

Streaming
‘Puppy Love’ Movie Review — A Love Story for the Dogs (In the Best Possible Way)
When someone says something is for the dogs, it typically doesn’t mean that it’s good, but Puppy Love, streaming on Amazon’s FreeVee, definitely redefined the phrase.
*** Warning — This review has plot spoilers ***
The rom-com, starring Pretty Little Liars‘ Lucy Hale as Nicole and The Flash’s Grant Gustin, as Max centers around two polar opposites with unique meet-cute for this type of genre: after swiping right on each other, the duo decides to meet up at a park and bring their pups along for the adventure. While Nicole and Max don’t sleep with each other on the first date, their pups, Chloe and Channing Tatum, sure do, and one thing leads to another, and before you know it, these former strangers are now set to be doggy grandparents.
From there, things spiral out of control as they navigate this new dynamic together, harboring plenty of resentment and hatred for each other. It’s a classic hate-to-love scenario that also taps into the tried and proven theory that opposites attract. The duo decided that while they will support their pups, they don’t want to have anything to do with each other. However, when Nicole has to “rehome” Channing Tatum or risk getting kicked out of her no-dogs-allowed apartment, she essentially moves in with Max, which is a huge step for any relationship, especially one where two people aren’t dating and have a tense relationship, to begin with. But as they keep telling themselves, they are doing it solely for the dogs.
You go into this movie expecting Nicole and Max to end up together because rom-coms are predictable, let’s face it, but it’s all about the journey and not the destination—the moments tender moments that lead them to the realization that they are better together than they are apart. And it’s that character growth that makes this movie so enjoyable and different than all the ones set in small towns or around the holidays. They are two very different people with a shared love for their pets that eventually form a found family and find love together. It helps that Hale and Gustin have an organic chemistry.
Nicole starts off as closed off and emotionally guarded/unavailable, and her love life is a disaster as she can’t even properly pronounce the name of the guy that she’s dating while he’s breaking up with her. Max, on the other hand, has OCD and social anxiety, and it’s gotten so bad since his last relationship that he doesn’t even go in to work anymore (though it’s unclear why he doesn’t just get a remote job in the first place?), which is threatening his livelihood. At times, it seems like Gustin forgets that Max isn’t a confident former superhero, but he always reels it back in before it gets away from him. He really leans into the loveable goofball personality, and it’s nice to see him portray a character that isn’t limited to a superhero drama script.

Michael Hitchcock as Dr. Hert, Fancypants as Channing Tatum and Lucy Hale as Nicole in Puppy Love. Photo Credit: Paulina Stevens
It’s also refreshing to see both the characters portrayed in a realistic way as flawed human beings with realistic struggles and fears that is just doing their best. It may be a love story at the end of the day, but it’s also a love story about doing what’s necessary to better yourself.
Nicole starts to open up and share the vulnerable parts of herself with Max, a first since her dad died and she gave up her dreams of going to Udub, while Max braves going out into the public, learning that he doesn’t mind venturing out past his comfort zone. It’s sweet to see them both bring out the best of each other while also pushing each other’s boundaries because that’s what love is.
We get a lot of insight into both of their psyches and before you know it, you find yourself rooting for these crazy kids to find a way to be together, not just for the sake of the matchmaking pups, though they’d surely benefit, but for their own well-being as humans deserving of love and companionship—both the human and animal kind.
They may not have seen it at first, but they need each other in their lives, a point which becomes all too obvious when they eventually part ways after an explosive fight; it’s a turning point in the film where those things that they initially despised about one another are now the quirks that they love.
They’ve grown on each other by a twist of fate— and it’s more than just puppy love.
There’s a handful of supporting characters that appear throughout the film that elevate it, and while Hunter (Al Miro) is the least-enjoyable (read: insufferable) and quite frankly, unnecessary in every way, Max’s friend Sid (Nore Davis) and Nicole’s mom Diane (Jane-fricking-Seymour) break up the tension in a fun way. As for the best supporting cast member, well, it goes to Dr. Hert (Michael Hitchcock) who is just strange enough that it’s downright hilarious.
The movie, like any cliche rom-com, isn’t groundbreaking, nor will going to go down in history a la Barbie, but it’s a feel-good flick—an enjoyable watch with a fresh premise that will surely warm your heart. It’s got a well-paced plot, all the elements that make up a good story and keep audiences engaged, plenty of relatable moments (for millennials and singles alike), cute dogs rescued from a shelter (and the dumpster area in front of an apartment), and well, Hale and Gustin, who aren’t hard on the eyes either.
