Mount Hood

Why you should try “Grey’s Anatomy”

Written by: Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief

Content warning: this article contains spoilers and discusses fictitious violence

Season 20 of “Grey’s Anatomy” was released to Netflix June 29, 2024, featuring ten episodes on top of its already prominent 430, spanning from 2005 to the present. Since premiering, “Grey’s Anatomy” has been nominated for 39 Emmys, won a Golden Globe Award for Best Drama Series and a People’s Choice Award for Favorite TV Drama, inspired two spin-off shows and hit an all-time audience record of 37.88 million viewers for episode 16 of season two.
The show has gone on so long that most of the main cast has moved on, their characters being killed or written off, with even protagonist Ellen Pompeo — Meredith Grey — stepping back in the latest seasons.

Most credit the success of “Grey’s Anatomy” to Shonda Rhimes, founder of the production company Shondaland and creator of “Grey’s Anatomy.” Rhimes has become well known for her tendency to kill off characters in the most tragic ways possible, with more than nine notable recurring character deaths overall. In 2015, Rhimes left “Grey’s Anatomy,” but the calamity persists in her absence.

Meredith Grey survived not just a plane crash, a shooting, a physical assault, a bomb, drowning and COVID-19, but also managed to scrape by after a miscarriage, the death of her husband, multiple deaths of her friends, losing her parents and even going to jail in season 16 for — easy guess — insurance fraud.

The show has always incorporated real-world issues, mixing them with fictitious characters and applying a level of relatability for viewers to connect to. Characters struggle with infertility, lack of insurance, love triangles, affairs, religion, relationships, family, cancer and more. “Grey’s Anatomy” takes those issues to an extreme level, allowing for an eventful watch in any episode, and often mixes humor in with how the characters interact and work together.

Most iconic are the original five interns of Seattle Grace Hospital, Meredith Grey, Cristina Yang, Alex Karev, Izzie Stephens and George O’Malley, starting strong in season one until, one by one, the team falls apart through loss, separation and other work opportunities. Most viewers refer to the first few seasons of “Grey’s Anatomy” as the best, having great rewatchability and incredible banter.

Although this might be the case for many viewers, the later seasons add more flexibility and characters and the budget increases over time, allowing for incredible set design, new actors and new plots — meaning more riveting turmoil for “Grey’s Anatomy’s” most loveable characters.

At the end of the day, “Grey’s Anatomy” is an ideal show to watch when coping with something difficult — why? Because Meredith Grey will always be having a worse day.

Contact the author at howleditorinchief@mail.wou.edu

20th century grooves

Written by: Sadie Latimer | News Editor

“Ain’t That a Kick in the Head” — Dean Martin

“Lay All Your Love On Me” — ABBA

“Could It Be I’m Falling in Love” — The Spinners

“Don’t Stop” — Fleetwood Mac

“My Girl” — The Temptations

“From Russia With Love” — Matt Monro

“When Winter Comes” — Artie Shaw and His Orchestra

“Waterloo” — ABBA 

“If Anyone Falls” — Stevie Nicks

“I Call Your Name” — The Mamas & The Papas

“Do You Believe in Magic?” — The Lovin’ Spoonful

“Rock With You” — Michael Jackson 

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu

Hallmark-esque books

Written by: Jaylin Emond-Hardin | Entertainment Editor

While Hallmark is well known for its movies, outside the realm of children’s books, the company has no printed publications — perhaps meant to distract from its lucrative greeting card and ornament business. As the world waits for a Hallmark romance book, here are some that have the same cozy, sugary sweet vibes as their films. 

“Virgin River” by Robin Carr —

Following Melinda “Mel” Monroe as she moves to the remote mountain town of Virgin River, California after responding to a help wanted ad, Mel hopes that it will be the perfect place to escape the heartache of her husband’s passing and to refuel her love for her nursing career. However, when she arrives in the small town, she finds the roads are treacherous, the cabin she is supposed to be staying in is run down and the local doctor she is meant to be assisting wants nothing to do with her. Prepared to leave the next morning, Mel’s plans change when a baby is abandoned on the doctor’s front porch and former marine Jack Sheridan cements them further into place. The first in a 25-book series. “Virgin River” is also now a Netflix special TV show.

“Welcome to Fae Cafe” by Jennifer Kropf —

Kate Kole never meant to kill the fae assassin, she just wanted to teach him some manners. Now she has the four deadliest assassins, one of whom is the Crown Prince Cressica, from the North Corner of Ever hot on her tail for breaking a fairy law — one she didn’t even know about. However, things go sideways once the assassins arrive in the human realm. Three of the assassins get roped into running Kate Kole’s cafe and are forced to blend in by learning to do everyday tasks like doing the dishes, driving without road rage and participating in book clubs without getting into Alpha Male fights over what they’re reading. Meanwhile, Prince Cressica is determined to get revenge on Kate Kole, only to find himself enchanted with her in more ways than one. When the dark powers of the Ever Corners enter the human realm, he must make a choice that could change everything. The first in the “High Court of the Coffee Bean” series.

