#Also why is everyone some much more unhinged and loyal this season it makes no fucking sense

[sophieeee0105]

At this point (from the end of ep 5), the server kinda split into two loosely allied factions and I’m very curious to see what becomes of them.

as of right now the main teams (TIES, bad boy, nosey neighbours, mean gills and the clockers) are all pretty solid free standing groups and there’s been very little betrayal (aka whatever tf grian and bdubs are doing). And then TIES and the nosey neighbours have loosely allied themselves with each other on the premise of ‘the rest of the server hates us, and we need friends’. And then the bad boys got pulled into the family problem and the mean gills seem also quite closely allied with the family (tbh mainly Cleo)

which leaves us with the two loosely allied teams.

TIES and the nosey neighbours - which tbh I feel is the weaker of the two and probably will breakdown because at least 5 of the 6 people involved were somewhat unhinged last session (with bigb being the least. And then there’s the rest. Scott and martyn and Cleo all seem pretty strongly allied with each other, and all three of them are massively loyal so I don’t seem anything going wrong with those three, it’s just the rest that are loose cannons. A red scar simply cannot be trusted, and while I don’t see him betraying bdubs or Cleo, I can very easily see him going after the mean gills or the bad boys. Speaking of the bad boys, I feel like their alliance with the clockers will end up being quite weak or will somehow build (probably as both groups build up more hate for TIES as that’s honestly how I see this season going). And then bdubs. Honestly idk wtf this man is doing, he’s trying to be loyal to everyone, was called a traitor by literally everyone he was trying to be loyal to, and has an Etho problem. Despite all this I feel like the loyalty of Cleo, Scott and martyn will somehow outweigh the chaos and the larger alliance with somehow outlive the smaller one

or I could be completely wrong and be overthinking literally everything, but I guess I’ll find out tomorrow

[daylightaftertherain]

and my unhinged young royalsxtaylor swift song dissections returns <3 this time with all of the girls you loved before and how she's so simon coded it's stupid <3

When you think of all the late nights Lame fights over the phone Wake up in the mornin' with someone But feelin' alone

"all of the late nights/lame fights over the phone" reminds me so much of the football field call, where simon's fighting off sleep and frustration and his own feelings while figuring out where wille is, then waking up to him in the same bed because he probably felt like he needed to make sure wille was okay, and how isolated he is with his trauma with micke almost reflected in wille

A heart is drawn around your name In someone's handwriting, not mine

this is simon feeling like everyone wants and is after wille, but probably felice most of all, and hearts around someone's name reminds me of valentine's notes, and how wilmon were apart when everyone was recieving poems (listen wille must've gotten at least one from a random girl okay)

We're sneakin' out into town Holdin' hands, just killin' time

ROSH'S FOOTBALL GAME AND HOLDING HANDS ON BACK ON THE MOTERCYLES

Your past and mine are parallel lines Stars all aligned and they intertwined And taught you The way you call me "baby" Treat me like a lady All that I can say is

s2 simon reflecting on everything they've gone through, and how it's taught wille how to become better and helped their relationship. "stars all aligned and they intertwined" also gives me wille seeing simon for the first time in the church vibes

All of the girls you loved before (Ooh) Made you the one I've fallen for Every dead-end street led you straight to me Now you're all I need, I'm so thankful for All of the girls you loved before But I love you more

seasontwosimoncodedseasontwosimoncodedseasontwosimoncoded anyway s2ep6 and them deciding not to let anything come between them and simon telling wille he loves him :')

When I think of all the makeup Fake love out on the town (Ooh) Cryin' in the bathroom for some dude Whose name I cannot remember now

VALENTINE'S BALL the makeup is wille putting the makeup on himself, "fake love out on the town" is marcus swanning around with simon, then marcus becoming "some dude whose name" simon can't remember now <3 bonus points bc simon couldn't even spell marcus's name right while texting about him ahjgdkhsf

Secret jokes all alone No one's home, sixteen and wild (Ooh) We're breakin' up, makin' up Leave without sayin' goodbye (Ooh)

episodes 5 and 6 of season 1 with wille "leaving without saying goodbye," and him feeling like "no one's home" bc the palace didn't feel like home, then them making up in s2 ;-;

And just know that It's everything that made me Now I call you "baby" That's why you're so amazing

everything they went through being the reason they were able to come back stronger and a better people for each other and for themselves!!!!!!

Your mother brought you up loyal and kind Teenage love taught you there's good in goodbye Every woman that you knew brought you here I wanna teach you how forever feels like

this is just so simon I don't even need to explain, but also "every woman" being marcus bc he showed simon that wille has always been it for him <3 AND WILLE COMING OUT AND SHOWING SIMON FOREVER

and the song ending with "I love you more" echoing in the background has such ending of s2 energy I'm obsessed

[famiglia-lealta]

I know that I've spoken on the similarities between Xanxus and Valentino before - mostly on the side of unhinged ruthlessness - but also thinking on the comparison of Squalo and Angel with their relationships to their respective bosses.

Now, looking at how these relationships began; to my limited knowledge, Angel is in a contracted agreement with Valentino. Servitude for the price of a soul, more or less. I can't remember now if it was 'canon' or a friend's headcanon that this contract took Angel of the streets; but he certainly stands to gain from being in a popular figure like Valentino's pocket and his favourite pet performer.

As opposed to Squalo - and again, knowledge is limited and some of this can be conjectured - who saw Xanxus at fuck-knows mafia school and pretty much decided he wanted to follow that man's wrath. He obviously saw something in Xanxus's capabilities - and presumably, Xanxus in turn saw something in him that could forge a path together. At least in Squalo's cause, we can assume it was a more amicable bonding to what Angel's might have been.

Onto more heavier topics of abuse - which for the sake of triggering content, I will keep fairly light but still, buyers beware. It's quite well known by now that Angel and Valentino's association is highly abusive - physically, mentally, and sexually. There might be positive gratification, moments where Angel might feel good about what's going on, or feel good about being pampered, the center of attention, the lights of the glamour - but I would wager those moments are far fewer than the moments that are.. indefinabley Not Good.

And then, there's Squalo and Xanxus's dynamic. There are differing opinions from what I've seen as to whether these two are lovers, or simply just extremely loyal friends to one another. I'm not about to get into those debates, but I will say it's hard to argue that there isn't an element of their partnership being as abusive as it might be loyal. After all, Xanxus is constantly throwing wine-glasses or just the whole bottle at Squalo's head whenever he's pissed at him. Whether he meant it or not - Xanxus still laughed when everyone thought that Squalo had been eaten whole by a shark. He portrays the image that he cares very little about his staff, and they are extremely expendable. Possibly, Squalo to a lesser degree - but that's the image he portrays, and that would certainly have to have at least some impact on Squalo's psyche, no matter how fierce he presents himself to be.

On that note - loyalty is an interesting comparison. Squalo refuses to cut his hair until Xanxus takes his rightful place as the 10th - or the head boss, the top of the ordering chain of their mafia family. Even after this proved to be something Xanxus could never achieve due to blood-ties, plot-story-something-something - Squalo still refused to cut his hair. Why? Who even knows with shark logic. A visible, physical sign of his devotion, perhaps? In the later seasons, Xanxus's hair does start growing longer himself, but it's hard to say whether there's anything given back in terms of his loyalty.

Angel, on the other hand. I feel he shows his loyalty when he refuses Charlie's help on Valentino's grounds, telling her to leave, that she's making it worse. Angel's situation always makes me feel sad, in that I would suspect that Valentino could ask quite a lot of horrible things for him to do in regards to his 'friends' - people Valentino might want out of the picture or at least viewing Angel as a lost cause - and Angel would do it. Perhaps for fear of himself, for Fat Nuggets - maybe even the fear of losing that safety blanket and being back out in the cold, as choking as that safety blanket is.

So in conclusion of my long waffly analysis;-

I think Squalo has far more freedom than Angel to make changes to his situation. Squalo could leave if he wasn't happy being Xanxus's second in command anymore - and Xanxus probably would be fucking pissed about it, with both men understanding if they ever crossed paths again, one of them probably would die. But he'd still be allowed to leave. Angel, though. Even if he could potentially get away, I'm not so sure Valentino wouldn't follow, or make efforts at bringing him back. Maybe in some very twisted way - Valentino cares enough to want him back. Is that because he needs the worship as much as Angel does? Does he need people working beneath him to feel important? Whereas Xanxus, I see him more as a 'if you've fucked me over, you're dead to me' whether physically or metaphorically. More often than not, physically. Hell, he's killed staff for getting what meat he wants for dinner wrong.

They're both two very interesting situations. As antagonists go, Xanxus is powerful and cruel in a blunt force sort of way. Valentino, at least to my minds eye, is more of a manipulative sort of vile. He might wrap you up in a hug and poison you over a long length of time, warping and changing you as he see fits. Xanxus has that capability of long-term planning, but you won't know about it until the last moment, and that's when it's really going to hurt. Until that moment, he's just going to be a shitty asshole, mocking and calling doubt on your actions.

And it's remarkable in both these settings - these dark characters always, always have people standing alongside them. They always have people that will follow them no matter what, and are very resistant to being talked otherwise. For what it's worth, they are good at using their cruelty and terrible qualities to be leaders. That in itself is both terrifying and impressive.

[spnasylum]

My notes while listening to Misha’s comments on the podcast: (grab a snack!)

In light of the most recent fandom drama I decided to listen to *that* podcast and take notes as I went along about what was actually said and then give my take on it as objectively as possible. This is basically an essay so strap in!

He complains about not getting a trailer on set that’s the same as Jared and Jensen’s. Even though he has one that can accommodate 3 people. This was the first point of discussion inspired by opening up the interview with a brief chat about Misha currently being in his camper van and how he’s sleeping in it even though he’s still home in Bellingham. The whole hour and 26 minutes has an undertone of complaining and ego stroking by all involved. 

