#(i detest the love triangle but i like that it at least wasn’t a big thing that ruined all the relationships between the three people

[many-gay-magpies]

I’m continuing my Teen Wolf season 3b rewatch. I’m on Lutharia Vulpina right now, and I am like. Overwhelmed by how poly Scott, Isaac, and Allison have seemed in these last two episodes. Like, Scott and Isaac are looking for Stiles together, then Scott asks Isaac to go find Allison, then Isaac and Allison arrive at the hospital together, and Isaac gets electrocuted. The next morning Scott has flashbacks to Derek yelling that Isaac wasn’t breathing. He and his mom go to visit Isaac at the hospital, where Allison has been sleeping overnight because they wouldn’t let her in to see Isaac. Scott and Allison go in to see him together, holding hands for emotional support, and Scott takes Isaac’s pain. And god the LOOKS on both their faces. I am so very normal

[overthinkingkdrama]

Exit Review: My Country

Synopsis

This drama is set in the transition between the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties, and follows turbulent friendship turned fraught rivalry between Seo Hwi and Nam Seon Ho. Seo Hwi’s late father was the greatest swordsman of Goryeo, but after being framed for embezzling military supplies he was executed as a traitor, a stain which hangs over Hwi and his sister’s lives. Seon Ho is the illegitimate son of a powerful state official, but due to his mixed parentage he can never fully belong to his father’s world and has an insatiable ambition and bitter resentment toward his father which drives him.

Hwi and Seon Ho have been close since childhood, but when they end up going head to head in the state military exam a tragedy follows that will drive a terrible wedge between them. Eventually circumstances will force them to pick sides between General Yi Seong Gye (the first King of Joseon) an his ruthless son, Yi Bang Won, in the fight which will give shape and purpose to a newborn country.

Review

Story: My Country is a difficult drama for me to review objectively, in part because I loved it so much. Watching this drama was a truly absorbing and gripping experience for me, and it plays to so many of my story preferences. I was unequivocally obsessed with this drama from the premier to the finale, but during the weeks between airings I couldn’t help but feel like I was arm wrestling with the script.

It was characterization more than anything that gave me fits. I wouldn’t go so far as to accuse the show of giving us thin or two dimensional characters. To the contrary, each of these characters has a fully realized matrix of conflicting desires, loyalties and ambitions that inform their choices and alignments. However, it is often difficult to sift through those murky motivations and draw a clear line between a character’s internal desires and their external actions.

This drama starts out with an incredible cold open that raises all sort so questions about who these characters are and immediately invests you in finding out how they ended up in this situation. It’s truly masterfully done, and I probably rewatched it upwards of 10 times through the run. It kept me asking those questions all the way until the pay off. But because the writers were so invested in keeping their cards close to the chest, clear characterization was sometimes lost in the shuffle.

That said, this drama really is one beautiful, tragic escalation after another. Just taking the first two episodes in isolation is quite a ride. I really thought after the first few weeks, or hell, the first half, that the drama would get bogged down in plotting and politics or have nowhere left to go, but to my great joy it really doesn’t let up a single moment until the finale.

Acting: Where to even begin with the acting in this drama? All three of the main male leads: Yang Se Jong, Woo Do Hwan and the inimitable Jang Hyuk are perfectly cast and give inspired performances. Everything from posture to voice to subtle microexpressions is so stunningly on point.

I came into the drama already a big fan of both Woo Do Hwan and Jang Hyuk as actors, having followed them through other projects, so it wasn’t surprising to me that I liked them both here as well. However, what did surprise me was the extent to which they were able to show off their range and talent. As a long time Jang Hyuk fangirl, I would confidently argue that this particular rendition of the Yi Bang Won character is him at his absolute best. I also went into My Country relatively indifferent to Yang Se Jong, or at least not overly familiar with or impressed by his previous work. I’m happy to announce that that is no longer the case, as his performance of Hwi is one of the most memorable of the year for me, and his sheer level of commitment to the role is awe inspiring. There’s a video of him talking behind the scenes about a moment early on where he actually yelled himself hoarse embodying a moment of panic and grief, which made me appreciate the level thought and effort he put into playing this character.

