#Both versions of Kat broke my heart this episode

[awesometothe3rd]

Mother and daughter comforting each other across time.

[kentochronicles]

***SPOILERS FOR WANDAVISION EPISODE 6***

So I’m still processing everything but holy shite that ep was wild...

FIRST THINGS FIRST - WANDA, VISION, BILLY AND PIETRO ALL IN COMIC ACCURATE-ISH COSTUMES AND TOMMY IN A MINI QUICKSILVER COSTUME

PIETRO CALLING BILLY AND TOMMY DEMON SPAWN - GOD DAMMIT, IT’S MEPHISTO ISN’T IT? HOUSE OF M HERE WE COME

HERB ASKING WANDA IF SHE WANTED SOMETHING CHANGED

AGNES ASKING VISION ABOUT THE AVENGERS AND STUFF AND AT FIRST SHE SEEMED GENUINELY FREAKED OUT BUT THEN STARTED LAUGHING MANIACALLY AND I STILL DON’T TRUST HER AND AGNES BEING DRESSED AS A WITCH? AGATHA HARKNESS WAS A WITCH - COINCIDENCE? I THINK NOT!

DARCY LOOKING OVER MONICA’S MED SCANS AND TELLING HER HOW THE HEX AFFECTS HER EACH TIME SHE GOES IN - IS SHE DEVELOPING HER POWERS?

PIETRO’S CORPSE - SCARED ME JUST AS MUCH AS VISION’S

MOVIES SHOWING IN THE THEATRE IN THE BACKGROUND - THE INCREDIBLES: A MOVIE BASED AROUND A SUPERHERO FAMILY AND THE PARENT TRAP: A MOVIE ABOUT TWINS WHO MEET AT CAMP AND TRY AND SET THEIR PARENTS UP

DON’T GO PAST ELLIS AVENUE - NOW I DON’T KNOW IF THIS IS A CONNECTION OR JUST A COINCIDENCE BUT ELLIS IS THE LAST NAME OF THE PRESIDENT DURING IRON MAN 3

TOMMY HAVING HIS SPEED POWERS AND BILLY HAVING HIS REALITY WARPING/TELEKINETIC POWERS - WELCOME SPEED AND WICCAN

A CALL BACK TO INFINITY WAR WHEN VISION EXITED THE HEX? SLIGHTLY DUSTING AND HE PROBABLY WON’T SURVIVE BEING OUTSIDE OF THE HEX - HE’LL JUST DIE AGAIN 🥲

I STILL DON’T TRUST HAYWARD - HE’S VERY SUS

DARCY BEING TAKEN INTO THE HEX WITH THE OTHER S.W.O.R.D AGENTS - HOPEFULLY WE CAN SEE THE OUTFITS THAT KAT DENNING’S WAS EXCITED ABOUT

I SWEAR THEY BETTER NOT STRAIGHTWASH BILLY AND TOMMY OR I WILL RIOT 😤

***FURTHER UPDATES***

So sit-com wise, it seems they were referencing Malcolm in the Middle as the twins broke the fourth wall and talked to the audience, like Malcolm did

However, the theme song has told the viewer to stop questioning the reality of Westview - which could be a little reference to Mystery Science Theatre 3000? - When Pietro first shows up in the title sequence, along with his name title card, the lyrics say “Though there may be no way of knowing who’s come to play” - Istg, I do not trust Pietro

Vision says to Wanda that he had to wear his Halloween costume because there were no other clothes in his closet, Wanda is trying to move the plot along and forcing Vision to play along

Evan Peters’ ‘Mom’ tattoo is shown, which is a tattoo he actually has in real life ! But could this stand for ‘Multiverse of Madness’ or some other red herring?

Pietro mentions to Wanda that if he had found ‘Shangri-La’ he wouldn’t want to leave either - Shangri-La is a real place on Earth-616 that was founded by a version of Vision

Tommy refers to Pietro’s speed as ‘kickass’ and then Wanda repeats that, saying ‘kickass’ again - Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Evan Peters (both versions of QuickSilver) were in Kick-Ass together

The ad for this episode was freaky af - the character on the beach who starved and decomposed could be a little nod to Indiana Jones, where a Nazi’s face melts in - and it could also be reference to Wanda being all alone and struggling to process her grief. The shark in the ad could also be Nightmare or Mephisto or just someone more powerful than Wanda offering her a new beginning with Vision or trapped her in some way - and is feeding off her magic? The flavour of the yoghurt is strawberry flavoured and strawberry’s are red on the outside and pink-ish on the inside - much like Wanda’s og costume and her magic being red 👀

Pietro and Wanda talk about their Sokovian accents at a point in the episode and how neither have them anymore. Wanda’s, as we know, has disappeared over the course of the MCU movies and Pietro’s just doesn’t exist - another nice little nod to Peter Maximoff from the fox X-Men films? Also, Pietro states that “I’m just trying to do my part, okay? Come to town unexpectedly, create tension with the brother-in-law, stir up trouble with the Rugrats (a 90’s cartoon 👀) and ultimately give you grief.” - in reference to the grief part, could Pietro be killed off again? Stir up trouble with the rugrats, being possible shards of the demon Mephisto’s soul, could this be Mephisto trying to influence them on a deeper level? It’s also many many common sitcom clichès

Pietro talks about how “I got shot like a chump on the street for no reason at all” - nice little nod to how Pietro was killed off unnecessarily and how we as a fandom still talk about how regular bullets shouldn’t have killed him

Herb is dressed as Frankenstein’s monster - Dr. Frankenstein created his monster and soon lost control over him, and he was created using electricity or lightning - much like Vision was created and brought to life by Thor using Mjolnïr to bring lightning down to his incubator thingy majig. Could this also be a reference to either Wanda slowly losing control over Westview or someone else controlling Wanda/controlling the citizens of Westview - we saw in episode 3 that Agnes told Herb to be quiet as it seemed he was about to spill the beans 👀

Vision goes towards Ellis avenue and is at a ‘crossroads’ of sorts - in folklore, crossroads are often used to speak to or summon the devil and are also used when an important character is making a decision that could change everything. He spots some citizens repeating certain actions and/or just standing completely still, could these be npc’s (non playable characters)? And now that the barrier of the Hex has spread, will those citizens now start to move? 👀 Also I know that all stop signs look like it, but the stop sign is also a red hexagon 🛑

Darcy scrolls through Hayward’s computer files and goes past a file called “Project C4-113” - it could reference Avengers Issue #113 in which Wanda and Vision both appear on the cover and she says she’s going to make the world pay for Vision’s death. There’s also another file called “Project M5-247” which could be a nod to Avengers Issue #247, which shows the origin of the Eternals and in the same vein, Scarlet Witch and Vision trying to help Captain Marvel. And when Darcy emails Hayward’s cataract plans, you can see the names of “James Alexander and James Gadd” - James Alexander is a visual effects producer on Wandavision and James Gadd works on post production at Marvel

Also: Agnes pulls as Mrs Hart and repeats the same phrase over and over again

After Wanda blasts Pietro, you can see on a fake grave stone the name of “Janell Sammelman”, Janell is a first assistant director on Wandavision

When Wanda moves Westview to save Vision, she turns S.W.O.R.D and it’s agents into clowns + a circus - I just love that the agents turned into clowns 😂 but there is a nice little plot line in the comics where Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver and Hawkeye join the circus - and this COULD be stretch, but earlier in the episode there is the number #22 which could be Avengers Issue #22, which is the Issue that they join the circus

As soon as Vision was brought back into Westview, he was healed - which means if he was to exit again, he probably wouldn’t survive 😭

The episode title is ‘All-New Halloween Spooktackular!” - which “All-New” is a designation that is often used on covers for comic books. And the first issue of the second The Vision and the Scarlet Witch series takes place on Halloween night - but the events in this comics didn’t influence this episode’s plot

Pietro points out that he has the “XY chromosome” - X for X-Men? Plus there’s the X gene 😂

He mentions “Uncle Peter to the rescue” - Peter is the name of Quicksilver from the Fox X-Men Franchise

Pietro and Tommy quote the movie Top Gun (1986) by saying “I fell the need, the need for speed”

Wanda almost seems hesitant to trust this version of Pietro (rightfully so, in my opinion) and is wary of him being around Tommy and Billy

Pietro says some very Mephisto/Nightmare-like things this episode - “Unleash hell, demon spawn!”, “The kids need a father figure”, “Damnit, if Westview isn’t charming as Hell...” - And if Pietro isn’t Mephisto/Nightmare, it HAS to be Agnes or her other half Ralph and Pietro is probably Ralph tbh...or could Pietro just be a scapegoat and Hayward is Ralph? 👀

The theatre in town, which is playing the Incredibles and The Parent Trap, is called the Coronet. There’s a classic poem called “The Coronet” written by Andrew MARVELL (Marvell, is also the true name of the first incarnation of Captain Marvel in the comics) and is about a guy who knows that the sins of mankind led to the death of Christ. He attempts to create a new crown for Christ’s head in an attempt to atone, but finds that there is sin in the crown as well, as the devil is within the crown and therefore he may achieve glory and success with his new creation 👀

Hayward’s confidential project “Cataract” included experimenting on Vision’s body, as was revealed by Darcy (my wife 💙 and Monica is also my wife 💚 and so is Wanda 💛, I just love women, you know? 😂). A cataract is a cloudy area in the lens of the eye that leads to a decrease in vision - is Hayward trying to weaponise Vision? Or maybe even trying to bring Ultron back? Or do what Tony wanted to do in the first place, and make a suit of armour that’s around the world? Either way, it’s for nefarious purposes

Who is Monica’s guy? Jimmy and Monica are off to meet him - could it be Reed Richards (Mr Fantastic)? Or could it be Victor Von Doom (Dr Doom)? Could it be Hank McCoy (Beast)? Or even Adam Brashear (Blue Marvel)? Or if it is a woman, could it be the Skrull daughter of Talos that Monica befriended at the end of Captain Marvel? Could it be Abigail Brand (A major character in recent S.W.O.R.D comics and an Alpha Flight Member)? Or even Toni Ho (Iron Patriot, and could she be introduced to help lay the ground work for my other queen, Riri Williams/Iron Heart?)? Or could it even be Sue Storm (Invisible Woman)?

