#AoS Episode Showdown

[badass-queer-couples-battle]

Sword gays showdown, round 4 of bracket two

Propaganda:

For Hikaru Sulu:

1) Okay, first off: Which version am I submitting? Prime timeline (TOS) or Kelvin timeline (AOS, also known as the reboot movies if you're not in the fandom)? The answer is both. Prime Sulu has the more iconic fencing scenes (and is also said to have other sword related abilities) while Kelvin Sulu is canonically gay. Specifically as a tribute to George Takei btw who played prime Sulu in TOS and is famously gay and an LGBT+ rights activist among other causes. The picture provided is prime Sulu but if you've only watched AOS, feel free to vote for him anyway.

I'm not gonna link any videos here since that would probably exceed the scope of the propaganda section but clips should be pretty easy to find. And if you can't, just trust me: The TOS fencing scenes are amazing. The AOS one is probably fine too but it's been ages since I've watched it and I forgot it even existed so it can't have been THAT memorable.

Fun fact: George Takei initially didn't know how to fence and didn't find out he'd have to until pretty late and started taking fencing lessons only three weeks before the filming of that episode (The Naked Time) and apparently "became so out-of-control and boisterous that he had to be separated from the rest of the production personnel, for their own safety" which, in context of what the episode is about, is just absolutely amazing. Truly iconic.

Anyway, considering Star Trek is an important part of queer history (I'm only half joking) you need to vote for Sulu, we all know George Takei is an icon, make the right choice here.

2) When they got hit with the drunk virus he took his shirt off and started challenging people to duels. Iconic 

3) This bitch got the outer space disease that makes you silly, and revealed they were gung ho for fencing, and brought out their sabre to just. Swashbuckle. Goes "/oh my/," and is clearly gay and played by a gay actor

For Olivier:

She is only female general in her nation, and guards the northern border. She fights with a sword even though there are other people with guns. Olivier is unmarried despite being older (not sure how old exactly, but she is a general, and that takes time). To the best of my knowledge she shows no interest in anyone, thus making it possible to interpret her as aromantic and asexual, or as a lesbian. The bit where Mustang offers to take her on a date and she threatens to eat so much she will bankrupt him is funny.

[gay-disabled-characters-showdown]

LGBTQ+ Disabled Characters Showdown Round 1, Wave 1, Poll 4

A character being totally canon LGBTQ+ and disabled was not required to be in this competition. Please check qualifications and propaganda before asking why a character is included.

Check out the other polls in this wave here.

Princess Sapphia of Mytilene-High Class Homos

Qualifications:

She is canonically lesbian and an amputee. The basis of the story is that her and her gay friend August of Phthia are fake marrying to secretly date other people (him with one of his knights and her with one of his castle's maids). She had a relationship with Marla through half of the first season, and now she's starting a relationship with Odette. In the original comic (before becoming a WebToon original), the panels never showed most characters legs so some comments did jokes about her not having legs, so in one of the last episodes before "rebooting" it to WebToon, the author momozerii decided to make this canon by showing her changing her prosthetic leg. The "reboot" shows it from the first episode (literally kicking a door open) and had a flashback scene of her using crutches and a bandage on her amputation. I don't remember if that scene showed why she lost her leg.

Propaganda:

She's so funny and cute, and I love how momozerii added her prosthetic from the start in the WebToon original version. She's really compassionate and has really good character development through the first season. There's one scene between her and Odette at the start of the story where Sapphia said some really elitist shit to her, and after apologizing she learns what Odette had to pass through as someone who didn't have the wealth and status that Sapphia has as a princess, and she actually changes, defending Odette when her old suitor, Nicolosi, pulls the same elitist shit on her.

Anything Else?:

I recommend a lot this WebToon, it has such a good story, the art is beautiful and isn't too heavy on details like other WebToon originals, the characters are amazing and complex, and it's on hiatus right now (don't worry the season finale is not a big cliffhanger, just a small hook for the second season).

Submitted by @octonine

Schnn T’gai Spock-Star Trek

Qualifications:

He is canonically dyslexic, and commonly interpreted as autistic. I do not think I have to tell you why I think he qualifies as LGBTQ+.

Propaganda:

He started it all! Spirk was the birth of slash fiction and fandom itself. Autistic, dyslexic, gay-- what can't he do?

Anything else?:

THIS APPLIES ONLY TO THE ORIGINAL SERIES VERSION OF SPOCK. NOT THE SPOCK FROM THE JJ ABRAMS MOVIES OR THE NEW ITERATION OF SPOCK FROM STRANGE NEW WORLDS. Discovery Spock does count as TOS Spock in my mind, though. AOS & SNW Spock are some of the least gay characters I have ever seen, and it is quite sad.

Submitted by @convenient-plot-device

[consoledacup]

AoS Episode Showdown -- FZZT

This episode is so damn good I was almost late to work because I wanted to keep watching. Even though I’ve seen it at least 10 times. There’s a lot to say.

In this episode, 1x06, Skye says that FitzSimmons is psychically linked. Fitz scoffs at that and then looks on horrified as Simmons does a Ward impression almost exactly like his. In 2x06, that psychic link is completely subverted. Any sort of attempt Simmons gives to finish Fitz’s train of thought is immediately squashed by him. In 5x06, the psychic link is well intact when they both propose to each other at the first opportunity. And then, of course, 6x06 literally has Fitz and Simmons psychically linked. 

Fitz tells Skye she “made the rounds” and apologized to all of them. I love the idea of her going up to May, Ward, Fitz, and Simmons individually and apologizing to each of them. Although, my guess is FitzSimmons is in the same room when she approaches them.

FitzSimmons both imitate Ward with their hands on their hips. When the team arrives on the campsite, Ward has his hands on his hips. 

When Coulson, Ward, and Skye are talking about Adam Cross, Ward says that “everyone looks clean on their first go-round.” While, yes, this is a clear foreshadow about Ward, this also applies to the show as a whole. Up until 1x17, the team and the audience were both lulled into a sense of trusting that everyone had good intentions. Over the years, both the team and the audience have learned to trust. no. one. I love it.

In 1x06, Simmons tells Fitz that as a scientist she “has to dissect something.” In 6x06, Id Jemma literally cuts into Fitz, claiming, “I like dissection.”

In 1x06, FitzSimmons has the dynamic of a bickering married couple. In 2x06, Hunter and Bobbi take on that persona, while Fitz and Simmons maintain a dynamic far less friendly. In 5x06, Fitz and Jemma have a brief married couple spat involving who proposed first at the very end of the episode. In 6x06, they are literally a bickering married couple. 

Tony Diaz’s death is heartbreaking. His realization when he repeats his friends’ names and thinks about what happened to them... 

In 1x06, when Tony asks Coulson about what death was like for him, Coulson says, “It’s beautiful.” In 6x06, when Jemma is pleading with Fitz, she says that there was “a lot of death, yes, but there was beauty too.” I just really like that word used when coupled with death.

When May tells Coulson he did everything he could for the fireman, Coulson gives a little nod that breaks my heart. He’d like to believe that she’s right, but he knows he could’ve done more. 

In 2x06, even though we don’t see Imaginary Jemma in the outfit first shown in 1x06, there’s a scene where Fitz is turned away, caressing his shoulder and murmuring to himself before the real Jemma arrives.

1x06: “Oh, Fitz. It’s the most perfect opportunity to see the world. We’d be fools to pass this one up.” 6x06: “Chin up, Fitz. There’s nothing to be afraid of.” I’m sure these were both said during the same conversation. Both show Jemma’s insistence that they join and Fitz’s reluctance. And in 1x06, Fitz does not disguise his blame, and Jemma does not disguise her guilt.

“You’ve been beside me the whole damn time.”

When Jemma requests that Coulson tell her dad first, he says they’re not there yet, and he refuses to listen. You can tell he’s still harboring guilt for what happened to Tony and will be damned if it happens to Simmons. But then Jemma emits a little please, and Coulson gives the second devastating nod of the episode. He’s already so attached to her, and his helplessness is killing him.

Ophelia describes Fitz’s true nature as being a romantic, and she’s right. The moment Jemma’s life is threatened, Fitz barrels through the lab doors, risking viral infection, and then prepares to jump out of a plane. Without question. 

But there’s something else about that too. From episodes 1-5, Fitz has a crush on Skye. In this episode, his feelings shift dramatically, and I’m one of the herd that believes that that last shot of Fitz was him discovering his feelings for Jemma. Even if Iain didn’t play it that way, I think the script does. That doesn’t mean the last shot isn’t layered and nuanced, and there are more things about that last look that can be discussed. His affection for Jemma does not waver until the end of “Self Control” when his memories are displaced, and he’s devoted to Ophelia. Once he’s out of the Framework, he’s all in with Jemma again. There is not a single episode where Fitz is not romantically into someone. I wonder if part of that, the desire to be with someone, has to do with the lack of affection from his father that he endured as a child. 

When Fitz is struggling with the parachute straps, Ward appears with a thump, so I think he jumped from the top stair of the spiral staircase, and I gotta give him props. 

