Eight Reasons Why You Should All Watch Tangled: The Series

Note on last week's post: Look, I'm a new D&D player and I'm a Ranger, so if I got some of the mechanics wrong, I apologize, I'm still learning, and please be kind.

Also, some news: this Friday, May 1st, at 7 pm Central time, and 6 pm Mountain time, I'm going to be doing an interview with Kim Ventrella (author of the MG book Skeleton Tree). It will be on Facebook Live, so come and watch! Information is on the picture below, but if it doesn't load for you, you can access the interview at facebook.com/kimventrella.

Okay, so today, I'm giving you another recommendation for TV show to watch, and that show is Tangled: The Series, or, after its name change at season 2, Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure.

I know a lot of you might be surprised that I'm advocating a Disney Channel animated TV show marketed toward younger girls. Others, who read this blog more, probably aren't surprised at all. And, I was thinking of doing a blog post on why Tangled, the film and show, is better than Frozen (and I still might), but instead, I'm going to do a spoiler-free review and recommendation for this TV show.

1. It's a movie plus three seasons of 20-minute episodes

Let's be honest, time is something we care about. This show is a pretty short binge, all things considered. The show kicks off with an hour-long movie that bridges the film to the series and sets up the major characters and plot points of the TV show. It's IMPERATIVE you watch the movie first, but since each season is about 22 episodes long, and again, there are only three, this isn't much beyond what you'd expect from the series. The movie is titled Tangled: Before Ever After.

2. All three seasons are on Disney+ and yes, the series has ended

No nasty hiatuses for you, you lucky dogs! And yes, you have no idea how lucky you are. All three seasons, plus the original 2010 Tangled film and Before Ever After, are already on Disney+, so if you have that streaming service or a friend who is willing to let you use theirs, you have access to it all.

And with that, let's stop talking about convenience and talk about why you should even watch this in the first place.

3. Same voice actors, writers, etc. as the film

If you loved the 2010 Tangled movie, good news: every voice actor is back. Mandy Moore is back as Rapunzel, Zachary Levi is still Flynn Rider/Eugene Fitzherbert, and so on, even through the minor characters like the Pub Thugs.

Also, the film's writers are back to create the TV show. Chris Sonnenburg is the producer, again. All of this contributes to Tangled: The Series being less of a spin-off and more of a sequel to the film. Voices and writing feel the same as the film, in natural succession.

Oh, and did I mention Glenn Slater is still the lyricist and the man-myth-legend Alan Menken still composes the songs?

4. The music!

Oh my gosh, the music! This show is a musical! Don't expect every episode to have a song, but they do appear every so often. Major episodes always have musical numbers. These songs range from goofy to deeply serious and poignant, and honestly, it's amazing quality. Like I said, Alan Menken of original Tangled and Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and The Little Mermaid as well as so much more, is the composer. It's truly stunning.

The cast is also stunning. Aside from Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi, the cast also includes Jeremy Jordan (the original Jack Kelly from Newsies on Broadway), James Monroe Iglehart (the original Genie from Broadway's Aladdin), and last but certainly not least, Eden Espinosa (Idina Menzel's stand-by for Elphaba in Wicked, as well as Maureen Johnson in Rent) as new characters. And yes, they're major characters and sing multiple times through the series.

They're stupidly talented, and so the music in this show feels like Broadway. I am currently relistening to the soundtrack for this show. To contrast, I haven't felt like listening to the Frozen 2 soundtrack since January.

Here's a sample of the music. Yes, you only get the audio. No, it's not tied to any major plot arc. No spoilers, remember?

Oh, and the songs get better in every season, in my opinion. They start great and become truly incredible. There is one in season 3 that, in context of the story and characters, may very well be one of the best things Disney has rolled out in the last ten years, or even ever. It literally (and I use the word correctly) took my breath away.

I wish I could share it with you now, but you really should come to it in your own time.

5. Animation is lovely

The style of animation, though different than the film's, is charming. Look at it!

6. The storytelling is amazing

This is a writer's blog, so you had to know I'd get to the storytelling here.

This show is very well-written. The story covers the time between the 2010 film and the short Tangled Ever After, where we see Rapunzel and Eugene get married.

(By the way, I know you all might call him "Flynn." It's hard for me to do that after 3 seasons of hearing him called "Eugene.)

But the show has a real story, with depth and intrigue. It's not filling time, or presenting a bunch of little vignettes of Rapunzel's life in Corona, though you do have plenty of fun episodes that do that. There's an overall story with lore that deepens Rapunzel's connection to the healing flower and something darker and a bit more sinister.

