#Amanda should just be set loose in season 4

[laniidae-passerine]

ok but nothing was funnier in cobra kai s3 than the scene where the cop says Kreese filed for a restraining order because Amanda assaulted him and Daniel responds ‘my wife would never commit a crime 😌’ only for Amanda to pull the funniest face on earth and Daniel promptly loses his mind

[silentauroriamthereal]

Author interview tag

I was tagged by @therealsaintscully! Thanks, you! :)

Name: SilentAuror

Fandoms: Just Sherlock, though I also follow some Old Guard blogs. :)

Where you post: AO3. Though I was almost knocked over the other day when I got a comment on an old HP fic over on skyehawke.com! It’s been literal YEARS since I got a review on anything over there! :P 

Most popular multi-chapter fic: Against the Rest of the World for sure. :)

Favourite story you’ve written so far: With 87 posted fics and 2 more currently on the go, I can’t possibly answer that. That’s cruel. Lol. 

Fic you were nervous to post: This, on the other hand, is easy, haha! Three stories, all for very different reasons: 

1. The A.G.R.A Complex. This was my first Freebatch fic and I thought I might well be burnt at the stake for even writing any RPF. The notion for this story caught my muses’ attention, though, and they eventually forced me to write it against my will. I can’t be held responsible. Lol. It still amazes me that people continue to read it to this day. The notion: Martin and Benedict are friends. There’s a car accident and Martin suffers a fairly mild brain injury. While in his coma, dreams the entire first three seasons of Sherlock, which in this universe, haven’t happened. The nature of the brain injury is such that he keeps shifting mentally between the reality of who he and Benedict (and Amanda) are, and seeing himself and everyone else as their characters in the Sherlock universe. When I posted it, I intended it to be left up to the reader whether to see it as kind of an AU to actual reality, or else a prequel to the filming of Sherlock. When I finally decided to write a sequel, it meant that I had to be the one to make that clear, which made it a prequel. It became a three-part series, with the second part set during and just after the filming of series 3 (the dodgiest in the moral sense, since it dances around and into real life events), and then the third story takes place ten years later. 

2. The Final Proof. Why? Easy. Major character death, and it’s Sherlock. That’s clear from about the first sentence, I think. I had written At the Heart of it All, which features Sherlock running an experiment using the hearts of people who lived lives where they had loved and been loved, and people who hadn’t in an effort to prove his own ability to love to John. He says something at the end of that story about wishing he could see his own heart at the end of their life to see which of the hearts his own resembled by then. And then my muses, my terrible, terrible muses said, “hey... you could write that: you know: Sherlock at the very end of his life, making John promise to look at his heart after he’s died, and complete his experiment.” I, like, teared up just at the thought, and honestly, I cried for most of the writing of that story. I’m assured that about 99% of the people who have read it have also cried throughout, so... sorry. Yeah. 

3. Scars. Why? Easy, again: the entire story is riddled with gaslighting and other types of emotional abuse and mind-fuckery, and an actual rape scene. It was painful to the point of being interally corrosive to write, but I still felt it was a story I needed to tell. I did my homework on this one, consulted multiple therapists who work specifically in the field of men who have been absued (emotionally, physically, sexually) by female partners. I thought no one would read it. I thought I might lose half my followers on tumblr. But I still wrote it. It still amazes me that people read it, even more when they actually like it, and still like me after. Lol. 

How you choose your titles: Hmm... each title genesis is different, I would say! Sometimes it’s a general theme of the story, sometimes it’s a specific concept or single word, occasionally (but not often) it’s a song title. Sometimes it’s another language, particularly Latin. In The A.G.R.A Complex, the title of the story is also the name that the neurologists given to the brain injury Martin experiences. Vena Cava is titled for the name of the vein that Mary’s bullet punctured in Sherlock’s heart, based on a medical analysis I had read. Scars takes its theme from both Sherlock’s external scars from what he went through during his time away, and John’s internal scars from Mary’s emotional abuse. I also have a whole series of (unrelated) flower-themed stories: The Green Carnations comes from ACD era coding for homosexuality. The Yellow Poppies is the story I wrote after the deleted scene about Magnussen’s hospital visit came out, which features both he and Mary as dual villains, and yellow poppies placed in Sherlock’s room as a threat from one or the other of them. The White Lotuses has a leitmotif of Hinduism and slow-blooming self-awareness and romance. The Red Roses is a Molly POV where she helps Sherlock and John get together in spite of her own feelings, and The Wisteria Tree is an amnesia story that has Sherlock forget the past six years of his life, including the five years that he’s been married to John, and how they find their way back together in spite of that. Rosa Felicia - bonus, both a flower name AND Latin, lol! - is a coming-of-age story about Rosie at the age of 19. Where My Demons Hide is a mid-series 4 story that I wrote after The Lying Detective aired, but before The Final Problem did, and is the title of an Imagine Dragons song. Pater Noster is Latin for the title of the Lord’s Prayer in Latin, but also quite literally just means “our father”, and is a story that centres around the events surrounding the death (murder) of John and Harry’s father. You get the gist. 

Do you outline: I always say that one should know how a story begins, how it ends, and at least a few of the major points between those two events. So yes, but loosely. I think that over-plotting kills creativity. It’s not an essay. But even essays need space to grow. 

Complete: 105 stories back in my skyehawke days, the vast majority of which are HP, totalling in about 1.5 million words. 87 stories in the Sherlock fandom (though those include my 4 Freebatch fics), totalling in over 2.3 million words now. 

In progress: I have two stories currently pending: a Christmas story called The Secret of Hazel Grange, and a trauma-based, co-sleeping fic called Nocturne.

Coming soon/not yet started: I never comment about fics I haven’t yet started. Might curse the entire process, lol. 

Do you accept prompts: No, alas. Neither prompts nor commissions. While I’m constantly desperately poor, it takes something out of the writing process for me once it becomes a job. I just feel like that’s not what fanfic is about for me. No judgement to anyone else who does write for commissions, whatsoever - we all have our own process! For me, I’m happy (make that incredibly grateful!) to have donations or supporters through my Patreon (eep: x), but writing to order just doesn’t quite jive for me. I also don’t take prompts, not because I don’t want them, but because I have such a huge backlog of my own ideas that I’ll never get to as it is. There will never be enough time to write all the fics I want to write! That said, don’t think that you can’t still suggest your ideas. My “official policy” (lol) is that I don’t take prompts (for the aforementioned backlog reason), but that doesn’t mean that if you do send me one, my muses won’t seize upon it and force me to write it. You never know. I certainly don’t, at least. :P 

Upcoming story you are most excited to write: I’m super excited by the notion of actually getting my Christmas fic finished by Christmas. Lol. Here’s hoping!! 

Tagging: Anyone who reads this and is a writer, or thinking about becoming one. You’ve been tagged! 

[bearterritory]

No. 4 Bears Fall In Overtime In NCAA Semifinals

Cal Pushes No. 1 USC To The Brink Before Ending Season

As tough as this weekend’s 10-8 overtime loss to No. 1 USC was Saturday in the semifinals of the 2019 NCAA Championships, don't expect Cal head coach Coralie Simmons to try to forget about it anytime soon. "I'll probably watch this game two thousand times," Simmons said. The 4th-ranked Golden Bears' season came to an end Saturday, but not before the team sent a message that it should be considered on par with whomever ends up winning the national championship. USC, with just one loss in 28 games this season, was on its heels for much of the game as the Bears put a scare into the top team in the land. "This is a semifinal we will never forget," Simmons said. "We want another two minutes. But it was a lot of fun. I want to play the game over." After a fun win over #5 Hawaii the day before, Cal was raring to go.  But the Bears (17-8) fell behind 3-0 just over six minutes into the game, yet as they’ve  done so many times against top teams this season, came storming back. By early in the second quarter Cal had evened the score at 3-3, then twice erased a two-goal deficit to finally force overtime. Sophomore Brigit Mulder, capping off a breakout season where she assumed much of the scoring load vacated by the departure of four All-Americans from last year, scored twice in the first half to aid the Bears' comeback. Cal, which held the Trojans scoreless for over 16 minutes in an 8-3 loss earlier in the season, turned it up defensively again, allowing just four goals in the final three periods of regulation. Much of their defensive success was due to another superior effort by senior goalie Madison Tagg, who matched her career-high with 18 saves that she set during last month's MPSF Championships against No. 3 UCLA. Tagg finished with 488 saves in her career, good for sixth on the program's all-time list. Tagg, who was named an ACWPC All-American Honorable Mention last year, was named to the All-MPSF Second Team at the end of the regular season and figures to garner more All-American honors this year when those honors are handed down. "She showed growth in a number of categories – mostly maturing as a leader and maturing as staple for us in and out of the water," Simmons said. "That helped her gain a lot of confidence and security in her role as a goalkeeper. Her ability to show up in big moments and really be the backbone for us defensively allowed us to compete at a high level." Sophomore Kitty Lynn Joustra scored on a wicked backhand with 2:57 remaining to tie the game at 7-7 and ultimately force overtime. USC scored the first two goals of the extra sessions but sophomore Elli Protopapas answered with a goal with 39 seconds left to pull the Bears back within a goal. The Trojans added the punctuation mark with a goal with eight seconds remaining to close it out. Junior Emma Wright scored her 67th goal of the season, putting her in eighth place on Cal's all-time single-season scoring list. She also now has 154 career goals, which is ninth all-time in program history. "I'm super proud of this squad," Simmons said. "I couldn't ask for more from them battling and having a lot of fun doing it. We were loose and playing for all the right reasons." No. 1 USC 10, No. 4 Cal 8 (OT) Cal 2 2 1 2 0 1 - 8 USC 3 2 1 1 1 2 - 10 Cal Goals: Brigit Mulder 2, Emma Wright, Kitty Lynn Joustra, Sarah Siepker, Elli Protopapas, Claire Sonne, Lauren Charter. USC Goals: Paige Hauschild 3, Alejandra Aznar 2, Maud Megens, Grace Tehaney, Mireia Guiral, Bayley Weber, Tilly Kearns. Cal Saves: Madison Tagg 18. USC Saves: Amanda Longan 11.

[ramajmedia]

10 Forgotten TV Spinoffs That Were Actually Good | ScreenRant

There are some spin-offs that go on to be just as popular (if not more so) than their predecessors. Spin-offs like Frasier, with 37 Emmy wins and eleven seasons, proved even more popular than Cheers. Family Matters certainly became must-see TV with the hilarious Steve Erkel, even though he never featured in the series it was based off, Perfect Strangers. Then there's all the wildly acclaimed Star Trek spin-offs from the original series, each with its own niche audience.

But what about all those spin-offs that people rarely talk about, that were wildly successful at the time and actually decent? Do audiences even remember that they carried the torch for their respective franchises even after their parent shows went off the air? Without further ado, presenting the 10 forgotten spin-offs that were actually good.

10 MAUDE

Though most fans of Bea Arthur know her as the sardonic high school teacher Dorothy from The Golden Girls, serving withering asides like they're slices of cheesecake, she was the star of a spin-off that featured an even more scathing character.

Maude was a spin-off of All in the Family, and featured Edith Bunker's liberal minded Maude (Bea Arthur) confront all sorts of timely issues, from race politics to civil rights and labor disputes. Maude lived with her fourth husband and adult children in the suburbs of Tuckahoe, NY, and had a sassy comment for everything.

9 MORK AND MINDY

In the fifth season of the popular series Happy Days, Richie Cunningham sees a UFO, and then later the extra-terrestrial inside it, Mork (Robin Williams). While it may have made for a strange episode, audiences liked the character of Mork enough to be curious about his origins.

Fantasy as a genre was popular to mashup with the torpor of everyday domestic sit-coms, such as Bewitched or I Dream of Jeannie. Adding a science fiction element proved a new twist, and it became one of Robin Williams' most beloved characters.

RELATED: I Dream Of Jeannie: 10 Hidden Details Everyone Completely Missed

8 TORCHWOOD

While Torchwood may very well be in the minds and hearts of Doctor Who fans, many viewers may not realize its origins. It began in the mid '00s after the Doctor Who reboot saw great interest, and followed a secret agency called the Torchwood Institute.

Led by their leader Captain Jack Harkness (who guest starred on Doctor Who), the Torchwood team investigated strange extra-terrestrial events all over England (and occasionally further). It combined the whimsical fun of Doctor Who with its own brand of adventure and excitement.

7 THE GOLDEN PALACE

After the huge success of The Golden Girls, and Dorothy was married and left the series, the rest of the girls weren't finished sharing their misadventures on television. In 1992 The Golden Palace premiered, and featured Blanche, Rose, and Sophia purchasing a Miami hotel recently lacking in luster.

The series didn't have the same tone of four ladies gathered around a coffee table eating cheesecake and talking about their sex lives, but the additional cast members added a different comedic charm. Don Cheadle as the concierge and Cheech Marin as the chef were particularly amusing.

6 THE CLEVELAND SHOW

After the extreme success of Family Guy, Seth McFarlane tried to capture lightning in a bottle twice with The Cleveland Show. Initially, it relied heavily on Family Guy style humor, until it settled into its own rhythm and decided to embrace its differences.

The Cleveland show wasn't for everyone. It wasn't the animated version of Family Matters. It was gloriously odd, having more in common with American Dad than its predecessor. Cleveland Brown and his family interacted with a family of talking bears, a British family stuck in the 19th century, and tried not to kill each other. Once you embrace its eccentricities, it grows on you.

5 STAR TREK: THE ANIMATED SERIES

When news spread that Gene Roddenberry's science fiction series Star Trek was being taken off the air in 1970, he tried to think of ways to have it live on. He ultimately decided that the crew of the USS Enterprise would have their adventures chronicled in animated form.

Star Trek: The Animated Series has been called both a spin-off and a sequel - it involves many, but not all of the characters from the original series, and is often regarded as a continuation of its storyline. The animated format allowed for the creative team to do a lot more without the budget constraints of the live show.

RELATED: 10 Star Trek Spin-Off Series That CBS Should Make

4 KENAN AND KEL

All That, the immensely popular sketch and variety series on Nickelodeon, produced several spin-offs, including The Amanda Show and Kenan and Kel. These days, you can watch Kenan Thompson on Saturday Night Live, but back in the '90s, him and Kel got up to all sorts of shenanigans on their own showh.