Skye hugging Simmons is everything. Even though Fitz is Jemma’s person, and Coulson is Skye’s, Skye and Simmons care a lot about each other, and their relationship subtly grows into something beautiful. And when you think that in the prior episode, Skye was betraying her team to save her boyfriend, it’s a nice touch to see how much Skye cares for Simmons despite everything she’s done. 

Also, aesthetically, in 1x06, Skye hugs Simmons after Ward and Simmons lightheartedly talk about Ward saving her. Ward is off to the side, allowing Skye and Simmons to have their moment. In 2x06, the three of them have another short scene. But this time, Jemma steps in front of Skye, cutting off contact between the two, and tells him the next time she sees him, she’ll kill him. Oh, the times... they are a’changing.

In 1x06, when May asks Coulson how Simmons is doing, Coulson answers that she’s “amazingly resilient. You’d never know she almost died.” I have to give the writers all the props with this because what Coulson says displays the main way Jemma handles trauma from here on out. And not only is that seen time and time again, It’s discussed and addressed as incredibly unhealthy in 6x06.

“Don’t let anyone know. That’s the whole idea.” 

In 1x06, May intuits that the traumatic experiences both Simmons and Coulson endured have affected them in a big way, whether they acknowledge it or not. In 3x06, May has a similar discussion with Bobbi about her traumatic experience with Ward. May is the quickest to catch on to these changes in mood and action for incredibly obvious reasons. 

In 1x06, Fitz laments that he couldn’t have done “the whole James Bond in mid-air type of thing.” In 5x06, Fitz leaps from the balcony, shoots the laser barrier control in mid-air, and lands on the platform. 

In 1x06, when Jemma says, “you’re the hero,” Fitz gives her a little yeah. The last shot of him shows how much he doesn’t believe her. I think this is a gorgeous last scene.

Not only is the FitzSimmons storyline incredible with phenomenal acting, but the rest of the team have nice character moments too. And if that wasn’t enough, the monster-of-the-week plot is incredibly engaging, and the actor playing Tony Diaz gives such a beautiful performance. In many ways, this episode is a game changer, I’m not going to even play coy about ranking it:

FZZT

Eye Spy

Pilot

Girl in the Flower Dress

The Asset

0-8-4

[rodpower78]

Next week, the long awaited showdown between Daisy and Ruby.

[ryder616]

I want, no, I need, the full suite of Daisy’s theme. From the first Terrigenesis to Darth Quake crippling the Playground to the triumphant riff every time she superheroically swoops in to save someone to the final showdown/suicide mission... not a (much appreciated, don’t get me wrong) fan version extracted from the episodes but the proper, official tracks put together by Mr. Bear McCreary himself, with the rest of the AoS soundtrack past S1.

Why do you hate my money, Marvel?

[rhnuzlocke]

Episode 19

Scene 7:

[Ren looks to her left as Latias is consumed by white light and emerges in her mega form. For an instant, Ren wants to ask Steven what is happening, but she can feel him and Latias there with her and there is no more need for words. Energy floods into her from the orb on her chest as Groudon powers up an attack and Ren makes the snap decision to do something crazy. She reaches out to Taraki with that energy and activates his mega stone. The sceptile mimics her stance and begins to mega evolve as Groudon launches a massive lava plume attack on them. Latias blocks the attack with protect, giving Taraki the chance to finish his mega evolution. He runs forward, leaps up and slashes Groudon across the chest with leaf blade as Latios hits them in the side with luster purge and Latias nails them in the face with mist ball. Groudon reels back, but retaliates with precise blades. The Eon guardians manage to dodge the sharp rocks that stab up from the floor and even strike the ceiling in places, but Taraki holds his ground and shatters the one headed for Ren with dragon claw. The sceptile launches himself at Groudon again, but the climate titan swats him away with a paw. Taraki lands on one of the crumbling pillars and ricochets back off, using the added height to reach Groudon’s head and slash them across the jaw. Groudon hits Taraki with lava plume, and he is blasted away but lands on his feet in front of Ren once more. Ren and Taraki shake it off and put up their mitts. Meanwhile the Eon Guardians are swooping around the chamber trying to keep Groudon distracted and disoriented. Latios is hitting Groudon in the head, shoulders and chest with dragon pulse while Latias uses psychic to pummel them across the back with one of their own rocks. Lava roils around Groudon as they roar, forcing the Guardians back for a moment with another lava plume. Ren and Taraki cross their arms, shielding themselves from the blaze with Kyogre’s energy. Groudon falls still in the lull and closes their eyes, resting. Energy flows into them from below, healing their wounds. Taraki launches a mega drain to siphon off some of that power and shudders with energy. He roars, invigorated, and charges Groudon. He slices the climate titan across the chest before leaping back off them to solid ground. He runs at them a second time, but this time groudon opens their eyes and releases a sustained blast of fire. Once again Taraki cannot dodge without exposing Ren, so he holds his ground. Latios tries to turn Groudon away by striking them across the brow, but the god remains rooted to the spot and Latias intervenes with a protect. Taraki falls to one knee and drops his mega form. He is alive, but severely weakened. Ren sends out Kotai and Pohaku and they move in front of Taraki. Kotai tenses claws out and ready and Pohaku roars, swimmers fully splayed and rattling. Taraki glances back at Ren and she holds up his ball, willing him to tap out. He holds her gaze for a moment and nods. She withdraws him and just then the chamber shakes violently and the floor cracks from Groudon’s earthquake.]

Kotai: Two can play at that game, ya overgrown krookodile!

[The ground rumbles again as Kotai retaliates with his own earthquake. The mass of earth strikes Groudon in the stomach, smothering the lava and flames in its path. Pohaku takes advantage of the passage created by Kotai’s attack and dashes across the land bridge to score Groudon’s belly with crush claw, while the Eon guardians dragon pulse Groudon’s chest. Groudon reels from the combined attack and uses precipice blades. Kotai manages to parry with crush claw but the other three take a direct hit. Kotai and Ren move together arms outstretched as they shove Groudon back with a wall of earth, giving the others a chance to recover. Pohaku once again uses the cover of earthquake to close with Groudon and delivers a punishing one-two combo with stone edge that is very reminiscent of Taraki’s leaf blade technique. Groudon destroys the earth around them with lava plume and Ren focuses all of her energy on keeping Pohaku shielded so that he isn’t incinerated. However, this means that both Eon Guardians and Kotai take a the blow. Pohaku rolls out of the rubble, having curled himself into a ball. He pops back to his feet and checks on Kotai, who is shaking out his black scales. Groudon rests again and Latias briefly uses recover on herself before flying over to Latios and using heal pulse. Ren reaches for Kotai and Pohaku’s pokeballs, but the sandslash interrupts her.]

Kotai: We can’t let it rest or we’re done for, luv.

[Pohaku nods vigorously in agreement, claws flashing and tail lashing in anticipation.]

Ren: Try that earthquake/stone edge combo again but get Pohaku some more lift!

[Pohaku rushes forward and the stone floor shakes as Kotai unleashes another earthquake attack just ahead of his teammate. Pohaku jumps on the wave of earth just as Kotai forces it upward with a slash of his claw. Pohaku’s defences hold and he is launched into the air. He does a summersault and comes down Groudon’s head. The force is enough to knock Groudon down to all fours and Kotai hits them with another earthquake. Pohaku jumps clear and rolls back to the relative safety of the rock platform.]

Pohaku: Woohoo! Did you see me? I was just like Taraki! We have to do that again!

Ren: Another time, champ!

