#Doctor's Notes- Dash Commentary

[moralmortuary]

"You're always a welcome guest in my home, Mr. Ravinski, but... I must decline any requests to stay overnight. Our guest room hasn't been the same since..."

[thrashingheart]

Tag dump

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

I enjoy critical media analysis and script doctoring, but those are largely frowned upon in the miraculous fandom, so I made this side blog! That way I could rant to my heart's content while allowing people to avoid my commentary if they so chose. Asks are welcome, but do note that this is, loosely speaking, a writing salt, character sugar blog. I legitimately like almost every main character in the show and will defend them as being perfectly fine at their core. In my opinion, all of the issues come from the writing, not the concept, which is why I actively write and read fanfiction for miraculous. It's got too much potential for me to turn my back on it just because I find canon dead in the water. (Yes you can read my stuff, I just ask that you message me for a link for the reasons laid out here. There are simply too many people who get mad at those who say negative things about the show for me to feel comfortable giving a public link right now.)

A couple of key posts from this blog if you're looking for where to start: my general thoughts on Marinette, on Alya, on Chloe, on Lila, on Gabriel's redemption, on the sentikid plot, and my square shipping preferences if you're curious. The "season four was nonsense" rant is also a pretty good gauge of if you're going to enjoy it here. I try to use the tag "[Charater Name] Deserves Better" when a post gives some real focus to a character and how the narrative failed to do them justice, so that's a good thing to look for, too. Welcome to the blog!

Note, asks are welcome and will be answered! But it may take a while before you see them on the blog. I often write pretty long posts, so I make liberal use of the queue to avoid flooding your dash with lectures. I also won't respond to anything that's clearly calling out another member of the fandom. General asks inspired by the fandom are fine, but no "X said Y, what do you think about that?" "What do you think about Y?" is fine. I'm also very hesitant to blame any single person for the show's flaws unless there's hard evidence that said person is fully responsible for the flaw. That's just not how I operate. I even use "writers" as a catch-all term meant to encompass everyone who was involved in the creative process.

[sisterdivinium]

(One thing I find peculiar and unfortunate in current fandom business is the seeming lack of pointed discussion, so here is a humble attempt to spark a conversation and I more than welcome commentary.)

I came across someone in the notes to a post somewhere talking of how Jillian had been better styled in season two than in season one and I agreed, already seeking the justification for it in my mind. My observations are as follows:

S1 Jillian is Arq-Tech's mastermind and public face. Even though we first meet her in Morocco, in her explorer, Indiana Jones-like garb, it's the image of her running her company that sticks with us, her statements to the press, her corporate persona opening metaphorical fire upon the Church. A "powerful woman" as mainstream media constructs for us everyday, in subtle but visible makeup so as to diminish the effects of age on her face, in heels so as to peek at the rest of humanity from above, with controlled gestures meant for the inherent theatricality that comes with introducing life-changing technology to society. It is a role she plays—well, but a role nonetheless.

The scene she shares with father Vincent is worthy of mention, for while he sits without taking up much space, his body restrained to the side of a couch, his legs crossed in what is deemed a more "feminine" posture, Jillian takes up the traditional "masculine" attitude: she commands the room, her body expanding upon her seat, in the broad pose where an ankle rests upon a knee, complete with a generous glass of alcohol in hand and talon on foot. Yet this is also for show­—it's a little too calculated, a dance that was so perfected in exhaustive practice that it lost its dynamic.

Our glimpses into the more authentic Jillian come in the scenes with Michael—not only because (coded in white and blue as the Virgin Mary of immaculate conception) she plays the part of mother, but because, in her intimacy, far from journalists and employees and the public's prying eyes, she can be more herself within the areas where she conducts her studies. Starting from when Ava asks Jillian to "science her", we never see the doctor in uncomfortable shoes again, as she retreats from entrepreneurial life and into the lab.

