#*neglects new shows and rewatches old ones*

[jdramaflow]

GALILEO ガリレオ 2007, dir. Nishitani Hiroshi,  Sawada Kensaku, Narita Gaku.

[cellias]

ok yes the “she met a pinecone’s fate” felt so mean and out of place with the empathetic Percy we see in the book’s narrative BUT !!

when rewatching the scene my attention was brought back to what annabeth says before that— “she fought valiantly and met a hero’s fate.” i remember thinking about how brainwashed (for lack of a better word) annabeth is. she respects the gods immensely at this point in her life, all she wants is for her mother to notice her, because that’s all she knows. her father let the emotional neglect go so far that she ran away at seven years old, and her mother only communicates with her a few times.

her idea of a hero is the willingness to self-sacrifice, and the bearing of tragedy in life, but this idea disregards the fact that had the gods been more attentive and present, thalia wouldn’t have had to do sacrifice her life. her concept of a hero’s fate ignores the unjust fact that thalia was only recognized by her father in death and is hyper-focused on the honor that it is to be given a god’s time of day. we also see annabeth holding the gods to a high esteem later in the episode when she argues with medusa in favor of the story that she’s heard rather than what the person who lived through it has to say. as well as when she tries to stop percy from sending medusa’s head to olympus.

this ties into percy’s “impertinent” behavior toward the gods. we know percy thinks the gods are fucked up, he shows it in the book and the series early on when he learns about them. he’s mad at poseidon and acknowledges that it’s his fault sally is gone, unprotected and seemingly unnoticed, and that percy is kinda left to fend for himself in a new world. in the series he prays to his mom instead of his father despite seeing the tribute the other kids give to their godly parents. he rejects that side of his parentage because he feels his mom is the only one who deserves the credit for his life. he says that the gods had been unfair to thalia in the book when he learns about her. he defends himself against the Zeus’s accusation by saying “‘i’m just a kid!’” i think that line is important, and especially what annabeth says about it later on, because it shows how different their mindsets are.

percy has been protected and loved by his mom his entire life up to this point. she’s tried to give him a good life, and that’s the root of his character. he realizes the incredulity of this entire situation because he has not been fighting to survive without the love and support of a parent since he was young. annabeth left her home at a young age, was left in dangerous conditions, and fought for her life when she was only 7, and she’s been training for war ever since. she’s surrounded by kids who went through the same thing, specifically luke and formerly thalia. in the series, annabeth takes the “I’m just a kid” claim and reveals she finds it naive and ignorant, because he’s a part of something bigger than him and that he needs to accept his fate. (again, she’s been preparing for this her whole life, he’s been thrust into it after losing his mom)

when percy hears this story from grover about three demigods on the run, two of them near his age when they went through it, he is hearing a story about three kids being ignored and left to fend for themselves by their parents. he’s already angry about the gods’ lack of interference and how normal it seems to be at camp. when he hears annabeth regard thalia and her ultimate fate as heroic and respectable, he doesn’t see it as the same. he finds thalia heroic and brave, but her fate not so much. annabeth’s admiration contrasts his questioning toward the gods. percy most likely found Zeus’s decision to finally notice his daughter by turning her into a tree as anything but heroic, more pathetic.

at least that’s how i interpret the “she met a pinecone’s fate” line. I think it adds to his reputation and growing disdain for the gods and their attitude. idk what do u guys think 😫

[the-gayest-show]

Operation Birthday Takeover Review/Analysis

I wanted to include this in the review bomb but decided against it because the episode would take too much yap compared to the others to summarize properly, let's go!

(sorry if these screenshots have the player on them I couldn't find a better way bare with me this is better than the easier route i'd have taken)

HAHAHAHAHAHA SO MUCH TO TALK ABOUT HERE!

First of all, PERI! YOU'RE BACK BABY HBUIEBRBFEIBFWiuB

Second of all and most important, this was a MAJOR Dev episode. Well, obviously, since it's his birthday, but we got to see more of him being nice while it lasted anyways, and we also got to see more of Dale's neglect and it's affects on Dev.

You can see he's clearly disappointed about his dad paying no attention to Dev at all, preferring to work on "Project H" instead of his own son. Will throw hands on this man fr.

Throughout the episode we see more hints of this disappointment, like when Vicky gets invited to the party (Dev doesn't even like princesses! DUDE!)

Now that I'm really rewatching as I go, Hazel seems to be very aware of it and very empathetic towards Dev, I like that about her. She's looking out for her friend! Good on her!

On the other hand (to move the plot forward and thus this review), I love seeing the fairy family back in action again!

I love their dynamic even more! Also I swear to God half of the iconic lines come from these interactions I swear to God.

"Time to see what's so secret about this room!....... On second thought never mind" SOBBING LAUGHING

Having the three of them slowly find out that project H is actually Project Hazel is so wild. THEY LITERALLY WROTE DOWN IMPORTANT INFO ON THE BOARD LIKE THE FAIRIES THING. COSMO! WANDA! WHYYYYYYYYY

The sad part of the matter is, Dale was fixated on Dev's friend of all people simply because she was... content? With fairy godparents? It's so sad actually for Dev... he REALLY needs someone to care about him

I wanna get into Vicky though now, and the surprising amounts of references to the OG series that were made in less than 2 minutes apart from each other? Crazy!

First of all, she's back! An interesting character to return for sure, considering she mostly acted as Timmy's babysitter in the OG series, but the continuity of this show never ceases to surprise me!

She's somehow similar looking? Like, correct me if I'm wrong but shouldn't she be older now? Significant enough to be changed visually for sure. AJ was 10 in the original series and now he's like 30 something. By that logic shouldn't Vicky be closer to her 40s? Does that age a person significantly from 16? That's what I thought anyways... She's still into the "conning little children for money" thing. She's literally 30+ at least, did she not try to up her game somehow? IMHO she totally could have extreme power like that over adults if she got gullible enough ones, could've been worse, but I guess people of Vicky's personality don't truly change unless there's a major life breakthrough that happens. You know what they say about peaking in high school...

Icky Vicky the song (and thus the episode it was in) is canon to the FOP A New Wish universe. I could swear the song sounded slightly different than it did when it was sung in this episode, but I'll blame that on the song coming out 10+ years ago and voice actors being too specific to nail down (I think the guy from one direction played the Icky Vicky singer? No wonder they couldn't invite him back). The song being referred to as "old" got me cringing a bit. I didn't grow up with the show but I get the feeling people who did felt themselves aging in real time with Jasmine's comment...

TIMMY MENTION! TIMMY HAS BEEN MENTIONED BY NAME IN THE A NEW WISH UNIVERSE AGAIN!

Poor fairy trio though, they're all traumatized by Vicky, even Peri (who thought she was some weird ass dream, dawg I wish 😭) and immediately they're cowering with fear at the sound of her name. They got PTSD or something from all those years in original FOP...

What's funnier is them being able to stand up to Vicky by just. transforming into humans, which works bc that's always worked in FOP canon (when parental figures showed up in the OG), but somehow Wanda and Cosmo didn't fucking know that? Truly, Wanda, it would've been nice for y'all to know that some decades ago.

"That's Vicky for ya! Making Kids Miserable Since 2001!"

Actually it would be 1998 if we count the Oh Yeah Cartoon Pilot and subsequent episodes, but I guess we're only counting actual FOP as canon 😔

-

I wanna really talk about the last scene though, where Dev finds out that Project H was Project Hazel. It REALLY tears him up inside to see just HOW bad his father doesn't give a shit about him.

LOOK. LOOK AT THAT FACE AND TELL ME THAT ISN'T DEVASTATION! Even as he's recounting all the times that his father talked about Project H

The emotional neglect really runs deep with this one.

He lashes out at both Peri and Hazel (her especially since he's under the impression that she faked being his friend or something) and even wishes for Peri to leave him alone. So basically he's closing himself off from the 2 people who cared about him the most, likely as an emotional response. And then he goes and crosses off everything on the board in anger and leaves.

I've noticed Peri's behaviour towards Dev has changed a bit again since the Dimmsonian episode. I think in that episode initially he seemed more tired, and he's probably still tired, but if he is, it's not shown as much here. I think personally Peri seeing more of Dev's life might've changed his attitude towards the child, but he still remains semi optimistic. He cares about this kid. It's shown even in just those few seconds of hesitation before he leaves that Peri was kind of heartbroken/sad at the request to leave Dev's side, but was willing to do so since he asked/wished. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I really do enjoy their dynamic and really wish to see more of it, especially after this.

