April, 2025 - The Graceful Boon

Ellie Nash: The Complexity Of Her Life With Her Alcoholic Mother That Caused Her To Self-Harm As Seen On ‘Degrassi: The Next Generation’ – And Everything That Her Love Life Had To Do With It

Ellie Nash was a character on ‘Degrassi: The Next Generation’ portrayed by Stacey Farber. She could be seen in roles that include The Spencer Sisters’, ‘Virgin River’, ‘Saving Hope’, ‘Law & Order: SVU’, as well as numerous cheesy Hallmark movies. Farber starred as Ellie between 2002 and 2009. Ellie wasn’t the main character that Emma was during their respective seasons on ‘Degrassi’, just I described in my previous post with Emma as the main subject matter, and nevertheless, her role was pretty essential. She was introduced as Marco’s girlfriend when he was hiding his sexuality. Her storyline progressed, however, when we got to know of her life outside of school – one with her alcoholic mother and an absent father – and what it led to. Here, we break down Ellie’s entire character arc in the series. We explore the complexity of her depression and self-harm. And then, we explain what her love life had to do with her mental health struggles. Finally, we analyze what PNES (Psychogenic Seizure Disorder) has to do with all of this. Lets discuss…

Emma Nelson: An In-Depth Analysis As To Why She Wasn’t Ever A Good Friend To Manny Santos And Liberty Van Zandt – And Why The Ending To Her Character Arc Wasn’t Actually A ‘Happy Ending’

There were many significant friendships featured in ‘Degrassi: The Next Generation’, but most would probably agree that the most significant one of them all was the one between Emma Nelson and Manny Santos. Most people would agree that Emma wasn’t a very good friend to Manny, and that Manny deserved better than having Emma as her best friend. Here, we break down Emma’s entire friendship with Manny, as well as Emma’s friendship with Liberty Van Zandt, as seen on the show. We explore exactly what events in Emma’s life that made her become the person and friend that she became to both these girls, starting from even before she was ever born. And then we explain why exactly her marriage to Spinner at the end of her character arc wasn’t actually Emma’s ‘happy ending’, but rather an addition to the underlying issue that was never actually resolved. And no, it’s not that Emma should’ve married her first love, Sean, instead of Spinner like most fans would think. Let’s discuss….

Danielle Fishel: Getting To Know Her As A Woman Through Her Connections With Ben Savage, Trina McGee, And Maitland Ward – And What Each Friction Tells Us About The Other Person

In 2022, Danielle Fishel started a podcast called ‘Pod Meets World’ alongside Rider Strong and Will Friedle. It’s a podcast where the trio re-watch their work on the beloved 90’s sitcom, ‘Boy Meets World’, which ran from 1993 to 2000. In the series, Fishel played Topanga Lawrence, Strong played Sean Hunter, and Friedle played Eric Matthews. The main star of the show, the one who was first billed, was Ben Savage, who played Cory Matthews. The podcast opened doors to new fans and audiences alike, as well as updated the original ones on the cast members’ lives. More particularly, on their friendships and such. We learned that Ben Savage has completely ghosted his once tight-nit friends in 2020 with no explanation. We learned that Maitland Ward felt that Fishel was jealous of her throughout the years since the show ended. And we got an update on Trina McGee and where she now stands with her former co-stars after the was made to believe they were responsible for her character’s early departure. Here, we break down each of these friendships, misconceptions and frictions on all sides. We explain what each of these miscommunications and frictions tell us about who Danielle Fishel is as a person and a woman. And we explore how generally, women are constantly turned against each other because they’re made to believe they’re meant to fail, and therefore, are always in competition with one another when, really, it should be the other way around. Let’s discuss how we can unite women bring them together, and how men can be of help…

Taylor Swift: The Real Beauty And Value In Age-Gap Friendships – And Why They’re Actually Necessary For A Woman’s Growth

Legendary actress Jane Fonda has been very vocal in recent years on the importance of female friendships. In 2024, she said, ‘Women’s friendships are very different from men’s friendships. And they’re very important to our health. Because you guys, you kind of sit side by side and watch sports or cars or women. Women sit facing each other eye to eye, and they say, ‘I’m in trouble. I need you. Can you help me?’ We are not afraid of being vulnerable.’ Her husband, Ted Turner once said to her that he figured women didn’t make friends past 60, to which she said he was really wrong. She continued, ‘What you have to do is you have to be intentional. Like, I never used to be intentional. I would meet Sally Field, for example, but not pursue – well I did pursue you. You have to pursue people that you want to be friends with. And you have to say, ‘I’m intentionally wanting to be your friend.’ And it works. People hear that and then stick around, and you develop new friendships.’ Here, we take things into perspective and take a deep dive into Taylor Swift’s many friendships, including with the likes of Sabrina Carpenter, Gracie Abrams, And Jamie King. We particularly explain the underlying necessity of age-gap friendships by exploring Kourtney Kardashian’s friendship with Addison Rae. And we compare them to the likes of friendships with people closer to our own age group. Let’s discuss…