This is clearer in season two, for, as Kristian says, she is on sabbatical, thus isolated from general view; S2 Jillian has nobody around her, nobody to impress. Locked away in her Spanish villa, consumed by her son's disappearance, she need not wear a mask. There are no more tellingly feminine accessories, no staged stunts; her clothes and footwear are even more practical, her movements less grand but more human, more expressive (here, of course, we owe it to Thekla Reuten's underrated range). Even as the OCS invites itself into her house, making it a makeshift HQ, she doesn't fall back on the act we saw in the first season.

Jillian's stepping back from the head of her company is not just in name and contract, but in body, too; she leaves the CEO role in her office and comes home to her science and her cause, to her limited inner circle of which only Michael was privy to and into which the OCS nuns end up finding their way.

Colours also indicate a shift—we begin the series seeing her associated with light hues such as white, beige and baby blues, but when season two comes in, Jillian's striking all-white attire is nowhere to be found. The Holy Mother parallel is in shambles after Michael has gone through the ark's portal, the intangibility of this "saintly", aseptic rich genius broken down, her person brought back to Earth after flights of fancy trying to open a gate to Heaven.

We see her in a darker palette, in greys with dashes of white, yes, but never again in full white. It is not just the authorisation to be herself rather than her company's face while in her private world, but also the reflection of her inner darkness and her loss upon her very appearance.

What a more definite loss could mean, now that her son is gone for good, remains a mystery.

For instance, unlike the nun who served as her superior, our Suzanne rejects the characteristic blues of the Order of the Cruciform Sword to don a heavy all-black outfit, more reminiscent of Orthodox priests than it is Roman Catholic nuns; her resurrection through Ava does not lighten her habit, if it does lighten her burden, so we can only assume, going forward, should there be any relation between how each character expresses their inner workings through clothing, that Jillian Salvius would keep the mixture of white and grey that season two brought along... Or go darker still.

[lupus-venatici]

— TAG KEY

— general tags

#ooc . / fate's atlas — mun posts

#lupus venatici — muse info

#❄️ || forged in lingering flame . — rp memes

#⚔️ || in his downtime — he still burns . — open starters

#🕯️ || forever preserved in one’s memory . — art

#❕ || getting a little silly ! — dash commentary .

— interaction tags * *note: will be regularly updated as this blog gains interactions. check back regularly.

#✨ || outlander from afar . — interactions w. traveller

#🍃 || amongst wind and snow . — interactions w. venti

#🫧 || soothing waters heal aching souls . — interactions w. kokomi

#🌿 || careful ; as to not burn the leaves . — interactions w. megaera

#🌊 || polar opposites ; still comrades . — interactions w. childe

#🩻 || such an awful doctor . — interactions w. dottore [segments incl.]

#❔|| strange missives . — anon answers .

[roaringxthunder]

Sees the two captains fighting over height.

Hitsugaya = 133cm Soi Fon=150cm

....

He’s 203.2cm and staying outta this.

[doctartar]

💉 Tagging System

[wyofabdoms]

Ten Days - Day Nine

Characters: Javier Peña x female reader

Summary: Javier is shot and refuses to take his antibiotic while recuperating. You get creative and make him a deal that ensures he will take his medicine everyday: one kiss for one pill. It's gonna be a long 10 days.

Rating: Smut!

Warnings: Major character injury, slow burn, mutually unrequited, angst, swearing, domestic Javi, fingering, washing dishes gets a little out of hand

Word Count: 3105

Note: While you nurse a hangover, Javi tries his hand at being domestic.

Read the full series on Ao3

Javi knocks on your door late afternoon the next day.  You’ve been nursing your hangover headache most of the morning, lounging on the couch, reading your book and switching back between the news and some cheesy action movie.  Around 5 you hear the thumping against your door and groan when you stand and stagger to answer.  He stands slouching against your door jamb, a grocery bag in one arm.  

“Hey,” he says by way of greeting and doesn’t wait for you to invite him in before brushing past you into your kitchen.  

“Hey, Peña, come on in…” you mumble, closing the door.  You follow him into your kitchen and flop down in a chair, watching him pull items from the bag.  “You know you’re not supposed to be going anywhere, Peña.  I coulda gone and gotten whatever you needed.”  You see his taut shoulders lift in a shrug.