This is all 100% driven from his dad's actions affecting his emotional state, and I think this is actually a perfect setup for the episode where Dev and Irep take over Fairy World. Especially if Irep finds Dev like not even seconds after this scene, he's more vulnerable now than he's been throughout the whole series thus far, so a manipulator like Irep (if he is a good one, but heck even if he was dogshit at it) could defo make him change his thoughts on things.

Overall this episode was great and there's lots to love about it!

[ghostflowerhotpotch]

Clinging too much to the Mask

Or Miles' is neglecting his civilian life for his hero one.

Something I love about Across the Spider-verse, is that no one is truly evil, but that doesn't justify their actions. Likewise, the heroes aren't perfect, in some cases they actively need to work to own their mistakes, and in others, they need to learn a more simple lesson.

I think this last one can apply to Miles. Because while he is doing his best, I feel the story tries to point out that despite "balancing" his double life, he may be prioritizing one over the other.

We get to see this before we properly get to see Miles, who instead of being in this meeting-

He is going around the city.

Not gonna lie, in my first viewing, I felt Rio and Jeff needed to cut Miles some slack; like sure they were being kind of harsh because they didn't know what was going on, but Miles was truly trying hard!

However, the more I rewatched the movie, and the more I keep looking at certain things, the more I realized that Miles' parents are being WAY nicer about all of this than other parents I had seen, and also, that even if you have the context he is not handling this very well.

Let's start with this scene, shall we?

So, Rio and Jeff want to talk about university opportunities and scholarships, which I feel is a bit early for a fifteen-year-old, but if he wants to get into the best Physics program in the nation, I guess it makes sense needing to start early. I am assuming Miles had at least mention wanting to do big things; which is of course what his parents want because they know what he is capable of; so I wouldn't be surprised if they arranged this meeting SPECIFICALLY because Miles set his future on this.

But regardless if it was Miles's idea or his parents, the fact on the matter is this: he should be here.

Because let's remember, he isn't skipping this meeting because the Spot or a villain with a bigger profile was causing a ruckus, we saw him slinging around the city as if he was strolling, and when he goes to get the Spot, he first does this:

I know Spider-man is known for witty remarks and Miles is definitely not an anomaly on that front, but you cannot tell me he didn't explicitly want a patty and it just so happens to have a bad guy in the place; he may have not grabbed himself hasn't the Spot not being there but I bet he would have gone to this shop ruckus or not.

Even if that wasn't the case, he is already late for the meeting; but he still took his time to patrol the city for, as far as we can tell, no real reason besides just checking around.

I get that he is Spider-man and has responsibilities with the city, but when Miles has an important meeting to be in, and he decides just swinging across the city is more important than being there; we have to admit that this is a problem.

And the longer we spend in 1610 the more that shows.

This monologue feels like it can be unrelated, at first.

Miles doing the Spider-man presentation makes sense; it has been established in this franchise as a device to present the characters, so having him update on his spidey-situation while following the trope presentation they had done before it's perfect to match the tone of the first movie.

But I am also a firm defender of "weaponize tropes to press further the message of the story" and I think having Miles do this presentation can support how much emphasis he puts on his hero life.

Last time during the first movie, he did his own spidey-presentation at the end, but he also talked about finishing his essay, and doing art with his dad. In this one, we only get mentions of things related to being Spider-man, you can argue that including his uncle on the recap may also be involved because he died just in the time he was becoming Spider-man.

(This is also to remind the audience of this plot point for the ending but shhh we are focussing on other things here.)

This is nothing new for Spidey-people, Gwen the more repressed she is the more she clings to her duty, which only makes her repress more and makes the cycle continue. Peter B was okay with the idea of staying behind even if it meant dying, and let's be real here, part of the reason he was okay with it was that dying as a spider-man is an idea he made peace with years ago, but confronting MJ about what happened was scarier.

This also happened in the first movie.

This is before they know they may die if they stay, however, you have to admit is a tad unsettling that after being told "You will need to destroy your only way to get home," everyone IMMEDIATELY says they will do it.

Forget being superheroes, no one has any doubts? Any fears of how long it would take to go back home, if at all?

Peni and Gwen worry me especially because I know why those two may just prefer to ditch their home dimensions for a good while (Gwen because she already lost her Peter, was in a flaky relationship with her dad, and probably was neglecting other people too. Peni if you had read some of her comics is not that surprising, heck I want to get her out of that dimension myself.)

I could go on, because I don't think we had seen a Spidey person in this franchise who isn't putting way too much emphasis on their hero identity; but you get the idea. This is a common problem.

And Miles is no different.

When we go to the Party for his dad (something his mom reminded him of before he bolted out to capture the Spot,) we see that the Party is in full swing. Music is in, people had already started digging in the food, and kids are playing.

Look, growing up my family had parties like this, fairly often growing up. This one is to celebrate Captain Morales obviously, but I had been at family reunions that are easily this size.

Considering the size and for who is the Party, I am surprised they didn't call him non-stop when he didn't show up to help put everything up (because I am having a hard time believing he wouldn't be expected to help to put everything,) it was already late when the first person showed up, so by this point, this is beyond lateness.

And where he is at?

JUST NOW he is picking up the cake, AS SPIDERMAN.

Miles, mijo ¿Qué estás haciendo? Para este punto de la partida yo ya estaría haciendo mi testamento.

(Trans: Miles, son, what are you doing? By this point I would be doing my will.)

Ok jokes aside, I don't know what's more unbelievable, that he is just now getting the cake, or that he is doing it in the Spidey costume.

This tells us EXACTLY what he was doing before coming up to pick this cake.

Last time we see him, he told his dad he didn't believe The Spot would come back, which means he didn't exactly think there was any danger. Nothing in the movie shows or tells us there was another big emergency he didn't need to attend to, either; and it has CLEARLY been a few hours since that moment since the lightning has changed.

Don't tell me he came in with his Spidey suit to get a better deal or something, the woman clearly doesn't care about it; and even then, at any moment he seems to find a way to change just so he can move around the city more easily.

Not to mention that while he was trying to come to the Party, this happened.

In case you need to make sure what's happening, since this moment happens in a few seconds during Jeff speech; because someone was stealing shoes (with a guard who is clearly not giving a shit,) he sent a web to stop him.

And rather than just, going on with his day, he stops to sign some autographs and pics, to the point someone else thinks the taxi is waiting for a new client, which the guy obviously accepts.

Honestly, once this moment clicked for me I feel a little dumb to not realize that this is actually a thing Miles needs to confront about himself and not just the natural back and forth that is expected with this life.

And you can see it in other things too.

Miles isn't a loner, or at least he wasn't one in Into the Spider-verse.

I remember that when I saw the movie the contrast surprised me, like many other people, I had grown up with plenty Peter Parker adaptations, where he is most of the time, a nerd that deals with bullying to some degree. Even with Miles being his own character, I was surprised that at least in his old school and neighborhood, he not only has friends, he is basically a popular kid.

Now in ATSV? That seems to have gone away.

Is such a small detail in both movies, but it still shocks me every time I think about it hard enough.

Miles had tons of friends, or at least people he definitely got along with; people who said that miss him and such. Even if we never hear a name from him; look at the people greeting him at the beginning at ITSV, go to see the movie and see how much Miles scrolls on his contact list; there is no way in hell he wasn't close to some of these people.

But all of them seem to have gone away by this movie, not only did neither of his parents think of asking about anyone in the neighborhood, Miles himself only scratches the names of his spidey-friends. This either means Rio and Jeff know enough of the people in the neighborhood to be aware Miles is not going out with any of them; or the relationships had deteriorated enough that neither party even thinks of the possibility of being with any of them.

That's...that's a lot.

Look, I am not going to say Miles changing school wouldn't affect his previous friendships, I know exactly how that works.

But in ITSV, Miles said it himself, he still lives here, none of them look like they live too far to be impossible to hang out with; and despite that, the only friend he seems to have is Genki; who aside from being his rommie, is the only person he has that knows his secret.

Which is probably, the only reason they are close enough for Miles's parents to know about him.

To top it all off, this shows that Miles isn't exactly shy, he may have not been fitting too well with his classmates at first but it has been over a year, and he should have been able to make more friends. If he wanted to.

And is not the only thing suffering.

I am not sure if the joke is that Miles is trying to soften the blow and the teacher is telling on him, or, that he legit forgot the number of classes. Considering it was obvious the woman was going to know and had no incentive in hiding this from his parents; I am inclined to believe Miles actually forgot how many classes he lost.