I don’t want to limit my praise to just that trio of actors either, because the entire cast is incredible. I didn’t know much about Seolhyun before this role, but I thought she was really strong as well, though her character doesn’t feature as heavily as one might like or expect from the promotional material around this drama. The villains too are captivating, especially the detestable Nam Jeon played by veteran actor Ahn Nae Sang. Wow, you are really going to love to despise this guy. I just cannot say enough about the performances from top to bottom, because we would be here all day. The acting is really what makes the drama, especially the stunning chemistry between the characters, and more specifically the chemistry Yang Se Jong has with all the other leads.

Production: There is some movie quality cinematography throughout this drama. It just looks very, very good both in the way it is shot and the attention to detail, the props, the costumes the sets. There is a beautiful long tracking shot following Hwi through a battle field in episode 3 or 4 that was just jaw dropping. It really felt like they were flexing, honestly, and it’s refreshing to see this kind of cable quality coming out of South Korea and ending up on American Netflix for people to watch and appreciate.

I love the music in this drama. Some of it can come across a bit camp, like the electric guitar and strings heavy instrumental “My Country” that accompanies many of the sword fight scenes, but I loved Bang Won’s wailing violin theme music every time it showed up, and the OST definitely sets a mood.

One of the more distracting choices the drama made was to allude to certain historical characters like Poeun, Sambong and Choi Young but never have them actually appear as characters, in the present or in flashbacks, opting to address certain important events and philosophies through fictional expys such as Nam Jeon and Seo Geon instead. They even resort to filming certain scenes in strange oblique ways so that we understand Sambong is in the room but we don’t see his face.

The only thing I can figure is the writers wanted to use the audience’s familiarity with these historical figures without chaining the story too closely to the actual flow of historical events. Or perhaps they decided to exclude these characters in order to avoid too much direct comparison to the critically well-received and highly rated drama, Six Flying Dragons, which covers much of the same time period.

Feels: For me My Country watches like a bitter-sweet tragi-romantic melodrama centering on a toxic love triangle with a historical backdrop. And when I say “love triangle”, I am 100% referring to the interplay between Seon Ho, Hwi and Bang Won (my sincere apologies to poor Hui Jae) because that’s how the entire drama is structured. My Country is one of the most purely homoerotic things I’ve ever watched. If it weren’t for a few limp attempts to imply Seon Ho’s romantic interest was in Hui Jae and not his former friend, I would say “unapologetically homoerotic” but alas, South Korea isn’t quite there yet.

The romance between Hui Jae and Hwi never quite caught fire for me, though lord knows they were trying. It always felt like a side dish to the main course that the drama really wanted to serve: namely the star-crossed relationship of Hwi and Seon Ho. (And this is not meant as a dig toward those who liked the Hui Jae/Hwi romance. This section of the review is just about my subjective experience.)

There were moments where I worried, or couldn’t quite tell where the drama was taking us with regard to Seon Ho and Hwi, or where I feared everything was going to end in senseless destruction and they couldn’t successfully bring the plot to closure in just 16 episodes. But for the handful of issues I had with the writing of the drama, its final resolution was poetically, heart-wrenchingly, perfect.

My Country just pushes so many of my narrative and aesthetic buttons and plays heavily to my id. This is a drama that I’m going to be thinking about for a long, long time. I will definitely be watching it again and I will try to get as many other people to watch it as possible. I liked it that much.

Would I recommend My Country: The New Age? Yes, oh god yes. Please watch it. Watch it and then come talk to me about it. Definitely one of the best of the year.

9/10

[theonceoverthinker]

OUAT 1X07 - The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

We’re finally here: This episode. This is another one of those episodes that feels a little nerve wracking to touch upon for reasons you probably know. At the same time, I’m really interested to see how my perception of a character who I used to really like changes given how so far I’ve found his appearances to be lackluster. 

I guess we’ll find out. Join me under the cut for a journey most heart-stopping because there was LOADS to unpack here.