“I’m going crazy cooped up over there.  Needed to get out and get some air.  Figured you might need something if you kept at that whiskey bottle after you left last night...” His gaze flicks over to yours for an instant, then settles on the three empty wine bottles lined up neatly next to each other on the counter.  He smirks and moves to open a cupboard, rummaging around for cooking utensils.  “Looks like I wasn’t too far off.”  He chuckles under his breath as he dumps oil into a frying pan and lights your stove.  You appreciate the fact that he was thinking of you, but for a moment you’re a tad affronted by the way he’s waltzed in and made himself at home in your kitchen.

“You couldn’t have messed up your own kitchen and just called me to come over and eat?” You grumble as you stand and get yourself a glass of water.  You hear him laugh quietly.

“No frying pan.”  He says simply by way of explanation.  You turn away from the sink at the same moment that as he absentmindedly pivots to grab something, putting both of you awkwardly close to one another, well within the other’s personal space.  You feel your face flush and you quickly side step away from the counter, hiding your flush behind your glass as you gulp your water.  

“Well,” you say, trying to act normal.  “If you’re making dinner, I’m gonna take a shower.”  

You practically flee your own kitchen.

***

Within the hour you’re lured back into joining your partner again by the delicious smell permeating your apartment.  Pulling your wet hair up off of your neck, you don sweatpants and another old t-shirt (bra included this time!)  

“Are you making arepas?!”  You call out incredulously as you approach the kitchen, hearing the popping of oil and recognizing the familiar scent of warm cornmeal and fried pork.  Your mouth had started watering as soon as you had stepped out of the shower.

“Sorta…” He grunts back. “Didn’t make the dough from scratch but I think it’ll do the trick.”  Your excitement at Javi’s choice for dinner is suddenly dashed as you take in the state of your kitchen; your countertop is a small battlefield of ingredients and kitchenware.  It appears as though he’s used every single utensil and bowl you own.  You shake your head, but appreciate his gesture nonetheless.  Flopping back down into the same chair, you take a moment to revel in the feeling of domesticity: you in your favorite comfy clothes, your handsome partner cooking up your favorite snack, existing together in comfortable silence while he works on the food and as you studying the way his back muscles flex beneath his shirt…

You shake those thoughts away as he brings a plate piled with a stack of stuffed, corn flour pockets.  You're delighted to see he’s altered the traditional Columbian snack and made it more appropriate for your hangover, filling the creation with scrambled eggs, cheese and beef along with the chicharrón you had smelled earlier.  He’s included chopped avocado and tomato on the side to add if desired and you’re impressed by the well rounded meal your notoriously take-out eating, chain-smoking-for-every-meal partner has pulled together.

You tell him as much as he joins you at the table and he shrugs, snorting in self-derision, ducking his head as he digs in, shoveling food into his mouth rather than having to address your compliment.  You follow suit and the two of you enjoy your meal over general commentary about the food, idle chit-chat, and cursory work talk.  After making a substantial dent in the pile of arepas, you lean back in your chair and yawn, satiated and you rub the small bump in your belly that can only be described as a food baby.  Rubbing your stomach reminds you of something.

“Hey! How’re your stitches doing?  Is it healing up ok?”  You haven't seen his injury since that night on his bathroom floor, but you haven’t noticed him struggling to move or showing any indication of being in pain, so you’d almost forgotten the fact that he had been shot just over a week ago.  

Your thoughts stray to that day, remembering the sick bile that had risen in your throat when you had seen your partner flung off his feet by the force of the bullet hitting him, smacking into the ground; the panic that had bubbled in your stomach when you’d dropped to your knees next to him and seen the blood coming from him.  Your brain had quickly determined that the bullet had gone straight through the meaty area of his side and had most likely missed any of the vital organs there, but you’d still clamped your hands down on the wound as though willing your hands to keep the blood inside his body.  He had writhed and hollered at you to get off of him, but you had refused, screaming at a police officer to call an ambulance.  Your panic had not subsided until several hours later when the doctor had told you he was in no danger and would make a quick and complete recovery.