I really don't want to give too much away. But I'll say this: this story is a sequel, and it does everything a good sequel should do. It opens the world up and explores more implications not addressed in the film. It creates a new story instead of rehashing the old story.

Also, the story isn't afraid to get deep or go to dark places. You see the king's trauma over losing his daughter once, and you see the effect of anger and guilt and hate in some pretty interesting ways.

7. Character. Development.

Rapunzel is not a static character in this show. She's grown after the film, but there's a lot she has to learn. For the first time, she's out of her tower and back with parents who love her and want her to be safe. This causes some tension, actually. She's also pretty naive at first and needs to learn more about how to be a person and a royal (read, leader) in her kingdom. This show is about how she learns and becomes.

You see Rapunzel in her bright, bubbly self that we all know, but we see that tested. We see her doubt herself and have to make hard choices, and we see her annoyed with other people, including her loved ones.We see her hurt, and fear.

And it's not just her! Every major character has a character arc. Eugene has an arc: what's a former thief to do, when his only skill is stealing and he doesn't do that anymore? Who is he now? And the other characters, the new ones, also have their own arcs.

These character arcs are fully in-character. They make sense, and never blindside the viewer. You watch as the characters develop in realistic, though not always good ways. On a side note, this show has the kind of villains I wish other writers were brave enough to try. Honestly, if you think Disney's idea of a "villain" is Hans from Frozen (who is so mustache-twirling hamfistedly written they had to tell us three times in Frozen 2 that he was, in fact, the villain) or even coldly depraved Scar or Maleficent, you've got a good surprise coming for you. Can you say "understandable motives while still doing awful things"? Can you say "nuanced"?

By the end of the series, I was satisfied. Characters had developed, without suddenly becoming entirely different people. It never seemed forced or faked, just real people developing in realistic ways.

8. This is a hopeful, wholesome show

Guys, it's Tangled. This is a show about a girl who made instant friends with a bunch of thugs and who sees the best in people and situations. The music and story drive toward hope and how, together, people can do amazing things despite very difficult times. This music ties into the inspiring message well, and hey, don't we all kind of need that narrative right now?

Beyond that, get ready to see healthy relationships, romantic and platonic, portrayed, the Power of Friendship, the infectious nature of seeing the good in others, and lots of other wholesome, cheerful subjects, all handled with excellent storytelling.

So, yeah. Watch this show. You don't know what treat you have ahead of you.

Pictures and Nonsense

Hello, folks! I'm back, and I'm married!

I know it's been a long time since my last post. I've been so busy with wedding preparations, the actual wedding, and then moving into my new house and then the honeymoon that I haven't been posting. Who could blame me?

Anyway, I'm now Allison Boyer, working on getting that name legally changed. However, I will still use Allison K. Hymas as my professional writer name, so that will be the name that is on my books and websites.

For our honeymoon, Spencer and I roadtripped to Banff, Canada. It was my first time going there, and wow, it's beautiful. Such a great place for me to spend time with my new husband!

We both loved looking at the lakes, in particular. They're so blue!

Lake Louise. (That's Spencer in the sunglasses.)

Lake Moraine. And in this one, yes, the water looks like that. It's as blue as if it was dyed, but it's a natural effect of "rock flour" from the glaciers. The picture really doesn't do it justice, and it still looks like that.

And this is a cute little tearoom at the top of a hike near Lake Louise. We got an apple crumble to share and two lemonades.

I got a lot of other pictures, but they're taking forever to upload and these are some of the best, anyway. As for wedding pictures, I don't have them yet, but I'll share a couple as soon as I get them back from the photographer.

In other news, THE EXPLORER'S CODE is listed on Goodreads now, so if you want to keep an eye on its progress, you can look at it there!

Okay, so I promised you some nonsense. Like I said, we roadtripped, and when you put two nerds in a car for 15 hours to and fro, not even counting hours of driving around the parks, then things start to happen. Especially when one of you is a writer, you both enjoy Weird Al Yankovic, and you're going on a trip later this year to Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland. You start thinking of Disney songs and Star Wars and then...this happens.

So this is for all you Tangled and Obi-Wan Kenobi fans out there.

When Will The Fight Begin?

("When Will My Life Begin?" from Tangled)

 

Morning arrives, awake to a double sunrise.

Start on the chores and sweep ‘til the floor’s all clean,

Maintain my beard, do laundry, and gather supplies.

Life is bland in the sand here on Tatooine!

 

And so I’ll meditate, for maybe quite a while.

