#(this isn't just s4 I was just thinking of the s4 angst/storyline lol so that's why I said s4)

[after-nine-at-the-oasis]

okay I'm a tarlos "the night we met" truther and they will always be my primary thought when I listen to that song but. . . consider: season 4 seblos with "the night we met"

[flythesail]

hi sunshine i’m back and i am all caught up with nancy drew! just finished 4x07. s3 definitely not as good as s2, but had some great storylines and episodes. the development of the characters and their relationships makes this show stand out to me in such a good way — it has everything you want in great television and is created with such care and love. favorite moments:

3x01 nancy decides to stay

3x04 the bess bus

3x07 saving george! and ryan and ace talking about nancy

3x11 nick’s speech to the jury (side note tunji is AMAZING i love him)

3x13 not a moment but the absolute breakdown i had during this episode and the hallucination was so extreme my reaction note is bananas lol

s4 has been so amazing so far!! 1, 3 and 7 are my favorites — the nace angst is killing me but i’m hoping it will let up soon? please? (can nancy be happy for a whole episode this is a serious question) the montages and callbacks and jokes and chunky velez are so fun and i’m so sad i’m only just arriving as the end nears. VERY intrigued to learn more about town history and see where the historical society/bess story goes (the allegory for queer repression is so well done).

anyways so glad i found you during my lockwood & co hyperfixation and now i have nancy drew!! it really is THE show of all time and i will never let it go ❤️ now to figure out how to watch live because i don’t have cable!!

Hello hello!!!

Agreed with s3!! I think a lot of it comes down to the overall plot and the way they lost 5 episodes. But with the latter, I think they're doing much better with pacing in s4.

3x01: that scene at the end ALWAYS GETS ME. You're our homegrown sleuth. 🥹

3x04: the whole dreams sequence is so so good. LOVE the directing in this one too.

3x07: this is just an episode you can watch and be like YES, this is Nancy Drew. The silliness of the dads as teens and the soul splitting stuff all in one. And it WORKS. That scene with Ryan and Ace at the end is really interesting to look at now too since we know how long Ace has had feelings. He really did know Nancy makes you want to be a better person. 🥺

3x11: I used to rewatch this episode SO much lol. It's a fantastic episode for Tunji. And really, when isn't he fantastic.

3x13: omg.. watching that live was an EXPERIENCE. Idk how else to describe it. It's horrible then it's amazing then it's horrible again and then YOU FIND OUT IT WASN'T EVEN REAL!?!?! INSANE.

1, 3, and 7 of s4 are all SO good!!! I'd probably pick 1 or 7 as my favorite. 7 especially just had instant comfort episode vibes.

I'm really hoping the nace angst lessens soon. And I think it will as they're still making progress every episode.

All the callbacks mean the WORLD to me. I know they didn't know it was the final season from the start, but the care put into all the little things makes it so special. This show also just *gets* itself (kudos to everyone who works on it for that) and s4 has had some great comedy.

Same with the town history!! I'm so curious to see where that all leads. That goes for Bess's storyline too. The way the show pairs the supernatural with 'real world' issues is definitely a standout thing.

I'm glad you found me too!!! Found family ghost shows for the win. As sad as I am about about s4 being the last, I'm so grateful we GET this season. It would make me so happy if Lockwood & Co. is saved someday, so we'll see...

🤞 you find a way to watch!

[ginjointsintheworld]

I’m a fun of your commentaries lol its so fun to read. Btw do you know how many episode does NA have this season? I’m getting nervous while mid season finale is approaching and it feels like we are not getting much of Leyren. Saw some post over twitter that Leyla won’t be on the next episode. She will appear on episode 7 based in rotten tomatoes castings. I’m excited to see some angst but afraid of Leyren’s downfall and it gives me more bad feeling that Shiva is auditioning to other role. 😭😭

i'm glad my deranged commentaries brings you entertainment fkljkd. i think, fingers crossed, they're back on track for a full season so at least 22 episodes based on s1. i went back and looked at s1 & s2 and it looks like the midseason finale usually falls on episode 9 so. if s4 is keeping on the same trend then we're just around the corner now and we know they've been filming (probably wrapped by this point) episode 9.

i saw those posts and idk how much we should necessarily read into the rotten tomato cast listings. after all, episode 6 is missing the actress for dr. wilder and her translator ben and we know they're 100% in the episode and a big part of the storyline. if you look back at the RT billing for 4x04, shiva isn't listed on that either but her name was in the opening credits on the show which as we know now was for the voicemail. that being said, i do think lauren is going to have more of a filler story in this week's episode so i was half expecting not to see leyla anyways. though if we assume the RT cast listing is right and she's not in episode 8 then i find that a bit odd with 9 or even 10 being the midseason finale. leyren has been very slice of life in the first half of the season so far and less drama tension than i was anticipating coming into s4. 