Press Release One of the town’s residents begins to remember their fairytale past, and Storybrooke mourns the loss of one of their own. Meanwhile, in the fairytale world that was, the Evil Queen attempts to find a heartless assassin to murder Snow White. General Thoughts Past Okay, so I know Regina’s emotions were fake in that opening scene between her and Snow, but they have so much chemistry. I love the way that Snow trusts her. She really does see Regina as her step mother and you feel the friendship that they’re later revealed to have had in the past. And it’s a real testament to Lana’s acting how she can go from this sympathetic mother figure in one shot to vile and sinister in the next! We also get to see more of Regina’s cleverness here. The Huntsman is a really well-defined character. The way he’s shot by the cameras show his size and strength well and the way others view him characterize his loneliness. We see his skill and his heart immediately and how he has no shame over it. That’s so important to see with men in the media.

Additionally, I like how at first the Huntsman refuses to speak but when Regina calls him birth parents his “parents,” he wastes no time correcting her. It’s important that this was shown because while they do do a really good job showing the nuances of the situation in the struggles between Emma and Regina, the fact that the show and our sympathies are supposed to align with Emma can give people who aren’t paying attention the feeling of an anti-adoption sentiment to the show. In addition to reinforcing The Huntsman’s bond with the wolves, we get to see that adoption sentiment shown unwaveringly positive. But here’s what I don’t get. Why does The Huntsman agree that he doesn’t have compassion? He literally just killed two guys and a deer for his wolf friend and in that very scene, he shows compassion for his wolf kin. It’s not like he’s trying to prove he’s strong in front of Regina. She’s not holding anything above his head - not even pride. I feel like this would’ve worked better if we saw the wolves in danger of extinction or something, but as is, the very thing The Huntsman wants goes against the very reason Regina sought him out in the first place: She wants a being with no compassion, and The Huntsman’s primary motivation is compassion. And it shows. Snow’s actions that are supposed to be a big show to the Huntsman that she’s worth saving aren’t big enough to combat the way he expresses how he views humans and sincer there’s never been anything else to betray the words he says, it feels weird. I’m not sure if Snow is supposed to be shown as a woman so above the standards of humanity that Huntsy has been exposed to or that Huntsy is just too nice a guy to kill someone not threatening him or the wolves. If Snow had shown an appreciation for wolves, I feel like that would’ve been a good compromise, but as it stands, the relationship between Snow and Huntsy feels flaccid. Present While I detest the scene that brought it on, the journey of Graham recovering his memories is really well paced and is an interesting one to take. You can hear how Graham’s manner of speaking changes as he recovers his memories. The way he describes the wolf in his dream’s eyes “one was blood-red and the other was black as night.” That’s a very sudden, but interesting change, showing the impact of the curse beginning to crumble at his feet. Additionally, he gets to talk to a fair variety of characters and while it’s his final episode, it never feels like it’s too sudden or inappropriate. Everything - thanks to his bits of memories and the words of others - feels natural in that respect. I also found the counter journey Regina takes to nip Graham’s recovery in the bud to be fascinating too. You can see the subtle “oh shit” in her eyes as Graham states that his wolf dream was more than that.