Considering how spidey emergencies work, 6 classes isn't that big of a thing, assuming this is the only class he has lost classes on. Knowing how the hero gig works you could expect more, but for my own sanity I will pretend it has been only these.

There is a big chance he missed those classes for really, bad situations where he needed to be there. However, we aren't actually sure; and considering the direction this movie is going, it is very feasible he may be messing around a few times.

And look, Miles grades are freaking amazing; seriously I was doing a lot worse in school without any hero business involved. But even if he obviously puts some level of priority in his studies, you can see that this is a struggling battle.

Not to mention the elephant in the room, that is the fact that the reason we know he is working so hard to have good grades, is because he wants to go to Princeton University.

Miles can't give the exact reason as to why in this scene, but this is really all we need to hear:

I really don't need to explain myself further, but because I already had the image at hand from something else, here it is.

The only not related to Spider-man is that he is somewhat prioritizing, and has to do more to see the other Spiders than his actual future.

I think this becomes more obvious when you remember that as smart as he is with Physics, in the first movie he wasn't really interested; despite what he knew he was trying to fumble that class like the rest of them, trying to quit. The only thing he seemed passionate about was his art, which is the other class that he is doing amazingly.

I had seen people argue Miles' dream will probably be related to art, if it wasn't because seeing the other spiders has become even more important than that, deciding to try to get into the best Physics Program in the country just to see if he has a chance to meet them again. That's a lot of time, effort, and work; and is not even about him or what he wants to do for the rest of his life.

In a way, this movie comes to a conclusion about it, but I think I want to talk more about that when we focus on Miles' parents.

Thank you for reading, hope this gives you guys some perspective about Miles; I feel I don't see a lot of people picking up on this, which is a shame since I feel the story with his family gains a deeper layer by having both parties struggling in their own areas.

[badventist-petite]

so my poor poor mutuals and followers have been dealing with my bruce greenwood obsession for a better part of a year now and i'm so sorry but it's not stopping anytime soon i think

it all started when i binged the entirety of the resident in a week and a half this time last year and said to myself "ughhh i loooooove bruce greenwood, why have i been neglecting him for so long?" 😭😭😭

and in so doing, i found myself back here on tumblr, which led to aos boyce/pike fanfic (shoutout @ofsmokenandgold's "weight of a man" series and @gracieminabox's "the way our horizons meet" series. completely altered my brain chemistry they're both sooooo good)

which led to me going down the rabbit hole of watching everything he's in, stuff i've seen and stuff i haven't seen. i'm not even close to watching everything but i may or may not have created a spreadsheet breaking down how much he's on-screen in the stuff that he's in. because i'm a freak. (but at least @lizzy0305 supports me in this endeavor)

EXAMPLE: he's in the film "Flight" with Denzel Washington, he's plays an old friend of his but he's also the rep for the pilots' union. the film is 138 minutes long, and Bruce is on-screen for roughly 27 of those minutes. which comes out to about 19.5 percent.

the shows are going to be a pain in the ass to calculate. like The Resident. even though he's credited in all 100-something episodes, he's not actually in every single episode

St. Elsewhere is also going to suck because i don't really care for that show AT ALL. 😬 (that show has both bruce and mark, not at the same time sadly, but it still can't hold my attention, i really tried)

and that led to "hey i'm gonna watch some NCIS, i need a reference point for my guy phil boyce in these fics" because iykyk 😏 and then i somehow ended up watching THIRTEEN SEASONS ( @bowserbabe don't laugh at me.) i didn't really watch it too much back in the day but i somehow still shipped kate/gibbs because of course i did 👀 and also watching some of mark harmon's other stuff because he is also very very pretty (like prince of bel-air, he is SO EFFING GORGEOUS in that dumb movie, i love it. i'm probably gonna rewatch it soon. and i just watched the presidio again yesterday, a classic!)

and then i found some stuff of theirs on youtube; sleepwalkers with bruce and a young naomi watts and also surprise! jeffrey d. sams. it was very unfortunately cancelled after six episodes, i liked it so much! and reasonable doubts with mark and marlee matlin but the pilot is the only full ep that i've found on youtube... i really gotta find the rest of those eps. that show got 2 seasons so that's better.

speaking of youtube, i follow some comics youtubers and they also like polls over there. one was "outside of kevin conroy, who is your favorite batman voice actor?" options were: troy baker, jensen ackles (i think), roger craig smith, and of course bruce greenwood. so that's who i vote for, not just because i want him to win the poll (he didn't but he was in 2nd place) but because i do actually feel that he's the 2nd best after kevin.

then i came across another youtube poll asking "what's your favorite justice league animated film?" choices were: "justice league: new frontier", "justice league: doom", "justice league dark: apokolips war", and "justice league: crisis on two earths". and so i voted for crisis on two earths (and it was the clear favorite of the poll). y'know.. the one with james woods as the evil batman couterpart, owlman. he was so good in that role. he's so good as villains in general. probably because he is an actual villain irl so it's not really acting for him.... oh and also mark harmon as superman, no biggie. kinda wish he did it a few more times, he was pretty good.

so after pondering for a little bit and putting two and two together, now my brain is like, wait... huh... i want that 👀👀👀 i want bruce as batman and mark as superman.

and i do kinda ship batman/superman sometimes. 'cause why not? they're cute. and all of the fanart here on tumblr doesn't help! it's so good

i want art of this. i'd do it myself but i can't draw for shit, i'm just not talented in that way

so someone draw that for me, please? i'll give you money and find all of the reference photos you'd ever need. probably more than you'd ever want.

i don't know about a particular art style, it just has to obviously be those two guys? i guess it couldn't be an action scene because i want to actually see that it's bruce's face under the cowl so maybe they're hanging out in the batcave or fortress of solitude after some crime-fighting. or maybe they're out and about as bruce and clark in metropolis or something? nah, i want them in uniform but no cowl on bats! and it doesn't have to be shippy either (but i wouldn't say no 😁😁😁)

[thegoldheartlocketandkey-blog]

911 Spoilers Season 3: You’ve been warned. 😅 Buddie Rewatch

Episodes 16-18

Episode 16: The One that Got Away

The 118 is in a burning building. Buck and Eddie are trailing ahead, Bobby is behind them. They are checking every apartment for survivors. Buck finds a man passed out on the ground. The man is barely conscious, is asking about a Gladys.

They assume he is talking about a cat, Buck stays behind looking for the cat, he finds a cat that turns out to be Hoover. Gladys is a deaf woman who is still trapped inside.

Buck wants to do a rope rescue. Eddie isn’t surprised, but knows it is extremely dangerous.

Eddie and Buck are on top of the building next to the burning one. They jump onto the burning, where Eddie secures himself to the top of the building as Buck lowers himself down to Gladys’ window. Buck breaks thru the window and pulls Gladys out.

As they are descending, the roof starts to collapse and Eddie must secure the rope to the building and get off that roof. Buck must descend the rest of the way by himself. The rope catches on fire. The fire cuts thru the rope and Buck and Gladys fall on to the airbag, Buck and Glady’s are safe, a lot of bystanders were recording the rescue.

Buck is celebrating the rescue. He wants to go out to the bars and celebrate properly. Eddie is the first to decline, because Chris is hosting his first sleep over, but he extends an invitation to Buck if he wants to celebrate with a bunch of 9-year-olds.

Hen, Bobby, and Chimney all also decline Buck’s invitation. He decides to go celebrate alone.

Buck walks into the bar as the News is playing his rescue. Buck is proud momentarily, until the older patron he sat near, calls him an idiot. We meet Red, a retired Firefighter.

Buck and Red spend the night drinking. Buck is listening to all of Red’s old stories. With the number of cups and bottles on their table, they are obviously drunk.

Through out this episode we learn about how similar Buck and Red are as individuals. They both made firefighting their whole identity. Buck sees his possible future in Red and that scares him. Especially the part about being alone.

Buck walks Red to his apartment, where he sees photos of Red’s old firehouse and learns more about Red’s life. Red giving Buck the advice of not neglecting his own life.

Buck is talking to the 118 about Red and how his situation is bother him. Eddie and Buck are standing next to each other. Eddie trying to comfort Buck and agrees with him that they will not lose touch.

Buck tries to surprise Red with news that he found her lost love Cindy. Buck convinces Red to go see Cindy to rekindle what they once had. He drives Red to Cindy’s house and get him baseball tickets to go see a game.

It becomes obvious real soon that Cindy is suffering from dementia. Buck’s plan falls apart and Red feels like he can’t survive Buck’s medaling.