Lost in the frightening memory of that day, you stare blankly at the surface of the table, paying no attention to the way Javi’s eyes flicker as he remembers something, too.  You’re distantly aware of his hand reaching into his shirt pocket and retrieving something, but it isn’t until you catch sight of him sharply tossing his head back and gulping a large swallow of water that you realize he’d been moving.  He doesn’t look at you as he recaps the pill bottle and slips it back in his pocket.  Instead, he grabs both of your plates, taking them to the sink and filling the basin with warm, soapy water.

“You don’t need to do that, Peña, you take care of the counters, I’ll do the dishes,” you protest, dragging yourself to your feet and moving next to him at the sink.

“It’s no big deal.”  His voice is low and sounds sleepy.  You poke him in the (uninjured) side with your elbow and push him away from the sink with a gentle bump on the side of his leg with your hip.

“That’s not how it works around here, Agent Peña.”  You begin soaking dishes in the sudsy water, hyper aware that he hasn’t moved away from you, his leg still brushing yours.  He turns so he’s facing you and leans his hip into the counter, studying your profile.  You suddenly feel the need to be very focused on the sink so as not to drop a plate.

“Oh yeah?”  His voice is even lower now, which seems impossible, and it stirs that thing inside of you that you’ve been desperately trying to control for the last nine days...no...much longer than that.  “How exactly does it work around here?”  He asks teasingly.  You smirk, roll your eyes to distract yourself from the flush you feel throughout your body and jerk your head towards the mess he’d made while cooking.  

“The person who cooks never does the dishes.  Just clean up your mess over there and bring me those dishes and we’ll call it good.”  You feel equal pangs of relief and agony as he moves away from you but you concentrate on washing the dishes.  You both make quick work of your respective tasks.  As you set to work on the last pan he brings you, he finishes drying the plates with a towel and you’re once again struck by the comfortable feeling of domestic life you feel, standing in your kitchen side by side with him.  

Your mind wanders again: when you’re finished, the two of you would retire to the couch and you’d snuggle up into his chest as you watched a movie, his feet propped up on your coffee table and his arm around and you would both sink into sleep.  Not long after he would wake you by peppering kisses along the crown of your head, your forehead, your closed eyes and he would whisper sweet nothings to you in Spanish as he picked you and carried you to your bedroom…

A loud plopping clatter sounds and a splash of soapy water spouts out of the washbasin as the pan you’re scrubbing slips from your grasp.  You hear Javi chuckle softly next to you and he reaches over and swipes away soap suds that landed on the tip of your nose and directly below your eye.  You shiver at his touch and he notices; he pauses midway through pulling his hand back, leaving it hovering for a moment in the space between the two of you.  Hesitantly he reaches down and takes your soapy hand in his, lacing his fingers between yours and bringing them both to rest on the edge of the sink.

The feel of his strong hand over yours sends another shiver through you and you can’t look at him, instead keeping your face focused on the soapy water.  But you don’t pull away.  His hand connected with yours on the counter keeps you in place.  You feel your insides start to flutter and burn.

You’re dimly aware of him leaning towards you.  You feel his warm breath on your outstretched neck a half second before he places an open mouthed kiss there, on the spot below your ear, where your pulse suddenly thrums a thousand times faster than it had been.  You can’t stop yourself from gasping as you involuntarily clench your thighs together against the jolt of pleasure that zaps there, sent directly from the spot where his mouth touches you.

It’s like nothing you’ve ever felt before.  Of course you’ve had other men kiss you on the neck but this...this is HIM.  It’s him: with his stupid mustache that tickles along the sensitive skin and the tip of his tongue that swirls and traces the pounding pulse.  It’s him: the ambivalent Agent Javier Peña who never seems to care about anyone, but who you know possesses a well of emotion just below the carefully guarded surface of his persona.  Him: the sexy playboy whose  prowess in the bedroom is the stuff of legends among men and women alike at work...and in the brothels across Bogota.  Him: that you have refused to give in to for almost two years of your life, even as you’ve both grown weary and broken and sought comfort from all the wrong places.  These last eight days have been merely puffs of air into a balloon, filling it, expanding it...and now this feels like the final push of air that might make it pop...

