#(joel is a wolf but that’s not expanded upon yet)

[wren-kitchens]

happy halloween! this is an idea me and stiff were talking about last night and of course I forgot about it until the very last minute soo

“your costume is stupid, by the way.”

jimmy squawks in surprise, almost falling over his own feet as he stumbles backwards from the voice. he knows even before he looks that it’s joel—who else would go out of their way to let him know that his ‘costume’ is stupid. he can’t decide whether or not to be offended by this—after all, it isn’t even a costume. 

every halloween, jimmy has debated going as his true form- as a canary, and every halloween, jimmy has backed out and gone in one of the cheap costumes he found at the corner shop. after all, what if people found out that he is a canary? what would they think if they knew they had an omen of death in their house? maybe they’d connect the dots, just as jimmy has, and they’d realise that jimmy is more than just clumsy- than just unlucky. 

but this halloween, jimmy confessed about being unsure whether to wear his ‘costume’ or just use the same dracula one that still has pizza stains from last year. joel being joel, of course, told him that it’s no use getting het up about some silly old costume, and that he should wear what he wants. (joel also said he’d look dumb either way, but it was said with love and jimmy is choosing to ignore it.)

and so.. here he is. in all his canary glory. big ol’ omen of death, ready to bring all his friends to their graves. this was a very bad idea.

“I thought you said to wear what I wanted?” jimmy says, with a distinct lack of the indignation he was trying to muster.

“yeah but- canaries aren’t scary.” joel (who has come as a werewolf this year—tail, ears and everything) is grinning. there’s a distinct fondness to it that seems entirely unconscious, and jimmy can’t exactly take the attempted insult to heart.

“yes they are!” jimmy scowls. that kind of thinking is going to get joel killed someday. “besides, it’s not like youroutfit is scary either.”

joel splutters, and jimmy can’t help the snort at how offended he looks. “wh- i’m a wolf! i’m so scary!”

“you look more like a puppy.” jimmy teases. “you’re less scary and more.. cute.”

joel’s jaw drops and jimmy laughs. it’s been so long, he realises, since he’s been able to laugh so genuinely about something.

“okay, mr canary.” joel says, folding his arms. “at least dogs can actually hurt you.”

the nickname of ‘mr canary’ hits jimmy like a smack in the face. “canaries mean that death is coming. they’re dangerous- more dangerous than a dog.”

joel scoffs. “lad- canaries stop death. they actually prevent danger.”

it’s as if all the air has been knocked out of jimmy’s lungs. “they- they what?” he manages.

“they stop death.” joel repeats, gentler. he’s clearly confused as to why this elicited such a reaction from jimmy, but he keeps going. “y’know they- when they’re in the mines, they warn the miners of gas, so the miners can get out before they all die. canaries stop death.”

and- fuck. he had it so wrong all this time. all these years of fearing for the lives of his friends simply because he was with them, all these years of believing that his very existence was a curse to those around him, all these years of hating who he was..

it was all a lie.

canaries stop death.

“so see, your costume is-“

joel doesn’t manage to finish his sentence because jimmy is upon him, burying his face in joel’s hair, wrapping his arms around him, tears pouring down his face. all this time, all this time.

“thank you.” jimmy whispers through his grief.

“‘course dude.” joel whispers back, his own voice breaking a little. what a sap. “I, uh- it isn’t a costume, is it?”

“how could you tell?” jimmy laughs a little, and he’s still crying, but he’s so happy.

“just- just a hunch.” joel jokes back, squeezing him tighter. “do you- do you wanna go somewhere a little more private, or are you cool to sob in front of the punch bowl a bit more?”

jimmy snorts as he pulls back and wipes his eyes. “the punch should be left alone in this time of crisis.”

[aion-rsa]

The Last of Us HBO Series Set Photos Hint at Left Behind Flashback Scene

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The latest leaked photos and videos from the set of HBO’s The Last of Us suggest that the series will prominently feature the fascinating story presented in the game’s highly acclaimed DLC expansion, Left Behind.

For those who don’t know, 2014’s The Last of Us: Left Behind is the franchise’s only narrative DLC expansion (at least so far). Most of the expansion is actually an extended flashback sequence that follows Ellie and her friend Riley as they explore an abandoned mall. As you might have already guessed given the tragic nature of the rest of the games, their adventure is interrupted by a horde of Infected.