maybe we sped up the timeline that the writers are unfolding reveal on. it might be that something happens in the midseason finale that jumpstarts lauren's guilt and paranoia about the 5th spot and that will carry into the second half of the season and leyla finds out somewhere in 4b. or, like i've wondered before, maybe the writers decided to pivot from the concept of the secret being something that eats away at the foundation of the relationship like an affair and are approaching it more, as lauren continues to grow throughout the season and make healthy steps and choices, she eventually realizes she needs to confront her biggest demon, the secret.

as for shiva auditioning, i've talked about it before. not the most comforting thing to see as people invested in leyren's future but again, we don't know all the details or context. it's common for reoccuring role actors to continue going out for additional roles. best thing to do is take it one episode at a time and see how it goes. and there is still a lot of episodes to go. brightside, shiva was filming multiple days for episode 9, so i think that's a good sign content wise at least for that episode.

[iamnotawomanimagod]

5 for the ask game :)

Thanks anon! <3

TV show of the year?

This is such a hard question - there is too much good TV, and I watch a lot of it. I'm gonna cheat and give my top 5 instead, lol. Not in official order, but close enough!

5. Cruel Summer and/or S3 of You

I put these two together and at the bottom of the list because I found them to be enjoyable and fun viewing experiences, but I was ultimately so disappointed with the endings that I don't care to continue watching them.

5a. Cruel Summer had such a novel storytelling mechanic, I loved the way it jumped between years. Using styling and color-grading to indicate what year it was took a little getting used to, but it's impressive how well the story flows once the mechanic is fully established. And Olivia Holt as Kate Wallis was incredible. I'll watch almost anything with her in it. The rest, including the "twist" at the end? Meh.

5b. Season three of You was really fun and chaotic, especially since I was able to more or less watch it alongside a lot of my mutuals. I'm just so mad about the ending. And I'm really worried we're straying into Dexter character where we're getting beyond the reasonable point of Joe continuing to get away with so much and not getting his comeuppance. If the next season isn't the last, I'm probably not going to bother with it. I started watching for Victoria Pedretti anyway.

4. Legacies

They really kicked the storyline up for the latter half of s3 and the first half of s4 (so far.) Triggering Hope's vampire side has needed to happen for too long, and I'm excited to see what crazy place they take it to next. It's the perfect blend of cheesy and campy with juuust enough angst and drama that I'm still invested in the characters and what happens to them without feeling overwhelmed by a constant barrage of trauma and loss. I don't put too much faith in CW shows anymore, but this is a fun one and I am curious to see where it goes, without being so invested that I'll be disappointed with any specific endgame.

3. Shadow & Bone

I really loved getting introduced to this universe this year! For one, every single person on this show is a total hottie. Like, wow. I'm frequently distracted by how beautiful they are. But more importantly, it's a really engaging and unique world. So much potential in the setting and the society and the dynamics between the characters. It was a wild and adventurous ride, and gave us a really well-rounded fantasy world to sink into. Something sorely needed after years of post-apocalypse dystopias.

2. Midnight Mass

This was such a gorgeous and harrowing meditation on religion and faith. It's a topic I'm really fascinated by, as someone who was raised pretty non-religiously. The performances were really subtle but beautiful. It's definitely a slow-burn, and I nearly gave up on it - but after The Turning Point (episode five, for that classic Mike Flanagan move,) I think all the build-up becomes so, so worth it and makes the final two episodes very gripping and compelling. It was inspiring and heartbreaking, and I was glad to see MF dip his toes into something a bit more drama and a little less horror. (Personally I think Mike Flanagan has what Ari Aster is desperate for in terms of that genre mix, but that's another rant for another day.)

1. Squid Game

Of course this show makes my list! I'll be surprised if it doesn't top most lists like this in 2021 retrospectives. It was such a tense, exciting show. Impossible to stop watching. I loved the characters and the setting, and the absolutely batshit things that happens when those two things collide. Episode six absolutely wrecked me, I was pretty much hysterical from heartbreak, but it was so well-done I didn't even mind. I think it's awesome that a Korean show was one of the most popular of the year, and I really hope it encourages more people expand their content search outside of purely English/American media - myself included!

Wanna join in? Send me an ask!