...You let it pop.

You drop your head back against his shoulder and release a breathy sigh that rises from the very depths of your repressed desire for him, letting your whole body sag back into him.  Without taking his lips from your neck, he shifts himself so that he more solidly stands behind you.  Your other hand takes on a mind of its own and lifts to stroke the back of his neck, scratching your fingernails softly through the hair at the nape of neck, causing him to emit a sound from someplace deep within him, pressing the noise into the sensitive skin of your neck.  He still hasn’t removed his lips from your skin, afraid to break the connection and snapping you both out of this moment that you’ve been crashing towards for a long time.

You exist this way for several seconds, minutes, hours...you’re not sure.  You aren’t even conscious of the fact that you’re grinding your ass back into him until he suddenly rips his mouth from your neck and latches his teeth onto your earlobe.  A feral growl bursts from his throat as he grabs your hand from the back of his neck and smacks it down beneath his on the counter top as well, caging you between his arms and thrusting his pelvis into your backside, shoving both of your hips forward into the kitchen counter.  The feel of him suddenly so roughly pressed against you sends your breath rushing from your chest in a sharp and lusty moan and you freeze for a moment, neither of you moving, save for the soft twitching you can feel along the front of his pants.  

Your mouth hangs open and you gasp for a few short breaths.  Then you focus on the hand beneath his and move to thread your fingers through his to match your other hands.  Gripping him tightly for leverage, you forcefully push your ass back against him: grinding up and down, left and right, forward and backward against the steel outline of his erection.  He lets out a strangled cry, rocking his hips along with yours, occasionally snapping his hips forwards to create different friction.

You’re on fire everywhere.  Your brain is screaming at you to stop while you still can, but you’ve had enough of that.  As you both continue to gasp and push and rub and thrust against one another, the throbbing between your legs becomes too much.  Before you can think about it too much, you take his hand and draw it between your legs, pressing his palm against you, moving your hand over his, wordlessly begging him to rub you where you so desperately need.  He releases another strangled noise, this one higher and more desperate, then he rests his forehead against the back of your neck.

“F-fu-fuck!”  he bites out against your skin.  You’ve never heard him struggle with a curse, or any word, so much.  You let out a breathy moan in response, moving your hand away as he takes over rubbing you, relocating your hand to where it was previously, carding your fingers through his hair. He trails his mouth to your other ear, taking the lobe gently between his teeth as he did with the other.  You whimper when his warm palm leaves the space between your legs.  His fingers trail up your abdomen and trace along the elastic of your sweatpants...and stop, there hovering along the hem as his body stills, his mouth pulling away from you slightly, looking at you carefully.  You’re both panting frantically and he whispers into your ear: “Can I?”

It takes you a moment to realize what he means, but when you do, you turn your head towards him and nod, leaning back into his body again, your hips squirming in anticipation.

“Say it.” He growls into your ear.  You gulp, close your eyes and whisper:

“Touch me.”

His hand is immediately under the elastic, his finger buried inside your wetness, immediately finding that spot inside of you that makes you cry out and thrust your hips forward, seeking more.  

He gives it to you.

His thumb brushes over your clit, eliciting more cries and gasps.  Soon he adds a second finger into your folds and between the two broad digits and his expert touch with his thumb, you feel yourself quickly rising towards your release, your cries becoming louder, more desperate, babbling nonsense as he brings you closer to the edge. He snaps his own hips forward against your ass in rhythm with his fingers as he pumps them in and out of you, adding quiet hisses of affirmation against your neck, your ears, into your hair.  He growls your name as he asks you to cum for him and that’s enough to make you explode, feeling your walls contract around his fingers, your juices surging out of you and covering his hand. In the next instant you feel his thrusts against your backside become shallow and his moans turn into a series of staccato mewls and he presses himself against you and into the countertop, gasping into your hair.