Widely praised for its intimate storytelling and LGBTQ representation, Left Behind is often considered to be an essential part of The Last of Us mythology that also stands tall on its own as one of the best video game stories in recent years. Because it is a DLC expansion to the original game, though (and because there are still a lot of questions about how true to the games the upcoming HBO series will be), some fans wondered if we’d actually get a Left Behind sequence in the show.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

However, these photos from the production of the HBO series that showcase what seems to be a pretty elaborate mall set seemingly confirm that the show will feature what many say is one of The Last of Us‘ greatest narrative accomplishments.

From the set at Northland Mall, Calgary. #thelastofushbo #thelastofuS pic.twitter.com/1aiAYq011y

— The Last of Us HBO Series (@TheLastOfUsHBOs) January 14, 2022

There filming a Mall Scene for HBO's The Last Of Us #HBO #HBOMax #HBOTheLastOfUs #TheLastOfUsHBO #TheLastOfUs #TheLastOfUsSeries #TLOU pic.twitter.com/BVnqyKWuOT

— Iron Wolf 🐺 (@IronWolfNetTTV) January 10, 2022

There are even a few clips that show some of the series’ crew members wandering around the mall set (though there sadly don’t seem to be any photos or videos of any of the major cast members filming in the area).

Another #TheLastofUshbo video from Northland in #yyc pic.twitter.com/qlefCXTWcW

— The Last of Us HBO Series (@TheLastOfUsHBOs) January 21, 2022

📹 @Grizlinator pic.twitter.com/YhMl4FxMbo

— The Last of Us on HBO – Status (@HBOsTheLastofUs) January 23, 2022

Those photos and videos seemingly open up two distinct possibilities. Either HBO’s The Last of Us series features an extended mall sequence not seen in the original game, or this set is being used for a flashback sequence based on the Left Behind DLC (which, as noted above, primarily takes place in a mall).

While it’s perhaps a bit too early to rule out the former possibility entirely (this show will likely need to expand upon the original game in some ways), the fact that Storm Reid has already been cast as Riley in the upcoming show does just strengthen the idea that the Left Behind story will play a major role in the series and that the mall set is being used to tell that story.

Riley! Welcome to the fam, @stormreid! https://t.co/ZEuICumnYk pic.twitter.com/r4DLvgs7Yy

— Neil Druckmann (@Neil_Druckmann) January 14, 2022

The big question now is, “How significant will that flashback be?” While it’s entirely possible that the Left Behind sequence will be snuck into one of the show’s other episodes as an aside, the DLC adventure really is good enough to be worthy of its own episode.

In fact, the DLC’s set-up (which takes place in the timeline of the “main game” and sees Ellie scramble for supplies to help treat Joel’s wounds) could easily be worked into the hypothetical plot of the show and allow the writers to stretch that story out a bit without having to rely too much on new material. It’s not yet clear if the show is going to get enough episodes in its first season for the writers to be able to get away with “burning” one on a flashback, but if ever a side story deserved a little more time to shine, it would certainly have to be this one.

So while we’d still advise you to wait for confirmation or additional set photos before you get your hopes up, it does look like you can expect to see at least part of the Left Behind story play out on the small screen when HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation debuts sometime in late 2022 (hopefully).

The post The Last of Us HBO Series Set Photos Hint at Left Behind Flashback Scene appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[miuplays]

Miu’s Games of the Decade

Hello all! Wishing you a Happy New Year wherever you are in the world! It’s already January 1st where I am, but I’m sure people are still counting down in other parts of the world. But anywho! I wanted to end the year with a celebration of some of my favorite games released this decade. The 2010’s have been an incredible year for video games, I think. With strides made in graphics, scale, and storytelling, I think this has been easily one of the most innovative eras on all fronts. I hope you enjoy this list of a few of my favorites, and hopefully some of your favorites are here as well! If not, make a list of your own and share it with me! I’d love to see some of your opinions.

But without further ado, on to the countdown…

2010 – FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS

This game, for me, set the standard for what every RPG game should be. From its worldbuilding, to character interactions and on-the-nose commentary, to the way it expands the Fallout universe both mechanically and through storytelling. Of all the Fallout games, this is the one that left the biggest impact on me, and it’s the one I still reflect on to this day.

Honorable Mentions – Bayonetta, Red Dead Redemption, Mass Effect 2, Bioshock 2

2011 – DRAGON AGE II

So I looooove Dragon Age. It’s, in my opinion, one of the best RPG franchises ever made, and this game in particular is easily my favorite in the series. The writing is at its best, and every character is so loveable that I found myself playing it multiple times just so I could romance everybody. Despite some structural issues in the overall story, I still consider it to be one of the most memorable in the franchise, and I don’t regret a single hour put into this campaign.