And props to whoever wrote the scene about the realities of trying to be intimate while owning dogs—nothing on television and in movies has ever been more relatable.
Puppy Love is premiering on Amazon Freevee starting August 18.
Only Murders in the Building
Only Murders in the Building Review – Here’s Looking At You (2×04)

The murder mystery at the Arconia continued on Only Murders in the Building Season 2 Episode 4, and the unexpected arrival of Charles’s former stepdaughter Lucy (Zoe Margaret Colletti) threw everything into a twist.
Lucy seemed like a genuinely good kid who geeked out over meeting Mabel and Oliver in person. Not to mention, she even got in on a little bit of the fun, but alas, by the end of the episode, she raised several suspicions all on her own.
Why?
Because Lucy was at the Arconia the night of the murder.
Furthermore, Lucy knows way more about that hotel than the core trio as she unearthed secret passageways that allowed them to spy on all of their neighbors.
And, taking things even further, Lucy was hiding out in said passageway the night of Bunny’s murder. She even saw the murderer escape through the tunnels dressed in all black.
Because she actually saw the killer, Lucy is marked safe and she doesn’t make the suspects list, but it is suspicious that she chose to withhold that information from Charles. It’s possible that she simply didn’t want to worry her father figure, but maybe she has a clue as to who the killer may be and is protecting their identity? I have no idea.
Her near-brush with the hooded figure revealed that the person sneezed while running through the tunnels. Maybe it’s dusty in those halls, sure, but maybe it alludes to the fact that the person is an allergy sufferer.
Where am I getting with that? I personally don’t know, but I think it may be an important piece to hang onto as we move through the season.
Their little venture through the hidden tunnels — the Arcatacombs, as Oliver called them — gave them some insight into potential suspects.
After Oliver’s charged-up run-in with Teddy, who is out on parole, the man jumped to the top of the lists of potential suspects. It didn’t help that he downright threatened Oliver by promising to kill him. But would he actually make good on that promise? And if so, why would he take out Bunny first?
Oliver witnessed a pretty tense moment between Teddy and his son, Theo, and while their falling out is heartbreaking, it also might be a red herring. They were pivotal to season 1, but somehow, I don’t think there’s any involvement with what happened to Bunny.
The trio, along with Lucy, also happened upon Nina’s apartment, which revealed that she had some big, futuristic plans for the Arconia — ones that Bunny would never agree to. While it definitely gave her motive, when they tried to push the pregnant and hormonal lady to the edge, they actually just pushed her into labor. And while she was screaming in pain, she revealed that she really wished Bunny was around to meet her future baby. It would make sense for the murderer to divert suspicion away from themselves by demanding that the trio find out who murdered Bunny, but honestly, my gut tells me she’s innocent.
I don’t put it past Nina’s baby daddy Jarred, however. He has a stake in modernizing the Arconia, he gains from removing Bunny and making Nina the Board President, and he would have all the blueprints to the Arconia, which means there’s a possibility he knew about the tunnels.
He also seems to come from wealth, so there’s a chance he could’ve been an art fanatic and wanted the artwork from Bunny. Who knows, maybe he was even Bunny’s secret child who came back to get what was his and when she refused, he decided to kill her.
Jarred did kind of match the silhouette that Lucy saw running through the halls that night. It’s a stretch, but this show always serves up the most unlikely murder suspects. It’s unclear how any of this would connect to Charles though as we haven’t actually circled back to his father and the painting in a few episodes.
The murder weapon that just so happened to appear in Charles’ apartment when Lucy arrived (yes, it’s suspicious but I think it’s also bad timing) was definitely placed there to mess with the trio. Oliver recognizes the knife, which means that there’s a deliberate plan to frame all three of them. But the murderer is playing a long game because, as they pointed out, if the killer wanted them to get caught, the police would be knocking with a search warrant at the ready.
So what is the plan?
It makes me think that Cinda Canning is still somehow responsible. And if not her, my money is on Howard. Remeber the allergies clue? He strikes me as an allergy sufferer!
At the end of the episode, something Lucy said to Charles about not having all the information convinced him to finally connect with the unknown caller hounding him for days.
Jan.
Oh, Jan, we missed you.
