It's been a while since I've posted here. Every now and then, I come up on here and reflect on my thoughts on anything pop culture related or what media I've discovered in recent times. Life has been either busy for me or I don't have enough motivation in me to make regular blogs. When the planets align, more likely than not I'll come up on here and discuss whatever that comes to my mind at the moment.
Speaking of the main event, this really stole the show. Brody and Darby have a great track record when it comes to their rivalry. The casket match they had a few years back is a prime example of what they are capable of pushing to the limit. Fast forward, this match here was no exception. Both men pushed their bodies to the limit. Darby did a diving kick from the top rope to Brody while using the chair. Darby pulled the ring mat from ring side as Brody was trying to drag the champion. There was a spot where Brody attempted a Senton on Darby, but he dodged, causing Brody to destroy the barricade instead. It would take 2 Coffin Drops - one from outside and the last being in the ring once Brody slid back in. In the end, Darby came out on top and retained the World Championship.
It was an incredible main event. My only nitpick I had was when the referee didn't make the 10 count even when the two spent all of that time brawling outside. There was a failed table spot when Darby went for the Code Red but the table failed to break. A Botchamania "I Am the Table" moment right there.
The rest of the card was pretty enjoyable, nothing too extraordinary but nothing jarring either. The Brawling Birds gain a victory in a squash match to continue their winning momentum. Another squash match saw RUSH come out victorious and had some of the loudest and favorable crowd reactions in that arena. Divine Dominion retained the Women's Tag Titles against the dysfunctional duo of Kris Statlander and Hikaru Shida. Don Callis Family member Kazuchika Okada defeated Ace Austin of the Bang Bang Gang and retained the International Title. Overall, I had a fun time at the show. If AEW ever comes back there, I'd love for it to be a PPV. Fairfax has been thirsty for more wrestling content, and I look forward to the day if/when that happens.
I've been in the middle of working on a Full House fanfic centering around Stephanie and Gia's Girl Talk band. You know, the episode where they did a cover of Ace of Base's The Sign and it ends up becoming a performance trainwreck during a talent show? Assuming if Full House had continued into season 9, I could easily imagine them reviving the group but undergoing a drastic change in their sound. What do I mean by that you say? By the time the mid 90s rolled around (1995 was when the show had ended), the rock music landscape had changed. The glam rock/synth pop days of Nelson, Poison, Skid Row, Milli Vanilli, & Paula Abdul became passe. Alternative was at its peak and female fronted artists were all the rage; Whether you were a solo act like Sheryl Crow, Liz Phair, Lisa Loeb (she popped up on Fuller House ironically), Alanis Morrisette or in a band like Garbage, L7, The Breeders, or the biggest inspiration behind the idea of the story, Veruca Salt. Seeing Girl Talk evolve from garage pop into a traditional rock band filled of aggressive energy and boosted confidence would have been a natural shift in direction. The chemistry that Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin) and Gia (Marla Sokoloff) had during the show's waning years was impeccable. I can imagine Stephanie as the heart of the group (ala Nina Gordon) whereas Gia served as the rebellious teen with an edge (ala Louise Post). It's not something I decided to handpick them; In fact, those were the established tropes the two had - like a push-pull dynamic of sorts. It always felt like they only scratched the surface when it came to their toxic friendship.
When Steph and Gia met for the first time, they could not stand each other's guts. Gia influencing her to to smoke a cigarette, building peer pressure as Stephanie began to enter her teenage years. You also factor in the gaslighting and rumors she spilled onto Stephanie only for her to lash back at Gia, much to her offense. Eventually, they made amends and overtime became best friends. Even despite that, there were some cases when they would go on a joy ride with Stephanie nearly putting her life at risk whereas Gia would suffer massive injuries as a result. There was also a make out party at Gia's without parental supervision that got Stephanie in some much heat. To say their friendship ended up as a roller coaster ride would be an understatement. For as much as it seemed like the duo were on good terms, I always felt there was tension boiling underneath them. Entitled 120 Minutes of Girl Talk (pun title based on the MTV show spotlighting alternative rock music), it covers the misadventures of the band who are back together undergoing a makeover. As of this post, only one chapter has been completed. I am hoping to follow up with a 2nd chapter. Work has been killing me lately that it is difficult to find time to write. However, I can assure to you all it will be released down the road.
Here is a link to the first chapter in my fanfic: https://archiveofourown.org/works/82952481/chapters/218424671
The more I realized how my fanfic has led to this butterfly effect of me reigniting interest in seeking music again. I've been listening to Veruca Salt's discography from their debut album, their 1996 EP, the sophomore album Eight Arms To Hold You in 1997, and their most recent record Ghost Notes in 2015. While I was conscious in the mid 90s, I was way too young to fully appreciate their music. By the time I reached my teenage years, the original band members had split. Even when Louise continued on with a new lineup and Nina had her brief stint as a solo act, the music landscape seemingly moved on them. I stumbled into the music video of their signature hit Seether on the now defunct VH1 Mega Hits channel in 2004; By that point, the song was reaching 10 years old. For whatever reason, I didn't dive much into their music as much as I wished but that instant discovery remains ingrained in my mind. Twenty-two years later, I ended up rediscovering the band after watching a random Buffy tribute reel on Instagram. The more I went back and looked up information on the status of the band, a lot of stuff had happened for them since. It turns out that after years of isolation from one another, the two frontwomen reunited along with their original band members on the road and even put out a record together. They had a pretty complicated history throughout their time. I feel like I wouldn't be able to explain all too well but this 3-4 hour interview Nina and Louise collaborated on can be viewed here:
Even despite whatever differences that had been brewing between them, I'm thankful they are in a better place. It's not every day you hear stories band members imploding as hard only to turn their lives around. They seem very down-to-Earth people who were genuinely talented in their craft. It's too bad I missed out on their 2010s reunion run. I can't believe it was a lifetime ago; We're talking pre-Pandemic era here. I'd love to see another reunion perhaps one more album assuming there's enough gas in the tank. If Ghost Notes ends up being their last, what a way for them to set sail off into the sunset. Whatever the future holds, I wish them all the best.
JimmytheTVFanatic
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