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Ivy: Norwegia. Is. Not. A. COUNTRY! Zack: Then where are Norwegian people from?! Ivy: NORWAY!!

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I finally Watched Wicked 2024 the movie [IK late to the party]

So this is a little different to my other posts - ITS MUSICALS!

As the title says, I watched Wicked after some insightful convincing from my musical geek friends. No joke, my friends were blasting the soundtrack and summarising the plot... so I knew what happened sorta - BUT IT DIDN'T RUIN MY VIEWING THAT MUCH!

Here is what I think:

[MILD SPOILERS AHEAD]

Plot/Story/Pacing (Anything generally)

Complex but simple enough for me to follow. I feel like musicals tend to blast songs every 20 seconds but in this one I felt like the numbers came naturally and gave the non singing time to breathe.

Some parts made me laugh and some made me think which is really nice for a film to do.

The fact that the songs, details and lines were nods to the Wizard of Oz made me think that the story of Wicked itself (so far) is a tragedy considering what happens in the 1939 movie. Whenever I think about the 1939 movie though, it makes me view characters differently. Also, any hopes the characters had for the future becomes a little disheartening when you think what’s going to happen in Oz 1939.

Although it's not my favourite movie - its still good.

BTW I believe that the production design absolutely deserves its awards. The world looks so alive and the colours really give it so much life.

Characters:

Elphaba - I love her! I find her interesting as she wants to be accepted but in the end, her acceptance would come at the cost of something she doesn't want to do. So she takes a stand even if it comes at the cost of her relationships. I also think its interesting for the story to show on screen about Elphaba being "evil" and asking if it's nurture or nature (something me and my friend talked about). Her actress was stunning and her vocalisation in "Defying Gravity" sent shivers down my spine.

Glinda - I had a bit of character development with her. That's right - WITH her! it went like this:

Meh -> I hate her -> I want to punch her -> Tolerable -> Aw she's cute with Elphaba -> TRAITOR (but also tragic)

Her actress did a good job of balancing her unintentional malice with her trying to care about other people. I think it's also interesting to show a privileged character care about someone only to be pulled back by a suppressive society in order to have power and acceptance.

Prince Fiyero - So far, charming and at least he's somewhat aware of his "dance through life attitude".

Madame Morrible - Her actress played the role of the mom in Crazy Rich Asians, that's how I knew her. I think she was perfect for characters with an affectionate side which can instantly snap to malice in a click of a finger. I think she also nails the atmosphere of caring for Elphaba but doing it because there's something in it for her.

The Wizard - Same idea as Madame Morrible

Dr Dillamond - He is the GOAT! (Too good to pass, expect more puns unfortunately). I think his brief interactions with Elphaba left a huge mark on the story. And throughout the movie, while I didn’t like Ga - Linda, I used Dr Dillamond’s pronunciation of her name in his honour.

Conclusion

I understand there are flaws I can’t really point out right now - but I have to say it was a good movie overall. It kinda makes me want to watch the theatre production as well.

I have to the that the performance was WICKED and I was BEWITCHED!

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SOS - WHy is this so true!?!

the worst part of writing is when you realize you accidentally gave a side character a better arc than the main character.

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Lee Jr and Paper star

(The Team is planning a caper... until Lee finds out about a dangerous operative. Which he was not prepared for)

Player: So with the fact that this job features paper and something possibly psychopathic, I’m guessing our favorite neon ninja would be the operative? [Pulls up an image of Paperstar]

Carmen: Pretty much yeah.

Zack: Oh no… NOT HER!

Ivy: [turns to Carmen] I thought you handed her over to ACME

Carmen: I did. She must’ve busted out of jail

Shadowsan: Or someone had her released.

Player: OR someone’s organisation helped her escape - AHEM! [Indicates to Lee who was snacking on Zack’s tortilla chips in the background]

[Everyone turns around - especially an angry Zack]

[Lee looks over his shoulder for a moment before giving each team member a very confused glance]

Lee: [annoyed] What now?

Zack: I’ll give you one thing - STOP SNACKING ON MY CHIPS!

[Lee walks over to Carmen with chips in hand]

Lee: [not looking at Zack but still talking to him] Shut up Zackery.

Zack: No you shut up!

Lee: You shut up!

Shadowsan, Ivy and Carmen at the same time: BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!

