#(jukebox musical episode excepted)

[dollsome-does-tumblr]

“carnival” by natalie merchant came on in the car earlier and it forcibly hurtled me back to one of the most deranged tv scenes i have ever had the delight of experiencing--

[alwaysonf1]

another hamilton?

Pairing: Charles LeClerc x Hamilton!OC

Genre: Slice of Life; Fluff

Word Count: 2.2k

Warning: Changes in the timeline for the sake of the story.

Rating: PG-13

Author's Note: N/A

The van rolls to a stop in a packed parking lot. And despite the buffer of the vehicle and the music playing inside of it, the noise from the stadium is loud and clear. 

“Are we late?” Alex asks.

Lewis smiles, shaking his head.

“No. We’re a little early actually.”

There are clearly more questions everyone wants to ask, but before anyone can voice them a producer opens one of the doors and beckons them out. All six of them pile out of the vehicle quickly. Despite Lewis confirming they have some time there’s still some uncertainty with how loud it is in there if the game hasn’t started yet.

At least they think it’s a game. Like the last four episodes filmed they were told where they'd be going and not who they were seeing and what the first sighting would be. Some of the guys only have one sibling or only one really comfortable with the limelight so it was easy to guess. But with Lewis all of this was beyond confusing.

The seven time champion didn’t usually involve himself in something of this level, so when he walked into the planning meeting for this thing it threw everyone off. Once they got past that the assumption was that it would be Nicolas. While the world knew of Lewis’ other siblings, they didn’t seem the type to agree to this.

Then they were given the destination of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Daniel asked a million and one questions after that reveal and no one who had the information would give it to him. The man’s charm didn’t beat out their willingness to keep it all a secret so everyone could maintain some level of surprise. As if they didn’t have enough.

Charles is so in his own head about what the hell they’re walking into, that it takes a moment - and the shouting of his name - to notice that everyone is already several feet ahead of him. He jogs up to catch them and keeps his focus on what’s happening in the moment, there’s no need for him to anticipate too much of what could be coming next. 

They walk through the parking lot for a while and then turn down a path that puts them at what looks like the back of the venue. The area gives the weird sketchy vibes that you get from being late night at a track, even with all the sound going on.

At a door stands a Black woman who Charles imagines he’d be into if older women were his thing. When she smiles, he’s debating making an exception. She has curly dark hair tinged with gray and her shirt says Human Jukebox, which only serves to further confuse Charles and Carlos, who’s eyes meet his.

“Hello,” the woman says, her voice cheerful.

“Hey, Sherri,” Lewis says.

They both move forward and embrace each other, when they pull away, she places a gentle kiss to his cheek.

“Where are my manners? Hello, young men. I’m Sherri Jones. It's nice to meet y’all.”

There is a chorus of greetings from everyone, and they each take a turn trying to shake Sherri’s hand, only to end up being pulled into a hug. When she gets to Charles he simply goes for the hug, and it draws a laugh from her.

“Well, I’m glad y’all could make it here. We have a little time before things get started, but we should…”

Silence falls and trumpets fill the air, then drums. A flurry of other instruments join the mix and they do so seamlessly. The song isn’t one Charles can pinpoint, but it sounds good.

Sherri winces. “It seems the Jukebox is starting up. We better get in there before we have to fight for a spot to watch them play.”

It’s a marching band. 

Though this is not at all something that he’s especially familiar with, Charles has seen the wonders that are marching bands in the US. After watching Beyonce’s Coachella set, he even went through a small phase where he wanted so many of his unreleased songs to feature a similar vibe from it. But there’s a reason it’s unreleased.

Everyone files through the door and after a few twists and turns they walk through a shaded tunnel. At the end there’s a field clear as day

On the back of the shirt Charles catches a glimpse of the words ‘Mom of a Doll.’ And though he now has the answer to what the front means, he’s even more interested in finding out what the back entails.

When they emerge, the lights are a bit blinding, but he adjusts quickly. The sounds they’ve heard since arrival, become much clearer. And the packed parking lot feels not so packed when he sees the stands filled to the brim with people. 

He notes that the crowd is predominantly Black, which leads to the quick guess that this is an HBCU. Another thing he knows of, but not much about. 

What he does know is that the energy in the place is infectious and he finds his body moving along with the band. Who stands in the stands not far from where they enter. 

As they approach the benches and lawn chairs right in front of the band - put not in the stands - they seamlessly switch to a song that feels deeply familiar, but he can’t quite name.

Though he probably can’t name it because the moment they get in front of the bench, which has a reserved marker on it for them, he notices women draped in capes walking with an elegance he can’t comprehend and so in sync that all he can think about is when he watches a race back and sees them warming tires during a formation lap.

The women fill out the four rows that are unoccupied in front of the band in a staggered formation. Only one sits in the very front row, and it piques his interest.

Charles leans toward whoever is on his left and whispers yells, “What is going on?” 

“I have no idea, but I’m into it,” Daniel says.

Out of the corner of his eye he can see the other drivers - minus Lewis - nodding in agreement. Lewis is actually standing a bit further up, with a wide smile, and staring intently. Charles steps forward to stand directly next to him and Sherri.

Excitement brews within him as he watches as each row shrug off the cape and take a seat in a domino effect. Their sparkly light blue outfits remind him of the leotards gymnasts wear and it’s a brow raising moment. He knows they aren’t going to do anything of that danger level in a location they’re in, but he can’t imagine what. Until his brain yet again goes back to Beychella.

Again, the band transitions to another song, also familiar to him, but all his brain power is on taking in what’s happening with Lewis. He’s not so sure he’s ever seen the man this happy or at least not in this way. Though he would be lying if he said he didn’t notice some of the same emotion in him now as when he’s congratulating Charles for being up on the podium.

That gets the brain turning as he remembers why they’re there in the first place, but out of the corner of his eye he sees movement in front of them.

Who he assumes is the leader slowly stands up and all eyes move to her, including his. Her brown skin is glowing, her long hair moves with her, and Charles can’t help but see how tall and long she looks, as well as the curves of her body. She’s beautiful and he can only see two thirds of her face because of the way an overhead light flashes in his.

The beat drops and she makes a sharp movement that sends her upper half down low at an angle and as she comes up her hands glide up her long leg. Each move after is just as sharp, but also fluid. She body rolls once, then again, before the next row joins. In unison they go through the routine and once the second time is done, she stops and takes a seat, kicking her leg high before crossing it over the other.

Again, like the domino effect the other rows go. Each performing twice before taking their seat the same way she did.

She doesn’t even look back to ensure that the last person is down before she rises again, arms floating into the air as she dances. She gives a spin, and her hips move in a way that makes it clear she’s at ease with what she’s doing. That it’s almost a second nature for her. 

Each movement is sensual, but in that way that entrances you, not makes you feel like a pervert for staring too hard. Though Charles does feel a little bit like one.

Just like before she takes a seat and as the last person takes her seat, her leg lifts a little more dramatically than the others, the music changes and so does the energy in the stadium. Yelling gets louder and Lewis is bouncing on his toes.

A more intense expression takes hold, and she starts the routine just as she had before, but when she comes up the sequence is different. It’s longer. And Charles feels himself take in the hype and looks to the others to see the same. Even Lance, who tends to be more reserved in public and on camera, like they are now.

The domino starts, but they all keep going until everyone has done it twice and then without missing a beat she switches to another routine. Though Charles is still unsure of what this is, he can tell that these aren’t connected in any way other than she’s made the choice to do it and the others are following her lead.

Each new one maintains its beauty, but something about it feels like a battle.

“Ooo, they’re going to throw the new one. I saw a little of them practicing it last week,” someone behind him says.

The leader turns her back to them, the band somehow gets louder, and then in the most intense of the routines yet she begins and this one is longer than the others. The moves aren’t complicated per se, but they're definitely the kind that you mess up just by lacking the musicality and the level of aggression that’s just right for it.

She does her run through, and all the girls join in. They all give it the same energy as she did, in fact Charles in awe of how they all ramp it up. It’s something he can’t imagine articulating. 

“You better!”

“Come on, Kayla.”

“Show them how it’s done, Dolls!”

“That’s my girl. Show out, Kierra!”

“That’s my baby!” Sherri says, drawing Charles attention.

Lewis cups his hands around his mouth. “Let’s go, Iman!”

Reality hits Charles, he once again remembers their purpose. Who they’re there to see. And while there is no indication from Sherri or Lewis who they’re screaming for, the smile that graces the one up front makes it clear. He stares at her in a way he didn’t before, and he sees the mix of Sherri and Lewis in her face. She’s her own person, but she definitely looks like both of them.

It’s the type of thing that makes someone feel like they could be knocked off their feet by it, even if it’s a little dramatic.

Lewis Hamilton has a college age little sister. One that radiates a similar energy and passion that her older brother brings to the track. One whose smile has Charles feeling some type of way, though he refuses to dwell on it.

Shock still gripping him he turns to look at the others and they’re equally gob smacked by it. And their camera man is getting every second of it. 

“He has another sister?” Carlos asks.

“That’s his sister?” From Lance.

“She’s so good. Like I don’t fully know what you’d call this, but it’s fucking good,” says Daniel.

Alex nods in agreement.

“Yes, it is,” Charles whispers.

When Charles turns his head back, he sees the cocky smirk on Lewis’ face and the pride is still their clear as day.

“Y’all haven’t seen anything yet,” he says.

There is no way to know what he means by that, partially because he turns his attention back to Iman where he yells more words of encouragement and because so does Charles. The girls wind down, and the domino is going in the opposite direction. It gets to Iman, and she throws in more body rolls then the routine calls for, earning more yelling, and then she sits, throwing her leg up, and then lowering it slowly.

Screams fill the stadium like never before and a smirk forms on her lips as she throws her hair over her shoulder. She smiles at her mother and brother, then she looks to the other drivers and winks.

It’s something they talk about during the game in a spur of the moment group chat Daniel makes that doesn’t include Lewis, for reasons that include fear of the man - despite nothing out of line being said. And a few of them gather in Charles’ hotel room with Arthur, and a couple other drivers, on Facetime to talk about it.

They’re enthralled and it’s a miracle nothing leaks.

And just like the information the drivers got, the title of the episode will be vague, but after they play the routine and the men’s reactions it says something like: Introducing Iman Hamilton. Secret Sibling and Captain of Southern University’s Dancing Dolls.

[tango-but-everywhere]

hey guys guess who started a new series, again, (it was me) (i’ve never seen etho’s last life)

They’re all complaining about the music. And plotting.

Etho, last life episode 1

[ID: a minecraft screenshot from Last Life, taken in a cave. Team BEST are all looking at a jukebox on the left of the image, except for the viewer, Etho, who is instead looking at his teammates. From left to right it’s Skizz, Tango and Bdubs. Skizz is in a mix of iron and diamond armour, and is holding a stone sword. Tango and Bdubs are in full iron, but Tango holds a diamond sword. Bdubs is holding something but it’s blocked from view by the shield he has equipped, as does everyone else in the image. Bdubs is wearing his moss hoodie skin, and everyone else is in their usual skins. There’s blue text indicating music disc 13 is playing. End ID]

[kenjiyabuki]

DMD FTR: finale thoughts

i forgot to put this out because i've been in the process of being an employed adult human person these days, unfortunately (no one who saw my previous DMD FTR posts is surprised that i was unemployed). now i wont even get to have my weekly crisply shot and edited hang outs w Gen 3 besties while this new job is sucking my soul... but this was a pleasant finale to this sweet and chill and incredibly unsurprising show!

here's the thing: i dont even know who Domundi is trying to fool w this double win stuff cause they did literally announce the new gen would be acting in TWO (2) new series during their 2023 Line Up event???????

so the double win wasn't a surprise AT ALL but it's okay, it didnt really diminish my enjoyment out of the show at all. i wanted both couples to have series anyway!

as i've said in my first post about this show, it has been very obvious that this shows' intention isn't to be a competition, it's more of a new gen "inauguration". they could've just put the boys through bunch of workshops and let them choose partners off camera too but they chose to put money and time in to make it a whole show, so people could witness their journey and premature fan clubs would form and develop. i think its fun and clever marketing but did it work???

well, the boys def have more fans now BUT on the same day this episode was premiering, some ZNN fans were crying about their faves (who just had a movie come out, also filming a show rn AND scheduled to film another one after) being slighted by the company and they didn't need to "add more". like i said, i don't really follow Domundi closely, if the fans are right about artist management i might not know... but their Gen 2 was extremely successful after all and people are BEGGING for more series, so it's not a bad move for a company to want to grow. i wish fans would be more mature and learn more the industry the person they "stan" works in! why would a growing company would just make shows w 2 actors over and over man, cmon 😭

okay now that i got that out of me, back to the finale. some notes about the general:

the group performance of the theme song was a bit cringe to me bc i just hate that kind of music. but everyone's ending fairies were really cuteeeee so i forgive them

real winners of the episode is the background dancers because they literally did all the performances and acted too, very well!!

Domundi members and variety of industry people in the audience was sweet to see and added valuable comments/advice for the boys. i was especially happy to see Jimmy and Tommy, whom i ADORE!!!!

i was laughing at that LOUD ASS clapping and hollering track they kept playing to add some more noise to the audience's. like i know why they did it but how much that big sound didn't match w that small crowd just tickled me..

well, yeah, i cant get into idol-ing stuff personally so i was kind of bored during the solo performances. i dont really have comments that hasn't already been said by the judges. i thought all the boys did what they were supposed to do and showcased their talents, EXCEPT Latte........ my dude, what happened? i think he could've lip sync to the song, which IS a skill (Rupaul's Drag Race battles and just drag performances in general as evidence...) that would add a lot to his performance.