[Pohaku and Kotai tap claws as Ren withdraws them and sends out Kata and Ao. The Eon Guardians have recovered and take to the air again as Groudon opens their eyes. Ren needs no words to have all three psychic types attack simultaneously. With their combined power they throw Groudon against the back wall of the chamber and hold them there while Ao fires off hidden power as rapidly as possible. Groudon thrashes in their grasp, roaring and shaking the chamber violently with each strike of their tail. With the last of their energy Kata and the Eon Guardians lift Groudon to the ceiling and then smash them down into the floor. Groudon uses lava plume while still in the air, softening their landing and sending lava splattering in every direction. Ren shields her team and the lava splashes off the barrier, cooling and solidifying on the floor around them. Ren pants inside her suit and her limbs tremble. Kata fires off power gem, Ao hidden power, and the Eon Guardians dragon pulse. Groudon blocks some of the onslaught by surrounding themselves with precipice blades. The cavern shakes as Groudon prepares an earthquake and Ren withdraws her pokemon while the Eon Guardians lift her into the air to avoid the attack. It just misses them and the moment Ren touches back down she sends out Akahata and Naihi. Groudon uses precipice blades in a straight line this time, aimed right at Ren and her pokemon. Akahata and Naihi both manage to dodge while Latios and Latias block it from hitting Ren. Groudon is surrounded by lava once more and Ren strikes out with Kygore’s power, creating a path of cooled stone that her dark-types run across. Naihi leaps high and slashes Groudon across the shoulder. Her aim is true as ever and Groudon staggers to the side. Akahata clamps on to Groudon’s arm as dark energy from Naihi’s successful hit pours into her. She discharges into Groudon just as Latios and Latias attack Groudon’s other side. The climate titan thrashes, trying to fling them away. Akahata holds fast, but Naihi goes sailing. Just before she collides with the back wall, she twists in the air and lands on her feet. She launches back off, charging another night slash. She hits Groudon across the eye and they turn their head to find her and they stagger forward. Meanwhile Akahata has climbed up and she sinks her teeth into Groudon’s neck, head wreathed in dark energy. Groudon sways and falls with a thunderous crash. Naihi is already clear, but Akahata has no choice but to ride the titan down to the waiting lava below. She springs away and some of the lava hits her, but she is still protected by a faint blue aura and it does not burn her. The magma around Groudon begins to cool and the lava glowing within them starts to dim. Groudon rumbles and their eyes follow the Eon guardians as they swoop forward, but the climate titan does not move. The Eon Guardians force Groudon’s jaws open as Ren strides forward. She hesitates for a moment before climbing past Groudon’s sharp teeth and into their mouth. She glows bright blue as she thrusts her arm down Groudon’s throat, extinguishing the remaining fire there. She pulls her arm back out, clutching the Red Orb in her hand. She backs out of Groudon’s mouth as the climate titan begins to shift back. The god’s exterior crumbles away until the red plates of their normal form are revealed once more. Those too begin to dull slightly as Ren watches. Ren takes an ultra ball off her belt and tosses it at the climate pokemon. They flow inside in a flash of red light. The ball rocks from side to side, once, twice, three times, and is still. Ren falls to her knees, suddenly overwhelmed by exhaustion as her blue aura flickers out. Latias falls beside her and drops back to her normal form, followed quickly by Latios. Ren reaches out for Latias, feeling her and Steven’s absence keenly. Now that they are no longer connected, she cannot tell if they are okay.]

Ren: We did it. Steven, are you—are you there?

[There is no response, but Ren has no time to worry about it because the ceiling above them cracks and buckles, sending bits of stone crashing down around them. Ren shields her head with her arm and when she looks up, Latias is shuffling over to her brother. She presses a paw to his shoulder, uses the last of her strength to heal him and then collapses.]

Ren: Latias?

[The cavern rumbles again as the earth settles around them. Ren withdraws Latias and scrambles forward to retrieve Groudon’s pokeball.]

Akahata: Ren, we have to get out of here.

Naihi: Hurry!

[Ren stumbles to her feet and trips almost immediately but Latios catches her. He dips down so that she can climb on and they take off back the way they came. Ren withdraws Akahata and Naihi as Latios gains speed. They fly up the spiral tunnel as the entire cave shakes. The rock cracks all around them and Latios rolls and dips to dodge falling stalactites in the confined space. Ren clings to him, trying to push whatever strength she has left into him. They can see light ahead when a rock clips his wing and the both go tumbling. Ren is up first and pulls Latios to his feet. They run out through the doors and into the light and collapse on the ground in front of the waiting crowd.]

[howtotrainyouragents]

30AOS Catch Up!

I’m not able to participate in the 30-Day AOS Challenge, but I wanted to jot down all of my answers for my own memories. Guys, we are almost there!! I’m not ready!! But I love you guys and you have made these last years and the last 30 days so wonderful!! Thank you!! 

Day 1- Favorite Season: Season 4! It was tight and well-constructed, and I just adored the A-B-C arc breakdown and how smoothly they tied together

Day 2- Favorite Episode: “Self-Control”. Truly an amazing showcase of Iain, Liz, and Chloe’s acting + plus incredible fight scenes + top notch tension and suspense. I don’t get tired of it. 

Day 3-Favorite Storyline: The Framework arc because I am a SUCKER for AUs, and it was so wonderful to see Ward be good, Mace be a superhero, Coulson be normal, Fitz and May be evil, and Tripp be alive. And the references to the current political climate were just a cherry on top 

Day 4-Favorite Male Character: Mack, he is the definition of a good man, and he deserves a break haha

Day 5- Favorite Female Character: My girlfriend, my hero, Daisy Johnson, of course :) 

Day 6- Favorite Friendship: Ugh, you’re gonna make me choose?? Coulson-Fitz-Hunter team up in Season 2. It was the Father-Older Son-Younger Son relationship none of them asked for :D 

Day 7- Favorite Ship: Philinda. The way they trust! Love! Defend! They are a SoulTP.

Day 8- Favorite Noncanon Ship: Ugh, you’re gonna make me choose again?? Skimmons or Fitzdaisy. No I will not be choosing between the two. The perfect union is Fitzskimmons, obviously 

Day 9- Favorite Guest Star: Am I allowed to say Stan Lee? :(  I miss him, and it was such a great scene 

Day 10- Favorite Recurring Character: Ghost Rider. Robbie was so powerful and complicated and understandable and good and deserved so much, and Gabriel Luna deserves his own TV show. Honorable mention to Cal, whose arc was amazing and I love and miss him. 

Day 11- Favorite Villain: John Garrett. He was a nutjob at the end, but leading up to it, he was so damn charismatic and brilliant in the way he played SHIELD the way he did. And no one could chew a scene the way Bill Paxton could. RIP.

Day 12- Funniest character: LANCE HUNTER. He brought a perfect, sincere dry wit that has yet to be replicated in the show 

Day 13- Character you wish would return: I’ve said this a thousand times: Joey Gutierrez. A good soul too good for SHIELD, but I would just like to know he’s doing good. Also Vijay Nadeer  (Come on, @writers, you have one more season! Tie up that plotline!)  

Day 14-Underrated character: Elena “Yoyo” Rodriguez! She deserve so much love. She’s strong and passionate and smart and justice-driven and unafraid to be confident and cheeky. She inspires so much of my own self-confidence 

Day 15- Saddest Death: I know what is the saddest death. You know the one. The one at the end of S5. But we do not speak of it. It has been two years. We do not rewatch that scene. We do not acknowledge it. We yell at Iain for being too good at his job. We cry. That is it. Hahaha, okay, real answer: Tripp’s! The way that he went in there and destroyed the crystal to save his friend, and it was totally useless, and she wakes up just as he crumbles. DEVASTATING. 

Day 16-Best Season Premiere: I was gonna say Season 1′s because it was fun and cheeky and had me hooked from the start, but... Iain stole this award for Season 3. The suit!! The confession of love!! His devastation at “Maveth”! THE SCREAMING AT THE ROCK. 

Day 17-Best Season Finale: Season 5. It revealed itself and wrapped itself up so beautifully. Daisy’s fight with Graviton was truly worthy of the MCU big screen (And yes, I still think want to see Daisy vs Thanos)

Day 18-Favorite Season 1 Moment: Too many to choose from, so I’m not gonna even try. Simmons’ “Laws of Thermodynamics” Speech. Coulson and Mike Peterson’s showdown at the station in episode 1. Skye’s “God is love”. Ward’s HYDRA reveal to the team. All of Nick Fury.  All of “T.R.A.C.K.S.”  (my favorite episode)

Day 19-Favorite Season 2 Moment: Skye’s transformation. Favorite episode  “Melinda” 

Day 20-Favorite Season 3 Moment: Again, FITZ SCREAMING AT THE ROCK. Favorite episode “Purpose in the Machine” 

Day 21- Favorite Season 4 Moment: The Skimmons hug in “Self-Control”. Favorite episode again is “Self-Control”

Day 22- Favorite Season 5 Moment: Daisy’s fight with Graviton, especially when she discovers the serum. Favorite episode “Fun & Games”, but dang if “The Devil Complex” isn’t a ride and deserves a shoutout on this list. 

Day 23- Favorite Season 6 Moment: The ladies night fight :D Favorite episode “Fear and Loathing on the Planet of Kitson” 

That’s all for now, folks! 

[the-nerdy-stjarna]

AOS Rewatch: S1E17 “Turn Turn Turn”

I’ll admit it, for me S1 was 15 episodes, aka about 2/3 of the season, of nice,  episodes, where I were kind of just half-hooked and interested in the bigger picture, and then WHAM! 16 comes along and just thinking of the fact how much storyline is still left of S1 and how they’re cramming it into 7 episodes blows my mind. Speaking of picking up the pace (and never letting it go afterwards)

Fitz is so very upset, especially since he lost contact with Jemma and has no idea what’s going on.

Everything is so tense and I’m so anxious even though I know how it all ends.

“’Cause if it’s someone we don’t trust, she’s in serious danger.” — Pan to Simmons and Trip entering. Have I mentioned that I didn’t trust him for the longest time. Yes, admittedly, they set it up that way and I totally fell for it. Also, BJ is the sweetest guy with the biggest smile.

“Let me talk. You’re a surprisingly bad liar, Agent Simmons.” — “I know. But I’m getting better at it.”

Coulson icing May. Ouch.