 Says he’s sad he didn’t get to be there for the final days of filming.  

 Seems a little nervous about if friendships made during the shows run will last now it’s over. 

 Admits he has no plan in place or anything coming up career wise and he’s unsure of his future. This is where he brings up Walker and The Boys and says if he had shows like that to go to he wouldn’t feel SPN ending was so monumental. It is said with a slight tone of bitterness. 

 Side note: the hosts Alaina and Malik seem to be fine with running with the narrative that Misha was part of the show it’s entire 15 year run. Misha clears this up eventually by saying he joined in season 4. 

 Misha says that he realized about six years ago that SPN could run as “we”  wanted it to, implying he has any say in keeping the show going or not. He asserts that he would have been on the show up until the very end in any case. But he didn’t feel that way the first few years he was on the show. So that makes me think something or someone involved gave him the feeling he could be confident in being in the cast for however long SPN aired. Maybe this was after Sera left? Maybe this was when he agreed to a significant pay cut and demotion? Either way it seems he felt SPN = job security. 

 Misha doubts he’ll have the feeling of job security again. 

 Says from around age 11 he wanted to be a politician. 

 Says he saw “successful, untalented” actors and decided “I can do that”. He realized that was naive and it’s actually not easy to be that successful and by the time he got his career going he was basically just in it for the fame it’s not anything he took seriously. 

 We find out his wife did a doctorate in gender history... for some reason. 

 That Marilyn Monroe was some sort of baseline for him about creating a public persona (🤷🏽‍♀️) except for getting cosmetic surgery he points out. 

 Talk about how he got started. Acting classes, improve groups. Moving between Chicago, DC and LA. 

 Discussion about the differences and similarities between Hollywood and Washington. 

 States he got a consultant to help him cultivate a fan base and image to connect with an audience after getting on SPN. Admits that was a double edged sword because an anonymous public start thinking that they really know you and things start getting weird. 

 Mentions trying to find a balancing act of being authentic and having a private life but still keeping your fans. 

 He admits that the fan base he grew for himself by seeming accessible has caused him to attract people who don’t have any boundaries. This is when he claims the “dialing it back” in regard to how much he shares and mentions his kids specifically as something he doesn’t feel comfortable with putting out there. Uses the word “unhinged” to describe them. 

 Malik mentions “crazy fans” who seem to know too much about you and finding out where you are etc. Using the example of fans turning up at an airport wanting autographs and you wondering how they even knew you’d be there and what flight you taking. He asks Misha to share experiences about his own crazy fans. 

 This is when Misha uses the example about having fans who think that when he tweets something out he’s communicating with them personally. 

 Alaina then says that in the Supernatural fandom people fight each other to protect Jared, Jensen and Misha and it’s “very bizarre”. She volunteered that people think Misha secretly hates Jared and that it’s not true. Not sure why she decided to direct the conversation to a place that would cause drama and give Misha a chance to play victim. 

 And then...

 That’s when he claims that he was public enemy number one with super fans of the show because he’s taking attention away from Jared and Jensen. 

 That’s when he brings up the alleged organized attack to take down his Facebook account. He says they reported him for... *pauses... claims to not know what. But that whatever it was “Facebook bought it and took it down”. Facebook deleted/deactivated his account but he eventually got it back. 

 Side note: Facebook (like all social media) have always been bias when it comes to people with leftist views and let them have free reign on the platform. So he must have done something that they would decide to suspend him. I don’t think J2 fans can be blamed for the content he posts and if it violated any ToS. As we know he can post some inappropriate things on social media. 

 He then brings up the allegations of him taking money out of his organization. Stating it’s “categorically untrue” is all he brings forward as evidence to the contrary. 

 Side note: I don’t know why then that there’s no receipts or transparency. Why is his mother a beneficiary, why do people who mention he owns Stands get blocked, why set everything up in Delaware and have your for profit and so called non profit interests so entangled etc etc) I guess fans are just supposed to have faith and take his word for it. 

 He says that ALL of them (Jared, Jensen and himself) have people who hate them in the fandom. But overall the fandom is lovely and supportive of the cast and each other. Makes an attempt at stating there’s no kind of competition or animosity between he and Jared. I think this is like the 3rd or 4th time in the interview either he or Alaina bring up Jared but keep the focus on how Misha is the one facing “character assassination.”

 Finally says that all of them have nasty things done to them and they all have had to consult security because of threats to their families etc, doesn’t specify which faction of the fandom that’s coming from. Mentions people filing police reports in the fandom but doesn’t say regarding who or what. Alaina reacts like it’s the first time hearing of this happening. Misha just goes “yeah!” Then they move on to talking about living situations. 

 Apparently Alaina and Misha were neighbors in LA but didn’t take advantage of that. She doesn’t live in LA anyone, wants a new adventure. 

 Misha mentions Bellingham is another thing about his future he’s unsure about and how his kids flourished there. 

 Brings up not being present with his kids even when he’s home because of work and side projects and that the one thing he’s enjoying right now it spending time with them. That he used to operate from a place of guilt because his kids felt like they only have one parent. He and Malik briefly spoke on how their careers have negatively affected their love lives. 

 Misha says he’s not really involved with Random Acts or running it anymore. (Ummm... what) 

 He and Alaina discuss Haiti and Nicaragua for a while. 

 Says he may try to get into directing. Says he likes having creative control. Mentions he likes doing his art installations. 

 Admits that getting a bit of success made him very entitled and wanting of special treatment. But claims he’s trying to keep that in check (where?) and he’s just like everyone else (well duh!). But he “trades on his celebrity” to get stuff and it makes him feel dirty (I think everyone with any kind of following does that though so nbd)

 Talk of how TV/film is more diverse in telling minority stories these days. 

 Was asked by Malik if he has any kind of chip on his shoulder career wise and Misha says the chip on his shoulder is being bored. But says he needs to work on being more engaged. 

 He then abruptly wants to end the interview. Saying he has to pick up his kids. Malik wants another question. He asks how Misha has been hurt or healed by his career. 

 Misha then brings up the movie Karla. Again admitting to becoming more like Paul psychologically irl. But says knowing he has that type of evil in him somewhere (and says that we all have that in us) made him more empathetic to the human condition. 

 They then say their goodbyes. End of interview. 

 ——

 My takeaway. The worst thing he can think to say the people who don’t like him in the fandom did was trolling to get his Facebook deactivated? Also that people can see the suspicious nature of his businesses? It would be really easy to settle that with actually being transparent about the finances, which they aren’t and not having close family as benefactors though. Also, I can only speak for myself. But I never hated him. I actually loved Castiel (before his character was there just to be there in recent seasons and Cass wasn’t Cass anymore. I think Misha’s need to pander to shippers/stay on the show was a great disservice to Castiel and his arc) I was a huge Misha fan, and participated in RA and Gish a lot. I absolutely adored Misha, I led myself to believe he was the most amazing person in the world, obviously that’s the reaction he wanted to cultivate from us. Unfortunately I learned too much, experienced first hand and heard too much to be able to keep cheerleading for him. I feel bad for the people still under the spell of feeling like it’s their job to keep being defensive and unreasonably loyal to someone who you can’t and don’t really know and only have a superficial “relationship” with. Seeing the ever more unhealthy and toxic lengths people feel they need to go to to prop up his ego etc. The constant investment emotionally and financially that goes into it and the “sunk cost” if you let reality in makes it hard to let go I guess. Even he knows that what he’s done to gain and maintain relevance has attracted what he called multiple times an unhinged fan base he has to try and balance without losing his influence. I think he maybe had or has good intentions but his fame hungry drive and narcissistic personality traits win out in the end. The Heller’s seem to have, as always, taken what was said and blown it out of proportion, twisted things and created their own narrative. I do see them using key words from the interview a lot suddenly though to bully for him. So, I guess the dog whistle to the sycophants worked out. I hope that a time comes where they can have a more healthy relationship with the media and public figures they choose to gravitate towards. We can all get over zealous with things but there’s lines that shouldn’t be crossed. For some that seems sadly unlikely. I hope that Misha does indeed one day get himself in check as he calls it and I can feel comfortable to support him again. But so long as he’s being enabled and not held accountable again that seems sadly unlikely. Even though I do occasionally find myself being drawn in by the facade again a little and quickly retreating because the issues remain the same. There is a problematic dynamic in the Supernatural fandom for sure. That’s why for a long time I opted out and just watched the show separately from fandom. It’s why when I found out it was ending I had this odd sense of relief I wasn’t expecting to feel and it made me sad. I hope that now the show has aired its finale we can all reflect on things, hopefully be more self aware and objective and most importantly honest about what really has gone down and why. When things started turning sour there have been plenty of times it could have been nipped in the bud yet wasn’t. People who used this silly yet special show in selfish ways, times when walking away would have been better than sticking around trying to make things and people into something never intended to be, giving into tribalism while claiming we’re a family... for that I think we all hold a little piece of responsibility. 

  You can listen to it yourself on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0m07her5JUf0JGGtDVohtJ?si=c-RdyZzFQmSzffgNzZhkQg

[locoluv96]

So I may or may not have binged the entire series yesterday and caught up. Sit back and relax. I have a lot of thoughts.

CHARACTERS

RICKY

Ricky needs help. The first season he seemed a little unhinged. He was focused only on Nini and how to get her back, even though she was with EJ, who I have a lot to say about. It was borderline obsessive. Suddenly, Gina, again a lot to say about her, befriends him and they seemingly click but he still focused on Nini. Then they do get back together at the end and Gina isn’t even a lasting thought. By the second season he has completely cracked. Nini is his sole obsession and completely disregarded Gina, knowing how she felt towards him. Let’s not forget how hateful he acted towards Miss Jenn when she and Mike were starting to date. He was horrible. Now he and Nini are broken up and he will go into a depression I’m sure. He needs to focus on himself just for a while. He needs HELP!!!