The show was set in Chicago, and followed Kenan the humble grocery clerk and Kel, his orange-soda-addicted buddy from high school as they tried to come up with a variety of schemes and dreams to get them rich and popular. It features some truly side-splitting skits from the dynamic duo, especially for such a kid-friendly comedy.

3 SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH

Though Sabrina the Teenage Witch is getting some newfound love thanks to the dark and spooky reboot of the series on Netflix, the original series starred teen star Melissa Joan Hart as Sabrina, a teenage girl that had to balance learning how to be a witch with learning how to have a normal life.

What some viewers may not have realized, is that the series was actually spin-off from the Archie Animated Series, which features a Sabrina that actually looks a lot more like the one featured on Netflix currently. She also received her own comic, but the '90s series followed a very different path loosely based on her appearance in Riverdale.

2 DARIA

Though there have been talks of a Daria reboot almost ever since the incredibly nihilistic animated series went off the air, it seems that it's endured long enough on streaming platforms to feel fresh in the mind of a whole new cynical generation.

What new viewers may not realize is that it was actually a spin-off from another animated series, Beevis and Butthead. Daria, the jaded high school student who just wanted to survive small town American high school, was the pairs' neighbor, and her lack of personality ended up ironically enthralling to Gen Xers steeped in peak irony.

1 SAVED BY THE BELL

Saved by the Bell may get a bad rep for taking a squeaky clean approach to the rigors of high school, but no one can deny that as far as programming went for teens of the '90s, it set the trends and knocked them down with its ridiculously good looking cast of youngsters.

What viewers of today may not realize, is that it was actually a spin-off of Good Morning, Miss Bliss, a series about a school teacher (Hayley Mills) that only lasted for one season in 1988 but featured all of the same cast (including Mr. Belding).

NEXT: The 10 Best TV Shows Of All Time, According To IMDb

source https://screenrant.com/10-forgotten-tv-spinoffs-actually-good/

[themurphyzone]

Absolutely Disastrous Ch 13

Ch 13: Get Your Flames on, Zack and Lydia! Treecko’s Growing Potential and Tepig’s Dazzling Debut!

Bradley accepted the free PokéNav in exchange for agreeing to not leave a bad review of Mahlson Corp on the Internet, though he refused to follow Milo into the CEO’s office and stormed off to train for his next gym battle. Milo felt pretty bad when he watched Bradley try to press an elevator button, but misjudged the length of his new Breloom arm and wound up poking at empty air. 

“Don’t worry,” Amanda said, settling Minccino on top of Milo’s head to provide him with fluffy reassurance. Minccino stretched out, trying to flatten Milo’s cowlick with her tongue. “If he’d been fully turned into a Breloom, every trainer in the city would be bombarding him with Poké Balls.” 

“I’ll make sure the scientist is written up and disciplined for this incident,” Orville asserted, gesturing for everyone to take a seat on the plush, luxurious couches in his office. Diogee laid down on the deep red carpet, nuzzling into its soft fuzz, Milo tried to sit too, but the couch cushion swallowed him until only his legs poked out and he had to be extracted by Melissa and Zack. He settled for the floor instead. 

“I assume the scientist isn’t why you brought us here,” Melissa said. “What’s so top secret that you couldn’t tell us in the Pokémon Center?” 

Orville set the briefcase on top of his desk, removing the documents and locking them into a vault behind a painting of a Relicanth. “I’d like to know about the people who were interested in my company’s research. Did the thieves talk about what they planned to do with this data?” 

“Something about creating more land and being heroes,” Zack said. “Sorry, I was a little more focused on the walls suffocating us than anything that old man said.” 

“Walls can’t suffocate you,” Melissa scoffed. 

“They can if they sense you’re claustro-avoidant,” Zack retorted. 

Lydia sat between Melissa and Zack, forcing them to the ends of the couch and ending their argument. “The businessman mentioned something about magma.” 

“Cavendish and Ignacio—that’s who stole your documents—belong to an organization called Team Magma,” Milo added. “You have data on ancient geographical formations and they want to reawaken a Pokémon named Groudon.” 

“Wait a minute,” Zack said, holding his hand up in a time-out. “Didn’t Dakota say something about reawakening something called a Cry-ogre?” 

Melissa pounded the armrest at the mention of Dakota’s name. “It’s not Cry-ogre. It’s KY-owes me seven thousand Pokédollars-gre!” 

“He dined and dashed on us. Though he mentioned he was the boss of Team Aqua, whatever that is,” Milo explained for Lydia, Amanda, and Orville’s benefit. “But his sandwich and smoothie cost a thousand.” 

“The other six thousand includes taxes, interest, and emotional distress,” Melissa said. “And I’m gonna keep tacking on other charges ‘til he coughs up the money.” 

Orville winced. “You planning to go into business?” 

“Nope. My career goals are strictly journalist, author, and queen of the universe,’ Melissa replied. 

“Er, good career goals. I think,” Orville said, unsure of how to respond to the last one. To be fair, most people didn’t think Melissa could be queen of the universe. Not that it was a hard title to obtain if she ever succeeded in stuffing Arceus into a Poké Ball. “Now, I want to give each of you a PokéNav. Along with helping you navigate the different biomes of Hoenn, it has the Mahlson Corp number and my personal cell registered in there too. I understand that all of you carry cell phones, but it wouldn’t hurt to carry a spare. Besides, I’d like to keep in touch due to the threat of the ancient Pokémon awakening if either Team Magma or Aqua succeed. If you find any more information, please contact us. In the meantime, I will place more funding into the areas of study these documents cover.” 

“Hypothetically, what’s your policy in case the PokéNav catches on fire or is somehow destroyed under weird circumstances?” Zack asked as Milo reached for his device.

The PokéNav caught on fire, and Diogee pulled Milo back before he could touch it. Melissa stamped it out quickly, but the PokéNav was charred and blackened beyond repair. 

“We replace it,” Orville said, pulling out another PokéNav from his desk. 

The girls made sure everyone’s numbers were placed into the PokéNavs, then sealed them in fireproof bags before storing them into their backpacks. 

“I also have two favors to ask,” Orville said. “First, I have a letter to my son, Orton. He’s probably in Granite Cave again. It’s just outside Dewford.” 

He slid a sealed envelope across his desk. 

“Lydia and I are skipping Dewford actually,” Amanda said. “We’re heading to Slateport after her contest in Rustboro.” 

“In that case, would you two mind delivering these parts to a friend of mine?” Orville asked. He handed a small toolkit full of gears and rods to Amanda. “His name is Captain Bob Webber, and you can find him in the Shipyard. Bob is currently in the process of building a submarine for deep-sea exploration. There’s much we don’t know about the world, the ocean especially, but perhaps he’ll be able to shed some light on these mysteries upon the submarine’s completion.”

Melissa carefully folded the letter into a travel book. “We’ll deliver the letter,” she promised. 

Orville nodded in approval. “Thank you. Orton’s researched many old myths and legends, partly for interest and partly for the storylines on Dr. Magnezone. I believe his knowledge will be useful. That’s all I have on my end. Feel free to call if you have any questions.” 

“You don’t mind if we hold off for a few days, right?” Milo asked. “Zack and Lydia are competing in the Rustboro Contest soon.” 

“Tepig and I have a totally rocking routine!” Lydia boasted. “We’re gonna get that Ribbon for sure!”

“I should probably figure something out with Treecko,” Zack admitted.

Melissa yawned. “But not tonight. It’s been a long day, and I just want a nice, comfy bed.” 

As they gathered their belongings, Diogee sprang up and growled at a bookshelf. 

“What’s he growling at?” Lydia asked. 

Milo shrugged. He tried to hold Diogee back with his collar, but he was slowly dragged forward instead. “I’m not sure. Maybe he just doesn’t like dust bunnies.”

Once Diogee was close enough, he pounced on the bookshelf. Milo let go of the collar just in time, avoiding a head collision with the wooden frame. The books trembled, and Milo reached out to catch an expensive figurine of a Shiftry.  

Something small and pink fled from the gap between the wall and bookshelf, and Diogee shot after it. A piercing wail erupted, and everybody shrieked and covered their ears. Zack and Melissa fought over a pillow to further muffle the noise while the Whismur continued its tearful rampage. Diogee was now more concerned with keeping his paws pressed to his head rather than chasing Whismur though. 

In an attempt to escape the room, the Whismur crashed into Zack, and Melissa triumphantly claimed the pillow. A spare Pok é was knocked loose from Zack’s belt and hit Whismur on the head. 

A red light engulfed Whismur and sucked it into the container, stopping the piercing wail to everybody’s relief. The Poké Ball fell to the floor, shaking three times before emitting a small popping noise. 

Orville was the first to recover. He patted Zack on the shoulder. “Seems Whismur decided to choose you! Treat it well, okay?” 

Zack could only stare at the Poké Ball in disbelief. “That was kinda anticlimactic for a capture.”

“Don’t worry, guys. I have noise-canceling earmuffs in my backpack,” Milo said. “As my dad always says, ‘Always protect yourself from Dr. Magnezone fans crying over the Season 4 finale and freak biplane accidents.’“ 

The next day, Milo focused on taking preventative measures against interruptions to Zack and Lydia’s training. After yesterday’s chance meetings of crime syndicate bosses, strange battles filled with moves he was pretty sure weren’t legal, and befriending the Mahlson Corp CEO, he was glad for a quiet day. Well, unless one counted the panic that ensued when Milo was carried across town by an entire line of remote-controlled shopping carts, but there was no harm done beyond accidentally busting Rustboro Elliot’s kneecap. 

Minccino was more interested in helping Amanda make PokéBlocks than in battling, just as Marshtomp was more interested in eating Amanda’s PokéBlocks rather than making them. 

Melissa worked on Torchic and Poochyena’s teamwork, praising them whenever their combined attacks landed a hit on the practice dummy. She recorded Torchic unleashing a spiral of flames that surrounded the practice dummy in a mesmerizing fiery column. 

“First time I’ve seen more than a few embers!” Melissa exclaimed as she gave Torchic and Poochyena several PokéBlocks for a job well done. “Fire Spin’s definitely gonna be a huge help.” 

“That’s great, but Flame Charge is stronger,” Lydia declared. 

Tepig agreed wholeheartedly. 

“Wanna put that to the test?” Melissa asked. 

“You’re on!” 

The girls and their Fire-starters rushed onto the practice field, trading fire attacks as they jokingly taunted each other. Torchic’s brute force and Tepig’s carefully executed attacks proved to be an equal match. 

Just in case, Milo set a few fire extinguishers within reach. 

Meanwhile, Zack was trying to perfect an appeal with Treecko and Whismur. Treecko used a rapid-fire Bullet Seed while Whismur countered with Echoed Voice, destroying each seed with its cry. Then Treecko switched to Mega Drain, drawing energy from the remaining seeds. Green sparkles showered the room. 

Milo could barely tell that Whismur was caught less than a day ago. 

Since his friends were preoccupied with training, Milo decided to call his folks on the Pokémon Center videophone. He hadn’t really gotten the chance to chat with them since leaving Murphy Ranch. 

“Diogee, would you mind getting Marshtomp?” Milo asked as he logged into the system. “He’s probably trying to swipe Amanda’s PokéBlocks again.” 

Diogee trotted off.

The phone was only halfway through the first ring before someone on the other side picked up. 

“Milo! About time you called!” Sara grinned, her screen flickering to life. 

Milo smiled. “Sorry, it’s been hectic. I have a badge now!” 

He proudly displayed his Stone Badge to Sara, who shrieked at the sight of it. “Oh my gosh, you already have a badge! You’re like a mini Pokémon Master already. Wait right there, let me get Mom and Dad! They gotta see this too!” 

While he waited for Sara to come back, he polished his Stone Badge on a clean cloth. He was about to hold the badge against the light to check for smudges when a Linoone calmly strolled up to him and snatched it from his hand. 

Hope you don’t get tired of this same old tune, 

He’s Recurring Linoone! 

“Get back here!” Milo shouted. “And how did you even hire backup singers?” 

Milo dove for the badge, but Recurring Linoone jumped onto his head and scurried to the exit. Before the thieving Normal-type could reach it, he slammed into a wall of white fur and dropped the Stone Badge. While Diogee carefully returned the badge to its case, Marshtomp tossed Recurring Linoone out of the Pokémon Center. 

“Thanks,” Milo said gratefully as he sat down at the videophone. Sara had returned with Brigitte and Martin during the commotion, and they waved excitedly as they fired question after question at him. 

“Yes, no, Melissa has a Torchic, I’ve met lots of interesting people already, yes, and I haven’t broken my clavicle yet,” Milo said. He tilted the camera down to Diogee and Marshtomp. “Say hi, you two!” 

His Pokémon happily greeted his family. 

“You’re doing a great job with them,” Martin said. “And Diogee’s doing a great job at being your partner.” 

Diogee stood up a little straighter. 

“We’re also traveling with Zack. He’s Professor Underwood’s son,” Milo said, recounting how they rescued Professor Underwood from the swarm of Magikarp and gained their starters in the process. “And he caught a Whismur in the Mahlson Corp CEO’s office! He’s training it right now, but he’s not using it in the contest. He’s sticking with Treecko. Oh, and Melissa caught a Poochyena in Petalburg!” 

Sara’s jaw dropped. “Back up, Milo! You actually went to the Mahlson Corp CEO’s office?” 

Milo nodded. “Uh, yeah. I guess it sounds weird without the context, but his name’s Orville and he’s really nice. We’re delivering a letter to Orton as a favor actually and-” 

“YOU’RE GOING TO MEET ORTON? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?” Sara shrieked, her smile stretching so much that Milo was afraid her face was going to stay that way. “CAN YOU GET ME AN AUTOGRAPH? CAN YOU DOCUMENT THE EXACT SPOT WHERE HE’LL STAND SO WE CAN CREATE A NATIONAL MONUMENT TO DR. MAGNEZONE IN THAT AREA?” 

Sara’s Absol, Nyx, got annoyed and carted her off while she begged for Dr. Magnezone’s autograph. 

“The Absol pups are doing well,” Brigitte said. “We’re still trying out shampoo brands on Rowdy to tame his fur though. No success yet.” 