Scarlett O’Connor: How Her Entire Character Arc On ‘Nashville’ Was Doomed From The Start – And How Clare Bowen’s Own Autism Diagnosis Could’ve Been The One Key Component To Changing That Narrative

Scarlett O’Connor was a supporting character on ‘Nashville’ played by Clare Bowen. Scarlett wasn’t well received by audiences and fans of the show alike, as she was mostly perceived as spoiled young woman who turned down every opportunity left and right. Under normal circumstances, I’d agree with that testament, but no while knowing all the character’s history, as well as the woman behind the character. I’d go as far as saying that if one character on the show got to have a complete do-over, it would’ve been Scarlett herself. Bowen recently revealed that she has autism and ADHD. Of her decision to make her struggles with the disorders public, she said on the ‘Neurodivergent Woman’ podcast in December 2024, ‘What I know now is to make sure that every single one of those people, in whatever way I can, can kind of reach out and be like, hey, hey, you’re not by yourself, it’s okay. You don’t have to do it by yourself, it’s okay. If you feel like you don’t understand anything, or like nobody understands you, or like everyone’s laughing but you don’t get the joke, and maybe you are the joke, you can still become the person that you always dreamed of being, even if you are the butt of every joke, even if you feel like it fit anywhere.’ Here, we break down Scarlett O’Connor’s entire character arc on the show. We analyze what exactly made her so unlikeable. And finally, we explore how Bowen’s own story of living with autism could’ve paved the way for Scarlett. Let’s discuss…

Juliette Barnes: An In-Depth Analysis Of The Relatability And Complexity Of Her Character Arc When We First Met Her- And What The Sloppy End Of Her Story On ‘Nashville’ Meant To Women Everywhere

‘Nashville’ was a TV series which was co-led by Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere. Panettiere played Juliette Barnes. She was first introduced as a a bubblegum country pop singer and former teen star sensation who was determined to replace Rayna as the top superstar of country music. Over time, however, she proved herself to be much more than just a blonde girl with a bubblegum personality who sang songs like ‘I’m A Girl’. She was even able to co-exist with Rayna in the music industry and be viewed as her equal. By the time Rayna passed away, Juliette saw her as a mother figure; something she never had as her mother was a junkie. She saw her manager, Glenn, as a father figure; also something she never had as her father died when she was four. When we’re first introduced to her, we see that she was a very unlikeable person. The only people she was surrounded by were the people she paid to work for her. It was a long road for Juliette. . Here, provide an in-depth analysis of Juliette’s character arc throughout all six seasons of ‘Nashville’. We explore the relatability and complexity of her character. And we break down the meaning behind her sloppy ending, and what it means to women everywhere.

Rayna Jaymes: The Worldview Of Women Over 40 In The 2010’s, As Seen Through Her Character Arc On ‘Nashville’ – And How Its Complexity Is Ever So Evolving

‘Nashville’ was a TV series originally aired between 2012 and 2018. It starred Connie Britton as Rayna Jaymes and Hayden Panettiere as Juliette Barns. Rayna Jaymes was a 40 year old woman trying to keep up with a music career in an industry that viewed women over 40 as unworthy. At the same time, she was also the glue of her family, with her two daughters, Maddie and Daphne, played by the Stella sisters, her husband Teddy, played by Eric Conrad, later her first love and second husband, Deacon, played by Charles Esten. Just as she got everything she ever wanted and more – both personally and professionally speaking, Rayna died in a car crash. Here, we break down Rayna’s entire character arc, even in death, throughout the entire six season run of the show, and we break down how her death proved the initial premise of the show to be wrong. We explore what Rayna represented to women in the workforce during the time of the show’s run, and how ageism and sexism has evolved in the years since the show’s original run by comparing Rayna’s story as a woman in the business and compare it to the worldview of ‘aging’ women now. And we explain why the ‘Nashville’ had overstayed its welcome, and why it actually should’ve ended on season 4. Let’s discuss…

