A Summer of Pedro Pascal and Shiny New Stories

Watch Pedro Pascal movie. Write. Repeat.

¡Hola, hello!

I had a massive story-inspiration day.

Yesterday I went for a walk around the Onassis Reservoir in Central Park. It’s my favorite walk, which I don’t take enough. I was on the phone with Dhonielle for most of it, telling her the plot of my next book. This is often my first step in getting ready to write. I love having this reassurance from my friends as I get ready to write. They poke holes at my story. Make me question my meta narratives and themes and characters. Every writer needs a group of friends like this.

Once we hung up, I kept turning the story this way and that, the way a jeweler would a prospective gem. For the first time in a long time, I’m excited about what comes next, even though this book is not under contract.

The moment I started walking home, my head crowded with my own story, a rom com audio book, and the news feed I was scrolling, the sky opened up and it started to rain. Not like pitter patter. I was 15 minutes away from home and I was soaked to the bone. I stopped once under an awning but that didn’t help. Tourists crowded under hotel doorways. A handsome bald man in a suit hailed a taxi and skipped around puddles to read it in the most magnificently New York moment I’ve witnessed in a while.

The rain cleansed me, I think.

I showered (RAIN MUCK!?!), opened up a notebook and made notes. I came up with a couple of other book ideas (still squishy and uncooked), and some scenes that would be perfect short stories, and a plot fix for Monster House.

This has been a shit year and a half for me, but I am holding onto these shiny new ideas like North Fucking Stars. I don’t worry about getting new ideas. My ongoing spreadsheet is up to 50 log lines and counting. The thing I’ve been missing is the heat behind it. The excitement.

Nothing had changed. Maybe my brain chemistry! But going on my silly little walks, wandering around the MET to look at marble butts, urban nature, MOVIES. That brings me to:

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I’ve been to more movies this summer than any other year since before the pandemic. I got AMC Stubs and it is the one monthly membership I feel is worth it. (Not an ad.) But I have seen the big summer blockbusters. Spoiler alert, while I am a BOOK SNOB, I am not a movie snob. The campier, hollywooder, superhero-y, the disneyest—then I am happy. Throw in Pedro Pascal, and honestly, maybe his gentle face is what cured my industry-induced depression.

~*~*~*~Spoilers beyond this point~*~*~*~

Movie Posters The Materialists, Eddington, Fantastic 4

I will say, I love that Pedro Pascal is booked and busy. Wherever he’s on screen, he is disarming, earnest, and mischievous in a way that feels so rare and unique to who he is in interviews.

After watching The Materialists, my friends and I went to a local diner and talked about it. We were there at the premiere thanks to a raffle held by the Ripped Bodice bookstore. Celine Song was there, as well as Dakota Johnson and Chris Evans (Pedro couldn’t make it *sads*), an exec from A24. It wasn’t a Q&A. There was some weather delays so the director and exec spoke briefly about rom coms and the exec even referenced When Harry Met Sally.

Something that happens with Romance books and movies is that people call anything a rom-com when they mean “love story.” I did watch Past Lives, and worried that it would have a similar tone. Past Lives is undoubtably a love story, though as beautiful and nostalgic as it was, not a rom-com. The Materialists had some moments with sharp humor. If you haven’t seen it, it’s about a match maker who ends up snagging herself a 10/10 unicorn (Pedro Pascal). On the same night she bumps into her down-on-his-luck ex boyfriend whom she moves to NYC with to “make it” and they never did. She dates the billionaire. But when a terrible work thing happens, she pulls away from Mr. Perfect Pedro and returns to her broke ex because he can SEE her when she’s upset and unable to open up. WHICH FINE! Chris Evans had the kind of romance novel hero scenario I loooooove to read and write about. (And if you want that in a book, read When Javi Dumped Mari by Mia Sosa.) But I think if this had been a true ROMCOM, he would have had more motivation sooner.

Pedro Pascal in The Materialists

The message felt clear. No matter how perfect someone is, money can’t buy love. But that’s not why this was not a rom-com. It’s not a rom com because the tone remains very sharp and indie, detached, as if love is more aesthetic than emotion. Again, enjoyed it, beautiful movie, i love pedro. But a romantic comedy doesn’t have sexual assault, and in order for me to root for Hot but Worn Down True Love instead of Mr. Perfect Money Bags, you need to show me moments outside of them yelling and being cruel to each other. My friends who are much smarter pointed out that we never see Dakota and Chris happy in their past, which would make us understand why they belong together. We do see Pedro and Dakota happy in the present.

The weirdest moment was when Pedro’s character admits he and his brother got that height surgery where they make men taller. I stopped short of going “What?” really loudly in that theater. I don’t care WHO the other characters are. I would choose a 5’6 Pedro Pascal. I would choose Pedro Pascal even if he was 5’6 and in the Chris Evans’s character’s shoes (And if you want that in a book, read When Javi Dumped Mari by Mia Sosa). Again, I would choose Pedro Pascal if he was a Munchkin and wanted to role play as Galinda and Elphaba. I would choose Pedro Pascal if he was Prince Cornelius, prince of faeries. Call me Thumbalina, bitch. Like, what are you even talking about?