In the background of the episode we see a number of children and adults dressed up as many different characters, which includes: Sub-Zero from Mortal Kombat, Jason Voorhees, with a sweater striped like Freddy Krueger’s and even a kid that looks dressed in an off-brand Charizard costume 😂 Pokèmon has always been popular, but saw an increase during the 90’s

Pietro and the kids are drinking “Kane Cola” which could be a reference to the 90’s drinks “Jolt Cola” or even “Surge” - it could also, with all the X-Men Easter eggs, be a reference to Garrison Kane, who was a member of Cable’s mercenary team “Six Pack” and is sometimes also known as ‘Weapon X’

The kid that Wanda mentions having a “skin thing” in the orphanage - could that be a reference to her Brotherhood of Evil Mutants co-worker Toad? Or maybe even Mystique? Maybe Kurt Wagner (Nightcrawler)?

One of the houses has a sign up that says ‘Macabre Mansion’ - another possible reference to House of M?

During a flashback, it’s shown that the twins are playing Dance Dance Revolution, which came out in 1999. Also this might be a stretch, but the boys have a dog plushie in their room the right - which is coloured red and black - could this be a reference to Dogpool? 😂

I love this show 🤣💙

[kae-karo]

2020 fic roundup

howdy pardners 🤠🤠 in order to procrastinate more writing here’s my list of all the fics i posted this year (sorted predominantly by ship and mostly in order of posting) - ft a lot of dabihawks and a surprising amount of todobaku lmao. oh and my personal faves are **starred

dabihawks (x)

a lesson in romantics (x) - 66k across 4 fics - the collection of standalone memory loss fics! canon divergent and centered around either dabi or hawks losing their memories thanks to the wonderful commission :) some solid angst and getting back together content, always happy endings!!

haven’t had enough (x) - 5.7k - silly little quirkless au where dabi goes to claire’s to get his ears pierced. multiple times. bc hawks is hot

last of the real ones (x) - 2.6k - less silly, just as little, set in canon-divergence bc i couldn’t get the idea out of my head of dabi getting red wings tattooed on him before ever meeting hawks

**dancing after death (x) - 25k - one of my faves from this year, a canon divergent sort of getting together story involving nightmares, some bad burns, and a bit of dancing

if you fall (hold my hand) (x) - 7.4k - canon divergence (bc apparently i’m a slut for that) and some hurt/comfort, ft a bit of makeout-level spice

no shame (x) - 16k - ah, and here we really dive into the ‘crack treated too seriously’ category, where the league sells feet/hand/misc kink pics to fund their activities and dabi has some photography skills and a wing kink (or maybe just a hawks kink)

broken parts (x) - 23.9k - i stole my own idea for a vigilante!hawks from my tiktok, then twisted it into a severely angsty (with a happy ending) hurt/comfort fic intended to break my own heart and piece it back together. it worked

freeing icarus (x) - 1.8k - the first fic without a happy ending i think i ever wrote, because the canon dabihawks fight actually broke me. some dabi introspection

**to the stars that burn (x) - 3.9k - the second fic without a happy ending, based more around childhood friends dabihawks working at the commission together. bittersweet but without much sweet

**king of disaster (x) - 119k+ - i poured my entire soul into this series, a fantasy au where dabi accidentally binds himself to hawks (an absolute stranger) and shenanigans ensue - this has also evolved to include todobaku, shinkami, and kirideku

enemy of my enemy (x) - 2.6k - a quirkswap space pirate au that truly tested my ability to write action scenes, part of the random prompt collection i did during october 2020

without a fight (x) - 2.2k - a rival band au ft singer!hawks and a grumpy dabi, another of the random october prompts

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todobaku (x)

like i’m bakugou (x) - 2.1k - it was supposed to be a MEME based on a TIKTOK but i made it kinda serious....and here we are. todobaku on a froyo date

take a bite of my heart tonight (x) - 5k - VAMPIRES lmao. honestly it was a blast to write tho lmao

**if we go down, then we go down together (x) - 9.3k - tdbk get stranded on a deserted island bc tropes are fun lmao. also todo tries to freeze the ocean like elsa which i think is where my writing skill peaked

cold rebellion (x) - 4k - quirkless au where its HALLOWEEN and theyre in a CORN MAZE and they don’t LIKE EACH OTHER BAKA (part of the october prompt fic collection)

make it spicy (x) - 5k+ - predominantly todobaku with a healthy dose of dabihawks and some shiggynatsu as well, a bakery and nightclub au (yes u heard me)

**stitch me up (x) - 35k - todo gets split into both halves of his quirks, sort of, and baku has to deal with it (and i love this au so much i had a blast working on it)

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bakudeku

rescue me (x) - 11.4k - basically the concept of ‘what if baku and deku were actually childhood friends tho? aka some good wholesome content

**into the dark (x) - 3.3k - afterlife au and originally part of the random prompts, baku didn’t survive the sludge villain incident and deku’s been carrying that weight for a while. and then he doesn’t survive a villain encounter...keep an eye on this one cause i’m working on a part 2 lmao

are you with me (x) - 2.1k - future fic where baku and deku are both heroes and, appropriately, the wonder duo. lil angsty but ofc a happy ending, part of the random oct prompts collection

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todobakudeku (x)

**kintsugi (x) - 117k - future fic where they’re all UA teachers, with some established todobaku + todobakudeku getting together, a lil sprinkle of erasercloudmic, a nice dose of shinkami and some great shiggy redemption arc + eri attending UA content

reunion (x) - 1.8k - another future fic lmao with some getting-back-together content. part of the random october prompts collection

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kiribaku (x)

rewrite the stars (x) - 2.8k - also a mina&kiri friendship fic, a soulmate au where kiri doesn’t get the soulmate he was hoping for (part of the oct prompts collection)

the mystery gang (x) - 4.1k - tell me how i wrote this much about a scooby doo-styled fic concept lmao. anyway, part of the oct prompts, includes some bakusquad shenanigans

wasteland, baby (x) - 4.5k - bakusquad bodyswap post-apocalyptic au and yes it’s just as chaotic as it sounds lmao. part of the oct prompts collection

like the sun (x) - 2.8k - the beach episode + baku&mei friendship (which i learned is called kat and the hat???? adorable) fluffy content, part of the oct prompts collection!

something sweet (x) - 1.2k - the actual kiribaku prompt i got lmao. coffee shop meets scavenger hunt, we adore a grumpy barista baku lmao. part of the oct prompts collection

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todokami/todo&kami

oh, worm? (x) - 16.5k - it was supposed to be a joke but oh my god i love the idea of both todo and denki being memelords and falling in love with each other over it

secret tunnel (x) - 3.6k - conspiracy theorist todo meets conspiracy theorist denki in college au format and it’s really just top tier content imo - part of the oct prompt collection

all i want for christmas (x) - 3.5k - it was supposed to be a crack concept but as per usual it became less cracky the longer i thought about it. todokami fake dating babeyyyy - part of the oct prompt collection

**hydrangea (x) - 2.9k - soft todo introspection about his lil dragon hoard of things that make him think of his friends, which he decides to share with denki

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shiggynatsu (x)

**death of summer (x) - 28k - the first fic i ever wrote for them and the most chaotic meeting i could come up with within the realm of canon divergence lmao. todofam hosting...shmigaraki

terrible people (x) - 960 - a lil babie established shiggynatsu fic about shiggy’s bday, basically just soft and wholesome - part of the oct prompt collection

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shinkami (x)

don’t want to say goodnight (x) - 3.2k - kyouka pov on a shinkami getting together lil thing that lived in my brain rent free for a long time

don’t want to say goodnight (x) - 1k - yes i’m aware i see what i’ve done lmao i see the mistake i made. anyway this one is villain!shinsou and villain!denki so it’s like,,,,,the slightly spicier version. part of the oct prompt collection

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other

**twelve over, seven up (x) - 4.5k - a bit of aizawa introspection after oboro’s death, bittersweet but mostly wholesome

a danger and a wonder (x) - 2.4k - mina&tokoyami friendship and bonding over mina’s kid and hawks’ kid (who tokoyami is babysitting) - part of the oct prompt collection

fish and feathers (x) - 4.1k - my chance to flex my remaining runescape knowledge to have jirou and denki friendship via the interwebs content

a name freely given (x) - 4.2k - shigadabi fake dating royalty au where shiggy’s fae? sure why not lmaoooo. part of the oct prompt collection

kabloom flower shop (x) - 2.8k - a wrong-number tattoo shop/flower shop kirikami au that was lowkey hilariously fun to write. part of the oct prompt collection

awake me from my nightmare (x) - 2.3k - the only fic i’ve ever tagged with mcd, an among us au of all things. baku&uraraka friendship and betrayal, part of the oct prompt collection