Alex Rose: All The Things About Her That Make Her So Relatable – And The One Single Change ‘The Life List’ Could’ve Made To Make It Even Better

‘The Life List’ is a newly released Netflix film based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Lori Nelson Spielman. It stars former Disney starlet Sofia Carson as Alex Rose, and Connie Britton as her deceased mother. Alex is introduced as very much lost in her life. She’s not happy at where she is, and feels stuck. And then her mother dies of cancer. She’s lost in her grief, but she becomes even more devastated when she finds out she won’t be getting an inheritance, but a DVD instead. Alex then realizes that her mother left her to complete a ‘Life List’ that she jotted down when she was just 13 years old, and to find out what her actual inheritance is, she must complete everything on the list. She’s hesitant at first, but decides to go ahead and do it. And in the process, she learns more about herself than she ever signed up for. Here, we break down ‘The Life List’ to its entirety. We explore the one single thing filmmakers could’ve done differently to make the movie even better. And we give a thorough insight of Alex Rose herself, and how there’s actually an Alex Rose in all of us. As Sofia Carson herself said, ‘I just felt like I had been Alex Rose, and more so that we’ve all been Alex Rose at one point in our lives. Like, alive, but not living. And she awakened something in me. And I think that’s what we hope this film will do to you when you watch it. It kind of awakens us to life again in a really simple but powerful way.’ Let’s discuss…

Dove Cameron: The Realities Of Witnessing A Parent Struggle With Depression As A Child – And What A Parent Can Do To Teach Their Child On Their Brain Health

Dove Cameron is a talented actress and singer who initially got her beginnings as a Disney starlet, having starred in hits ‘Live & Maddie’, as well as ‘Descendants’, with Sofia Carson, Boo boo Stewart, and Cameron Boyce, who tragically passed away in 2019 at age 20 following him suffering an epileptic seizure in his sleep. The death of her friend, whom she considered to be her brother, hit her hard, but it wasn’t the first loss she ever experienced in her life. Her father passed away of suicide when she was just 15 years old and just started her career in the limelight. While recently appearing on the ‘Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard’ podcast, Cameron opened up about that time in her life. She said, ‘I didn’t really learn how to navigate, um, like, sort of fan attention or public attention for many years. I couldn’t have prepared. I also think like I surprised myself by being more introverted than I anticipated. You truly don’t know until you’re put into that situation. And then you’re like, ‘Oh, I’m very introverted.’ There was so much going on in my personal life… That’s gonna affect any kid. When you’re 15 and that happens, it changes the course of your life. There was no way for me to wrap my head around it. Understand it, conceptualise it. We were at his funeral, and then like, on Bainbridge Island. I would come to work every day and some days would be good and some days would be bad, and everybody was super protective of me. It was kind of like a volatile time in my life in general, just being a teenager, being on TV was a great escape.’ Here, we break down Cameron’s struggle with depression and anxiety, as told in her own words. We explore what having to witness a parent’s own struggle with depression and anxiety at a young age can do to a child and then into adulthood. And finally, we redefine mental illness as brain health, and we analyze what one can do to better the next generation. Let’s discuss…

Eva Erickson: What Her Autism Story And Seeing Joe Helping Her During Her Time Of Need Taught Us About Disability And Awareness – And Why Disability Representation Done The RIGHT Way On Reality Television Matters So Much

‘Survivor 48’ made headlines a couple of weeks ago, and in the best way possible. Something very special happened on the March 26 episode. It was one that brought Jeff Probst to tears — something he confessed has never happened before in 48 seasons of hosting the show for 25 years. It was a moment between contestants Joe Hunter and Eva Erickson, which involved Eva being overstimulated and having what she called an ‘autism episode’ during an immunity challenge, followed by castaway Joe helping her come back to normal. In other reality television news, Brittany Cartwright recently revealed that her son was diagnosed with autism 6 months prior, and her journey to finding answers to the diagnosis will be showcased in the newest season of ‘The Valley’. Here, we break down the entire moment between Eva and Joe and explain not only it tells viewers of people with autism, but also those who surround people with autism, such as in the case of Joe and the rest of the contestants. We also explore Cartwright’s own story of being a mother and a caretaker to her autistic son, as well as the April 3 episode of ‘The Kardashians’ which saw the family celebrate Amari Thomason’s brother’s birthday. By speaking of these, we break down the importance of disability representation being done RIGHT in media and reality TV. Let’s discuss…