TV - The Graceful Boon

Kelsey Parker: A Deep Exploration Of What Women Go Through In The Aftermath Of Widowhood – And Why Women Get Judged More Than Men Do When They Move On With Their Lives

Widowhood is a very complex concept in life that can only be understood and explained by those who’d gone through it. As of late, we see more and more widowed celebrities finding their happy again; particularly female celebrities. These include Amanda Kloots, Michelle Williams, and Kelsey Hardwick (Parker). Kloots was married to Nick Cordero, a Broadway star, between 2017 and 2020. They have a son, Elvis, who was born 9 months before Cordero fell ill and eventually passed away due to Covid-related complications. While Michelle Williams isn’t TECHNICALLY a widow, she did lose the person she initially thought she’d spend the rest of her life with. It was when Health Ledger passed away in 2008 of an accidental drug overdose. Together they had a daughter, Matilda, born in 2005. They were engaged to be married, but broke the engagement of just a few short months before his passing. Hardwick was married to the late Tom Parker until his untimely death of cancer in March 2022. Here, we break down the essence of heartbreak of what women go through in life in the aftermath of their losses through their own individual stories. We explore the hardships of moving on, finding a new path in life, and making room for a new partner. And we explain why women get judged a lot more than men do in the circumstances of widowhood. Let’s discuss…

Blog Post

Carrie Bradshaw: How She Became Even Worse Of A Person Than We Initially Thought In The Ways She Treated Big And Aidan – And How She Wasn’t Actually The Biggest Problem In Her Rekindled Relationship With Aidan

So the cast of And Just Like That recently gathered together as a united front to promote the upcoming third season of the show at a photo call. Sarah Jessica Parker, of course, made waves as she wore a deep blue Vivienne Westwood gown that made her look like a princess. She paired the look with silver open-toed shoes and dark silver jewelry. Her blonde hair was styled in a deep side part with loose waves. Parker, who plays Carrie Bradshaw, completed the look with a beaded clutch and eclectic rings. Her husband, Matthew Broderick, was on hand to support her, as well as her co-stars, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis. Another familiar face was John Corbett, as well as his wife, Bo Derek. Corbett, of course, played Aidan Shaw in the original Sex And The City series, and he returned to the revival show in the second season, where we saw Aidan and Carrie rekindle their romance following Mr. Big’s death. Carrie went as far as asking her friend Miranda, played by Nixon, ‘Was Big just one big mistake?’ as her relationship with Aidan progressed and became more serious. Here, we break down Carrie and Aidan’s entire rekindled relationship. We explained how Carrie became a worse person that we all initially thought. And we explore all reasons why she’s still not the worst person in the entire situation. Let’s discuss…

Blog Post

Lea Michele: How Her Role As Fanny Brice On Funny Girl Became Her Redemption Arc – And Why She’s The Perfect Example In The Importance Of Giving People Second Chances

Lea Michele is a Broadway veteran who gained fame and recognition in her role as Rachel Berry on ‘Glee’, a musical TV series which also starred Cory Monteith, who sadly passed away in 2013 of an accidental drug overdose. Michele recently appeared on the ‘Therapuss with Jake Shane’ podcast, where she talked about Monteith’s passing and the grief she’d endured in the months and years that followed. Michele and Monteith were in a longterm relationship at the time of his death. She also spoke about her work on ‘Glee’ particularly in the aftermath of Monteith’s passing, and how her relationships with her co-stars were affected by it. In 2020, Samantha Ware, who guest-starred on ‘Glee’ following Monteith’s passing, called out Michele’s toxic behaviour at work that almost made her quit acting. It was her first-ever opportunity in the industry. Michele apologized, but Ware didn’t take the apology too well, and neither did she take the news of her being cast as Fanny Brice in the ‘Funny Girl’ revival two years later too well. Here, we break down Lea Michele’s entire career from the very beginning to now. We fully explain the 2020 Lea Michele vs. everyone scandal. And we explore why it’s so important to give people like Lea Michele second chances. Let’s discuss…

Blog Post

Violet Plunkett: Exploring The History Behind Her Estrangement From Christy As Seen In Season 6 Of ‘Mom’- And Why Going No-Contact With Your Parents Can Be The Healthiest Decision You Can Make For Yourself

‘Mom’ is a television series starring Anna Fraris and Allison Janney, which ran between 2013 and 2021. The series was created by Chuck Lorre, the man behind ‘Roseanne’, ‘Two and a Half Men, and ‘The Big Bang Theory’. It followed Christy Plunkett, a single mother who was in recovery from alcohol and drug abuse. She decided to start her life over with her two kids and attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Her mother, Bonnie, also a recovering alcoholic, suddenly reappeared in her life after a 2 year estrangement. Her children are Violet and Roscoe. Christy had Violet when she was 17 years old. For the most part, when discussing the show, the main focus is on Bonnie and Christy. When describing Christy’s children, not much positivity or love for them is there. Some said Violet, in particular, was an entitled brat. Others said she was spoiled, selfish, annoying, ungrateful, rude, snarky, and treated her mom poorly and unfairly. I’m here to tell you otherwise. I’m here to tell you otherwise. Here, we break down Violet’s entire character arc from season 1 and 6. We explore the history of her relationship dynamic with Christy, and the reasons behind their estrangement. And we give a thorough explanation as to why going no-contact with a parent can be the hardest, but the healthiest decision one can make for themselves. Let’s discuss….

Blog Post

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…

Blog Post

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….

Blog Post

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…

Blog Post

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…

Blog Post

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.

Blog Post

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…