Honorable Mentions – Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Dark Souls, Portal 2, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

2012 – DISHONORED

As RPG-heavy as this list is, I do wanna give some love to immersive sims. Another favorite genre of mine, and Dishonored is by and large one of the best. I found myself entangled in a number of sticky situations that I had to sleuth and stealth my way out of one too many times. Yet they somehow managed to make that the best part of the game. Player freedom and creativity are practically the foundation of this game, and it’s something that made this game not only an enjoyable and unique experience the first time around, but its replay value is through the roof. I do think that later installments in the series, as well as other immersive sim games like Prey, definitely improved upon this one in a lot of areas. But regardless, I still really enjoyed Dishonored, and I’m holding out hope for the future of the series.

Honorable Mentions – Sleeping Dogs, Mass Effect 3, Borderlands 2, The Walking Dead

2013 – THE LAST OF US

I’m sure you’re all surprised, but yes. The Last of Us is my GOTY for 2013, and possibly my favorite game of all time. Before playing this, I’ve never had a game put me in such a state of emotional duress for an extended period of time. Not even MGS3’s ending did what this game did to me. And even as I’m typing this, I realize that the technical aspects of this game—the graphics, mechanics, level design, etc.—aren’t what makes it stand out in my opinion. My favorite part of this game has to be the journey. The connection between Ellie and Joel (two characters so brilliantly portrayed by Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker). My love for these characters and my desire to see them succeed despite all of the hardships and challenging decisions they were faced with. That’s why I love this game. It is, for me, the most incredible storytelling experience I’ve ever had.

Honorable Mentions – Grand Theft Auto V, Tomb Raider, The Wolf Among Us, Injustice: Gods Among Us

2014 – BAYONETTA 2

The Queen has made it onto this list, and I have nothing but praise for the greatest hack n’ slash game ever made. Character design? Stellar. Combat system? Robust, intricate, and absolutely flaw-fucking-free. Improves upon its predecessor in every way imaginable and still remains as stylish and fun as ever? 100%.

If you haven’t played this game yet, please stop reading this and go play this game. It is… phenomenal.

Honorable Mentions – Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dark Souls II, Alien: Isolation, Tales from the Borderlands

2015 – THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT

What can I say about this game that hasn’t already been said, like, 9 million times…?

It’s legendary. Simply put. A flawless and unforgettable RPG experience that simply cannot be replicated. Also, I would die for Yennefer. And Ciri of Cintra is the love of my life.

Honorable Mentions – Bloodborne, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Life is Strange, Mortal Kombat X

2016 – HYPER LIGHT DRIFTER

The only indie game on this list, but its spot is well deserved. What has always set video games apart from other storytelling mediums is interactivity. Despite this, I feel like most games still rely on heavy dialogue and cinematic cutscenes in order to spin its narrative. Which is why I’m so appreciative of games like this, where art and exploration are key to understanding the world and the happenings around you. Hyper Light Drifter is a gorgeous game, with challenging combat and beautiful, stylish music and design that will have you feeling both nostalgic and mesmerized. Even in its quieter moments the game remains so rich and thoughtful, and even now it’s hard to decipher my feelings afterwards. A mixture of melancholy, delight, and solace. It’s a journey I thoroughly enjoyed taking.

Honorable Mentions – DOOM, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Titanfall 2, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

2017 – HORIZON: ZERO DAWN

This year was a solid year for games, which made this decision insanely difficult… but after a lot of deliberating, I decided to go with my gut. Aloy stole my heart the moment she came on the screen. She’s an incredible leading lady who’s strong, determined, complicated, and layered in ways that both intrigued me and that I could relate to. But beyond just my crush on the game’s protagonist, the scope of this game is just… fantastic. The way they mixed post-apocalyptic tribalism with futuristic technology, the physics of every monster you encounter being so dynamic that every battle feels viscerally intense, even just the combat mechanics and how much effort was put into designing Aloy’s bow and her diversity of combat options, I’m just so!!!! In LOVE with this game!!!!!!!

Honorable Mentions –Tekken 7, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Butterfly Soup

2018 – GOD OF WAR

Yet another game that I’ve showered in so much praise that I don’t think there’s anything left for me to say about it anymore. This game is flawless for a number of reasons. Its meticulously crafted combat system, amazing graphics, beautiful character and game design, gorgeous score, and seamless transitions from action to story that make it feel like a film taken in one single camera shot are all key selling points. But what sold me on this game, and makes it my top pick for this year, was its compelling narrative. The story is one that’s very personal to me. I felt for them and their loss at the very start of the game. I resonated with Atreus and his struggles to connect with his father. And I understood Kratos’ inner battle with coming to terms with who he is and the things he’s done, and trying to be the father his son deserves. I related to these things, as they resembled all to closely the relationship I had with my own mom. God of War moved me in more ways than one, and I’m very thankful that this game exists. I felt like it was my own story being told on that screen as well.