Firstone leaving the competition w Best Friendship & Best Performance Awards in his pocket and two guys wanting to be his partner. What a little star... Deserved and love his cocky attitude.

about couple jukebox musicals:

in my last episode commentary, i joked about Mandee getting inspired from my ideas but then they actually kinda happened lol🧐🧐🧐🧐 ThomasKong's performance was a coming of age, young love story while KengNamping's story was more complex romance w an angsty core, almost exactly like i wished for.

all in all, KengNamping's performance grabbed my attention the most. mostly because their acting & chemistry seemed improved to me (that kiss fake out at the end, what the hell??? you guys couldn't hold an eye contact couple eps ago...) AND their storyline just ATEEEE. i dont know who came up w the forbidden romance between kinda out of touch but well meaning rich boy & his "i suffer through love quietly" village boy bodyguard, w humour sprinkled in, but they need to get their ass eaten regularly...

ThomasKong don't even need to try that hard, they are just natural born charmers!!!! i liked their friends to lovers, nerdy guy cant believe popular one' love bc he doesnt see his value storyline (Thomas could've busted out One Direction's "What Makes You Beautiful"). With the romantic prom climax, it reminded me of American high school movies and fit their vibes perfectly. i wish it was more humorous, because i think comedy is one of their strong suits. like how did it ended up that shy kings KengNamping got more laughs than ThomasKong, the goofballs themselves??? whoever is writing their series, please take notes, now that i know you are reading these...

after the glorious double win and the cute four-way hug, Aof said that two shows would be announced this year which clearly meant that most we are getting this year are pilot trailers. which is fine. not easy to be patient but i get that they are a smaller company w lots on their plates already. i hope they will use that time to work and work and work on the shows!!!!

i honestly want Domundi to kind of change up things in their filmmaking/producing styles, maybe switch directors sometimes and try diffferent styles idk... this show and Gen 3 in general felt very refreshing and i hope they keep that vibe going! and maybe i will finally watch a Domundi show till the last episode.

P.S.: Extra clips were released this week and KengNamping's was sweet. i was kinda laughing at how much of a set up it was like, them conveniently sharing a blanket, all mic'd up, getting filmed w lights on etc. but their conversation and mood in the moment seemed sincere, which is enough. it was nice to see the context for ep 5, when they found each other at the other end of the red ribbon and said that so much happened on that bridge. what a perfect circle moment, from comforting each other about not winning a challenge to winning the show!

[jadevine]

Unreal Unearth reactions!

While I got stuck on "First Time" for a few hours, I am baffled at how people seem to think the album's "too bluesy." This dude has ALWAYS done at least one folk/blues song per album. Are people just mad because he's not doing more "IRISH BOG MAN" songs?

I made the naive decision to look at some reviews of Unreal Unearth, which lasted until I read a review where the person said it's a weak album where he now sounds "normal/pop" and "defanged" except for two songs.

You know what this sounds like to me as an artist? Like he's playing with styles. If I really had to lock down a "theme" to the album, I find it more pop-standard or wartime-music than anything else, and his melodies and octave-stretching are never going to be "regular music."

Behind the cut for length.

--

-De Selby Part 1 - lovely way to start the album, but it might be too quiet for some. This is the kind of song I'd put on when I need to decompress and potentially fall asleep, which is a really good compliment from my high-strung and insomniac ass.

Gonna look up the posts from fans about what the Irish verses say, but I will talk about Shared Colonization Issues in Butchered Tongue. Lovely song, but I think its placement was off as one of the quietest tracks. I would have put this and "De Selby Part 2" with Butchered Tongue and made another song the first track, so people get warmed up.

--

-De Selby Part 2 - most definitely a callback to his soul sound, but with the bass and electric bits, it starts to feel more like motown or funk. Very dark and almost grungy bass, and I like it. This is a song that people would ask to use for a movie's climax, or for a big-money episode of a TV show--a season-finale, a long-awaited fight, or even the end of the show.

--

-First Time - my immediate favorite. GET READY FOR AN ESSAY, LOL. So I think Andrew's voice is perfect for big-band/swing and it feels like a follow-up to "Someone New" on his debut album. Andrew has the high notes, the low notes, and the flexibility to pull off jazz melodies, so this is just a really nice song for him to do some big vocal/melody stretches. If anyone knows the cover-band Postmodern Jukebox where they cover songs in old-time styles, covering "First Time" would be redundant unless they specifically rework it in the least jazzy style, BUT!!! I think PMJ would do a fantastic collaboration if they just get all their musicians and singers to back up Hozier!

In true Hozier style, this song is adorable and yet the lyrics talk about severe depression, with how the singer used to hate hearing people say his name and his actual soul was miserable.

Remember once I told you about How before I heard it from your mouth My name would always hit my ears as such an awful sound And the soul, if that's what you'd call it Uneasy ally of the body, it felt nameless as a river Undiscovered underground

And the first time that you kissed me I drank dry the River Lethe The Liffey would have been softer on my stomach all the same But you spoke some quick new music That went so far to soothe this soul As it was and ever shall be, unearth without a name

When you take it literally, this gives me a lot of Filipino Spirituality Feelings. Our souls are said to wander when we 1) sleep, 2) get the shit scared out of us WHILE we sleep (such as a nightmare), 3) go hiking in the wilderness and our soul gets distracted and forgets to catch up, and 4) are possibly ill/stressed in general, because I thinnnnnnk some people believe certain illnesses are a sign of poor spiritual health. Do not take my word, though.

Normally we can just call our souls back because souls LIKE staying near their bodies--but like children, you gotta keep an eye on them. If your soul is too far away or if they stay out too long, they risk getting lost and/or kidnapped by a witch.

That's usually when your local folk-healer, relative-who-deals-with-the-spirits, or a GOOD witch has to do a reverse-exorcism/gang interrogation. I say "gang interrogation" because a lot of times, people start magically injuring you with special items, and that would actually be hurting THE WITCH wherever they are, which forces them to stop and give your soul back.

So Filipino Hozier's soul has been wandering beneath the earth, in the aquifers and caves and deep rivers, and he can't get it to come back. His family would be calling their relative-who-deals-with-the-spirits because "hey Tito/Tita, we think Kuya Hozier's soul got kidnapped! He's always miserable, and we don't know why!" until Significant Other arrives and the song gets Much, Much Happier.

"First Time" is a fucking adorable bop. It's peppy and I want to frolic on the beach! The chorus is also PRIME "misaimed wedding playlist" bait for people who don't listen to the rest of the lyrics.

Some part of me must have died The first time that you called me, "Baby" And some part of me came alive The first time that you called me, "Baby."

Like FUCK, this chorus is lovely. So pleasant and full of sunshine. But the rest of the song is bittersweet because uh, the couple has clearly broken up at the end. The singer does understand that this is life and you just gotta take the good with the bad.

I love Andrew's vocalizing from earlier albums, so I'm surprised he barely did any in a song that clearly harkens to jazz. But the melody roams a lot, so he might have thought scat-singing was too much for now. If he does this live, I am begging Future-Hozier to cut loose and improvise between the verses.

--

-Butchered Tongue - Another great song, but for the least-fun reasons. Time for severe mood-whiplash, as TV Tropes says. FILIPINO COLONIZATION FEELINGS AHOY.

This song is devastating, as a Filipino-American who enjoys languages but cannot speak her family's language (Tagalog) much better than a five-year-old.

Many people have the mistaken belief that Tagalog is "half/mostly Spanish," but IT MOST CERTAINLY IS NOT. Back in the 1500s, the only people who were guaranteed to know Spanish on the islands were the Spanish-born/descended nobles, their servants, and the monasteries, and that was like the top 10% of society if not less. The closest we got was the Chavacano creole, and it still used a lot of Austronesian grammar and reduplication.

I also used to think Tagalog was half-Spanish, but that lasted right up until I tried to watch "Like Water For Chocolate" without the English subtitles, lmao. I'm pretty sure I only understand as much Spanish as I do because I live in California, which used to be Mexico. Sure, Tagalog borrowed some basic Spanish words like basura, caballo, and kumusta, but we still have native equivalents like "taponan," "kuda," or "magandang araw/gabi." The bulk of our language is still firmly Austronesian and when I was growing up, I usually heard people call Tagalog "ugly" or "weird."

So we didn't learn much Spanish, but guess which colonizer DID impose their language on us so they could "civilize" us for the modern world? AMERICA, THAT'S WHO!

My parents didn't teach me Tagalog when I was young because they didn't want me to grow up with an accent, and this is a problem as a struggling writer. Here I am, trying to incorporate Filipino mythology and language into my work--but while I understand Tagalog and I know how to read words/names, I can't actually SPEAK IT in a conversation unless it's really basic, and I still sound like a five-year-old. I have to rely on online Tagalog translators for a lot, and I'm never really sure if the grammar is right, or if the words are actually Bisayan or Ilokano because the dictionary I used is operating with the "Filipino language" that isn't properly Tagalog, but a mishmash of drastically different languages.

Some Filipinos from the homeland mock the diaspora for not being able to speak our languages well, and they usually say we're "not really Filipino" or "not Filipino enough." I have gotten a couple of comments wondering why I bother to learn baybayin, if I barely know what I'm actually WRITING in it.

As a Filipino-American, the impression that I get from Butchered Tongue is, "The language barrier forced on you by colonizers has swept you away from your ancestors/family like a great wave. You yearn to go back home and speak your family's language, but the damage is done; there is no one left to teach you, or nobody who WANTS to teach you. Is there really a place you can call 'home' if neither your colonizers nor your people accept you as theirs?"

People often feel that their voice changes when they switch languages, and I wonder what I'd sound like if I could speak GOOD Tagalog. But instead I stumble around with my childish speaking abilities trapped behind decent reading skills and baybayin, and sometimes it feels like I got my tongue cut off.

If you asked me to speak Tagalog right now, you will hear the gears turning in my head, and I'm always worried that I'll butcher it. If I think too hard, I will panic and forget the words for basic body parts, or how to count to ten properly.

A+ song about Ireland's colonization. If this was the only good song in this album, Unreal Unearth would be worth it. You did it again, you fucking giant Irishman.

[releasing-my-insanity]

Dear Festividder Letter 2022

I had so much fun with Festivids last year that I’m signing up again. Letter under the cut.

Hello festividder/pinch hitter/treat giver. Thank you so much for making something for me. Obviously any prompts are optional, I just like to provide information and suggestions in case they’re helpful. I know I’ll love whatever you make for me.

(Most of this letter is the same as last year’s except for some different fandoms and a couple of edits.)

General Likes:

I absolutely adore when songs match with the visuals. Clips that follow the lyrics, a story that is told through the video, or just a song that is chosen because it fits the characters.

Specific lyrics that relate to the fandom, character, or pairing > Generic love song.

Shippy videos

Friendship videos.

Videos about specific characters.

Videos about the whole group of characters.

Videos based on the work as whole.

Videos based on a specific aspect of the work.

Hugs

Kisses

Dancing

Holding hands

Showing the progression of a friendship or romance.

Some likes I put in letters for fanfiction exchanges but might be relevant for videos as well:

Fluff

Humor

Cozy scenes.

Casual touching.

Little soft/quiet moments between friends or significant others.

People being really good at what they do and their friends/partners being impressed.

Teaching each other.

Communities supporting each other.

Women who get stuff done.

Polyamory.

Marriage proposals.

Weddings.

Female Friendship.

Found Families.

True companions.

General dislikes:

I don’t have any specific visual triggers, but I would prefer any strobe effects, lens flares, or stuttery cuts be kept to a minimum.

I’m not a huge fan of lyrics placed on the screen. I find them visually distracting.

Rap or Hip Hop (Nothing wrong with them, the beats just tend to hurt my head.)

The screaming kind of music. Again, it hurts my head.

Videos where the song doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the characters, canon, or video.

Music:

Songs with lyrics are my preference, but if you have the absolute most perfect instrumental song, go for it.

I like a wide range of genres and I particularly love 20s-40s Big Band, Early Jazz, Doo-Wop, 50s-70s Classic Rock, Motown, Classic Musicals, Tom Chapin, and Postmodern Jukebox.

With fandoms set in the past I especially enjoy videos set to period accurate songs or Postmodern Jukebox in the style of songs from that period.

Specific Fandoms:

The Court Jester (1955) [SAFETY]

Fandom content notes: A few references to death and some mild violence. The main character is sometimes enchanted to court another character.

Tumblr Tag for Fandom: The Court Jester

Ships: Jean/Hawkins.

I’m excited about basically anything for this fandom, the song and dance numbers, the fighting, the humor, the movie as a whole, anything. Jean/Hawkins is one of my favorite ships ever.

-

Liberty’s Kids (Cartoon) (40 x 30 minute episodes.)

Fandom content notes: It’s the American Revolution so there is a fair amount of violence. There’s hardly any blood shown on screen but they don’t shy away from showing how terrible war is. A character is tarred and feathered. Slavery and racism are also portrayed and specifically shown to be wrong. One of the main characters nearly dies from a smallpox inoculation.

Fandom specific DNW: The war, slavery, or smallpox as a focus. Appearances by those things are fine, just not a video based around them.

Tumblr Tag for Fandom: Liberty’s Kids

Ships: Sarah/James.

I’d especially love a found family focus or a Sarah/James video. But also, feel free to get creative and make a video about the historical aspects and set it to whatever musical choice you like. While my preference in any fandom is fluff, I do have a fondness with the Sarah/James pairing for slightly darker, though still ultimately fluffy, videos that show that they’re living during a war and that with the class difference their love won’t be easy.

-

The Magic School Bus (1994 TV Cartoon) (52 x 30 minute episodes.)

Fandom content notes: There are multiple episodes where the characters turn into different animals. There are also many episodes going inside the human body.

Fandom specific DNW: The aforementioned animals episodes (people turning into other things is a squick of mine.) The spider episode. Human body episodes as a focus. Shipping videos focused on the kids, hinted at ships are okay. The reboot show.

Tumblr Tag for Fandom: Magic School Bus

Ships: Ms. Frizzle/Mr. Seedplot. To a lesser extent: Ms. Frizzle/Molly Cule and Ms. Frizzle/Mr. Ampere.

Be creative! Science, Friendship, Learning. My top favorite episodes are Makes A Rainbow, Gets Ready Set Dough, In The Haunted House, Gets A Bright Idea, and Holiday Special. My very favorite character is Mr. Ruhle, but I love all of the main and recurring characters so much, even Janet. Feel free to include anything from the games or the books if they would fit into your vision. I’m down with basically anything outside of my DNWs.