“She’s a sleeper. I mean, the other kind of sleeper.”

“Booyah!”

They’re so good at making it look like Hand is the Clairvoyant / Hydra.

“Out of the shadows, into the light.” Eeeek.

Arguing whether it was a head or a limb. Dudes.

“Simmons is at the Hub. We have to save her.” **ugly crying**

And I still quite didn’t trust Trip, even after handing Simmons’ the knife. My mistrust ran very deep back then.

Garrett giving Ward the low down, aka telling him which story to go with. As my husband just said chuckling “This is a fun thing to rewatch.” (because you just notice all these hints that give away that Garrett and Ward are really the ones to watch out for.

“Director Fury is dead.” AHHHHHH

Coulson finding out that May knew about T.A.H.I.T.I. and that she assembled the team. **ugly crying**

Coulson revealing to Ward where the Gravitonium is. AHHHHHH.

“Never reached distribution.” Except it’s what saved Director Fury’s ass.

And just like that I kinda loved Victoria Hand (except for that part where she thinks Coulson is Hydra. It’s an up-and-down relationship)

Ward is such a manipulative dick.

And then Garrett made a mistake.

GAH. HYDRA SCUM!

That whole speech back and forth with Garrett is great.

“As for you Agent Fitz—” — “You’re gonna suffer for what you’ve done. And I plan on being a very big part of that.” Those tears in Fitz’s eyes. And the determination. **ugly crying**

That SHOWDOWN! Fitz saving May and then throwing the gun away. JUST EVERYTHING.

Jemma running straight for Fitz. **ugly crying**

“We heard. Everything.”

That musical interlude with Trip just losing it and Ward being such a heartless bitch pretending to not believe it.

“S.H.I.E.L.D. has fallen.” **ugly crying**

“All we have is each other. So stay in touch.” **ugly crying thinking about the end of that episode** JUST WHEN I STARTED TO LIKE HER.

“Survive.” **ugly crying**

I’m still not over the end of that episode 😱😱😱😱😱😱😱

[fly-pow-bye]

New Episodes for Cartoon Network for May 2019

Revealed on The Futon Critic, here’s the new episodes for May:

The Amazing World of Gumball:

Mondays at 4:00 PM.

May 6th - The Future - Banana Joe's Mom can predict the future, but she can't predict her own disappearance.

May 13th - The Wish - Gumball and Darwin believe they've turned Miss Simian into a neck-cushion.

May 20th - The Factory - Gumball and Darwin save the day at the Rainbow Factory.

May 27th - The Agent - On a top secret school assignment Gumball acts like a certain suave British secret agent.

Bakugan: Battle Planet:

Saturdays at 7:00 AM.

May 4th - "High Flying/Backfire Brawl" - While escorting the Mind Core Cell to AAAnimus Campus the AO are attacked by Masato Kazami and his Body Guards. Then, Philomena's attempt to refocus the Mind Core Cell's power backfires and the AO must fight their fellow employees.

May 11th - "Hostile Take Over/The Big Bounce" - After more unsuccessful attempts to harness Core Cell energy the AO must battle their own Bakugan with AAAnimus tech in order to save them. Then, AO confront Philomena with concerns about her control over the Core Cell energy.

May 18th - "Awesome vs. AAAnimus" - The AO plan on sneaking into AAAnimus and rescuing their Bakugan but are stopped by Benton who offers up an alternate plan. Then, AO team up with Benton Dusk to recapture their stolen Bakugan and free the energy from the Mind Core Cell.

Craig of the Creek:

One episode at 10:00 AM, on a Saturday.

May 11th - "Fort Williams" - When Craig can't go to the Creek, he and his mom decide to build the biggest blanket fort in the world!

DC Super Hero Girls:

After a small hiatus, it’s coming back. Sundays at 4:00 PM.

May 12th - #Beeline - When she stumbles across a villainous plot to blow up a bridge, Bumblebee shies from the challenge of taking on the baddies and reaches out to her friends.

May 19th -  #SuperWho? - Overwhelmed by the amount of Superman coverage in Metropolis, Supergirl decides to get out there and really show the city what she can do.

May 26th - #ShockItToMe - Leslie Willis, the meanest girl in school, becomes a social media sensation by posting mean-spirited videos on her MetropoVids channel, causing Wonder Woman to question the moral integrity of the people who live in the World of Man.

Mega Man: Fully Charged:

Sundays at 6:30 AM, and then a Mega-Bomb starting on May 19th, each airing at 12:00 PM.

May 5th - "A Man Man for All Seasons" - When a run-in with the Hoover Gang leaves Aki unable to transform into Mega Man, he must don a cheap costume and enlist the unlikeliest of sidekicks, Man Man!

May 12th - "Change the Charge" - Mega Man tries to stop Elec Man by helping him overcome his destructive habits, but is he being duped in the process?

May 19th - "Hide and Secrets" - Desperate for answers about Namagem, Mega Man decides to break into his father's lab, which leaves Suna exposed to the vengeful robot.

May 20th - "Make the Cut" - Mega Man goes on a 24/7 heroing spree around the city, forcing Suna, Bert, Ashley, and Rush to deal with the problem at hand, Cut Man.

May 21st - "Panic in the Lighthouse" - When Chaotique breaks into Dr. Light's lab, Mega Man must shut down his frenemy and the lab's defenses before either of them gets destroyed!

May 22nd - "The Gauntlet Part 1" - Lord Obsidian unites the Robot Masters against Mega Man and his family for an epic showdown at the Lighthouse.

May 23rd - "The Gauntlet Part 2" - As Dr. Light and Suna turn the Robot Masters against each other, Mega Man defeats and unmasks his arch nemeses, Lord Obsidian...

I decided to snip out that last part. I don’t watch this particular show so I don’t know if it’s important, but it sounds like the description outright spoils his identity.

OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes:

As seen later, this show will take PPG 2016′s time slot with a pair episodes airing Sundays at 4:30 PM. This is the beginning of Season 5.

May 12th - "Final Exams" - KO, Enid and Rad team up with an unlikely ally to take on an unlikely foe.

"CarolQuest" - Carol is forced to bring KO along as she defends the Plaza from a new threat.

May 19th - "Soda Genie" - When KO, Rad, and Enid find a soda bottle with a genie in it, they get more than they bargained for.

"Plaza Alone" - It's KO's birthday, and Rad and Enid want to make sure everything goes perfectly.

May 26th - "Boxman Crashes" - Lord Boxman crashes at Venomous' lair and inserts himself into his villainous affairs.

"All in the Villainy" - KO, Rad and Enid are confused to find the villains are more interested in battling each other than them.

PPG 2016:

I’ve already reported on this, but I’ll list them here for good measure. The sole pair of episodes of PPG 2016 will air on 4:30 PM.

May 5th - Watch It! / Man Up 4: The Donnyest Game

That’s all there is for May. As soon as the DC Super Hero Girls come back, the Reboot Puffs go away. This leaves two episodes still exclusive to the app.

Teen Titans Go!:

Mondays at 6:00 PM.

May 6th - "Don't Be An Icarus" - Robin tries to tell some Greek myths but the other Titans give their own fractured versions instead.

May 13th - "Stockton, CA!" - The Titans must find a way to keep all the Jump City residents from moving to Stockton.

May 20th - "What's Opera, Titans?" - Robin surprises the Titans with a trip to the opera but they soon fall asleep, and all dream about starring in their own operas.

May 27th - "Forest Pirates" - The Titans are at Super Hero Summer Camp for the week and they may need to add another teammate to win the big canoe race.

Total DramaRama:

Mondays at 5:00 PM.

May 6th - "Mother of All Cards" - Chef attempts to trick the kids into making his mother gifts after he forgets Mother's Day.

May 13th - "Duncan Disorderly" - Duncan escapes during a community walk only to discover he has to babysit Cody and Bridgette.

May 20th - "Soother or Later" - Duncan finally manages to break out only to realize he's forgotten his pacifier and needs to break back into the school to get it.

May 27th - "Camping is In Tents" - A class camping trip turns into a treasure hunt while Harold is determined to catch Bigfoot and keep everyone safe.

Victor and Valentino:

Saturdays at 9:30 AM.

May 4th - "The Collector" - When Vic accidentally loses one of Val's prized coins Val makes a deal with a mysterious antiques collector to replace it, but the deal has terrible consequences.

May 11th - "The Boy Who cried Lechuza" - After faking an injury to get out of work, Vic gains sympathy from everyone while unknowingly attracting attention from a dangerous mythical creature.

May 18th - "Boss For a Day" - When Chata lets Vic be the boss of the taco stand for the day Vic decides to fire Val, which has disastrous consequences.

May 25th - "Cuddle Monster" - After being told by Chata that they can't get a pet, Vic & Val adopt a wild lizard, unaware of its magical properties, and decide to keep it secret from Chata.

We Bare Bears:

7:30 PM on Mondays.

May 6th - "Band of Outsiders" - A gang of streetwise kids takes Baby Ice Bear under their wing.

