Apparently, all was not well.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child elicited many feelings. Some were good, some bad, and some indescribable. So, in short, it was exactly what one would expect with another Harry Potter story.

Below is a list of a few major points that went into my overall view of the play. Elements under consideration were characterization, consistency with previous books/lore, plot, writing, and overall storytelling.

WARNING: THERE BE SPOILERS AHEAD.

The Good

The relationships in Cursed Child, as with its literary predecessors, shined the brightest. From new to old, familiar to uncomfortable, there is no denying that the world of Harry Potter is bursting with colorful, developed, and unforgettable characters.

While there are many different relationships with equal amounts of stage time, the two that stood out were the father-son relationship of Harry and Albus Potter and Albus's blossoming friendship with Scorpius Malfoy. Harry and Albus's relationship is strained, strong, and stressful to read—basically like any real-life father-son relationship. Harry will do anything to protect his son from the horrors he faced at his age and from the darkness that he believes threatens him. Sometimes, that causes him to act irrationally (which will be detailed later), he does see the errors of his ways after a confrontation with Draco Malfoy of all people—another relationship that I enjoyed seeing play out on the page.

The relationship of Albus and Scorpius was a breath of fresh air, a dynamic duo whose adventures rival that of The Golden Trio themselves. The way the characters compliment each other, play off of each other, is a true delight to read. A pure friendship (though some parts of the internet already believe otherwise) that conquerors all. And isn't that what Potter is all about? Scorpius follows Albus through time itself, even when his conscience tell him otherwise. He knows what they are doing is wrong but does it anyway. This is very telling of how he regards Albus and also makes the reader feel more at ease, letting them know that they aren't the only ones who think Albus's plan is more than a little far-fetched.




The glimpse into the future that Cursed Child provides, namely the careers of our favorite characters, was also a high point.  I think ya'll know where I'm going with this.

HERMIONE AS THE MINISTER OF MAGIC IS BAE.

#SorryNotSorry

In all seriousness, though, I feel like this detail is super important. Not only because it's Hermione Granger and she is a character that deserves the world on a silver platter, but also because she is one of the strongest female characters of the last decade. Even if you don't agree, you can't deny that she is easily one of the most prominent feminist literary heroines of recent memory. She taught thousands, if not millions, of young girls (including myself) that it's okay to be unapologetically smart and know exactly what you want. Now that we have affirmation that she continued being the BAMF that she is post-Hogwarts and reached the pinnacle of influence in the British Wizarding World is nothing short of incredible. Especially in a world where we have a so many female leaders in power or campaigning for it on a major ticket.

The world around us is evolving everyday and the arts are one of the many reflections that can showcase that for future generations to observe. Hermione Granger continues to influence the world nearly ten years after her final chapter was written. Hats off to you, Minister! Except for the part where you hid a Time-Turner in a bookcase. I mean how could Smartest Witch of Her Age think that was a good idea? Especially when at eleven years old she helped Harry Potter find the Sorcerer's (Philosopher's) Stone by surpassing very similar methods to hide a powerful magical object? 

(Answer: Because plot, that's why.)




Scorpius Malfoy is the obvious breakout star of this script. He's funny, smart, and completely the opposite of what I expected in the best of ways. He is Albus's voice of reason while also just flawed enough to make his own mistakes (Rule number one of hesitant time travel: Don't keep the faulty time turner.). His lines were funny, smart, heart-wrenching, and sometimes a combination of all three. The fact that such a kind, dorky, hilarious person was brought up by Draco Malfoy is also a telling detail of not only Scorpius's character but Draco's as well. It was a shame the only true moment we saw between them was in an alternate universe.

It wouldn't be a Harry Potter story without one very potent theme: Love conquers all. It's a familiar theme, but a welcome one. It made the story feel familiar—made the play feel like slipping into an old, comfy pair of slippers. Sure, they're a bit warn but they still fit you perfectly and provide a toasty place to kick up and relax.