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On The Town (1949) [SAFETY]

Fandom content notes: A small amount of harassment played for laughs, from Hildy to Chip and between Ozzie and Claire. One line in a song presents street harassment as a cute element of small town life.

Tumblr Tag for Fandom: On The Town

Ships: Ivy/Gabey, Hildy/Chip, Claire/Ozzie

I’d just love something fun here. I ship all three of the couples and I love the six of them as a big friend group. Anything that shows off how much fun they’re all having would be amazing.

-

Secondhand Lions (2003) [SAFETY]

Fandom content notes: There are some scenes of war and violence in flashback. There is a flashback where two characters are drugged and shanghaied. At least one horse is injured/possibly killed. There is discussion of hunting the lion. The lion eventually dies of heart failure. Fish and salesmen are shot at. There are a number of guns. There is a reference to a character having died in childbirth. One character has a heart attack and recovers. Two main characters die off-screen. There’s a brief scene with child abuse.

Fandom specific DNW: The brief funeral for the lion. The deleted scene funeral.

Tumblr Tag for Fandom: Secondhand Lions

Ships: Jasmine/Hub. (Lesser extent: Walter/His Wife, Walter/Sheik’s Grandson)

I would love absolutely anything you want to make here. I especially love the relationship between Walter and his uncles, and the love story between Jasmine and Hub. Any appearances by the pig who thinks he’s a dog, the chicken standing on the pig’s back, or the deleted scene of shooting ears of corn like skeet would be loved. I absolutely adore the soundtrack to the stage musical if that inspires anything.

-

Sesame Street (US TV Henson-era 1969 - 1990) (Mostly viewable in clips, loads of episodes, though many are unviewable.)

Fandom content notes: One episode deals with the aftermath of the death of a main character.

Fandom specific DNW: The aforementioned death of Mr. Hooper. Videos focused on Muppets other than maybe Big Bird or Oscar.

Tumblr Tag for Fandom: Sesame Street

Ships: Linda/Bob, Maria/Linda, Maria/Luis, Maria/David, Susan/Gordon, Mr. Macintosh/Willy, Maria/Luis/David, Susan/Gordon/Bob, Bob/David/Linda/Luis/Maria/Olivia

I absolutely adore the human cast of the first twenty or so seasons for Sesame Street and would love any video based on any of them. Or anything based on any of my ships or on friendships or on the street as a family. I particularly love the characters being Big Bird’s many honorary parents. Linda is my number one favorite character. Favorite characters not mentioned in my ships include Mr. Hooper, Buffy, and Gina. I’m fine with clips all the way up to season 30, but that was too much for an exchange. I’d also love a tribute to the classic episodes.

-

Sister Act (1992) [SAFETY],

Fandom content notes: The setup involves a scene where the main character witnesses her ex-boyfriend commit murder. There are a few cops. The bad guys attempt to kill the main character.

Fandom specific DNW: A focus on the bad guys. A video based around the second movie, the occasional clip is okay, especially of the nuns singing. Shipping.

Tumblr Tag for Fandom: Sister Act

Ships: None.

This movie just makes me so happy. I love all the female friendship so much. Although the fandom was approved as “Sister Act (Movies)” I’m really only interested in the first film. I would like to see something friendship or found family focused. Perhaps something about the way that the convent find their way back into helping people. I’m okay with clips of the male characters but this is a rare fandom that’s almost entirely women and I would rather focus on them.

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State Fair (1945) [SAFETY]

Fandom content notes: Two words that were common at the time but are uncomfortable to the modern ear.

Tumblr Tag for Fandom: State Fair

Ships: Eleanor/Wayne, Emily/Wayne, Margey/Pat, Melissa/Able, Esmeralda/Blue Boy

I grew up with this movie and it is very much a comfort movie for me. I’d love something based on any or all of the pairings. I ship Wayne equally with both Eleanor and Emily. I don’t ship Margey with Harry at all. I’d also love a video about the Frake family as a whole or a video about any character other than Harry. I especially love McGee the song plugger. Or just a video about the fair and everything that happens at it

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To The Manor Born (TV) (21 x 30 minute episodes + 1 x 60 minute reunion special.)

Fandom content notes: None.

Tumblr Tag for Fandom: To The Manor Born

Ships: Audrey/Richard.

I’d love a nice video about the enemies to lovers/will-they-or-won’t-they relationship between Audrey and Richard. I’d also love something about the Audrey and Margery friendship, the Audrey and Brabinger friendship, or Audrey learning how to live not in the manor. I adore every single character.

-

Wishbone (TV) (50 x 30 minute episodes)

Fandom content notes: A number of the famous works of literature that Wishbone retells include character death. At least one literary story involves a deal with the devil. At least one episode contains scenes set in a cemetery at night. Several characters have lost parents and a one-off character is stated to be dealing with food insecurity. In one episode the kids get locked in a burning building and escape.

Fandom specific DNW: Anything related to death. “Dog Days of the West” (I’ve never seen it.)

Tumblr Tag for Fandom: Wishbone (Pretty sparse but there it is.)

Ships: My only real ships are Ellen/Walter and Wanda/Bob. I find the idea of a Walter/Ellen/Wanda/Bob polycule interesting, possibly including David’s parents.

For this fandom I’m mostly interested in a video focused on the “real-life” parts of the episodes. The storylines involving Joe and his friends. A little bit of Wishbone inserting himself into famous works of literature wouldn’t go amiss, but it’s not my preference for a video focus. Though if you have the most perfect song for a video about Wishbone imagining himself in stories, I would love to see it. I’d most like a video focused on the characters’ friendship. Or one about family.

[scoutwritesworld]

Hey queen can you do a protective rooster fic?

PROTECTIVE ROOSTER IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE – to read AND to write. This request was my absolute pleasure, queenie. Hope I did it justice! Still dusting off the cobwebs with my writing so go easy on me.

Your Hands Only.

(Inspired by a scene from Suits Season 1 Episode 11 – If you know, you know.)

TW – Mild for unwanted advances and violence.

It had started like any other Saturday night at The Hard Deck. Rowdy patrons, loud music blaring from the jukebox, large groups of locals enjoying their weekly catch up and a gathering of navy aviators crowded around the pool table.

Rooster and the gang were already there by the time you arrived, and by the looks of their table were already a round or two in. Usually you would be right there with them but tonight you had sort of a date.

Robert was a local who had started making small talk with you a week or so ago, and had caught you a bit off guard earlier that week when he had asked you to join him for a drink, just the two of you. You had only stopped by The Hard Deck between classes as a favour to Mav, and Robert just so happened to be there.

Truth be told, your mind was somewhat occupied with someone else – Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw. Your teammate, yes, but also one of your closest and most trusted friends. You'd been inseparable since you met, and he was one person you could always trust to have your back. He was your very best friend, yet somewhere between the lines of platonic intimacy, you'd somehow managed to fall head over heels in love with him. Your feelings for him felt suffocating at times - the way his simplest movements and gestures had your heart racing was nothing short of utter torment considering you were positive that the feelings weren't reciprocated. You did your best to shut down your feelings, but time after time it was proven that it was easier said than done. Distraction was the only way to go.

So, against your better judgement, you had agreed to grab a drink with Robert.

Phoenix was the first to notice you as you shimmied your way through the crowd towards the bar, and as soon as she waved in your direction, Rooster's eyes were on you – that damn beautiful dark and mysterious gaze. You locked eyes with him and smiled, waving over at the group. A few of them beckoned you over to join them but you shook your head with an apologetic glance, mouthing 'I can't' as you motioned over to the tall, ash blonde man waiting for you at the bar. You had mentioned the team about your 'date', but you had also promised you'd join them for one later. As much as you wanted to enjoy his company, you knew that this wasn't about to end going home with him.

All of your team went back to their game except for Rooster who let his gaze linger on you just a little longer.

You finally reached the bar and perched yourself on the stool next to Robert, placing your little black clutch on the bar in front of you.

“Hey,” you greeted, grabbing his full attention. Robert gave you a full once over with his eyes before he said hello back, clearly impressed with the effort you had made.

“Y/N, you look incredible.” He told you, his eyes drinking in your figure for a little longer than you were comfortable with. You straightened your posture and leaned both arms on the bar to cover as much as you could in an attempt to direct his gaze elsewhere.

“Uh, thanks.” You replied politely with a small smile, “You look great too.”

“Very kind of you to say, ma'am.” He responded instantly, taking your hand from the bar and lifting it to his lips for a kiss. You didn't take back your hand immediately, but soon pulled your hand back down when his lips loitered a little too long. Robert thought nothing of this, and didn't seem to notice your aversion to him being too handsy as he moved his free hand to rest on your hip.

Conversation didn't flow too easily over the next half hour or so which surprised you. Usually small talk was a strength of yours, but apparently not when you were distracted by avoiding wandering hands and politely declining advances that were becoming more and more indecent by the minute. It was becoming increasingly obvious that Robert only had one outcome in mind for tonight, and it involved you naked in his bed. Fucking typical.

You threw the occasional glance over at your friends, who all looked like they were having a great time. You wished there was an easy was to dip out of your 'date' without being rude, a fake emergency or something like that. Anything to get you within the safe space of your team. You made a mental note to implement some sort of SOS code with Phoenix if you ever agreed to another one of these.

You weren't sure exactly when he arrived, but you suddenly became aware of Rooster's voice on the other side of you, ordering another round for himself and the group. You gave a quick glance over your shoulder at him but turned away before he looked back. You thought he hadn't noticed, but he had.

“So whatcha say? One more drink then back to mine?” Robert's words were noticeably more slurred as he reached to drape a hand over your shoulder. You almost choked on a sip of your drink, wondering how the hell he thought that was even an option.

You didn't notice the way Rooster tensed at his words, but Penny did. And suddenly her eyes were on you as she continued to prepare a round of drinks. You took Robert's wrist and gently removed it from your shoulder. He frowned

“No, thank you.” You replied quietly but firmly.

Rooster looked over at you and Robert caught his glance. Suddenly he upped his advances as though he had something to prove.

“Oh, come on darlin'. It'll be fun.” Robert insisted, snaking an arm around your waist, hand settling on your ass as he pulled you closer to him. “You, me, a nice bottle of wine and some expensive silk bed sheets.” You frowned, shaking your head.

Rooster sucked in a sharp breath, leaning one arm on the bar as he turned his full attention to the two of you.

“Alright, Romeo. How about cooling it off a bit, yeah?” You heard Rooster speak, Robert either didn't hear him or deliberately ignored him – you guessed the latter. You once again removed his hands and put some distance between the two of you, shuffling just that little bit closer to Rooster. It was his instinct to close the gap between the two of you, but you didn't have time to notice as Robert took a big chance and leaned forwards, hands reaching to cup your face as his lips puckered for a kiss.

You turned your head away from him quickly, but Rooster was faster. He reached a strong arm over your shoulder and pushed Robert back with ease, steadying your smaller frame before he moved around to stand completely between the two of you. “Hey bud, you got problems with your fucking hearing? She doesn't fucking like that.”

The vicinity surrounding the three of you suddenly went silent and your cheeks flushed red. You turned to see Hangman and the rest of your team with their attention drawn to the commotion. You knew they could close the gap between you and them in an instant if necessary but for now they just observed, ready to back Rooster should he need it.

In front of you, Rooster had his fists clenched at his sides. Robert had stumbled to his feet and Rooster towered over him with anger in his eyes.

“Bradshaw..” you mumbled quietly, “Just leave it, he isn't worth it.”

Rooster turned for a moment ready to reply to you but Robert's drunk slur came first. “Yeah, I ain't scrapping over a prude, man. She's all yours.”

You were ready to give the asshole a well deserved slap to the face, but Rooster beat you to it. His clenched fist reached back and swiped forwards to connect with Robert's jaw. He stumbled and would have fallen had it not been for Hangman and Mav waiting to catch him and escort him to the exit.

Rooster turned to you as chatter started up again and the bar atmosphere returned to how it had been before. “What a fucking tool. Are you alright?”

You were speechless for a moment. You couldn't quite believe he was the one checking on you when he was the one sporting a fresh set of bruised knuckles, but what really got under your skin in the best type of way was the intensity of his gaze as he looked at you, like he was ready to take you into his arms there and then in front of everyone.

“Y-yeah,” you stuttered slightly, clearing your throat before replying more clearly, “Yeah, I'm alright. Are you?”

You motioned to Rooster's hand and he brought it up with a proud smirk on his lips. “Oh this? Yeah, never better. That asshole had been asking for this all night.”

“All night?”

“Oh, c'mon Y/N. I could tell from all the way over there that you didn't want his damn hands all over you like that, and he couldn't even figure it out from right next to you.”

“Stalking me, Bradley?” You quipped with a smirk.

“Protecting you.” He corrected without skipping a beat. You expected him to make some sort of joke, or laugh it off, but he remained deadly serious which had your heart thundering against your chest.

“You didn't have to do that.” You told him, no matter how much you appreciated and loved that he did. Your gaze fell to the ground as all of your feelings for him threatened to burst out and create a catastrophic bomb site in the middle of The Hard Deck. An unexpected gentle caress of his hand pulled your attention back to him.

“I didn't have to, I wanted to. No one gets to put hands on you like that. No one except...”

Rooster cut himself off and dropped his hand right as your eyes suddenly hot up to look directly at him. His gaze suddenly faltered like he'd said something wrong, when in reality he had said something incredibly right.

“Your hands only, Bradshaw.” You told him matter-of-factly.

Rooster took your hand in his with a stupid grin on his face, leading the two of you through the growing crowd and out of The Hard Deck, leaving Phoenix and Bob shouting “We fucking told you.” to your team as the Dagger squad watched you leave.

[findingjoynweirdstuff]

Dream SMP Recap (January 23/2021) - The Obligatory Fever Dream Episode

Every season has had its weirder days, and Season Three is no exception.

In this new age of peace, the server’s population has launched itself into a new age of nuclear weapons, capitalism, gambling addiction, and of course, drugs.  Many drugs.

And who better suited to this than a certain ex-President?