**for the record (x) - 2.1k - shiggy&dabi...allianceship? sort of? lmao they’re angel and demon, spies, and part of like a rebellion thing. and they don’t like each other which is always fun! part of the oct prompt collection

a different kind of hero (x) - 1.1k - established tododeku future fic where todo just got his quirk stolen (and deku already lost his in an afo fight), mostly bitter with just a tiny spark of hopefulness. part of the oct prompt collection

forget me not (x) - 2.1k - kiri&uraraka friendship, amnesia and artist au like i really went off here but it was so sweet and wholesome and i had a great time. part of the oct prompt collection

**lightning in a bottle (x) - 4.5k - chaotic kamibaku getting together but they’re WITCHES it’s a MAGIC AU and BEDSHARING IS A THING. part of the oct prompt collection

passing notes (x) - 1.6k - shiggy&eri friendship which is a thing that would be hilarious if it happened in canon tbh. part of the oct prompt collection

no turning back (x) - 6.5k - shiggy&deku friendship but make it royalty au and a 5/1 trope just for kicks lmao. part of the oct prompt collection

worthy adversary (x) - 1k - baku&shinsou friendship/childhood friends au that deserved more than 1k lmao. part of the oct prompt collection

together (x) - 3.2k - denki&mina friendship but they’re allied with vampires to fight some werewolves bc why not right? also lil taste of shinkami just like tiny bit for the flavor™. i should really do a bit more with this au huh? part of the oct prompt collection

a good thing (x) - 1.2k - shinsou&aizawa friendship? fathership? sonship? u know how it is lmao. a little sprinkle of shinkami for the flavor. part of the oct prompt collection

brighter than the sun (x) - 730 - can u tell i don’t usually write miritama lmao. some soft parallels bc they are soft. part of the oct prompt collection

try again (x) - 1.4k - dabi&shouto siblingship but dabi can time travel bc i said so (actually bc the prompts said so but whatever lmao) part of the oct prompt collection

that’s it lovelies!! nearly 600k this year and some of my favorite fics i’ve ever written, and i cannot begin to thank you all enough for your incredible support, i adore you all so much 🥺🥺🥺🥺

[doomonfilm]

Thoughts : WandaVision [Disney+, Episodes 4-6] (2021)

After a heavily stylized trio of opening episodes, WandaVision has officially put the pedal to the metal with its next trio of episodes.  The connections to the larger MCU have been firmly identified and established, which has generated a mountain of new questions, speculations and assumptions about where WandaVision, and in turn, the MCU as a whole are headed in the next few phases.

Editor’s note : This show is jumping in quality from episode to episode, and based on the response to the last blog entry on WandaVision, I am considering giving the final 3 episodes their own entries.  If the likes on this blog entry surpass those of the previous WandaVision entry, I will do dedicated breakdowns of the final 3 episodes on the date that they are released.

THE STORY THUS FAR

Episode 04 : We Interrupt This Program In the wake of The Blip, Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) is returned to the hospital where she once sat by the side of her mother’s side.  Upon returning to reality, Monica learns that Maria Rambeau has passed away due to cancer while she was gone, which devastates her to no end.  Monica returns to S.W.O.R.D. in hopes of finding peace, but she is immediately thrust into the mysteries surround the town of Westview, New Jersey.  CIA Agent Jimmy Woo (Randall Park) meets Monica outside of Westview, where he clues her in on his missing witness that was once in the town, as well as the anomaly of amnesia that has taken over those in the surrounding communities.  Monica and Jimmy approach the city only to discover it is covered by a mysterious invisible barrier, and while inspecting the barrier, Monica is pulled in.  S.H.I.E.L.D. calls in the Army, the FBI and a number of specialists in various fields, including astrophysicist Dr. Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings), who stumbles upon a mysterious signal that allows those outside the barrier to view the events within in a sitcom format.

Episode 05 : On a Very Special Episode... Wanda and Vision are doing their best to adjust to raising Tommy (Baylen Bielitz) and Billy (Gavin Borders), but find themselves overwhelmed until an overly enthusiastic Agnes steps in to help.  While Vision questions Wanda on the recent strangeness, Tommy (Jett Klyne) and Billy (Julian Hilliard) suddenly jump to the age of ten, further confounding Vision.  Outside of The Hex (a nickname for the anomaly surrounding Westview coined by Darcy), S.H.I.E.L.D. continues to gather intel and ramp up efforts to collect information in the wake of Monica Rambeau’s return, but after an attempt to communicate to Wanda directly goes awry, Wanda presents herself directly to  S.H.I.E.L.D. with a warning to stay away.  Vision has an encounter with Norm (Asif Ali) that causes him to reach his breaking point, and while he is confronting Wanda later that night, a knock on the door reveals that Pietro (Evan Peters) has somehow returned... but something is different about him...

Episode 06 : All-New Halloween Spooktacular! It’s Halloween in Westview, and the Maximoff family is preparing for a night of fun and adventure.  Tommy is excited for all of the candy he will be collecting, but Billy finds himself concerned with a number of issues, chiefly the surprise emergence of Pietro onto the scene and the troubled waters flowing between Wanda and Vision.  Wanda attempts to gather the family for their night out, but Vision states that he has obligations with the Neighbor Watch, which disappoints Wanda.  Pietro offers to step in, and his mischievous influence leads to Tommy and Billy’s discovery of their powers.  Outside of The Hex, tensions are running deeper between Agent Rambeau and Agent Hayward, and as a result, Hayward expels Rambeau, Jimmy and Darcy from the camp.  The trio manages to sneak back in, and while Rambeau and Jimmy head to meet a colleague of Rambeau’s who can assist them in entering The Hex, Darcy breaks into Hayward’s digital files, uncovering a goldmine of shadiness.  Vision, using his Neighborhood Watch story as cover, attempts to investigate the outskirts of Westview, but after breaking through the outer wall of The Hex he finds himself being literally torn apart as he is pulled back in, all in front of the eyes of Hayward and his team.  Billy picks up on what is happening, and in a fit of desperation, Wanda makes a move to save Vision that drastically alters the entire scenario surrounding The Hex.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Beyond The Trailer YouTube Channel

New Rockstars YouTube Channel

I was unfamiliar with Beyond The Trailer prior to Episode 03 of WandaVision, but the discovery of the channel has provided me with sharp insight, as well as a bit of humor, and Grace Randolph is the only creator to my knowledge that is providing live reactions on episode premier dates..  New Rockstars and Erik Voss continue to mostly knock their analysis of the show out the box.  Oddly enough, however, I have found myself pulling back from the YouTube camps of speculation as the series progresses.  This is not a shot at any of the YouTubers that are dedicating their time and attention to the show, but rather a testament to the skill with which WandaVision was crafted, and the compelling mystique it has generated on its own.

THOUGHTS ON THE SHOW In all honesty, I have no idea how this overarching story of Wanda, Vision, the town of Westview, Monica Rambeau and S.W.O.R.D. are going to resolve themselves, and I couldn’t love that fact any more than I already do.  The amount of detail infused into this show is insane : the way that the aspect ratio continues to shift depending on the “reality” we are viewing is a stroke of simple genius, the use of CMBR waves creating a television signal is a very subtle subtextual reminder of what it was like to take in entertainment prior to the advent of streaming, and the amount of Easter Eggs being dropped would put the Easter Bunny to shame.  Just when we think we’ve got things figured out enough to hazard a guess, we are thrown monumental curveballs, and the whole while characters like Darcy, Jimmy Woo and Pietro are asking the same questions we are as viewers.

Wanda Maximoff had been using a very restrained, comical version of her powers up until this group of episodes, but now that her Chaos Magic has revealed itself, many are speculating that she may actually be the antagonist of the series, rather than the protagonist.  It is clear that Wanda is controlling the majority of the Westview anomaly with her powers, but certain occurrences such as the birth of Tommy and Billy, their sudden aging or the appearance of the X-Men Quicksilver denotes that someone else is pulling strings that impact Wanda’s reality as well.  It is also crystal clear that her anger and emotions are being held at bay by the thinnest of barriers, and with each step closer to her losing control, the real world ramifications get murkier and more dangerous.

What on Earth is going on with Vision?  We are given a brief glimpse of the actual “reality” behind Wanda’s created “reality”, and the most jaw-dropping revelation up to that time is the seemingly dead Vision interacting with Wanda in her created world.  He is no longer in possession of the Mind Stone, and the infamous damage to his head (courtesy of Thanos) is still very much present.  S.W.O.R.D. acting Director Tyler Hayward decided to reveal that S.W.O.R.D. was storing Vision’s corpse at the time that Wanda supposedly broke in and stole it, but even the validity of that is questionable considering how unlikeable Hayward chooses to be.  I am also curious if the reason that everyone acts so cagey around Vision is because they see him as a corpse.  Vision also seems to have holes in his overall awareness, including no knowledge of the Avengers, which makes you wonder who he truly is on top of what is going on with him.