Nini

Nini is great but she’s a little self involved. Not so much in the first season but in the second season she really kind of of is. Like all she had to do was be honest with Ricky but she wasn’t and it made that whole scene worse. Overall she’s a good character and I like her. I’m glad we're getting a more in depth look at her character and hope we get some more growth. There isn't much to say on Nini, other than she's great.

Ashlyn

Ashlyn is a sweet soul and is one of my favorites. I will say she needs to be a bit more observant to the people around her, especially Big Red. She has one of the best personalities of the characters and I can't wait to see what they have in store for her.

Carlos

Carlos is the most complex character yet also very outspoken and knows what he wants in life. I appreciate how amazingly blunt he is. like he says what he means and means what he says.

Seb

Seb is the literal definition of adorable. He must be protected at all costs. Also, Miss Jenn needs to leave him alone. He's the sweetest and cutest thing. That is all that needs to be said about him.

Kourtney

Kourtney is almost the male version of Carlos in the way she is outspoken. Like Carlos she says what she means and means what she says. She doesn't take any crap but will sure as heck will give it if it's deserved. I love Kourt, she's a spitfire and I really appreciate that in a person.

Big Red

Big Red is also the definition of adorable. He's playful, sweet, and loyal, in the best possible way. I love everything about him. I could go on and on about how much he should be protected at all costs. I won't though, but just know, he must be protected.

Miss Jenn

Miss Jenn is the teacher everyone wants but no one needs. She's relaxed but also stern. She loves all of her students, though sometimes it feels like she has favorites. I love her though, she's the best.

EJ

One of my two favorite characters. His development has been amazing. The changes in him have been great. His awareness of his mistakes is the best thing ever. They way he critiques himself is not okay though. EJ your perfectly imperfect and that's okay. My favorite thing about him though is his willingness to right all of his mistakes and to do better. EJ smiling is everything especially when it's at Gina. He's also a sweet guy, that thought of himself a lot but now thinks of others. EJ is just great and complex in the best possible way. Matt's portrayal of him is the icing on the cake because anyone else wouldn't do EJ justice. Matt is he embodiment of EJ. Also, Gaston, was truly immaculate and the flexing from Matt, um hello.

Gina

The other of my two favorites in the show. Her development has been outstanding. She went from being sketchy and closed off to being sincere and slowly opening up. I love how there showcasing a lot of her layers and really letting us know what she's about. The fact that she acknowledges what she did in the past was wrong and strives to be better is great. Even after being used by Ricky she chooses to open up to EJ and Ashlyn, which really is character development. Sofia's immaculate acting really accents who Gina is and what she's feeling at all time just by the expression on her face.

RELATIONSHIPS

Rini

They are cute together but they need to get their crap together before trying again. Not a fan of a super clingy boyfriend who wants to do nothing but talk to you or about you. I get it Ricky, you love her, she's everything to you, but dude, you have a life outside of her, live it a little bit. I also am not a fan of a girlfriend who doesn't communicate with said clingy boyfriend and instead caters to his behavior only to throw it in his face during a fight, not cool Nini. If they can find themselves outside of each other and then try again it will be a better deal for them. Just saying.

Rina

Not a fan at all and I'll tell you why. First off, I get and understand why there is a following but they were nothing but a tool to get Ricky and Nini back together. Ricky never actually cared about Gina, and even knowing how she felt about him, (don't come at me saying, "oh she wasn't clear about it with him." she literally said she wouldn't give up on them if she wasn't moving. She told him.) continued to ignore it in favor of asking her advice about Nini. He went so far as to say if we were dating, who says that to someone they know likes them. That was an absolute trash thing to do. So I am not a fan nor do I support this ship.

EJ and Nini

Another stepping stone to put Ricky and Nini back together. They never clicked and honestly there wasn't trust between them because she clearly still had feeling for Ricky and displayed that constantly. Yes, he had no right to take her phone, but Ricky had no right leaving that voicemail for her knowing she was seeing someone, not cool on either one.

Seblos

They are cute, but Carlos needs to watch what he says to Seb. dude hurt his feelings and that is not okay. Seb must be protected.

Kourt and Howie

There cute but rushed and aren't shown much, which I hope changes after this last episode because that was adorable and she needs to forgive Howie. Not much else to say on that.

Redlyn

They are very wholesome and I'm thankful that we saw that even they aren't perfect in this last episode. I do feel like we didn't get much development between them before they started dating , so that throws me a bit but other than that there very cute.

Miss Jenn and Mr. Mazzara

Adorable and I'm rooting for it.

Portwell

This has become my OTP. I love the slow burn of it all. How it was hinted at during season 1 and really highlighted after Gina told Ricky off. All of their scenes together are chef's kiss. The directions during practice was cute. The snorting laugh in the class room was absolutely adorable. The couch scene was immaculate and so wholesome. The fact that she was helping him but he still asked about her in an effort to know her better, was fantastic. Instead of pulling a Ricky and making all about him he actually made her feel needed and wanted, but also safe enough to open up to him. Following that with him putting his hoodie over her while she was sleeping was just wonderful and gave me all the feels. The promo showing that it's possible she's wearing said hoodie is too cute to handle. I love Portwell. Love, Love, Love them. I want more of them and will riot if we don't get it.

OVERALL THOUGHTS

Hsmtmts is a great show and I'm living for EJ, Gina, and Portwell. I can't wait for episode 9. I need to know if she's wearing his hoodie. I think she is and that her talk with Jack will help her realize how much EJ means to her and that she hadn't thought of Ricky in the longest time because she's so happy around EJ. Fingers crossed Ricky is no longer on her radar, he is trash for her.

[svynakee]

castlevania s3 thoughts

Well more like complaints. Although I do find it worth watching; maybe after S4 comes out, though. Because S3 is really just a fancy teaser for S4.

I really don’t like how Castlevania S3 felt like a waste of time (except for 30% which was very good). I mean yeah I watch shows to waste time in general but hear me out.

By the end of S3, it feels like nothing happened. The status quo is kept. There’s a lot of setup with a tenuous promise of S4 payoff. There might be growth, but really, everything feels more like the catalyst for growth to happen later. It’s like following your GPS and it says “You’ve arrived at your destination :)” but you find yourself at some dusty crossroads and there isn’t even a petrol station in sight.

That’s basically all I can say without spoilers. I have a lot more to say with spoilers. So-

If Castlevania S3 was divided into 4 basically unrelated stories (Styria, Lindenfeld, Isaac’s travels, Alucard’s castle), at least half of them ended up saying/contributing nothing to the overarching plot, setting and characterisation. It felt like an extended trailer. Action, twists, your favs making an appearance…then goodbye, screen fades to black, see you next season.

TLDR version: get rid of Isaac’s entire arc, develop Sumi and Taka or get rid of them, Lindenfeld sorely needed more focus, no need to change Styria but more Styria would be nice.

Compare to S1, which was also mostly setup for the plot resolution in S2. It didn’t feel like a waste of time. Why? Because of the threat of Dracula? I don’t think so. It’s because when we first meet Trevor, we’re presented with a very solid image of who he is. He’s alone, he’s purposeless, he doesn’t want to take up his family legacy. 3 episodes later and he’s got two “friends” and a clear goal to pursue. And he’s no longer a nameless drifter – he’s the last living Belmont, vampire hunter, returning to his ancestral home so he may arm himself to face Dracula.

Alucard

Alucard’s story was the worst offender in my opinion. We start with Alucard being alone and sad in his empty castle. We end with Alucard being alone and sad in his empty castle. While this could be an interesting start of darkness for the dhampir, the fact that we don’t really see the results make it an overall unsatisfying season. Suki and Taka contributed nothing. We learned almost nothing about them. Their motivations were frankly generic – they want to fight vampires? Well we already know people who do that. Their obsession with the castle’s engine? Goes nowhere. Their friendship with Alucard? Shallow, not really built on mutual points of interest. Then they die.

The truth is, Sumi and Taka were dealt a bad card to begin with – Alucard, to be exact. Because a ranged and close quarters fighter duo of vampire hunters has direct competition with the previous season’s S&T, Sypha and Trevor. Instead of giving them the time and development needed to grow apart, they seemed more like plot devices to get Alucard to where he needs to be in S4. Or just to prove he’s lonely and gullible. And a bottom.

I feel like there’s a lot of potential in this storyline. Perhaps Taka and Suki’s interest in the castle is more nefarious; maybe they were part of a bigger group. Their betrayal of Alucard could cause him to reconsider his father’s stance on humanity. As a stepping stone, I have no complaints about this storyline. But that’s because there’s nothing to say. Its impact all depends on S4 and S4 isn’t out yet. So, the entire thing just feels frustrating, a pointless distraction from the other storylines.

Isaac

Isaac should not have gotten as much screen time as he did, unless they actually did something useful with him. As much as I love his character (Casually putting Godbrand down? Instant fav.) his presence in S3 feels like pointless pandering. Because he spent all that time doing nothing.

We know who Isaac is, because of S2. We know what his motivations are: return to/avenge Dracula. We know his general worldview, the thing that makes him what he is – he has a low opinion of humanity, is highly disciplined and loyal to Dracula. And the thing is, NONE of these things change in S3. Instead we’re treated to Isaac repeatedly almost thinking humans are okay, then getting proven wrong when he tries to give them a chance, then killing everyone.