Yes, of course there is adventure and strings of darkness strumming ominously in the undercurrent, but above all else the story is about the power of love. But instead of discovering this, as that was the job of the first seven books, Cursed Child was about rediscovery. The final scene with Harry and Albus cements this, as cheesy as it is. And though I haven't seen the play, there is a definite 112% chance that Hedwig's theme follows the final line. I mean, it would be a missed opportunity if it didn't.

*puts on Writer's Cap*

It's not often that reading a play can be enjoyable. In my experience, it can fall rather flat unless you invite a few friends over and do a read-through. Plays are written to be seen and not read; they are a mixture of visuals and writing that compliment each other effortlessly. If it's well-done, that is.

While it's unclear whether it was because of the familiar characters, the readability of the stage directions, or the thickness of the hardbound script, there were moments I forgot I was reading a play. The images projected into my brain as if they had always been there, the voices echoing in my eardrums as if reading the lines right next to me.

Those moments were often interrupted by me pulling away from the the script and asking: "Can you really do that on a stage?" I'm not sure of the answer because—as previously mentioned—I haven't seen the actual play, but reading depictions of time travel and wizard dueling always made me take pause, trying to suss out just how a production team could make that happen. Conclusion: Their budget is easily worth thousands of galleons. If one of the purposes of releasing this script was to get people to see the play... it's safe to say I have an urge to book a ticket to London just to see the magical effects play out in the West End.

The Bad

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Part II was a hot mess. There were moments that were enjoyable, seeing alternate universes being one, but they were far outweighed by the frankly ridiculous climax of the story. The most glaring perpetrator being the true identity of Delphi "Diggory".

The pairing of Voldemort and Bellatrix was something straight out of fanfiction lore, which is a crime unto itself. But it was the timeline of Delphi's conception that really raised more questions than answers. If Bellatrix gave birth to the child around the time of the Battle of Hogwarts, wouldn't it have been apparent in Deathly Hallows? I mean, Harry is pretty thick (there are plenty of reasons he's not in Ravenclaw, guys, let's be real), but he would definitely have noticed if Bellatrix looked a bit different than the last time he saw her.


Part II started out innocently enough with Scorpius trying to get Albus back and fix the world they had royally screwed up, but the way it was done left too many questions and plot holes (some of which will be addressed later) to be taken seriously. In lieu of this, perhaps splitting the play into two parts wasn't the greatest call. While it is an interesting concept to see two plays that tell one overarching story, because of the many issues with the second part it's hard to defend it as being anything more as a money grab. And while that might be true, the mediocre conclusion to an otherwise promising plot makes one think otherwise.

Believe me, it pains me to say that just as much as it pains you to read it.




Some things are better left unsaid.

The concept of Harry and Dumbledore reconnecting was interesting, I'll give it that much. Many readers had to wonder if Harry or McGonagall (two people who were the closest to Dumbledore when he was alive) had conversations or consulted his portrait postmortem. When the first conversation came up between Harry and the portrait, it was a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect our favorite bearded wizard to make an appearance, but his is always a welcome presence. It was also nice to see that Harry, even after all these years, still sought his guidance. And Dumbledore, as evasive as ever, was not much help but still made his wisdom apparent.

The second conversation is a different story.

The entire scene felt as though it was written for atonement's sake. That it's only reason for being included at all was to have Dumbledore apologize for how he treated Harry which, granted, Harry deserved, but not from a portrait. The whole scene felt forced when it should have tugged at the heartstrings. The scene was glaringly unnecessary.

Cursed Child is a new play with a new story to tell. Yes, the familiar characters are a pleasure to see again but some memories from the past deserve to stay there. Some things are never resolved in life and that's okay. Perhaps if this conversation happened off stage, if it was mentioned in a passing remark by McGonagall or Harry, it would have a different, more digestible feel. As it is, I still cringe thinking about it.




I've already shared my feeling about Delphi's role in the play as one giant plot hole, so I won't repeat that. I believe Hermione's regrettable decision to hide a Time-Turner in a bookcase can also count as one. Now, I'll focus on two other discrepancies that made me go "Wait, what?!"