---

- Tommy breaks ground on the Hotel plot and gives Sam the supplies he asks for to get started. Sam becomes Sam Nook.

- Connor hosts a party. A lot of people show up to Little Penis Land: Antfrost, Punz, Tommy, Tubbo, Sam, Foolish, and Charlie all make it. Many drugs are done.

- Tommy gets Tubbo addicted to golden apples and he overdoses on cocaine.

- They play some music in the jukebox and dance to it.

- As they’re playing Stal, Schlatt comes by and drops America through the ceiling, asking if they have alcohol.

- Tommy threatens to leave and there is a lot of Drama and Lore involved as Connor asks him to stay.

- The house gets set on fire. It’s lit.

- Schlatt fights with Tommy, who is wearing the Schlatt suit that he stole off of Schlatt’s corpse.

- Tommy “canonically” kills Schlatt.

- Then Schlatt comes back and kills Tommy twice.

- Connor kills Charlie, who drops the nuke. Schlatt picks up said nuke. Schlatt now has a nuke.

- Finally, Punz kills Schlatt and Tommy gets his stuff back. Unfortunately, now Tommy has a nuke.

- They then bury Schlatt alive. Connor says he’ll bring him back for the next party.

- Tommy goes to speak with Sam Nook, who has become an NPC. Tommy gets momentarily trapped by the dialogue repeat and decides to step away. Sam tells him to get rid of the monstrosity of a Skywars map that Skeppy’s built in the sky above.

- Tommy starts blowing shit up. (Unrelated to the nuke)

- Meanwhile, Connor goes off with Charlie and Schlatt. They show Schlatt the crater that resulted because of the L’manburg Market Crash (and nothing else). He’s a bit surprised that things went this downhill after he stopped running the country.

- Charlie “canonically” dies. RIP Slimecicle.

- Schlatt says he’ll come back soon.

- Tommy speaks with Skeppy and Bad. Jack Manifold also comes over to help Tommy.

- Schlatt takes all of Connors stuff and puts it in an Ender Chest for the Drama.

- Connor heads over to Schlatt’s gravesite and “revives” him. Karl also joins the call.

- Everyone goes to the Skywars island to demolish it.

- Tommy says he’ll need to draft up a contract with Sam.

- Schlatt is toured around the nuclear weapons facility. There’s no way this can go wrong.

- Schlatt says he’s not canonically alive yet, but would like to be revived eventually.

- He plans to start an HGTV family business with Tubbo to renovate houses or something like that. Perhaps they will become landlords with a mansion.

 - Tommy comes by Snowchester as they’re all hanging out. 

- Schlatt gets a pet llama and names it Siberius Verizon Wireless

- They kill Schlatt with the electric chair.

- They make a motel room.

- Schlatt gets himself a new skin!

- They make Glatt a little house in the Nether out of dirt.

- Quackity’s changed his skin. He talks to Sam about Dream being imprisoned, how he was right about Dream this whole time.

- He tells Sam about Boner and says that he couldn’t imagine what he would do if Dream took hold of him like he was going to do with everyone else’s pets. 

- Quackity wants to visit him sometime to laugh at him.

- Quackity took a long trip over the past week, riding Boner into the wild, and he made a discovery in the wilderness. A villager who could’ve traded with him if not for his lack of emeralds. He’s learnt much about money in his travels. Sam tells him about his plan to create an economy for the server.

- Quackity doesn’t like that people are so responsible for their possessions. How would an economy work in these conditions?

Sam will provide the bank, Quackity will provide the entertainment. 

He wants to build a whole Vegas in the server.

As soon as everyone gets addicted to gambling, they’ll take out more and more loans, and pretty soon Quackity and Sam will be able to control the entire economy, the entire server. It won’t matter if a pet gets kidnapped, they can just buy a new one.

Dream wouldn’t be able to control people through these things if money could just buy replacements. Money is everything.

- Quackity tells Sam his bit about defeating Dream through politics. It’s time to take control through different means.

Sam: “What if Bad...loaned in Skeppy?”

---

Quackity: “If you give people bread and circus, they’ll be content forever.”

- Quackity proposes a business partnership. He has no wealth to pay Sam to build for him, but instead he can give Sam a cut of the profits.

- They’ll be unstoppable, because no one can sue a lawyer and Quackity’s a lawyer.

Maybe George’s gambling addiction will play into their plan and he’ll bet away all his life savings?

- Quackity drafts up a contract for the construction of L.V. Property.

- Schlatt joins the call and Quackity freaks out. He says he’s been working hard to earn Schlatt’s love. Sam feels like he’s third-wheeling and leaves to give them space.

---

Upcoming Events:

- Tommy’s visit to Dream (January 24th)

- Tales From the SMP: “The Lost City of Mizu” (January 24th)

- Nuclear weapons test (January 26th)

- Puffy’s visit with Dream

- Ponk’s visit with Dream

- Punz’s visit with Dream

- Ranboo’s visit with Dream

- Quackity’s possible visit with Dream

- Jack Manifold’s visit with Dream

[spaceorphan18]

Blaine Solos Ranked

With the success of the Kurt Solos Ranked, I thought I’d see if I could do Blaine’s as well.  Which has become an interesting and complicated endeavor.  

First of all - there’s the whole issue of what constitutes as a solo -- especially when he often times has an entire back up group singing along with him.  Things like the Warbler numbers I counted -- because he sings the lead in the song by himself.  Not counted are group numbers where he is featured - such as Hey Jude and This Is the New Year.  Mostly, I stuck to what Glee Wiki counts as a solo, so if you have issues, take it up with them. 

Secondly, when ranking Kurt solos, I took a lot into account of how heavily the song ties Kurt’s story.  While nearly all of Kurt’s solos tie in with his story, the Blaine solos don’t always do so.  So, mostly this is just what I think of them. 

Thirdly, the Blaine fans that I have met are, well, fairly passionate about his music, so I want to say this.  There aren’t really any bad Blaine solos.  Unlike Will and Tina, who were subjected to poor song choices, Blaine’s performances, across the board, are pretty stellar.  So, I’d like to remind everyone that this list is pretty arbitrary and based on my subjective biases.  

So going in - take the list as it is, just a fun look at how one person ranks the solos. :) 

Btw - the trivia on Glee wiki says that Blaine sings 31 solos, but I only found 29 -- do they mean the two songs added to the Warblers CD? Or am I missing a couple??

29. I’m Not Going to Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You (Prom Queen) 

Look at the list of Blaine solos, and arranging it to a list of things I like more than other things, this just kept sinking down and down.  The biggest reason is that I just don’t like the song.  Yup, that’s it.  Nothing exciting about that really.  But I suppose adding to that is the fact that this performance feels way more Darren than it does Blaine, and that the onscreen performance is mostly Finn and Jesse fighting over Rachel.  As I said earlier, there’s nothing /bad/ about any of Blaine’s solo, I just like all the rest more. 

28. Piano Man (Movin’ Out) 

This is a perfectly fine albeit generic rendition of this number.  So, here’s my thing about this one - when they did Piano Man in season one, not only did the song fit a bit more into context with Will and Bryan Ryan being somewhat washed up losers, there was a grittiness in not only the song but the visuals as well, and we get to do something that TV can do, which is transport us into the atmosphere of the song.  By the time Blaine gets to do this number, all of that context and TV atmosphere has been kind of washed away.  And this feels like a number that everyone would have fun singing at Darren’s piano bar because it’s a classic, and less because it has relevance to any of the story.  

Look - a lot of these numbers are fun numbers just for the heck of it, but since they had already done this one, and since this is supposed to take place of the NYADA audition, I’m marking it down.  You can do a lot with this song, and this performance, mostly, didn’t.  

27. Everybody Wants to Rule the World

This is another one where I just am not a fan of the original song, and I don’t go back to listen to it very often.  That said - it is super fun to see Blaine joining all the clubs and being super interactive in school, even if it’s tinged with the sadness that he and Kurt aren’t connecting much these days. 

26. Bills, Bills, Bills (The Sue Sylvester Shuffle) 

This one has grown on me over the years.  It is a bit random - the Warblers’ singing an impromptu (and somewhat obligatory) Destiny’s Child song for the Superbowl episode.  It has zero story resonance.  But it is hilarious to see how much furniture Darren Blaine stands on during the number.  If nothing else, the number is fun, and the Warblers look like they’re enjoying the hell out of doing it.

25. When I Get You Alone (Silly Love Songs)

This one, still, is one of the cringiest things they did on the show.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s hilariously ridiculous, and Blaine singing to a dude in The Gap about sex toys is just, well, something memorable.  It also is getting points for Kurt’s annoyed looks and Darren’s pink sunglasses.  But overall, it still makes me uncomfortable to watch. 

24. Fighter (Big Brother)

So, mostly, this just isn’t a song I like all that much.  Vocally, Blaine sounds fine on it - and does a decent job with it.  That said, I can’t take it as seriously as I’m supposed to.  There’s something I find unintentionally hilarious about this little, teenage grandpa angsting over his brother.  I know it’s got the infamous shower sequence in here - and I get it, I do.  But the fact that I can’t keep from giggling through it is why it’s a bit lower than the rest.  

23. Against All Odds (Guilty Pleasures)

First of all, I’ve always confused by the debate about this song.  It’s clearly for Sam, because Blaine’s an intense guy with intense emotions, and any song he sings for a person he has feelings for is going to be intense.  Go back and watch When I Get You Alone -- that was intense for a dude he got coffee with twice.  I love Blaine (and Darren) with a piano and his voice, and this is one of the ones that was performed live, so that’s cool.  Not my favorite Phil Collins’s number - so that’s mostly the reason for the position here.  Also not the most visually engaging.  But the song is performed well. 

22. Hopelessly Devoted to You (The Role You Were Born to Play)

I’ve never realized just how many angsty Blaine songs he has in his canon.  It’s kind of like the equivalent of Kurt crying through his solos.  He does it well, and I don’t really have any faults for this one.  It’s visually entertaining as well as sounding pretty good.  But not a favorite song of mine, and therefore just gets notched a bit lower.  

21. Last Friday Night (Pot o Gold)

I actually really like this song, even if I’ve probably heard it enough to be fine with not hearing it again for a long time.  The performance is cute - there’s a nice high energy about it (with the exception of Santana’s dower expression during the whole thing because random season 3 conflict).  However, this is kind of the height of whole Jukebox Blaine thing, where he’s trotted out to sing the hot new single of the summer, and then we just stash him away in the background to sit next to Kurt platonically until he’s needed again.  I like the song and the performance, but am frustrated by the gratuitous context.  

20. It's Not Unusual (The Purple Piano Project)

This one is flirty and high energy and Blaine looks super cute dancing on the stairs.  I don’t really have any faults for this number.  But I’m not particularly emotionally attached to it, either, so so in the middle it goes. 

19. Hey, Soul Sister (Special Education)

I unabashedly love this song - even though I feel like I’m not supposed to since it was way, way over played when it was popular.  But I do.  The performance, however, isn’t the Warblers’ best -- across the board I feel like competition numbers rarely are -- and I’d argue it’s one of Blaine’s weaker vocal performances (sorry Darren), but it’s still fun, and the arrangements for the Warbler songs have always been pretty stellar. 

18. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' (Michael)

While the song itself is a bit strange, and while I’ve never been a huge MJ fan (sorry my dudes), I think this number is a lot of fun.  It’s visually pretty entertaining, and I love the second half where they bring in all of the different styles MJ had donned over the years.  It’s vocally pretty stagnant, so Blaine doesn’t have to do much here, but it’s about the spectacle anyway - and I enjoy what they did with it. 

17. Something’s Coming

It’s always nice to hear Blaine do a Broadway number to give us a break from the mostly pop music he sings.  While not Blaine’s strongest number vocally (he struggles just a little more on the Broadway ones), I love that he brings the stage alive when it’s just him singing.  He’s incredibly visually engaging, and what he may lack (a little) with the vocals he makes up in energy and enthusiasm, which is always a joy to watch.  Plus, there’s something particularly more attractive about early season 3 Blaine (possibly the fluffier, less gelled hair) that adds a nice touch. 

16. Not While I'm Around (Bash)

Interestingly, the studio version of this song has everyone on it, and I’m so glad they let Blaine sing it on his own - because I feel it’s much more impactful that way.  Not only is this the only real insight we get into Blaine’s head during this episode, but it’s raw and emotional (in a good way), and that adds to story unfolding on our screen.  This might be, perhaps, the shortest number on the list, but its impact is stronger than a lot of the other numbers on the list, which is why I enjoy it a lot more. 

15. Beauty School Dropout (Glease)

My favorite Broadway number that Blaine does on the show.  I kind of love that there’s a lot going on during this song.  Not only is Blaine doing an amazing Teen Angel, there’s the moment in the middle Blaine sees Kurt, and the layered look on Blaine’s face as he tries to hold it together is pretty remarkable.  It’s one of my favorite acting moments from Darren, and one of my favorite times the story of the characters is layered over a seemingly disconnected performance.  Plus, Blaine sounds fantastic on this catchy little number.  

14. Silly Love Songs (Silly Love Songs) 

This is one of those charming Warbler numbers that doubles as an ending feature that actually gives relevance to the story of the episode.  It’s cute and sweet and flirty and fun and everyone gets something interesting to do during it.  I don’t have a lot of commentary to add about it - but it’s a classic for a reason, and because of that, it deserves a higher spot on the list. 

13. You're My Best Friend (Puppet Master)

I’m not sure I fully understand the casts’ aversion to the puppets (though I’ll acknowledge that it’s probably weird to perform with a puppet of yourself).  That said, this number is kinda cool visually, and a nice break from what can be tedious choir room songs at this point in the series.  I also enjoy the song and think Blaine sounds nice on it.  Plus - Blaine totally has a backup career in children’s programming if he ever desired.  It is weird that Blaine’s singing to puppets in the first place, but I do adore this one. 

12. Don't Stop Me Now (Diva)

I enjoy that Blaine’s version of being a diva is just adding a leather jacket and pants to a number he performs exactly the same otherwise.  Again, not much to comment on here, but I love the song, and Blaine sounds great on it, and while it isn’t hugely impactful to his story, I like that it shows Blaine being the ambitious little go-getter that he is.  