This is would serve a purpose if: Isaac was seen as ambivalent towards humanity or conflicted about condemning them in S1 (more like Hector, perhaps). Isaac was more like original Isaac, an unhinged sadist and being saved by Dracula starts him on a path to redemption which is repeatedly denied.

But no. Isaac is always shown to be calm, disciplined and set in his views. Having him go through this completely unchanged makes his character ‘arc’ a waste of time.

The problem is Isaac’s storyline also feels unnecessary plot-wise. Isaac finds humans disgusting and his power is to be a monster spawn point. The fact is, if Isaac shows up one day with a monster army and wants to kill humans, we don’t need an explanation for it. Isaac himself is the explanation. The only thing that needs resolving is ‘how did he get from the desert to bother the heroes’ and that can be solved by “I took a boat” or “I found a transportation mirror” or even “I used a night creature to carry me”. He can just tell us. It can be a shot of him travelling. Or a cheesy montage set to rock music I don’t care.

So the fact that character-wise Isaac is just going through a series of resets is made even more tedious when you realise that plot-wise he’s also been completely useless.

His big fight was fun, but it lacked emotional impact. The wizard wasn’t opposed to Isaac, either in terms of good/evil or ideologically. There was no catharsis to the wizard dying because we never knew those townspeople. Who got turned into night creatures anyway. By Isaac.

Belnades and Belmont (the dancing bear)

The Lindenfeld plot I would say has all the elements of an excellent story but needed more time. More focus. I hated S3’s style of constantly jumping between the four storylines, especially when one of them involved Isaac going through a banal cycle on another continent and the other had the Discount Belmont and Belnades.

In my opinion, Lindenfeld only suffered because there wasn’t enough focus to really build up the almost Lovecraft-esque mystery for Trevor and Sypha to investigate. Germain barely interacted with them, we only got his story via infodumping and a bad dream. Their relationship with the Judge didn’t feel deep enough that his ‘betrayal’ had impact (besides, it was bundled up with Alucard and Hector’s betrayals so there’s a bit of overexposure apathy). And it’s hard to be sympathetic towards townspeople when, for most of the series, townspeople are shit. Townspeople blamed Belmont for Dracula’s horde. Townspeople tattled on Lisa. Townspeople antagonise Isaac. Showing us 1 family eating dinner isn’t going to change that.

There was something of a start to an emotional arc where Trevor questions Sypha’s naiveté, his future with her, etc. which would have been stronger if it wasn’t just the start of an arc. Leaving them horrified at the truth of the Judge, the destruction of the town and their inability to prevent disaster is absolutely fine. But when it’s also paired with Isaac’s Are Humans Bad Merry-go-Round and Forever Alone Alucard, yet another “to be continued” ending instead of closure was frustrating.

Hector but not really

Hector, similar to Isaac and Alucard, starts and ends in the same place. I have no complaints about the Styria storyline though because Hector isn’t the character carrying this subplot. Lenore is.

Lenore starts out with a clear goal and obstacle to that goal. The other vampire sisters seem unconvinced that she can solve it, or that any of them can. Lenore succeeds despite these odds, proving her own strength, cunning and patience. She also shows how her way, the diplomat’s way, has the same value as Carmilla’s schemes, Striga’s military knowledge and Morana���s talent for governance. She has an arc. Sure, it’s a villain arc, but villains need them. S2 had Carmilla working against Dracula, putting her forces into place, manipulating the war council, stealing Hector to her side. S3 has Lenore.

Meanwhile, the Styria subplot also sets up the new villains for the heroes to face – cunning Carmilla, strong Striga, strategic Morana and manipulative Lenore. Along with Hector the army spawn point. We have the new location, Styria. We see the dynamic and power hierarchies of the new villains. We learn about their overarching goal and how they mean to achieve it. Lots of setup, even more than the other storylines, but it has a satisfying arc within it that means it gives closure.

If S3 was freed from Static Isaac and Sumi/Taka (who have expiry dates and arrived half stale), the Styria storyline could benefit from the extra time. Better establish the dynamic between the four sisters (as opposed to Striga-Morana, Lenore-Hector and then a little bit of Carmilla). Give Hector more time to show his emotions; his despair, his loneliness, his genuine desire to have a friend despite his better judgement.

Final thoughts and Season Finales

Overall, the strongest parts of S3 are bogged down by subplots that really didn’t deserve so much screen time. I question the editing style of constantly jumping between the storylines; it comes at the cost of emotional investment into each one. The finale is especially strange to me. Two fights and two sex scenes that clashed, broke tension and made it tough to respond emotionally. Isaac’s fight should’ve happened earlier, a mid-season spectacle that really doesn’t have emotional impact. Lenore’s manipulation and betrayal could have been a second-to-last episode thing. The heroes naturally deserve the prime spot of season finale; the disastrous end of that fight also sets up the gloomy tone of the ending.

Sumi and Taka can die whenever, however. I literally could not care less whether they tried to kill Alucard after sex or over dinner. I barely care about their reason for attempted murder. I don’t know what part they play in the grand scheme of things and I am not invested in them as individuals.

If the entire point of the arc was to prove that Alucard was a bottom, just have him absent the entire season and add a post-credits scene of him using a dildo. Then he accidentally smashes it with his vampire strength and cries on the floor.

[fyeahwynonnaearp]

What Just Happened?!?: No Future in the Past (S2E08)

TACOS ARE TASTY! TACOS ARE TASTY! Holy freakin’ balls. My emotions. My feelings. Holy shitballs the angst. Holy backstory.

New-ish Character(s)

By that I mean now we know concrete things about them.

Father Juan Carlo, curiously called Padre by others but he refers to himself as Father: Owns a chop shop, he’s who you call if you need your car towed, and the Chief of the Volunteer Fire brigade.

Robert Svane: A friend of Wyatt Earp who delivered messages between estranged BFFs Doc and Wyatt. 

Sheriff Clootie: A madman, the unhinged Sheriff of Purgatory with three wives and fathered Constance Clootie’s two demon sons that were killed by Wyatt Earp. Oh. He was the one who cursed Wyatt.

Monster(s) of the Week

It’s apparently my feelings because it has been utterly destroyed by this episode and I’m not sure I have made my peace.

Final Thoughts (before I get into it, because oh boy! do I get into it.Some spoilers? IDK at this point I think everyone knows what went on, in general)

Holy storyline and so much information! I watched it live. Watched it again immediately after. Watched it a day later. And then I watched it again and took notes. So much notes that I felt like I was in a vision quest back to my Organic Chemistry class.

This episode gave us a concrete How the Earp Curse Began 101. In Season 1, they did say how and why, but as with Wynonna Earp, things move quickly and people may have missed it. It’s interesting to point out that there may be episode parallels between the seasons. For instance, S1E07 and S2E07 are both major Wynaught episodes; S1E08 and S2E08 are both Wynonna learning more about Earp history (S1E08 she learned Ward wasn’t exactly the heroic Earp heir and S2E08 she learns about the origins of the curse); S1E09 and S2E09 are both written by Alexandra Zarowny (AKA Wayhaught Whisperer) so I think we’re gonna have a major Wayhaught moment this Friday. Of course, it could all be nothing. But, it could be something.

Anyways, what I found interesting in this episode was how it showed us different sides of characters. How the paragon of all things good and moral and just can actually fuck up because she’s only human and can make mistakes. Or, how the evil demon who let’s be honest seduced a young girl in captivity and called it love was once a good man, meek but loyal to his friend. Is it a thing that it’s these two characters? Maybe. And if you follow that road you can come up with so many theories and speculation that it’ll be hard to climb out of the rabbit hole. Did that happen to me? LMFAO OF COURSE! It really is probably nothing and just a coincidence (I suppose we’ll see by the end of the season, I hope).

Continue reading for...well, hopefully, at this point you know what you’re gonna get if you usually read these “What Just Happened” posts. Why do I have no picture? I got lazy. Again.

10 Things That Happened

1. Willa Earp: The bitchiest bitch there is, the bitchiest bitch there was, and the bitchiest bitch there ever will be. And not in the sassy, fierce bitch way. It comes to no surprise that in S1 reaction vids, whenever Willa comes on many shouts of “Willa, you bitch!” are heard. This flashback to a young Waverly just shows the hatred Willa had towards the youngest Earp. Keep in mind: Willa is 8/9 years older than Waverly. When she threw Mr. Rabbit on the pond/lake so that Waverly will fall through the ice, Willa was old enough and capable of understanding death. 

2. “God, I tried so hard, but nobody ever celebrated my birthday, or ordered copies of my school photos, noticed my report cards.” It’s safe to say Waverly was a sad child. Remember her family portrait drawing from S1, where every one was smiling except for her? Now, maybe I’m thinking too much, but something does NOT add up with this statement, unless things are so dark in the Wynonna Earp Universe that even Gus and Curtis neglected Waverly. 

Waverly was 4 when Mama Earp (Wendy Rossie) left (Wynonna 10 and Willa 13). This was around the time Bobo persuaded Waverly to bury the talisman that allowed Revenants to set foot on the Earp homestead. She buried the talisman because she thought “..it would stop Mom and Dad from fighting” (S1E02).

Waverly was 6 when the homestead was attacked and Ward was killed and Willa was taken (Wynonna 12 and Willa 15). 

Presumably Wynonna was institutionalized or sent to a foster home soon after, but Waverly would have spent the majority of her childhood and schooling years with the McCready’s, who took her in (I think Gus is Mama Earp’s sister? Was that my headcanon/read it in a fic? Or is that actual canon fact?). Wynonna would have been in and out of her life. 