Buck talks to Maddie about the situation. We learn that Buck still occasionally thinks about Abby his lost love. Buck also talks about how Maddie doesn’t understand his situation, because she’ s the one that leaves and he is the one that is left behind.

Red is in the hospital; he calls Buck to help him be discharged. We learn that Red has cancer and is dying. Red tells Buck to stop trying to save him and Buck realizes the best thing he can do is sit down and listen to his story.

The 118 surprises Hen with a doctor’s coat after her very unconventional rescue. Eddie and Buck are at the front of the group cheering the loudest. Bobby slightly behind and Chim slightly towards the left. A bunch of extras are in the back.  

Buck makes a comment about how they call him a show off. Eddie follows with a joke about field transplants. Chim states that that is why she needs the coat.

Buck and Eddie nearly pressed up near each other. Eddie offering to take a photo of the moment as Buck calls her Dr. Wilson and Chim helps her put on the coat.

Buck continuing to gas Hen up and Eddie taking multiple photos of Hen in a coat. As the team starts to disperse Eddie says he will send Hen the photos. Buck receives a call.

Buck meets Red at the hospital. Buck plans an elaborate discharge that shows Red he is appreciated by the department. The 118 at the end saluting Red and escorting him home in the fire truck.

We learn of Red’s passing and Buck is in tears while talking to Maddie. Maddie acknowledging that Buck was comparing himself to Red’s life and telling him that he will not be left behind.

Episode 17: Powerless

Hot air Ballon: Buck goes on to talk about how dangerous hot air ballons are. Eddie is visibly confused by the comment. Buck clarifies that dispatch gets a lot of calls in relation to hot air balloon incidents. Eddie asking if Maddie told him that and Buck responding with “no, someone else” Cuts to Bobby making a face because he knows that means Abby.

Eddie and Buck standing near each other as the discuss wind conditions and how to get the girl down.

Everyone running to pull the ballon down. Eddie and Bobby grabbing the rope and pulling down as, Buck jumps into the basket to bring her down.

Hen and Karen talking about going out to a restaurant and why Karen was not invited. Hen explains if she invited Karen, Chim would invite Maddie. Maddie would invite Buck and Buck would invite Eddie.

Tree cutter vehicle gets stolen; Buck and Eddie almost getting hit with a spark. They are of course standing near each other. Like I don’t know who often I have to say this, but Buck and Eddie are always standing near each other. Chim and Hen are never on top of each other as much as Buck and Eddie are.

Eddie and Buck pull the victim out. Turns out there is a power outage.  Buck runs over to a car accident that happens nearby.

Athena gets attacked. I remember the first time watching this episode, I was so worried and panicked. I didn’t think she would die, but I definitely was at the edge of my seat. I think the most traumatizing aspect of this is everyone, especially Bobby hearing Athena being attached and that single gunshot.

Everyone listening to the attack, they are quiet and concerned to afraid to say anything. The 118 running into the building, even though it is not clear. Them having to call another RA unit to the scene because the 118 was not going to help Athena’s attacker.

Train derailment; Abby is the person to call in the emergency.

Episode 18: What’s Next?

Abby is on a moving train. She is walking to the bar for a drink. We learn about her travels and she acknowledges that Buck has stopped waiting for her.

Buck is overly concerned about Christopher going to summer camp for two weeks. Eddie confused by the over concern, stating he brought this up so they can make him feel better about the situation.

Buck is acting like an overly concerned father. It’s cute how close his relationship is with Chris that he is so deeply worried about his safety. I think it is especially funny because Buck is such a dare devil/ risk taker.

Buck laughing at Bobby’s experience with sleep away camp.

Eddie is grading Hen’s practice test for the MCAT. Eddie and Buck being incredibly supportive of Hen’s desire to go to med school.

The Train derails. The 118 shows up to the scene to help. Buck and Eddie are canvasing the scene.

Eddie approaches Abby and tells her that she cannot go back into the train. She tries to explain that she understands it is dangerous but she has to get into that cart. Buck walks passed and recognizes Abby.

As Abby recognizes that Eddie is from the 118, Buck calls out to her. Eddie looks at Abb, I don’t know how to describe his expression. It’s a mix of disappointment and something else. I really wish I knew how to describe the feeling.

Eddie slightly backing away as Buck fusses over Abby. He is trying to make sure she is alright. Abby is just trying to get him to listen, she is alright and she’s worried about finding her fiancé.

Buck looks heartbroken at the realization that Abby has a fiancé. Eddie cuts in asking for a description of her fiancé, but looking over to Buck to see his expression.

Eddie runs towards the direction of the cart, he is about to pat Buck on the shoulder, but hesitates and just runs off.

Buck starts to get his composure back. He asks Abby for her fiancés name, which is Sam. He tries to shake off. Abby thanks Buck and Buck tells her that it is not necessary, he’s just doing his job. He promises that they will find him and bring him back to her.  

Eddie and Buck climbing up the train cart identifying dead bodies and victims.

Buck is the one to find Sam pinned against the cart. He tells Sam that his fiancé is safe on the ground. Eddie is looking at Buck concerned.

The cart shifts with Buck and Eddie inside. They are both tossed up.  Bobby makes his way inside with a hydraulic ram. As they try to get Sam unpinned, we hear a woman scream. They pause to access the situation.

Eddie and Bobby accessing who they can save. Because of the circumstances, it’s very likely they can only save one. Buck looking distraught at the realization.

Sam realizing that it’s his life or the girls. Buck reassuring him that they are trying to work on a solution to save both. Sam telling buck about how his wedding is planned for June.

Buck hearing Bobby and Eddie decide to work on the girl since she has better odds. Buck being vocal about how they cannot just do that. Bobby confused by outburst. Eddie to reveal that Sam is Abby’s fiancé.

Eddie in this moment sounds a little jealous and bitter.

Buck is scaling the outside of the train, trying to cut out an exist as Eddie is inside with the victims. The cart shifts as Buck is outside. They are able to pull the girl out safely and turn their attention to Sam.

They are able to safely extract Sam out of the cart and reunite him with Abby. Sam learns that the Firefighter that was helping him is the Ex-boyfriend, Buck.

Eddie standing by Buck as Abby and Sam go into an ambulance. Eddie looking up at Buck and asking him if he’s okay.

Sometimes their height difference is very noticeable, this is one of those moments.

Buck ignores the questions and asks what is next.

Buck and Abby meet up. Sam is doing alright and she thanks him for that. Abby apologizes to Buck about how he heard the news of the engagement. Buck talks about how upset he was over here ghosting him. Him getting an explanation for the situation. Buck finally gets the closure he deserves.

May’s Highschool Graduation party: Buck and Eddie are standing near each other as they cheers to May’s success.

Eddie dancing with Christopher.

Buck and Chimney laughing uncontrollably. Buck and Maddie taking a silly photo together. Eddie and Chris taking a silly photo together.

Buck and Chris signing May’s poster together.  

More clips of Eddie dancing with Chris and then Karen and Hen.

Buck and Chris take a cute silly photo.

Buck, Eddie, Chim, and Hen take a silly photo.

This cute Gif moment and my profile photo;

More Buck, Eddie, and Chris adorable photos.

Chistopher getting onto a bus for summer camp. Eddie standing outside of it, saying goodbye.

More Chris and Eddie dancing.

Buck apologizing to Bobby about what he said at the train derailment.

[jennrypan]

"Marvel hasn't changed that much"

If you don't notice the clear DOWNGRADE in quality and character behaviors after Infinity War. You're insane I think.

Like.. its been nothing but shitty little jokes, crapping out movie after movie with no real pause which gives no one a chance to care about the new characters they wanna toss at people.

Take Thor 4. It was NOTHING but jokes and no one had an actual important stakes. Jane had a cancer but that wasn't really..deep. Gor was out slaying gods but we only see him kill one(1) God, and he injures Sif but that scene was made for laughs. The ENTIRE SCENE OF THOR IN OLYMPUS. Fuck off. Zeus was an absolute joke, hated that shit. ..then Thor..uses the power of..children to fight the bad guy 😐 the power of fucking untrained KIDS. Get the power of friendship? Fuck OFFFF with that. Then Gor kills himself and basically forces Thor to become a new dad?? Like..he should've died to be with his daughter and give his life for Jane cuz he knows what it's like to lose the one closest to you?? That would've been way better than oh "Here take care of my daughter, stranger I don't know"??? The fuck.