11. Misery (Original Song) 

This is another one of those songs that I unironically love.  It is the most upbeat song about being miserable that I’ve ever heard, and while a lot of this song has to do with Kurt and his own mental state, has there ever been a more perfect song for Blaine? (well, yes but I’d digress if I went on about that.)  I love so much about this song, from the choreography to Blaine’s obliviousness with Kurt as the number progresses.  It’s fun and energetic and the most entertaining a subject as misery can get. 

10. Cough Syrup (On My Way) 

This might be the most controversial pick on the list, since I know for a lot of Blaine fans, this is their favorite number.  I think it validates what a lot of people had been thinking - that there’s a lot going on underneath the surface of an outwardly peppy and energetic Blaine Anderson.  And, I do like this song, and find it haunting -- it’s much different than the songs Blaine usually sings.  It’s more emotional and tortured, and it’s fascinating to watch him sing his way through it.  That said, the actual performance of this I rarely ever watch.  It’s laid over Karofsky’s suicide attempt, and I find that sequence incredibly difficult to watch.  So, while I do think a lot of the praise this song gets is completely valid, I can’t claim that it’s my favorite.  I’m giving it an obligatory spot at #10 because I do think it deserves to be acknowledged as one of Blaine’s best solos. 

9. It's Not Alright but It's Okay (Dance With Somebody)

Funny enough, as just a song, this isn’t one of my favorites.  But I love, love what this song does.  Clearly, by now I’m sure you’ve figured out, I love performances that have a lot of layers to them - and this one definitely does.  There’s a great duality going on here between the awkward sadness that Blaine actually sings in the choir room versus the controlled anger that Blaine displays during his own fantasy.  (It’s also one half of a conversation with Kurt that gets resolved when Kurt sings I Have Nothing later on.)  I love the complexity of emotion that goes on during this one, and it remains one of my favorite performances on the show.  

8. My Dark Side (Dynamic Duets) 

Yes, this song is amazing! Again, another one of those performances that has a ton packed in it -- that has the additional quality of sounding and looking fantastic.  I love that this song is entirely about Blaine, and where he is in his life.  We get more tortured Blaine, but this time it’s in a more upbeat, pop-y song that suits Blaine incredibly well.  But mostly, I love his interaction with the Warblers during it, the choreography is brilliant as they slowly start to bring him back in as their leader - and that moment where he parts them and he walks down the center reclaiming his position.  There’s a lot to unpack here, as it easily meshes with the themes of the episode - of dark vs light and of heroes not always being heroic (but worth it anyway).  I love when there’s deeper symbolism in a performance, and this has a ton of that. 

7. All of Me (The Untitled Rachel Berry Project) 

Look, it’s probably no secret that I really love Blaine (and Darren) just sitting at a piano singing.  And I really love this song in general, too.  Blaine’s last solo on the show (unfortunately!) is as tortured as many of the others on this list, but the thing that stands out for me about this one is its simplicity.  It’s just Blaine by himself, working out how he feels about his situation through song.  It’s not really meant to be heard by Kurt (or anyone else) but it’s also a shame that so rarely Blaine gets to let his real emotions be on display, which he does here.  The performance is also beautifully shot, and intentionally evocative of another infamous Blaine solo that’s a little higher on the list. 

6. Raise Your Glass (Original Song) 

This is quintessential Warblers, and quintessential performance Blaine.  This song is amazing on its own, truly.  But the Warblers bring so much warmth and joy to it -- it’s such an engaging and energetic song, I often listen to it as a pick me up.  No - this isn’t essential to Blaine’s character story, but I think it represents all the fun and ridiculousness Blaine and the Warblers arc brought to the show. 

5. Somewhere Only We Know (Born This Way) 

There’s something hauntingly beautiful about this one.  Blaine (and the Warblers) sound great on it, and it’s the beginning of Blaine having a tortured and emotional underbelly to his personality.  But more so, this song is about endings, and this is a turning point in Kurt’s and Klaine’s story as we say goodbye to Dalton and move on with the rest of Kurt’s journey.  And it’s a dialogue between Kurt and Blaine, despite the sea of people around them, things are changing between them for better and for worse and for... just growing up, and this song encapsulates that beautifully. 

4. All You Need is Love (Love, Love, Love)

Not gonna lie, this one is 100% about the context within the show.  When I first heard the song, when it was released before the episode, it was kinda like - cool, Darren’s singing a Beatles cover.  But the actual performance, the fact that this is essentially a love letter to the Klaine story, makes it one of the most precious and romantic numbers in the entire show.  Blaine pulls out all the stops for Kurt here, and I can never just watch the performance, but always continue on to the proposal as well.  It’s a beautiful performance, and a beautiful moment for Klaine and an utter highlight for the show itself. 

3. It’s Time (The New Rachel) 

Perhaps a number I’ve seen more than any other, I just love this number so much. Yes, it’s a good song.  Yes, Blaine sounds great on it.  And yes, the choreography is a ton of fun.   But it’s also Blaine, very much himself, torn between being a child and growing up.  There’s an unspoken dialogue between Kurt and Blaine during this song, about moving on from being stuck, and while this number is very childlike in it’s choreography, the subject matter is a little more mature -- being about moving on from the places your feel safe and journeying out in the world to be the person you’re supposed to be.  There’s also a duality here -- where Blaine is stuck in the childlike land of high school as Kurt moves on to college and New York.  This is another turning point in their story (as is all the songs done on these steps for these two), and I absolutely love that.  But, it shouldn’t be discounted that it is a really good song that Blaine sounds really good on -- which is why it makes it one of Blaine’s best solos. 

2. Teenage Dream Acoustic (The Break Up) 

I’m sure that no one is surprised this at the top of the list. But what I can’t stress enough is that this is, hands down, one of the best performances done on the show period.  Katy Perry’s original version of Teenage Dream is a trashy, forgettable pop song.  What Darren Criss did with it is nothing short of magical.  But then to bring this arrangement and add in his most phenomenal acting performance, even if it did break all of our hearts.  The thing I love especially about the show version (vs the studio version) is that we get to see Blaine slowly break down and become unraveled while singing it.  The performer that Blaine is starts to break down and this performance becomes an utter mess -- which makes it all the more powerful, moving, and heartbreaking.  I love everything that this number chooses to be -- from exposing Blaine’s character, to the breaking of the fairy tale romance that is Klaine, to letting it be an end of one thing while the beginning of another.  

Meanwhile, on another note, I’ve heard Darren sing this enough in his own performances that I have somewhat disassociated this version with the Klaine break up - but that doesn’t make this arrangement less powerful.  Darren took a somewhat throwaway song and made something uniquely beautiful with it -- and that’s incredibly special, too.  

1. Teenage Dream (Never Been Kissed)

I’m sure you’re gasping with surprise.  But, this is no. 1 for a reason.  While I think the acoustic version is better sounding (there’s just a tad too much auto tune here for reasons I’m unsure about), this number is the epitome of all Blaine numbers.  It’s his introduction to the show, and so much of Blaine’s character was cultivated out of this performance.  On top of that -- this performance made Kurt alive again, and it’s the beginning of a wild and beautiful story that would be the Klaine love story.  It also became a major hit for the show - thrusting the music of Glee to a height that it never really could match again.  

The scene is iconic and classic.  The song is iconic and classic.  Everything that is Blaine and the Klaine love story is wrapped up in this one.  And every time I come back to it, I can’t help but smile - which is why this one remains at the top spot for me.  

[izukult]

sorry i can’t have you? one up me? so this playlist isn’t part of the matchups i’m sorry😞🤝

here you go IDIOT CHILD ( @rat-bastar ) being your friend is so hard 😁

choke - i don’t know how but they found me

ok absolutely your vibes. if you got the chance you would bitch slap me, we both know it. you big ol bully. this is the vibey pop ish version of a villain song and it’s such a hype song in my opinion idk

love me dead - ludo

we’ve established its a good song ok🤝. idk lmao play this while you’re thinking ab your friend OR her ex gf ;) as of my knowledge those the mfs you simp for or whateva LMAO

lemons (demo)

please. PLEASE THIS ONE IS SO OBVIOUS. you vibes. absolute you vibes. you @ me. you @ everyone. you play this on full volume while you try to convince yourself you hate everyone. you play this while judging every violin player ever. you play this glaring at maliek or whagever his name is. this song is you

piano man - billy joel

i saw this on one of your playlists lol BUT i feel like this is something you would blare on the bus or on your way to a fucking debate tournament you fucking loser

hesitation - hot flash heat wave

such a good song. this also feels like something you would listen to while you think ab other people. i dunno it’s got that sweet, sweet ‘condescending to hide real emotions’ energy and it’s vibey and it’s kinda sad yea

waltz #2 (xo) - elliott smith

don’t even get me started on how big of an elliott smith can i was. you def give him vibes but i mean that as a compliment?? i can imagine you with ur head down hands in ur pockets being all bummed out and angry walking up the hill to ur house idk that’s very niche oddly specific? i never really realized this song had BIG BIG BIG you vibes until i started typing this but i’m listening to the lyrics and it’s like describing you go off ig

everyone hates his parents - falsettos

i know you love falsettos and we both know we love to shit talk our parents so. it just seems to make sense. ALSO i feel like we would argue like marvin and trina or marvin and whizzer or marvin and anyone LOL

colorful penguins - we shore is dedicated

ok i know iM the one working, but this song please. listen to it. listen to the music. to the tone of voice. to the certain old tavern rustic vibe. that’s you. i cant rly describe it but the vibe of this song is your vibe

beachboy - mccafferty

well we have the shared mother’s name in the beginning there and that’s fun for me. also we know that i be smoking and yada yada and i know your friends do too and i feel like this song is just you dealing w ur friends dummy habits and angry fast sing

hannah - swmrs

something about this song just feels like a convo we’d have?? like in my head i can tell what you would say and what i would say IDK LMAO maybe that’s just me but it’s also a good song

problems - mother mother

this song. LMAOOOO. the way you constantly BULLY me i feel like this song is how you present urself to other ppl v some deep shit like how you feel ab urself idk i’m not ur therapist ur apparently mine w how much you be psychoanalyzing me🤨. ALSO you’d scream this dont argue w me

i love you like an alcoholic - the taxpayers

multiple things here. again those crusty cobblestone streets at night after it rains where someone’s getting murdered in an alleyway vibes that you give. and i feel like if u were ever like <3 at someone, this is how you’d feel idc bitch

seashore - the regrettes

i love this band sm pls i want to kiss her. ANYWAY feels again like a you @ the world song. you just feel like someone who would shove someone in a trash can if they said one wrong word about you & i rly appreciate it

gooey - glass animals

this song feels like something that would be on a playlist with “i know this:” and i thought you’d like those vibes. sorry for the peanut butter reference

chicago - flipturn

you feel like someone who would let me play flipturn and pretend to hate it cos you pretend to hate everything i do but actually vibe w it so

everybody loves raymond (except for me) - mookamay

this is the girl i was tellin u ab who wrote the songs ab me YEA THIS IS ONE OF THE SONGS AB ME SO I FIGURED YOU WOULD APPRECIATE A SONG THAT WAS KIND OF A SLIGHT TO ME SO LMAO I PUT IT ON THERE. basically this is a song ab someone literally getting tired of ME so yknow felt fitting 😁‼️ (this one is mostly a joke and i will probably take it off the playlist but it still stands)

power over me - dermot kennedy

you seem like someone who would listen to dermot kennedy which is fair bc i used to scream this shit in the shower i would just have a lil concert and you give me the same vibe this one isn’t that deep

ghost duet - louie zong

lol some serotonin. just this playin in the background while u game

iris - the goo goo dolls

just a rly good song. just a rly good song that fits ur vibe. also if u were ever in love i also stand by saying you would listen to this & think ab them

dream sweet in sea major - miracle musical

if you were ever listen to “soft music🥺✊” this would be your version of it

bs - still woozy

I TOLD U TO LISTEN TO THIS AND I DONT THINK YOU DID YOU BITCH SO NOW I WILL FORCE YOU. also i have brown eyes so basically this is everyone including u @ me it’s ok ur human u can’t be blamed for acknowledging my charm ;) 😁🤝

paper thin hotel - matt maltese

you just seem like someone who would listen to him during a depressive episode

troubled mind - cannibal kids

cant find the right words for this one but like gives me you trying to be there for someone and coming off as apathetic and someone not knowing how to be a proper friend to you and yall just space vibes yknow what i mean?? Idk

bloom (bonus track) - the paper kites

if you and a girl (strictly a girl idc that this was written by a dude no fucking guy gets this song) were in love. like in any way. romantic love, platonic love, competitive love idgaf i just feel like THIS has the vibe for u

kill the director - the wombats

i don’t care THIS IS YOU IN LOVE. I THINK YOUD HATE HAVING REAL FEELINGS FOR SOMEONE. YOUD DEF BE THE PERSON TO IGNORE IT AND YOU BULLY THEM JUST A L I L EXTRA AND YOU DO LIL THINGS THAT SHOW U LIKE EM LIKE IF YOU RLY PAY ATTENTION YOU CAN PICK IT UP but no way you’re gonna express that shit LMAO

i got the blues - big bill broonzy

i dunno this ones just a banger

dirty imbecile - the happy first

this is you having a breakdown. that’s all! thanks queen!

under my skin - jukebox the ghost

very similar to lemons but also different?? you getting pissed at everyone but having a select couple ppl you cherish 👍

song for me - greer

where do i START? you not properly voicing emotions ? preppy pessimism ? dissociation ? vibing ? teen angst ? good vibes ? in love w ideas ?

my explanations aren’t as good as urs but also i’m cool so 👍 ur welcome you’ve been blessed by a personalized playlist from ME 🙄🙌 not from no bitchass capitalist anime character 😐

[stardancerluv]

Is Immortality the Ultimate Gift?

Part 2

Summary: Reuniting...