(These are far from the only plot discrepancies, but in the interest of time, I've narrowed it down to the ones that really struck a chord)

1) Cedric Diggory. No matter what anyone says, I will never believe that Cedric was the type of person to become a Death Eater just because he was embarrassed during the Triwizard Tournament. Viktor Krum, maybe. But Cedric Diggory was painted as a kind, smart, and an altogether good person during Goblet of Fire. He and Harry teamed up to win the Cup just before he died. He told Harry how to activate the egg before the second task even though it would lessen his chances of winning. He was a good person. Embarrassment wouldn't turn him to the dark side. It just wouldn't.

2) Harry's Possessiveness. This was previously mentioned but needs more elaboration. Harry Potter was a child of an abusive household. So, when he chooses to track his own son using the Marauder's Map and threatens punish him if he disobeys, it didn't sit too well. Harry's frustration of not being able to connect with his son was understandable at the beginning . "Admitting" that he didn't want Albus as his son was a natural human error and one that readers could see was a grave mistake just as Harry saw it himself. But what he did in response to the tiniest hint that Albus was hanging around with a "cursed child" was anything but natural. It was completely out-of-character for someone who had been nothing but kind in the face of his past. While he did later apologize for his behavior to both his son and McGongall (who should not have put up with his crap in the first place, mind you), the entire scenario reminded me too much of how Vernon Dursley would respond. *shivers*

The Ehh

It's official; Shadowhunters has been renewed for a second season on Freeform!

The series has been walking the line its first season with the television equivalent of TV click-bait. Supernatural thriller? Check. Gorgeous, diverse cast? Check. Built-in fanbase? Triple check.

But what I believe the creative minds behind the series fail to realize is that The Mortal Instruments series is so much more than that. It has a beautifully developed world, wonderful characters, and a compelling, twisting narrative. These all leave room for the expansion that adapting a book series to television may need and some of these points have been hit spot-on thus far. Others, well...

Here are a few things I believe the show can do to escape the first season blues:

1. Clary Freaking Frey

Courtesy of sexymgc.tumblr.com

Clary is the main protagonist of the series.

The. Main. Protagonist.

She is the one who introduces us to the Shadow World as she herself is thrust into it after her mother's disappearance. In the book, she is a smart, funny, artistic young girl with dreams and aspirations beyond whatever situation she has herself in. In the show, she has all of this and more for about two episodes. Then, she magically transforms into a character about as interesting as cardboard. It's as if the writers thought she only deserved to be a human being for about five seconds before she was transformed into a plot device. One who somehow thinks it's ~cool~ for 18-year-olds to say "mother" in regular conversation and fall head-over-heels in love with a guy when they have had no real conversations other than those about her "mother" or the Shadow World

Clary Fray is a strong character. Treat her like one.

2. Slow and steady wins the race (But for real.)

Courtesy of  shadowhunters-world-gifs.tumblr.com

I cannot stress enough how much the pacing in this show drives me up a wall.

First: Simon turning into a vampire. 

More or less, they stuck to how it happened in the book but the timing was so rushed that his transformation and Clary's choice didn't hold as much meaning. I don't know whether the show did it because they still think vampires are super cool or because they wanted to make Simon more interesting. Either way, they were wrong. Simon is easily one of the best characters in the series with or without his vampy powers. But now that they've gone and dug him into this hole (literally), I'm curious to see where they take it next. And by curious I mean terrified. But hey, as long as they don't have him in some cheesy love triangle, it'll be all goo--oh wait.

Courtesy of nephiliumdaily.tumblr.com

Second: I. Miss. Hodge. 

I think they are seriously downplaying his roll. Their reasons? I have no freaking clue. If his lack of a presence continues, it is going to dampen the impact of later events. He's a complex character and the fact that they haven't made him more than That-One-Guy-With-The-Exact-Answer-You-Need-At-The-Exact-Moment-You-Need-It is kinda insulting. At least go more into his depression at being stuck in the institute for more than a decade. The guy deserves to be heard.