Then Doctor Strange 2. Wanda tweaking out over children that wasn't hers and completely back peddling on ANYTHING. She mightve learned in her show. Like ok..you get to be an insane villain and kill everyone in every universe cuz you lost everything..meanwhile Thor lost his mother, father, brother and his world..and he becomes a joke. Sure. And oh Wanda can just..kill Xavier, Reed and anyone and her punishment? She kills herself. Screw off. (..Wanda is the WORST in every interaction. The comics? Annoying. Movies?? Annoying. Like i get it..chaos magic is an issue but why the fuck is she op and can't even handle her mental state properly. Idk.)

...I got heavily side tracked. Anyways. Onto Endgame itself. Rewatching it was jarring cuz wow. It was ass. They didn't really understand time travel..and then having Bruce and the Hulk..mix and become dumber?? (Also..Hulk pussing out cuz Thanos beat him ONCE?? Was so stupid.) And then they made Thor into a fat joke and no one took him seriously.

THE LOKI SERIES. It was absolute shit. You can't have your trailers showing he's about to be all cool and badass..then have him get showed up by his fem counterpart who was just an asshole to him the entire time?? And she's justified cuz..her world was destroyed?? Like Loki growing up neglected and hated by his father who stole him, and feeling as if he'd never be good enough wasn't worth him being upset over?? Nah yeah Shiva..whatever her name is had every right to be a bitch 😒 and then Loki didn't use any of his actual smarts to try and escape at all??? He just..sits back and let's these people do whatever?? Avengers 1 Loki!!! God. And then after words..hes left cleaning up Silvias mess!! Go to hell. And then having Steve grow old randomly and go back to Peggy..WHO HAD MOVED ON. 3 movies and an Avengers break up for Bucky and you

And then with Black Panther 2..it was just bad. Like honestly. Queen Ramenda did NOT have to die. And the parts with Everette and that white lady didn't need to be included fr. And then we get T'Challa jr but..we probably won't see him again cuz who really cares at this point CUZ SO MUCH IS ALREADY HAPPENING.

Marvel use to have a steady pace of what they were gonna release and it gave you time to actually LIKE characters and care about them. Now it just feels hard to even look forward to a marvel movie cuz they dunno how to handle character interactions anymore.

[the-queen-and-the-king]

A little piece of paradise - 6

Summary: After a rough interrogation, Emily and Aaron finally found the little girl abducted by this couple and their son who were following an old ritual. However, Aaron seems disturbed by the way he had to act to win the case.

It follows S04E13 "Bloodline"

Characters: Aaron Hotchner and Emily Prentiss

Contents: talk about abusive relationship, family violence (against spouse and children), drunk parent, and CM murder stuff NSFW/Minors DNI

This text will be an AU with a sudden canon-divergence. I wrote it when I was rewatching the show, so many chapters will be directly related to some episodes of season 4. There will be 28 chapters.

PS : English is not my mother language so they are necessarily mistakes. Sorry about that.

___

Read on AO3 / lire sur AO3

___

Emily looked left and right, then down the deserted corridor to Aaron's room. The investigation they had been following for the previous few days had ended on a sour note. They had captured the suspects and recovered the little girl they had abducted, alive and in one piece; but at the same time, they had discovered that this trio of malefactors was just one among many, and that they were free to move about, ready to perpetrate the same modus operandi again and again. This kind of bitter end always sticks in the throat of profilers, but she also knew that her lover was having an even harder time of it than they were, because of his position of responsibility. Each lost case meant fewer arguments to justify the agency's expenses and obtain an adequate budget to ensure their smooth operation. So, she knocked on his door with the idea of cheering him up, by any means necessary.

As she'd suspected, he wasn't asleep, so it wasn't long before he opened it. He let her close behind her as he slowly retraced his steps. He looked dejected, downcast, and clearly not in the mood to have a good time with her. The young woman took it in her stride and moved towards him to snuggle up against his chest. He was leaning against the desk, facing the bed. He put his arms around her but went no further.

“Are you okay?” she asked, lifting her chin.

“No”, he answered, honest.

If Aaron had so much trouble with the political aspect of his status as director, it was because he didn't know any better than to be frank and sincere. An attitude that offended more than one pride, which he couldn't care less about. At least he had a clear conscience. However, he would sometimes embellish reality or turn a blind eye to what he wished to conceal when faced with people he cared about and didn't want to worry. So, officially, his wife had left him because he'd neglected her, and he could hear perfectly well out of his right ear. Two white lies designed to focus his subordinates' attention away from himself. She was the only exception to his pattern. For some reason he was still unable to explain, he had, one night, told her what had really happened between him and Haley. Part of the fault lay with him, but Jack's mother wasn't innocent either. As for his eardrum, she knew that its acuity had been halved, and reduced further when tired.

He told her everything because he trusted her, and he wanted to be as transparent as possible with her. He hadn't been enough during his previous union, and it had backfired. The lesson had been a bitter one, and he had no intention of repeating the same mistake with his new companion, who was also trying to open up more. Which was no mean feat when you had her past, and it was still a secret she hadn't shared. The closer she got to Aaron and the more attached she became to him, the more she thought about how she would one day broach the subject. But tonight, was not the time. Her lover wasn't well, and she had to help him to be positive.

“Is it because of the investigation?” she went on, her own arms around his chest.

“More or less.”

“More or less? What that’s supposed to mean?”

The giant heaved a long sigh. Since she'd entered, he hadn't looked at her. He stared at the wall in front of him without really seeing it, lost in thought.

“You know, now that we know their M.O., we'll be able to get our hands on the others in no time,” she stressed, to ease the tension she felt behind his back. “We'll get the information out to all the police forces, and they'll do what's necessary.”

This was what she had been repeating to herself since they left the police station, to put her mind at rest. A method that doesn't work very well on her partner.

“It's not that,” he disclosed dully.

“What is it then?”

“It’s…”

His muscles tensed under her fingers. What he was about to say was going to be as difficult to deliver as it was to hear. She remained in position, ready to take it.

“It’s this… bad cop thing…”

He stopped there, his eyes brighter than usual. He was hurt. Mentally hurt.

“Then, what?” she encouraged him. “It’s a role. This isn’t really you.”

“Yes.”

She saw him swallow, increasingly uncomfortable. 

“What? Why do you say that?” she questioned, puzzled.

“… My… my father used to beat my mother,” he said, barely audible.

Emily stiffened, more attentive than ever. No one knew anything about Hotch's past until he began his studies. It was information he was retaining four times over in his memory and which he flatly refused to talk about. Even to her. And what he'd just revealed already explained his silence on the subject. This explained a lot of other things too about his behavior. She answered nothing, letting him develop at his own pace.

“Not… not when he was sober,” he pursued, tightening his embrace around her without being conscious of it. “There, he was content to be abject with her. But... when he'd been drinking... anything would set him off and... he'd go down on her. And... later, when... I was old enough to defend her... he hit me too.”

She saw a tear roll down his cheek but didn't dare intercept it for fear of breaking the spell. A vise was closing around her own chest, even though she had nothing to do with it. The pain he must be feeling at this moment was surely terrible, but he carried on regardless, still without meeting her eyes.

“I… I promise myself not to be like him. To… to never let anger win. But… it’s impossible.”

His voice had broken at this realization. He lowered his nose and closed his eyes, letting two new tears escape. His companion understood that it was her turn to play. She put her hands on his face to make him listen.

“Aaron, you’re not your father. You’ve got nothing to do with him.”

“I’m scaring people.”

“No, not at all.”

“Jordan fears me. You are all fear me. That woman was afraid of me. Like… like my mother.”

She forced him to lean towards her so that he could put his head on her shoulder, and she could comfort him more easily. He didn't struggle and hugged her, crying silently into the hollow of her neck. She stroked his hair tenderly and whispered in his ear:

“Aaron, we're not scared because you're evil. You’re just… impressive. You're head and shoulders above everyone else.”

“Spencer is as tall as me,” he mumbled, sniffing.

“Yes, but he's as thick as a potato chip,” she joked to make him smile. “You're tall, square, well-dressed, well-coiffed and you've got a trailer voice. So, yes, it’s true, you do impress us.”

She couldn't have said otherwise anyway, since they were all clenching their butts when he frowned in their direction.

“Jordan doesn't know you like we do, and she doesn't have our training. She stops at what everyone else sees at first glance, and so doesn't get that behind it all is an absolutely adorable teddy bear.”

He had ceased to cry. He listened intently to what she had to say. She was weighing her words. His companion was intelligent and could easily slip through the cracks in an argument to turn it against the litigant. A remnant of his past as a prosecutor. So, she had to lock everything down so he wouldn't take advantage of it to denigrate himself further.

“As for this woman, that was the whole point. It wouldn't have made sense for me to play you, she asserted in passing. And, once again, it was only a role.”