Warning: angst, mention of blood

Arthur’s night: 🎃👻😈 Happy Halloween! 🎃👻😈 This mini series, is an AU of Ewan McGregor’s character in the Tales of the Cyrpt, episode Cold War. It was the first thing, I ever saw Ewan in. And I’ve been a fan ever since.

“Little Lambkin?” You heard the voice, it was still deep with soft raspiness.

The screecher came bouncing over with her large cocktail. “Ford?” She looked between the two of you.

You were truly at a loss for words, your eyes moved over his features. It was him, but how could it be. How had the two of you never crossed paths. Aylwin, it was simple. He used him, then disposed of him. It was a miracle he survived.

In that first year, you had been a ravenous beast. He had been there to rein you in and show you the life in the shadows. You swallowed hard, remembering what it had been like.

Moving closer, you felt his cold fingers on your face. You couldn’t stop yourself from flinching. How long had you missed his touch?

“I probably shouldn’t have done that.” He withdrew his fingers.

If you could cry, you would have started. Last time you cried was when the ocean took, Aylwin. You didn’t love him but you cared. After a few centuries together, it happened.

“Yeah, you stupid wanker. Why are you touching her?” She screeched, her eyes were aflame with irritation as she glanced at you.

You breathed, resisting the urge to snap her neck

You swallowed, “Go,” You looked at him and reluctantly her. “In the alleyway there is a warm meal you can enjoy. We can talk at my table.”

“What makes you think I want your scraps?” She took a sip of the obscenely large cocktail.

You turned towards her. “Isn’t that why you came in here?” You spat out.

“I’ll go and eat. Come on, Cammy. It’s been awhile.” He hung his head.

“Fine.” She said through her teeth.

Life ceased to bother you. Seeing, what humanity had gone through entertained and saddened you. As many strides forward they made they also had taken so many steps back.

Seeing, Thomas knocked you. You managed to get back to your table. You motioned to the barman.

“Yes?” He came over with an eagerness in his step. You had given him very good business. He surely wanted to keep you happy.

You held up your glass. “I’ll have another of mine, and for the gentlemen...”

“That punk?”

Your eyes met his, he took a step back. “I’m sorry, is he a friend of yours?”He was immediately contrite.

“One from a very long time ago.” You looked down at your glass.

He pressed his lips together. “Be careful. Her and him are quite the annoyance in these parts. For you, I won’t make a big deal.”

You smiled, it was forced. You didn’t like what he said. “Thank you. But for my I mean for the gentlemen, whatever he wants I will pay for. As for her, she can pay for her own drinks.”

He cracked a small smile. “Very good.” He walked away then.

You finished the drink. Thomas, walked in you noticed, he made haste for the men’s room. His smell was distinctly different than hers. Not much better, but different.

She came a short time later. She grabbed her cocktail and then coming over, she sat across you. Opening, your purse you pulled out a handkerchief.

You noticed a red smudge on her cheek. “There’s a little on your face.”

“Oh!” She took it.

“On your cheek.” You gestured.

She wiped it and handed it back.

You held up a hand. “Keep it.”

“Thank you.” She tucked it into her cleavage. “So what are you doll-face? I didn’t see any marks on him.” She cut to the chase.

Thomas, came back and sat near you. His arm resting on the back of the soft booth, he faced both of you. Seeing, the flush of life in his otherwise porcelain pallor was pleasing.

She sipped at her drink. “I just asked her what she is Ford.”

He looked at you. “I have my suspicions.”

The barman came over then. “Thank you.” You said as he placed the drink beside you.

When the barman spoke to Thomas, it gave you a chance to look him over. “Is there something you would like?”

“Two fingers of Johnny Walker if you have it.”

You noticed something hanging from his throat. If it had been anyone or anything else you would have gotten up, for him you stayed.

“Ice?”

“Sure, thank you.”

“You still have a good taste.”

“Somethings don’t change.”

Once, seeing the that man was out of earshot you answered.

“I’m a vampire.”

His lips curled in a way that made you ignore what he was around his throat and reminded you of the past.

“I had a feeling he did that to you.” He sneered. He looked at the barman. “Thank you.” He took a sip.

“Anything else?” The barman looked at all of you.

You shook your head.

She wiggled in her seat. “I thought so when I saw the kid all dazed and shit.”

Your irritation was growing the more she screeched. “He made you a ghoul.” It wasn’t a question, just a sad statement.

“He drained me for you.”

She snickered, clapping. “I love hearing these kind of stories.”

You shot her a look, thankfully she shut up. “He told me, you died.”

Thomas, threw his head back and a bark of laughter came from him. His throat, you noticed looked especially delicious. The laughter, had an edge you were not familiar with.

“There were times when I wish he had.” His eyes gleamed. You noticed, she made an overly dramatic sad pout on her face when he said that. “Instead, he poisoned what was left. He told me, my blood killed you.” He took a sip.

“To our deaths!” The screecher held up her large glass.

You slid her a look.

“Cammy.” His face tightened.

“Fine.” She finished her drink. “I came here to dance. You two,” Making a dismissive gesture with her hand, she slipped of her chair. “Talk. I’m going to dance.”

She swished over to the jukebox. You soon found out, her taste in music was as bad as her taste in clothes.

“Did he help or do anything else?” He never seemed to leave your side for long. You could not even imagine what he had gone through. Maybe it was easier as a ghoul.

Looking over, you were grateful she was in the other half of the bar. Finally, you moved closer to him; in doing so, you brushed against his hand. It felt warmer.

“Once, the change was complete, he told me a few things, I needed to know. And that was the sum of it.” He took a big pull on the whisky. Vaguely, you wondered if the liquor still effected him. It only effected you if it was in the blood stream when you fed. “And you?”

“We didn’t part ways till, the Titanic went down.”

His eyes grew. “Seriously?”

You nodded, taking a sip. “I didn’t know what else to do. He took care of everything.” You wished you could read his expression or had the ability to read his mind. Though you heard, ghouls were incredibly simple. Nothing except basic needs and wants, so most likely nothing was there now. Maybe that was a blessing. “He trained me and told me everything.” You pressed your lips together. “Well, apparently not everything.”

“Did you marry him? Do vampires do that kind of thing?” His lip curled before taking a sip.

His words stung, they had never stung. “No, you were my husband.” You finished your drink.

“Lambkin, that was a very long time ago.” His fingers, drifted along his glass.

“Yes, though when you have nothing to fear, time no longer exists. My only fear was the sun. After sometime, I decided not to walk out into it.”

“Why?”

“Because it had been your blood that kept me alive.”

“He told you?”

“Yes, it was during that when you supposedly died.”

“I see.”

“So I never let anyone else enter my heart,” You paused, remembering Thomas. “Well, except Thomas. He was my wolf companion, I named him after you. He was a lot like you.” You smiled with real emotions, for the first time in quite a while. You were used to plastering one on.

He smiled. “How is that?”

“His fur,” You couldn’t stop yourself. You moved even closer to him. “Was as black as your hair. A night without stars.”

Saying that brought the sweet throb of pain. It was something, you had once told him. Reaching out, you let your fingers graze his inky strands. Your fingertips moved fast, he surely felt them but they were not slow enough for anyone to realize you moved.

“And his eyes were blue like yours.” This time you allowed your fingers to graze from his temple to his cheek. It was almost too much. It was a sweet agony.

Turning, you had to look away from him. All of this was so much. Memories, from before had softened you. Now all of this was ripping you apart.

His hand reached out to your hand that rested in your lap, he squeezed it. It was warm from feeding.

You looked down at your hands. “I need to know Thomas.” You looked back at him.

“Anything.”

“Besides the bullet, is that a pair of vampire fangs around your throat?”

He withdrew his hand, his fingers reached up and he tugged on the leather cord. You watched him look away.

Looking back at you, his eyes had darkened. “Yes, he had tried to kill me. That is why the bullet.”

That made you feel a little better but it still prickled you with fear. “Excuse me for a moment?”

“Of course.”

Going outside, the breeze felt good. You had to see the ally, it was awash with blood. Oddly, seeing what was left of the kid made you feel better.

His smell, lingered you could not tell if it was from what he had done a few feet from you or when you touched him.

You felt two hands on your shoulders. “So was my stench too much for you or was it that I killed a vampire?” His voice a whisper.

You closed your eyes, gently you put your hands over his. “No.”

Turning, to face him the wind whipped your hair into your face.

“Thomas...”

When he touched you this time you didn’t flinch.

@mac-n-cheesie @shantellorraine @fandomgirl800 @vcat55 @pooshnulooshnu @dance-like-russia-isnt-watching

@greybeardthetotallylegalpirate (wasn’t sure!) if you don’t want to be...pm me!

[nicnacsnonsense]

So I’ve been watching Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist and I’ve been loving it, would definitely recommend. It’s TV jukebox musical where the protagonist Zoey has suddenly gained this superpower where she sometimes sees the people around her performing elaborate song and dance numbers that communicate what they’re feeling. These numbers aren’t actually happening to be clear, she’s just experiencing them in her head. A lot of good stuff, very enjoyable.

EXCEPT. EXCEPT. This week’s episode has her power glitching so instead of hearing other people’s songs, she’s preforming her own songs. Just like normal, the background music and the back up dancers are all in her head. Unlike normal, Zoey herself is actually doing all the singing and dancing herself out loud, in the real world, where other people can see and hear her. She is aware this is happening, but cannot stop it. Y’all my secondhand/sympathy embarrassment game is *strong* and all this is so far past not fun anymore. I’ve had to pause the episode and walk away twice already and I’m not quite halfway done yet. I get what they were thinking with this idea, but no. NO. No, this is TERRIBLE and I HATE it.

[geekgirles]

(I’m going here cause my message box is not good): HEY i’m the girl from the Tikki/Plagg-Poppy/Branch ask and... TODAY I WATCHED TROLLS!!! And it’s good!! Like, sooo good!!! I love it!!! Especially Poppy and Branch teasing each other! The only thing that sounds weird were the songs, until I realized that the songs were being translated. Anyways, I’ll give a 10/10 for the movie (and can’t wait till I watch the series)!!!

Hey, there! I totally remember you!

I'm so glad you liked the film so much! What can I say? It is my favourite film, after all.

I totally loved Poppy and Branch's dynamics too, they've been my OTP since 2016. If you want some cool, sweet, and heartwarming opinions, just yesterday I spent a while reblogging posts from the first days of the fandom. Which, in my opinion, are some of the purest there are. Just go to my search bar and look for 'Trolls' or 'Broppy' :)

When it comes to the songs, except for Get Back Up Again (Poppy's solo), and Can't Stop the Feeling (which was actually written for the movie), the film is essentially a jukebox musical! So to some people the translations can lose the original essence of the song

But, if you want to watch it in English and the series, I'd recommend you search for Kimcartoon. There you have (or, at least, I'm pretty sure of it) the movie, the Christmas special that premiered in 2017, and the entire 8 seasons of Trolls the Beat Goes On; the series. All of it in English, tho.

Aaaaaand, I also have some great news for you!

The sequel, Trolls World Tour, and a second TV series, Trollstopia, are about to premiere! Yay!

The release of the movie depends on the country; in some countries it'll premiere in March, while others in April. I'd suggest you either watch the Brazilian trailer, or search for info of the movie to find out when it'll be released in Brazil.

Here, the trailer in Portuguese! (Though I'm not sure if it is European or Brazilian).

Trollstopia, on the other hand, will be released on April 15th on Hulu and an American channel's new app; Peacock.

But don't worry, many countries will probably air the show on their own TV channels. And, before that happens, there's always someone who uploads the episodes on Kimcartoon sooner or later.

Well, welcome to the Troll Hole!

[buffynha]

Naya Rivera: A Film Critic’s Appreciation of a TV Star

https://medium.com/@tomcendejas/naya-rivera-a-film-critics-appreciation-of-a-tv-star-8857ddf4e69

Naya Rivera: A Film Critic’s Appreciation of a TV Star.

I was much older than the target demographic for ‘Glee’, but I watched it semi-faithfully for these reasons: A) the intentionally diverse casting and primetime representation of many marginalized groups B) the clever reinvention and integration of pop songs and C) Naya Rivera.

Truth be told, since the show could be so wildly uneven, Rivera was often the ‘A’ reason I tuned in, always hoping she’d get a scene or a number.

Naya Rivera portrayed Santana, the tart-tongued (to put it mildly) captain of Glee’s cheerleading squad. By casting an Afro-Latina actress in the part, the show’s producers were already trouncing on stereotypes; by the year of the show’s debut, curtly dismissive cheerleaders were a staple of teen-centered entertainment, but they were usually white and hetero. As the show progressed, Santana fell for her teammate Brittany, came out to her family and friends, graduated from high school, tried to make her way in the big city, and eventually married Brittany. As a queer Latinx young woman with entrenched defense mechanisms, the character of Santana had to bear a lot of ‘representation’ duty, like an extended cheerleading ‘shoulder sit.’ But here’s the thing: Naya Rivera made it all seem as if it were as easy as a pony-tail toss.

Re-watching the early episodes, with Santana barely getting a cutaway, it’s easy to believe Ryan Murphy that the producers didn’t realize the size of talent they had on their hands when they first cast her. Rivera didn’t so much fight for more screen time as her talent compelled it, willed it. She’s mostly background in the first few episodes, until Santana and Brittany (Heather Morris) get drafted by Jane Lynch’s villainous cheer coach Sue Sylvester (the show does not lack for antagonists) to infiltrate the new Glee club and destroy it from within. From her earliest numbers and ultra-snippy encounters with the other kids, Rivera’s Santana starts to steal scenes.

This wasn’t just a function of the writing and directing. In fact, as clever, campy, sincere and delectably witty as ‘Glee’ could be (rewatching it this week, I chuckled at lots of throwaway lines) it could also be clumsy and over-reliant on whimsy and parody, sometimes in the same scene. In order to make the repeated point that Santana was caustically tough on the outside because she was hiding deep anxiety on the inside, the writers gave her so many withering and cruel things to say that emotional reality was often sacrificed on the altar of ‘Bitchy Quirkiness’ and frankly, because you imagined the writers were cracking themselves up at the saltiness of their latest insult. (Some were classics; too many of them hung on the lower rungs of humor, including easy body function jokes.)