Monica Rambeau seems to be holding back from exerting control over the situation at hand, especially in light of the fact that she’s the only person who has been on both sides of The Hex and has flatly declared that Wanda is the one in control.  There is also an intentional glossing over of key things revolving around Monica that continue to stand out, chiefly among them being her lab readings that appear to have been whited out by a bright light, and the caginess exhibited whenever any references to Captain Marvel are made.  She is also clearly a thorn in the side of S.W.O.R.D., and in spite of her connection to S.W.O.R.D. originator Maria Rambeau, it is clear that her presence is not welcome in the camp investigating The Hex.

Dr. Darcy Lewis and Jimmy Woo are quickly becoming not only the fan favorites of the show, but the pairing we never knew that we needed.  Darcy’s massive intellect, wealth of knowledge and razor-sharp sarcastic wit pair brilliantly with Woo’s empathic, perceptive abilities and kind-hearted, wholesome nature.  With the mystery falling squarely into their laps, they have become the perfect guides through the madness for curious viewers, as many of their questions and concerns mirror those of the audience.

Pietro Maximoff may be the most intriguing appearance of any character in the MCU due to the possible implications that lie with his emergence.  Is he actually Quicksilver?  The alarms sounded during his appearance, so did he bring himself into The Hex, or was he allowed in by someone?  If he is not the Pietro that we are familiar with, and he is playing games in regards to whether or not he is the real deal, then why does Wanda briefly see him just as dead as she sees Vision?  Many YouTubers are speculating that the progression of decades used by the sitcom format is intentionally mirroring the decade jumps in the latest series of X-Men films, which is possibly causing some sort of fold in space-time that is combining alternate realities... whatever the explanation is for the emergence of the Evan Peters version of Quicksilver, I’ve never seen anything like this in media, and am wholly invested in seeing where this stroke of genius leads us. 

What exactly are Tyler Hayward‘s intentions with Vision, The Hex and Wanda?  Why is he being so cagey with information and so ruthless with his control?  What is his deal in regards to the clear-cut resentment he has for Monica Rambeau and her connections to those with powers, seemingly specifically Carol Danvers?  Is he the true villainous antagonist, or is he just a pawn in a much bigger scheme? 

THE QUESTIONS

- If Evan Peters is now Pietro Maximoff outside of the Fox X-Men franchise, is this the indicator that mutants now exist in the MCU?  Or is this simply a meta-glitch to setup the rumors of similar occurrences that will happen in the upcoming Spider-man film?

- Why is Dottie still not on the board of identified individuals trapped in The Hex?  Even Agnes is on the board, though she does not have a real-life identifier as of yet, which makes her mysterious as well.

- Who are the kids in the commercials, and what is their tie to the mysterious pair that appear in every commercial?

- Is all the talk of S.W.O.R.D.’s astronaut program and specialized aerospace engineers a way to set up the eventual introduction of Reed Richards (and eventually the Fantastic Four) into the MCU?  Is this who Monica and Jimmy Woo are heading to meet in Episode 06?

- Is all of the hexagon imagery a way to establish a motif of evolving DNA?  Does Vision mentioning the Charles Darwin book Descent of Man push this motif into the realms of mutation by way of genetic evolution?

- As Darcy mentions in Episode 06, Monica Rambeau’s two journeys through The Hex have fundamentally changed her down to the molecular level... are we seeing the emergence of Photon, and on a bigger scale, the mode in which Mutants will be created?

- Why is Marvel so good at cliffhanger endings?  The last two episodes, in particular, have made waiting a week for the continuation of the story one of the most difficult things I have ever done.  I’m hard-pressed to think of a show since The Sopranos that has kept me this anxious from week to week in anticipation of what will happen next.

[anogete]

In Between

Hi, folks.  I’m sorry I have nothing to offer as far as fic goes.  Things have been... ::sigh::  You know, I don’t know what things have been.  Not good, not bad.  Just... things.  I wanted to talk--get things out of my head--this morning, but I realized I don’t have a person/outlet who can accept these things right now.  So, I will put them here for anyone who cares to read them.

1) My car blew up.  Well, the engine did.  I was on my way back home with groceries last Saturday, and I lost all ability to accelerate and brake.  So, I puttered out on the side of the road and waited to be saved.  The issue may be covered under the warranty so I had it taken to the dealership.  They’ve had it for a week and still don’t have answers for me besides an offer to lend me a car for free until they can figure out what to do with my car.

2) This deserves it’s own point, though I almost included it on the first point.  I’ve never bought a car without my grandmother.  She was under five feet tall and had a tendency to wear sweat pants and Christmas sweaters year-round.  She smoked Winston Lights and carried a purse covered in rhinestones.  The car salesmen didn’t know what hit them because she wasn’t at all the sweet old lady who would roll over and accept their first offer.  She was hard to read and she wouldn’t give an inch.  She also wouldn’t tell them what she was willing to pay.  No counter offers from her; she’d just tell you to “do better.”  Anyway, she worked her magic when I bought all three of my cars.  When I realized the problem with the engine was serious and might require me getting a new car, I went into a mental tailspin.  Yeah, yeah, I was worried about fitting it into my budget and all that, but mostly I couldn’t seem to cope with buying a car on my own without my grandma there to hold my hand.  I’m almost 39 years old and the thought of doing this without her had me sobbing in the floor.  Except, I didn’t realize my tailspin was due to my grandmother at first.  At first, I just thought I was incapable of handling stress.  Maybe that’s still accurate.

3) While we’re talking about expensive-ass shit, I knew the air conditioner and furnace on this house needed to be replaced sooner rather than later when I bought it last February.  It looks like the time has come.  I managed to find a nice man with very odd hair (think a longer version of the Prince Valiant hair-do, but bright white) through my boyfriend’s dad.  He does this for a living and said he’d give me a discount and do for $5,000 what other places were telling me would cost $9,000.  So, that’s happening next week.  I have the money, but the idea of writing a $5,000 check makes me want to puke.  Ugh.

4) The days are running together.  I’m working from home.  I can’t complain, though.  I’ve got it better than most.  I’m alone all day.  I have a library with a desk.  I can go downstairs and make tea or lunch in my own kitchen.  I’m getting paid my full salary with bonuses.  I can pretty much make my own hours.  The company I work for is taking the pandemic seriously and has told us that we can all work from home until we feel comfortable returning to the office.  Their timeline for “normal” is months.  I don’t think I’ll be back in the office until late summer, if that.  Those who want to return are permitted to, but they can’t use the public areas (kitchen, conference rooms) and have to abide by some strict safety requirements.  And they can choose when and how often they go into the office, working the remainder of the time at home.  So, better than most.

5) I’ve been doing this social distancing thing since March 19th.  It’s not difficult for me.  On good days I’ll exercise (I have a Peloton) before logging into work around 9am.  On not-good days (which seem to be more often than not), I’ll skip the exercise and just log into work early.  Work keeps me busy and I spend a decent amount of my day on the phone with clients.  I go to the grocery store once a week, but I order for pickup.  Someone else does the shopping for me and loads it into my trunk.  This is nothing new.  I’ve been shopping that way for years.  Now it’s just harder to get my usual pickup slot because everyone else has joined the party.  I do miss taking a break from work and leaving my office to grab a coffee and sit outside on a bench downtown.  I guess I could do that outside my own house, but it just doesn’t feel the same.

6) A few months ago, a husband and wife who are clients came in to meet with me at my office.  They’re in their 80s and both were having trouble walking.  They parked in the garage next door and couldn’t find the elevator to exit.  I walked over and escorted them to our office building.  They were both struggling with walking and the wife (Rose) had been fighting lung cancer for a couple years, so I suggested they wait outside and I’d valet their car once we were done.  The thought of making the trek to their car alone was painful to me because it was a monumental struggle for them to walk down a hallway.  Their daughter-in-law called me two days ago.  Rose passed away two weeks ago.  The husband, a former literature professor for a university, was in the hospital with four broken ribs because he’d fallen shortly after Rose’s passing.  He was a Jewish child in Nazi Germany during the war.  He’d told me stories about hiding from the Nazis, surviving off of tree bark and whatever he could find in the forests.  He also jokingly told me that he’d live until he was 120.  Now, it looks like he won’t survive the year.  He and Rose would tease each other all the time, but you could see all that love between them. Whenever I’d call him, he’d ask me in that wonderful accent to wait while he got “the boss” on the phone as well.  Rose thought it was silly that she was “the boss,” but she humored him.  You know, they’re shorties, too.  Five foot, nothing.  Just like my grandma.  Hearing that Rose was gone and Dr. (he’s a PhD) was likely soon to follow just broke my already fragile heart.

7) Fragile heart, huh?  Yeah.  After the car situation and the realization that one day I’m going to have to do big life things without having my grandma to help me, I was feeling pretty raw.  But I’ve been trying to be responsible and do things I’ve been putting off lately.  So, I gathered up all those medical bills from Ferguson’s illness last September.  (Ferguson was my soulmate little chihuahua mix that I had for over 13 years.)  I had pet insurance on him and hadn’t bothered to make the claim because I couldn’t handle it.  But it’s been almost a year so I pulled out the invoices, which were over $2,000, and logged into the website and starting inputting the info to file the claims.  The little box asks for a description of why I took him to the vet.  And answering that question just brought back all that shit like a wave.  I remember reading this nice description of grief and how it is like waves.  At first they’re big and they knock you around and you can’t breathe.  But over time they get smaller and you learn how to navigate them.  Still there, but manageable.  Filling in that box resulted in a bit of a tidal wave that knocked me on my ass.  My boyfriend came home to find me sobbing at my desk like a lunatic..  He’s... not so good with emotional shit.  And I usually keep it bottled up so that no one knows what’s going on inside me.  But some days...  Some days it just overflows.  So, after confirming that nothing terrible had occurred and that I was reliving September 2019, he slowly backed out of the room to leave me with my grief-wave.