[Lee silently rolls his eyes while Zack shrinks back into his seat]

Zack: [quietly and nervously] okay…

[The room goes quiet for a minute until Lee breaks the silence when he looks at Paperstar’s picture]

Lee: [Indicating to Paperstar] Who’s the Harley Quinn cosplay?

Player: Paperstar

Lee: VILE or Establishment?

Ivy: I thought you would know tha-

Shadowsan: [cuts in right as he senses another potential argument] She is part of VILE - or what’s left of it.

[Lee then throws the nearly empty chip bag at Zack as he sits next to Carmen]

Lee: Nice to see an operative that isn’t a furry this time.

Carmen: Don’t get comfy, she’s a maniac.

Lee: What’s the worst she can do - give me paper cuts?

Carmen: She shredded my glider, while I was 100 feet off the ground. With paper shurikens

Lee: So?

Shadowsan: Jordan, do you even realise how dangerous this operative is?

Lee: [tries to act confident] I’ve seen way too many dangerous women and people in my life to care alright?

Carmen: [egging him on] Oh? Who?

Lee: Well first off you [pointing to Carmen who rolled her eyes]

Lee: Then Ivy when she got suspicious when I joined this team [indicates to an embarrassed Ivy]

Ivy: Hey! It was for a good reason!

Zack: What about REAL threats?

Lee: [freezes for a split second before he said jokingly] Probably my mom when she mentioned tsinelas because I didn’t do my homework.

Player: That’s it?

Lee: Oh no, lots more. Just can’t be bothered.

Carmen: [Unconvinced] Riiight.

Carmen: Now seriously Lee, Paperstar is a force to be reckoned with.

Lee: So basically you? [To Carmen]

Zack: [interjects] But EVIL and less empathetic!

Carmen: very funny Zack…

Shadowsan: Jordan, Paperstar was one of the most unpredictable operatives VILE has. She will not have a confrontation amicably. Therefore you must take the utmost caution when you have your encounter with her.

[Lee starts to feel more tense with Shadowsan’s description and feels his mask of confidence slipping off. He then tries to play it off]

Lee: [unsure] Sure… thanks for the advice. [back to confidence] I’ll probably just spill water on her paper shurikens - how hard can it be?

[One caper later]

Carmen: Well?

Lee: [Handing an ice pack to Carmen, who had a black eye, while pressing one onto his side] You didn’t mention she can make hammers out of paper…

Shadowsan: As we’ve said - unpredictable.

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Paper Star: The real body count is how many people are in therapy because of you.

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YES! I don't know anything about music so thanks for analyzing this! I always picked up some music from the show but I never really had grasped the idea!

SO THANKS!

Rewatching Carmen Sandiego (2019) is realizing that a lot of the characters have their own musical motifs.

(I am coming fresh out of Epic: The Musical discource, this is so freakishly crazy to me)

The ones i've picked up so far are-

Carmen: A Latin-American guitar tune plays, usually when she is introduced during a caper or she makes an escape. (also, her intro in the first episode, right before Player speaks)

Shadowsan: A traditional japanese tune plays when he is singularly on screen or when making his escape.

Paper Star: Probably the most distinguishable, A creepy nursery tune whenever she is introduced, hinting at her involvement before even showing up on screen.

Devineaux: difficult to hear, but a low detective/heist tune plays when he is singularly on screen. (his whole, string scene in "The African Ice Caper")

Zach and Ivy: A little harder to pick up on, but if you listen to when it is just them on screen/speaking (in "The Boston Tea Party Caper") you can hear a jazz blues tune playing.

I've yet to find some more, but so far. these are the ones i've found.

Chat- chat you don't understand this is so freaking awesome-

THE ATTENTION TO DETAIL-

THE DETAILS-

I'm going to choke on my own tears of joy-

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Anyone else?

Guilty! - Me

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History Lesson

By Moringmark

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Non crush hear me out

This might sound weird.... but hear me out.

I know I just said I'm not 1000% invested in the ships (I'll be honest - not 10000000% invested in this either) but I have an idea. (Probably not original)

Ivy and Jules....

Think of it this way:

I have a HC that Ivy and Jules competed for Carmen's love/were jealous of each other at one point/worried that the other might hurt Carmen

When they were team mates in ACME, the "dislike" dropped and they became good friends

Turns out that the stuff they were jealous about were actually the stuff they liked about each other.

