Game End

Alright, I love New England, but this is getting ridiculous. Checking the date above I see it is the first of May which seriously begs the question as to why there was snow falling on my car on the way into work this morning. I hold this to be manifestly unfair, especially since I was in thrall to my Favorite Panamanian last evening as she started her spring work  in the her vast garden complex. I may be overreacting (yeah, I know) as it is now sunny and with the leaves finally appearing for all intents and purposes a beautiful spring day.

My wife made a number of purchases over the past week that needed to get into the ground which is where I come in in terms of the gardening food chain. She also questioned some of her decisions of last year so I was also uprooting and moving several large plants to new locations. I used to ask her about this but have since learned to keep my mouth shut and dig. Deckzilla Dude was in the neighborhood and stopped by to smirk at my status.

Date night had us at Avengers End Game and I’m still a little stunned. Blockbuster just doesn’t seem adequate to describe what Marvel filmmakers have accomplished here. How do you take the seemingly endless plot points from twenty one movies spread over a decade with beloved characters the audience has totally invested in and bring it to a close (sort of)? This would so easily have been a train wreck but it is certainly not. It is epic. It is fun. It has everything we’ve come to expect from Marvel and somehow, more. I was worried at the beginning we were spending too much time experiencing superhero angst following the losses in Infinity War but it was needed for the emotional roller coaster that followed and soaring finale. This film was up against almost impossibly high expectations and somehow exceeded them. That is not just hard, it nigh on impossible. Go see this movie even if you’re not a dyed in the wool geek such as myself. This was epic filmmaking that also drew in heartfelt emotions. Those emotions are an indication of just how successful Marvel has been strip mining our souls over the past decade. Finally it serves as a more than fitting farewell to some of these incredible characters without getting too sappy. It didn’t feel like three hours because you’re immersed in the struggle with old friends. No spoilers here but there is no post credit scene which kept my wife wondering why we were still sitting in the theater for (along with most of the rest of the audience).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law, formerly known both as MEF – Most Excellent Fiancé & MEG – Most Excellent Girlfriend; Wingman – my son in law; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great Aunt = my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Buddy – AKA the Wonder Pooch – family dog, a black lab – hates squirrels, died in 2017; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog, surrogate grandchild while awaiting arrival of the BRS; PanaGals – female relatives/friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member, Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Excellent Boss – my former direct boss at work; Deckzilla Dude – senior citizen carpenter/contractor; Voices of Inappropriate Worth - members of public who come to every Worcester public meeting to complain, all are on public assistance along with demeanor issues