I’ll watch the Tusken Raiders—they walk single-file,

And then I’ll spar my shadow in Soresu style,

Just wonderin’ when will the fight begin?

 

Then after lunch of blue milk and bantha jerky

I’ll stick around, safe on my high ground, alone.

Visit my memories, though they are getting murky,

Though I’ve yet to forget all my time with the clones.

 

I lost another robe; good thing I have a spare.

I’ll plan my duel with Maul—sure he’s alive somewhere.

And then I’ll practice greeting droids with, “Hello, there.”

Stuck in this desert since Anakin…

 

(ahem)

 

And I’ll be wonderin’, and wonderin’, and wonderin’, and wonderin’, when will my fight begin?

 

I watch the boy down on his farm,

Make sure that Luke won’t come to any harm.

One day he might rebalance the Force.

When he is older, I will set him on that course.

 

So, yes. Pictures and nonsense. There may be a few more Disney/Star Wars parodies coming around the bend...it was a LONG drive. So, enjoy, and I'll see you again next week!

TV v. Movies: An Analysis

So, this is going to be my last post for a while. I'm getting married in less than 2 weeks, and then comes the honeymoon...so, yeah. See you later, but I swear I'll come back!

This week I want to do a short, quick discussion of something I've been thinking about. I watch a lot of children's TV (though I only watch the good shows), and TV in general, usually as I eat meals or cool down from a run.

Which is why I recently watched Star Wars Rebels, a Disney Channel animated show. And was blown away, mostly because while I knew Clone Wars was considered a very good show, I had never heard the same about Rebels. Also, it was a kids' Disney Channel show - how good could it really be?

Really, really good.

Rebels dealt with heavy issues of loss, such as loss of home, people, family, purpose, identity, faith...you name it. It's a story of people way out of their depth fighting against a huge, oppressive power with little hope they'll do more than win a couple of small battles here and there. Yes, it's a kids' show, but it's a kids' show that allows major consequences to come to the characters based on their choices, without resetting for the next episode. When injuries happen, they leave scars. When people die, they're gone. And, all in all, at least by the end, the show is about as mature and heavy as the movie Rogue One.

This left me thinking about the other kids' shows I've been watching lately, all from Disney: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure, DuckTales, and Big Hero 6. All of these shows are very engaging, and I say this as a writer and an adult. There's a spread of depth and maturity to them, sure, but they all deal with heavy concepts in different ways. They develop character and push these characters to the limits, and the characters really come to life in different, unique ways.

And, they, too, aren't afraid to hit the characters hard, where it hurts, and let them hurt.

For example, in early episodes of the Tangled show, we see Rapunzel's abduction from her father's perspective as he remembers. It's emotional and poignant, and it helps the audience understand his current overprotectiveness toward her. Meanwhile, we follow Rapunzel as she tries to explore this new world she's been barred from while in her tower, and we see the parallels between what Gothel did to her and what her father is doing out of love. It's complex and interesting, and this was season 1. You have NO idea what comes in season 2!

No, I won't tell you. Watch the show if you want spoilers.

Why bring all this up? Look at the movies Disney has put out. Look at the new Star Wars movies and the backlash. Heck, look at my previous posts about how Disney's latest movies have only one plot between them, and how characters like Moana fail to grab my attention because they don't have much of a character arc.

I'm not saying those movies are bad. I am saying, however, that with big theater-length productions like these, Disney and other movie companies are getting more and more hamstrung by social media and general response from fans.

Movies are made to be pleasing to wide audiences. That's just the way they are. True, they're not all for all audiences, but in order to make as much money as possible, they need to cater to as many people as possible. For companies like Disney, that means listening in to as many voices as possible and responding to them.

Sometimes, this works great. Sometimes, though, I think it can hurt storytelling. If everyone is demanding a "strong female character" and no one can really pin down what that means, we end up with female characters who aren't allowed to have flaws and are therefore boring. If everyone is demanding certain fan service, it will go in the movie, even if it detracts from the story. There's a sense of what "perfection" is in a movie, and if the film doesn't fulfill it even in a small way, the internet will go crazy panning the film, or boycotting it, or generally smearing it.

Feel free to supply your own examples here. I, for one, am worried that the new Frozen movie is going to give us bland protagonists for this very reason. (Please prove me wrong, Disney!)

And, naturally, I'm not referring to criticism against movies that is very valid, such as sexism, racism, bigotry, bad writing/research, etc. What I'm referring to here is when pressure becomes so great for a film to "get it right" that the writers panic and avoid any semblance of problem to the point that the plot turns to tapioca and the characters aren't allowed to behave in any way that is flawed and human. Not socially problematic, mind you, but human.