Also… the boss fights are just so fucking fun.

Honorable Mentions – Spider-Man (PS4), Red Dead Redemption 2, Gris, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

2019 – RESIDENT EVIL 2: REMAKE

This may be a more controversial pick considering the amount of quality games that came out this year, and I know most of my viewers were probably expecting Control or The Outer Worlds to be here considering how much I hyped those games up. But in my defense, Resident Evil 2 was already one of my all-time favorite games, and this remake nothing short of a masterpiece. To me, it’s what every horror game should be. The atmosphere is dark yet engrossing. Every aspect of design, from sounds to levels to enemies, make this one of the scariest horror games I’ve ever played, all without relying on jumpscares, or grotesque imagery (although there’s plenty of that as well, it’s not what makes the experience so horrifying imo). It’s one of the most beautifully crafted survival horrors, while manages to improve upon the original while still remaining faithful to it. I consider it a masterclass in how to approach any remake. Capcom truly earned back my trust with this one.

Honorable Mentions – Control, Katana ZERO, The Outer Worlds, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

And so concludes the list! I hope you enjoyed reading, despite how lengthy it got. I wanted to get out as much praise as I could because every game listed here deserves it. I’m in love with every single one, including so many more that weren’t mentioned. It was truly an amazing decade for gamers and game developers alike, and I’m nothing but optimistic for the future.

See you all next year.

– ミウ。

[recentnews18-blog]

New Post has been published on https://shovelnews.com/netflixs-patriot-act-with-hasan-minhaj-is-distinct-funny-and-truly-informative/

Netflix's Patriot Act With Hasan Minhaj is distinct, funny, and truly informative

Every week, we pick a new episode of the week. It could be good. It could be bad. It will always be interesting. You can read the archives here. The episode of the week for October 28 through November 3 is “Saudi Arabia,” the second episode of Patriot Act With Hasan Minhaj, streaming now on Netflix.

A few days before the launch of Patriot Act With Hasan Minhaj, Netflix’s latest attempt at a timely news show, the network released a 10-minute video featuring Minhaj and Queer Eye’s Tan France going shopping for an outfit that Minhaj could wear on his new program. The video’s premise and purpose were hardly novel; it was obviously meant to promote two different Netflix shows, and ever since the new Queer Eye debuted, clips of one or all of its stars giving someone a makeover have become fairly common. But it still became an instant hit, with social media lighting up with commentary.

The video’s success speaks directly to just why Minhaj’s new show is so great. It’s not that anything particularly unique happens; rather, it’s the fact that the perspectives of France and Minhaj — who are Pakistani and Indian, respectively — allow for a different kind of discussion.

Within the first minute, they’ve already covered the proper pronunciation of their names (“That’s a brown thing”) and moved on to comparing their skin tones, discussing Western versus South Asian beauty products, and jokingly referring to themselves as the “brown Illuminati.” They display a rapport and specificity that’s missing from enough media that it feels remarkable to find in a silly promotional clip. But it’s exactly that type of specificity that makes Minhaj’s new show worthy of note.

Though he’s not really doing anything that hasn’t been seen before, with Patriot Act, Minhaj has created something that feels fresh and new. Patriot Act is part talk show, part news commentary, part standup set. It’s part timely, part evergreen. And perhaps most strikingly, it seems to have a real shot at success in a streaming landscape that, by default, isn’t super friendly to a weekly news commentary show.

Minhaj defies the constraints that have sunk other streaming talk shows. Cara Howe/Netflix

Netflix’s ongoing foray into the talk show/topical news field has been a mixed success at best. Over the past two years, the streaming network has launched several shows that seem to target the ever-expanding Venn diagram of news commentary and comedy, with Chelsea Handler, Joel McHale, and Michelle Wolf all trying their hand at hosting weekly series. But all three have since been canceled, after seemingly failing to resonate with viewers in the same way that other comics turned news commentators — think Last Week Tonight’s John Oliver, Full Frontal’s Samantha Bee, Late Night’s Seth Meyers, and The Daily Show’s Trevor Noah — all have.

The other talk shows that are currently airing on Netflix, like Norm Macdonald has a Show and My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman, aren’t aiming for the same kind of timeliness, opting instead for a more traditional, less news-oriented approach. But as a result, they too have been relatively low-impact; both received lukewarm receptions upon their debut, beyond a brief controversy surrounding Macdonald’s defense of Roseanne Barr and Louis C.K. while promoting the show.