I take issue with how Graham doesn’t feel things. Where is this coming from and why was it never touched upon earlier? I get that when your heart is taken, your emotions feel more dulled, but the show hasn’t done a good job showing Graham as having dulled emotions and this episode blatantly shows him feeling panic, lust, and curiosity in droves. This is the driving force behind his character in this episode, but the writing and acting aren’t doing a great job in selling that concept to me and it makes the primary driving force behind Graham’s journey not work. And the argument that the kiss he and Emma shared revealed those lack of feelings doesn’t work either because he was already talking about how he doesn’t feel things before they kissed. That scene with Emma and Mary Margaret was just adorable! Emma and MM are each other’s life coaches - MM is teaching Emma about trust, and Emma illuminates her on stuff like one night stands. And they’re very supportive and adult about the whole thing! That said, I do take issue with the direction it takes. I mean, relationship aside, Graham’s actions were pretty fucked up last night and flowers weren’t going to solve that. I’m going to leave it there because I have a space for both shipping and anti-shipping below. I’m torn between liking Graham decision to leave Regina and thinking that it came out of nowhere. Regina hasn’t done anything out of the ordinary that Graham would have heard about in this episode, so why is he suddenly blaming her. Hell, it’s not like he knows that she’s the Evil Queen! And even if he did, this scene is supposed to imply that he’s taking a point of view more founded in reality, and again - Regina hasn’t done anything strange that he’s heard of. In the scenes they’ve spent together and the scenes that he’s spent with other characters, he hadn’t learned anything new about his relationship with Regina or how that relationship relates to itself. For a story like this to work, the character should learn that while he can’t get what he thinks he wants (his heart), he gets what he needs (an understanding that he’s in a relationship that needs to end). However, since we never got to see point outside of the flashback where their relationship was bad - apart from not believing him about a dream, something Emma didn’t believe him about either - we don’t see a reason why he should end things off. Still, with the knowledge (that is only in hindsight because it wasn’t revealed at that point) that Regina took his heart, it is great to see him stand up to her. Insights “What the hell” is right! That dart scene just left a bad feeling in my insides. And then that loud public scene Graham makes of it. So there’s this letter that I found on TV Tropes from Graham to Emma, and it’s rather dramatic. I’m thoroughly convinced that it was made after this scene. Oh God! That CG deer! At least the one in “Snow Falls” looked a little real! This one looks like it jumped out of a PS2 game! “Since when do you want me to stay, anyways?” I have to wonder who was it that initiated their “relationship” (And don’t worry, we’ll get to how fucked up that is over at the “Darker Aspects” segment)? Did Graham just one evening show up at Regina doorstep raring to go? Gold, who gardens in the forest?! I imagine this was when he buried the dagger. I wonder, did Regina just happen to get a mirror’s view over The Huntsman at exactly the wrong time? He killed them because they were threatening to kill him and his wolf and he cries over his animal kills, not because he’s heartless! OR, do you think perhaps that she manipulated the guys at the bar to talk to him like that so she could scope his strength out? I wonder who this wolf was to Graham when he was growing up? A father figure? A mother figure? A sibling? Friend? Second cousin twice removed? “Those who kill and those who are killed.” Regina, you’re starting to sound like Flowey! Avoid golden flowers! Really, Isaac? A baby animal is the best illustration you’ve got for that desperately emotional encounter? Did they fire their artist and just use whatever the most artistic intern submitted? And then some of the other artwork in the book is so detailed and beautiful! Were there multiple artists for the book in-universe? Holy shit! I forgot about the physical fight between Regina and Emma! I actually shouted “FUCK” when it came on! Arcs Emma’s journey of belief AND Regina’s control over the town- While I take large issue with this episode, I do like that Emma actually had to suffer a loss here. Regina by this point had “lost” in every episode - maybe not the war, but certainly the battle. Emma had managed to earn the friends and relations that Regina clearly didn’t want her to obtain. And now, just on the cusp of another small victory, Regina (I apologize for the literal objectification of Graham to follow) takes it away. It reinforces her menace, something we’ll see in the next episode. This aspect of the episode - while unfortunately used through a really terrible love triangle - does give the emotional impact necessary. Favorite Dynamic Graham and Henry. This dynamic was the only one in the episode for me that almost fully worked. GRAHAM-ted (I needed a joke after this episode), it was a short scene, but here’s why I like it. Both characters are in the perfect place to be having this conversation. Graham is on the verge of mental collapse and is in desperate need of both validation and answers. And Henry is able to give those answers. I only wish he had been more enthused since someone was finally believing him. However, their moment together brings a level of calming insight as well as a genuine connection between both of the characters. Writer How the mighty have fallen. After two stellar episodes, A&E give me this dud. It’s weird, this episode - like the prior successes - is focused externally. Graham, Emma, and Regina are the focal characters, with MM, Henry, and Gold serving as supporting cast members. However, where it different is that there’s no internal focus in either plot or continuity. Problems with Graham arise out of nowhere and aren’t expanded on in a comprehensible way and Huntsy’s motivations and feelings in the flashback are frustratingly unclear. Since he’s the main character of the episode, because of these faults, it feels sloppy.

That and the issues in the next section really weaken this episode, to say the least. Darker Aspects Trigger warning for rape and consent issues discussion below.

I didn’t hate this when I first watched it. However, it’s been over three years since I’ve watched it and “the villain can do terrible things like that because they’re the villain” doesn’t fly any more in my book. Now, watching those kisses between Graham and Regina in both realms makes my skin crawl. And the fact that it never gets touched upon again set a shitty precedent for non consensual sex that would repeat itself a number of times and will remain as an unwavering black spot on Regina’s redemption arc (Which otherwise worked for me pretty well).