IDK you could put it romantically or they're just really good friends. I'll be honest, I saw a fanfic of Ivy getting something lodged into her and Jules came in to help (I can't remember which one, please send it to me). (P.S. Whether romantic or platonic, so glad to see Jules not letting Ivy die :] )

At this rate, I don't mind how you interpret it - I think it would be really fun just seeing Ivy and Jules interact by themselves whenever we get more Carmen content.

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Carmen Sandiego becomes infinitely funnier if you decide to believe that Chase is going through divorce the whole time

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.... it's true.... :,)

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I have a problem (or 2)

Actually I have many problems...

So I know that the Carmen Sandiego Fandom has their ships, particularly the ones between Carmen and other characters. I personally enjoy them but...

[controversial] I'm not 1000% invested in any of them.

Don't get me wrong, the videos about these ships are golden but here's what I think:

CarmIvy - Really cute, the caper in Germany was a treat to watch and you can't tell me Ivy isn't crushing on Carmen but I'm not 100% sure if the reverse is true... I see them as siblings (sister duo).

Carulia - I enjoy Carmen and Jules sharing history facts (yes... I will defend history buffs!). I can see Jules crushing on Carmen and maybe Carmen slightly crushing on her... but they don't get enough screen time together for me to be 100% invested.

Red Crackle - A little bit of chemistry is alright. I liked the fact Gray knows Carmen best to challenge her on a personal level. I like the fact that both sacrifice their wants for the other's needs and safety. BUT I feel like it falls into "sibling dynamic" and Carmen herself says that Gray is like an older brother. Also, they aren't really together that much on screen.

NOT TO OFFEND THE FANDOM - I personally feel a little out of place for not being 1000% invested in the ships. I enjoy them - just feel a little indifferent.

Here is problem 2:

Even though the ships above are not my main interest - I ship Carmen with my OC-ish Lee Jordan Jr mostly. AND I DON'T KNOW WHY. (WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME!?!?)

Legit one day I was writing ideas and lore for my sequel series and I thought "Hey, these characters have similar backstory and trauma - they seem to go well together... why don't I imply a ship?"

In my fics and WIPs I avoid anything too intimate or kissing and just generally anything creepy or toxic. I also genuinely try to find some kind of reason that the relationship could be somewhat real and try to make the dynamic somewhat realistic (besides the fact that both are super thieves and I have no idea how love life works.)

I feel like in the fanfic communities, shipping OCs with the main character is a little frowned upon (this is just my perspective. I respect your opinions and sorry if I'm wrong). If you have OCs that you ship with any original characters from the show - THAT'S FINE!

It's just a little awkward for me since my feed is filled with PaperCarmen or CarmIvy or Red Crackle or something like that.

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Headcannon/Prequel Series Idea I have / Ranting about Prequel WIP

(Note: I am no opera expert, I've just tried looking online for the song's meanings and my ideas about it. It also might spoil the prequel WIP... then again, we know what happens to Dexter Wolfe so why am I worried!?!?)

So remember Habanera from the opera Carmen?

It was used in the "Outback Caper" for S1 of Carmen... Zack and Ivy's boss, not the opera (someone had to say it...)

I've seen people analyse the song as a bit of foreshadowing for how Carmen and Gray's relationship is gonna go... BUT that's not why I'm here.

I have a HC that Habanera could essentially also be used to describe Dexter Wolfe and Carlotta Valdez's relationship. I feel like the song has the idea of unrequited love at the start and how it makes you do unpredictable things... kind of like how Wolfe changed because of love - truly unpredictable for a used to be ruthless thief like him.

I guess the quote from the song "Love is a gypsy's child" (sorry for any offense to anyone from Romani community) can also be interpreted as Carmen being a result of Wolfe and Valdez's love.

"It has never, ever, known a law" could also be foreshadowing to Carmen being a thief herself and the embodiment of "BE GAY DO CRIME" for many.

I guess you could say Carmen was not joking about most operas having tragic endings. Her father's life as a thief might as well be an opera or a tragedy... actually, the more I think about it in my prequel - it is.

Not just him either, although Carlotta doesn't die, it's tragic that her lover tried for her and Carmen only for him to die because of his sins. Leaving Carlotta with an empty heart for the next 20 or so years.

God... why am I so angsty this post?

Actually in my prequel, Lee Jordan (Prequel - I might as well call him Lee Jordan Sr. He isn't the same guy as my sequel series Lee Jordan) shares a similar fate to Wolfe of essentially dying because of his sins and leaving his loved ones behind - for a good reason might i add.