“Razor and Zorro keep challenging each other,” Martin added. “Nobody wants to judge whose horn is longer, so they have a tendency to decimate a few trees since they have to decide for themselves.” 

Milo giggled as his parents gave him updates on the Absol and the entire Murphy family. His cousin Reggie was now banned from Kalos due to the Mona Florges incident, Nate had a sprained ankle from stepping on a Drilbur and still denied having EHML even though the examination table collapsed with him sitting on it, and Uncle Joey had crashed into a set belonging to Pokéstar Studios and was being approached for a major role in a new movie. 

“Lucario Man vs Brycen Man: Dusk of Revenge? Well, good for Uncle Joey!” Milo said, though he wasn’t sure what that movie would mean for Brycen Man’s established canon. 

“And be careful, okay?” Brigitte said. “There’s been some weird activity around the mountain. Some strange people in red hoodies keep talking about meteorites and rocks.” 

“I’ll see if Richard thinks it’s worth investigating,” Martin promised. “Sometimes they come onto the property, but they don’t seem interested in stealing the Absol. They just take soil samples and leave.” 

“Not to mention the pirate dress-up party,” Brigitte said. “Though they don’t seem to do much except insult people in hoodies.” 

“Oh, we had a few run-ins already,” Milo admitted. “It was how I met Orville. He’s the CEO of Mahlson Corp, by the way. The people in red hoodies are called Team Magma, and they went after Mahlson Corp’s research. We stopped them in Rusturf Tunnel. And the boss of Team Aqua owes Melissa seven thousand Pokédollars.”

Martin and Brigitte fell silent as they processed this information. 

Milo decided to tell them about Bradley, Lydia, and Amanda instead.

Though the Rustboro Contest wouldn’t start for another hour, the registration line was open and coordinators could use the extra time to prepare. Zack had been relieved when he discovered that Hoenn didn’t place a huge emphasis on appearances like Sinnoh, because he didn’t have a formal outfit to change into. Milo didn’t mind lending the tuxedo he packed for emergency formal occasions to Zack, but it was probably wrinkled from being crammed into his backpack. 

Zack and Lydia presented their Contest Passes to the attendant, who waved them into a room for participants only.

Whismur sat in Milo’s lap since he wouldn’t be performing, shying away when any stranger passed them. Diogee stood guard on the side, watching for signs of a rail breaking or a seat collapsing in addition to making sure nobody got too close to Whismur. 

Diogee really wanted to make up for scaring Whismur when they met. 

“-and Musicals favor Pokémon with arms. Minccino would do well since she can hold the props, but Tepig wouldn’t get much applause,” Amanda said. “There’s way more room for creativity in Contests.” 

“You think Zack and Lydia are gonna move into the battle round?” Melissa asked. 

Amanda nodded. “Lydia works super hard. Sometimes it’s hard to convince her that she needs to take the break I scheduled. I don’t know about Zack though. Maybe he’ll pass, maybe he won’t.” 

“Zack’s gonna pass. He worked really hard yesterday,” Milo said. 

“Might not be enough,” Melissa admitted. “It’s not Zack’s fault, but he didn’t have time to train considering everything that happened since we came to town.” 

The lights onstage flared, and the announcer cleared her throat to get the audience’s attention. 

“Welcome to the Rustboro Contest! My name is Shelley, and I’ll be your MC! Before we begin, let’s give a round of applause to our judges!” Shelley declared, gesturing to the judges’ panel. 

“Rustboro City’s Nurse Joy. Looking forward to seeing all these lovely Pokémon!” 

“Mr. Sukizo, president of the Pokémon Fan Club. Let’s make this a remarkable Contest!” 

Mr. Sukizo, the Remarkable Pokémon. He hails from a remarkable town in a remarkable country and judges remarkable Pokémon in remarkable competitions.

“Whoops, forgot to turn the silly thing off,” Milo said, quickly shutting down his Pokédex. 

“So...is he one of Hoenn’s native Pokémon?” Amanda asked. 

Melissa shook her head. “No, but it’s an easy mistake to make.” 

Shelley heaved a great sigh, shooting an irritated glare at the empty seat next to Mr. Sukizo. “Due to unfortunate circumstances involving a Lairon, a tube of mint toothpaste, and a sombrero, Mr. Contesta will not be presiding over today’s competition. Instead, please give a warm welcome to-” she squinted at a note card “-the Supreme Lord of Subterranous and its Colony of Mrs. Forrester’s Basement. Give it up for Scott the Undergrounder, everybody.” 

“The winner shall be our leader!” Scott exclaimed. 

“The winner will receive the Rustboro Ribbon, which will bring them one step closer to the Grand Festival!” Shelley yelled. “Let’s get this Contest underway! Introducing our first contestant, Russell!” 

Russell sent out a Wurmple, which showed off its climbing prowess through String Shot. Mr. Sukizo and Nurse Joy complimented Russell for using Wurmple’s natural abilities to weave a beautiful picture of a flower, while Scott tried to collect the string for some weird art project.  

His performance was followed by a Slakoth, a Nincada, and a Lombre before Shelley finally shouted Lydia’s name. 

Lydia gave the audience a dazzling smile, sending her Poké Ball flying high into the air. 

“Let’s get our flames on, Tepig!” Lydia shouted as the Fire-type materialized. 

Tepig squealed, stomping the ground and snorting tiny embers. 

“Use Attract!” 

Tepig winked, and several small pink hearts surrounded his body. Then he cloaked himself in a Flame Charge and zigzagged around the stage in an intricate pattern. The hearts zoomed after Tepig, blazing in spectacular red and gold flames when they touched the fiery streaks he left behind. 

“Finale time!” Lydia cheered. “Roll into those hearts with Defense Curl!” 

Tepig cut off Flame Charge and rolled into every heart, tucking into a ball just before impact. The flaming hearts burst into a brilliant cloud of warm sparkles. 

Lydia and Tepig struck a pose and bowed to the captivated crowd. 

“WHOO! GO, LYDIA!” Amanda screeched, her voice rising above every other cheer from the captivated crowd. 

“What a passionate performance!” Shelley clapped. “Let’s see what our judges have to say!” 

“You don’t see Tepig very often around here, but I’m sure there are many people here who’d like to catch one for themselves after today!” Nurse Joy exclaimed. 

“Remarkable!” Mr. Sukizo added. 

“The bacon shall be our leader!” Scott declared. “And we will happily be enslaved to His Lardiness for all eternity!” 

Nurse Joy and Mr. Sukizo inched away from him.

Shelley stared at Scott for a moment, then recovered and introduced the next competitor. 

“Lydia was really amazing!” Milo exclaimed. Whismur flinched, and Milo stroked one of his ears to calm him down. “Sorry, I’ll gush quietly next time.”

“You should save your compliments, Milo,” Amanda said. “I’m sure Lydia and Tepig want to hear them. Those two thrive on attention.” 

“We have one more competitor left in the appeal round! Give it up for Zack Underwood, everyone!” Shelley shouted. 

The curtains parted to reveal Zack, who waved nervously at the audience before releasing Treecko. He didn’t shout anything spectacular like most coordinators during their appeal.

“Zack Underwood? As in the Lumberzacks?” 

“Aren’t they from Johto?” 

“He’s the cutest one!” 

“No, Max is cuter!” 

The announcement of his name seemed to stir something in the crowd, especially the preteen girls who seemed interested in getting him to sign their faces in permanent marker. 

“I think we should help him figure out a catchphrase,” Milo suggested.  

Unfortunately, Zack’s nerves were affecting Treecko. Bullet Seed didn’t form a perfect circle into the ground. The top portion stuck out into a point and one side was wavy. Luckily, Treecko was trying to play it off by crossing his arms and acting like the unusual shape was deliberate. But Zack didn’t seem to take the cue. 

“Mega Drain!” Zack yelled.

Treecko spread his arms and closed his eyes, drawing bright green energy from the seeds to create a large, verdant circle around Treecko. Zack closed his appeal with a display of Treecko’s agility, ending with Treecko messing up a landing on Zack’s shoulder. 

“His Treecko is amazing!” 

“They’re cute in a dorky way!” 

Melissa folded her arms. “Why is everyone focusing on how cute he is and not his performance?” 

Milo held Whismur so he could cheer for Zack too. Whismur’s cries blended in with the fangirls’ screaming. “What, you don’t think he’s cute?” Milo asked. 

Melissa punched him in the shoulder. 

“That question was rhetorical.” 

“Good.” 

They missed out on Nurse Joy and Mr. Sukizo’s comments, but they bore witness to Scott’s incredibly bizarre dance moves that didn’t resemble chopping down a tree while eating pancakes in any culture no matter what he claimed.  

Shelley called for a brief interlude to allow the judges enough time to decide who would be moving onto the battle round. Milo, Melissa, and Amanda rushed out of their seats to meet up with Zack and Lydia, who were hanging out in the lobby.

Whismur jumped out of Milo’s arms and hopped straight into Zack’s lap, greeting Treecko with an enthusiastic shout. Treecko chewed his leaf and held up his hand in response. 

“You were on fire, Tepig!” Milo exclaimed. “Literally and figuratively!” 

Tepig lifted his tail proudly. 

“Don’t get a big head,” Lydia warned playfully. 

“Told you feeding him those Cheri berries would make his flames brighter,” Amanda said. 

“It totally worked, Amanda,” Lydia agreed. “I can’t wait for the battle round! Though I really hope we don’t face that Lombre. That Water Gun and Nature Power combo would be awful for anyone weak to Water.” 

“That Lombre slipped on a puddle and lost control of Water Gun too,” Amanda reminded her. “There’s a good possibility it won’t be in the battle round.”

“I don’t think I’ll be in the battle round either,” Zack admitted. “It was nice of the judges to say we had potential, but I could tell Treecko and I weren’t in sync.” 

“Don’t say that, Zack! All we need to do is find your confidence and think up a catchphrase for you!” Milo exclaimed. 

Zack raised an eyebrow. “A catchphrase?” 

Melissa shrugged. “You didn’t yell anything when you sent out Treecko. Your previous popularity was the only thing that kept the fangirls’ eyes on you.” 

“It’s not a bad idea,” Lydia agreed, snapping Zack out of his panic over the idea that the majority of the audience was made up of fangirls with a crush on him. “You just need a catchphrase to psych yourself up!”

The TV screens flickered to life, and pictures of the participants flashed onto the screen. Lydia’s picture appeared in the second slot, but Zack’s didn’t show up. Eight coordinators were moving on.

Much to Lydia’s relief, the Lombre trainer didn’t appear either.  

“If your picture is onscreen, please head to the backroom immediately. Matchups will be randomly determined by the computer.” 

“That’s our cue! Wish us luck!” Lydia exclaimed, running off with Tepig in tow. 

The others headed back to their seats, and Zack put on a pair of sunglasses and hat to avoid being recognized. Strangely, he didn’t change out of his clothes or recall his Treecko, so Milo figured that Zack’s fangirls had really bad eyesight.

Tepig’s Flame Charge knocked out Russell’s Wurmple before half the allotted five minutes had passed. Wurmple didn’t get the chance to show off any fancy maneuvers with String Shot. 

A Beautifly’s Gust rendered a Shroomish’s powder-based attacks ineffective, and a Skitty accidentally knocked itself out through recoil damage when Assist unexpectedly turned into Double-Edge. 

In the semifinals, Lydia faced an Aron who was fond of using Mud Slap. A quarter of her points were knocked off after Tepig was hit by a splatter of mud, but she recovered quickly by immobilizing Aron with Attract and letting an Ember finish the job. 

Beautifly fended off Dustox’s poison attacks and advanced to the finals as well. 

“Let’s all get hyped for our final round!” Shelley exclaimed. “Will Becky and Beautifly blow away Lydia and Tepig’s flames? Remember, whoever wins the final round will get the Rustboro Ribbon! You have five minutes to knock out your opponent or deplete as many points as you can! Without further ado, the battle starts now!” 

Becky ordered a Stun Spore as soon as the clock started, which Tepig dodged. But since the Stun Spore enhanced Beautifly’s shimmering wings, Lydia still lost several points. 

“Ember!” Lydia shouted. 

Tepig aimed several sparks of fire at Beautifly, but a Gust attack blew them away harmlessly. Then Tepig followed up with Attract, and although Beautifly wasn’t affected the way Aron had been, it was lulled into a false sense of security and failed to counter the next onslaught of Ember. 

Becky’s point bar decreased by a quarter. 

“Use Absorb!” Becky yelled. 

“Ember again!” 

The attacks dissipated into red and green sparkles. 

“Approaching the halfway mark!” Shelley warned. 

“We gotta hurry up, use Flame Charge!” 

“Counter with Silver Wind!” 

Beautifly’s Silver Wind whipped at Tepig’s body, and he stumbled and lost the fire he’d created for Flame Charge. 

“Go around!” Lydia yelled. 

Tepig scrambled out of Silver Wind’s way, quickly cloaking himself in Flame Charge and zooming around the stage. Beautifly broke off Silver Wind and flew after Tepig, only to stop in confusion when its target disappeared. Tepig’s fire flashed in streaks and disappeared just as quickly, causing Becky’s point total to decrease further. 

Once Beautifly was low to the ground, Tepig slammed into it. 

Beautifly crumpled into a heap, and the buzzer sounded. 

“ALRIGHT, SHE WON! SHE WON!” Amanda screeched so loudly that even Shelley glared at her. Minccino shook her head at her trainer’s behavior and climbed onto Diogee’s fur in an attempt to camouflage herself. 

Melissa and Zack held onto Amanda’s arm to prevent her from climbing over the railing. 

“Congratulations, you two!” Milo shouted. 

Becky recalled Beautifly and walked off stage as the judges ushered Lydia and Tepig onto the winner’s platform. 

“Bacon shall be our leader!” Scott declared. Somehow he’d gotten hold of Shelley’s microphone. 

Nurse Joy and Mr. Sukizo congratulated Lydia and presented her with the Rustboro Ribbon as Shelley and Scott fought for control over the microphone. 

The Contest Hall cleared out rather quickly because Mildred dug her way to the surface and felt the need to decimate a few walls in order to defend her master. 

Bob Webber is actually from Phineas and Ferb (the guy who says okay and snaps his fingers in The Lake Nose Monster and Candace’s Big Day), but hey I needed another captain and he came to mind.

