Things only get stranger the second time round
WARNING! INCLUDES SPOILERS!
The moment we had all been waiting for finally arrived! If you're a die hard fan like me, you have been waiting months for this brilliant show to come out with its second season. Not only did it return with more juicy excitement, but it came back bigger and better than before. WARNING: spoilers are coming up, so if you haven't watched the whole thingä what the hell are you doing? GET ON IT YOU'RE MISSING OUT!
Let's start with the most obvious fact being the acting. In season 2 all of the actors aced their performances. Standards were raised to the next level especially with the characters of Eleven (Millie Bobbi Brown) and Will Byers (Noah Schnapp). For being such young cast, I have to take my hat off to their acting. Having watched interviews of their background experiences on-set I was astounded by how much they put into the show. In one interview Millie Bobbi Brown talked about her experience filming the scene where she fought off the "Shadow Monster". She tells the interviewee that her and David Harbour (who plays the character of Hopper) were actually elevated on the metal "lift" surrounded by green screens, then when it was time for Eleven to close the gate they elevated Millie on a harness, swaying in mid air screaming at a tennis ball in front of her with red dots painted all over her face. By the time they had got through a couple of takes she felt dizzy, sick and almost fainted, so they had to lower them back to the ground where she ran outside in fear of being sick in the studio. Once feeling better they went for another round of shooting until they got the perfect clip. As you can see, these kids are amazing, not to mention the adult actors. The famous Winona Rider who plays the character of Joyce Byers (Will's mum) gets her acting spot on in both season 1 and 2, and never fails to impress us with her hysterics.
Who else is happy that Bob was killed off? Now I know many of you must have been fans of his, I mean so was I. He was a dose of happiness and oblivion in the most complex and disturbing situation, and let's face it, it was so heartwarming to see Joyce with someone good and innocent who treated her like a princess. But if we're going to be serious, in order for Joyce's character to reach full fulfilment she has to get together with Hopper. Yes, I'm a ride or die Jopper fan. I think they're the perfect couple and deserve to be together, I mean, its obvious there's a connection there! And while Bob was a great character, his death was epic and I'm glad they let him go down with one last heroic act.
Now a lot of people have been talking about episode 7, where Eleven finds number Eight and joins her group for the length of the episode. A lot of people have been complaining that it was badly done and simply unnecessary. Now while you might be one of these people, I'm here to give you the reasons of why this episode was necessary. Since season 1, we have all been wondering if Eleven was one of many cases in the secret experiment creating weapons against the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and since season 2 was the season not only to blow things out of proportion, but to also give unanswered questions from season 1, I think it was absolutely necessary to clear up the uncertainty. Furthermore, if it hadn't been for number Eight, Eleven wouldn't have found a way to channel her anger into her power to be able to close the gate to the upside-down. However, I do believe that it was a bit excessive to have a whole episode dedicated to this one conspiracy theory, and they could have made it half the episode, or better yet continuously cut between what was going on in Hawkins and the scenes between Eleven and Eight.
Now that we've got all of that out of the way, we can discuss other things like the cuteness overload of Eleven and Mike's reunion in episode 8. FINALLY. Are they not the cutest kid couple on camera?!?! Also, who else absolutely hates Jonathan and wants Nancy to get back with Steve?!?! STANCY FOR LIFE!!! Who else is annoyed by Max, I mean she almost tears the group up, irritates Mike by trying to take Eleven's place (BISH NO) and breaks poor Dustin's heart *sobs*. Which brings me onto the next subject, Dustin and Steve. They are the best bromance on screen at the moment and I'm so glad that happened because their scenes together are GOALS, especially the one of them on the railway talking about hair, with Steve giving Dustin style and girl advice and of course the one of them in the car when Steve is dropping Dustin off at the "Snowball" (which, yes, finally happened!!!!!).
So, while some of you may *coughs* disagree with me, I thought season 2 was EPIC and definitely still did the show justice, following the INCREDIBLE season 1 in the best way possible (a hard thing to do considering season 1 was so BLOODY GOOD). But with the questioning of a season 3 to come, we are left with countless questions. Will the Shadow Monster come back? Is Will still going to have a connection with the upside-down now that the gate is closed? Is Jopper going to become a thing? Will Max and Luke stay together? What's going to happen with Nancy, is she going to last with Jonathan or is her true love Steve? Will Dustin ever get a girlfriend? Will Mike and Eleven finally have time to be together? Will Eleven have the chance to be a normal kid? Will Eleven and Will ever get scenes together? Will they become step-siblings if Joyce and Hopper get together? Will we meet any of the other experiments? What will happen with Eleven and her mum? AND SO MANY MORE!! So come on Duffer Brothers, grow a pair and right another season!