May 13th - "Tabes & Charlie" - Tabes and Charlie team up to find Tabes' missing dog, Kirk.

In other news, the last episodes of Mighty Magiswords, which have been net exclusive since August of last year, will finally air on TV. However, it will not be on Cartoon Network, but on Boomerang, starting on April 29th. Yes, the TV channel still exists.

Stay tuned.

EDIT: I knew I forgot something. Added the one Craig of the Creek episode.

[agl03]

Hi fandom mama! What are your thoughts about the IG stories on the official AoS account yesterday where they showed Daisy and Graviton's showdown during the Battle of Chicago? It raises some suspicious bells (for me at least) because Adrian Pasdar mentioned (more like heavily hinted, as he cannot say anything) at a panel (Dragoncon 2018, IIRC) that in Marvel lore, gravitonium is at the center of the sun. And we all know he got yeeted to space by Daisy 😏

Hi @bunnykaye

Yes Adrian coming back somehow has been on my radar since he made that comment at Dragon Con.  And the fact he’s only been frozen and not blown to bits kind of thing.  Like we knew Garrett was dead and not coming back.  Someone could totally run into Graviton and dethaw him and off to the races with the evil plans again.  

I have a feeling he’ll be more in a revenge kind of mood if/when he comes back.

The other option is that he comes back as one of these manifestations like Darth Coulson.

For now it is a bit wait and see.  Dragoncon happened when they were filming 5/6 episode wise for Season 6 so its unknown if he’d already done some filming or if he knew he was heading back like Craig (Papa Kasius) was going too.

If I”m right and 6 is some sort of mind prison where Fitz and Daisy are trying to get Jemma out then along with the Doctor, Graviton could be one of the bosses in the way of getting to her.  

Even more importantly the how and why of Graviton coming back has to fit into the rest of the overall story in a way that makes sense.  And for that I desperately need more context. 

[badass-queer-couples-battle]

Sword gays showdown, poll for the third place of bracket two

Propaganda:

For Haruka/Sailor Uranus:

She wields the space sword, one three talismans. She's also in a canon sapphic relationship with fellow sailor soldier sailor neptune and later is raising a child with her and another sailor, sailor pluto. Their daughter calls her papa because she's also a genderqueer icon. 

For Hikaru Sulu:

1) Okay, first off: Which version am I submitting? Prime timeline (TOS) or Kelvin timeline (AOS, also known as the reboot movies if you're not in the fandom)? The answer is both. Prime Sulu has the more iconic fencing scenes (and is also said to have other sword related abilities) while Kelvin Sulu is canonically gay. Specifically as a tribute to George Takei btw who played prime Sulu in TOS and is famously gay and an LGBT+ rights activist among other causes. The picture provided is prime Sulu but if you've only watched AOS, feel free to vote for him anyway.

I'm not gonna link any videos here since that would probably exceed the scope of the propaganda section but clips should be pretty easy to find. And if you can't, just trust me: The TOS fencing scenes are amazing. The AOS one is probably fine too but it's been ages since I've watched it and I forgot it even existed so it can't have been THAT memorable.

Fun fact: George Takei initially didn't know how to fence and didn't find out he'd have to until pretty late and started taking fencing lessons only three weeks before the filming of that episode (The Naked Time) and apparently "became so out-of-control and boisterous that he had to be separated from the rest of the production personnel, for their own safety" which, in context of what the episode is about, is just absolutely amazing. Truly iconic.

Anyway, considering Star Trek is an important part of queer history (I'm only half joking) you need to vote for Sulu, we all know George Takei is an icon, make the right choice here.

2) When they got hit with the drunk virus he took his shirt off and started challenging people to duels. Iconic 

3) This bitch got the outer space disease that makes you silly, and revealed they were gung ho for fencing, and brought out their sabre to just. Swashbuckle. Goes "/oh my/," and is clearly gay and played by a gay actor

[theclaravoyant]

Do you think Fitz's confrontation with the Doctor will have him examine his behavior this season? This is definitely not hate because Fitz is my favorites, but i've found him unlikable in s5. His attitude with Deke last episode totally stunk especially compared to Jemma's kindness and understanding (although i've also had a problem with Jemma's one dimensional 'niceness' this season too). Making Deke feel worthless and hated felt like something Alistair would do to him and that worries me.

Yes, that’s exactly the kind of thing I think they’ll be exploring. In fact I think they’ve been going over the top with his harshness earlier in the season in large part to justify this very thing. This episode was particularly telling because they scripted Fitz basically the part of the dad who’s too busy for his kids, and gets mad at them when they want to hang out with him and when they’re trying to help. (eg the baseball scene, the “you’re giving me a headache!” scene, and also earlier, in the visions, with Robin).

In general terms, as a characterisation journey they’ve brought up a couple times and not yet followed through, Fitz definitely has a lot to think about in terms of what his father was actually like (which we still don’t technically know yet), and what he’s going to do with that experience. What is often represented in media as typical is essentially the “cycle of abuse”, where someone is abused as a child and grows up to abuse their own children or others. AOS currently is (unfortunately) playing into that REALLY strongly with a number of their main bad guys not only having been abused as a child but blaming their bad behaviour on that (which we also saw strongly exemplified in this episode!), whereas none of the “good guys” have so far, canonically, had that experience and escaped that cycle. (They have of course had traumas, but the cycle of abuse is kinda its own thing.)

Now, whether or not TPTB canonise that experience with Fitz in terms of his actual childhood is important to me. It’s possible that they could still distinguish and have Fritz = evil + abused while Fitz = not evil + not abused (not in the same way, anyway). However, the fact that they’ve decided to actually bring a manifestation of Fritz back into play tells me that they might be going above my expectations (though probably not quite reaching my hopes) on this sort of topic. Doing so will provide an opportunity to bring together:

- The Framework, including what Fitz fears he is or will become, and- children, parenthood and legacy which is on Fitz’s mind, if not because of Deke (bc he doesn’t know yet), then because of what Jemma said at the wedding about them starting a family etc.

Combined, these factors provide the PERFECT situation for Fitz to explore his behaviour because a large part of Fritz’s behaviour is associated with/ being blamed on his being raised and abused by FW!Alistair. In the coming ep we will probably find out a) if Fitz faced similar abuse irl and b) if not, what he would have done with that or what he chooses to do in response now that he has experienced it as Fritz (because he has Fritz’s memories too). This means that not only his behaviour towards Deke but all the behaviour that has been influenced by Fritz (and therefore, by FW!Alistair) will be on the table under discussion and I think this will be Fitz’s opportunity to actively reject that behaviour. To say “you are a monster and that’s no excuse, and I’m not going to become you” - and maybe even to say, “didn’t being treated that way make you want to make sure nobody ever gets treated that way again?” - or something along those lines.

I believe in the coming ep, in that confrontation and/or its aftermath, we will see the strength of Fitz’s heart come out. and we will die, bc Iain will kill us all, but anyway. We will see Fitz essentially pleading with himself to turn away from that path of anger and darkness and to choose, in some way shape or form, compassion and goodness and kindness and all those things we love in him and what he wants to be. I still see him doing this by killing Fritz, which imo is not ideal in terms of this philosophy but that’s another rant about violence etc etc. As a symbol of defeating this bad side of him it makes total sense.

Either way, I think that’s the sort of showdown we’re up against and hopefully, in the episodes that follow we will see a return of compassion-is-king Fitz that brings back the soul and the heart of him that we love so much. Personally, I’m hoping that this realisation has a role in him changing the future. Or Deke’s future, at the very least. (That’s another thing AOS would kill me by bringing back: the emphasis on little victories. Or, in the words of this very ep: “the steps you take don’t have to be big, they just have to take you in the right direction.”)

[consoledacup]

AoS Episode Showdown -- Pilot

I had been thinking about what to do and something fairly easy to keep up with during the rewatch. And I find myself ranking episodes in my head all the time and listing my top 5 or 10 and wondering if they ever change. So I thought this could be an ambitious undertaking with low stakes... just my style.

Basically I’ll rewatch each episode, briefly talk about it, and place it in a ranking. This is completely subjective and just my personal preference. I invite anyone and everyone to chime in with their agreement or even try to persuade me otherwise. But please be respectful, and I’ll do the same. I know once we get in the later seasons, things are bound to be more passionate, so I just want to make it clear that this is purely for fun. And, as SADIST Jemma Simmons would say, “I’m the boss,” and it’s ultimately my decision because it’s my personal ranking.

I’d also like to preface this by saying I enjoy every single fucking episode of this show. So all of the episodes win in my book. I just like to rank things. If the wind hits me, I may throw in some meta like below. But I’m not counting on that either. And fic is far less likely.

I’d love for others to do this for themselves too! I’m just excited to have this list once it’s finished.

On to “Pilot,” or as I like to say...

1. Pilot

...top episode so far in the showdown!