Am I missing something? Yes, I understand that Ward largely neglected Waverly, but it seems that Willa was the direct source of Waverly’s horrible childhood with the Earps (See: Willa tried to fucking murder her!!). Which then should shift the focus to Curtis and Gus McCready. They were the ones who, basically, raised Waverly. As any psychologists and others who work in the medical field will tell you, children are resilient. I understand that Waverly had a traumatic childhood. However, why didn’t her sense of abandonment and neglect (for the lack of a better term/I can’t find words) ‘go away’ after leaving a toxic environment and joining the McCready Family, a presumably healthy and nurturing environment? Is there something more with Gus and Curtis we don’t know about? I mean, obviously, because CURTIS KNEW ABOUT THE STONE WITCH’S SONS!!!! HE WAS THE KEEPER OF THE BONES! HE HAD THE SKULL! WHY?!? ANDRAS, ARE YOU GOING TO TALK ABOUT THIS?!?

3. “Mama used to call you her angel.”/”What is my angel’s name?”. Hello, if you regularly read “What Just Happened?!?”, then you know that I’m one of the few(?) who don’t think Waverly is the half-revenant child rumored to exist and I don’t think Bobo is Waverly’s father. The scientist in me is screaming “OCCAM’S RAZOR”. But the writer in me who never really finishes a story because of always thinking of storylines is saying “It’s too convenient. Too many so-called hints. It’s not a big enough surprise or plot twist”. But, let’s talk about this anyways...

First, let’s go back to that magical treehouse in S1, before Bobo tells Waverly she wasn’t an Earp: “I used to watch you girls, and I’d wonder how a man like Ward Earp ended with so much goodness. And then there was the baby. And I used to think about saving her too.” We now know that back when Bobo was Robert Svane, he held on to the idea of “I am a good man” very strongly. He also seemed to be very religious, believed in guardian angels, and was praying while dying. He was loyal to Wyatt Earp; like Ride or Die-level of loyal, so loyal that he rode with Wyatt and died for (or because of) Wyatt. During this scene, I thought it was interesting (Read: weird) that Bobo says “the baby” and “saving her” even though he was talking to Waverly. Is there some reason why he didn’t just address her directly? Why didn’t Bobo say “And then there was you” and “I used to think about saving you too”. 

Second, again in S1E02, Bobo tells a young Waverly “...it had to be an Earp” to bury the talisman. This could be true. Or, it could be a lie he told to explain why he couldn’t be the one to bury it (because he can’t step foot on Earp land).

Third, if Bobo did father Waverly and knew about it, would he really have left her with Ward Earp? Or, wouldn’t he have just taken Waverly after Ward’s death and hid her away like he hid Willa?

4. Father Juan Carlo: It is my burden. My curse. To survive and witness. Never to decide. We finally learn about JC! He was the one who originally trapped The Widows in the crate. In addition, he was one of the seal keepers and has ties to the origins of the Earp Curse. A priest in Purgatory, he was the one who sent a message to Wyatt (and Doc afterwards?) about Sheriff Clootie.

Since JC’s appearance, the Earpers thought he was an angel or a watcher. It’s interesting to find out that he was a man of the cloth. Correct me if I’m wrong, but this episode was the first in which God and religion sort of played a role, or had some type of importance. With JC’s death, there is no more symbolic figure to represent the antithesis of demons (even if JC couldn’t necessarily act in any way). Someone now will fill this role, but who? There are some speculation floating around about angel!Waverly (did it replace the angel!Nicole specs?). One (somewhat major? IDK) reason why I don’t believe Waverly is at all supernatural is based on what Dominique said during an interview at SDCC2017: “Waverly is the muggle you root for”. I also think, story-wise, keeping Waverly human is important in regards to highlighting how strong and capable she is and how, if things were different, she would have been the perfect Earp heir. Waverly made the demon possessing her exhausted! If she was supernatural, the thought automatically becomes “Oh. She fought off Mictian/Mikshun/The Goo because she’s (whatever)”. It is more amazing that human, adorable psycho Waverly was able to fight the possession due to her own strength and goodness and will.

“Juan Carlo thinks Wynonna’s special”

I think this came up a few times in the past. We know JC had to tell/suggest the Order to work with Wynonna. Ewan replies along the lines of not wanting to babysit another Earp heir. Plus, why Wynonna? Why now, to interfere and have the heir go through a vision quest to see the past? How is Wynonna different from previous Earp heirs?

Juan Carlo: I was granted immortality like your friend, Doc, along with a few other perks. And some burdens...I’m not allowed to interfere...But, at this point, I’m no longer afraid of the consequences.

What exactly were the consequences? It couldn’t just be death, because--that’s boring. We do find out that he has a fatal case of gangrene. I think JC definitely knew Constance was dead and that either way he will die because his disease returned(?) and immortality is off the table.

5. Ewan and the Order: Wynonna, the seals, these aren’t our fight. The Order has been tasked to protect the Ghost River Triangle from demons. Period. It’s not the first time we wondered, then where the hell have you guys been?!? So far, all we know is they hunted and killed everyone who was possessed/infected by Mictian/Mikshun. With their connection to JC, it seems that their purpose is to protect the Triangle from demons trying to get in. They are completely separated from the Earp curse and Clootie demon. So, who formed the Order and who gave them the task and are they completely human?

Ewan: Any word from Black Badge lately?

How did Ewan know about Black Badge? Did he know it’s gone from the Triangle/Purgatory and was taunting Dolls? Is there a connection between BBD and the Order?

6. Doc Holliday, Robert Svane, and Wyatt Earp. The original (love) triangle. The (original) Ghost River Triangle ship. 

Doc: I have made my peace with Wyatt. Now you can go to Hell. Robert: For Wyatt, I would. I would ride to Hell and back for him if need be. Used to be you would too.

Let me just get this out of the way, Wyatt Earp definitely is the reason why Doc and Robert became the 170-something year old gunslinger and sociopathic revenant in a fuzzy coat we all know. Doc may have been suffering from tuberculosis since he was 14-years-old and may have made a deal with Clootie (which something about it confused me which I will get into later) to prolong his life, but he was put in a well because Wyatt killed Constance’s sons. Robert was shot by Peacemaker because he was traveling with Wyatt and was used as a human shield by Sheriff Clootie and being Ride or Die (in his case Ride and Die), he sacrificed himself, letting Wyatt shoot through him. However, he didn’t know that just condemned him to Hell because of the curse put on Wyatt.

Wyatt Earp, the problematic BFF.

7. Robert Svane and Wynonna Earp. What is their connection?

Wynonna: How can you see me? Robert: I suppose because I’m dying. Though I’ve caught glimpses of you my entire life.

Words (and hallucinations) of a dying man? I don’t think so. Robert does acknowledge that maybe it’s a dying thing, but that does not explain why he has seen Wynonna, or glimpses of her, his entire life. Does this mean Wynonna does more vision quests? If so, then why would it bring her back to Robert?

8. Vision Quest: I have ears, let me hear. I have eyes, let me see. I claim my birthright, I claim my history. A glimpse of the past. Cool. Cool cool cool. But did Wynonna’s actions affect the timeline?!? From what JC said and from the words of the ritual, she was there merely to observe and watch. But when Robert and Wynonna were both dying, they were able to interact and physically touch. Did Wynonna affect the timeline in anyway through the vision quest? It is possible.

**In the vision quest/past, Robert rang the bell; the bell rang in the past and in the present.**

VISION QUEST DID EFFECT TIMELINE: In the cold open of this episode, Wynonna asks Waverly who pulled her out of the ice and the answer was “You did”. But Wynonna has no recollection of it happening and Waverly, to me, looked confused as to why Wynonna even asked. Now maybe my theoretical physics is rusty (Read: non-existent) and my understanding of time-space continuum is through various sci-fi media and Hermione’s Time Turner, but I think Wynonna doesn’t remember because in the past she might have been the one to pull Waverly out but it will not be her past. Confused? I think I confused myself too.

Time, as we’ve seen, is a tricky thing when you’re the Earp Heir and when wielding Peacemaker (Remember Hypnos?), which itself is a tricky maybe sentient big-ass gun. 

Perhaps, pre-vision quest, Waverly really was pulled out of the ice by Wynonna; Wynonna still haven’t told Robert the whole “Waverly” thing. However, because Peacemaker and its relationship with time and how it affects the Heir tends to get screwed up (Hello accelerated pregnancy!), Wynonna experienced/remembers her past as it happened post-vision quest. That may explain why Waverly suddenly/finally remembers it was Bobo who pulled her out when she revisits the pond/lake at the end of the episode (or was that only revealed to the audience?). Would this then change the dynamic between Bobo and Wynonna, now that he’s back? Because he really should now have realized that his ‘guardian angel’ was Wynonna (why didn’t he in S1 and he really wanted Wynonna dead or maybe this is a new thing cuz because Andras & Co.  basically scrapped their original S2?)

Or is this just the crackiest of all crack speculations? Because I’m cool with that.

VISION QUEST DID NOT EFFECT TIMELINE: Meaning nothing changed and Waverly just how the fuck did she know?! that it was directly because of Wynonna that Bobo saved her from the water. This just brings a whole other set of problems and gets dark and gloomy when you stop and think about it.

Wynonna gives Bobo the name “Waverly” as his angel. That means Bobo was able to befriend and pose as Waverly’s imaginary friend because he knew her name. Bobo was able to trick young Waverly into burying the talisman so that The Seven could come and attack the homestead causing Wynonna to accidentally shoot and kill Ward while Willa is taken as insurance. Bobo was then able to basically groom Willa, attempt to cross the barrier, Willa opening the gate, causing other demons to enter including Mictian/Mikshun, etc.

In short, by giving Bobo Waverly’s name, yes it may have saved the youngest Earp when she fell into the ice, but it lead to the series of events which ultimately brought all these things to happen; meaning, Wynonna may have manufactured her own destiny/fate like a super intense, accidental self-fulfilling prophecy. And I don’t think Wynonna even thought about the consequences of giving Waverly’s name, all she heard was Robert’s promise of never hurting his angel.