Lucia S, Year 13video games
Our perception of video games is clouded by our prejudices towards them. When we are told about video games we tend to imagine a thirteen year old screaming into the television while holding a virtual automatic rifle. However, just like with television shows, we have all types of video games. Sadly, some video games that don't get noticed as much are absolutely amazing. A prime example would be The Last Of Us. The Last Of Us is an action survival video game with an incredibly deep backstory. It presents a moral question that stays in your mind days after you have finished the game. Would you let a child die to save millions of people? Or risk those millions of lives and save the child? This game is not the only game that makes us think about deep-seated issues in our society. Even those First Person Shooters that we criticize as insensitive, pose a moral question and make the player think about whether they could live with the guilt of killing someone loved by others. Other video games also tackle deeper issues like bullying in schools, racism and prejudice and the effects of changing time. There are video games out there that are incredibly meaningful and I encourage you to play them and find the deeper meaning hidden within them.
Pilar M, Year 13Top 5 Things to do in Berlin
When visiting Berlin, there are multiple interesting things to do and many places to visit. After all this city has experienced - two world wars, division into four sectors and, most notably, a huge wall - it is still a beautiful and vibrant city. Having lived 4 years in this unique city and been given the opportunity to visit it again during the Year 11 history trip, I get the impression that there is history in every corner. So here are my recommendations for where you should go and what you should look for.
The Olympiastadion Built between 1934 and 1936 due to orders from Hitler, it served as the house of the 1936 Olympics. It officially opened on the 1st of August 1936 with the Olympic opening ceremony and witnessed Jesse Owens' 4 gold medals. The stadium underwent major renovation work in 1972 and 1973 to prepare for the upcoming 1974 World Cup. The works included the construction of two roofs over the upper tiers of the stands. Renovated again in 2004 as Germany was awarded the 2006 World Cup, the Olympiastadion saw on its fields the World Cup Final. In 2015 it hosted the Champions League Final between Juventus Turin and F.C. Barcelona Nowadays, it hosts Hertha BSC home games. The 74,000 seated stadium is usually quite full, especially the so called "Ost Kurve" where the most passionate "Herthaners" across Berlin put their heart and souls into spurring on their team to victory.
The East Side Gallery A relatively well-preserved stretch of the Berlin Wall with a length of 1.2 km along the banks of the river Spree. It is the longest remaining stretch of the original "Berliner Mauer" and a must-see for tourists especially due to the impressive artworks from artists all around the world who painted on the east part of it.
Sachsenhausen The Sachsenhausen concentration camp was built in July 1936 by prisoners transferred from small camps elsewhere. It is located in Oranienburg ≠ 35km away from the city. Soon after being built, it became a central training facility for SS officers. On the gate at the front entrance you can find the slogan "Arbeit Macht Frei" which translates to Work Makes (You) Free, the typical Nazi slogan. Many SovietÝprisoners of war were executed in this camp either by shooting or hanging. In March 1943Ýthe construction of a gas chamber and ovens made it possible to kill larger numbers of prisoners. You could spend a whole afternoon wandering through the barracks, the kitchens, the many exhibitions and the places where the Nazis killed the inmates, and while all of it is shocking and upsetting, it is also important.
Reichstag The German government grants the possibility for people all around the world as well as Germans to visit the German parliament if requested. The most impressive part from my perspective is the trip up to the roof where you can walk around while listening to the history of the city that lies beneath. The breath-taking 360 degree panoramic view lets you pick out the historical buildings of this flat city, from the Fernsehrturm and Postadamer Platz with its magnificent Sony Center on the east side, to Teufelsberg in the other part of the outskirts of the city. In the dome, you can also get an audio guide which explains to you exactly what you are looking at whilst you walk up the spiral ramp.