Great start to the show. Love the introductions to all the characters: specifically, FitzSimmons, May, and Skye:

“FitzSimmons is not cleared for combat. I’m told that won’t be an issue.” The singular verb choice says everything about their relationship up to now. Which makes the memory of meeting with Coulson in “Inescapable” so meaningful.

The moment Jemma squeezes Fitz’s shoulders after they step out of the van is when I started shipping them, so that’s on her.

I love Fitz’s look of slight relief to Jemma when she steps in, saying that “the data is corrupt” after everyone expects Fitz to know what the two men are saying. You can tell how nervous they both are to be there, especially Fitz, which calls “back” to Fitz’s reluctance when Coulson asks them to join his team.

I love the first shot of May and how subdued she is when Coulson asks her to join the team. I love the cubicle shot. And then her first kick-ass moment in front of Skye.

I love Skye’s nervousness and frustration when Ward asks for her “real” name. And then her look of fear when Mike kidnaps Skye but then introduces her to his son. I can only imagine what’s going through her head, thinking about her search for her own parents.

And did everyone catch the two things Coulson says?

“But the good ones? The real deal? They’re not heroes because of what they have that we don’t.”

“We didn’t cut off the head of Centipede.”

Ugh. They’re so smart.

[ultraericthered]

Did you know that there were no more Nomura-directed Kingdom Hearts games after KHII?

That there were only five seasons of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Smallville, Supernatural, and Once Upon A Time? And only three seasons of Angel?

That both A Song Of Ice And Fire AND Game Of Thrones were sadly discontinued after A Storm Of Swords and its TV equivalents (Seasons 3 & 4)?

That there is no book named Hannibal, and no book or movie named Hannibal Rising?

That Pokemon: Best Wishes dedicated half of its final year to the N/Team Plasma Myth Arc and reached its ending point immediately after leaving Unova?

That Pokemon: Sun and Moon didn’t get a whole lot of post-game content, and certainly not some bullshit story about Fallers and the International Police?

That Dragon Ball/Z ended with the Cell Saga, with all that Majin Buu stuff kick-starting a follow-up miniseries starring Gohan as the main protagonist?

That the Chapter Black Saga was the final arc of Yu Yu Hakusho?

That Nintendo never made another Super Mario Galaxy game?

That Disney never made another Pirates Of The Caribbean movie after that random ass fourth one?

That there is no such game as Metroid: Other M?

That Dagomon was totally a thing in Digimon Adventure 02, while the Royal Knights were totally NOT a thing in Digimon Frontier or Digimon Savers?

That Digimon Xros Wars ended after its second season’s finale?

That it’s been taking a long ass time to make anything new related to Digimon Adventure?

That Yu-Gi-Oh! has no spinoffs by the names of ZeXal and Vrains?

That there was no Compilation Of Final Fantasy VII following Advent Children, with the only new FFVII material being a single spin-off game about Zack Fair?

That Final Fantasy XIII was, like it’s predecessors, only one game?

That Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece never had any time skips before they ended?

That the original Sailor Moon anime never got to cover the Stars arc?

That Bakugan Battle Brawlers was a one-and-done series without any sequels?

That Code Geass: Lelouch Of The Rebellion ended on a cliffhanger before the franchise continued the narrative in other series’ starring other characters?

That Tengen Tonpa Gurren Lagann was only 15 episodes long?

That Inuyasha only got three seasons prior to The Final Chapter being made?

That The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya got an OVA and a movie, but no second season?

That Eureka Seven: AO was only a spinoff manga, never an anime?

That Sword Art Online and Rising Of The Shield Hero got cut down in their prime?

That Carole & Tuesday was a one cours anime?

That Jessica Jones never got another season?

That a fourth Sly Cooper game or fourth Jak game never got made?

That Banjo-Kazooie never had another game after Grunty’s Revenge?

That Maurits was totes dead for real and never showed up again after fusing with Nerifes and getting killed in the final boss fight of Tales Of Legendia?

That Tales Of The Abyss ends after Van falls into the Planet’s Core and dies?

That Code Lyoko, Reboot, and Xiaolin Showdown never got any crappy follow-ups?

That Ben 10: Alien Force bombed so badly that it caused there to be no more Ben 10 for years until it was rebooted in 2016?

That Winx Club only had three and a half seasons?

That Milo Murphy’s Law only had one season?

That Star VS The Forces Of Evil had a really big fourth and final season neatly divided into two halves and ending with a sensible, coherent series finale?

That Ultimate Spider-Man bombed and didn’t run for as long as Disney hoped it would?

That Jack and Ashi WERE NEVER ROMANTICALLY INVOLVED WITH EACH OTHER in the final season of Samurai Jack?

That there’s no such thing as Teen Titans Go!?

This is fun - I could do this all day.

man, comics are fascinating and terrible but at least being a comics fan gives you the ultimate power what is canon? literally whatever you like, pick and choose from a zillion issues of contradictory nonsense because who can stop you? no one

[travllingbunny]

Theory on how <SPOILER> from Agents of SHIELD came to be

Everything under the cut. Major spoilers for the latest Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode 4.15 “Self Control”, promos for the next arc (returning in April) and the title of the last arc (the remaining 7 episodes of season 4).

And I’ve just seen the news as I was finishing this post…

R.I.P. Bill Paxton. Just 61, that’s way too young to go. :(

As you all know if you’ve seen the latest AoS episode, it ended with some pretty huge and twisty (and twisted) revelations about the virtual reality universe created by Holden Radcliffe and Aida, called “The Framework”. Ya all no doubt also know that, thanks to that, you-know-who is returning to the show (cue hilarious fandom meltdowns over the last couple of days, just as you’d expect). And, just as I was hoping ever since the Framework was mentioned (and kind of guessing, since Chloe Bennet gave an interview a couple of weeks ago saying that episode 15 and the last arc was going to be awesome, mindblowing, and rewarding for fans who have been watching since season 1) it looks like we’re going to be spending a lot of time in the Framework - in fact, we’re obviously going to be spending the last 7 episodes at least partially in the Framework, because the last ‘pod’ (as they call those arcs now) is called…

Yep! That’s right! Earlier in the season when they mentioned Hydra in a pretty random context, I joked on another blog that the show just loves Hydra so much it doesn’t know how to quit it even when it’s dead - and boy, was I right, more than I knew! I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m absolutely loving this. Because it seems that, out of all variations of Hydra, this seems to be the Captain America: Winter Soldier, Alexander Pierce version of Hydra, which is the best one - it has never worked narratively as well as it did in CA:TWS,’when it was a blatant allegory for modern authoritarianism and US security policy of the 2000s (no matter how much many people may like to go with “rah rah Hydra are NAZIS!!!!” which is obviously incorrect, for those who have a basic clue about what National Socialist ideology is actually about) and in season 1 of AoS, when it was basically the dark side of SHIELD coming into the open, the other side of the same coin. Only now in this AU, this Hydra has apparently subsumed SHIELD and is out in the open and publicly accepted. 

Jed Whedon has confirmed that this is not just a shared virtual simulation, but a full-blown AU, because apparently the magic (?) of Darkhold has given Aida the ability to replicate the ‘real’ world perfectly - except for “fixing” just a few things to make the lives of those who are connected to the Framework better and less painful. Namely, they fixed the “greatest regret” of everyone whose brains Aida has scanned and connected them to the network (May, Coulson, Fitz, Mack, Mace, Radcliffe’s ex-girlfriend Agnes, and probably Radcliffe himself as well). As far as we know, or can guess, based on what was revealed earlier in the season, these are:

May - Bahrain (we saw it play out differently and get a “happy ending” in episode 4.11 “Wake Up”)

Coulson - joining SHIELD instead of having a normal life

Mack - obviously, his daughter dying

Fitz - probably something about his father; he eithe wishes he had a loving and supportive father, or a loving and supportive father figure growing up

Mace - based on all we know of him, he probably wishes he were an actual superhero

Agnes - ? I don’t know. Maybe she wishes she had never hooked up with Radcliffe?

And everyone else in that world is basically an avatar whose life turned out differently due to those changes. Whedon’s explanation about Darkhold serves how this AU is so elaborate, and to make these virtual people - like Framework Ward - seem more “real”. But Daisy and Simmons have now hacked into the Framework without having their brains scanned, so they are going to be inhabiting these version of themselves that would have existed under very different circumstances, without Aida having adjusted their memories accordingly. (Or at least Daisy will… Things may be a bit tricky with Simmons…)

Now here are some scenarios how it all came to be.

In this reality, the Hydra takeover may have happened in a more “peaceful” way. The events of Captain America: TWS only happened because of Cap’s actions. Maybe in this reality, without Coulson, the Avengers did not get to band together in time, and the crisis was actually resolved by the bombing of New York (this is not my idea, someone on Youtube brought up the bombing). Maybe Cap died, and never got to foil Pierce’s plans. Or maybe Cap was never even awakened from his sleep. In any case, it’s probably a result of Coulson not being in SHIELD.