But here’s the next thing: no matter how ridiculously florid the abuse Santana hurled at a classmate or teacher, Naya Rivera delivered the lines with alacrity and impeccable timing. And that’s what really made me sit up on my sofa and take notice.

Here was an actress who seemed to have the range of the marquee women from Hollywood’s ‘Golden Age’ of the 30s and 40s. The tumble of words the ‘Glee’ writers gave her didn’t faze her; she could deliver them with the rapid screwball comedy chops of Rosalind Russell or Jean Arthur. In an era of more tentative, introspective actors, Rivera had the steely drive of Bette Davis or Joan Crawford. Her larcenous way with a wry line was reminiscent of the great character actress Thelma Ritter; her ‘brassiness’ recalled Joan Blondell; the blaze in her eyes felt like the one emanating from Ida Lupino. (The comparisons had a visual equivalent — Rivera’s red-carpet personal style often favored form-fitting pencil skirts, modern iterations of a forties ‘dame.’)

Probably no greater compliment I can give is to say Rivera reminded me of the legendary Barbara Stanwyck. Able to navigate romantic comedy, drama and detective noir with husky-voiced fervor, Stanwyck could be devastating when she was furious yet hard to resist when she worked her charms. She was slight of figure but imposing of presence. Rivera had those cinematic assets as well. Because she started as a child actor, on ‘The Royal Family’ and especially on the great ‘The Bernie Mac Show’, by the time she got to ‘Glee’ she knew how to work a camera, as self-possessed and confident in her talents as Stanwyck was. Why this is important is that when an actor is too self-critical or tentative, we get uncomfortable or pulled out of the story. Reading testimonials from her cast mates (Chris Colfer says he sometimes was so in awe of her performance he’d forget he was in the scene with her) we see they also marveled at her self-assurance, and Rivera cannily used it to make Santana both poised and poignant.

Where Naya Rivera carved out her own space, different from most of our past silver-screen sirens, is that she could sing, and she was Afro-Latina, multi-racial, far from the whites-only casting of the Warner Brothers and MGM eras. That meant something to me; as a Chicano man of a certain age, I can remember times when I was a kid when my family would count all the ‘Latin’ movie stars we could think of and we often stopped literally with the fingers of one hand.

As someone who studies and loves writing about film, my head was nearly scratched raw from trying to figure out why Naya Rivera wasn’t swooped up from ‘Glee’ by the 2010s studio gatekeepers and given the chance to be a film superstar in vehicles that were worthy of her, bypassing the B-movie stage. She didn’t even get the big-screen ‘best friend’ parts in Hudson or Witherspoon rom-coms, which is what actresses of color with comic chops were often relegated to in the 2000s. Why this oversight happened, and I’m sure there’s a lot of background showbiz politics and personal reasons as to why, the result is we were denied someone who could have been a major screen star and given us the pleasure of an above-the-title, singing-dancing-acting triple-threat. If Rivera had been white, the big-screen star-making machinery would have overcome all obstacles to not just take a risk on her, but bet on her.

It really felt like Naya Rivera could do it all. Stanwyck and Davis had formidable talents, but singing wasn’t considered one of them, so that made Rivera a modern-day extension of their bravura, as though they’d been reincarnated in a child actress who was bristling at the confines of Disney channel and tv screens.

And Rivera had that voice! Some of us have our own version of a sort of ‘opposite ASMR’; we derive pleasure from singers who have a husky rasp in their voice, and rather than whisper, know how to belt. In this regard, Naya Rivera was a godsend. It gave her the ability to tackle songs associated with Tina Turner and Amy Winehouse and Stevie Nicks, no small feat. Yet Rivera could also narrow the grit in her wide voice to just a few flecks of hurt and hope, as in the poignant moment when she confesses her love to Brittany in a plaintive version of Christine McVie and Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Songbird.’ (This will sound like sacrilege to other Fleetwood Mac fans — I’ve seen the band in concert many times — but I just never really responded to McVie’s performance of her song except in cool, admiring ways. But I found Rivera’s vulnerable cooing of the song transfixing.)

Rivera’s musical performances on ‘Glee’ traversed many genres, but nothing seemed to catch her off-guard. I enjoyed many of the singers on ‘Glee’ —the show had over 700 musical numbers! — but if Rivera was given the lead, you knew you were about to get a showstopper, complete with signature focus, considerable ebullience and precision as a dancer. These gifts were captured best when ‘Glee’s’ hyper-active camera and editing stood still and just let her perform.

Rivera tackled Turner’s ‘Nutbush City Limits’ with ferocity. It’s too bad that the way she was filmed — with the aforementioned slice-and-dice, even leering editing — forever leaves us with a case of ‘what might have been.’ We get precious snippets of seeing Rivera singing, while the musical filming style of ten years ago, influenced by ‘Moulin Rouge’ and ‘Chicago’, attempts to whip us into an erotic frenzy with close-ups of halter-top abs and pom-pom zooms. This was a shameful miscalculation, because it has the opposite effect. If the camera had just stood planted and simply recorded the performance, Naya Rivera would have delivered the sexual fire and then some.

The best musical numbers with Rivera showcase all her talents — the ability to act out a lyric, the Fosse-flavored choreography, and a singing voice alternately tender and roof-raising. Her performance of Winehouse’s ‘Valerie’, in which she gets to ditch the ‘Cheerios’ uniform and stomp the stage in a party frock stands out as one of ‘Glee’s’ best and most effortless songs overall — it really looks like a romp that captures teenage brio and which would be electric to see live. (Later in the show, when Rivera sings ‘Back to Black’, you even got a glimpse that, as criminal as it might seem to suggest to purists, there’s a helluva Amy Winehouse jukebox Broadway musical waiting in the wings somewhere, and Rivera could have easily been its star.)

As commanding as Naya Rivera could be as a solo singer, her duets were full of a delicious tension. The job in a duet is to share the scene as democratically as possible while still bringing out the best in your partner and elevating the song. These were skills many in the cast had, though they occasionally had to juggle the meta-element that when the show became a phenomenon, the behind-the-scenes who-likes-who, who-hates-who gossip that fascinated early social media audiences could be at odds to the show’s scripted plot (though it seems the show’s creative team also deliberately worked the real-life stuff into the fictional stuff. A notable example of this was when Rivera and Lea Michele, who were rumored and since confirmed to be clashing backstage personalities — and as recent reports show, Rivera wasn’t the only one to find Michele difficult — sing a sweet song called ‘Be Okay’, almost as though they were ordered to by the network. Both are thoroughly professional, and by the end you don’t just think that maybe Santana and Rachel are really friends, but that Rivera and Michele had buried all their hatchets in a Fox studio wall as well.)

The duet partner for Santana I liked best was provided by one of ‘Glee’s’ other volcanic vocalists, Amber Riley. As Riley has since shown in her London West End role as Effie in ‘Dreamgirls’, and in TV productions of ‘The Wiz’ and ‘The Little Mermaid’, she is a formidable talent. Yet watch one of their songs together, ‘The Boy is Mine’, and see if your eyes don’t want to stay just watching Rivera’s performance in its entirety?

To see a more dynamic and perfectly matched dual performance, ‘Glee’ gave us the galvanic gift that is Amber Riley and Naya Rivera alternating and harmonizing into their own ‘wall of sound’ on the Tina Turner classic, ‘River Deep Mountain High.’ Turners vocals on the original are so singular, nothing can touch them. Just the way she crests the first line with a jagged crag in the middle of a note lets you know this is going to be sung from a place of both ache and power.

The ‘Glee’ version leans into the power angle. Santana and Mercedes brim with the ‘girlpower’ term used at the time, the youthful brio of being able to dream of scaling mountains. The choreography then counter-points and really gets it right by giving the singers the dance moves reminiscent of 60s girl-groups, and while it starts out sort of cute and ironic, by the end the choreography becomes mature and electrifying. When Riley sings the first verse, she has gospel runs and exquisite phrasing. She could easily overwhelm anyone. Rivera’s choice is to find her own place to put the appealing but melancholy cracks in her voice, harmonize beautifully, and then release her own blasts of power. The performance says more about ‘empowerment’ than pages of script could. ‘River Deep Mountain High’ is also notable for giving Rivera a chance to be charming in ways she usually didn’t get to be with all her ‘mean girls’ posing; when they get to the part about the ‘rag doll’, both singers mug, but Rivera’s brief clownishness when acting out that rag doll is unexpectedly loose and charming.

Of course, the journey for Santana on the show, and you’ll find many ‘Glee’ fans and pop culture critics who will argue that the show ultimately was about Santana, crucially centers on the classic ‘finding your voice’ view of young adulthood, and central to that, the relationship between Santana and Brittany. Nearly any news or lifestyle site of the past week that had a space for pop culture featured the heartbroken, deeply affected voices of many lesbians and queer people writing about the deep connection they felt towards the relationship and the visibility and identification it gave them.

Of more than passing interest, depending on how transgressive you thought of it, was the pairing between an Afro-Latina character and a white blonde cheerleader who could have stepped out of the background of a Taylor Swift video. Think of where we were in 2009 and that still would have been pushing boundaries. (The show was one of the first to normalize same-gender kisses.)

In Rivera’s scenes with her non-accepting Abuela (the great Ivonne Coll), she is as real as it gets — not only deeply hurt, but uncomprehending in the way so many gay kids can be when they are rejected simply because of their orientation. “But I’m the same person I was a minute ago.” One can imagine these scenes (and the contrapuntal ones between Kurt and his more accepting father) provided a lifeline to young queer people themselves caught up in the process of making decisions about how to come out, and in particular, to Latinx queer people, who found representation and resources hard to come by and certainly not in the media.

And in real life, Rivera, who did not identify as gay, proved to be a significant ally. She responded to queer fans, particularly young women, and she represented by hosting the GLAAD media awards, advocating for The Trevor Project and by speaking responsibly and articulately about what her fans had confessed to her.

The way the show frequently featured LGBTQ imagery was playful and willful. They weren’t representing all queer women; they were representing these two using a particular transgressive iconography. Teen lesbian cheerleaders weren’t invented with ‘Glee’; the queer film ‘But I’m a Cheerleader’ was released in 1999. But by keeping Santana (as well as the other ‘Cheerios’) in their squad outfits 24/7, Rivera started to look like it wasn’t just her cheer attire, it was her superhero uniform. You have your masked and fully-covered marvels; here was a fearless teen titan in sleeveless emblematic mini-skirt cutting through the hallways. Her superpowers? A withering glare that could refreeze the Arctic, an ability to shoot insults like a laser beam, and a pinkie-finger-linking with Britney that could heal your heart. Most of all, a voice that could fill a canyon and fleet feet that could leap over all calamity.

Until she couldn’t. When superheroes die, mere mortals look to the sky and feel, perhaps unreasonably but still undeniably, abandoned. Shocked, stunned, grievous. We look backward, because looking forward has just been removed as an option, and the realization of what will never be is too excruciating.

I couldn’t figure out what happened to Naya Rivera after ‘Glee’, given my hopes and expectations. She released quite a catchy single, ‘Sorry’, and later a memoir, ‘Sorry (Not Sorry.’) I didn’t realize she had joined a new show, the Youtube continuation of the ‘Step Up’ series, but now I do and she’s terrific in it. But to those of us who dropped our eyes from her a bit, I just remember it was because it seemed like there was tabloid stuff, personal tumult, a few seemingly misguided appearances or comments here or there. I was a hopeful, hopeful fan of her talent, not slavish to any TMZ notorieties — but those great female stars of the 30s and 40s? They were no strangers to splashy headlines either.

When I did watch ‘Turner Classics’ or my library of DVDS with some of those ‘Golden Age’ actresses, more than a few times I’d think of Rivera, search IMDB to see if she was getting that Oscar-worthy role yet. Or when there were increasing public discussions that called for better representation of people of color in media, I’d think: Naya Rivera! What’s she doing now? Why isn’t she in a big movie, headed for her superstardom? How did Hollywood’s famously white-screen blindness eclipse even gifts this generous?

So I’d check in the way we do now, with her IG feed or in passing hear about the occasional tweet. There would be a picture of her beauty, sometimes posed in the ‘sexy’ currency that builds and keeps ‘followers’ entranced and ‘promotes content.’

But occasionally Naya would post a picture with her son Josey, who she eventually was raising as a single mom. As many of her followers saw, in those fateful days of early July, I ‘liked’ a beautifully tender picture with Mom and Josey, eyelash close, captioned ‘Just the two of us.’ It seemed so peaceful. This must be what she wants to be doing, I thought. Happy for her. One of the miracles of ‘Glee’ was how they put on hour-long musicals once a week for six years, with 18-hour days. Who could begrudge anyone some rest after that?

But selfishly I also still wanted that album, that movie, that new film directed by her, something more from the force of nature that is, was, Naya Rivera and I gave more than a passing thought that with today’s reckonings, with greater sensitivity to the racism that undergirded so many institutions, the world would finally open up to her in the way it did for so many white actresses before her. It was her time.

Until it wasn’t.

That’s hard to reconcile. We’re supposed to say, as fans from afar, our grief is nothing compared to that of her family, friends, cast mates and of course that’s true. But it’s also true that the grief of a fan is not nothing. Those of us who didn’t know her personally, but were in awe of her talent, shouldn’t shut feelings of loss down. I think it honors Naya Rivera to mourn publicly the way so many fans have, ‘Gleeks’ or not. She was someone who had such hard-won achievement yet still such potential. And for some reason, the power brokers that be didn’t see it or find a place for it in time. We can grieve that mistake, and that which can’t be brought back or won’t be left as a long-career legacy.

That someone with so much soulful presence could suddenly disappear from this earth, at a time when we are all so careful not to lose each other, was wrenching. In consolation, I turned to a lot of Rivera’s performances from the show, though now of course they all carry a melancholy, stinging twinge. (For more on this, just look at the many comments on the pages where the videos are originally posted.)