“But I didn’t need to force myself. I was really mad.”

“Like all of us,” she objected, earnestly. “We were all furious at what they'd done to this little girl. Furious at what they had done to their own child. Not even of age and already a murderer, it's despicable.”

Just thinking about it made her insides contract. This kid would never have a normal life, even if he were entrusted to the hands of good, honest adopters. He had killed two people, assisted in the murders of two others and helped kidnap two young girls. It wasn't something you could erase from your memory as easily as falling off your bike or getting a bad mark on an exam. Worst of all, he had to be convinced he'd done nothing wrong. It was revolting, and it was no aberration to be overcome by rage at this terrible reality.

Aaron calmed down and released the pressure around his companion's chest. Emily took the opportunity to give him a kiss on the cheek before pulling away to press her forehead against his. She tried to capture his gaze and he let himself be caught.

“Feeling better?”

He nodded and smiled shyly.

“Do you want me to stay with you tonight?”

He shook his head.

“The others will wonder.”

“Why? You go down first at breakfast, then they follow and, as usual, I'll be the last to join you.”

The giant pouted, but she was confident. It was the truth. The director was an early riser who was always dressed well before anyone else. On the other hand, she was more the type to leave home at the last minute before being late, with only a cup of coffee in her stomach, and to arrive at the office when everyone else was already on the warpath. A rhythm of life that could have divided them, but which actually suited them in this kind of situation. Everyone could escape from their partner's room without running the risk of crossing paths with their colleagues. It was only on weekends that their rituals harmonized: he'd hang out in bed to enjoy her presence, and she'd accompany him out of the sheets to take the time to relish a real breakfast.

“No one's going to see me leave this place,” she assured him, tranquilizing him.

“... All right,” he agreed, cheerlessly.

“Unless you don't want me to stay...”

“Yes, I do!” he rushed to say, tightening his grip around her.

Her lover may not have been good at verbally expressing his innermost thoughts and emotions – which was hardly surprising given what she now knew about his childhood – but his gestures spoke for him. He really didn't want her to go. She smiled and kissed him.

“We’ll make love tomorrow.”

“Yes.”

“Cool!”

His lips stretched more serenely and landed on hers. A few moments later, they were lying under the comforter, he on his back, she curled up against his body, hand and leg wrapped around him. He himself had placed his fingers on hers and his other palm on her shoulder. Eyelids closed, they slept peacefully, reassured by the proximity of their loved one. 

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First chapter >> https://www.tumblr.com/the-queen-and-the-king/771016298484334592/a-little-piece-of-paradise-1?source=share

Next chapter >> https://www.tumblr.com/the-queen-and-the-king/774821373161930752/a-little-piece-of-paradise-7?source=share

[langernameohnebedeutung]

Hi, I recently got into izombie (probably from you putting it on my dash) and figure you’re the right person for this question. While I love majority of the show, somewhere in the S3-4 range, it didn’t seem as good - not sure if the plots were weaker but the brain-effect on Liv seemed way stronger than before in a way that was less enjoyable to watch (and based on some fourth wall jokes, I’m guessing the network was neglecting them in S4?). On the other hand, I love both “good guy angsts about learning to bend morals without going too far” characters and “unrepentantly fun bad guys” so having both Major and Blaine(&company) in one show is amazing. I’ve finished S4 and it ended in a solid enough way to be a finale and I’ve heard that the end of S5 was bad so my question for you is… Is season five worth watching?

Heyo! :>

I love hearing that people watch izombie!! (especially if I play a role in that).

Hmm...my nuanced, honest opinion?

The issue of the brains becoming really dominant is a common criticism of season 4/the later episodes, so you're definitely not alone with that feeling (personally, I mostly dislike it in the way that we don't see how things actually affect Liv as our main-character for a lot of the times. But overall, I do like season 4 as the one where they were the most silly with their premise and had a little fun and we get some new dynamics, new characters, the whole Filmore Graves situation, Liv's whole Renegade gig, Ravi's part-time zombie thing, Blaine and Don E doing their silly little basement antics and also sad things like the Isobel arc - I won't lie, I had a good time with season 4 and it's definitely one I like to rewatch for the stand-alone episodes. I don't often rewatch a lot of season 5, it has to be said. But I generally tend to avoid finales. I am biased against final seasons).

And yeah, they had issues with the budget and management though I never really looked into the details. This is also something that can be felt in season 5 and the finale.

Season 3 has (I think?) a bit of a reputation as the weakest season of the show because it's kinda disrupted plotwise and some of the characterisation issues - so yeah, a lot of people share the sentiment.

When it comes to season 5: WELL. yeah. It's definitely not in the race for "best finale of all times". It's not going out with a bang, I'm honest (a lot of which is due to the budget issue, to be fair). BUT I also didn't hate it. There are some fun episodes, some answers to questions, some stuff is resolved.

If you want my honest opinion: If season 4 was a total drag for you to get through, season 5 (at least the first half) has a very similar tone. I don't think it's as over the top with the brains as they were e.g. with "Blue Bloody" (Liv on snobby old lady brain). But if you really don't want to relive that, I would also recommend you stop at the season 4 finale. With the season 4 finale, you're ending on a high note with all the characters being happy and successful and basically running Seattle.

If you want to know how the show really ends without investing a lot of time in season 5, I would recommend you watch "The Scratchmaker" (and perhaps "Death Moves Pretty Fast") and the finale and you will get the gist of it. On the other hand, another strategy might be to ignore the show-finale/over-arching plot and let the s4 finale be a spiritual finale for the show itself. That way, you can still enjoy some of the good season 5 episodes that are fun on their own, like the noir episode, the dancing episode etc. Those are pretty fun. I think most of the reason people say season 5 is bad is because of the finale and the plotlines that lead to it, not so much the per-week stuff.

Though, I admit I didn't hate season 5 It's by no means a work of art but honestly, izombie is not a show that I love particularly much for quality - I don't think it's some forgotten magnum opus - I mostly really love the characters and the ideas and dynamics. And I also still enjoyed those things in season 5.

As I said, first half of the season is close to season 4 in tone and style - then it reaches kind of a tipping point where you can tell it's taking the big steps towards the finish line. I think that's my biggest actual issue with that season. Because towards the end, they kind of rush it and introduce a lot of stuff in a really quick time. It's like - you should be resolving stuff now, not create more plotlines. I feel like the final 2 episodes should at least have been 3 but you can tell that this was also a budget issue.

Some of the strong points are that we get some resolution to older arcs, especially where Liv is concerned (I don't want to spoil). Peyton gets a bit more to do than in season 4 which I also liked though there are..................some more instances of a certain pattern of tropes I noticed they do with her character that once again happened in season 5. (Maybe I'll make a post about that one day but I don't want to be negative)

I think if you enjoyed Major and the whole Filmore Graves ethical quagmire in season 4, you will also enjoy him in season 5 because a lot is happening there. I do miss Chase a lot though. Don E gets a lot more character development and higher stakes in season 5 and we (and Blaine) get to meet his mother and learn more about him, which made me really happy. I really had a good time with Don E in that season. We even get a pre-Boat Party flashback with him and Blaine and Scott E.

As far as Blaine is concerned, a lot of people say that season 5 is his darkest, most evil season. It's a lot less "silly antics" compared to season 4 and a lot more "dude is really fucking losing it" and this is where a lot of fans say he really lost a lot of the compassion bonus he had with them. Though, personally I think it's all pretty on-brand and in character and there is a lot of call-back to his season 1 stuff. Also, having him narrate an episode was fun.

There are some new villains too, one character you already know from s4 becomes the main-baddie. And though while they don't replace Chase or Rita or Vaughn for me I did enjoy that character getting to go nuts a little.

[fastlikealambo]

So I think I’m quite done with the l word gen q! I know I’m a year too late but here are my thoughts no one asked for.

I believe the cast did the best they could but the problem with this show is that there is a lack of focus, a lack of actually inclusive writing, and pacing issues.

I felt like I was watching two different shows at times, especially with the last season, and there was not enough care given to the new characters nor the OGs, there was no cohesiveness tying them together except for repetitive plot lines that went nowhere.

I’ve been rewatching the l word too and one of the things that is such a contrast to gen q is that tina bette alice jenny and shane(I would include Dana but she does not appear for all of the show) were a group that by all means should not work in reality but the writers did the WORK and even at it’s low points the relationships between these core characters felt real.

They didn’t do that with gen q, they focused on plating up drama in an effort to keep things light but neglected to round out these characters so all of these moments feel so hollow.