Isn’t that really fucking sad?

9. The Wedding Ring & Doc and his immortality (my confusion). 

Throughout S1, Doc’s overarching story is his thirst for revenge against the Stone Witch, Constance Clootie: She pushed him, leaving him stuck, alive forever at the bottom of a well because his best friend Wyatt Earp killed her two sons. But, at some points during S1 and S2, Doc mentions making a ‘deal with the devil’. Assuming, the deal he made was with Constance to cure him of his tuberculosis, which is also why he and Wyatt had a falling out. But he also sometimes says he was cursed ‘to live and live and live’. Yet, in this episode we find out what makes his ring special.

Constance Clootie: The ring you want? The one that heals the dying and delays death interminably is also my seal. 

Getting the fact that the ring is a seal out of the way, it apparently heals and pretty much gives immortality. Which begs the question, did Doc’s initial deal with Constance just gave him his health and then was just cursed with immortality?

Also, Constance told Juan Carlo and Robert “Hide your seal on a holy site and they’ll keep [Sheriff Clootie] locked away forever”, but she kept hers on Doc. In a well. That well was not a holy site. And Doc has since been moving around, sure he sort of lives in Shorty’s (a holy site), but still. Is it a plot hole or just a ‘the wedding ring is special okay? leave it alone’ thing?

10. “Once you look, you can’t unsee the result”, or the that seems like such a specific and purposeful statement and I’d like the Nicole Haught backstory for context please, AKA Wayhaught angst. Nicole, you done fucked up. I’m sure you’ve read others’ posts about it, so I won’t go on and on. Basically, Nicole Haught messed up. Perhaps she was overeager and so sure that Waverly is of course biologically an Earp and that sociopathic revenant is screwing with her, see I knew the results would be--oh shit. Was she wrong to open the mail? Yes. Did she mean to keep the results from Waverly? Of course not. She brought it with her. She planned to give it Waverly. But when she saw how Waverly is struggling to distract herself and could see how much the result would destroy her? Well, here’s when she acted like the majority of hetero-, male love interests and did something wrong to protect the one they love. Also, this show is full of people deciding for someone else in the name of protection and love. This is a theme throughout every relationship (friendship, familial, romantic, etc) in Wynonna Earp. But, I think this trope/pattern will disappear when everyone is on the same page and when they all work on their communication skills.

Nicole: Like it or not you guys are all kind of in this together...You Earps are a party that’s tough to crash. It’s hard not to feel like an outsider, even for me...All I’m saying is I remember what it feels like to be new.

I know. I am guilty of saying that Nicole was jealous of Rosita. But I don’t think Nicole was jealous in a sense that “Oh, is Waverly interested in her romantically?”. Nicole was jealous of how easy it was for Rosita to get along with Waverly and essentially, become one of the gang/part of Team Earp. It is clear that she still struggles with belonging, being included. Yes, she’s in a relationship with Waverly. But while Nicole wants to be (well) all in, I think Waverly wants to keep Nicole separate, not just for protection (initially with the whole BBD un-deputizing), but because Waverly wants something that’s just hers and relatively untainted by the Earp curse and all that it entails. 

It also didn’t help when Rosita said, “...it’ll show Wynonna that we’re here for her, right?” Because with Rosita’s connection with Doc, she is a part of that we. In contrast to when Nicole talks about Wynonna’s pregnancy, “...you guys are all kind of in this together”. She acknowledges that she has no part to play and when she did ‘mommy-sit’ in the last episode, Waverly called her asking for “a favor”. With Wynonna’s pregnancy now being a huge aspect of the group dynamics and ties them all together, Nicole is again in the periphery. Hopefully she becomes more and more integrated within the group, separate from the title of “Waverly’s girlfriend”. I do think it will happen because Kat mentions many in SDCC2017 interviews that the baby brings everyone together and changes their perspective on what’s truly important. 

Discussion & (hopefully not-problematic) Discourse

1. “OMG. Rosita & Waverly are definitely gonna fuck. Waverly is gonna cheat on Nicole. What is their ship name gon--”.  Hello. Please calm down. Pause. I get it. Hot people are hot together BUT---

Now, as you may or may not notice this, I like to keep this blog hate-free and as problem-free as possible. Ship who you want! You’re into Earpcest? You do you, just know that I am slightly judging you, but hey! I’m not gonna kink-shame. You ship Rosita and Waverly and their ship name is pretty: Roserly. Well, it is a pretty ship name. You low-key ship Wynonna and Nicole? Sure! Why not? That has angst-fest written all over it (haha! Wynaught? Why not? Get it. Do you get it? Do you--I’m guessing you do). While yes, I do have a bias towards Wayhaught (if you read my tags, you’ll know they’re my OTP of all OTPs), saying Waverly will cheat on Nicole and fuck Rosita is out-of-character and wouldn’t add anything to the storyline. Wayhaught is shaping up to be actual!relationship with problems that adding a third person (with her own relationship issues to deal with) would make the narrative/storytelling seem “drama for the sake of drama”.

Waverly would never cheat. Waverly and Champ were together for a long time and it’s canon that he was an unfaithful boyfriend. You’re telling me that Waverly Earp, voted the “Nicest Person” in Purgatory, would cheat on Nicole Haught  based on attraction/Rosita is hot? Meanwhile, Waverly Earp, who had immediate attraction-at-first-dimpled-smile with Nicole Haught, waited (at least) a few months before breaking up with her longtime cheating-douchebag of a boyfriend. And then, she didn’t even jump Nicole the moment after breaking up with Champ. Plus, Waverly did say, “Rosie’s so much fun. I’m really happy for her and Doc”. This is my plea: Please Let Waverly Have A Friend 2K17-18. Chrissy probably decided to leave after the whole poisoning thing and kidnapping Waverly debacle. I want Waverly to have a friend.

There’s such thing as too many love triangles. There are people who say “Oh. But Emily Andras and love triangles and Lost Girl”. You’re using a previous show as an example as to why a show runner would put love triangles. You get a love triangle. You’re in a love triangle! NO! PLEASE DEAR GOD NO! If anything, that would be why a show runner would be against having a love triangle. Case and point: In an interview, Emily Andras mentioned being against the old love triangle thing, because she has already done it in Lost Girl. But Wynonna and Dolls and Doc! you say...if you think Wyndolliday is a conventional, same old love triangle then please, you must go back and rewatch Lost Girl or think back to the horrible days of Team Jacob/Team Edward. In Wyndolliday, there’s a lack of “I hate you because we love the same girl”. Each man respects the other’s relationship with Wynonna and have an agreement to continue supporting her and to be there for her. This is why there are whispers of “Stop being a coward Andras and just have a polyamorous relationship”. 

Haha! They’re fighting. Wayhaught is going to break up and Waverly is gonna fuck Rosita. Ok. If you think relationships are all heart-eyes and make outs and snuggling, what Disney Happily Ever After did you step out of? Really. I want to know because life is hard and I want my three wishes from a genie and spontaneously break out into song, complete with back-up singers and dancers.

Relationships are a lot of work. Why do you think the divorce rate is 50% and climbing? There will be fights and disagreements and arguments...and that’s just how two people, who decide to share their lives with each other (in any capacity), will be able to grow and mature. And for the love of all things holy and unholy, please stop saying Nicole Haught is toxic!!! We do terrible things for people we love. Nicole’s character is defined by the need to protect and yes! she has a bit of a hero-complex. But doing terrible things for people we love is not the same as doing terrible things TO people we love. By saying Nicole is toxic, I think it’s belittling and diminishing the actions of actual abusers (am I making sense?). By saying abusive relationship! and toxic!, it chips away what an abusive relationship and being toxic means. Calling relationships that are not abusive abusive and calling non-toxic characters/people toxic, it starts to make the words abusive and toxic meaningless and that’s NOT something that should happen. Did that make sense? Or, am I just opening up myself to hate?

PS. I personally think that if Wayhaught break-up, Nicole will be the one to have a relationship with Rosita, not Waverly (if Rosita is not heterosexual). Based on this episode, Nicole admitted to feeling left out and this seems to be something that she continues to struggle with. If anything, feeling like outsiders is something Rosita and Nicole would bond over and could become a foundation for a relationship (whether it be a friendship or more). Speaking of friendship, as much as I love the Wynaught BrOTP, I want to see a Rosita and Nicole friendship because I want to see who Nicole is outside of the Earp “Inner Circle”. I want to see Rosita and Nicole drinking and complaining about Wynonna. Do I want to see this because I just want it to be a catalyst to jealous!Waverly? Kind of...YES! Okay?! Why do I want to see jealous Waverly? Because if Waverly was ready to blow someone’s head off with a shotgun for almost sleeping with her chronic-cheater boyfriend, what would she do to someone flirting with Nicole? How would she act?

2. Speaking of the youngest Earp; Waverly “I really should have a therapist because I have major abandonment issues, haven’t you noticed?” Earp. At 4, her mother left without any explanation. At 6, she is witness to one sister shooting and killing their dad and the other sister taken, believed dead. Prior, her father never remembered her birthday and she wasn’t included in the height chart and her oldest sibling tried to murder her, repeatedly. She then lived with the McCready’s but her remaining sister is not a constant presence. Even leaving her at age 18 to go travel the world, while she’s stays in Purgatory. Her high school boyfriend constantly cheats on her. Her Uncle Curtis who raised her and basically was her father dies when she’s 21 and the man who gave her a job and was like family also dies. 

I need Waverly to talk to somebody. Please. Because I need her to be okay.