Just...why would they do that? I’m not a rape victim, and I don’t feel comfortable telling anyone - victim or not - how to show it - if at all - in media. I have my own opinion of it, but that’s neither here nor there. Still, I will say this: This just isn’t the way to show it - never giving the victim a lucid moment to reflect on their own rape is fucked up. What’s worse is that I remember reading A&E deny that it was rape in Storybrooke, and that’s just doubly awful. Rating 3/10. This was a genuinely terrible episode, and not just because of the *ahem* Darker Aspects, although that really didn’t help. Thematically and from a character perspective, I wasn’t sold on either Graham or Huntsy’s journeys. In the past, there was no focus and in the present, there was no establishment, and in the case of both, they had the beginning and endpoints of the episode down, but clearly didn’t know what to do with the middle to get them there. The two parts are a cluttered mess vaguely threaded together, but bereft of the meat that a journey needs to entail to work in terms of storytelling. The only saving grace of the episode - in addition to the acting, which is always good - is the line of characters that Graham interacts with while on his journey to...breaking up with Regina. Dark Side of the Ship Normally, I have another segment here called “Flip My Ship” and it’s supposed to be a place for all things “shippy goodness.” However, today, I have no “shippy goodness” to flail about. In fact, I have negative thoughts about the ships here, and unfortunately, while I try to keep anti-shipping out of my episode rewatches, this pairing is frustratingly story relevant and I feel like I need to touch upon them. If you like Gremma, I suggest ending off here. You have been warned. Now that I’ve fully seen Gremma for a second time, I can fully say that I hate it.

It’s weird. I used to like it. Before this rewatch, it was up there in my favorite Emma ships. However, I despise it now that I’ve taken a closer eye to the series and his character. While I’ve had negative feelings towards their relationship for the entirety of episodes 1-7, I’ll do what I can to focus on this episode specifically.

I hate how the ship bastardized that scene with Emma and MM because where do we see feelings between Graham and Emma to the point where her rejecting an advance that didn’t even happen was a problem? The most I can see is her rejecting the hot chocolate because those are just her walls, and a bit of banter. They’ve known each other for maybe a month and we’ve barely seen them interact. I think they’ve spoken fifteen lines to each other maximum. With all of the good Emma dynamics out there, this is the only one so far that is bad because it tries to tell much more about Emma than it’s bothering to show. If this episode was happening in episode 14 or something after a couple of episodes of Graham and Emma working on cases together, that would work. I’d believe it. But they haven’t. The only bits of police work they’ve done together have had Emma interact with other characters (MM in “Snow Falls” and Regina in both “Pilot” and “That Still Small Voice” and if there’s a crush at all, it’s only been shown on Graham’s side, and shoddily at that. It just feels unearned for the focus and buildup they’re trying to give this couple. I liked them a bit more towards the end of the episode, but that’s only because Graham had stood up for himself and protected Emma so I can actually see there being some romantic chemistry there. But that’s right before he dies, and far later than I was supposed to feel for this couple.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

I never like writing negative reviews. No one does, and unless they’re based on comedy, reviewers who say they like writing negative reviews are to be avoided. It broke my heart that an episode that I formerly liked disappointed me so much upon my second viewing of it and I hope that future shitty episodes are few and far between. Thank you again to the fine folks at @watchingfairytales for putting this project together, and I’ll see you next time.

Operation Rewatch Archives Season Tally (56/220) Writer Tally for Season 1: A&E (23/70) Liz Tigelaar (10/20) David Goodman (9/50) Jane Espenson (6/60) Andrew Chambliss (8/10) Ian Goldberg (8/10)

[bforbookslut]

Emily R. King’s The Rogue Queen Returns With a Fiery Blaze of Dark Forces, Broken Hearts and New Revelations – An ARC Review

I have given The Rogue Queen by Emily R. King a ☆☆☆☆ rating. It is Book 3 of The Hundredth Queen series. It belongs to the Young Adult Fantasy genre with some Romance. Skyscape publishes it. It was published February 13, 2018.

The blurb reads:

Despite the odds, Kalinda has survived it all: Marriage to a tyrant. Tournaments to the death. The forbidden power to rule fire. The icy touch of a demon.