I don’t like Pokemon Musicals. Not nearly as fun as Contests.

Shelley is the name of the announcer in Battle of the Bands. The one with the blue streak in her hair and voiced by Olivia Olson. I checked the MML wiki. Apparently, her name was mentioned in the closed captioning.

While a Contest Hall doesn’t exist in Rustboro in the games, there was a Rustboro Contest that served as May’s introduction to contests in the anime.

Hoenn contest battles tend to be a little more like regular battles where the objective is to knock out the opponent, but with a creative twist. This isn’t the case in Sinnoh, where more emphasis is placed on execution rather than power.

Well, this concludes Rustboro! Next time, setting sail to Dewford!

[basicshadowhuntersstuff]

This roundup covers January 15-31. Shadowhunters news, updates, sneak peeks, and behind the scenes. All the stuff you need to stay up to date.

Official Promotion

Netflix reveals international reveal date for Shadowhunters 3B: New Idea Magazine, IGeeksBlog, TVWise.

It is confirmed that new episodes of 3B will be available on Hulu the day after they air on Freeform

Anna Hopkins (Lilith) and Dom Sherwood (Jace) behind the scenes Shadowhunters season 3A. [3]

YIKES. Izzy behind the scenes of #Shadowhunters Season 3B

.@arosende: a man of many talents. #BTS  #Shadowhunters

The mother of Demons. Repost by the talented @sleepyelena. keep showing us your art by using #ShadowhuntersLegacyArt, and we may repost you.

What are you getting into, Dom? #BTS #Shadowhunters

Dom and Alisha having fun on set. #Shadowhunters

Share the wonder of reading, just like @Kat_McNamara. From now through March 31st, post a shelfie with your favorite book using #MagicOfStorytelling and @Disney and @ABCBeInspired will donate a new book to @FirstBook (up to 1M books).

Well read warlock. Magnus behind the scenes of #Shadowhunters Season 3B.

We all know who’s the strongest. #WCW #Shadowhunters

Freeform releases its new lineup of offerings for February 2019

One Month until Jonathan returns...#ShadowhuntersLegacy

Watching the action. @ARosende behind the scenes #Shadowhunters season 3B [1]

A peek at Izzy in #Shadowhunters season 3B

Happy #MalecMonday from season 3B Malec. #Shadowhunters [2]

Uh oh...What’s going on here.... Behind the scenes of #Shadowhunters season 3B

We’re ready to see Luke Baines as Jonathan Morgenstern in #Shadowhunters season 3B. 📸 @LukeBaines

Shadowhunters In the News

Shadowhunters was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award and there were a slew of responses, including: Shadowhunters TV; Kat (Clary); Harry (Magnus); Brian Hui (Makeup artist); Anna Hopkins (Lilith); and Todd Slavkin (showrunner).

JustJaredJr (article): #AndiMack, @ShadowhuntersTV & more nominated for GLAAD Media Awards 2019

Entertainment Weekly (article): EW, Crazy Rich Asians, Love Simon nominated for GLAAD Award

Matt Carter Media (article): Shadowhunters season 3 scores GLAAD Awards nomination

Film Daily (article): GLAAD Awards 2018: ‘Shadowhunters’ and ‘Sense8′ noms encourage hopeful fans

TV Time (article): Top 20 Freeform shows we can’t get enough of

Film Daily (article): TCA Awards: Are critics even relevant in our new times?

Meaww Entertainment (article): ‘Shadowhunters’ season 3B: The story of the real Johnathon Morganstern aka evil reincarnate

JustJaredJr (article): Katherine McNamara shares what the true magic of ‘Shadowhunters’ really was

Pure Fandom (article): #ShadowhuntersPosterChallenge Part 1: Amazing art by fans

Pure Fandom (article): #ShadowhuntersPosterChallenge Part 2: Fan art of Clary, Jace, and Clace

Pure Fandom (article): #ShadowhuntersPosterChallenge Part 3: Fan art of Lilith and the Morgensterns

Pure Fandom (article): #ShadowhuntersPosterChallenge Part 4: Magnus Bane

Hollywire (video): Katherine McNamara reveals her celebrity crush | Katherine McNamara Interview

TV Fanatic (article): Shadowhunters: 11 Book scenes we need to see in the show

Spoiler TV (article): YouSay-Top 10 Shows that should never have been cancelled

Meaww Entertainment (article): ‘Shadowhunters’ season 3B: Izzy is taking Clary’s loss harder than anyone else

Meaww Entertainment (article): ‘Shadowhunters’ season 3B: Magnus Bane coping without magic proves he’ll always be the High Warlock of Brooklyn

Pure Fandom (article): ‘Shadowhunters’ season 3B: 8 things we want to see

Pure Fandom (article): If your favorite TV couples were ‘Hamilton’ songs

Hypable (article): The ‘Shadowhunters’ pilot reminds us of the importance of this series

Serienfuchs (article): “Shadowhunters” Season 3B: Forgot your own station

Meaww Entertainment (article): ‘Shadowhunters’ Exclusive: Star Alberto Rosende on being shocked after hearing of the show’s cancellation

Matt Carter Media (article): Shadowhunters season 3 trailer release is ‘imminent,’ per exec

JustJaredJr (article): Alberto Rosende isn’t truly closing the door on ‘Shadowhunters’

Defective Geeks (article): Interview: Jade Hassoune on Fandom and the final season of Shadowhunters

Kat (Clary) was interviewed by TMRW magazine in January

Twitter & Social Media

Basic Shadowhunters Stuff releases the first #SHTVFlockToUnlock polaroid with Kat (Clary): Bloody. Transformative. Shattering.

Bane & Lewis releases the second #SHTVFlockToUnlock polariod with Alberto (Simon): Hell Breaks Loose!

Bane & Lewis releases the third #SHTVFlockToUnlock polariod with Tessa Mossey (Heidi): Power.

Basic Shadowhunters Stuff releases the fourth #SHTVFlockToUnlock polaroid with Dom (Jace):  Loss. 

Basic Shadowhunters Stuff releases the fifth #SHTVFlockToUnlock polaroid with Luke Baines (Jonathan Morgenstern):  Romantic. Tragic. Deadly.

ShumDario News releases the sixth #SHTVFlockToUnlock polariod with Harry (Magnus): Unravel.

ShumDario News releases the seventh #SHTVFlockToUnlock polariod with Anna Hopkins (Lilith): Stab the body and it heals, but injure the heart and the wound lasts a lifetime. 

Brian Hui (Makeup artist): shared a photo: As long as vamps and wolves get along…#Shadowhunters @ch8i @arosende

Todd Slavkin (Showrunner) responded to fan questions: regarding Shadowhunters music selection, regarding Alec’s possession in Shadowhunters season 2x04, regarding Alec & Clary in 2x02, regarding casting Arianna Williams (Madzie), regarding Malec’s fire escape talk, regarding a teaser photo of Magnus (Harry Shum Jr) in the institute, regarding Malec babysitting Madzie, regarding Malec in 3B, his favorite Malec scene, regarding Sizzy’s development, regarding Jonathan’s journey after rebirth, regarding Clace in 3B, regarding where he would like to see Malec in the future, and regarding the Malec-centric 3B episode.

Steve Byers (Underhill) responded to a fan question regarding his character finding a significant other: He finds lots of #Shadowhunters that are not Alec

Todd Slavkin (showrunner) tweeted his daily reflections for each episode: season 2x03; season 2x04, season 2x05, season 2x06, season 2x07, season 2x08

Taylor Mallory (writer) tweeted Matt & Em have some great scenes together in 3B. And I can think of at least one involving weapons.

Brian Q Miller (writer) tweeted about the most memorable scene that he wrote

Taylor Mallory (writer) responded to some fan questions on twitter: about the most memorable scene she wrote; whether she chose a song for a scene and who chooses the songs generally; how it feels seeing a scene come to life; and whether writers usually watch the shooting of an episode which they’ve written.

Amanda Michael Row (director) tweeted: One thing I miss about directing @ShadowhuntersTV is how HUGE the fight scenes were, and how #mattdirector really just let you embrace the EPIC of it all. When you re-watch 3A make sure to pay close attention to those sequences. Some of them are really quite remarkable.

Kat (Clary): tweeted a photo: Nothing is ever black and white in the Shadow World. Are you ready for 3B? Expect the unexpected Angels. #Shadowhunterslegacy #fbf #Clace @ShadowhuntersTV @DomSherwood1

Film Daily (tweeted): We’re looking to partner with #Shadowfam cosplayers on a fun #YouTube #Cosplay video makeup tutorial series. DM us if this is you

Stefanie Terzo (hair stylist) shared a behind the scenes video on Instagram:  Behind every great warlock, is a guy with a stick. #TMBM (The Magic Behind Magnus) .

Brian Hui (makeup artist) shared some bts photos of himself “helping” Jace get rid of the Owl demon in 3A.

John Rakich (locations manager) gave fans an insight into the location scouting for Valentine’s lair, in response to Todd’s 2x07 reflection

Kat (Clary) tweeted: Family vacation with the usual suspects... #WhoisKeyserSoze #Squad 📸: @isaiahmustafa​

Jade Hassoune (Meliorn) tweeted a video of himself in costume: How it felt to put it back on each time. 3B is going to be full of epic. I dedicate this post to our production team and crew. To those who made all of this happen. We think of you. #Shadowhunters #Meliorn #armor

Alan Van Sprang (Valentine Morgenstern) responded to a fan question Why is @alanvansprang the best tv/movie villain type....EVER?

Kat (Clary) posted a #FBF BTS video of her and Luke Baines (Jonathan Morganstern) to celebrate 30 days till Shadowhunters 3B.  

Sydney Meyer (Helen Blackthorn) shared a photo of a custom Helen Blackthorn Funko Pop that she received.

Steve Byers (Underhill) responded to a fan question regarding which cast member/character he wished he had more scenes with, and teased the fandom about Underhill in 3B

Isaiah (Luke) shared a behind the scenes photo on Instagram:  Happy Super Blood Wolf Moon! 💚🐺 #shadowhunters#lukegarroway #maiaroberts

Arianna Williams (Madzie) tweeted 30 days...OMG I can’t wait #Madzie #malec #clace #luke #izzy #maia #simon

McG (producer) shared a throwback photo on Instagram:  First read thru on SHADOWHUNTERS I remember like yesterday @kat.mcnamara @domsherwood@isaiahmustafa @matthewdaddario@harryshumjr @albertorosende@emeraude

Brian Hui (Makeup artist) responded to a fan question regarding Clary’s runes

Brian Hui (makeup artist) posted a photo of Jade Hassoune (Meliorn) from 3B

TVLine shared a photo of Anna Hopkins (Lilith) and her new “Owl”.

Alberto (Simon) posted an update about Rosende Reads

Javier Munoz (Lorenzo Rey) tweeted Friend or foe? Waiting on 3B like... @ShadowhuntersTV #LorenzoRey

Todd Slavkin (Showrunner) tweeted about the 3B trailer, in response to a fan inquiry.

Stefanie Terzo (hair stylist) shared a behind the scenes video on Instagram:  Behind every great warlock is an equally as brilliant stunt team ready to catch whomever is thrown at them (in this case, it's a Jace). #TMBM .

Brian Hui (Makeup artist) shared a photo of some cast members and friends on cast during the filming of 3B. [4]

Kat (Clary) tweeted a heartfelt goodbye after the death of a Shadowhunters trainer.

Dom (Jace) shared a photo of him and a cast trainer: You will be missed coach. RIP. Love ya bud.

Matt Hastings (Executive Producer) answered some fan questions while on a scouting trip:

Malec/Magnus/Alec: Can we expect to see a malec forehead kiss or…?; Please tell me we get a malec cuddle scene, they deserve hugs from each other;  Can you say literally anything about Malec; Who wins the “fight” in the Malec training scene; Will there be more shirtless Magnus;  Will there be another Malec funny-interaction episode like 3x02;  Can we expect to see Alec deal with Clave’s politics a little (lot) more?; Any badass Alec scenes to look forward to?;  Favorite Magnus moment in 3B;  could you tease anything about the next time Lorenzo, Magnus, and Alec are in the same vicinity

Clace/Clary/Jace:  What is Jace’s reaction when he reunites with Clary;  Anything you can tease about Clary & Jace’s reunion?; Favorite Clary moment in 3B;  Will Clace be happy in general;  Best thing about working with @Kat_McNamara and @DomSherwood1;  From 1 to 10, how happy do you think Clace fans are going to be with 3x22 final;  Best thing about working with @Kat_McNamara and @DomSherwood1;  favorite Jace scene or episode that you’re most looking forward to;  tell us if we are going to get really soft Clace scenes this season;  will Jace ever mention about hating ducks in 3B

Parabatai:  Any intense parabatai scenes between Jace and Alec?

Clary & Jonathon:  Describe the relation between Johnathon and Clary with 3 words;  How is Clary’s bond with Johnathon affecting her;  One word to describe Prague; Johnathon:   Will we see a crying and emotional Johnathon.

General inquires:  When are we going to get a trailer?;  …if we get another network to save the show, would it be possible after the 2 episodes y’all filmed to ‘wrap it up’ to continue to the story….;  I’d like to know what’s on your checklist for a great fight sequence?; How are you planning to celebrate the release of the finale?; Are we gonna see some more bloopers soon?;  If we end up #SaveShadowhunters on another network will you still direct it?

Other characters: What’s a good Maia scene in 3B?; is there a chance we could see Izzy & Maia bonding?; Will Izzy’s prior addiction be addressed when she gets together with Simon?

Other News

Access Online (video): Harry Shum Jr says his pregnant wife is his “hero”: Find out why.

Jade Hassoune (Meliorn) tweeted regarding his newsletter: If we met at #pandemoniumcon in London & you signed up to my newsletter, I just sent u the first email titled: J4DE with and exclusive surprise for you in there! enjoy. Tell me what you think don’t see it in your inbox? might take a while for it to appear, or in your junkmail, it happens. #J4DE

Cosmopolitan (article): What you need to know about the ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ movie sequel

JustJaredJr (article): ‘Arrow’ will have a future-based episode that will reveal everything about Blackstar (Kat McNamara)

Pride (article): 18 Asian Actors helping make Hollywood more diverse

Kat McNamara (Clary) tweeted: Back in BLACKstar. #Arrow @cw_arrow

SAG Awards

SAG Awards (photos): Harry assisted in the creation of the SAG award as part of his role as SAG Ambassador

ET Canada (video): .@ElizabethMcL and @HarryShumJr, along with workers and artisans at the American Fine Arts Foundry, give a behind-the-scenes look at how the unique @SAGawards “actor” trophies are made.