Island of Museums The "Museumsinsel Berlin" is a complex ofÝ5 different Museums hosting many tourists annually who flock to see to their extraordinary exhibitions. The island is located in the middle of the city, in Berlin Mitte. The Bode Museum displaysÝsculpture collections, art works from the early Middle Ages to the late 18th century and an important collection of coins and medallions. The Alte Nationalgalerie exhibits impressionist paintings and a well known "Age of Goethe" collection, amongst other things. The Pergamon Museum displaysÝone of the greatest selection of Greek and Roman art in the world, artefacts from Mesopotamia, Syria and Anatolia and beautiful Islamic Art. The Neues Museum most notably hasÝThe Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection with the head of Nefertiti. The Altes Museum displaysÝart of ancient GreeceÝfrom the 10th to the 1st century BC and art and culture of the Roman Imperial PeriodÝwhich is the largest collection outside of Italy.
Berlin is a city that never disappoints. From its mix of cultures to its delicious Kebabs or Currywursts and important historic monuments, it is definitely a city that everyone must pay a visit to. Year 11 students got the opportunity at the beginning of this school year and are all thankful to all the teachers that came along and made this a great experience for everyone.
Carlos B, Year 11ARTIST : BERIT LEVY
WHAT IS IT MADE OF?I took a photograph of an orchid printed on photographic paper and on top I made a 'Needle-punch'.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO MAKE THIS?Expert textile designer, John Allen who introduced me to this technique of needle-punching.
Wanda Metropolitano
27th September 2017, a date that will stand the test of time. The first ever European clash on the fields of the newly opened stadium, Wanda Metropolitano., the home of Atletico Madrid. Replacing the legendary Calderon is a difficult task, as all the wins, the goals, and moments shared there will be not be forgotten in a hurry. However, the lack of possibilities for expansion and modernisation meant that the board had to look at other options. Concrete plans for the new stadium were released in 2011. Since then, everyone in charge made sure that the new beauty they were building would be worth the wait.
The night of that very special date, like many Colchoneros from around Madrid, I took the metro and had mixed feelings, nervous but at the same time knowing I wouldn't be disappointed. Around 8pm, I arrived at the stadium where I was welcomed by the chants of the thousands of fans present. From there on, I knew it was going to be a night to remember. As soon as I saw the stadium, I instantly gave it my approval. It's endless screens, the fluorescent lights, the bright shiny colours, the cheerful fans, the enormous facade and the towering flag were all appealing to the eye.
The inside was even more spectacular. After all, it was where the real action took place. All the details were new, state-of-the-art and most importantly yelled out that this was the stadium of AtlÈtico de Madrid. The light up ring which went around the top of the stadium made it seem as if I had just entered a Roman coliseum instead of a football stadium. Even though there were still twenty minutes until the kickoff, the energetic Frente AtlÈtico were singing and screaming giving it all they had to make this day even more epic.
As soon as the match started, the atmosphere was amazing. The stadiums acoustics were impressive, which resulted in the melodies being echoed and creating a tremendous amount of noise. As the chants grew in volume, so did the home side's chances. Just at the end of the first half, Koke- a homegrown and beloved player, gave a golden opportunity in the form of a penalty from a corner. AtlÈtico's main man, the Frenchman Antoine Griezmann calmly kicked the ball inside of the net and the stadium erupted with joy, the first ever goal at the Metropolitano in a European fixture.
The fans kept shouting, as AtlÈtico tried to keep a clean sheet. Unfortunately, the newly signed and ex Real Madrid striker, Alvaro Morata, scored against what once was the team he was a ball boy for. From then on, the players needed the fans more than ever, and in my eyes it seemed as if AtlÈtico were playing with 12 men.
Disastrously, the visitors Chelsea FC ruined the party with an unexpected 94th minute winner. Despite this, all the fans that had attended didn't feel bitter. After all, being in the position AtlÈtico was at this moment was unimaginable. We had one of the most, technologically speaking, advanced stadiums in Europe which has already been chosen as the host for the UEFA Champions League Final in 2019, and remembering that only 17 years ago the club was playing in the second tier of Spanish football. Being where we are now is a dream come true for the 68,000 thousand that attended that evening and gave their souls to try and lead Atleti to victory.
Carlos B, Year 11Concert Review - The Kooks
Last weekend, at the DCODE Music Festival in Madrid, I watched a live performance of The Kooks, my favorite band. Anyone who knows me will be aware that this is a moment I have been waiting for pretty much since I became obsessed with their album 'Inside In/Inside Out' a few years back. Although it was a long wait, I can guarantee it was worth it.