Obviously, Jan couldn’t be the murderer because she was already in custody, but there’s nothing like poking the mind of a killer to catch one.
Will Charles, Oliver, and Mabel find the killer before he/she finds them? And how is anyone getting any sleep in that place knowing that there are secret entrances that give strangers and killers access to their apartments?!
Share your theories in the comments below. You can also check out of murder board right here!
Hulu
Maggie Season 1 Review – Nostalgia Meets the Future in This Psychic Rom-Com

Hulu’s latest original series, Maggie, about a 30-something-year-old psychic is an unexpected treat.
The concept of seeing into the future isn’t entirely new to millennials, so it makes sense that the series is geared toward the demographic with nostalgic references and jokes that only people who lived through the ’90s and still think it’s the best decade would ever actually understand let alone appreciate.
The series taps into that millennial magic with its quirky blend of That’s So Raven, Wizards of Waverly Place, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch – with a sprinkle of Good Witch for good measure. Heck, even Sabrina Spellman’s former principal Willard Kraft (guest star Martin Mull) walks into Maggie’s storefront as Zach, a man looking for a reading to determine whether or not he should retire. It’s just one of many Easter eggs for millennials.
Why? Because Maggie is an adult Disney show is Disney made show for adults.
And that’s precisely why you need to watch it.
Admittedly, the first episode feels slightly disjointed and a little too fast-paced, but that’s to be expected when you’re jumping into the thick of things without really knowing what to expect. By episode 2, you’re fully hooked into Maggie’s drama and captivated by the eccentric supporting cast, which also includes Chris Elliot from Schitt’s Creek in the role of the titular character’s father, Jack. This is no Schitt’s Creek, don’t be mistaken, but it’s an enjoyable and breezy watch from beginning to end with a charming nature that kicks things into PG-13 territory at times.
Rebecca Rittenhouse ebbs and flows between an ethereal being and your normal girl next door. It’s never too much because — with visions or without them — she’s just a girl that can’t figure out her own life even when she has all the answers in the palm of her hands.
Despite the visions giving audiences a glimpse at what’s to come, the mystery never fades as we quickly learn that the visions are devious little things that don’t always show the full picture… likely on purpose.
And what we come to gather pretty quickly is that Maggie relies on them all too much. She’s so focused on the future, she forgets to live in the present or follow her heart since she always knows what’s going to happen next. And while that sounds great on the surface, there’s a reason us mere mortals don’t know what’s going to happen next — it’s the perfect breeding ground for self-sabotage.
Maggie does a lot of that throughout the 13-episode run.
Her first misstep is when she ends things with Ben (David Del Rio) — a once sidekick on Beauty and the Baker that has quickly (and deservedly) ventured into heartthrob territory. After their swoon-worthy meeting and one-night stand, their connection is undeniable and has the potential to become so much more. In fact, according to her vision, she could have gone all the way with Ben as he’s the one, the soulmate, and the man she actually sees herself having kids with.
Of course, that’s too easy, and Maggie’s picture-perfect life is destroyed within minutes when she gets a vision of him standing at the alter with another woman, which forces her to end things because “she knows how it will end anyway.” Except that she doesn’t.
Much of Maggie’s visions do, in fact, come true. A few months later, Ben does move into the duplex her parents own, with his high school soulmate and on-and-off-again girlfriend, Jessie. But while Ben and Jessie are a cute couple — we even like Jessie! — it’s clear that things between them are still choppy, especially since Ben naturally gravitates toward Maggie at every opportunity. They never go there, but emotional cheating is emotional cheating. And those stolen glances between Ben and Maggie, I mean, there’s no denying it.
As nice as Jessie is, you can’t help but root for Ben and Maggie through all the ups and downs of the season, including when Maggie gives Daniel, a great guy on the surface, a shot. Even then, Ben seems to pick up on the fact that he’s just not right for her, and when it’s revealed that Daniel doesn’t believe in her superpowers, Ben is there to pick up the pieces with some cake. Why? Because he’s a man that knows the way to her heart. He knows her, sometimes better than she knows herself.
Also, let me segue really briefly into Daniel. He claims to love Maggie, but then tells her that their whole lives don’t have to revolve around her visions, which is fair, they don’t, but in that ask, he wants her to ignore and mute a core part of who she is instead of embracing it and finding a way to incorporate it into his life. It’s one thing to encourage her to live life without constantly seeking approval from the future and coming from a place of love like Angel, but it’s another thing entirely to attempt to mansplain it, which is what Daniel did. He was dismissive of Maggie and her feelings. She deserves better; and seeing Daniel’s hesitancy to accept Maggie, while Ben didn’t even question her abilities further propels Ben into “the one” territory.