Courtasy of itsokaybellamy.tumblr.com

Third: The Circle...ish

Am I the only one who thought giving truth to Luke and Jocelyn's "affair" was the wrong choice? That it justified Valentine's insanity when it shouldn't have? Yes? Okay.

But in all seriousness, what is up with those Circle flashbacks? I'm usually all for flashbacks in series, but for some reason the ones Shadowhunters chooses to feature fall flat. If they were shorter snippets instead of episodes-within-the-episodes, they would be easier to digest. Maybe if they were featured later in the show when the gang gets closer to finding Valentine, I could understand their purpose. As of now, they just feel like they're trying to shove another plot at us when there is plenty going on around it. Have faith in your plotlines, guys.

Fourth: Clace. Jary. Whatever. 

I mentioned it before with Clary's character but I feel it deserves a second mention here. A problematic relationship to say the least, that doesn't mean it didn't deserve a proper build up. In the books, when Clary and Jace first kiss it is an expected moment but it happens at an unexpected time (arguably). In the show, the two make googly eyes at each other so often, it's a wonder they didn't jump each other's bones when they first met.

I don't have to be the one to say that that isn't how relationships work, right?

Right?

It's easy to see that the actors have chemistry but that doesn't mean that the show has to exploit it the first chance they get. Clary and Jace are very different people who are meant to clash away and towards each other, creating a very powerful dynamic. It seems that the show wants to skip that development and just have them be one inseparable monster power couple. And before you say anything, of course I'm aware of a future event that happens to *ahem* test their relationship. But the fact that they never got the chance to truly be together before it happened was the true tragedy and made the impact feel like a cannonball straight to the stomach.
^ Possible spoiler redacted. Highlight white space above to read. 

tldr: CHARACTER/RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENT IS IMPORTANT

Courtesy of casey-jones.tumblr.com

To give credit where credit is due. the show runners may have made all of these choices thinking that there wouldn't be more than one season, So, naturally, they tried to cram in as much as they could with the episodes they had. I acknowledge the possibility of that decision. Given that it was a stupid-ass decision that made it seem like they didn't have faith in their own show, I've elected to ignore it.

I hope that with the second season, the powers that be will find a good balance between character development, plot progression, and filler content. Finding the harmony between these three cadences can be challenging but once that melody plays... man, it's worth the struggle.

3. "A diary with no drawings of me in it? Where are the torrid fantasies? The romance covers?"

Courtesy of  shadowhunters-world-gifs.tumblr.com

Words cannot express how much I miss Jace Wayland's constant back-talk. Seriously. I'm dying a little inside. Instead of sticking to Jace's snarky dialogue, the show instead opted to make him a ~mysterious~ and ~*~broody~*~ love interest.

You know what. Scratch that.

He's not even that broody. He's just kind of... around. Him and Clary really must be meant for each other since both of their characters remind me more of two sticks in the mud. Come on, guys. A little personality never hurt anybody.

~*~

On top of this somewhat shabby foundation does lie some sturdy pillars. The show's diverse cast and wonderful depiction of an LGBTQ relationship is nothing to turn a blind eye to. Isabelle also as a character is depicted as a very strong, sexually aware young woman that goes through her own set of trials to accept who she is. Not to mention the little mentions of The Infernal Devices that are peppered in certain episodes (If that doesn't scream spinoff series, I don't know what does! *happy squeal*).

Now, Shadowhunters is definitely not the first show to fall prey to a shaky first season. Some of my personal favorite TV staples are also guilty - Parks and Recreation, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and The Office to name a few. Finding a good rhythm in any story is a bumpy road. But man, once you hit the pavement... you're in for a great ride.

Godspeed, Shadowhunters. And good luck.

Dear Brandon High School Music Department,

I would like to tell you a story. It begins, as many stories do, with a girl looking to find herself in a new, exciting place. It was her first day of high school and she was understandably terrified. Moving to a larger environment where the unfamiliar faces outnumbered the ones she knew - some of them even old enough to be considered adults by law - was the first real bought of culture shock she had ever experienced. The only thing keeping the caterpillars in her stomach from forming into rambunctious butterflies was the fact that she had a secret.