[One moment of self reflection later]

AM I WRITING A RED DEAD REDEMPTION INSPIRED FANFICTION?!? WHY IS MY STORY SO DEPRESSING!?!?

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Me trying to hype myself up to write be like...

This will never NOT be funny to me

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Carmen and Shadowsan Abilities Rant

Did you know that the multiple punch thing Carmen does to Shadowsan at the Finale is actually similar to the multiple punch thing Shadowsan does in the VILE History Caper?

So it made me ask - how Carmen and Shadowsan's fighting techniques different?

I would say the move has the same idea - cause multiple punches to disarm the opponent - but the way the characters execute it is slightly different. And I don't mean whether to kill after or not.

I mean that when Carmen does it, the speed is normal but when Shadowsan does it, time slows down. Does that mean that the way they percieve time when fighting is different?

Here's an example of this from videogames:

Zelda Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom - Link has the ability to slow down time with a perfect dodge or drawing his bow in mid air

Red Dead Redemption Franchise - The protagonist has the ability to slow time in order to aim at the press of a button.

I’ve seen people debate particularly about the Red Dead one and the most common idea I’ve seen and heard is that dead eye is essentially a representation of the gunslinger’s skill in the perspective of the player

There is also this thing called flow state where you are essentially “in the zone” and it feels like time slows down. Some people can experience it in the skills they do like gaming, sports or hobbies. In my opinion it can be perceived at how experienced you are at that skill.

With this in mind, if you think about it - in the scene where it feels like time slows down for Shadowsan, we are actively seeing how skilled and more experienced he is compared to Carmen - who we haven’t seen slowing time from her perspective like Shadowsan.

This isn’t to say Carmen is less skilled, I think we’re well aware how dangerous she can be - I just think it’s interesting to see how it’s shown that Shadowsan has more experience in combat.

Anyway that’s just a rant. Let me know your thoughts.

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the holy grail types of fanfic

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How theoretically scary are members of Team Red

This is a rant. Not really an Analysis rant but something to think about

Don’t get me wrong - if you weren’t a VILE Operative or a bad guy or law enforcement, they would be really good people to hang out with. It’s just funny to think how scary they would be with just their skills and characterisations.

I am trying to steer away from headcannons so if you have anything to make these characters scary, let me know in the comments.

Carmen

She is a master thief that is very skilled. I would be scared if she was in the room and I had my wallet

She can kick your ass

Her father was a thief. She has skills in her blood and on top of training would make her extra scary

She is a master of stealth which means she can pop out of nowhere

Brainwashed Carmen is a good example of if she disregarded the sanctity of life and was after you for blood.

Shadowsan

Silent but deadly - he’s a ninja

Zack

He is very good a disguise - could easily track you

Can drive - cars are death machines.

Can perform the pressure point pinch - Imagine you’re going about your day and someone unassuming from behind does it to you!

Ivy

She is a mechanic and she made most of Carmen’s gear (I think) - if I remember correctly it looked like Carmen has freaking stun grenades!

Player

He is a hacker who is capable of hacking anything. Imagine the FBI hiring him.

He’s also been doing this since 12 so he’s definitely seen some things on Carmen’s adventures (French Connection Caper Anyone?)

I feel like as a found family, if you mess with one of them - the entire lot would be after you! And that’s a super thief, a ninja, a mechanic, a hacker who can stalk you and a master of cars and disguise. My conclusion? Be very nice to Team Red or else they will find and end you!

The Team Red post ends here

(WARNING: THIS FEATURES VIOLENCE AND GENERALLY DARK STUFF SO IF YOU DONT LIKE THAT - DONT READ)

If you’re here for Lee Jordan Jr… sorry this fanfic insert is going to make me cringe so hard:

Lee Jr is descended from criminals so he’s got the skill in his blood and training like Carmen

He is very capable of operating fire arms and has been for a while

If you were a member of the law who gave him his scar, you are doomed since Lee spent his life trying to kill you and no one else (or will he?)

Speaking of his scar, I feel like there’s a stigma of most villains bearing a scar which means that he could look intimidating

He had almost been completely desensitised by the sight of someone being killed in front of him. So theoretically if he was a little meaner with no values then he would kill anyone without much after shock.

He’s also got a fuse so if you insult him or people he cares about that badly and you’re a villain or generally a rude person - he won’t kill you but he will make you feel sorry. So be nice to others!

His dad was a ruthless thief and Lee Jr looks like him.