There are a few moments where Maggie acknowledges the depths of her feelings for Ben, including when she finally opens up to her mom about their brief yet meaningful fling, but those are rare and far and few in between. Mostly, she’s just doing what’s “expected of her,” and what she thinks she “should do,” which again, is where most of the problems stem from.
In fact, it’s why she loses her powers in the first place. While trying to help people, Maggie gets too caught up in seeing her own future while simultaneously denying what she was seeing based solely on fear.
Her mind eventually blocks out the visions to protect her from something bad, which ends up being Jessie finding out about Maggie’s hookup with Ben.
The problem here isn’t that they had a thing since it happened while Ben and Jessie were broken up, but it’s more about betrayal by all of the people she loved and trusted, including Ben. In a refreshing moment, Jessie also doesn’t put the full blame on Maggie, who is all too eager to take it anyway, but she acknowledges that part of the fallout is that Ben doesn’t seem convinced that he wants to pursue a future with her. After 14 years, he still doesn’t know what he wants and won’t commit to her fully.
Maggie then figures that the only way to course-correct and possibly get her visions back is to help fix the problem she created. She pushes Ben towards Jessie by telling him that she’s his future. It seems logical since she saw them getting married in her vision, but she’s also ignoring all the other visions that very clearly allude to Ben and Maggie having a family together one day. She’s still sacrificing her happiness for others and meddling instead of just being honest and allowing her heart to dictate what happens next.
And that’s a steep price to pay.
It’s also clear that by not trusting her heart and using her visions to dictate her future, Maggie pushed Ben right back into Jessie’s arms creating this whole mess. When Ben finds himself at a crossroads, he has a heart-to-heart with Maggie where she suggests that maybe she’s his soulmate, but Maggie continues to push him toward Jessie thinking that she can just fix the problem by ignoring it. But the truth is, if you have to convince someone to be with their long-time girlfriend, it’s likely not the person they should be with.
Nevertheless, the final episode finds Ben and Jessie engaged. And when Maggie’s visions finally return, she gets some conflicting information as she sees both herself and Jessie standing at the altar with Ben. Initially, I thought that maybe Maggie’s visions were testing her and that Jessie was actually getting married to someone else, but now I’m thinking this is proof that nothing is set in stone. Your actions — today, yesterday, and tomorrow — have the power to change the future.
What if upon meeting Ben, Maggie said “screw the visions” and kept a good thing going? Would that have changed the future and removed Jessie from the equation entirely? Or would they still end up in this situation only for Ben to realize that he’s been trying to make things work with the wrong woman?
Obviously, things are messy now considering the whole ring of it all, but if she truly loves Ben and can’t see her life without him, she owes it to herself, to him, and heck, even Jessie, to get in the middle and mess it all up. This unconventional triangle is simply setting them up for more heartache down the line by not actually being honest.
Plus, an engagement doesn’t just make all the problems disappear. Jessie and Ben simply glossed over their core issues because they wanted to make this work instead of getting down to the root of it all. What led to their previous breakups is bound to bubble up again, ring or not.
The supporting cast offers a bit of reprieve from the whole “will they or won’t they” trope.
Lou is a fun contrast to Maggie’s more methodical personality. She’s free-spirited and up for anything, but she also knows exactly how to ground Maggie when it’s needed. Her choice in men hasn’t always been the best (looking at you. John), but I’m hoping that Sam, a fellow pug owner that she meets at Dave and Amy’s wedding, might finally be the real deal. I felt for her when she talked about the degrading nature of online dating.
Everyone on the show is fantastic, and while they started off as exaggerated characters, mostly Dave and Amy, they’ve really brought a wealth of personality to the series. Angel, however, takes the cake as the best support system a girl could ever have. He’s punny, confident, and most of all, full of knowledge that helps move the narrative along.
Really clever shows tend to get the ax all too soon, but considering that cliffhanger demands answers, I hope we get a second season.
If only I had a crystal ball to make sure that Hulu lives in the moment and makes the right decision for Maggie’s future!
Did you watch the series?
We give it a B+! What grade would you give it? Let us know in the comments below!
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