8) I want to be one of those succulent people.  You know, the ones who have succulents lining their windowsills.  The dining room and kitchen windows are full of this oddball little plants.  The boyfriend hates it, but I told him he’d have to deal.  I’ll die on this hill.  I’m a succulent lady.

9) I’ve been reading memoirs or, rather, memoirs through collections of essays.  I don’t know if it’s the mental state I’m in or if social distancing has got me subconsciously reaching out for life beyond my head, but I can’t seem to read much else.  I loved Liz Phair’s Horror Stories.  I’m reading The Book of Help by Megan Griswold right now.  I’m determined to procure a signed copy of What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker by Damon Young.  He did a virtual event for a local bookseller recently and they have signed copies available for purchase.  I just need to muster up the will to call them and ask them to hold one for me.  The little snippets of their life and experiences via these memoirs through essays bring me some measure of comfort.

10) I tried to watch Euphoria on HBO.  I managed to make it through the first episode, but I don’t think I can watch more.  I can’t relate, but that normally isn’t a necessity for an enjoyable story.  Maybe it’s just too depressing for me right now.

11) I binged Dollface on Hulu and wish I had more to watch.  Parts of it hit me hard.  I’ve always had trouble maintaining friendships, period.  But maintaining friendships while in a relationship has been damn near impossible for me.  Just like Jules.  Except, I’m not nearly as cool or gorgeous as Kat Dennings.  And I have no friends in this city to go back to.  Just friends at work. 

12) I haven’t worn makeup for 2 solid months.  I’m starting to miss it.  I found old selfies I’d taken in which I don’t recognize myself.  Did I ever look like that?  I must have since here is photographic evidence.  I look like shit now.  I’m forever in yoga pants and a hoodie with half-wet hair from the shower.  Maybe putting on a pair of jeans and a cute shirt and some makeup will make me feel like a human being again.  Maybe I’m not doing as well as I thought in quarantine.  Huh.

13) I hope you all are well.  If you’ve sent me a message, I’m so sorry for not responding.  My mental state has been delicate lately and the silence from me has nothing to do with your kind words.  I promise I read and treasure and appreciate anything that is sent to me.  I’m also sorry for having no offering of fic or a promise of something to come.  I haven’t written since last summer.  It’s been almost a year.  I guess I’m in a dry spell.

14) Since I’ve been struggling with loss/grief lately, I’ll leave you with a quote from Philip Pullman, taken from his novel The Amber Spyglass.  It’s about death, I suppose.  Or maybe just a transition to something else entirely.  It’s nice to think of my grandma and Rose and my sweet, sweet love of a dog falling in the raindrops and riding on the wind through tall grass.  If it wasn’t raining, I’d take my computer outside right now.

“Even if it means oblivion, friends, I'll welcome it, because it won't be nothing. We'll be alive again in a thousand blades of grass, and a million leaves; we'll be falling in the raindrops and blowing in the fresh breeze; we'll be glittering in the dew under the stars and the moon out there in the physical world, which is our true home and always was.” 

[tvdversefanfiction]

Since i have done this 30day challenge on two of my other pages it was about time I did it for this page, starting firstly with The Vampire Diaries, The Originals and Legacies will soon follow I promise.

So if you do not already no I have zero chill and zero patience so instead of 30 days I just do it all in one go 😂 feel free to sound off in the comments with your opinions, open to reading others' opinions and share in the love for this fandom 💖

1 - Klaus Mikaelson 💖 my king, my heart, the unrequited love of my life (fictional ofcourse)

2 - (in order) Caroline Forbes 👑 Rebekah Mikaelson 👑 Katherine Pierce 👑

3 - Klaroline, always and forever 😍

4 - Bamon or Stexi 🤔 although Stexi was definitely a more loyal friendship and I didnt want them together as a couple like I did Bamon

5 - Claire Holt, Love her to pieces, love her interviews and her post and pre TVD and TO work as an actress.

6 - Joseph Morgan, my husband in my fantasies only 💖 fantastic actor who I cannot wait to see what he does next 😍

7 - Daniel Gillies and Paul Wesley, their bromance is both adorable, authentic and slightly homoerotic 🙊😈

8 - Bamon or Elenijah, Bamon id have legit loved to see as endgame over Delena anyday and Elenijah I'd have love to have seen explored at least.

9 - Although neither the originals or Katherine were in every episode they were far from secondary in my mind, so in terms of secondary I'd say Lexi for sure.

10 - 2 and/or 3, most of the originals arc and Katherine stuff was peak TVD for me.

11 - The 100th episode for so many reasons, the nostalgic lookback at previous characters, Klaroline finally getting it on, a Mebekah reunion and lots of Katherine 👑

12 - He is your first love, I intend to be your last 💖 Klaroline was all kinds of epic and how poetic is it that she wound up being his last love💔

13 - Caroline singing at her mothers funeral 💔

14 - Elena, I know she went through alot but who didn't in the TVDverse, she was the victim and stayed within that role from beginning to end and god was she depressing to watch. She was also largely hypocritical with her judgements over things she too was guilty off 🙄 the fact I loathe her and love Katherine shows the incredible acting range of Nina Dobrev though 💖

15 - Stefan, he is like Angel with the Angelus edge, id say the male elena but that would be harsh as he didnt piss me off nearly as much 😂 he was alright I suppose I just didnt care for him that much, if he died early I'd have been like meh! I couldnt buy evil stefan either instead it made me cringe which is weird because Paul Wesley plays unhinged so well in Tell me a story...oh and also Stefan killed Enzo, not once but twice and he can only blame the humanity switch for one of those kills 😡

16 - i did ship Delena till they got together and lost all their magic, i never shipped Stelena but they did suit each other better than Delena or the very ill advised Steroline which should have stayed a friendship! Bonnie and Jeremy made absolute no sense and had zero chemistry so on those grounds id say those two or Steroline, Steroline itches me up the wrong way the most tbf.

17 - Elena and Caroline, Caroline was the better friend hands down for both Bonnie and Elena but Elena always seemed harsher to Caroline and yet couldnt handle it when Caroline gave her tough love back especially over Delena which tbh Caroline was right....IMO anyways.

18 - I cannot say Candice, Nina, Kat or Claire are anything but amazing actresses so I would never say any of them...maybe the actress who played Liv Parker, she was always kind of one note to me although not terrible but nowhere near as good as the others....I could probably later think of someone else but for now I'll go with her.

19 - Zach Roerig, a typical answer from fans I've noticed but he was just so blah for 8 full seasons I totally get why Im not alone here...also so far him and Steven McQueen are the only ones from TVD to appear in Legacies...Jeremy's cameo i didnt mind, Matts however...like when is he going to die and stay dead already? Sorry matt fans 😂

20 - A good chunk of episodes in season 7, didnt like Elena but didn't like TVD without Elena...would've loved the actress to stay on and either play another role or make Katherine come back preferably 🤩

21 - Most of them I started liking then hating, or hating to liking then back to hating 😂 I dont think I hated anyone from beginning then loved them by the end so ill just give a love to hate, Alaric...I liked him in early seasons but thought he came to a natural end when he died...from 6 onwards after he came back he lost any appeal and felt like he was just there to have another dead ex, then to cockblock Steroline which tbf was a good deed but still didnt revive him 🤣 and I full out despise him in Legacies but I'll dig deeper into that come a Legacies themed version of this challenge 😂

22 - Damon wins hands down here, loved him in the pilot, love turned to like as the show went on and then Delena happened and completely destroyed his chracter, Bamon gave him a much needed revival but Elena soon dragged him down once more...his live for her was obsessive to me, unhealthy and toxic and he couldnt cope without it. BAMON would've fixed all this IMO

23 - Okay stick with me here as this one has multiple answers for me...I'd have rathered Caroline or Bonnie as the main character alongside the salvatores than Elena so thats answer one. Answer two would be I'd have loved Katherine to have been the mainstay doppelganger instead of Elena. Answer three would be more flashbacks of Lexi and her life away from the Salvatores would have been interesting. Last answer, Rebekah should have been in more episodes both on this and TO but I'll probs get more into that when I do TO.

24 - The romances, the vampires, the villains and the aesthetic of Mystic Falls 😍 if you follow my other pages you know obsessed im obsessed with the supernatural genre 🥰

25 - Too much time centred around Delena and Stelena, which I know was the main story of this show their love triangle but it didnt have to be...

26 - Elena daggering Rebekah, my heart broke for Rebekah and hardened towards Elena...her biggest hypocritical move of many too!

27 - Heres one so this post isnt all bashing poor Elena 🤣 i love when Elena and Stefan wind up drinking in that bar together having a good time as friends...honestly wouldnt habe minded more scenes centered on this friendship.