That same demon now disguises itself as Rajah Tarek, Kalinda’s late husband and a man who has never stopped haunting her. Upon taking control of the palace and the army, the demon brands Kalinda and her companions as traitors to the empire. They flee across the sea, seeking haven in the Southern Isles.

In Lestari, Kalinda’s powers are not condemned, as they are in her land. Now free to use them to protect those she loves, Kalinda soon realizes that the demon has tainted her with a cold poison, rendering her fire uncontrollable. But the lack of control may be just what she needs to send the demon back to the darkest depths of the Void.

To take back the empire, Kalinda will ally with those she distrusts—and risk losing those most loyal to her—to defeat the demon and bring peace to a divided nation.

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Hi, kings and queens! Phew, after three blog tours, I’m pooped and that’s why this review is a little later than normal. Oh, who am I kidding? My schedule is more like guidelines anyway (if you get this reference, I love you). As always, my reviews may contain spoilers. I say may because what’s a spoiler to you may not be a spoiler for me.

If you’re not caught up on my reviews with The Hundredth Queen series, here are my reviews for:

Book 1: The Hundredth Queen

Book 2: The Fire Queen

Now that we’re all caught up, I just want to say that it’s been an incredibly long love-hate relationship between me and this series. Briefly, there is a lot of cultural appropriation and misappropriation that I’ve grown uncomfortable with over the course of the three books and which I have very vocally and viciously called out. But, I still come back to it over and over again because, just judging by my increasingly generous ratings, The Hundredth Queen series is kinda awesome. And I’ve learnt to just put aside whatever negative feelings I have for this series and just appreciate it for what it is: an epic tale of how one woman can change the world. Of course, there’s magic and stuff but Kalinda is an amazing spirit and reminds me of Aelin, sans whining.

And, for the first time, I don’t have a negative word to say. Like absolutely nothing. I’d give it five stars but we started on a bad foot and the appropriation still bothers me. More under the cut!

The plot picks up immediately where we left off in The Fire Queen: Kalinda fleeing her home with Ashwin and Deven. And the love triangle between Kalinda, Ashwin and Deven continues and lordy, you guys know how much I detest love triangles. We also get loads of amazing battles, revelations and alliances. But, I won’t say anymore. I don’t want to spoil anything so I really can’t discuss plot because we’re at the point where everything is important and everything is a spoiler. And while I did find it moved a little slowly at times, it was well-paced.

Kalinda, has grown so much, in my opinion. From a scared temple ward, to sister warrior, kindred, queen and fire bhuta, I’ve grown to really love her. I wasn’t a big fan of her at the beginning but she’s grown confident and sure of herself. And her unfailing love and loyalty to her friends and Deven is inspiring, something we definitely see often in fantasy heroines. But, we rarely see one who sticks with the same lover for the entire series. While Kalinda isn’t the first heroine that comes to mind when someone asks me for my faves (because my judgement is clouded by the appropriation), she’s definitely made the list now.

Deven, as well has come a long way since the first book. I always thought he was incredibly whiny, always very judgemental of Kalinda’s decisions and always looking to tie her down to him and their dream of having a quiet life in the countryside. But, he is the real star of The Rogue Queen and the author really stepped up her game when it came to his character arc. In The Rogue Queen, he learns to let Kalinda make the decisions and trust her when she does. He doesn’t hold her back, he lets her fly free and return to him. It’s definitely a change in him and I was super happy for that. He also accepted that his place is with the army, protecting Kalinda and ugh, my heart. He doesn’t top my list of book boyfriends but he’s not bad.

The Rogue Queen is once again told from both Kalinda and Deven’s perspectives, allowing their party to be split up and have their own adventures but ultimately meeting up for the final showdown. But at this point, I keep feeling like The Hundredth Queen series, or at least, The Rogue Queen is just a bunch of filler episodes. It’s like these events are important but they’re all just fluff building up to the main event and we don’t know what that is. This was also my concern with The Fire Queen: it’s not a full story but rather episodic and it kind of bothers me because it takes you along for a ride and then leaves you hanging, unsatisfied.

I absolutely loved The Rogue Queen and it has taken me three books to be able to accept the series as it is. I’d say you definitely have to read it but you will have to get through the first book which to me, is full of cultural appropriation and misrepresentation.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. This review edition may differ from the final edition.