“Reserved” by Bridget L. Rose —

Adrian Romana should be focusing on one thing: the Drivers’ Championship. When it was snatched from him in the last race of the season, he vowed history wouldn’t repeat itself, which means no distractions — all until he meets Nevaeh Fuchs. When Formula One’s Playboy meets the shy, quiet journalist, he finds himself drawn to her more and more, even when Nevaeh is declared off-limits. Now, he’s determined to make her his, just as much as he’s become hers. The fifth of the “Pitstop” series, but can be read as a standalone.

“Where the Heart Is” by Billie Letts —

Isn’t seven supposed to be a lucky number? For Novalee Nation, it’s the exact opposite. Just an hour ago, the 17-year-old was headed to California with her boyfriend. Now, she’s stranded at a Wal-Mart in Sequoyah, Oklahoma, seven months pregnant and with just $7.77 in change. But what she ends up discovering is the small Southwestern town is full of people who would do anything to help the single mother. Between Bible-thumping Sister Thelma Husband and Forney Hull, the town’s eccentric librarian, Novalee finds people who love her even more than she loves herself. This book is a novel and has a movie based on it starring Natalia Portman and Ashley Judd. 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@mail.wou.edu

TILOAL review

Written by: Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief

Adeline LaRue’s story begins in France in the 1700s, when she’s born as the only child to a woodworker and his crass wife. Growing up, she was often scolded for her imagination and curiosity, expected to fit into her role as a woman and housewife with time.

The story itself, however, starts at the brink of dusk — a girl is running for her life through the woods as the sun dips below the horizon. The sound of church bells echo ominously around her as voices shout her name: “Adeline? Adeline?” Her white wedding dress, awfully unfitting, catches on roots as she sprints, out of breath, out of options, through the forest.

But the voices eventually fade. Nobody calls her name.

Addie LaRue, unaware of her fatal — or not-so-fatal — mistake, has condemned herself to a life of solitude and misery. The night of her wedding, after years of protesting marriage to a village man, Addie ran out of options — so she sank to her knees in the dirt and sacrificed her most loved possessions, her artbook and charcoal, to the Earth.

It was a lesson she learned from the oldest woman in the village, Estelle. And, despite Estelle’s warnings — “Do not pray to gods who answer after dark” — Addie did not pay heed to the sun dipping below the horizon when she made her plea.

In the woods, Addie summoned a demon named Luc, a shadow to follow her for years. Addie promised him he could have her life when she was done with it — only as long as he sets her free, all she’s ever wanted, and all she could ever hope to have.

Quickly, Addie comes face to face with the bone-chilling realization that she is no longer remembered by anyone in her life. Her parents claim to have no child when she returns to apologize for running — Estelle only laughs in her face — and Addie must flee, somewhere where the pain is not nearly as sharp and the people she loves do not glimpse at her with nothing in their eyes. So, as she once dreamed of doing, she fled to the heart of France: Paris.

Addie soon learns that she cannot die. She can starve, but it will not kill her, and she can be cut, but they will heal. She leaves no trace behind, as everything she impacts is undone, all because of Luc, whom she knows is listening and watching as the years pass, waiting for her surrender.

But Addie promises with defiance that she will not give in to Luc’s baiting whispers.

In New York City, 2013, Addie sweeps through the doorway of a local bookshop, stolen novel in hand, unaware that the young man at the counter witnessed it — and remembered it. He corners her outside, with Addie’s heart lurching through her chest as she realizes that, after 300 years of isolation, one person remembered her after she left the room.

Henry Strauss has a curse of his own. The entire world bends to his whim and sees him as someone they want, admire or love, rather than the walking mistake he thinks himself to be. But he doesn’t see the milky wash over Addie’s eyes when he corners her outside the bookshop for her thievery, so he lets her go with the book, a copy of “The Odyssey” in Greek, only for her to return.

It is the first time Addie can say her name out loud to a stranger. They gradually get to know one another, contemplate their differences and speak the unspoken — their mutual curses — as they fall in love.

“The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” is a poetic story about love in difficult times, twisting fantasy and romance and explaining the point of being alive — why all should model Addie LaRue’s thirst for life and freedom, and understand the expense, as well as power, in solitude.

Addie LaRue and Henry Strauss are examples of how two people can defy fate, defining what sacrifice truly is and what love might cost you.

Author V.E. Schwab also explores themes such as identity in “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” as Addie searches for herself in a sea of forgetting faces. She learns what it means to be somebody without being known and faces temptation in the form of Luc, the only person who knows her, at least until Henry comes along, only to be revealed as a pawn in Luc’s game.