You hear Naya Rivera sing Winehouse, and it’s hard not to think of how they both died young. You see her love for Brittany acted so convincingly, you think about Heather Morris, the actress who played her and wonder how she will weather this — thoughts that are none of your business, but you still have them. I found myself thinking of Kevin McHale who played ‘Artie’ on the show, and who seems so clear-headed; what would he say? You read Chris Colfer’s tribute to her and shed more than a few tears. You hear her sing ‘If I Die Young’ in tribute to Corey Monteith, and you recall that Rivera’s body was finally found on the day that Monteith died. It’s a lot.

There’s a memorable moment in the early run when Monteith’s Finn stops Santana in the familiar Glee alley of lockers and linoleum. She’s annoyed that he has outed her, and indeed he’s done her wrong. But the character is also written as sincere. Finn’s logic may be that of a teenager’s but he tells Santana that he didn’t ‘out’ her to hurt her, but to help her realize that she would still be accepted. He’d heard of someone who recorded an ‘It Gets Better’ video but later killed himself. He doesn’t want that to happen to her; ‘you mean something to me.’ He tells her that if something ever happened to her and he didn’t do everything in his power to stop it, he could never live with himself. Santana is left speechless at the tenderness, even as she’s furious — Rivera could convey both in a single look.

The context we have now in 2020 makes the brief scene heavy with portent and sadness. In actuality, Rivera was saddened that she couldn’t do more to stop Monteith’s untimely death from a drug overdose. That would be subtext enough. But now, with the timing of her death and the anniversary of his? It’s shattering. But I kept watching, and there was something that reminded me of my own experience teaching high school. A few minutes later, or a few episodes later, the kids are singing and dancing and throwing ‘Big Quenches’ at each other, and seldom has the show’s mission to show the fullness of life seemed so clear. I’ve found that to be true when I’ve gone through difficult times, or my school has, and still had to walk through the classroom door. No matter how sad I’ve been, there’s always a student offering, well, cheer.

Maybe we did get the movie Naya Rivera was on this earth to make after all. Because that scene between Santana and Finn was early in the show’s run. By ‘Glee’s’ end several years later, Santana didn’t hurt herself. She survived high school, she stumbled a little but recovered, she found her way, she was able to get onstage at a Broadway audition and sing ‘Don’t Rain on My Parade’ and give us a big, big moment of triumph; maybe she’ll get the part, she’s definitely going to get the girl. Just like an old musical.

And that’s why I wrote this: we talk about ‘Glee’ as a TV show, but maybe it was one long film. If you go back and watch ‘Glee’ with a particular focus on Rivera, you’ll see an extraordinary rise-and-fall-and-rise-again achievement; she’s one of the major leads of an epic. Sure it’s a movie full of silliness, toss-aways, occasional meanderings or repetitive plotlines, but it’s also full of heart and compassion. This seasons-long coming-of-age starred this African/Latina/Queer Ally/Queen who reigned with a crackling laugh, a stunning beauty and vivacious spirit.

If that’s all we were fated to get of Naya Rivera, she hit her mark — the line where enough and not enough meet. Maybe the silvery phantoms of Bette Davis, Rosalind Russell, Joan Crawford and Barbara Stanwyck, who all knew their own injustices within the Hollywood system, maybe they were all waiting in the wings as she sang the curtain down. “Come on kid,” they might say, in old movie parlance. “You went out there a youngster but you came back: a Star!”

✍️The Couch Tamale✍️

Film, Music, Peak TV, Diversity— Tom Cendejas is sitting on a sofa and unwrapping Pop Culture with a Latino eye, one husk at a time.

[roswelldetails]

Episode 201: Stay (I Missed You) - Details

Episode Summary:

Torn between the heartache of Max’s (Nathan Parsons) sacrifice and the joy of Rosa’s (Amber Midthunder) resurrection, Liz (Jeanine Mason) suppresses her grief to focus on moving out of Roswell with Rosa. Meanwhile, Michael (Michael Vlamis) copes with Max’s death in his own self-destructive way, while Isobel (Lily Cowles) focuses her attention on honing her alien powers. Finally, Liz makes an alarming discovery after Rosa begins experiencing mysterious side effects from her resurrection. Michael Trevino, Heather Hemmens, Tyler Blackburn and Trevor St. John also star. Lance Anderson directed the episode written by Carina Adly MacKenzie.

DETAILS:

They left Noah's body by the cliff near the turquoise mines

Max tells Liz specifically that Noah called him a savior, and that the victors would be coming for him, and specifically the term alighting.

2 weeks later...

A guy is seen trying to scrub graffiti off the wall. The graffiti is an alien saying to a ghost "I don't believe in humans." Rosa's?

Arturo is working on his citizenship paperwork.

"...the occasional face mask selfie..." Once again, like in the pilot with the reference to the border wall, Carina writes a line that she had no idea would be quite so relevant on the day that this aired. Maria is referring to lab face masks, not medical face masks, but given the current state of things it's still quite the on point line, politically.

The card Arturo gives Liz is San Cristobal (Saint Christopher). Info on San Cristobal: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Christopher?wprov=sfla1

What Arturo says to Liz in Spanish: "Para que te cuide en el camino." Translates to: To take care of you on the way.

The church where the funeral is held is the same church Liz prayed at in episode 102... Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe. It actually is a pretty interesting place, which you can tour if you visit Santa Fe. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loretto_Chapel?wprov=sfla1

The photo Isobel looks at is a shot of Max, Isobel, and Noah at what appears to be their wedding.

Isobel is the one hiding Max's death. Liz and Michael are helping, but Isobel wanted him put in the pod. "...we'll make up a story, okay? We'll send text messages from his phone. We'll say that he left town."

Sheriff Valenti tells Isobel that she's "Roswell PD family", but in season 1 they were very consistent about using Chavez County Sheriff's Department, not Roswell PD.

Another reference to the graffiti... Again, Rosa?

Liz had to prompt Isobel to tell at her at the wake, meaning this is them implementing Isobel's "story" on why Max left.

Liz told Rosa "everything except that the whole town thinks she's a murderer."

Rosa's first nightmare... She walks into the Crashdown, plays STP, reveals the handprint, the jukebox sparks and distorts, hears Isobel's voice, and Noah appears.

"They're not going to come after you. They're going to go after the people you care about." - Noah said this to Max in 107 in reference to Wyatt Long's lawyers.

Rosa's necklace that she and Liz argue over is the turquoise bead necklace that Liz wears throughout S1, including in the pilot, So Much For the Afterglow,

Mimi Deluca...

Quoted from Aliens (1986) "I say we take off and nuke the site from orbit."

On Rosa's death a decade ago: "Not always. Sometimes it happened just yesterday. Sometimes it's been a century."

Rosa started on oxy. But according to Kyle's scans her "frontostriatal loop is fine." And she produces "normal noradrenaline". Basically, Max healed all damage to her body including damage from her drug addiction.

Alex is listening to Next Time by All the Brightness on his headphones. Thanks @michaeldeluca for figuring it out!

Alex says that most of the Caulfield files are encrypted so there's not much to go on, but he was able to break Project Shepherd's encryptions in the bunker in S1, which again implies that maybe Caulfield is a bit bigger than Project Shepherd.

Michael's mother was marked N37. Her intake form was datestamped Oct 12, 1948, which is almost a year and a half after the crash (June 14, 1947).

Liz and Michael both didn't get handprints from Max, only Rosa. Liz's initial handprint from Max (in the pilot) lasted only a few days. Rosa's hasn't faded at all in 2 weeks.

Isobel's been practicing for 2 weeks and she showed signs of both Michael and Max's powers in this episode (possibly? exploding the lights in her house and blowing up the bowls could both be Michael's power if it was just telekenisis in both cases and not channeling electricity a'la Max)

Mamma Ortecho is "shacked up in Nebraska with some white guy named Dirk."

Michael says that he fixed the old (junked) ultrasound machine after Max died. That they did scans initily while Isobel was in the pod and they were working on the antidote. He had a scan of Max's healthy heart. Now "there's a void".

Michael says Max's heart was damaged before he "lassoed lightning" to kill Noah. He died of a heart attack. His heart is "shredded".

Rosa's 2nd dream: running from Noah and calling Liz to help her.

Noah says: "Strange creatures with familiar features. The alighting! They're coming for us Maximo!" All things he said to Max in the cave in episode 113.

Liz theorizes Rosa's dreams are the result of a psychic connection through the handprint to Max, that Rosa is seeing fragments of Max's memories.

Which means that Max's brain isn't fully dead. Liz explains to Rosa:. "if there's a part of his brain with coordinated electrical signaling, if there's consciousness, that means that there's oxygenated cells...if the connection to you kept his brain alive there's hope."

Cremating an alien body releases toxic fumes (according to Project Shepherd research from after the 1947 crash).

Flint was taking Noah's body to Area 51...where he has clearance and Alex doesn't.

Flint says: "There's a chain of command in this family."

Flint Manes was in the same grade as Rosa (meaning he's two years older than Alex).

During the dissection:

Liz: "It could be some kind of organic phosphorus?

Michael: "It's an unknown chemical compound. A distant derivative of phenyl-2-propanone. I could never figure out the 21st compound. But apparently it's the key to their nanotech and their biology. Our biology. I always thought it was synthetic but if it's organic the tech itself could have neural activity."

Liz: "Wait, you're saying you think these organs are part tech?"

Michael: "In human terms, I guess."

Liz: "That's good 'cause in the human world, broken tech can be fixed."

Translation: The alien organs (and the ship pieces) are part organic and part tech.

Rosa's 3rd nightmare...she is in the gazebo looking at her and Izzy/Noah's drawings from 2008 (episode 110), Noah approaches and she fights back this time. And then Noah uses his powers to choke her.

"All those books and you haven't figured religion out." When he approaches.

"Ophiuchus!" Yelled as he chokes her.

Max appears and lightning-lassoes Noah to free Rosa.

"I've been trying to get to you. I'm sorry to put you through this. You're the only one I can reach. Liz can't bring me back to life. Do you understand? No matter what it takes you have to stop her."

MUSIC:

1. Everclear "Santa Monica"

2. Stone Temple Pilots "Plush"

3. Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real "Bad Case"

4. Justin Townes Earle "Maybe A Moment"

5. Meredith Brooks "Bitch"

6. I See Hawks In LA "King Of Rosemead Boogie"

7. Hamish Anderson "You Give Me Something"

8. The Cranberries "Zombie"

[larapeteira]

Now That’s What I Call Mozart!

The thing that’s probably taken the most time in putting together these ragbag selections of musical scraps from Mozart in the Jungle, is coming up with a title to collect them under. In the end, if it succeeds in communicating anything it’s that they will be entirely whimsical, subjective, and reliant on wordplay.

S1E1 ‘Pilot’: Overture to a Picaresque Comedy

As with any pilot, the main work of this episode is to set the scene, the characters, and the key themes and tones of the narrative. In Mozart in the Jungle much of this depends on music, so the episode also introduces some frameworks for its use and the kind of musical references it draws on (classical and popular, in a range of settings). With apologies to Arnold Bax for stealing his title, these come together to give an overall flavour of the affectionate and playful irreverence which lies ahead. What follows are some of my highlights:

The episode opens with Hailey teaching an oboe lesson, but later we see her (and separately, Cynthia) hot-footing it out of the New York Symphony’s performance to play in the ensemble of a Broadway show: Styx: Oedipus Rocks!. It’s a glitzy parody of jukebox musicals (Oedipus blinds himself with cartoonish golden lightning bolts to the strains of ‘Come sail away’), but not necessarily a scathing one.

I don’t think that the series finds its understanding of creativity in making glibly cynical judgements about the value of different forms of musical expression. Not least because it seems unlikely when one of the creators/executive producers, Alex Timbers, has a well-established career in musical theatre. Both Hailey and Cynthia, though at different career stages, have to compile their incomes from multiple sources, yes, but is the show a beggar’s opera to them? Their enjoyment in playing suggests it’s more than just a simple question of staking out conflict between financial interests and creative ones. Looking ahead in the series then, precarity is a symptom of a musician’s existence and living by their wits is a source of the narrative’s picaresque elements. 

Cynthia’s riff on the Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra is neither a tuneful nor explicit (except in the other sense) musical reference. However, its homage to Britten, and Bernstein is an enjoyable, and witty, mechanism for exploring the meaning of ensembles, Cynthia’s character, and framing the mentoring dynamic of her relationship with Hailey.  

Lizzie and ‘Let’s get Bizet!’: I’ll be honest, I’d stand up and fight for the pun alone on this particular character introduction. Still, I also like how Escamillo’s aria ‘Votre toast’ could function as a synoptic overture for the subsequent scenes at the party.

En garde! allons! allons! Ah! Toreador, en garde! Toreador, Toreador! Et songe bien, oui, songe en combattant Qu'un oeil noir te regarde, Et que l'amour t'attend, Toreador, L'amour t'attend!

En garde! Let’s go! Let’s go! Ah! Toreador, en garde! Toreador, Toreador! And dream away, yes, fighting dream on, That dark looks follow you, And, yes, that love awaits, Toreador, yes, love it waits for you!

In one stanza we can read the irony of Hailey’s thwarted attempt to sleep in order to realise her dreams, the duel between creativity and competition/performance of the game of ‘Showdown’, and Alex and Hailey’s continued flirtation - all dancing between farce and plainer drama.

Alex’s unexpected arrival at the party is heralded by the first appearance of what comes to be Hailey’s theme throughout the series: Mozart’s ‘Oboe Concerto in C Major’. The episode touches on the first movement (allegro aperto) in this and another moment, but it comes into its own with the third movement (allegretto) in the last act. Believing she’s missed her opportunity to audition for the orchestra, Hailey takes her only chance to play on that stage and for her own enjoyment. Or so she thinks: Rodrigo’s attention is drawn by her playing and so the rondo of this movement establishes the enmeshed creative and romantic orbits which will drive the series.

Just before Hailey starts this movement, she plays a tentatively ambitious not quite final note, regretful and hopeful all at once. We absorb its reverberations in the Symphony’s hall with her for a couple of seconds before she springs into action and the sound of the rest of the orchestra starts to fill in around her. Mozart in the Jungle is done tuning up. Now, play on!