As the girl walked down the pavement that connected the student drop-off point with the school's main entrance, she made polite conversation with the neighbor boy she had spent the last ten minutes sharing a back seat with in her mother's Chevrolet. He was nervous about not being able to find his first class, confessing that he wasn't sure if he would be able to tell if it was upstairs or down. The girl nodded along, clutching her freshly printed schedule in her clammy fist.

He turned to her, asking if she shared his fears, hoping that he was not alone. She gave him a small smile and agreed, telling the first lie of her high school career. Something she hoped would not happen often, if at all.

The girl was a bite naïve.

Together, the two 14-year-olds looked ahead to a set of four doors that separated them from the newest chapter of their lives. The girl couldn't very well tell him her secret, she rationalized in her head. It would take away the subtle wave of relief that colored his rosy cheeks. The same awe, in fact, that continued to wash over him as he as he craned his head and squinted at the painted sigil of a Blackhawk in mid-flight; a symbol that let them know that let them know that, at least for now, they were in the right place. Who was she to take that small sign of victory away on a day like today?

They entered together, looking for the locker numbers scribbled onto their timesheets, and found them nestled in a long hallway adjacent to the gym. Twisting the unfamiliar padlock, it took the girl a few times to get it right. She looked over at the boy, his locker a few yards away, and saw a similar struggle. Turning back, her eyes flickered above her locker for just a moment. The simple glance was enough to make her stomach clench as she met a pair of unfamiliar eyes. A photograph of a young woman smiled against a dull grey backdrop. The image was attached to a plaque and the girl had to squint to read it, the edges of her chubby cheeks meeting the cool metal of her wire-rimed glasses.

All-State Tennis, 1998.

The girl raised her eyebrows. How talented this person must have been to have received such high recognition, nailed to the walls for nearly a decade. The plaque was not alone, surrounded by dozens of others. What an inspiration they must be to all the athletes who walked this hallway every day. And indeed, the girl felt a little inspired herself, though she was far from an athlete. But the boy was and she looked over to him as she shut her locker, only to see him staring at one of the many adjacent trophy cases. He had been drawn to the basketball display, filled to the brim with golden statuettes and framed clusters of various teams old and new.

The boy made his way back over to say goodbye before they parted ways. The girl turned, the hallway seeming smaller now that she had already walked its length, and let out a breath that had been bundled up inside her chest. Her backpack lighter now that she had dropped off some of her books, she walked the familiar path and ended up outside an equally familiar set of metal double doors. Her secret, her safe haven, was finally in front of her.

You see, the girl was one step ahead of her classmates, who were no doubt skittering about in search of their homerooms. Instead of joining their skirmish, she took pride in the fact that she already knew where she was meant to be. In a way, she had known for most of her life.

Hidden away in a nook far from the everyday hustle and bustle of jocks and nerds was a room the girl had visited many times before. Visited, but never belonged. It was always a special occasion that led her to this room - a celebration or something even more spectacular. And as she opened the rightmost door, knowing that the other wouldn't budge because of a faulty hinge, she was met with a musk of old black dresses. An invisible cloud of hairspray. The echo of heels clicking further and further down the luminescent white hall, decorated only with old homemade collages of performances past and the talent that had made them possible.

The girl let out another breath, pocketed her schedule, and made way to the choir room at the end of the music hallway.

The door squeaked and slammed at exactly the right moment. Months before, she had walked this path as she performed her last show as a middle school singer, dressed in a gaudy blue polo and long back slacks. The space had been filled with familiar faces then, mostly girls putting on their first attempts at stage makeup, making sure the stage lights didn't wash out their perfectly pinched cheeks on their parents' recordings.

The girl braced herself, knowing she would be met with a much different sight. Still, she clung to her secret for it was the only thing keeping her from tripping over the hem of her jeans.