With the OGs it felt like someone read the wiki and instead of building on these already established characters, they took bits and pieces and forced them into a mold for the show that at the core should have been about them in a post 2000s world.

With Gen Q, they failed the new characters by never giving them autonomy and urgency and instead a rinse and repeat of susbstance abuse and affairs that still fall into stereotypes and feed into the racism and transphobia they wanted to avoid. They don’t feel like characters, they feel like walking storylines.

When you combine these two crumbling worlds you are doomed to fail. Going through old fandom posts and seeing how a certain subset of fans talk about the characters of color I can see how things spiraled into mess on the show and in reactions to it. I did see a few posts pertaining to people harassing cast and crew and I hope that isn’t true, come on guys.

I don’t know if there is a future for the l word, the l word New York rumors seem to be just that, but I do hope that a future queer tv show is given the time and care that the l word gen q deserved.

Also jenny fucking schecter did not fucking kill herself be so fucking for real

[tamlinrose]

Good Omen 2 Spoilers

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Needless to say I’m devastated, obviously. The season was amazing, the writing, the acting, everything, and I was SO sure it was going to end with a drunken breakfast at the Ritz like Crowley. I was SO SURE they were going to kiss and happy music would swell and it was going to be all fine and dandy.

And of course I’m heartbroken for how It turned out, of COURSE I’m devastated that Aziraphale fundamentally missed the point that Crowley doesn’t want to be an Angel again, he doesn’t want to be a demon, he wants to be AZIRAPHALE’S.

Of course I’m so fucking sad that Crowley finally was vulnerable, and it came at just the wrong moment, the wrong time, the wrong wording to convince Aziraphale heaven can’t be fixed, because the thing is, Aziraphale is still brainwashed by the idea of Good. He is SO used to heaven being unkind that the second they throw him a bone he jumps, thinks “this is a chance for things to be different!” And is completely blinded by his own need to feel like a part of something bigger that he can’t see the truth, that they are manipulative and always will be, that if he didn’t have respect before he certainly won’t now, and most importantly That CROWLEY has never treated him like that, not once.

On the other hand, for all the people who are devastated and saying that they won’t rewatch, that they’re burning the bridge of their interest in good omens, that this is queerbait, it’s NOT. That’s your prerogative to stop watching of course, but the point is this is an UNFINISHED TALE. 6 episodes couldn’t cover the story, the overarching story, and this season didn’t have what would have been essential to Crowley and Aziraphale truly ending up together.

Crowley said it himself, Aziraphale WASNT THERE when they told him to shut up and die. He doesn’t believe heaven is as bad as it is because he hasn’t witnessed the true coldness up there in so long, and he’s NORMALIZED to the neglect and abuse he faces up there in a way many abused people are. He thinks that one bone is enough, that he can fix them, and he always would have felt that, which is why He NEEDS a personal arc where he realizes this on his own and stands up for himself AGAINST HEAVEN. THIS is his opportunity to do that. THAT is why the writers made him go back, he needs to know for himself before he can accept it.

THATS why Neil Gaiman is saying on his blog that he needs a season 3 to complete the arc. The writing timing of this falling out is intentional to keep the show alive to get to that point. If this tragic moment was left for Season 3 Ep 1 and they dined at the ritz like normal for Season 2 finale, there wouldn’t be any development we need for Aziraphale, and more importantly, if would feel like there was no need for a season 3. This tension is the writing worlds way of PRESERVING this show, and it’s frustrating yes, but that’s how things get renewed, that’s how Aziraphale gets the arc he needs, that’s how we get happy endgame Aziracrow, that’s how you rev up anticipation for the Second Coming, THATS how you write a story.

Also, it’s not queerbait. It never has been. They’ve always been in love, not even TALKING about the kiss here but about their complete trust in each other, their inside jokes, the DANCE SCENE, Crowley comforting Aziraphale after he lied to heaven. The symbolism between them and Maggie and Nina. (Nina also being in an abusive relationship like Aziraphale with heaven and needing TIME TO PROCESS before getting with Maggie, who will wait for her is totally mirroring the arc Aziraphale needs to have btw. Abused people don’t often just fall into healthy new relationships while still being entangled in their old ones mentally). My point is that if your argument for hating the ending is this was pulling the rug out from under queer fan base, think about all the creators who shoe in a gay relationship, kiss at the last second on the shows last episode, think about all the shows where subtext had to be enough, or where showrunners weren’t brave or allowed enough to make a relationship canon until the last second. This is the MIDDLE of the show (if everything goes well with Amazon which is out of Neil’s control). This has been explicit from the creators mouth and frankly the show itself for ages, even without a kiss. This is not queerbait, and sometimes relationships need space to be able to come back together in a truly fulfilled way, even queer ones.

Anyway that’s my rant, I have more, per usual, but this post is already long

[linnorabeifong]

🌟⭐🌟

Okay so here is some director’s commentary on “Happy Birthday to Me…I Guess” it wa so hard to decide what to write about. I really want to talk about the creative process behind this without spoiling it.

I had the idea when I rewatched the show and saw the scene with the photo of Yasuko and I realized we know nothing about her. I really wanted to remedy that. I also really love Asami and Asami centric fics. She’s such an enchanting character. She’s so elegant and mysterious 💜🤍

I couldn’t find a fic that was exactly what I was looking to read so I decided to write it myself. The premise is a little unoriginal I’m sure I could probably find a lot of ficus tackling this if I actually looked.

Where it gets fun is well… Asami doesn’t remember anything about her childhood or mother. It’s between seasons three and four and all of her friends are busy with their respective careers and she’s just kind of left out. She is still feeling the lingering affects of her father’s betrayal, Varrick’s attempt at stealing her company etc. She’s just really going through it and focusing on keeping her company going, to be honest she is neglecting herself.

She forgets her own birthday ! A girl’s twenty first birthday should be an occasion and so while Asami may neglect it someone else doesn’t. She’s sent a dress that was her mother’s and it sparks her curiosity. But there’s more. There’s a photo too… So now she wants to rediscover her parents past and figure out who tf sent this.

Along the way she enlists the help of her friends. But there’s more to the gift because it triggers memories. She has these really creepy/bizzare dreams and nightmares.

it’s a bit obvious who the gift sender is. But there are multiple plot points besides the mystery and the focus of the story alternates and changes as it develops.

(Side tangent/ secondary plot: She also really misses Korra, who hasn’t responded to any of her letters or calls and Asami doesn’t know how to handle her more than platonic desires. More on that later)

Through circumstance she finds out more information.

there is also a Kya-centric sub plot.

i don’t want to spoil anymore of it here’s more of the creative process/ inspo.

I wanted to use a large cast of characters and really flesh them all out more ( even and especially background characters) and give them something. I wanted to fill this with so many soft moments and backstory.

I also wanted to flesh out the city itself.! I love Republic City, it’s the most wonderful mix of cities around the world. Chicago, New York, Shang Hai, (Fun fact: The square in the park where the equalists protest in episode one is actually based off of a place in London) I know some fans don’t like how Americanized LOK is compared to its predecessor and the city is a massive part of that criticism. This is valid ! But I also feel that in some ways the Chicago influence ( the city is infamous for 20’s mobsters and I personally hear more old man from the Windy City than grumpy New Yorker in Zolt’s voice, but once again maybe I am over analyzing) kind of works. Hear me out. These American cities are a melting pot of cultures, and RC is supposed to be that as well, it’s the only place where all four nations combine.

tangent aside we’re given a massive city and so little lore. So I’ve sprinkled in street names and head cannons that one day I will expand upon.

💖I LoVe Yasuko💖

The idea behind Yasuko’s backstory was what if she had a rough background and weaseled her way into the upper class… and what if she had some interesting friends… I really wanted to see her as more than just a mom. I wanted to give her hobbies and make her proud of her culture and a sassy sweetheart. I wanted her to be the kind of person who fights tooth and nail for the people she cares about and is loyal to the bitter end.

I also may or may not be writing a companion piece set about (does the math) almost forty years before this one.

maybe I’m giving away too much.

I’m trying to keep it lighthearted but it’s kind of hard because we’ll… the circumstances of Yasuko’s death and the …. details of it.

there is also fluff and there will eventually be romance .💖 Korrasami 💖

so that’s my rant … and I still have more to say.