Daily Mail UK (article): Crazy Rich Asians start Harry Shum Jr breaks the mold in ceremony ahead of the SAG awards

On The Red Carpet (Video): Harry on the SAG Awards red carpet discussing Crazy Rich Asians

SAG Awards (video): And we plan on ALWAYS having your back, @HarryShumJr! Thanks for being such an incredible #sagawards ambassador

TNT Drama (video): SAG Awards Amassador @HarryShumJr is no stranger to awards season, see how his nomination for @CrazyRichMovie is different for him #sagawards

People Magazine (article): 2,000 Degrees! Go Behind the Scenes of the Screen Actors Guild Awards Statuette Pouring

TV Insider (Podcast/article): TV Insider Podcast: Harry Shum Jr. on ‘Shadowhunters’ Ending, Being a SAG Ambassador & Fatherhood

Entertainment Tonight (video): Did our #SAGawards ambassador just confirm the Glee reunion we’ve been waiting for?! C’mon, @HarryShumJr-give us the (Gl)eets!

JustJaredJr (article): Harry Shum Jr gives behind-the-scenes ahead of SAG Awards 2019

Harry Shum Jr (Magnus) answered fan questions related to his role as 2019 SAG awards ambassador.

SAG-AFTRA Foundation (photo): Here’s @SAGawards ambassador @HarryShumJr doing his best impression of the #SAGAwards statute.

SAG Awards (Twitter moment): Harry Shum Jr and Sydney Sweeney gear up for the 25th SAG Awards

SAG-AFTRA Foundation tweeted: Thanks for the shoutout @HarryShumJr! You’re an awesome #SAGAwards ambassador. We hopt to have you in for a panel soon! K.I.T.

Backstage (article): SAG Awards ambassador Harry Shum Jr on the ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ sequel

Entertainment Weekly (photos): See all the stars at EW’s SAG Awards party

ET Canada (photos): InstaGallery: The 2019 SAG Awards

SAG Awards (video): Crazy, ridiculous silver carpet #sagawards @harryshumjr

Entertainment Tonight (video): #Shadowhunters star Harry Shum Jr knows we need more Crazy Rich Asians ASAP #SAGawards

ET Canada (video): #CrazyRichAsians star @HarryShumJr comments on how much more diverse the industry has become since his first #SAGawards ten years ago, when he was also nominated as part of an ensemble for @GLEEonFOX

E! News (photo): Harry Shum Jr and Shelby Rabara brings us nothing but glee #SAGAwards

Harry Shum Jr posted a photo with the caption This was a dope moment. CRA X BP X BR X ACS

Red Carpet Report TV (article): Behind the scenes: 25th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards Silver Carpet Rollout, Cocktails, Partners #SAGAwards #Interviews #Video

LA Times (article): SAG Awards: Harry Shum Jr brings a modern twist on 1950s style to the silver carpet

SAG Awards (GIF): When you and the squad are all on point #sagawards @CrazyRichMovie

Ashley Lee (photo): It’s #CrazyRichAsians time! Tan Kheng Hua is channeling Michelle Yeoh with some gorgeous bling and greeting @HarryShumJr and his wife @Shelby_Rabara. @ronnychieng​ is also here and says, yes, he’s down to host the Oscars. #SAGAwards

SAG-AFTRA Foundation (photo): Taking some selfies on the red carpet. Don’t you love this pic of @SAGAwards ambassador @HarryShumJr with his @CrazyRichMovie co star #ChrisPang?

Zulekha Nathoo (photo): “Chris Pang, Harry Shum Jr from #CrazyRichAsians credit audiences for supporting films with diverse casts, universal stories so more can be told. #RepresentationMatters #SAGAwards”

LA Times (article): Best and worst looks from the SAG Awards

InStyle (video): The cast of #CrazyRichAsians looked absolutely stellar tonight at the #SAGAwards

Entertainment Weekly (article): SAG Awards 2019 afterparties: See how the stars celebrated

[lurkerdelima]

ficlet: i’m drowning (so come inside)

Um. I have so many WIPs I should be working on and prompts to answer, but I just needed to get this out? It's a little angst, a little sweetness. Set in canon somewhere around season 3 or 4, established relationship. Nothing naughty. Title borrowed lovingly from “Filthy Mind” by Amanda Ghost.

When he and Flint become lovers, despite this being simultaneously an undeniably bad idea and one of the most adult things he's done with his life, a small, almost childish part of him expects that his nightmares will cease. Just like that. That being in Flint's arms every night, feeling the sea rocking them both gentle as a mother’s hand on her babe’s cradle, will fix that part of his mind that's-- if not broken, at least a little dented. Scarred. Damaged, perhaps.

Of course, even the love - and it is love, truly, he knows this and it terrifies him - of a good man (he is good, he is, even if to others he looks a monster) can't fix overnight what years of unspeakable horror have wrought. The rational part of him knows to expect this, but he still can't help feeling a glimmer of disappointment every time his memories stalk him like a slit-eyed jaguar in the jungle of sleep.

So now, as before, at least once per night Silver wakes in terror, sits up gasping for breath and staring half-blind into the darkness of Flint's cabin until the panicky feeling recedes and the threatening shapes of feral beasties around him turn back into the desk, the bookshelf, an errant boot.

But now, unlike before, he has a bedmate. He has someone next to him, breathing deep and steady, to tether him to reality and remind him where he is, who he is, these days. It's remarkably soothing just looking at Flint in the blue-black midnight or the glittering moonlight or the soft, rosy tint of dawn. Just hearing him breathe and knowing he's there is usually enough to calm Silver down to where he can go back to sleep himself, something he'll never take for granted.

Really he knows he shouldn't touch, shouldn't disturb Flint's precious and vital sleep with his own needs. However. Sometimes looking and listening, drinking him in from all the way across the vast expanse of the bed, isn't quite enough. So he'll reach out slowly, cautiously, and brush his hand over Flint's ribs or along the bristles of his short hair. He'll tuck his fingertips inside the collar of his nightshirt, hold his palm hovering near Flint's mouth so he can feel him exhale, feel the sweet warm damp on his skin and know he's breathing. Still there, still alive.

One of these nights Flint stirs just as Silver is slipping his left hand up under his nightshirt to feel the heat and softness of his belly, feel it rise and fall as he breathes. Flint's eyes open, and for a moment he and Silver just peer at each other, silent, wondering, in the predawn gloom.

“I'm sorry,” Silver whispers. For touching Flint while he's trying to sleep, for waking him, for having the nightmares in the first place. For those hellacious images his mind makes him see over and over on an endless loop, the ones that make him crave this little reassurance.

“Don't be,” Flint says, so quietly Silver almost isn't sure he said it at all.  His arms encircle Silver and he curls close in response, in repose. “I know--” Flint pauses, clears his throat, begins again. “I know what it is, to need comfort so dearly. How that feels.”

“Thank you,” Silver murmurs, curling around Flint's body with one hand on his belly and the other curled loosely into a fist, tucked up snug in the warm, familiar space between Flint's neck and his shoulder.

His nightmares don't disappear when he starts sleeping with Flint, but they do become easier to live with. He doesn't have to bear their burden alone anymore.

[losingitinjersey]

How is it only Monday?!  Dinner tonight was “breaded” chicken with summer salad (soon to be dubbed harvest salad for the changing season).  

Man, it makes SUCH a difference buying quality meat.  I mean, I guess this should be common sense but it wasn’t to me.  I always bought whatever was cheapest but recently started buying better quality and the results are incredible.  This meal with cheap chicken is pretty blah compared to tonight’s awesome juicy chicken tenders!  

GPOY showing off my new lipstick AFTER dinner.  Like, I put it on two hours ago, ate dinner and it still looks like it did right after application!  I wasn’t even eating carefully.  I keep running to a mirror to make sure it’s still there and it is!  

@westcoaststartinganew tagged me in 30 questions so let’s get to it!  

Answer these 30 questions about yourself and tag 20 other blogs you’d like to get to know! 

1.       Nicknames:  Angie or Ang

2.       Gender:  Female

3.       Star sign: Aries

4.       Height:  5′6″

5.       Time:  7:12 p.m.

6.       Birthday:  March

7.       Favorite band:  Eve6!!!

8.       Favorite solo artist:  Neil Diamond?

9.       Song stuck in my head: Now I have “Cracklin’ Rosie” in my head since we brought up Neil Diamond.  “Play it now, play it now, my baby”

10.   Last movie you watched: In theaters, IT!!!!, at home, “Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates”

11.   Last show you watched: Emmy’s!  Does that count?  If not, “You’re The Worst” or “Better Things.”  Love those shows so much.  

12.   When did I create my blog:  July 2017!

13.   What do I post: Food logs, food pics, keto recipes, extra long stories about my day and the random awkward adventures I find myself in, selfies, cat pictures.  

14.   Last thing I googled: keto chicken tender recipe

15.   Do you have other blogs: Yes!  My long-term blog that I have sadly slightly abandoned in favor of this one (created in November 2010), and my original one (created in October 2010).  Each blog has helped me find a very important outlet in my life and are oh so cherished.  

16.   Do you get asks: Nope, but it’s turned on

17.   Why did you choose your url: I wanted this blog to be weight-loss focused.  I thought about putting “keto” in the title but I didn’t want to trap myself into keto if it wasn’t going to work out long term for me.  I also thought it was funny because it’s also a play on words for both losing weight and losing my mind :)

18.   Following: 114

19.   Followers:  588

20.   Favorite colors: Veridian and slate.  (yes, I totally had to google “shades of green names” to come up with veridian) 

21.   Average hours of sleep: Around 7 hours.

22.   Lucky number:  3!

23.   Instruments I played:  At 6 years old I played the piano for 6 months then one day told my mom I’d like to take a break until I was 16 (never picked it up again).  In fourth grade I played the flute for half a year until my music teacher told me to quit (I was horrible and never practiced but still, rude).  In 7th grade I desperately wanted to a drum set so my mom bought me drum sticks, a rubber pad and a VHS “You Can Play the Drums” to test my commitment.  Smart on her because I never went any further than that.  In 9th grade I took singing lessons for a year until the teacher wanted me to start performing and I was going to have none of that so I quit.  I’m sensing a theme here...

24.   What am I wearing? Comfy house clothes consisting of my baggy black lounge pants, a loose black shirt, and no bra (obviously, comfy home life ftw!)

25.   How many blankets I sleep with: Comforter with no sheet (Kevin gets the sheet)

26.   Dream job:  Executive Assistant (I’ve achieved my dreams!)

27.   Dream trip: Ireland, Scotland, Amsterdam

28.   Favorite food: Sandwiches!  

29.   Nationality: American

30.   Favorite Song:  Gah, I can’t pick, I have a million!  Let’s just go with an Eve6 song for consistency with question 7, “Open Road Song.”  Best sung while driving with the windows down!  

I’m definitely not tagging 20 of you guys so let’s go wittthh:  @darkbginger, @justanerdwholovesart, @meishamodifying, @amanda-healthyhappywhole, @lchfjourney, @exercisecatsandketo

[olehistorian]

