There are certain fictional characters that hold very significant personal meanings to their fans, regardless of what media they come from. This can be because we relate to, admire, idolize, or just simply adore these individuals. Spider-Man has always been one of those characters for me, as well as countless others. He’s been my favorite superhero for as long as I can remember. Growing up I had Spider-Man video games, movies, comics, toys, and any other memorabilia you can imagine. Over the years, I only fell more in love with the character of both Spider-Man and Peter Parker in all of his live-action, video game, and animated portrayals. While each live-action film franchise certainly has its own flaws, all three film portrayals of Peter Parker, from Tobey Maguire to Andrew Garfield, and most recently Tom Holland, all have enjoyable qualities. So when rumors began circulating that the first two could potentially make an appearance in Tom’s newest film Spider-Man: No Way Home, It made perfect sense as to why it became one of the most anticipated blockbusters of 2021.

In June 2020, it was announced that the final season of the beloved cop sitcom, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, would premiere as part of NBC's fall schedule. However, NBC later delayed the premiere until mid-season 2020–21 due to the pandemic. After many further delays, rewrites, and rumored cancellations, fans wondered if they were ever going to see their favorite detectives in action again. Thankfully, the eighth and final season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine premiered on August 12, 2021, with a total of ten episodes. Despite numerous alterations due to the social/political climate at the time of its production, creators Dan Goor and Michael Schur delivered a fitting, hilarious, and heartwarming conclusion to one of my personal favorite sitcoms of all time. Brooklyn Nine-Nine is criminally underrated, with many impressive qualities that set it apart from its peers and easily make it one of the best sitcoms of the 2010s.

After countless pushbacks and delays, fans all around the globe were finally able to experience Denis Villanue’s long-awaited sci-fi blockbuster, Dune. Originally scheduled for release on November 20, 2020, to say that the film was highly anticipated is an understatement. About a month before the film premiere, I challenged myself with finishing Frank Herbert’s original 1965 novel Dune, managing to do so just a few days before seeing Villanue’s adaptation in IMAX. As a massive sci-fi and fantasy fan, I was well aware of the novel’s critical acclaim and influence on massive sci-fi franchises such as George Lucas’s Star Wars even before reading it. The novel is truly a masterpiece, and with all the details so fresh in my mind, I was cautious not to set unrealistic expectations for the film. With that being said, Dune is not only a fantastic adaptation, it is a beautifully immersive visual experience the scope of which I have rarely seen before in any film. Spoiler warning for anyone who has not seen the film yet.