28 - Klaroline getting together in the woods and/or the Klaroline moment in the last episode where he donates money to the boarding school...tbh any Klaroline moment 💖

29 - Liz's death and funeral, my heart breaks for Caroline everytime and Damon too, loved Liz and Damon's friendship 💔

30 - Almost all Lily Salvatore scenes, the worst mother alongside Esther Mikaelson....their deaths make me so happy every single time and I will never apologise for that 🤣

[hiddlesgirl]

SH 320: City of Glass

By the Angel, there is so much to say about this episode. It was huge emotional rollercoaster; confrontations, goodbyes, tender moments, a huge battle and that special proposal. This was such an epic episode and (if that awful thing hadn’t happened on June 5th) it would have been the best season finale of the show; I would have been so devastated, excited and hyped for season four. The last scene wasn’t even the original episode ending which was even more of a cliff hanger; apparently we will figure out which scene it was because it’s pretty early on in 321.

Watching this episode is the most emotional I have even been watching an episode of Shadowhunters, in fact the only other time I can remember being this emotional watching an episode of a show was the Season 5 finale (and Series finale) of BBC Merlin. For 320; I was out of my seat, kneeling on the floor two feet away from my TV absolutely sobbing my heart out in those last 10 minutes. Amazing.

Now that Magnus is more composed you can see that he is still very suspicious of Asmodeus’ motives, he knows that his father is cunning and that he is playing nice for now but sooner or later his true intentions will be revealed. I really like the dynamic between them; Jack and Harry have a really great back and forth.

I also noticed that through the scene Magnus became physically closer to Asmodeus over the course of their conversation, he moved away initially but when he moves to leave he was shoulder to shoulder with him. I’m not sure if this was intentional or not but I think that it does subtlety show that Magnus still needs support and reassurance right now, that he is still vulnerable and is (perhaps subconsciously) seeking out comfort.

I absolutely adore Maryse, I think that her development and unlearning her past prejudices has made her one of the most changed characters and hers is one of the best overall character arcs in that respect; she is a very different person than she was. She has not only become more emotionally open but she has tried to make amends to numerous people for her past behaviour; Luke, Magnus, and her children.

She is worried that she may done or said something to jeopardise Alec and Magnus’ relationship; she has seen how much they love each other, how important their relationship is and how much it has changed her son for the better; and she doesn’t want to do anything to negatively affect that.

You can see her confusion and upset when Alec tells her he broke up with Magnus, she doesn’t understand why Alec would leave the person he was planning to propose to. Plus, she is worried about Alec because she can tell that he is not himself.

I really liked the interaction between Magnus, Lorenzo and Asmodeus; it was a little gratifying to see Lorenzo being fearful of Asmodeus. I laughed so hard when Asmodeus turned him into a chameleon; after everything Lorenzo has done to Magnus it is about time karma came back around for him. He did redeem himself a little by agreeing to take his magic back but there are so many things that  he has done that I don’t think he has time to atone for; the biggest probably being the fact that his entire grudge with Magnus is purely about jealousy.

You can see that Magnus enjoyed getting a little bit of payback, and you can’t blame him for that; he has been so out of control of his situation for so long, and a lot of that was down to Lorenzo (forbidding the other warlocks to help him in anyway, forcing Magnus to go to Edom in the first place and then making himself the only help available), that to take back some of that control is empowering. But you can also see that he is very conflicted, he is a kind and compassionate person at heart and he doesn’t enjoy hurting others so while it feels good to have some control he genuinely doesn’t enjoy this ‘revenge’.

We get to see just how manipulative, controlling and callous the Praetor is; they threaten to send Luke back to prison if he doesn’t do as he’s told. Luke is now indebted to them and he is going to struggle with that I think because he has a strong moral compass, I am very concerned about what plans the Praetor have for him and that vial of serum.

Although I want to cringe (and I did) when Jonathan moves to kiss Clary I also understand the reasoning behind it from his perspective. He was raised by Lilith who has a very skewed version of love and she also kissed him on the mouth. It seems that Jonathan has no concept of the boundaries between different types of love and how to demonstrate them.

I have really enjoyed dark Clary because it is interesting to see what kind of person she could have been, or could have become, if she was raised by Valentine; plus Kat does a great job. I thought the dynamic between her and Jonathan was very interesting too, she is very much the authority between them; he always ends up deferring to her. I wondering if this was because he didn’t want to upset her or cause her to leave, wanting to please her so that she wouldn’t abandon him.

I love the scene between Maryse and Magnus; my heart soared when Maryse said ‘stop, you know I love you’ because Magnus hasn’t had a mother in centuries (and he felt rejected by her) so to have the mother of the man he is in love with completely accept him into her heart and family must be amazing. Plus, again, it shows how far Maryse and her relationship with Magnus has come; in Season one and 2A she couldn’t even call him by his name, only calling him ‘downworlder’ or ‘warlock’; now, she has come to know him, accept him, appreciate him and love him. I’m not crying, you’re crying.

I got so excited when she told him about the engagement plan; she knew that he would need to be convinced of Alec’s love and had no qualms about telling him this. She knows that Alec would never tell him but Magnus deserves to know just how much Alec loves him; she is doing everything she can to bring them back together because she wants them both to be happy. I love Maryse with my whole ass heart.

Maia tells Jordan she doesn’t want the serum, she has come to terms with her new life and she doesn’t want to have to make another fresh start; she has a life here, with a pack and friends. She has worked hard to build this new life for herself and no matter the troubles she may have she doesn’t want to give that up. She knows that becoming a mundane again won’t help her; it would only isolate her because she would no longer have a pack or be part of this community she has found.

I don’t like Jordan but I think this was very well done and emotional scene; both Alisha and Chai did an amazing job. I think that it is the first time I felt some sympathy for Jordan, he was starting to turn his life around and make amends for his past mistakes, and now he won’t get the chance. I feel so much sympathy for Maia because she has been able to let go of the hurt and resentment, to get closure on that part of her past. Now she is losing this person all over again.

I love the confrontation scene between Magnus and Asmodeus, I keep saying it but I absolutely love the energy and dynamic between them. Asmosdeus’ true motives come out, he wants Magnus in Edom so they can gain control over it; he has had a taste of Magnus’ power and how strong it is, he wants to use it and Magnus to become King of Hell. It is Magnus’ worst nightmare confirmed, and Harry’s acting when he says those words is amazing; you could feel the power and emotion in the words.

I was surprised that Magnus decided to send Asmodeus to Limbo, but it is the only place he can think of from which Asmodeus can no longer reach him. I was so excited to see Magnus overpower and restrain Asmodeus, I love seeing Magnus being powerful and badass; plus to see him take control and sever himself from his father was awesome. Not only does it take physical strength but an emotional one too, because even after everything Asmodeus has done he is still Magnus’ father.

I also hope that Lorenzo having witnessed this, albeit as a chameleon, that he will have gained some respect for Magnus and will let go of his petty jealousy. This is the only way I see any redemption for him, if he lets go of his grudge.

I really liked the sword fight scene between Clary and Izzy; it was intense, the choreography was amazing and I love the flaming swords. My only criticism is that maybe the sound effects were slightly too loud so they could come off a little cheesy.

Simon tries to talk Clary down, telling her that she is going to have to live with her actions for the rest of her life; he knows that if she were herself she wouldn’t want to be hurting any of them and if she did the guilt would be with her for the rest of her life. He knows what it feels like to hurt someone you love and he doesn’t want her to experience that. You can see her falter and lose a little of her conviction when she’s faced with Simon, you can see that she loves him and doesn’t want to hurt him.

Jace is the one to sever the connection between Clary and Jonathan, literally leaping in (from what seems like an unlikely height, unless he can just jump six feet off the floor). We find out that not only was the rune fostering Clary’s darker side but it also was holding back some of Jonathan’s power; he sprouts wings and promptly wing slaps Alec which I cannot help but find funny. It makes sense that the rune would affect both of them and it is nice to finally see how it was affecting Jonathan.

I love Izzy, she is so selfless and willing to literally throw herself into the line of fire for people she cares about. I am wondering though if they just left all those shards of Glorious just lying around the Seelie realm, which seems like a bad idea, or did they take a few minutes to collect them all up? If they did, what would they do with them? Destroy them? Store them? Inform the Clave? Make more serum? A lot of unknowns surrounding that exploding sword.

As much as I love Luke I really don’t like him at the moment, I know that he is being coerced but he is using Maia’s trust in him as a tool to get the serum. I wonder if we will see the fall out of this. I also wonder what plans the Praetor has for the serum, do they plan to replicate it in order to distribute to willing Downworlders? Or for more selfish purposes? All I know is that we saw Luke with runes in the promo and I am both scared and excited.

I like that we are finally getting to know more about the rune and how it affected Clary, as I suspected it was not like the Owl or a possession; I am kinda relieved that Clary was in control and knew what she was doing because we have seen what that absence of autonomy does to people. I think that the rune just fed those deep darker impulses in her, along with encouraging positive emotions towards Jonathan. I think that Clary may have genuinely been starting to feel sympathy for Jonathan and definitely felt a pull to him that was simply because they are siblings.

Jace comforts her because he knows how hard it is to fight the pull of family, he himself has done things that he regrets in the name of family; some of his actions pertaining to Valentine, his mistakes while Head of the Institute after finding out he is a Herondale. He understands wanting to be close to your blood relatives and doing things out of the norm for them.

I love Clary’s line ‘I should have fought harder for this family’; she feels guilty for her actions and that she let go of her new family too easily. She loves them all so much, they are her family and she deeply regrets not fighting harder to stay with him.