Almost unrecognisable from her role as the dowdy housekeeper in Downton Abbey, Phyllis Logan is starring in an exotic new medical drama. She talks to Judith Woods about seizing the day and those Downton movie rumours… 'Obviously I never had a career to speak of before Downton Abbey,’ says Phyllis Logan drily, raising an eyebrow for further effect. ‘I sometimes wonder how on earth did I fill my time?’ It’s not true, of course, but we all know what she means: sometimes a jobbing actress is swept away by a juggernaut of a role that takes her a very long way from where she used to be. The Downton effect has had an impact on the career of every member of its award-winning ensemble cast. Lily James has starred in the BBC’s War & Peace and the movie Cinderella, Michelle Dockery landed a role as a criminal in the gritty US show Good Behavior, Joanne Froggatt played a serial killer in the ITV series Dark Angel – and now Phyllis is set to star in a new ITV drama series, The Good Karma Hospital. But it’s her years in service to the Crawley family that have made her a poster girl for ladies of a certain age who refuse to accept that life holds no more adventure. When her doughty but warm-hearted character Mrs Hughes finally found love with the pompous but kindly butler Mr Carson, it struck a blow for midlife love. In those days ‘Mrs’ was an honorific title bestowed on senior female staff, regardless of whether they had ever wed, so Mrs Hughes’s comical angst about whether he would be expecting ‘a full marriage’ struck a chord with any woman over 40 who has ever fretted about going to bed with a new partner. ‘Mrs Hughes was aerated about the sex thing because she probably hadn’t had much experience, but that turned out to be the least of her bloomin’ worries,’ acknowledges Phyllis. ‘God preserve us all from nitpicking middle-aged men who can’t abide change.’ In the phenomenally successful series, which ran for six seasons, Mr Carson (played by Jim Carter) turned out to be irrevocably stuck in his ways – the routines of the big house where he had been serving for many years. Ironically, it was his new wife’s performance in the couple’s kitchen (as opposed to the bedroom) that proved his greatest source of disappointment. Eventually, with affectionate pragmatism, the pair decided he should eat his meals at the Downton kitchen, cooked by Mrs Patmore, as before. ‘It’s a very identifiable scenario,’ says Phyllis, 61. ‘When a more mature couple makes a life together, each brings certain expectations and baggage and of course there’s always need for compromise, which some men in particular find difficult. Phyllis, once best known for playing posh totty Lady Jane Felsham in the 1980s and 90s series Lovejoy, was a late starter herself when it came to settling down. She met her husband, Pirates of the Caribbean actor Kevin McNally, in the 1993 miniseries Love and Reason when she was in her late 30s, but they didn’t get round to tying the knot until she was 55. ‘I had always sworn I would never have an actor in the house because they are so much trouble and so vain, but you can’t legislate for Cupid’s bow,’ she says. When she got together with Kevin, theirs was not a series of careful compromises but a classic coup de foudre. ‘I never thought real love – the sort where your blood tingles and your world explodes with joy – would happen to me at my time of life. I believed I had missed out. But I’m ever so glad it happened.’ A couple of years later, aged 40, she had their son David. He is now 20 and studying music and music production at university in Leeds. Once upon a time, reaching six decades was a milestone to be dreaded rather than celebrated, but, in well-cut jeans and a flattering floaty top, her burnished hair hanging loose, Phyllis provides incontrovertible proof that though life may not begin at 60, it sure as heck continues at a rip-roaring pace – as long as you have the right attitude towards the rollercoaster. ‘We packed David off to university not so long ago and as we drove back to our house in West London we were listening to the Elaine Paige show on Radio 2,’ recalls Phyllis. ‘She played Peggy Lee singing “The Folks Who Live on the Hill” and as soon as I heard the line “and when the kids grow up and leave us” I burst into absolute floods of tears and spent the rest of the journey splashing about in the passenger seat. But since then I’ve thought a lot about empty nest syndrome and how once your chick flies the coop it gives women the freedom to stretch their own wings once more, too.’ And as fate would have it, Phyllis’s new role in The Good Karma Hospital has allowed her to do just that and will doubtless prove a source of inspiration to a great many female viewers in a similar position. Set in India, the series features another estimable actress, Amanda Redman, 59, who plays an eccentric expat running a ramshackle cottage hospital, which is short on resources and long on compassion. ‘It’s a cross between Holby City and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel but with dark secrets, so it should be right up everybody’s street,’ says Phyllis. ‘I play Maggie Smart, who has come to India for her daughter’s wedding and becomes unwell, so ends up in hospital and falls deeply in love. Not with a man – she already has a husband – but rather with the community, the culture and the way of life. She’s a fascinating character who has such humour and joie de vivre and it was great to play a woman finding herself and connecting with a wider spirituality.’ Phyllis spent months filming the six-part series on location in Sri Lanka. She, too, found herself smitten with the place and the people and at one point Kevin flew over from the US where he is in the cast of the US television series Turn: Washington’s Spies and they managed a 12-day break together. ‘We stayed in a hotel on the beach and it was bliss. The majority of the population are Buddhists and seemed so calm, open and thankful for whatever life gave them; I think we could all learn from them.’ All the same, Phyllis isn’t entirely convinced she believes in karma as a concept. ‘It would be nice to think that if you are a decent human being then eventually things will turn out right,’ she says. ‘But fate can intervene and pull the rug out from under you without warning and there might be nothing you can do.’ It is something she and Kevin can speak of from personal experience. Phyllis’s mother died from a dementia-related illness aged 90, but it was the agonisingly slow decline of Kevin’s mother over many years that proved more devastating. ‘Kev’s mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in her early 60s and from then on his father became her carer and it was so hard for him. She reached the point where she didn’t recognise her own son and was agitated and upset because she had no idea where she was or who she was; that was heartbreaking to witness.’ Phyllis is an ambassador for Dementia UK and does what she can to support the charity’s work. ‘It’s such a cruel disease. I am aware there’s a genetic component so I do brain-training on my phone every day. Will that help stave it off? I have no idea; I think of Iris Murdoch – such a clever woman who dealt with words and complex memories all her life, and yet all those things that made her so creative and unique were taken while she was still alive. Ultimately, all you can do is cross your fingers and make the most of every day.’ Phyllis is certainly doing that. Last year was a veritable Air Miles bonanza; as well as her sojourn in Sri Lanka she went to Sydney for a Downton DVD launch, Los Angeles where the ensemble cast of Downton won yet another Screen Actors Guild Award, and then to New York to receive the prestigious Great Scot Award from the US branch of the National Trust for Scotland (previous recipients include comedian Billy Connolly and actor Alan Cumming). She wore a dress bought in John Lewis embellished for the occasion with a tartan sash and matching ribbon. ‘I’m not interested in fashion,’ Phyllis confides. ‘It’s just not on my radar. Whenever I’m doing a contemporary role, the wardrobe mistress will usually say, “Let’s go to Selfridges and get a personal shopper.” Most women would probably love it, but my face falls because I absolutely hate trying on clothes. One of the things I loved about Downton was the fact I had two outfits and maybe a coat if I got to go into the village; the girls in the Crawley family kept having to go for fittings every time there was a big dinner, which would have driven me mad.’ Logan loves… Reading Alan Bennett’s Keeping On Keeping On. I love him; my husband Kev played him in the stage version of The Lady in the Van. Listening to The Today programme on Radio 4 and Classic FM. Watching I do enjoy a good nature documentary. Planet Earth II was spectacularly good. Guilty pleasure A whole bag of Kettle Chips with a crisp glass of Picpoul de Pinet. Beauty product Boots No7 moisturiser; it’s not fancy but it does the job. Desert island luxury A karaoke machine, stage, lights and all the songs from the 70s. I’ll make a row of coconuts for an audience and there’ll be no stopping me. The ongoing international popularity of Downton means Phyllis and various other cast members are still asked to appear at events to meet the fans and launch DVDs. She’s often asked about her wigs and whether she kept one; she had three identical hairpieces all of which she affectionately dubbed Elsie. ‘People ask me if I was tempted to take a wig or that big bunch of keys I carried, but that would be theft, because these things aren’t my property,’ says Phyllis emphatically. ‘Besides, if there’s a Downton movie, which I hope will happen, all the props and costumes will be needed.’ Ah yes, the Downton film; rumours still swirl but so far there’s been no confirmation. According to Phyllis it may yet happen if – and it’s a huge if – the cast members can ever be gathered in one place long enough. ‘It’s like herding cats!’ she laughs. ‘We’re all so busy and in different countries, but it would be such fun to get together again. The camaraderie on set was extraordinary.’ Phyllis was in every episode of the family saga. Her husband even appeared in a handful of episodes as Horace Bryant, the stern father of an army major who fraternised with housemaid Ethel (Amy Nuttall), getting her pregnant before he died in action. Horace persuaded her to hand over his grandchild to him, which was brutal but necessary as she had been sacked from Downton in disgrace and had taken to prostitution in order to survive. ‘I was quite miffed that the producer had offered Kev a job without even consulting me,’ laughs Phyllis. ‘I wouldn’t dream of queering his pitch – although I do think I’d be great as Johnny Depp’s mother in a Pirates of the Caribbean film [in which Kevin plays Joshamee Gibbs]. And every lad needs a cuddle from his mother now, doesn’t he?’ Her eyes glitter with the sort of mischief Mrs Hughes would most certainly not approve of, but now Phyllis has emerged from the shadow of her fictional alter ego, she is keen to push boundaries. Last summer she resolved to challenge herself by taking on a theatre role in a dazzling touring production of Noël Coward’s Present Laughter, alongside Samuel West. ‘The prospect of going back on stage was a bit frightening, but that is exactly why I embraced it,’ she says. ‘I can be a bit of a scaredy-cat so I have to push myself and I was so very glad I did. It took me right back to my early days as an actress: booking my own digs, sitting on the seafront on my day off eating fish and chips. I also got to see fascinating places such as Canterbury, Cambridge and Brighton.’ Seeing the world – be it near or far – is something she gently urges all women to do once the kids have left. ‘Travel does broaden the mind and fill the senses,’ she says. ‘It gives you a new perspective and there are so many beautiful regions in Britain that I can think of no better way to spend time than exploring them because you’re a long time dead – so carpe diem, ladies!’ The Good Karma Hospital will be on ITV next month. Phyllis is an ambassador for Dementia UK and is supporting its campaign timeforacuppa.org Styling: Natalie Read. Hair: Alex Price at Frank Agency. Make-up: Lucy Gibson at Frank Agency using Clinique. Table and vase, both Habitat Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-4128572/Interview-Downton-star-Phyllis-Logan.html#ixzz4WSbvI2CF Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

[metawitches]

12 Monkeys was a Syfy network series, loosely based on the 1995 Terry Gilliam film of the same name, which ran for 4 seasons/47 episodes, from 2015-2018. It focused on a near future post-plague world and the survivor, James Cole (Aaron Stanford), who is sent back in time from 2043 to the decades before the plague in order to stop the deaths of 7 billion people.

Though the series uses concepts and characters from the film, it’s largely left the plot of the film behind by the end of the pilot. In the original 12 Monkeys film, the Army of the 12 Monkeys is a red herring. In the series, it’s a vast, secret organization which is responsible for the plague. Cole and Katarina Jones (Barbara Sukowa), the scientist who sends him back in time, assemble a time traveling team who oppose the Army of the Twelve Monkeys and their mysterious leader, the Witness, in a war to control the fate of the timeline.

In the future, post-plague world, Katarina Jones and her people find a damaged recording made in 2017, at the height of the pandemic, by Dr Cassandra Railly (Amanda Schull), a CDC virologist who specializes in epidemics. The recording asks “Cole” to hurry and names “Leland Frost” as the originator of the plague. With this starting point and a time machine that barely works, Dr Jones sends James Cole, a barely civilized scavenger, back in time to interview Dr Railly in order to learn further details about the start of the pandemic. His mission is to use the knowledge he gains from Dr Railly to stop the plague virus from being released.

Of course it’s not as simple as that. Time travel isn’t precise enough yet to get Cole to the correct moment in Dr Railly’s timeline. He arrives in 2013, meets kidnaps Dr Railly, figures out that he’s too early for her to have the information he needs, then gets shot by the police in the process of jumping to a later point in her life. When she meets him again in 2015 and sees his fresh bullet wound, 2 years after she watched him receive it, Dr Railly is convinced that Cole is telling the truth. Together, they investigate the origin of the virus, which eventually leads them to Leland Goines (Zeljko Ivanek), code name “Frost”.

As viewers will expect, by the end of the pilot they’ve realized that Goines is only a piece of the puzzle. Information they glean from him, and later from his daughter, Jennifer (Emily Hampshire, brilliantly playing the role originated by Brad Pitt in the film), will draw them deeper into the conspiracy than they could ever imagine. But the Army of the 12 Monkeys is way ahead of them, already expert at time travel and manipulating events to suit their agenda.

While I love this series, the pilot is not one of my favorite episodes. I suggest watching the first several episodes, or even all of season 1, before you make a decision about the show. The plot is intricate and fast-paced, requiring close attention if you want to keep up with all of the clues and mysteries. There are set ups that don’t pay off for 2 or 3 seasons, but all of the dangling threads are addressed by the end of the series. I think it’s a great show to binge watch (over a few weeks) for that reason. If the episodes are spread out over several months, never mind years, it’s difficult to remember all of the tiny details that become important later.

But 12 Monkeys can also simply be watched as a fun romp. It’s one of the best scifi action-adventure series ever, with enough episodes to make it a meaty experience, but not so many that you feel like you’ll never finish. It’s well-made from a technical aspect, having been nominated for and won several cinematography awards. There is an overall series long quest, plus each season has its own arc. The series is full of great stories that range from the pandemic, various future dystopias and alternate realities, time travel, romance, detective noirs, comedy, Cold War spy vs spy, World Wars 1 and 2, mad science experiments, terrorism and revolution, fantasy to an art heist or two.

Some episodes can be viewed as entertaining stand alones, with familiar guest stars such as Christopher Lloyd, Matt Frewer, James Callis and Madeleine Stowe, as well as many faces that are recognizable to genre fans. Jay Karnes’ arc of episodes is a particular favorite of mine.

If you want to examine the episodes more deeply, the show also explores philosophy; the ramifications of scientific and technological progress; the long term effects of political decisions, corporate greed and organized religion; what long term poverty does to people on a personal level and on an organizational/ disorganizational level; and more. 12 Monkeys extensively explores the concepts of cycles, motivations, emotions, and morality. The ideas that are explored rotate through characters, groups and time periods, examining how varying circumstances affect the outcome, and how they don’t.

But this no Ground Hog’s Day- 12 Monkeys is well-written and original entertainment. You have to be paying attention to pick up on all of the social commentary and loops. In the end, it’s a show about love, loyalty, persistence and sacrifice. Showing the relationships between the characters is one of the things it does best. Many types of love are highlighted, including familial, romantic and brotherly. Intense religious devotion and ideology are explored as well. I would say that only same sex love is short changed. It’s hinted at, arguably to the point of queerbaiting and mild homophobia, but never fully expressed.

The characters are likeable, well-cast and acted. They all have chemistry together, including the recurring and guest cast members. Aaron Stanford, Amanda Schull, Barbara Sukowa, Kirk Acevedo, Emily Hampshire, Alisen Down and Todd Stashwick comprise the core cast who circle in and out of relationships with each other for 4 seasons. They are all outstanding as individuals and in their many configurations.

The female characters are complex and fill a variety of roles in the story. The main cast is mostly white, with only a couple of men of color to add diversity in the first season. The show eventually adds women of color later in background/minor recurring roles, but it also drops Kirk Acevedo (José Ramse) as one of the regulars. 12 Monkeys did have a female showrunner, Natalie Chaidez, for season 1 and a few female writers and directors over the course of the series.

Within the series universe, physical, medical and mental disabilities and differences were extensively considered throughout the show’s run. One of the main characters struggles with mental illness, while others have chronic illnesses, addictions, or susceptibility to the plague virus that makes them functionally disabled in the future. There are a variety of conditions that are unique to the 12 Monkeys universe that can be considered gifts or disabilities, depending on the situation, and this is also explored.

The series is character-oriented enough that each main and recurring character has a chance to be fleshed out. Several switch between villains and heroes, then back again. I found the main villain particularly compelling. Not because they’re so out of control or murderous, but because they’re trying so hard to understand themselves and their place in the world, and then to create a world where they can feel free and okay about themselves. This isn’t the usual selfish, OTT megalomaniac. All of the extraordinary actions in 12 Monkeys are motivated by very human reactions.

Because 12 Monkeys is about a global pandemic, there are some eerie similarities that predicted how the real world would change in a few years. Without the comforting distraction of zombies, watching a show in 2020 which depicts the death of 7/8 of the world’s population due a virus, followed by an inevitable break down of civilization, might not be for the faint of heart.

On the other hand, this show is sustained by the characters’ belief that they can find a time or place in the world where they can be happy with the people they love, even if their loved ones are currently lost to them. Throughout the grueling struggles in the series, the characters never give up hope that they can make things better in the long run. They have an amazing amount of grit that carries them through as a group, even when some stumble along the way. That’s a powerful message.