With TV, though, the stakes aren't as high. No one is really watching and pushing for a TV show to include certain things, and if they are, TV has lots more time to make it happen in a more natural way.

TV can also show more character development, perhaps because the stakes are relaxed and because of the longer format. Using Rapunzel again as an example, in the TV show we see how her bubbly, optimistic personality, while not exactly a flaw in the traditional sense, doesn't work in all situations and can irritate people around her. We also have the time to see that personality pushed to the breaking point when she can no longer be as cheerful. (It's a well-written show, seriously.)

I wonder if Stranger Things would be as good if it were a movie and not a longer form that can take the time to build that slow burn, while also being a TV show with those lower stakes. As popular as it is, TV isn't given the same demands as films are.

So what? My take on this is that creators need to consider the pros and cons of film and TV when telling stories, and that we either need to stop pressuring movies to be so gosh-darn perfect in every way we want them to be, to the point that they're pulled in so many directions they lose any sense of story, or we need to acknowledge that's the way it is now and let TV have a bigger share of the storytelling pie. I'm not surprised that Netflix and Amazon shows are doing so well; TV is really growing. Maybe we should let it.

That's my take. Let me know yours, try some of these shows if you're interested (they really are good) and see you in a few!

A Disney Win

Remember everything I said about things I wish Disney would do better?

Guess what? They are. Just not in their princess movies.

I'm here to talk to you today about Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure, also known as Tangled: The Series before the name got changed.

Oh, my gosh. I just found and watched this show over the last couple of weeks. It's a continuation of the movie, going into what happens after "happily ever after." I heard it was good, and I was bored, so I gave it a shot. I was expecting something cute and fun, and sure, I got that. It's based on Tangled, after all. But I was not expected how quality this show is.

Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure is doing everything I've been upset that Disney's latest princess movies haven't. It's definitely marketed to kids, and I wouldn't call this show "dark" (though it has its moments), but there are some complicated and serious discussions in the show.

For example, in one episode Rapunzel is left in charge of the kingdom and everything goes wrong. Her parents go missing, a blizzard strikes Corona and evacuation may be needed, and Rapunzel's friend comes to beg her to leave the kingdom's problems and help him. And there's no easy solution. There's no simple dichotomy like fear=bad/love=good, or a simple solution to fixing everything. There is no false choice: if Rapunzel chooses to do one thing, she can't do the other. If she stays to help the kingdom, she can't help her friend. If she evacuates the island, she still might not save the kingdom.

(Kid's show, right?)

And, there are real, serious consequences for her choice.

Because it's a kid's show, the episode works out. But the consequences of her choices last through the rest of the season, and maybe even through the rest of the series (it's only on its second season, so there's a lot left to be written).

YES! This is the kind of writing I've been looking for! I want to see Disney give us well-written stories with complicated problems that don't always have a clean, easy solution.

I want to see interesting villains that are threatening but complex, and guess what? This show has that too. No more details because this is a part of the show I will not spoil, but I will say that I am very pleased with how this show handled the villain. It's so much better than the so-called villains in Moana and Frozen.

Characters are well-written and likeable; the first episode is mostly filler episodes, but I didn't mind because I enjoyed the characters. The thugs from the movie are still around, and they've added a bunch of new characters, some of which are, for me, new favorites. The king and queen are bigger characters in the show, as well, and you get a lot of material about what it means to them to have their daughter back after 18 years. We also get more backstory on some of the other characters, like Pascal and, of course, Flynn Rider/Eugene Fitzherbert. And let me tell you, that boy has a past.

As for the plot itself, there's a strong mystery element that develops and evolves over the show. Personally, I like it and I find it super-interesting and I look forward to what the writers do next. Myth and fairy tale elements are strong, of course, and that also makes me very happy. And, well, there is some beautiful romance...

Writing is great. Well done, very well done. But the animation is also cute:

 Kind of a hand-painted feel, right? I've missed this kind of animation.

Also, the voice actors are the same as the movie, and the music is done by Alan Menken. Alan Menken, the king of Disney songwriters. On top of that, the actors can ALL sing. So many of them are from Broadway. One new character is voiced by Jeremy Jordan, and another by the man who played the original Genie in Aladdin on Broadway (who also won a Tony for that role).

The music is amazing. Seriously, this show almost has no right to have music this good. But I'm not complaining!

All in all, this is a great show! Light, fun, and innocent, but not afraid to deal with some serious problems and situations where there isn't an easy way out of the problem. Not afraid to give the characters consequences for their actions that haunt them for a while. And it's all done well, all quality. I'm just very pleased with this show and will keep watching it.