The door was secured at the end of the hallway, the space next to it already filled with posters for music camps and scholarships the girl could never dream of pursuing. Fiddling with the strap of her backpack one last time, she opened the door. It was still early, the first bell was still ten minutes shy of chiming, but already people were gathered. Backpacks were slung on the backs of chairs. Laughter bounced off the acoustic panels that lined the walls. Girls were lined up at the full-length mirror at the far end of the room, checking their makeup and hair. Perhaps some things hadn't changed.

As predicted, the girl was met with a masquerade of unfamiliar faces. People who were taller, older, prettier, and far more talented than she would ever be. Still hovering in the doorway, she darted her eyes around, searching for something familiar. Someone. Her gaze fell upon a bushel of brown hair, paired with a knit pencil skirt and wool zip-up sweater that somehow managed to compliment each other. The figure turned and gave her a kind smile, gesturing to a nearby chair in the front row. Pressing her lips in a fine line, the girl bowed her head and followed her director's orders.

Her secret now discovered, fully manifested around her, the girl felt her protective wall begin to waver - transforming from brick to straw. She tried to stay calm, reminding herself that her friends would be here soon.

Her eyes wandered as she twiddled her thumbs, trying to find something - anything - to focus on. For the second time that morning, she was met with a picturesque stare. Another smiling young woman atop a shining plaque. Her name was also written, except instead of tennis, her achievement read:

2003 State Honors Choir

The girl had seen these plaques before when she visited, of course, but never paid them much mind. They were always of people much older than she - people from another world. Now, she would see these faces every day and sit in their seats. Faces she didn't know, faces from the past, smiling down at her. Judging her. Questioning what she was doing there. She could fool herself, but could she really fool them?

The bell rang, followed swiftly by the director managing to bring order to the room by tickling a few chords on the piano. A cacophony of voices unrehearsed from months of vacation filled the room and the woman let out an almost invisible wince.

A few more chords in, and the girl's fists began to unclench. Her lungs began to stretch. Singing had always relaxed her, ever since she was little. True, it was also when she was at her most vulnerable, open to the judgement of others. But here, in this room, there was no judgement. At least, not this early in the year. The girl knew she could sing to her hearts content, unleash her very essence, and have it come back to her in once piece, untarnished by bullies or teachers with silver tongues.

The plaques continued to smile, though she could have sworn a few pairs of still eyes twinkled as the group harmonized together for the first time. Though her feelings of doubt would never really go away, the girl still wanted this feeling to last forever. She wanted to be among the eyes on the wall and watch as others felt what she was feeling.

The girl was not an athlete, nor did she have any interest in being one. But still she admired the faces on the wall, feeling like she was in the presence of a greatness she could never attain. But here, now, surrounded by other smiling faces real and framed, she felt as if greatness was in her grasp. No matter how ridiculous it seemed, she knew that she belonged here. She knew that she was safe.

The girl kept that feeling close to her until it eventually stuck on her chest. Through hardships, triumphs, and everything in-between, it never wavered. Not even when she watched as her own photo was placed on a special space above the door. She still felt safe. She still felt like she belonged. But greatness... that was up for debate. She did, however, manage to leave high school with a lightness in her step, a fact that many who have survived its trials cannot boast.

She left, but was never truly gone. The girl remained among the eyes on the wall and hoped that she would do her part to make other feels safe and maybe even inspired to achieve greatness of their own. Whether that greatness be preserved in a photograph or in the company of lifelong friends, it didn't matter, as long as those who felt its touch were where they belonged. The same could also be said of those eyes across the building; the ones who looked upon the trophies of their athletic teammates forevermore and left similar impressions to the twinkling eyes of aspiring Beckhams' and Williams'. Both sets served as testaments to the coaches who greeted them with a smile on their first day. They passed on that welcome long after their mentors were gone, and beyond when they inevitably followed.

Eight years, two graduations, and one retired choir director later, only one set of plaques remain impressed on the walls. The girl hears about it from a friend, whose mother had managed to save her picture before it was thrown into the trash.

Perhaps she should have been an athlete after all.