All of the struggles are brought to a big finish in the series finale, which is one of the best I’ve ever seen, also in my Top 5. I cried happy/sad/emotional tears throughout the last 2 or 3 episodes of the series. There’s nothing I would change about the ending. The characters and all of the many dangling plot threads are given closure in a satisfying way, with just a tiny opening left should someone want to revisit the universe again in a spin off. Given the complexity of the story and everything viewers go through with these characters, it was an incredible achievement for the showrunners to also bring the story to such a perfect end.

This show was created by showrunners with a clear vision and an ending in mind from the beginning, which is reflected in the show’s consistency across 4 seasons and in all areas of production. 12 Monkeys was created and executive produced by Terry Matalas and Trevor Fickett. Richard Suckle, Charles Roven, Natalie Chaidez and Jeffrey Reiner were also executive producers. It starred Aaron Stanford as James Cole, Amanda Schull as Cassandra Railly, Kirk Acevedo as José Ramse, Noah Bean as Aaron Marker, Todd Stashwick as Teddy Deacon, Emily Hampshire as Jennifer Goines, Barbara Sukowa as Katarina Jones, Demore Barnes as Marcus Whitley, Alisen Down as Olivia Kirschner, Andrew Gillies as Julian Adler, Tom Noonan as the Tall Man and Brooke Williams as Hannah Jones.

Currently streaming on Hulu.

Images courtesy of Syfy.

12 Monkeys: Review of Entire TV Series-1 of the best scifi shows ever. 4 seasons of action-adventure, time travel, a global pandemic, true love, & a vast conspiracy that spans the globe & all of time + questions the nature of reality. 12 Monkeys was a Syfy network series, loosely based on the 1995 Terry Gilliam film of the same name, which ran for 4 seasons/47 episodes, from 2015-2018.

[tipsycad147]

The ULTIMATE Amazon Witchy Shopping List for the Holidays 2018

Looking for the perfect gift for that witchy woman or magical man in your life? Are you also an Amazon shopping fiend? I must confess, I love the convenience of adding items to my wish list for later purchase, PLUS the free 2-day shipping Amazon offers. Here I’ve compiled the ULTIMATE list of Amazon witchy gifts for the holidays including the most coveted tarot and oracle card decks, new non-fiction and fiction witchcraft books, crystal must-haves, tea and tea accessories, AND modern kitchen witch gadgets. Add them to your Amazon shopping cart or wish list for easy witchy shopping this holiday season!

DISCLOSURE: I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website. Your purchase helps support my work in bringing you information about the paranormal and paganism.

Amazon Witchy Shopping List

What will be covered in the Ultimate Amazon Witchy Shopping List:

Divination Wish List

Crystal Must-Haves

Non-Fiction Witchcraft Books – New Releases

Fiction Witchy Books – New Releases

Teas and Tea Accessories

Modern Kitchen Witch Gadgets

Divination Wish List

1. The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit Deck

The same artist who created the Wild Unknown Tarot, a popular Tarot deck, has recently released the Wild Unknown Animal Spirit Deck. The artwork is gorgeous and the vibe is amazing. It’s probably already on your loved one’s witchy wish list.

2. Mystical Shaman Oracle Cards

The artwork on the Mystical Shaman Oracle Cards is enough to want this deck. Nevermind the amazing earthy, peaceful vibes exuding from it! If that isn’t enough to draw you in, what about the 400+ 5-star rating on Amazon? Most oracle decks don’t get that kind of rave review. This deck is all about ancient sacred symbols, archetypes, and collective consciousness. The perfect witchy gift for the holidays!

3. Lapis Lazuli Rune Stone Set

Not only is a rune stone set a wonderful thing to have, but make it a lapis lazuli rune stone set and the witchy woman in your life will love you forever! Lapis lazuli is a stone connected with the third eye and ancient ancestors and so makes the perfect material for a rune set. The runes are one form of divination every Norse or Celtic witch should learn to use.

4. The Fountain Tarot

Released in October of 2017, The Fountain Tarot by Jason Gruhl and Jonathan Saiz is highly rated by Amazon witches. The silver-gilded and rounded corner cards featured beautiful oil paintings created by artist Saiz. Pick up the deck with the guidebook and watch your witch go ga-ga this Yule season!

Crystal Must-Haves

1. Healing Crystal Wands

This specific set of crystal wands has been on my witchy shopping list on Amazon for quite some time, and I’m hoping someone gets the gist! For 25 bucks, how can you go wrong with four 2″ crystal wands? The essential stones are included: rose quartz, clear quartz, obsidian, and amethyst. This set makes a great starter stone set for beginners. Add it to your Wiccan supplies list or purchase it now and save it for the holidays.

2. Best Amethyst Cluster 1/2 to 1 lb.

Who doesn’t want a huge piece of amethyst in their bedroom? Box and wrap up this large amethyst cluster for that crystal lover in your life. Then tell them to place it on their nightstand for soothing, connected dreams this holiday season.

3. Crystal Elixir Bottle

I’ve seen these all over FaceBook and social media and have heard good things so far. The crystal elixir bottle allows you to drink crystal-infused water anywhere and everywhere. Super-charged water on the go!

4. Himalayan Salt Lamp

If you or the witch in your life doesn’t have a Himalayan Salt Lamp, time to get one. Or add another to the collection. The Himalayan salt lamp cleanses the air of negative vibes and lets off a very soothing light wherever its lit.

Witchy Non-Fiction New Release Books

1. The Illustrated Herbiary

The Illustrated Herbiary: Guidance and Rituals from 36 Bewitching Botanicals by Maia Toll and Kate O’Hara was released in August of 2018 and has already received rave reviews from the Amazon witchy shopping community. In addition to having an illustrated guide to magical plants, a deck of small cards comes with the hardback book. A must-have for the green or garden witch’s collection.

2. Colouring Book of Shadows: Planner for Magical 2019

Alright, who doesn’t love to colour? Colouring is therapy for the soul. Even better if you can plan out your schedule and then colour at the same time. It makes magical planning that much more fun! Add a colouring book of shadows and a pack of coloured pencils to your witchy shopping cart for the holidays and the receiver won’t be disappointed.

3. The House Witch

From the author of The Green Witch comes the next in her practical series The House Witch by Arin Murphy-Hiscock. The release date is November 20, 2018, just in time for Yule and Christmas! Learn how to create a magical sacred space with rituals and charms for the home.

4. Familiars in Witchcraft

An exciting new release set for 2019 written by Maja D’Aoust all about familiars and magical spiritual assistants from all over the world. Familiars aren’t just a fluffy household pet – they’re much much more than that. This is explored in depth in this book…pre-order for your witchy loved one!

5. In the Shadow of Salem

In the Shadow of Salem: The Andover Witch Hunt of 1692 is a historical account of another piece of the Salem Witch Trials’ mystery. Written by a scholar and archivist, In the Shadow of Salem details familial rivalries and reveals another aspect of the witch hunt craze in Colonial America that hasn’t been discussed in detail until now. If your witchy loved one is in to historical accounts of witchcraft, this book is a must-have for the holiday season!

New Release Fictional Witchy Books

1. The Cotton Family Series

The Cotton Family Series is one of those witchy fictional series that every witch would love. Real tidbits of American and European folk magic are woven in to a tale of the paranormal, witchcraft, and love to make for a wild ride of a read! Ancient Spirits, Book 3 of The Cotton Family Series has been released and is waiting for eager witchy eyes! The perfect witchy shopping gift for the holidays.

2. Only the Stars Know Her Name

Only the Stars Know Her Name by Amanda Marrone is a historical fiction book about the lost daughter of Tituba, an accused Salem witch. Set to be released next year in hardback, pre-order as a witchy shopping holiday must-have!

3. Sea Witch

Sea Witch by Sarah Henning is described as “Wicked” meets “The Little Mermaid”. Any lover of the ocean and of witchy fictional books will love Sea Witch this holiday season. Add it to your witchy shopping cart!

4. Circe

I’ve been drawn to the Greek Goddess Circe for years, and this book by Madeline Miller made me fall even more in love with this goddess! A #1 New York Times Bestseller with good reason, you can purchase this book as a paperback, e-book, or even as an audiobook (which I fully recommend!) Entertainment and mythology together in a sweet gift.

5. Witches of New Orleans Series

I can’t help but adore any witchy story set in New Orleans. What a magical place to base a series of witchy books. This series by JD Horn is a fun, magical read and the newest in the series is set to be released in June of 2019. Purchase the first two and pre-order the third!

Teas & Accessories

1. Heavenly Tea Leaves Tea Sampler

If that magical person in your life is an herb or tea lover, grab him or her a tea sampler off of Amazon like this Heavenly Tea Leaves Tea Sampler. Great tea for a great price this holiday season!

2. Butterfly Pea Flower Tea

I recently started drinking this tea because of its beautiful blue colour. Not to mention, add a slice of lemon to it and the blue turns to purple! Magic in a teacup. One of my favourite loose leaf teas!

3. The Lotus Glass Tea Tumbler

One of my favorite witchy holiday gifts was a loose leaf tea infuser. But even better is one that’s portable with sacred geometry on the sides. Tea with a divine vibe!

4. Adagio Teas Bottom-Dispensing Teapot

Every witch needs a bottom-dispensing teapot. Convenient and easy to use for magical brews and teas. Strains the leaves right out for you, so no more picking the leaves out of your teeth.

5. Teabloom Flowering Teas

The prettiest teas around are the flowering teas. Get a clear flowering tea teapot and then the Teabloom flowering teas to go along with it. What a wonderful witchy gift idea!

Housewares for the Kitchen Witch

1. Herb Scissors

A super efficient way to break up dried herbs in the kitchen is with a pair of sharp herb scissors. These are a must-have for any kitchen witch this holiday season and make a perfect stocking stuffer (just make sure to leave it in the packaging!)

2. Ninja Ultra Prep Food Processor

Make a magical basil pesto, energizing fruit shakes, or grind up some herbs with the ultra prep food processor. Every kitchen witch needs the ability to quickly grind ingredients down. Add this to your witchy shopping cart for the holidays.

3. Mortar and Pestle

In addition to using a mortar and pestle to grind down peppercorns and other hard herbs, it can also be used to make red brick dust and cascarilla powders. A marble mortar and pestle is a kitchen witch must-have. Get him or her one as an amazing gift.

4. Stand Mixer

I don’t know about you but when the holidays come around, I am a baking machine! It would be much easier to save my hands and have a stand mixer in the kitchen. Every baking kitchen witch could use a sturdy and pretty stand mixer like the kitchenaid!

5. Instant Pot

For the kitchen witches who don’t have time to cook over an open fire, the instant pot is a wonderful present that won’t be forgotten. A witchy shopping must-have! It’s a crock pot on steroids! A pressure cooker that cooks soups and stews, hard-boiled eggs, and other yummy meals in little to no time at all! And Amazon usually has a great deal on instant pots over the holiday season.

https://otherworldlyoracle.com/amazon-witchy-shopping-list/

[survivormyanmar-blog]

Ep. #2 - “Yeah Sure, I’ll Vote With You, Strange Lady” - Brett

After voting off Caroline, Maranda returned to camp pretty upset; accusing the other tribemates of lying to her.  The second immunity challenge was announced and it was a somewhat confusing version of Rock Paper Scissors.  The Fans put a lot of thought into how to prepare for the challenge and submitted a strategically thought out list.  The favorites did random.org and ended up winning.  All of the favorites got to go to The Cave )except Christian chose not to) and Amanda ended up finding a challenge advantage that had to be used pre-merge.  At Tribal Council, it was a unanimous vote to take out Maranda as the other fans were worried about the possibility of her flipping at a tribe swap.

Best way to turn a voting bloc into an alliance is by 1) pulling off a blindside and 2) just saying the word alliance. When you say alliance and say I like you guys it’s hard to say no. The best way to keep it going is to make sure each and everyone of them is comfortable with me. I don’t know or care if they like each other but they need to not turn on me. Last thing I need to do is pass over leadership to someone like Brett or Adrian. I can’t be the voice of the alliance because that’s who they soon turn on.

IM BAAAAAAAAAAAACK YAAAAAAAY https://secure.static.tumblr.com/d70e452b5eb08e05fcd0fda9b654cbb9/zt9ruhl/yotoad3b7/tumblr_static_tumblr_static__640.jpg I’m doing this again, I hope i dont hate myself and regret it later. So lets get started with the confessional shit woo! So me and Steffen started talking immediately cause we’re friends we’re good but ive played with him before and im not stupid ive seen him play so i know i gotta watch. https://media.giphy.com/media/VTksCTQMHrody/giphy.gif Not miss me already having an alliance forming. I’m trash. Lmfaoooo So during Maldives me and Gaston would talk so much on our original tribe but we never solidified anything and literally right when we both were gonna try to work together we got swapped to opposite tribes and then I got voted out right before merge so we never got to align and i remember the night after the season ended i was talking to the hosts and telling them about how much i wanted to work with him and how if i got to merge i was gonna trying and work with him and they were like flipping out because they said if the two of us worked together it would have changed to game completely and that gives me confidence that us working together is a good idea. SO THAT BEING SAID, Gaston and I talked a bunch today and he wants us and Richie to make a Maldives alliance. I’m down tbh, people are probably gonna assume it’s a thing since there’s 3 of us so we might as well make the most of it. So stayed tuned for a chat of that coming soon! https://media.giphy.com/media/cbVCKn5SwfwwU/giphy.gif AT THE SAME TIME THOUGH I KNOW HOW SMART THEY BOTH ARE SO I HAVE TO WATCH THEM TOO https://67.media.tumblr.com/401449fbc05ae1dd4335d410ff964f4b/tumblr_mzcqkp8SDh1s8n9o2o1_500.gif ALSO MY FAVE BITCH LEAH IS ON THE OTHER TRIBE. BLESS OWEN AND TREVORS HEARTS FOR THINKING IT’D BE SMART TO PUT US IN THE SAME GAME HAHAHAHA I’m so proud of her for surviving her first tribal!!! She’s literally one of my favorite people in the world and I’d be so excited to get to a tribe swap or merge with her. If we get there together you better be ready for some good tv! http://67.media.tumblr.com/623e0414a2f59564d202f4e5a6484d97/tumblr_n4pu1kDbnL1tv3r8go1_400.gif http://66.media.tumblr.com/fa304474a1b1383500e2308b0032a28f/tumblr_n4pu1kDbnL1tv3r8go3_r1_400.gif ANYWAYSSSS i’m gonna record a video talking about the cast this week so get excited. I’m really excited to be back so I hope this season goes better than the last one.