Luc ties Henry and Addie together, forcing her into a place to surrender when she learns of Henry’s ticking time bomb — as every wish is also a curse. Henry sold his hours, his years, to be liked, and he has run out. Addie makes a difficult decision — a sacrifice — in honor of love to save the one person who has ever seen her for who she is.

One important note about “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” is its slower pace and time skips, as Addie experiences life through different centuries and countries, experiencing war, famine and revolution. Schwab did her history homework.

Secondly, despite Addie’s story being a romantic one, it is also largely a feminist piece of media about a girl thrown into a whirlwind life, discovering new aspects of humanity and herself as she travels through the years. 

Schwab’s master writing and craftwork perfectly encapsulates the feeling of finding a buoy in the ocean; she unites two characters with poise and brandishes them with relatability, flaws, human emotions and their pain in a world built to break them.

10/10.

Contact the author at howleditorinchief@mail.wou.edu

Rez rap

Written by: Jaylin Emond-Hardin | Entertainment Editor

“Rez Girls Don’t Cry” — Rezcoast Grizz

“Wa’wais – Skit” — Snotty Nose Rez Kids

“Boujee Natives” — Snotty Nose Rez Kids

“Clap Ta Dis” — Supaman

“Savages” — Snotty Nose Rez Kids feat. Drezus

“Indian Outlaw” — Joey Stylez 

“Gentle Warrior” — Kalolin Johnson feat. Devon Paul and Thunder Herney

“Eagle Feather” — Savage Family

“Sink or Swim” — Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Just John

“Why” — Supaman

“Long Hair Don’t Care” — Snotty Nose Rez Kids

“Comes Back Again” — Q052

“Remember” — Q052, Angela Amarualik

“The Warriors” — Snotty Nose Rez Kids

“Creator Made an Animal” — Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Boslen

“Solomon’s Prayer” — Drezus

“We Dem Savages (Outro)” — Snotty Nose Rez Kids

“Reminisce” — Drezus feat. Hellnback and Big Slim

“Skoden” — Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Beau Dick

“Life of a Native” — Okemgha

“Child of the Government” — Jayli Wolf

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Can’t sleep? Try these

Written by: Jaylin Emond-Hardin | Entertainment Editor

Struggling to enter rapid eye movement? Want a movie or show that has calming qualities? Then look no further than this list. Made up of different kinds of movies and shows, one will surely find a movie or show that will help them get some shut-eye.

“Ratatouille” — Streaming on Disney+

“Ratatouille” is the perfect movie for sleep. It follows Remy, a rat, as he traverses through the streets of Paris to end up helping Linguini at the restaurant Gusteau’s. The movie is washed in soft blues and yellows, making it gentle on tired eyes. The soundtrack and ambiance are also extremely soothing, and the sounds of cooking and the Parisian streets are sure to lull even the biggest insomniac to sleep.

“The Devil Wears Prada” — Streaming on Max

Following Andrea “Andy” Sachs as she works for Vogue and its notorious editor, Miranda Priestly, the movie delves into the socialite side of working for a fashion magazine. With subtle overlays of white, gray and black to contrast where Andy starts in her career and where she ends up, the movie has a soft, almost dreamlike feel. Artists like Madonna, U2 and Alanis Morissette feature on the soundtrack, adding to this dreamlike feel. 

“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” — Streaming on Netflix

A movie with brighter colors and bubblegum pop for the soundtrack, which makes it perfect for when the body is in its earliest stages of exhaustion. The plot is easy to follow and the romance between Lara Jean and Peter is to swoon for, and the movie is best for soothing viewers to sleep. 

“Emma” — Streaming on Prime Video

Whether the 1996 or 2020 version, the movie follows the same plot: set in 1815 in the English countryside, it follows Emma — played by Gwyneth Paltrow in the ‘96 version and Anya Taylor Joy in the 2020 version — who goes about setting up affluent couples together. The soundtrack has a gentle piano accompaniment and the English countryside setting gives the movie a cozy, cottagecore feel. It’s best for when one is exhausted but their brain is fighting the urge to sleep.

“Fantastic Mr. Fox” — Streaming on Disney+

Similar to “Ratatouille,” this movie follows Mr. Fox as he makes his last big score against three poultry farmers. The film’s color palette is flush with yellows, oranges and reds, making it a warm, cozy movie for cold winter nights. The Wes Anderson movie features a folk music-based soundtrack with banjos and fiddles and features artists like Burl Ives and the Rolling Stones. When the cold, sleepless nights settle in, “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is the perfect movie.

“Pride and Prejudice” — Streaming on Starz and Prime Video

Another movie based on one of Jane Austen’s novels, “Pride and Prejudice” gives the same vibes as “Emma.” Following the Bennet family as the five daughters search for suitable husbands, viewers will find themselves falling for Charles Bingley and Mr. Darcy as they woo the eldest two Bennet daughters, Jane and Elizabeth. Another movie best for when one is fighting the urge to sleep.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

The Matt Walsh question

Written by: Jaylin Emond-Hardin | Entertainment Editor

I recently had the opportunity to view the Matt Walsh documentary “Am I Racist?” which has seen recent controversy and mixed reviews.