The band made their debut in 2006 with their album “Inside In/Inside Out”, a mixture of 60s and 90s Brit-pop with traces of post punk revival. Since topping the charts early on in their career, the band has moved on to release four more albums and are in the process of releasing their fifth.
I spent the sunny afternoon listening to great music, alternating between the sets of Charli XCX, Milky Chance and Liam Gallagher, which don't get me wrong, were amazing, but I knew none of them would compare to what I was soon to witness. When nightfall came, I waited for two hours by the main stage to be right at the front. At this point my heart was pounding with excitement and I could not believe that this was about to happen.
Suddenly, the stage lights went off and the crowd roared with excitement. A build up of pre-recorded sounds could be heard from the stage and before I knew it, The Kooks were illuminated by lights and standing right in front of me. They began their set with an oldie, 'Always Where I Need To Be' from their 2010 album, 'Konk', a fun-to-sing-along-to, upbeat song, perfect for kicking off their energy-filled show. They also played some of their greatest hits, including 'Naive', 'She Moves In Her Own Way' and 'Bad Habit'. Their newest single 'Be Who You Are' was also performed, accompanied by lead singer, Luke Pritchard's ever so captivating stage presence and charming dance moves. They also took time to slow things down with their acoustic rendition of 'Seaside', which the whole audience sang at the top of their lungs, an experience that nearly moved me to tears.
Not only was I blown away by their talent (they sound the same live or even better!), but also by their stage presence and interraction with the audience. They genuinely appreciated that we were there and did their best to project their gratitude. Their mind blowing energy had the audience bubbling with excitement throughout the night, and after they played their final song and were ready to leave the stage, they said “We'll be back”, and I can assure you so will I.
Sabrina P, Year 13
The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and My Love/Hate Relationship With It
I’m a person who must be busy at all times. This meant that the gaping hole in my summer schedule, where I was essentially planless for the whole of August, terrified me. It was while I was mid-rant about this entire month of potential boredom, in fact, that I received a text from my cousin: he’d gotten a gig at the Voodoo Rooms, one of the best free-fringe venues at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and wanted me to produce the show. Naturally, I screamed and shouted and hugged everyone unlucky enough to cross my path that day. I’d always wanted to go to the Fringe, and was already envisioning making new interesting fun friends, doing productive work that would pay off, and watching some life-changing comedy. Needless to say, my expectations were somewhat unrealistic. Still, there was one thing I was right about: I was in for one hell of a month.
Unsurprisingly, it was raining when I arrived in Scotland. I took a taxi to the apartment, and the driver acted as my tour guide across the city, pointing out different buildings and streets while I stared wide-eyed out of the window. It was late by the time I got to the apartment, so after a quick dinner with my cousin, his friends, and god-dog Raul (all of whom were in their own shows, Raul being a particularly exceptional performer), I went to bed, excitingly awaiting the day that lay ahead of me.
The first real shock was the first time I went flyering. After introducing me to the people working at the Voodoo Rooms, my cousin set me loose on the streets of Edinburgh to sell the show. And it was really hard. Although some people received the flyers with mild interest, the majority didn't take one, threw them into the trash next to where I was standing once they did, or ignored me entirely. I got pushed around, received eye rolls, and even grimaces of disgust. I’d never felt so invisible.
That evening, the first time I’d ever done tech for a show, I was even more nervous than my cousin. Although all I had to do was press the space button, I kept playing the wrong songs at the wrong time, and even accidentally turned the master lights off, leaving the room pitch-black while I flicked every switch until I could turn them back on. Still, the show went smoothly, and I was immensely proud of it and the work my cousin had put into it.
A character comedy, The Wedding Guest featured my cousin playing two idiots, Juan and J’VaAn, who are in love with the same woman. Funny, entertaining and stupid in the best possible way, it was a joy to watch every night, especially getting to watch audience reactions. These varied, but they were generally very positive, and the amount of audience interaction within the script meant that every night was different.