So in this scenario, there may not have been a big Hydra/SHIELD showdown (the Triskelion is still standing, undamaged) - they were practically the same organization for decades, and SHIELD just transformed into Hydra, or Hydra subsumed SHIELD. Some people probably were quietly disposed of, and others may have gone underground (I have some ideas who may be among the latter, based on some filming spoilers), but there is no separate SHIELD organization still standing. And neither organization got the reputation of terrorist organization in the public - instead, this new Hydra, which I’m going to be calling SHydra, is out in the open publicly accepted.

Now, how would that happen? We know that the Inhumans are pretty much universally feared in the AU (kids are even taught in school to fear them), and that Hydra has successfully subsumed SHIELD and is now out in the public and accepted. Those two things could be connected. Some really catastrophic events and widespread fear of aliens and Inhumans - these threatening ‘others’ - could have gotten many people to decide that stricter security and tougher measures are needed, and Hydra used the fear and instability to convince people it’s necessary. (This would of course be incredibly ironic considering the goal for which Hydra was founded, which was to bring to Earth the most powerful and dangerous Inhuman of them all, but that was a secret kept even from many of the Hydra members.) Now, the fish oil thing presumably never happened, but the world may have become aware of the Inhumans in other ways - whether it’s just  through Katya and other who left Afterlife, or the Royal Family (incidentally, the subject of the upcoming Inhumans TV show) or some other Inhumans, or something else may have happened that  led to a lot of other people going throuth the Terrigenesis. There are ltos of different possibiltiies.

 And a lot of people within SHIELD and in the public decided that maybe that’s right, and freedom really wasn’t the main priority under these circumstances. After all, SHIELD (with Hydra in it) was already an organization that did things like kidnap citizens and bring them in for illegal interrogations, or recruit troubled and desperate teenagers by practically kidnapping straight from juvie, or send their agents on what were practically suicide missions, or secretly break into government facilities in various countries, killing everyone inside, in order to steal dangerous weapons because they thought it was safer in their hands, and then hoard those weapons instead of destroying them or sending them into space (which Fury was lying about to the operatives with security clearances under Level 9). And they almost launched Project INSIGHT. So why not take it to the next level, when the world is under such a threat?

(Incidentally, Project INSIGHT probably went as planned, which would mean that at least Tony Stark and Bruce Banner, as well as Stephen Strange, are dead, since they were among the targets.)

This is where May’s regret also comes in. Saving Katya was not a happy ending, unless you change her nature completely, since she was deranged and incredibly dangerous. Maybe she did all sorts of destructive things since (Bahrain happened several years ago) and was responsible for some of the fear of the Inhumans in the AU. Which could have made May all the more determined to fix things, with tougher methods and stricter security, if needed. She was already in season 1, when Coulson was insisting on icers instrad of killing, prone to saying things like, maybe it would be better if Chan Yo Hin did not survive, or telling Ward after his murder of Thomas Nash “You killed a man in cold blood! (…) Which would be OK, if you hadn’t killed the wrong guy!” And if May is Hydra, you know that she’s not in it for opportunistic reasons like Garrett, she’s not in it just for personal loyalty to one person, like Ward - she’s in it because she really think that’s the right way to go. 

In this reality, Daisy may still be called Skye and may not have superpowers, if she had not gone through Terrigenesis. I kind of want her to not have powers, as it would force her to do things more in the old-school way.

The SkyeWard of it is the easiest to explain. Coulson not being a part of SHIELD butterflied away all the reasons why tha relationship was doomed. This is a reality where Ward was not a double agent in the team Skye/Daisy was a part of, since without Coulson’s resurrection he had no reason to be (since that was all about Garrett giving him a mission to find out more about Coulson’s resurrection, so Garrett would find the “Jesus juice” to keep him alive), so there’s no personal betrayal or finding dead bodies of strangled agents. And, considering how much she was into Ward from the start, the only reason they were not together in mid-season 1 was because Ward was keeping his distance in order to be focused on the mission Garrett had given him, and opted for sleeping with May for tactical reasons (something he also wouldn’t need to do in the AU). In this reality, they got together and stayed together for the last 3-4 years, happily working together for SH…Hydra.

In the ‘real’ world, Skye/Daisy was recruited for SHIELD by Coulson and Ward. With no Coulson, she still could have been recruited by SHIELD (Hydra… SHydra). Maybe by May and Ward. In the normal reality, she was originally investigating SHIELD to find out about her origin and her parents, and that’s how she got their attention, and that may have happened here as well. Rewatching season 1, I was struck by how important Ward was in those early episodes for her growing closer to SHIELD (ironically enough) and away from the Rising Tide. It was second in importance only to the father/daughter relationship she immediately developed with Coulson. In season 3, she has admitted that a large part of the draw of SHIELD was that it was the only family she has ever had, and in episode 3.9 she said she could understand how Ward similarly needed a strong father figure (which he found in Garrett) and even how Garrett could draw him into Hydra, because she was fooled by her mother for a while. With all that in mind, it’s not that hard to imagine her becoming a part of SHydra, with May as a strong mother figure and Ward as boyfriend.

But now the Daisy with all the memories of things that have happened in seasons 1-4, has dropped into the life of that other Daisy/Skye who has had a completely different last few years… and boy, is she in for a surprise when she sees who her boyfriend is. And this Framework Ward, who has his personality but completely different memories of the last 4 years (pretty much the opposite of Hive), is going to be equally surprised when he sees her acting strange and not so happy to see him, and becoming almost a different person overnight.It’s going to be awk-ward, to say the least. And fun to watch, in a terrible way. Or terrible, in a fun way.

Fitz probably had a father figure in this reality and it resulted in him being much more confident than the real Fitz ever was, which has led to him becoming a genius billionaire (playboy philantropist). I like the idea thatRadcliffe designed a reality where he actually knew Fitz from an early age and was his father figure, both because he wanted it and because he thought it was what Fitz needed. Radcliffe’s influence may have made Fitz a lot more confident and successful, but maybe a also lot less ethical. He may be working for Hydra as a consultant, like Tony does for SHIELD in the ‘real’ world. (I don’t know who the woman with him was, but it would be fun if it’s Agnes - it would pay off the weird Aida/Fitz vibes from earlier in the season.) 

So, I’m going to guess that Agents of Hydra are:

May - one of SHydra’s leaders Ward and Daisy (probably still Skye) - SHydra agents Mace - he may be the Patriot, the public superhero face othe organization, SHydra’s version of Captain America Fitz -  SHydra’s version of Tony Stark Mack - not sure, but he may also be an agent (SHydra is out in the open and accepted and members may be able to lead more 'normal’ lives)

Now, Coulson is the only one we know for sure is a civilian - a school teacher. But they still need to find a way for him to be in contact with the others… If what RoboCoulson told RoboMay is true, that that Philinda are together in the Framework, maybe Coulson is May’s husband. They could have still met if he went to the SHIELD Academy but then opted not to join after all. He probably never met Audrey (because in the real world he met her because he was on an assignment to protect her from Marcus Daniels aka Blackout), and definitely didn’t meet Rosalind. May’s relationship with Andrew may have gone south, but for different reasons than in the real world. Maybe he didn’t like her new development. (Speaking of other characters, Lincoln is probably alive, but either in the Afterlife or being a doctor somewhere, and has never even met Daisy.)

…And then there’s Simmons, who is… dead? Or “dead”?

I’m not convinced she’s really dead. My first assumption was to assume she’s faked her death. It wouldn’t be the first time a character in MCU has done it. The reason I believe that is that I would be incredibly surprised if we did not see Elizabeth Henstridge in any of the Framework scenes, and I’m not sure how that would work if she has no Simmons avatar to embody.

But looking at the shot of the gravestone in HD, it says she died on 8 November (year can’t be seen). Could that mean she actually died in this AU during the events of FZZT (which aired on 5 November 2013, and AoS time seems to roughly correspond to real life timeline)? That would  mean that she died during the events of that episode, because Fitz was not there to encourage her to find the cure.

But then it would be hard to see what Simmons could do with a rotten corpse in a coffin as her only avatar (sorry for the image). She has no Willow to resurrect her if she is really dead.  So how exactly do you get Simmons/Liz Henstridge in the Framework?

[dracimexidae]

@lives-ruined-and-bloodshed replied to your post “@lives-ruined-and-bloodshed replied to your...”

I definitely wanted to see that reply, especially since we have so many similar thoughts about philinda lol but yeah, the end of S1 was rough on my love for Coulson. It's funny that I was angrier about how he only believed that she wasn't a Nazi and was an "ally" when he saw she was about to be executed that when he was a dick about TAHITI. IA about how confusing it was and Garrett was also a friend but I thought they were closer, that he knew her better.

Hellooooo!!! Here I am at last!