I had no clue what to expect before starting this film. Streaming exclusively on DailyWire+, a well-known conservative news outlet and streaming service, I knew there would be commentary about Walsh’s personal views throughout the film. What I didn’t expect was Walsh to be open-minded and willing to try and understand the subjects he was researching.

The description for the movie on DailyWire+ says, “Matt Walsh goes deep undercover as a DEI expert, hilariously skewering race hustlers and grifters.” However, I do not quite believe that that was Walsh’s true intention. 

Throughout the documentary, he actively attends Diversity, Equity and Inclusion — DEI — workshops and reads anti-racist literature, such as “White Fragility” by author Robin DiAngelo. While there are jokes made at the expense of these workshops and books, Walsh gains insight into a topic he knows little about.

In one of the first scenes of the documentary, Walsh, under the guise of a fake name, attends a privilege support group, where attendees are meant to confront the privileges they have in their lives. While Walsh doesn’t take the workshop as seriously as one would hope, he is open to listening and hearing what others in attendance have to say. Eventually, he takes a moment to leave the room, but when he returns, the other members of the support group have discovered his true identity. 

Walsh is asked to leave with the accusation that he is not truly taking the support group seriously. Though he tells them he is, out of respect for their wishes and their fears for their safety, he leaves, but not before the members of the support group call the police on him. 

After this experience, Walsh knows that he is too recognizable to be able to participate in these spaces, so he alters his appearance to be able to have the opportunity to learn more about these topics. 

Perhaps the biggest turning point in the documentary is when Walsh goes to the American South and interacts with patrons at a biker bar and random passersby on the street. While interacting with these people, Walsh purposefully tries to draw an unsavory response from the patrons, asking questions and using phrases to try and get what he wants. The responses he gets, however, are actually positive. 

Their responses are not shown to be rooted in a certain ideology or belief system, but rather their personal experiences. At all ages, from the streets of New Orleans to little backwater burgs, every response Walsh receives is some variation of judging people by their character, not their race, gender or appearance. To them, if one is a kind person and shows respect, then that person will receive kindness and respect back. They do not believe that friendship and fair treatment are dependent on physical characteristics or belief systems, but rather the content of a person’s soul.

Throughout the 1 hour, 40-minute documentary, Walsh uses these different research methods to challenge his beliefs but also the beliefs of others.

Reviews for the film are polarized, with viewers either completely loving or hating it. On IMDb, user @gijoe-48397 gave it a one-star rating and said, “The movie tries to be ‘Borat’ but is not funny enough. The mockumentary is obsessed with how DEI impacts white people and ‘white guilt.’ The ending was terrible. Uncle Frank is ostracized for a joke he made 20 years ago. Uncle Frank is portrayed as a victim and the DEI expert eventually sees his side of things. This feels like a self-righteous fantasy. Uncle Frank should consider that maybe his family stopped talking to him because he is unpleasant to talk to. The entire movie feels like the fantasy of that hateful uncle at Thanksgiving that got uninvited for always talking trash. Overall the movie is self-obsessed and not funny.”

Other viewers who did not like the film shared similar sentiments, calling the movie “unfunny, self-absorbed and one-sided.”

Meanwhile, fans who enjoyed the movie raved about how the movie exceeded their expectations and found themselves enjoying every minute.

“This movie is excellent. My wife and I saw it over the weekend, and we haven’t laughed this much in a long time at the theatre. We both thought it was hilarious. On top of that, it is also enlightening and gives you a glimpse inside the world of DEI and systemic racism along with those who profit from it. Eye-opening. I feel like everyone should watch this movie. It’s also great to watch it in theatres because watching it with a crowd just enhances the experience. Everyone was laughing the whole time. I don’t want to give any spoilers at all because it’s worth it to see it all unspoiled. Many of the situations that Matt Walsh finds himself in have to be seen to be believed. Fantastic watch and well worth the price of admission, and I’m far happier to spend my hard-earned money on a movie like this than many other movies coming out of Hollywood these days,” said IMDb user @rutledgech.

Whatever lens one watches this film through, the main takeaway from this film is to respect and learn about others’ viewpoints, no matter what. 

Throughout the film, Walsh genuinely wants to learn and understand the culture behind others’ beliefs, as well as wanting to understand just what their beliefs are. He listens respectfully to them and asks questions that even stir their thought process on the subject. 

And while Walsh is a controversial figure in the media, I think that his most recent documentary is a good example for others to follow — to respect their fellow humans and at least try and understand their viewpoints. 

8/10.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu