’ll be disappointed. Our heroes are suffering from the same fatigue the nation is suffering from. People are tired of protesting. In a nutshell, people are getting significantly older and reshuffling their priorities. This is done on purpose. Remember, we are shuffling things up. Our characters are even watching some new television shows including a very woke version of Hulu’s “Handmaid’s Tale” (Nursemaid Diaries) and a very disturbing (yet culturally accurate) take on anything Tyler Perry has ever made called “Mista Griggins.”

This shuffling of the narrative (and urge to kill the narrator) keeps things fresh, but the deeper storytelling that made Season 2 the original powerhouse that dove into the diversity of Black America is missing. Can we please learn more about the motivations behind Colandria’s lifestyle and perhaps dive more into the origins of Troy’s need to sleep with his professor. I said, it’s missing, but the storytelling is not forgotten. You need to watch Season 3, because it’s good. I just cant help thinking we could have done better.

Moar Matt Groening! We went to the future with Futurama, the present with the Simpsons, and now let’s go back in time with Disenchantment. Let’s get this out there right off the bat. This first season is rough. There is a lot of fan service. This show gave me the giggles and warm feels with call backs to Futurama and the Simpsons. This helped make up for the weak story. The reason I wanted to recommend this is because there is a lot of promise for the next season coming out September 30th on Netflix.

We follow the story of the Princess Tiabeanie “Bean,” her demon friend, Luci, and a runaway elf, Elfo. Bean just wants to get drunk, fight, and screw. She’s a Bart Simpson, but you know a woman. Unfortunately, this is the majority of the first season. This season’s arch is all about finding the elixir of life, but it’s her father’s, King Zog, story and Bean and the gang are just kinda in it. This is where the show took a left turn, but it turned it right around with the last two-three episodes. Bean’s character is forced to make hard choices for the lives of her friends and the setup for season 2 left me wanting more.

The voice acting is one of my favorite parts. You’ll find lots of favorites from Eric Andre, John DiMaggio, Billy West, Nat Faxon, and Abbi Jaconson. Matt Groening and crew did an amazing job finding voice acting royalty.

If you like Futurama and the Simpsons you will like this show. Keep your expectations low, this is not Matt Groening finest hour, but it’s not his worst either. Watch a few episodes you’ll end up liking it in the end.