Patriot Act may just be the one to break out.

Of all of the late-night programs and talk shows currently airing on any network, from broadcast to cable to streaming, Patriot Act takes the best of each to create something that feels unique — and vital. As Minhaj takes the stage without a desk (like Bee does on Full Frontal), his show comes across more as a standup set than a talk show, and his approach of focusing on a single topic for most, if not all, of each episode (like Oliver does on Last Week Tonight) means that Patriot Act is incisive and, importantly, truly informative.

Patriot Act is groundbreaking — and fun. Cara Howe/Netflix

Minhaj is the first Indian-American performer to host a TV news-meets-comedy show, and the fact that he’s breaking ground becomes clear almost as soon as Patriot Act opens. The first episode is about affirmative action, and there’s a certain cosmic irony in how the topic — which inherently advocates for bringing a diverse range of voices into any given conversation, the better to reflect the world around us — is mirrored in the fact that Minhaj is the person leading the discussion.

There’s a specificity to the reference points Minhaj uses — such as a comparing a lota (a small water vessel commonly found in bathrooms in South Asian households) to toilet paper to help build a metaphor about effectiveness — that probably wouldn’t be made by any other talk show host currently on air.

He also addresses issues like anti-black sentiments in Asian immigrant communities, which is a thorny subject that’s rarely (if ever) so explicitly addressed in popular media, and he does it all without making any of his discussion topics seem like the domain of an “other.” The result is a news-comedy-talk show that feels like it can speak to a broader audience; while Minhaj is not trying to tailor what he’s saying for a white audience, he also doesn’t make his specific references inaccessible to anyone who might not immediately understand what he’s talking about. And his approach is only bolstered by Patriot Act’s focus on the wider world rather than on solely American politics.

The second episode of Patriot Act, “Saudi Arabia,” is perhaps the perfect example of how everything comes together, as Minhaj tackles the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the questionable-at-best politics of Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The episode approaches America’s relationship to Saudi Arabia from the latter country’s perspective, and Minhaj sharpens the macro into a more micro point as he explains how political turmoil within Saudi Arabia affects his faith as an Indian-American Muslim.

Through it all, Minhaj makes his stance clear, damning the crown prince’s actions as well as the role that many countries, including the US, have played in allowing him to go mostly unchecked. Impressively, the segment remains timely — and no less accurate — as of press time, though the rapidity with which news changes means that may not always be the case, a snag that Patriot Act seems to be counteracting by grounding its segments in sufficient broader historical context.

Later, in a shorter piece toward the end of the episode (that comes closest to replicating the segment-by-segment structure of a typical news show), Minhaj digs into “the Mount Rushmore of shitty Indians,” which includes political figures like far-right political commentator Dinesh D’Souza and former Louisiana Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal. Though their respective right-wing exploits have been thoroughly covered in the media, no one has ever deconstructed their personas the way Minhaj does, as he jokes that on the positive side of things, these “shitty Indians” have set Indian kids free because they set a precedent for being “complete fucking lunatics” instead of adhering to stereotypes about following the rules and studying to become doctors.

It’s also worth noting that, as yet, Patriot Act doesn’t have any bits. The comedic aspect of the show is contained within Minhaj’s delivery rather than coming from side characters or cartoonish graphics. (The graphics that do support what Minhaj is saying are all informational, in a statistic-heavy layout that brings to mind TED talks more than the complementary punchlines often seen on The Daily Show or Last Week Tonight.) Minhaj’s mission is clear: He wants to make sure we’re properly informed, but there’s no need to sacrifice accessibility or humor to get us there.

Thus, the window that Patriot Act opens into contemporary happenings feels singular, and both because of and as a result of that, it has the potential to succeed in a way that Netflix’s other talk shows haven’t. (And given the show’s 32-episode order, it would seem that Netflix is committed to giving it its best chance of doing so.) The only question seems to be how the show will handle timeliness, as the constraints of dissecting the news week to week remain a stumbling block for any show that airs on a streaming network built for bingeing.

And with the way “Saudi Arabia” still strikes home and feels relevant despite the news cycle continuing apace — a function of the episode’s smart framing of the story it’s telling within a bigger picture — Patriot Act may have cracked a difficult code. Ultimately, it may be Minhaj’s broader outlook on the news that saves the show from the timeliness trap. That, and a voice that’s too distinct to be drowned out.

Patriot Act With Hasan Minhaj is streaming now on Netflix. New episodes premiere every Sunday.

Source: https://www.vox.com/tv/2018/11/4/18038954/patriot-act-with-hasan-minhaj-netflix-review-recap