I don't really know, I've arrived to the point I assume that actually after Bahrain Melinda, along with everything and everyone else, got away from Phil as well and they barely kept in touch until Phil "recruited" her again, so they weren't close anymore, but then, why would he then choose her for his mission as his "right hand"? I would think such a decision implies that, apart from his obvious knowledge of her skills (even if they were probably a bit rusty since she's been away from the field from quite some time... at least, that's what he might think, but I'm pretty sure she has demonstrated to all of us from day 1 that she barely needed some warm up to start kicking ass like her usual 😀), he trusts her enough to convince him that he wants her by his side, also because this mission is no joke for him, it's rather important and he's aware of that responsibility... Yeah, I'd be curious to know how close Phil and Garrett have been in the past as well, because from the way I remember their interactions it seems they have known each other quite well, and yet... Goodness, for being such an acute reader of people, with Garrett (and Ward) Phil has been pretty blind - I mean, I totally fell for it the first time I watched it (I wouldn't last an hour living their life, honestly), but I'm not a trained and capable spy... It happens to the best as well, what can you do! 😌

I get why he was so mad about TAHITI and if only May had been able to fight back I wouldn't be as mad at him but he was so awful and she just took it, that's why I wanted to hit him. So much. Like you I have to believe that they did talk and he apologized in that motel room even if AoS didn't think it was important enough to show.

To think that Melinda likely let him throw his anger and frustration at her without fighting back (and we know she can and would do it if she wanted) because she felt so guilty about it, even if, from what she knew about her mission, she couldn't do much else that what she was told to... I can't imagine what must have passed through her mind, having this feeling about her that she deserves to punish herself, for Bahrain, for Phil (maybe even for his death, for her not being there to protect him), for Andrew, for the bus kids, for everything awful that happened to them that she couldn't fight or prevent... I really shouldn't think about that... 😖

Yeah, him asking her to kill her was so cruel and when she told him about it, he shuts her down. I love her SM. I thought the Theta Protocol was such a dumb way to have conflict between them that I try to ignore it, there are things that only the director can know but this huge thing? Fury, Maria, Koenig and a bunch of people knew but not his second? Makes little sense and when he told Maria he still lied to May because she wouldn't do what he wanted...

Yes, keeping her in the dark about Theta Protocol and consulting with Andrew was rather a poor decision and I'm not sure it worked that well in terms of creating tension between them, at least a conflict that makes sense! 😒

Wanted to hit him again lol but then we had that talk in the hangar that I loved it so much so I guess it might have been worth it. I spent most of S3 wanting to punch Coulson in the throat lol he was such a lousy friend, I legit lol when he said May didn't want his support and started to flirt with Rosalind, literally four feet from Lash and right after his BFF had one of the worse days of her life he went to get lucky.

Thankfully we had that brief moment (that I admit I had forgotten, ops...) between them when they are discussing that picture of Hive recorded and Phil finally aknowledges the situation and offers his sympathy for Andrew’s death, letting Melinda know he’s available if she wants to talk about it... At fucking last, I’d say!!! There, was that so hard to do, writers? Couldn’t you have staged it earlier and frankly, a bit better than a rushed conversation because of course when they’re not interested in delving into a scene (or a relationship) there’s always the convenient excuse of “there’s no time to talk about anything because we have a mission going on” (5x18???? Melinda cutting off a flustered Phil, adorably - but also frustratingly, may I add 🤦 - fumbling through words to reply to Melinda’s declaration??? Just saying...)

I hated that May was going through this horrible thing and Coulson was all "she'll come to me when she needs me" really? May? Then Rosalind got fridged in an infuriating way and he goes nuts and I like him even less and then 3B. Damn, I guess I mostly disliked him in that whole season, like you I have a version of him in my head that I like much more then what we got on screen.

Is it too harsh if I say that I felt like Rosalind in the end was a pawn used mainly to start the male protagonist's journey of man pain and revenge? I don't know, her death seemed rather unneccessary in my opinion, and a waste of what was actually an interesting character, even without it being linked so closely to Coulson... Even the whole showdown between Phil and Ward, which I guess would have happened eventually - would have been far more exciting under different circumstances and with different motives behind it than serving later on to show Coulson's remorse for killing Ward (and inadvertedly contributing on creating Lash) mostly for personal and selfish (even if all right, I'll admit that in that moment watching that piece of scum die was quite satisfying... ah ehm, moving on) reasons... That might have given another nuance at the character, but his humanity and how it sometimes clashes with his role in the agency and the responsiblity towards the world’s safety was never under question - that actually is what compelled me to him and this team from the first episodes, more than any superhero(/ine) would ever do for me, because according to me it’s more difficult to deal with all that have been facing without any kind of superpower or special ability (even if with this I don’t want to dismiss or downplay the struggles that powered people go through to save the day, but well... powers help a bit and it’s a plus ordinary people don’t have, but all those human agents are still there working their ass off to do the same that superheroes do with what they have... of the few things that I’d save from s5 there is that quote from Phil: “I’ve lived a life surrounded by heroes, none bigger than all of you” - I like to think that in a way he refers also to this aspect... even if in the team there are also Daisy and Yoyo, but they’re still not gods, like Thor, for example)... Well, anyway, in general I don't really like how Rosalind was used in all this: it seems to me that she was inserted in the show only for the sake of advancing Coulson's story in the end, no matter the role and agenda she has been given, which in the end I’m not sure how much relevance they have ever had... I think Rosalind deserved much better!!

I also wonder what happened for the writers to go from a 3 in s3 to an 11 in s4. Even a shipper like me went a bit like, wait what, when they were just "in love." So I can't blame anyone who wasn't a shipper if they were a bit confused but ofc I loved and needed all of that, I sort of went, really to Coulson's "she means everything to me" declaration but May deserved nothing less so I went with it... but it's funny that I still think that all that S4 Philinda would work much better after S1 or S2 than S3 when like I said before they barely looked like friends for so much of the season. It is ironic that May is so much more expressive in words and actions of her love for Coulson than the guy who supposedly never shut up and is so caring and open.

And still, the LMD was more successful in openly flirting with Phil and nudge him to finally make a move and, despite me loving this story arc, I have to admit it makes me want to tear my hair because we could have had it aaaaaaaaaaalll, but with the real Melinda (I’m still not over their kiss in the library, despite being shared with the LMD - I actually find it hotter than their real kiss, even if the s5 kiss is still pretty epic, but there is something so intimate and sensual about the libray kiss - maybe the library also helps, I mean, it would work for me 😜- that makes me swoon every time I watch it)!! I love May and her "quiet" way of loving and caring about people, but unfortunately for her the dumbass she fell in love with probably needed a little encouragment to make things happen at last! To think that the LMD's behaviour probably showed a glimpse of how May was in the past, as we have seen, for example, from the Russia flashback, more talkative and mischievous, more open in showing her emotions and opinions through her face and body language... I mean, it's still rather subtle, but I think I saw a little difference on how Ming was acting as a LMD compared to the real May, even if Melinda in that moment was already opening up more already, before she got kidnapped... Is it possible?

S5 Philinda pissed me off, it's not even his death, I've lost so many favorite characters, but if they knew he would die in the end, couldn't they at least give us much more than what we got, and really, not even one ILY from him, I know he does but words are nice too especially when May spent most of the show showing and telling us just how much she loves him and I spent the whole show waiting for him to show that he loved her just as much as she loved him.

Yes, and I also think that May would appreciate him saying it out loud, because I'm sure she knows at this point he loves her and that he generally is keen on speaking his mind when he wants to, but he still struggles to let her know he reciprocates her feelings through words, and she might interpret that as a sign that he doesn't feel the same way as her after all...LOL, I know, absurd, but still she deserves all the reassurance she can get, verbal and not, especially because she seems the kind of person that, if sensing that she is unwanted or an incovenience for those around her, is likely to distance herself to avoid being a burden to others... 😭

I COMPLETELY get the "S6 what's that" attitude lol there were things I enjoyed but mostly I just felt sad that May was the season's punching bag as always and got tired of the endless "gotcha" from the writers. Pretty much my only desire for S7 is May alive and somewhat happy and at peace, it shouldn't be too much to ask but it's AoS and after S5 and S6 I feel even something like that may be too optimistic.

I have so little expectations about s7 at this point, and I don’t even know what I would actually want from it... I mean, I KNOW what I would want in general but that ship sailed long ago; I’m trying to figure out what would be the best scenario considering canon (and I’m realizing it gets harder to accept canon with time... shouldn’t be the other way around, to be easier to accept it? I don’t know, I suppose it’s because I’m still not resigned at how badly they treated Melinda, and I doubt that the series ending will soften any blow that has been or will be thrown at me... Right now I’m having flashbacks about BBC Robin Hood - I don't know if you've ever heard of it -when they killed off Marian, and I think in a way a similar situation is repeating for me - that show, which I adored, was never the same again after that, since I was invested in the love story between Robin and Marian, and not even the final crumble they gave me - with Robin dying and showing that he reunited with Marian again in the afterlife - helped softening the punch in the gut I received from the writers’ poor choices - again, poor according to me, obviously, because I didn't get what I wanted, but allow me to be petty 😣... Wow, this was a long parenthesis, let's close it, shall we 🤣) but I’m finding myself lost, so I guess I’ll just stop wasting energies for that and see what happens and react consequently!