Mata at their tribal last night: https://media.giphy.com/media/10FXOtXjvWu0Ja/giphy.gif

Tribal went perfect as Caroline is gone like I wanted. Now I have to get Maranda back on my side. She’s not mad at me but 4 people who lied to her all day. She knew who I was leaning towards voting so I think we can work off that. If we win immunity that is. If we loose I think she can easily become next target.

Okay, so on the subject of alliances. It’s still super early in the game and I want to be significantly less Crackdt than I was in my last game, but I also want to make sure this ass is safe in case we lose this challenge. I think the biggest mistake I could make at this point would be waiting until we lose to make an alliance, since that alliance would almost 100% be based on scrambling and paranoia instead of actual relationships.  So, since  I’ve been talking game with Steffen and Tommy, both of whom I really genuinely like, I think I’m gonna try to play with them, making an alliance with Tommy (and ideally Ashley and Ting Ting for a solid four, who we both like but aren’t that threatening) and keep Steffen and Sam in the loop for votes. Lowkey, I wouldn’t mind if we lost, just so I could figure out where the lines are for future reference. Ugh.

So, after that rather interesting tribal, the voting block of Nehe, Krysten, Adrian, Brett and myself that orchestrated the Caroline vote off formed “The Official Five”. It’s honestly a stupid name for an alliance but at least it’s the majority alliance on our tribe. However, within that alliance, Brett and myself are a tight pair, and have been since the beginning. And no one knows that. We plan to keep it that way. We’re in a bit of a power position, unbeknownst to everyone else. If we play our cards right we could easily maneuver ourselves very far in this game.

Day 3 (or last night) I’m learning as the days pass who I think I can trust and how conditional that trust is. There’s so many different layers of trust. Do I trust you to work in tandem with me? Do I trust you to not go after me? Can I trust you to speak when you should and to shut up when you absolutely should. The alliance of Day 2’s challenge participants (ADRIAN, KEEGAN, KRYSTEN, NEHE, and me) is strong, but each member has their strengths and weaknesses. The same goes for the outer periphery that thinks they are fine even though I believe they are in the bottom half (CARLOS, LEAH, LINUS). And as for MARANDA? I understand that my goose is cooked when it comes to the prospect of potentially working with her. So within the core alliance, KEEGAN and KRYSTEN are the two I trust the most because they’ve done astoundingly well at keeping their mouths shut. My loyalty is the most firm with them. Very very slightly behind is ADRIAN–he has an incredible heart, but he absentmindedly slipped to CAROLINE that there was “another side” to the tribe forming against her. Not smart. Of course, CAROLINE starts spinning out and I have to calm her down for the better of the tribe. It might be to my own detriment because I’m sure CAROLINE And MARANDA feel the most betrayed by me as we just blindsided CAROLINE 8-2. MARANDA has already expressed her sadness at my betrayal. I attempted to sidestep by telling her I thought she was in on it to because of how obviously crazy, intense, and paranoid CAROLINE is and I definitely think she’s not buying it. Should we go to the next tribal council, I’m expecting a vote from her. When dealing with these same ladies, NEHE was approached and he doesn’t have the wherewithal to just lie to CAROLINE and say “yeah sure, I’ll vote with you, strange lady,” and that set off a number of red flags with CAROLINE and MARANDA. So I really just need both ADRIAN and NEHE to be careful with how they deal with people. I can trust both of them when it comes to my life in this game, but they both have loose lips. And speaking of loose lips, hi CARLOS! Oh my God. I really like CARLOS and I know CARLOS really likes me, but in what world is it okay to say at a public tribal council that I am the tribe leader?! I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that. So I think our personalities jive, but I am not certain he’s playing our partnership (however loose it is) smartly. Now a target is on my back and I’m not excited about that. I don’t have much to say about LINUS other than that he’s sweet. LEAH concerns me. I would almost want to get LEAH out before MARANDA because she’s transparently playing really dumb when she obviously knows more than she lets on. It’s painfully obvious. She told me I’m the only person she’s talked to, really. I know that’s definitely not true. She’s active and she’s a host of a Big Brother game (they’re not all that different from Survivor). You have to talk to everyone and I’m sure she’s putting face time in with plenty of people. I’ve got my eye on her and I’m worried she has friends on the other side, too. I missed tribal council from doing a live show with former Survivor alumni Corinne and I was shocked that a challenge had already started while I was in the show! I wasn’t able to participate (so ironic given how my alliance formed), so hopefully no one gives me shit over it. I really hope we win this challenge so we can tie it up with the favorites and see one of them get eliminated. Until next time.

aye. we won again! and we all get to party it out in the cave! woot woot! gr9

After Immunity: Another loss…. fuck this. It’s beginning to feel like Ulong. And it’s just gonna elicit more negative feedback and negative emotions…… just great.

I am so happy that we won our second immunity in a row. Not having to go to tribal has really helped all of us settle in and start to connect with each other. I really like Jay, we totally connect and she gets me. Ting Ting is another person I like as well, she is super sweet and hilarious. I am in love with Tommy tbh. His snapchats keep me alive and we honestly just click…. So hopefully some alliances can come out of these connections soon and we can really start playing, just hope we don’t lose the next challenge.

Second immunity loss in a row. I’m trying to keep calm but our ship is starting to sink. The only bit of light in this situation is the Official Five alliance. We have the power to vote out whoever, so I’m not worried about going home at this tribal. We have a difficult decision to make. Do we get rid of Carlos, who doesn’t give off good vibes, or do we axe Maranda, who is feeling betrayed and alone after the Caroline vote? If there’s a tribe swap, voting off the wrong person could doom all us fans.

At this stage I’m only in my host chat and tribe chat. I’ve spoken to some people 1 on 1 but nothing really interesting has transpired. I’ve yet to have that moment where my interest is sparked and I begin to invest myself in the season. I’m trying not to be too worried about that though. In Maldives I had no social/strategic game until I hit the merge and then the dynamic was interesting enough that I started to play. I just have to hope we keep winning because I think I could easily be a first boot on our tribe for my lack of socialising. I forced myself to start a tribe call. I am not having a good time.

Well, round 2 happened and yet again my team did the whole challenge before I even got on which leads me to question why they think a 24 hour challenge has to be done asap. On that note I’m actually lowkey hating my tribe. The majority of them have made it abundantly clear that Im very low on the totem poll, and even those I’ve tried to basically say “LOOK, TELL ME HOW TO VOTE IM AN EXTRA VOTE FOR YOU” aren’t responding very positively (Obviously I say it with more tact then that :P ). I’ve never been one to flip, team togetherness has always been my number 1 most important thing in survivor. Maybe its because in the past 2 games Ive been in I’ve given everything for my alliance just for them to take me out, but Im almost wanted to just jump on my tribe the second I get the chance. It’s not in me to be a liar, and I do still firmly believe that although deception can get you short term power, whilst honesty can get you far, but maybe this time I have to just be careful with who I give that honesty to. Right now the vote sounds like it’s on Miranda, so yay I guess. I heard Carlos’s name was also discussed so woohoo, I guess that can maybe buy me two rounds.  I just don’t get it, you can tell these people are new because they aren’t thinking ahead though. I have it on good authority that it is indeed Miranda, so like, why not pretend to include me and make me feel safe to use as a number later. This is one of the most amateur mistakes in the world and I honestly don’t like it much at all. As for alliances, Adrian/Drew is the the person feeding me all the info right now. We know each other from the facebook community, and even are co hosting a game there so I guess we bonded off that (Even though I know in games in the past we’ve been against each other so it’s surprising me that he was wanting to work with me so much xD). Right now he’s the one person I would use an idol for if I had one, and he is kind of my savoir in the game. If I am to think about flipping I will definitely talk the idea through with him first. I’ve also been trying my damndest to get in with Brett, and man, he knows what he’s doing. Brett is great at the game, and he is the one other person not acting like Im totally on the outs, even though Im well aware that he knows Im not in a power position. I’m really trying to push to him that I want to work with him because if the way he comes off to me is the same for other people, I have a feeling he could be the unofficial leader of the majority. So right now my main strat is the Brett ass kiss maneuver xD.

First confessional of the season and I have to say….I. Don’t. Connect. With. Any. Of. These. People. I love Ashley to death so obviously I know I always have her to talk to, and she felt the same way when the first tribe call happened a few days ago. I went on. Awkward silence. No one was talking. And then I left. Why are you guys so boring. I’m not used to that on calls. But then I’m friends with steffen, and I really like jay a lot. But everyone else so far…..GTG real fast. I’m busy with another game that’s taking up my time right now, so I try to be as active as possible on my tribe. The first immunity challenge I was M.I.A. So that’s why I was so active and gave my input in the second immunity in case we lost and had to go to tribal. I talk more one on one with a few people, which I think helps me out for now. I suck in challenges so I have to rely on my social game. I don’t really have any strategies in mind right now. I’m just going to lay low, and once merge happens or the first tribe swap I’ll start playing more. At least I wasn’t first boot. So that’s one thing crossed off my list. I think our tribe is really good comp wise, even though second immunity was more luck based in a way. I think I just miss all my best friends in the big brother community!!! :( I’m so lonely. I wish Julia had been casted, because I at least would have had her. Oh well. I’ll be fine.

okay this game is so crackedt. I WANNA PLAY like people are still sending my pleasantries. PLAY WITH ME. like i don’t wanna wait until we lose to have to play survivor. That’s not how you play survivor. This lack of game talk can only make me think that others are constantly plotting against me–but I actually don’t think that’s the case. Jay and I were talking and she goes “oooh what if it’s a sudden double tribal” like I would actually shit a brick.

ok so i got a flashlight from the cave so now I can tell ghost stories around the fire at camp

So, I went to the cave. It was dark as fuck and I’m tired from all that climbing, but at least I got a little tea. No idol or advantage or anything, but at least some knowledge and some bonding. Tommy and I are gonna search together (not sure yet how honest I’ll be with him about my searching) and I know for a fact that at least two people on the tribe have gotten something from the cave because a) Sam told me he has a ~flashlight, which may come in handy later~ and b) the spot I went to looked like something had once be there, but nothing was there now. So now I’m nervous, obviously. Sam is a huge long-term threat and knowing he has an advantage makes me very nervous. And if Richie or Gaston got an idol or advantage, it’s definitely dangerous as my alliance is eyeing them for first boot on our tribe. Trevor says we should stay up late tonight after tribal, so I’m just praying it’s something unexpected and not the tribe swap we’re all starting to anticipate.

The as yet unnamed Ting Ting-Ashley-Tommy-Jay alliance is a go. I’m so hype.

So “operation be Brett’s bitch until a better oppertunity arrives” was a success I think. I asked him about working together and he agreed and even wanted to pull more people in, so hey, if that does work maybe I’m not as in the outs as I thought I was! Right now the people we are discussing to bring in are Keegan (who may claim to be a guy, but has a girls name and Mari is his profile pic, so I got my eye on him/her >:( ), Drew and Kristen because she and Brett who both love running. Don’t ask me how a common interest in moving your legs at fast speeds constitutes a grounds for working together, but if it gets us 5 then I ain’t complaining and I’ll just let those jocks do jock things.

Did you know that studies show people who enjoy long showers and baths tend to be the loneliest? So next time your in the shower for more then 10 minutes keep in mind that it’s probably because the waters heat is a subconscious replacement for human contact!

We’re safe again we’re safe again WOO WOO WOOOOO hahaha so we won immunity again. We literally random.org-ed the list and then i said to swap me and Christian and we sent it and we won so that was super cute. http://68.media.tumblr.com/6351a345904ecad9853f857eb9c0f52e/tumblr_ohjo3qEWMB1vaedr6o1_400.gif I should probably talk about the cave huh? Well i’ve been there twice now. The first time I found a flashlight but i have NO IDEA what it does yet hopefully it will be helpful later. Maybe it’ll help me search for an idol in the cave or something? who knows. Then I just went back a second time and I found an advantage for a challenge pre-merge YAAAAS i’m so happy it can come in handy so so much. http://68.media.tumblr.com/04808dd803fb9f6e43b1d6e5ac91780d/tumblr_oag5pixF561vaedr6o1_400.gif I don’t wanna get comfortable because thats when shit hits the fan but I really hope we keep up this immunity winning streak. I don’t wanna go to tribal any time soon.

OMG so much has happened recently! I think I’m in an alright position for the time being. I’m part of a 4 person alliance called “The Golden Girls” formed of Myself, Jay, Ashley, and Ting Ting. I feel as if Jay is running the show because she’s the one who is being really lowkey about everything, making shifts in the sand and has all this previous tea on everyone because she knows so many people. (That’s part of my problem, because I haven’t played since 2 years ago so I barely have any previous tea on anyone!) So I definitely think she’s playing the “mastermind” role, I’m gonna keep letting her do that. Eventually it’s going to come out that she’s a snake and it’ll be her time to go if she keeps playing this way. My plans are to continue building good social relationships with everyone on the tribe and just chill out a bit. This way later down the road I will have more options as to what I want to do in the game and maybe not have as much of a target as all these people who are coming across really intimidating. NOT THAT I DON’T LIKE THEM, BECAUSE I LIKE THEM IT’S JUST THEY ARE PLAYING REAL HARD. I mean playing hard is good but I don’t know if playing hard right now when it’s only Final 19 about to be Final 18 is such a good idea. Also Ting Ting is my #1 ally as of right now just because I feel she isn’t as intense as everyone else but she still wants to play the game, like me. I feel that we are probably the most trusting to each other which will benefit us both when it comes to staying in the game and getting information. Lastly, I think there’s gonna be a tribe swap tonight and I don’t know if this is good or bad for my game, but it’s almost the same as starting over. If there is a swap, I hope I don’t get screwed over. Cheers to Final 18.  

This round has been fairly easy.  We formed an alliance, The Official Five, and all worked really well together in the challenge.  We lost, but have decided as a group our next vote.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXMVh_McwU0