[theheightofdishonor]

You need to stop posting devastating things about kagehina, my entire queue is full of you😭 (love your analysis/general posts!!)

it's cuz I started rewatching the show as a distraction from irl events, dw the posts will run out soon (like 30 minutes) because i eventually have to show some self-restraint because I have things to do that I'm neglecting for haikyu rn. (well atleas the new posts will run out, I wanna go back and reblog old hq posts, preferably ones with like 0-5 posts that no one except me remembers

Thank you though!! Always glad to cause emotional distress via kghn

[jomnki]

i really like iruma-kun the series and how it values all types of relationships. the only arc i have some problem with is the harvest festival arc, which is great too but also it really delved into shounen territory. everything i have irks about the series is majorly due to mha trauma im just, reaally tired of the "unique power training is odd but actually its helpful because the students don't get it and when they do we show a montage of them getting it and also entire segments to show that they are using it." and the midoriya eyes. and the protagonist has potential to grow STRONG because HE ISN'T LIKE THE OTHER GUYS. oh my god I'm just frustrated at myself at this point because i keep spotting similarities to the mha when there isn't really that many and it's not so egregious it takes away from the show. i mean i really like the series but also the entirety of the harvest arc i just couldn't take it seriously? like, in comparison i liked the theme park arc because they didn't take themselves to seriously and made it really goofy. i was dreading it when the monsters came in threes and was like "oh god they're gonna spend an entire episode focused on one group cooly showing off their powers and explaining them and have them anime grunt and stuff". but they didn't. they made the boys run around screaming like a slapstick cartoon which is really fucking refreshing. it was the first time we got to see opera and amelie fight. saburo and alice used their fight to have character development and there was no 60 minute long monologue about how they need to believe in themselves. that was all good! fine! a perfect mix of what the series is! relationships and bonds! and then the harvest arc came and everyone is being taken super seriously like this isn't a goofy ass drama comedy anime about a cartoonishly neglected 14 year old who can inhumanly dodge anything because he's so neglected. Whhhy did it turn almost into a dick.measuring contest on "look at how cool my powers are look at the narrator going "bloodline magic:...he can (five minute rambling) his way out of anything!!!!" i mean, to be fair it eased off on that really quickly after the initial intros to everyone's progress. but really like. why are you mhaing this. i dont want to watch fight sequences because everyone at this point is fucking exhausted of shounen anime. oh a new enemy is underestimating us? new blast attack. new arrow attack. new sexy attack. new big brain attack. surprise! reveal! arent we so cool!! arent we so awesome!!!!! was it fun?? something that has been repeated 5 million times in other shows you'll definitely rewatch this arc right?? why the hell are these guys in the misfit class when one of them is literally the most academic student in the entire school?? they literally All have bloodline magic which is apparently really rare? why do they get put in the bad stinky classroom? the wind blade guy isn't even that problematic compared to the other students?? it feels like they all have way more potential than others do in a demon world so why are they in the basement??? if iruma wasn't here would they all have flunked because the guy who cam make giant earthquakes isn't Powerful enough to be a rank 5 demon??? hello?? do other students not get their own special tutors?? why shoehorn an exact cope of what the mha tutor arc was into what has really never been a shounen like series??? why have an arc dedicated to what their powers can do when it just really shows how odd it is that the misfit class exists when it seems they are MILES ahead of every other first year??

its not like i know how to fix this either, or if it even needs fixing in the first place. im just complaining because it reminds me of the mha anime and i see everything as a parody of itself like "no. this is OUR hero academia." or something. brainrot. braindead. death.

[awkwarddystopianwarlord]

SOS (Save Our Stuffies)

Why do parents tell their kids to get rid of their toys and stuffies at a certain age? I never understood that because having possessions isn’t bad. I could understand if one’s child is hoarding a ton of junk that they don’t use or play with or seem to like anymore and doing a bit of a clean out. However, adults do that with their own things as well. I spring clean my closet every now and again because clothes are what I have the most of. Even with my books, did I go through them recently to clear out what I no longer read. So, unless there’s a ridiculous amount of rubbish that’s being neglected and taking up space, why do kids need to get rid of their kiddish things? 

Humans are naked bipedal dragons, they like to collect things and pile them up in their house-lairs. I had to give away a bunch of stuffed animals as a child, and as an adult, I’ve gone and purchased more. Granted, I am not the best example for this argument because the largest stuffy sacrifice occurred because we were moving to Canada and transporting a lot of shit is expensive. That said, this is just such a thing for parents to do. Like, you’re supposed to give away your dolls and action figures and plushies and knick knacks at an arbitrary age because….I guess that means growing up or whatever…but, then you do and you buy a bunch of crap later anyway when you finally get a job. And that crap is great, and you love it since it’s an expansion of you! 

One of my supervisors yesterday told me about how his seven-year-old daughter brings a stuffed animal to school every day. But also, so does everyone else in her class. They switch up what stuffies they’re going to bring each day and they play with them and each other and the entire concept is so cute and wholesome. And he said, rather jokingly but still, “at this age it’s stuffed animals, but when they’re teens, it’ll be drugs”. Which I thought about for a moment since it was a sad concept. Whilst this may be overly optimistic of me, I’m hoping that with the normalization of adults having less adult things now, that those kids will hang onto the stuffies instead of tossing them to the side for drugs. I’m hoping that the concept of growing up will become softer and cuter and more wholesome rather than scrambling to rebel in detrimental ways. 

I guess I just find it funny that children need to get rid of all their children things only to repurchase children things maybe a decade later. I find it even more funny that we put so much weight on childish things, like why can’t we love dolls and plushies after the age of nine? It’s ultimately just stuff in the grand scheme of things, and like I said, humans like to have stuff. I have Sears catalogues from ages ago and Teen Vogue magazines and a third printing of The Hobbit and records and dvd’s and hand-me-down sweaters from ninth grade. I have them because I like them and they bring me joy and I haven't outgrown them, just like I haven’t outgrown the stuffed animals I have. Despite being an adult, I still like comfort things, most people do I believe. My mum has been re-reading childhood books she read to get me to sleep as a wee one. I keep rewatching animated fantasy shows for kids because I’m a sucker for magic and whimsy. One of my friends just purchased a new addition to her doll collection. These things are comforting, I think, in part because they were fashioned for children and one of the huge tasks of an adult is comforting a child. Thus, childish things are comforting. Thus, why should we get rid of said things, as we will still need comfort throughout many points in our lives? 

Again, if it’s getting excessive and it’s based solely in consumerism and immediate desire but not prolonged want, then sure, by all means tone it down a bit. I don’t want to promote being wasteful. I just also don’t want kiddos to have to sacrifice their memories and sentiments in the name of getting older. Kids will always have things, just as adults will always have things and I know that things take up room and are heavy and cumbersome but that’s the reality of being a person I suppose.

[heretherebedork]

Honestly, watching Fumiya and Ritsu in their old relationship and in the new one they're kind of building is... fascinating. Because we see them get together in their cabin the first time, in the same bed, finally confessing and taking the next step and we've seen how they grew together but also how they'd grown apart and started to feel neglected and stopped communicating and now we're seeing a second chance but a second chance that scares Fumiya almost as much as he wants it.

Fumiya loves Ritsu but he is just as scared of losing him again as he is of loving him again. He loved him and they hurt each other and he loves him but he was hurt by him.

And Ritsu might not remember but all Fumiya can do is remember.

He talked about this as a second chance but he fears his second chance. He loves him, so much, but that love does not change the fear of losing him the way he did, of losing Ritsu the same way all over again and leaving an even more painful ache in his chest.

Fumiya is the one who broke up with Ritsu, he was the one who was hurting and who couldn't stay. So even if this is a second chance... he's the one who knows what happened between them. (I rewatched the first argument and I just want to know what happened on Ritsu's birthday that pushed Fumiya to the edge but we've also seen how much Ritsu had dedicated himself to his art and how much he had, at least in Fumiya's point of view, pulled away from him and now he has that old devotion back.)

This is not a show I write a lot about because there's so much that they're slowly, slowly filling in and showing us and introducing a coworker next week is going to be fascinating because I'm hoping we get to hear a bit of Ritsu's point of view back then as well.

Fumiya fell in love with Ritsu and then felt neglected when Ritsu took what he did for granted and now he sees a Ritsu who still thinks of what he does as amazing but he's still unsure and still hurt by how they ended up.

He talks about a blank slate and a new start but I think he doesn't really mean it because he isn't a blank slate. And the more they move in their old spaces and their old times the more Fumiya pulls back and makes space because the more he remembers of how it went, the less certain he seems about actually restarting this relationship.

Is he seeking a new start to their relationship or a new start to their friendship without the romance? I think Fumiya is too hurt by old memories, both the good and the bad, to face Ritsu and restart their romance.

I just don't know how this is gonna end at this point.