As for me, writing is going well. I'm deep into edits, which is fun because I get to juggle three marked-ups drafts at once while I alter my own (fourth) draft. But I'm looking forward to the final product!

Under Locker and Key: Meet Becca!

Guys...8 days!

For all of you in Utah, next week on the 19th, I will be having my launch at the Provo Library at 7 pm. It's open to the public, and will be a fun event, so you should all come!

All right, I'm sure some of you have been looking forward to this week's character interview, so I'll get right to it. This week, we have with us Becca Mills, 12-year-old private investigator.

Becca: Hello. Yeah, I guess that's kind of me. Without those heels. I don't like heels.

Me: All right, so I'm going to ask you some questions.

I've seen the past posts with Wilderson's crook friends. I know how this works.

Some of your questions will be a little different.

They'd have to be. I don't work the same way those criminals do.

So tell me about your work. What do you do, exactly?

Like you said, I'm a private investigator. When kids have problems, like stolen goods, or if they're framed for cheating, they can hire me to solve the case and clear their name. My rate is reasonable.

I hear it's not just kids who hire you.

It's true. I'm a peer mentor during the school year, so the teachers give me a certain amount of responsibility, and I'm glad to say I've earned it all. They know if there are kids sharing gum in class or cheating on their cell phones, I'll find out and stop it. I ALWAYS stop it, and I do it WITHOUT breaking the rules!

May I ask how you got your start?

Sure! I've always wanted to fight crime. Dad's a lawyer, and Mom's a detective. I've grown up watching them make the world a better place by stopping criminals, and they seem so strong and happy. Especially Mom. So, when I entered middle school and saw what a lawless nightmare it was, I joined the peer mediators and started taking on individual cases. I did some freelance solving in elementary school. Not much, but enough so people knew I was the girl for the job.

It sounds like you're well on your way to being Scottsville's next big detective.

You really think so? That would be great!

So, tell me how you eat your pizza?

So, I am getting some of the criminals' questions. Hmm. Normally, I guess. I pick up the slice and eat it, and then toss the crust. It's a waste of stomach space. I like veggie pizzas best.

Me too, typically. What's your favorite Disney movie?

That's easy. I like Tangled. But, honestly, Zootopia really spoke to me. Maybe that one will become my new favorite. But right now, Tangled is definitely my favorite.

I notice that both those movies involve charming thieves.

What are you saying?

Just making an observation.

Reclaimed thieves. Both of them. Eugene and Nick both stop stealing and work for the good side.

Have you come across any thieves you think may be reclaimed, then? Someone who might switch sides?

I thought I had. Turns out I was wrong.

May I ask who?

I don't want to talk about it. What's your next question?



Favorite thing to do when you're not working?

Working is my favorite thing to do. But when I'm between cases, I like hanging out with my friends. Elena throws great sleepovers, and Liesl is the best to just spend time with at the mall or at a movie or something, though I prefer to be with all my friends.

Sleepovers? The mall? You like girly things like that?

Why so surprised? It's not like they take time away from my work or from the track and field team.

Tell me more about track and field.

I throw shotput. There's not much more to say. Coach says, though, that I'm the smallest shotput athlete he's ever had, and that's something to be proud of, I think.

*Silence while I speculate on how someone so small can throw shotput and decide to drop it*

Anyway...I have two more questions for you.

Fire away.

What are you most afraid of?

I'm not afraid of anything.

Everyone's afraid of something.

Not me.

You sure?

*glares at me*

Yes.

...Okay, then. Last question. What do you think about Jeremy Wilderson?

I don't want to talk about that creep.

Well, he's going to be here next week, and I'm going to ask him about you--

And he'll tell you all kinds of lies because that's what he does! He's a thief and a liar and he gets away with all of it! It's not lawful and it's not fair and I won't stand for it. Sure, the guy's cute, I'll give him that much, but it shouldn't matter. It doesn't matter. Crime is crime. If no one else is going to stop him, then I guess I'll have to do it.

That wraps it up. Thank you, Becca.

You're welcome. It was a pleasure. Can I go now?

You're free to go.

Don't talk to me like I'm a suspect. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a thief to take down.

All right, that was Becca! Come back next week when we have the big man himself here and I interview Jeremy Wilderson.     


Here are this week's debuts:

Middle Grade:
Lindsey Becker - The Star Thief (4/11)

Young Adult:
JC Davis - Cheesus was Here (4/11)
Corrie Wang - The Takedown (4/11)