I saw something on Instagram or here, where someone said Pedro Pascal was underused in Fantastic Four: First Steps, and I disagree. I think he was underused in The Materialists. His arc was wrapped up but not in a way that felt complete. And in Eddington. I will shamefully admit this is my first Ari Aster movie. It was interesting. Like this fabulist absurd western satire set during the start of Covid lockdown. Set in Eddington, a tiny town that doesn’t think the politics will reach it, but it does. I’m glad I watched it. Joaquin Phoenix is so good, the cast was wacky and colorful. Pedro plays a two-faced politician. Super woke and compassionate by day, crooked and paid-for by night. It pokes fun at the ultra-wokeness that happened during the protests. But also the wild conservative conspiracy theories, cult leaders, antifa ninjas??? It is a movie about how we are all being manipulated by media, and I left feeling kind of hopeless about the world.

Fantastic Four was interesting because it had the shadow of its past versions to compete with as well as superhero fatigue. I read David Sim’s piece in the Atlantic where he points out “There’s no time for the characters to engage in era-appropriate diversions (such as, perhaps, kicking back with martinis) or match wits with colorfully costumed adversaries. This adventure is all end-of-the-world menace, all the time.” He’s referring to the way director Matt Shakman’s version doesn’t start with the origin story. Neither did Tom Holland’s Spider Man reboot, and neither did James Gunn’s new Superman. Are we just getting tired of seeing this first change? After rewatching Iron Man/Thor/Captain #1, I understand not wanting to dedicate a bajillion dollars to another origin story. It definitely helps us start the story sooner, though it that the thing that sacrifices the moments the heroes get to have a little fun?

The new F4 has a stylish scifi retro aesthetic that Solo: A Star Wars Story also channeled a bit, but on the cooler side. The attention to detail is stunning, and I remember thinking “this is one of the more beautiful movies Marvel has made in a while.” The more I think about it, I agree with David Sims when he says the character don’t get to have as much of the superhero “fun & games” part of the story. Sure, Ben makes a great joke in the kitchen. He and Johnny have excellent banter. Poor Johnny’s romance never got going! Justice! Sue and Reed are in the middle of finding out that they’re pregnant.

At the same time, this is a movie in which the superheroes have perfected crime fighting so that they can spend more with their family, and keep the world safe. I also love getting to see them actually be astronauts. And while they’re not exactly drinking martinis, the set pieces they interact with (the gold record player and Reed’s lab etc) feels so well thought out and real and tactile, that I could appreciate a more family oriented hero family. This version of earth isn’t ours. It’s idealistic, diverse, and a bit naive in the way only people who have always known safety can be.

This world trusts it’s heroes. When Sue came out in the crowd like she was holding a white baby Jesus, I honestly had no idea where they were going with that. Mobs are not kind in our earth, but seem to be in this Earth 828.

Sue, Reed, Ben, and Johnny have been changed by what happened to them, and they have dedicated themselves, not just to America, but to the world. And I realize how annoying that sounds, but beings with super powers should use them for the whole world. (Superman had a similar theme) And yet, when it comes to trading their baby to Galactus, they retreat. They will do everything possible to avoid this horrible sacrifice, including UNITE THE WORLD, something I could never even imagine being done in our world. It made me feel cynical and then for a moment, I felt a little bit of hope seeing the good guys win.

My aural migraine queeeeen!!!

Pedro’s take on Mister Fantastic and Reed felt incredibly familiar. I could see in him my own mother’s fear of what I might become as an adult, especially here in this adopted country, in a world where she was still learning the rules. Reed doesn’t know the extent of his powers, or his son’s. He is believably afraid. I’d think the metaphor is there even if it wasn’t a Latino actor. Here is where Pedro shines, working to keep his family together.

Sue’s powers have never felt so stunningly believable than when she delivers a baby IN SPACE and then ganks an evil space lord who wants to eat her baby. And I know some people don’t like the baby thing. It’s giving Reneesme from Twilight but CGI babies might just never not look like haunted dolls. But I got over it. I will say I missed Chris Evans’s natural “bro” vibes as Johnny, but the cast was so charming together, I found it impossible not to love them.

David Sim also said in his Atlantic piece, “When a crisis arises, Reed and company are actually capable of rallying the world to help save itself. Multiple times in First Steps, Shakman emphasizes the power of a global community, the kind he’s clearly longing for in our world.” That is exactly what I felt. I wish this world would stop hurting each other and more so that I feel powerless. It’s not fair that heroes don’t get the levity of Clark Kent and Lois having a heart to heart while other heroes take care of an alien eye thing (Superman). I miss the Avengers sitting around drinking and trying to pick up Thor’s hammer. The bad things always come for them, and they rise to meet it because they are the symbols we need. One of my friends still hasn’t seen it so I’m going again tomorrow.

Pedro does shine in this movie, and I hope I get to write him something he can start in. DREAMS!!

What have you seen this summer? Are you also having a Summer of Pedro <3 ?

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Now for some updates:

Other movies I watched recently. Here are my thoughts on Elio!

L-R Top: Fantasy panel at LIU writer festival, girl dinner and a throwback read. L-R Bottom: Arc of Once Upon a Time in Dollywood by Ashley Jordan, and my second favorite butt at the MET.

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If you’re new here, I have a monthly fiction tier. I made a separate tab for it and it’s called THE MIDPOINT. I have a sample of a WIP, a contemporary romance, and a monster romance serial. See below!

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Catch up on MONSTER HOUSE (prologue-chapter 3) and subscribe for the whole monster enchilada.

PROLOGUE: In which we learn the bloody history of Foxwood Manor

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Until next time! Thank you for reading my words 💫