3. The sadistic part of me wants Waverly to be an Earp, biologically. Unless it has been definitively stated, which it hasn’t, the question of Waverly’s lineage is still unanswered. To be honest, when Bobo told Waverly she wasn’t even an Earp, my reaction was “How the fuck would you know?”. Anyways, being biologically an Earp would go hand in hand with the show’s theme of Found Family. 

Let’s be real. Sometimes, families just suck and are horrible to each other. No huge hidden family secrets. No conspiracies. Your family just happens to be the one you are born in and just because you share blood/DNA, it doesn’t mean you automatically care and love each other. 

Thus, the reason for Ward being a neglectful father and Willa having so much anger and hatred towards Waverly would be...none; there is no reason. And how heartbreaking and awful would that be? Maybe it’s because Waverly looks very much like their mother and Ward couldn’t look at the youngest Earp without being reminded by his wife that left him. Maybe because Willa was jealous that Mama called Waverly ‘her angel’ while Daddy kept forcing her to practice her shooting...

While I do appreciate it if Waverly’s origin/lineage is that she’s adopted (because there’s not many adoption stories, that I know of), I just think there’s something honest and dark and real about being hated by the people that are supposed to love you unconditionally.

As usual, I’m open to discussion, thoughts, opinions, corrections, etc. I honestly didn’t do a good job editing, so there could be mistakes.

[dramabus2-blog]

Comedian John Early Doesn't Love Working With Tahini - Grub Street

“I love Pequeña so much. They have mastered the frozen margarita, so much so that I order one even though I have therapy immediately after.” Photo: Scott Heins

Two years ago, actor and comedian John Early moved from New York to Los Angeles for a television show, and while the project fell through, he stayed and planted roots. Now, when you do see him over on this coast, it’s to tape his TBS show Search Party, in which he plays Elliott, or for various other projects, including next week’s Padma Puts on a Comedy Show at the Bell House, benefiting the Movement Voter Project. Though Early didn’t have as much opportunity to cook this week as he’d like (“I became obsessed with making pasta at a very young age”), he still found time for copious amounts of cold brew, homemade burgers with radicchio buns (“they are divine”), and pizza passing itself off as an hors d’oeuvre. Read all about it in this week’s Grub Street Diet.

Thursday, October 11 I like to start every day with a cold brew and a Propecia. The cold brew comes from Primrose, my neighborhood coffee shop while I’m in town shooting the zero-time Emmy nominated Search Party. It’s these temporary pillars of familiarity that create some much-needed structure amid the formlessness of my bicoastal lifestyle. #theunbearablelightnessofbicoastiality #bicoastalvisibility

For breakfast, my boyfriend and I salt some watermelon — just like my very southern dad does, except he’s never heard of Maldon™. I’m a little too proud of how meager this meal is. It’s no coincidence that this is my very first entry. My daily cold-brew-induced panic begins, and I find myself immediately paralyzed by the performative nature of the whole endeavor. Will I accurately represent myself as the passionate eater that I know myself to be? Will I bring attention to the restaurants and small businesses that truly need it? Is it braggy to talk about my boyfriend? It feels so transparent to include him (“I, too, am loved!”), but dishonest to leave him out!

Did I mention he’s an artist? We take the train into Tribeca and stop by the iconic the Compleat Sculptor to get him some modeling clay for a project. We are starving and a block away from Trader Joe’s, so we pick up some premade salads and a peanut-butter-cookie Lärabar. I can already feel the walls of my hard-earned gourmand identity crumbling around me. I vigorously shake my salad in its plastic container to dress it. I consider lying and saying that we were beckoned into “the most unpretentious red-sauce Italian place by its adorable elderly owner.” The salad explodes in my lap.

For dinner, we drunkenly pick at a tray of falafel toppings with our bare hands at a reception for a friend’s photography show. Damn.

Friday, October 12 I get another cold brew from Primrose and take a Propecia. My boyfriend makes me a smoothie of frozen berries, banana, green apple, and kale for breakfast, and I wonder, Is it 1998? I keep it to myself because the smoothie is truly good, and ultimately I resent diet trends that look down on them.

I pace around the apartment rehearsing what I’m going to say on a very confrontational call that I have to make at the end of the day. I willfully enter into conflict about once every 400 years. A truck could be driving on the wrong side of the road, barreling toward me, and I would not honk. I am so nervous that I forget to eat lunch (so chic), and around 3 p.m. I throw together all that is left of our groceries: a Monsanto apple and banana, and some curried chicken salad that I bought on the previous day’s Trader Joe’s trip but didn’t mention here because of y’all’s relentless judgment.

I make the call. No one dies. I go to Roman’s in Fort Greene with my boyfriend to $elf $oothe. It’s worth the goddamn bill — perfect Martinis, orange wine, gorgeous fava-bean purée, radicchio with anchovy and Parmesan, tortelli with a butter and sage sauce, chicken al diavolo, panna cotta, and chocolate sorbet. I swear to god Keri Russell is eating at the bar just like us. I’ve heard rumors that she lives in this area. It’s definitely not her, but for that split second I feel that life in New York can feel as good as an episode of Felicity.

Saturday, October 13 I am hungover. I pop a Propecia and drag my gay ass to Primrose for a cold brew on my way to shoot a short film by a friend from college. When I get to set, I eat a truly exquisite whole-wheat everything bagel with cream cheese. It helps a lot even though I’m trying to “cut back on grain.”

The catering on set is Frito pie with vegan chili, chicken-salad sliders, and other such church-camp delights. The thematic cohesiveness of the meal is a little oppressive, but I soldier on.

After the shoot, my boyfriend and I go to a play called Slash by Leah Hennessey and Emily Allan (of Zhe Zhe glory) at MX Gallery. The show is astonishing and perfect, and we ride our cultural high to Kiki’s, a Greek restaurant in Chinatown. We have lemony potatoes, smoky eggplant dip, orange-peel sausage, lamb fricassée, and a waitstaff that doesn’t care for my jokes.

Sunday, October 14 I chomp down on a Propecia and head to Primrose where my boyfriend and I collect a free cold brew, having loyally filled our card with the required nine stamps. I playfully tell the cashier that I wish there was a little more ceremony — a siren, confetti, etc. She, too, doesn’t care for my jokes, and my boyfriend generously reassures me on the walk home that she’s probably a Pratt freshman consumed by her new life in Brooklyn.

We get some groceries and make burgers with pepperoncini, avocado, caramelized onions, mayo, Dijon, and radicchio buns (LOL). I laugh out loud, but they are divine. If you can pull off a radicchio leaf without tearing it, it’s very cuplike. And Goddamn it, reader, I swear if you caught me on a different week you’d be shocked by my cooking. I started early. What’s nice about being a gay boy is, before you become cripplingly self-aware about your gayness, you have no shame just following your mom around the kitchen and asking her questions.

In the afternoon, we go to the premiere of Can You Ever Forgive Me, thanks to tickets from queen Dolly Wells, who is in the movie and is characteristically genius in it. While sitting BEHIND JUDGE JUDY AND IN FRONT OF JOEL GREY (!!!!!), we eat popcorn and a couple of bourbon-flavored chocolates. At the after-party, we piece together a free dinner of mediocre mushroom and prosciutto cut-up pizza (“flatbread”) hors d’oeuvres, and marvel at the grace with which Judge Judy interfaces with her adoring public.

Monday, October 15 The usual cold brew cut with Propecia. I have to work today, but only for a couple of hours starting at 4 p.m. My schedule is so easy breezy this season that I wonder if I’m like Valerie Cherish slowly being phased out of Room and Bored. But I’m secretly loving the domesticity. I pick up some groceries and make some lunch for my boyfriend and me. A baby-kale salad with sunflower seeds and a tahini, olive oil, lemon zest, and juice dressing. I’m so bad at “working with” tahini. Why is it always so fucking chunky? I thought I added enough water to smooth it out. Maybe the citrus curdled it? I can feel the ghost of Kate Berlant, my comedy partner and undisputed tahini queen, cackling over my shoulder as I whisk to no avail. The salad is still pretty good — the flavors are all there, gang! — and I serve it with some scrambled eggs and a side of grilled preserved artichokes.

I go to Search Party to take some sort of photo that will be used as a prop in the show. I get to my trailer and am horrified to find no costume, but sweatpants, a hoodie, and big boxers. This can only mean one thing: partial nudity. I react to the horror by eating half of one of those god-awful RXBARs and some Earl Grey tea with almond milk. I imagine this is what Carey Mulligan does when she’s “feeling peckish.” As usual with this show, the partial nudity is truly worth the joke. I am made up like a cherub, my body is oiled, and I pose with a lyre. It’s extremely funny, and I also leave feeling a stronger sense of connection to Anne Geddes, which is frankly something I’ve been after my entire Goddamn life.

For dinner, we order (“We … we! I’m still getting used to saying it!”) some Neapolitan-style pizza — one with soppressata, the other a classic margherita — from a place that truly does not need my help. My boyfriend makes a salad with the leftover radicchio and a vinaigrette with minced pepperoncini and the juice from the jar. It’s really major.

Tuesday, October 16 I should mention that I’ve been trying to make my own cold brew recently to avoid spending so much money and using so much plastic. I can’t figure out the right grind though, so I throw back a Propecia and once again head to Primrose. Love brazenly making choices like these in the face of recent climate science!

I come home, and while absolutely soaring on cold brew, I see that there’s a 50 percent off sale on the Criterion Collection website. A mere two feet away from my boyfriend, I order six titles that I will never watch and a $30 Blu-ray player off of Amazon Prime, and I don’t tell him because I know this behavior is unhinged. This is why cold brew is bad. Once, while drinking one during a meeting, I told an executive that I was the “Robyn of comedy” with zero irony.