I really like that Izzy asks Simon for help when she had refused it from her brothers, it really shows how much trust they have that she allows herself to be vulnerable in front of him and that she feels comfortable asking him for help. You could see this really begin when she opened up to him about her addiction issues, then when he needed her support at the end of 3A; it has been beautiful to watch their friendship grow and strengthen, now to watch it flourish into something new.  The entire scene was very sweet and softly intimate; you could feel the closeness and care between them.

Maia finding Jordan’s body was heartbreaking, Alisha’s acting was phenomenal and the song they played really heightened it. I actually did tear up because the emotion of the scene was so well built with the acting, the way it was shot and the song; it was very emotionally provocative.

At Jordan’s funeral you can see Maia pushing down her grief, closing herself off as a coping mechanism; not only because of all her complicated feelings about Jordan but also because she has taken up the mantle of Alpha. She has to think about the pack and knows that they need her to be a strong leader right now. That said I really hope that she doesn’t bottle it up too much and she is able to confide in someone, maybe Simon or Bat.

I really liked the little interaction between Helen, Aline, Izzy and Alec; it’s nice to know that Helen and Aline have grown close and I love Alec’s little smile at ‘research’. It was really endearing to see them holding hands as they were running through the grounds of Alicante and I am hoping the we get to see more of Heline in 321 and 322.

Alec and Izzy take up arms in the courtyard area; I have to give a mention to the extra who leapt up the stairs behind them, he saw his moment and he took it, very impressive.

I love that moment between Alec and Izzy, they are prepared to fight with everything they have and they will fight until the end together. It also hurts a little to see Izzy, who is usually so confident in her abilities, to be scared and turning to Alec for reassurance. I was a little scared for them but then a started screaming/cheering when Magnus destroys the Edomai that were heading for them; and his line ‘traffic was hell’ is fantastic.

The scene between Clary, Jonathan and Jace was actually filmed in Paris at the same time as the scenes in 312. It was great that they were able to generate the appropriate emotions for this scene given how different the emotions were in 312.

We find out that the rift facilitates an unending loop for the demons, they are banished and then return over and over; which is an absolutely horrifying prospect. Clary tries to appeal to Jonathan, she knows that he genuinely loves her and I think that part of her does hold some genuine love for him now, because after everything he is still her brother.

You think for a moment that it might work but you can see something in Jonathan break, he feels that he will never be loved no matter what he does; he has tried to be better and it didn’t gain him anything. So he is taking out his pain on those who have wronged him.

Clary’s emotions were expected but I did not expect for Jace to become so hopeless and fatalist in those moments; it was a bit of a shock but I think a good one. Jace is seeing his home being destroyed in front of his eyes and is faced with the reality of everything and everyone he knows and loves being taken away. They have been in bad situations before but this is the first time that he doesn’t see a way out.

I think that the moment between them is very tender and sweet, Clary trying to inspire some hope and fight in Jace; it felt very much like a goodbye, I also really liked that they flipped Jace’s statement from an earlier episode ‘until I die, and after that’. That they were taking this moment alone to say goodbye to one another before they jump into a fight they cannot win; again this was a very emotionally provocative scene.

Okay, are you ready? I know I do this every time we are about to go into an emotional Malec scene, but holy fuck this scene is absolutely heart destroying. I’m crying just thinking about it, I’m going to have to write through the blur of my tears.

Alec is panicking about Magnus being near him, he doesn’t want Magnus to lose his magic again because they are in close proximity. Also, I think that he is nervous of being near Magnus because he still loves him so much and it hurts to be around him and unable to show that love.

Magnus is having none of Alec’s refusals and tells him he knows about the deal, he needs Alec to understand that he doesn’t have to stay away anymore and that Asmodeus cannot hurt them again. He can see how much Alec is struggling in that moment and needs to let him know that he understands why he made the deal, that it’s ok. Magnus cannot bear to be apart from Alec for a second longer and is desperate to let Alec know that he doesn’t need to keep his distance.

Upon hearing this Alec cannot hold himself back and interrupts Magnus by grabbing him by the lapels and kissing him, he is desperate to have that closeness again; to be able to touch and kiss him, to know that they love each other. It is even more incredible when you think about the slight parallel to 112 in that Alec grabbed Magnus by the lapels and just kissed him, in those two moments all he could think about was kissing this wonderful man.

Also, the long shot of them kissing with Alicante burning in the background was absolutely stunning.

When they learn of the swords destruction you can see Izzy coming to terms with their imminent destruction, Clary and Jace huddle close together not being able to be parted from each other in what could be their last moments, and Alec only has eyes for Magnus.

Magnus, however, has walked towards the balcony and is looking at the destruction that is happening and you just know that he is about to sacrifice himself to save everyone, again. As he tells them about a way to strengthen his power he moves slowly back towards Alec, he has already made his decision and wants to be close to Alec in these last moments.

When Izzy says Edom Alec immediately begs Magnus not to do it, he has only just gotten him back and he cannot bear the thought of losing him again, to be parted so thoroughly. Magnus looks at Izzy, Clary and Jace; he wants to do whatever it takes to keep them safe, he cannot stand by and watch the people he cares about die, especially when he could have done something to stop it.

Alec begins panicking again because he still wants to marry Magnus and he didn’t get the chance to propose, he wants Magnus to know just how much he loves him and cannot bare the thought of Magnus leaving without knowing that. I didn’t think it would but ‘Needless to say’ pops back up and I am already crying. Magnus presents Alec with two silver rings. They are beautiful, simple yet elegant which suits them both so well; plus it looks like they might be inscribed and I need to know what they say dammit!

Plus, I love that after Magnus banished Asmodeus he left to go buy engagement rings.

I am absolutely sobbing when Magnus asks Alec to marry him, and uses his full name; you can see that he is a little nervous because he has never been married before and he may never have proposed before, even if he has it has been a rejection. Despite knowing how much Alec loves him, and had planned to propose himself, you can still see that flicker of doubt.

Alec replies by taking one of the rings and saying ‘Only if you’ll marry me too’ and I am gone; I think that this was so important because it was Alec saying to Magnus ‘I want to marry you, please will you marry me’. He wanted Magnus to know that he has absolutely no doubts about this whatsoever and it was Alec’s way of being able to propose too.

The shot of them putting the rings on is so beautiful, and Alec’s little gasp really gets me because he is so overwhelmed that he is going to marry the man he loves. He never thought he would experience genuine romantic love, never mind marry someone he is in love with, and now all of those deeply buried hopes are coming true. The emotion of both of their faces is just so beautiful and as usual I cannot fault Matt and Harry at all; I only ever have awe, admiration and love for them and their acting.

The close shot of their faces, going in for a kiss, is so beautiful; with the gold in the background. This entire scene has been shot so amazingly. Unfortunately they don’t get to kiss because an explosion occurs; Magnus looks towards the destruction with trepidation but Alec only has eyes for Magnus, he doesn’t want to look away from his fiancé because he knows the moment he does he will have to face the reality that Magnus is leaving.

Without looking at Alec Magnus walks to the balcony, he knows that if he looks back or lingers then his resolve is going to start wavering but he does look back when Alec speaks. ‘It’s only Edom. You always come back’, Alec has faith that they always come back to each other and that nothing can keep them apart for long. He cannot bear to think any other way, the only thing keeping him from begging Magnus not to go is that it is the only way and the belief that they will be together again.

Magnus is not so sure, there is a slight shake of his head that shatters my heart; he truly believes that this could be the last time he sees the man that he loves. He takes a moment to look and Clary, Jace and Izzy; he loves them so much and he is doing this for them, he wants them to know that. He tries to lighten the mood, as always and especially when he is doing something selfless, by saying ‘Never thought I’d be a runaway groom’.  He takes one last look at Alec and then enters the portal.

As Magnus disappears you can see Alec begin to break, the smile falls from his face and he walks to the spot where Magnus last stood trying to be as close to him as he possibly can right now. Unable to contain his emotions Alec falls to his knees crying, he looks like he might be trying to say something but is too choked up and devastated that nothing comes out, instead he breaks slumping where he kneels. This is the most emotional we have ever seen Alec, you can see the utter loss and devastation in his expression; the weight of all his feelings from the break up, the proposal and Magnus leaving all come crashing down on him at once. He is breaking under the loss.

Izzy, Clary and Jace are crying too; they just witnessed this beautiful profession of love and now they are seeing two people they love being torn apart; to see Alec, who is the most emotionally reserved of them all, completely break down makes them move. They surround him, offering him physical comfort, letting him silently know that they are there for him and that he doesn’t have to go through this alone.

It is at this moment that Alec finds the strength to look up to the sky, his expression is absolutely heartbreaking; he is absolutely destroyed. We see the rift being healed by Magnus’ gorgeous blue magic and this makes me cry even harder because it not only symbolises Magnus saving them but there is just something so heartbreakingly beautiful about seeing Magnus’ magic call back all the Edomai and light up the once red sky in blue. I can’t put it into words but it is so beautiful.

The last shot is of the four of them witnessing this and a slow close up of Alec watching Magnus’ magic, it is so beautifully soul destroying. I have watched this scene four times and I have sobbed my heart out every single time.

This episode was amazing and would have been the best season finale of the show I think, plus it’s the first Malec cliff hanger; Season 1 was Jace and Valentine, 2A was the Soul Sword, 2B was Jace, 3A was Clary. I know that I would have been screaming at the writers for leaving it there but can you imagine how amazing it would have been too; to know that Season 4 was going to be Malec centric, that a huge dark Magnus storyline was on the horizon; to have those months of theories and excitement for what was sure to be the best season so far. It would have been incredible, and it wasn’t even the original episode ending which was even more of a cliff hanger; I am excited to see what it was (we will see it early on in 321).