It didn’t take me long to figure out that the fringe is a bit like school. There was a sense of community, sure, but there was also a sense of hierarchy. If your show did well, you were at the top of the pyramid. If your show did poorly, you were received with contempt, condescension and blah. If your show was cancelled, you were mocked, smirked at and, of course, gossiped about endlessly. You saw the same people, talked about the same things, and pretty much had the same day-to-day routine. There were kind, supportive people who were fun to be around, especially at the Voodoo rooms, where the bartenders would keep me company during their smoking breaks and the bouncers told me about their singing careers or their fast-approaching move to Sweden. But there were also some awful people, who saw a younger inexperienced girl and attempted to prey on my vulnerability, stealing anyone I brought to the venue.
I eventually got used to flyering. I discovered I was a fast learner: the more I watched others and their different styles, the better I got with my own. By the end of the run, I’d even started to enjoy it and the incredible variety of people I’d get the chance to meet- talking to strangers was a surprisingly fulfilling experience, and even if I didn't bring anyone to a show one day, I’d still be proud to remember the things I’d learnt from others telling me about their own interests, and their own shows. The street performers were fun too. There were musicians of immense talent and of seriously none at all (there was one lady all the flyerers would stop to listen to, only to figure out what it was she was even singing, she was so out of tune), magicians doing incredible stunts, and, of course, way too many bagpipers.
Of course, it wasn’t all work. I got to see some really brilliant shows. Ruben Kaye, a Jewish-Australian drag queen’s cabaret, for instance, was phenomenal. My roommate put it perfectly as she joyfully yelled, “It’s the show I wish I’d written!” as we walked out. There were some weird ones too. Becky Rimmer’s Bat Mitzvah, a one-woman show where the comedian played a very demanding 12 year old on her special day as she “became a woman”. The audience were her family members, and we were bullied into dressing up, performing dance routines, and getting licked and yelled at by the outrageous characters. It was fantastic. Not all was a comedic masterpiece however, as I watched some shows which were genuinely painful to watch, characterised by forced laughter and a lot of cringe-inducing sketches.
I also enjoyed my first few brushes with fame - I was on the fringes of it, so took speak (sorry, I had to). My second day there, I spotted Jack Whitehall walking past me and proceeded to jump about excitedly while my cousin looked on, unimpressed. More notably however, was getting to meet Tom Holland the second week there. His dad was performing at the same venue as us, and he’d come to support him. Honestly, I didn't even recognise him until the bartender told me. He seemed like a nice guy, and he smiled and said “Hey,” while I internally freaked out. My friends, of course, were hugely upset I didn't take a picture of him, or at least tell him they loved him. But I was proud of the somewhat dignified way I handled things.
By the end of the month, I was very sick of the Fringe - and also ever-so-slightly sick of my cousin. But still, I really didn't want to leave. The Fringe is a strange bubble, where people forget about the rest of their lives and, for a single month, only themselves and their shows exist. But it’s also a refuge where you can escape all your problems, and focus on just one thing for a little while. And that’s what makes it so special.
Rose S, Year 13
Autumn — a poignant tale about our experience of time in a post-Brexit era
Ali Smith's novel revolves around the life of Elisabeth Demand, a 32-year-old 'casual contract lecturer at a university in London'. The vivid vignettes of her childhood, permeated with the presence of a hedonistic mother, humorously merge into an older version of the character battling the absurdity of the Post Office's labyrinthine bureaucracy when attempting to renew her passport.
Nonetheless, it is her extraordinary friendship with Daniel Gluck, her 101-year-old former neighbour, that serves as a beacon of hope in the midst of the unsettling darkness that characterises the aftermath of the Brexit vote. Ali Smith masterfully portrays the euphoria and the despair as a palpable rift engulfs Britain and yet offers the effects of this social and political transformation from a unique collective perspective. Elisabeth's imaginative playfulness and her enriching inner world mesmerises the reader, with the most movingly evocative extracts of the novel conveying Daniel's timeless conversations with her on the subjects of life and the appreciation of art.
Moreover, Smith's free indirect discourse is fearlessly non-linear to explore a connectivity between the living and the dead or the past and the present or art and life. The author's deceptively simple narrative is brimming with humanity and shifting towards the hope of the future whilst enacting profound changes in the reader's perceptions. Overall, the characters' secluded longings, their eagerness and agony, their fear of death are all magically woven into a nostalgic collection of transient realities, making ÅeAutumn' this week's recommendation.
Sofia H, Year 13