I go to Pequeña for a late lunch after my manic purchase. I love Pequeña so much. They have mastered the frozen margarita, so much so that I order one even though I have therapy immediately after. I also get my favorite menu items: the pork burrito and the chicken soup.

Their margarita truly packs a punch, and I put on a great show for my therapist (that’s what therapy is for, right?). I meet the great Nicole Spiezio in Madison Square Park. We share a weed gummy because we are going to see A Simple Favor starring Blake Lively and everyone’s favorite Scrappy Little Nobody, Anna Kendrick (or as my boyfriend calls her “Anna Kendricks”). We eat at Shake Shack, naturally. I eat a double Shack Burger with fries and order my cheese sauce on the side. We get to the theater for the 7:45 showing, and the edible kicks in right as we receive the news that the screening is sold out. Maybe it’s the edible, but the stakes feel so high that I feel like we’re in Argo, which I’ve never seen. We get in a cab and head to the Kips Bay AMC to try to make it in time for the 7:55 showing, but there is only one seat left. I beg the woman at the box office, “Is there anything you can do?” She looks at me like I’m crazy — obviously, there is nothing she can do. We are stuck in Kips Bay, high as hell, but still wanting to hang. We are beckoned into the most unpretentious Mexican place by its adorable elderly owner. Everyone in the restaurant seems to be on straight Tinder dates that aren’t going well. I drink a tequila on the rocks.

I go back home and eat frozen raspberries while relaying this story to my boyfriend. It does not land.

See All

Source: http://www.grubstreet.com/2018/10/comedian-john-early-grub-street-diet.html

[redconfidential-blog]

Since last week, all news channels have been on about the release of the Omarosa Manigault Newman memoir; Unhinged, and you know I had to get my hands on it. The former Assistant to the President and Director of Communications for the Office of Public Liaison has released another tell-all and Insider account of the Trump White House.

Omarosa first met Donald Trump when she was a contestant on his show; The Apprentice, and has worked with him on many projects and most recently her job with his administration in the White House. A lot has been said about this book in the media so this review will be in three parts.

THE INTERESTING BITS

Omarosa is Nigerian-American Yes, she is our sister! Which, in my opinion, explains the drive and aggressive ambition this woman projects. It is definitely Nigerian. Argue with your WAEC certificate please. That “We die here” hustle spirit in her is genetic. In Chapter 2 she reveals that her dad, who was murdered was Nigerian and had named her Omarosa short for “Omarosaonee”, which means “my beautiful child desired.”.  I’d like to find out what tribe in Nigeria bears this name. Certainly not Igbo or Yoruba? I’m guessing Bini (Benin, Edo State)? Any ideas?

Omarosa worshiped Donald Trump To win on the apprentice she read his books, copied is mannerisms, played into his idiosyncrasies and lived for his praise and approval. Consequently, there were a lot of things she noticed and knew were wrong, and here, she admits she made excuses, and let them slide, conveniently classifying these occurrences as “Not My Business”. 

Looking the other way doesn’t make her any less culpable. However, coming from a desperately poor background, I can appreciate that it was easier, smarter and infinitely more profitable to have kept her focus on her career by minding her own business.

She Believed Trump Was Racial Not Racist Omarosa suggest that over the time she has known Donald Trump, he has changed. She says that he was racial; using race, much like gender to create conflict or controversy as he did on seasons of the Apprentice.

“As I thought at the time, he is racial, though, in that he uses race and racial relations to manipulate people. I believed the birther movement stuff was opposition research, as he claimed, but it also had the purpose of riling up the Republican base of white voters. Trump’s racialization of illegal immigrants and his rhetoric about “building a wall” served the same goal. I believed then that Donald Trump was intentionally pitting races against each other for political gain, just as he’d pitted races against each other on The Apprentice for ratings.”

Whichever, racial or racist, Donald Trump is a malicious catalyst, and so making a distinction between either words doesn’t change the poor moral basis it rests on.

THE SHOCKING ALLEGATIONS

The N-Word Tape Trump using the N-word is not hard for anyone to imagine if you have followed his presidency. I mean, he did refer to an African American athlete as a “son of a bitch” for kneeling during the National Anthem.  Omarosa says “Speculation about the N-word tape…I was highly doubtful that it existed… But in the year since, my mind was turning about the man I’d called a friend for almost fifteen years. I’d been loyal to him all this time, but if I had any proof that this tape was real, I would pack up my office and submit my resignation immediately”.

Reading this, I remember thinking “Sorry, I don’t believe you” and then she goes on to list all she had put up with to stay in Trump’s cult.

I’d had one foot out the door since the mishandling of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017. And, in October, there was Trump’s insensitive condolence call with the widow of an Army Special Forces soldier killed in Niger, followed by Trump and Kelly’s racially charged attack on Representative Frederica Wilson who heard the call and told the press about it. Trump’s endorsement of Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, a man who’d been accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women, only added insult to injury. The N-word tape would be the last “last straw” for me.

So why would the N-word tape be the “last last straw”? In my opinion, the N-word tape might not make much of a difference to the Trump administration. It would only confirm what the rest of the world already knew. The tape would be just another straw Omarosa would have put up with to maintain her privilege and proximity to power. Summarily, I’m not going to assume that this tape would have made Omarosa resign, not even if Donald Trump called her the N-word to her face.

General Kelly Blackmailing Omarosa

In the rush to get out of the White House after my meeting with Kelly, I left behind some very personal items: financial documents, a drive containing my wedding proofs, photos, gifts, cards, and most important, my commission certificate. According to an email from the White House counsel’s office, if I wanted to see my personal items again, I would have to sign a draconian departure nondisclosure agreement (NDA) about my time at the White House….At the time of this writing, General John Kelly is still holding my personal items hostage at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and advising the counsel’s office to harass me constantly.

Is this even legal? Trump’s presidency sounds a lot like the mafia.

THE NOT-SO-SHOCKING ALLEGATIONS

Donald Trump’s Mental Health Much like Michael Wolff already said in his memoir Fire and Fury, Omarosa also states that President Donald Trump’s mental and physical health has degenerated over time. She suggests that earlier in their relationship, he was smart and energetic but now, he isn’t the brightest bulb in the room. Trump reads “at an eighth- or ninth-grade level”, and “never read from beginning to end any of the major pieces of legislation, policies or even some of these executive orders that he has signed”, repeats himself unnecessarily and has trouble keeping up with conversations.

Melania Protests Her Husband Through Her Outfits Omarosa tells us that Melania is an amazing mother to her son and confirms that the first lady and her husband do not sleep in the same room. However, Omarosa supports the popular theory that Melania wore some clothes deliberately to embarrass her husband, some of which included the “pussy bow” blouse after the Access Hollywood tape was released, the “I REALLY DON’T CARE, DO U?”  Zara jacket she wore to Texas to meet immigrant children, and a white pantsuit to the State of the Union. You be the judge.

Related: Book Review on Fire and Fury 

Donald Trump’s Disturbing Relationship with His Children Another thing Micheal Wolff already told us; Trump’s relationship with his children is quite unusual. Omarosa details Donald insulting his son and another time suggests that his son get “some nice ass” in the playboy mansion with his pregnant daughter in-law present. She also implies that his interaction with his daughter Ivanka is a little more than just a father-daughter relationship.

 During one long break, Gene and Donald engaged in language so profane, it would have raised eyebrows in prison. Donald asked Gene, “What do you think of Ivanka? How’s she doing?” What followed was a vile exchange, right in front of Ivanka, with Gene Simmons talking about her in a room full of people. While leering openly at her breasts, he said, “She’s a very, very sexy, desirable young woman who I’m looking forward to getting to know much better if you know what I mean, with all due respect.” Her father egged him on. Ivanka groaned dismissively and tried to get them to change subjects. I have to assume she’d been dealing with this her whole life and was used to it. Everyone else in the room was shocked, not by Gene’s language (we knew he was a disgusting pig), but by Donald’s obvious delight in hearing it. 

Very creepy.

Trump Had An Affair with a Pastor Omarosa suggests she wasn’t able to run the Office of the Public Liaison because of Trump’s spiritual advisor, Paula White.  Then Omarosa was later told that White and Trump enjoyed a “special relationship.” Omarosa writes “I was not sure what to make of this,… But I could not stop myself from contemplating whether her position as spiritual advisor had ever been missionary.”

****

Summarily, Trump’s administration has brought about a record number of book releases telling similar tales of lies and corruption in the White House. For Omarosa, this book is as much a tale of her life, childhood and personal tragedies as it is about her career, political experience and relationship with Donald Trump.

Do I believe her? Mostly. Some of her accusations are vague and I feel like her “awakening” is only triggered by the fact that she felt railroaded out of the White House and deserved better for her loyalty over the years, not because she genuinely realized how unhinged Trump is. However, others are specific and she has released tapes to back her story up. Yes, our sister is out here dropping tapes like singles from an upcoming album!

Is it a good read? Certainly. It is fast-paced and gripping, the prologue beginning with John Kelly inviting her to the Situation Room. Definitely a page-turner.

Should you go and buy it? Not really. It’s not a classic, it doesn’t say too much you don’t already know and in my humble opinion, this is not just to tell Omarosa’s story. It is a branding strategy to keep her name in the media with TV appearances and media coverage and ensure she is still marketable without Trump, while using him like all the other writers and books before hers.

Have you read Unhinged by Omarosa Manigault Newman? Let me know what you think in the comments! As always, thank you for reading! *** Liked this post? Do share it on your social media wall, timeline or feed. Want blog updates and promotions in your inbox? Sign Up Now

Book Review: Unhinged by Omarosa Manigault Newman Since last week, all news channels have been on about the release of the Omarosa Manigault Newman memoir; Unhinged,