I am not ready for 321 and 322; I actually refuse to say the word finale out loud because I cannot cope with that right now. And I haven’t watched any of the Farewell videos from TV Guide because I cannot deal with any of that until I have seen 321 and 322. Even then, I am still going to be fight to save this show because it is too important and amazing to give up.

[truthbeetoldmedia]

The Bold Type 3x09 “Final Push” and 3x10 (Finale) “Breaking Through the Noise” Review 

Before I say anything — they put “Wasabi” by Little Mix on the soundtrack for the finale. Please, everyone, do yourself a favor and start listening to Little Mix. That is all. 

Welcome to the last two episodes of The Bold Type Season 3! I’ll confess that due to traveling, work, and being in a wedding I’m getting this out late, so I figured I’d do a joint review. It wasn’t that difficult to manage, honestly: with these two episodes being the penultimate and the finale, they certainly have the same themes and conflicts driving them. Let’s start with 3x09, “Final Push.” 

At face value, the title could be interpreted as a “final push” for the season, but the episode also sees our core three each have a “final push” of their own, the cumulation of a season of storytelling. 

Kat’s “push” is both the end of the election and the mounting pressure to decide between Adena and Tia. Pressure is certainly mounting for her campaign, and she’s just starting to realize what this means for her time at Scarlet — sure, she has big plans if she’s elected, but gaining a council seat would mean not working at Scarlet anymore. Patrick certainly isn’t helping by forwarding her options for her replacement, and seeing Adena didn’t make her choice between her and Tia any less complicated. 

Much like Kat, Jane is being “pushed” both professionally and personally — she’s struggling at a time when she should be thriving. Pinstripe is still on his book tour, getting on her nerves every time he gives an interview where he puts on the playboy act, not unlike the main character in his book. Her Pamela Dolan story with Jacqueline has the potential to be a career defining, groundbreaking piece, but she’s dealt a huge blow when Jacqueline is forced to give the story over to Patrick at the dotcom. Apparently Pamela Dolan, as soon as she was informed of the Scarlet story, decided to launch her own version at another magazine. If they had any hope left of publishing first, they couldn’t wait for the fall issue. The only way to publish would be on the dotcom, still making a splash but handing Patrick most of the influence.

Next is Sutton, who is…putting on a fashion show? I guess that would be considered a push, since apparently an influential designer will be there and this could be the start of a potentially successful career for her. 

I want to be able to write more about Sutton — she’s doing well, she’s happy, but her story lacks oomf. She’s not getting the complex storylines that Jane and Kat are. Sure, her and Richard have had the occasional conflict or misunderstanding, but that and her foray into a design seminar (which we’ve barely seen) are the only things they’ve given the incredibly gifted Meghann Fahy to work with. They did give her a moment with Carly after she opened up to Sutton about how insecure she feels when compared to the models at Scarlet and the girls on instagram, but it fell flat. 

Her side story with Carly this episode did little to improve Sutton’s lack of depth; it seemed like an afterthought when the show suddenly remembered they needed to give Sutton some kind of inspiration for her designs. It is pretty on-brand for The Bold Type to touch upon body image, but it came on too quickly and from a character that doesn’t have a lot of influence (sorry, Carly, you’re still adorable). Sutton is supposedly not good with children and hardly even knows Carly, but she manages to get her to open up about her insecurities and gives her a touching speech nonetheless. To say this seems forced would be an understatement. 

The very end of the episode is perhaps the final “push” for everyone — in the closing minutes we find out that Richard got a job offer in San Francisco, Ryan returns to tell Jane he kissed someone else, and Kat loses the election. Seriously — if you shut off the episode one second before the ending you would have missed it. 

Alyssa’s episode rating: 🐝🐝🐝.5

That leaves the finale to pull everything together, to help our core three “break through the noise.” (See what I did there?) The problem is, while this was a good episode, no one actually broke through any of the noise that the previous episode created. It certainly created more noise by the end, leaving everyone on a massive, show-changing cliff hanger. 

A prime example of this was Sutton’s sudden change of heart — the fashion show she put on was nice, and everyone looked great. The message was there, and despite the quick decision of adding Carly to the mix, it was still really touching to see Carly being able to watch everyday women in the fashion show. 

Sidebar one — I’ve never liked when people say “REAL women should be in fashion shows, not models.” I get what they’re saying, I really do, but REAL women come in all shapes and sizes, including skinny. Please don’t take that to mean that skinny women face the same hardships that other women face, because they don’t, but I think we need to remember that there are people who are naturally skinny. I like the term “everyday” women much better, since that implies that fashion models don’t represent women that aren’t, well, fashion models. Anyway, moving on. 

I will say (sorry, Sutton), the fashion was not good. I really hoped that they’d spend a little more time developing Sutton’s style; it would be a lot more convincing to see her as passionate if her work had a little more pizazz to it. Instead it ended up looking like the outfits of a 1970’s American Girl Doll (again, sorry Sutton). 

Sidebar two — can The Bold Type make it so I don’t have to apologize to Sutton all the time? It’s exhausting. Work on that, please. 

All of this, only for Sutton to realize she didn’t want to be a designer. Now, that I’m fine with — but leaving that for the finale was pretty lackluster, the result being a bit of a wasted season if Sutton was going to end up right where she began, kind of like Jon Snow back at the Wall (don’t @ me).  If they wanted Sutton to explore design and in doing so discover it wasn’t for her, that’s fine, but keeping that to a half season arc would have been much better. 

The build up for Jacqueline and Jane’s Pamela Dolan story also resulted in a bit of a let down — giving the story to the dotcom certainly made sense for the story, but not for the show. After a season of buildup, which I was pretty excited about, the story was published pretty unceremoniously. Jane’s dealing with Pinstripe was also a bit of a bore. I’ve maintained that I think that Jane and Pinstripe are good together, but we only see that when they’re amicable. When they’re fighting there isn’t any romantic angst, and if Pinstripe were to take off I don’t think he’d be missed. Compare that with Adena, whose presence was definitely missed after her breakup with Kat. 

My point is, just because I supported Jane choosing Pinstripe over Dr. Ben (ugh, remember that guy?) doesn’t mean the show has done the job of convincing me that Jane and Pinstripe are or should be endgame. Jane ends up going back with him, adamant that he has zero chances left, and they end in a really sad place. They admit they love each other, but I didn’t read that as a victory. It sort of read like an unfortunate fact — I love you, so I guess I have to give you another chance. Maybe Katie Stevens did too good of a job acting devastated. 

Everything sort of builds up, only to end in a disappointing drop off. For Kat, we see her deal with the loss of the election (bravo, Aisha Dee). I will say that I expected the loss — it would be a little too idealistic to give Kat a win, in my opinion, but the real reason for my expectation of loss was The Bold Type’s tendency to push characters out of their comfort zone only to pull them back again. It seems, much like Jane’s Incite and freelance storyline in Season 2, that no one can really be gone from Scarlet for too long. Much like her election story, Kat is hanging in limbo with Adena and Tia after deciding that she isn’t choosing anyone for now, and is instead going to focus on herself. This on its own isn’t disappointing, but combined with everything else that’s falling short, it contributes to the dragging down of the episode. 

Now, for the comfort zone point I made earlier — it seems like that is where this bummer of an episode is coming from. If Kat won, she’d have to quit Scarlet. If Sutton wanted to continue designing, she’d probably have to make some moves and go to fashion school and/or seriously cut back her time at Scarlet. If the Pamela Dolan story had more punch, maybe it would have catapulted Jane’s career and send her to bigger and better things outside of Scarlet. 

Despite The Bold Type being a great show, accuracy has never been a strong point. I don’t think anyone whose worked at a magazine or in journalism in general can look at this show and think “oh yeah, it’s just like that.” Keeping Scarlet at the center isn’t the mistake, it’s how they maintain it. We’ve seen all three of the girls take giant steps forward only to fall back on Scarlet, and it’s happened so many times that it’s a let down. It’s certainly possible to keep Scarlet around and let these characters grow, but it seems like The Bold Type hasn’t found that method quite yet. However, that giant cliffhanger might foreshadow some branching out at least — Scarlet is done, presumably shut down, and it’s not clear to me how they’ll manage to get it back. 

Of course, most of that has to do with how little we know about the situation — was it the Pamela Dolan story? It doesn’t make much sense to shut down a whole publication over a very popular article. Was it Jacqueline revamping the fall issue to be all inclusive? It would have been easier for them to fire Jacqueline in that case, and they DID just hire Adena has the in house photographer the night before, so clearly HR knew nothing. If either of those are the reason the magazine is shut down, it could easily be turned into a “Scarlet is a martyr for inclusivity and inconvenient journalism” story. 

Even if it’s (and it is, most likely) temporary, I think The Bold Type needs to make the world of Scarlet a little more harsh in order to make it more realistic, and not use the magazine as a crutch that the girls all lean back on. As soon as that happens, they could have their best season yet. 

Alyssa’s episode rating: 🐝🐝🐝.5

The Bold Type has been renewed for a Season 4, premiere date TBD, with Wendy Straker Hauser replacing Amanda Lasher as showrunner.