He continues to stroke you with several more long strokes of his fingers as you both come down, the realization of what’s just happened settling over you both.  He slips his hand from beneath our sweatpants and rests it gently on your hip, squeezing your other hand gently; your hand had remained threaded with his the entire time, grounding you both together.  You can only stare at your clasped hands, feeling your face flush from the reality of what’s just occurred.  He moves to press a kiss against your neck again, the same act that had kicked all of this off to begin with and you shy away from him, lifting your shoulder to block his face, pulling away from him and unwedging yourself from between him and the counter.  You hear him quietly say your name and he tries to hang on to your hand, tries to pull you gently back towards him, but you snatch your hand away, crossing your arms across your chest and shaking your head, refusing to turn around and look at him.

“I think you should go.”  You say quietly after a few moments of silence.  You hear him take in a sharp breath, can feel him starting to say something.  

But he doesn’t say anything.

You move when he does, keeping the same equal distance between the two of you, heading towards your bedroom on the off chance that he might try to step closer and touch you on his way past you as he leaves.  You know if he touches you again you won’t be able to resist him...not now that you know what his touch feels like.  You hear him grab his jacket off the back of his chair as you move down your hallway and you lean against your bedroom door, listening for the sound of your front door closing.   

Day One

Day Two

Day Three

Day Four

Day Five

Day Six

Day Seven

Day Eight

Day Ten

[archive-archives]

Coming in April!

NEW 2020 1080p HD masters                                                                               JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS IN OUTER SPACE

Run Time             352:00

Subtitles               English SDH

Audio Specs        DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English, MONO - English

Aspect Ratio       1.33:1 4x3 FULL FRAME

Product Color    COLOR

Disc Configuration 2 BD 50

 Rock stars Josie and the Pussycats are out of this world...literally! When the bumbling Alexandra accidentally launches Josie and the gang into outer space, they travel through the galaxy searching for a path back to Earth. Along the way, they meet cat people, robot monsters, evil dictators, space pirates and plenty of strange creatures, including their new companion Bleep, voiced by Hanna-Barbera legend Don Messick. Fortunately, everyone’s a fan of Josie and the Pussycats, including aliens! Rocket through the universe with your favorite superstars as they save the day, sing some songs and have a hip-happenin’ good time in a 2-disc, 16-episode Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space complete series collection that hits all the right notes!

                                                                                                                                NEW 2021 1080p HD Master Sourced from 4K scan of preservation film elements!       

GREEN DOLPHIN STREET

Run Time             141:00

Subtitles               English SDH

Audio Specs:       DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English, MONO - English

Aspect Ratio:      1.37:1 4x3 FULL FRAME

Product Color    BLACK & WHITE

Disc Configuration           BD 50

Special Features: Lux Radio Theater Broadcast;  Theatrical Trailer (HD)    

                                                                        The Academy Award® winner about star-crossed love that spans the years – and the globe. After her triumph as the lunchroom temptress in the crime classic The Postman Always Rings Twice, Lana Turner expanded her range with Green Dolphin Street. Set in 19th century Europe and New Zealand, this sweeping romance tells the story of two beautiful sisters, one headstrong (Turner) and one gentle (Donna Reed), and of the man (Richard Hart) who marries one even though he loves the other. The film’s riptides of emotion are matched by breathtaking physical tumult: a fierce Maori uprising plus a catastrophic earthquake and tidal wave that earned the film a 1947 Oscar® for special effects. With its dramatic story and spectacular visuals, Green Dolphin Street drew huge audiences for epic moviemaking, being one of the top-ten box office hits of the year.

 NEW 2021 1080p HD Master Sourced from 4K scan of Nitrate preservation elements!               

BROADWAY MELODY OF 1940    

Run Time             102:00

Subtitles               English SDH

Audio Specs:       DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English, MONO - English

Aspect Ratio:      1.37:1 4x3 FULL FRAME

Product Color    BLACK & WHITE

Disc Configuration           BD 50

Special Features: Making-of Featurette: "Begin the Beguine" (hosted by Ann Miller); "Our Gang Comedies: The Big Premiere"; MGM Cartoon: "The Milky Way" ; Original Theatrical Trailer (HD)

 The job – a career breakthrough – is supposed to go to hoofer Johnny Brett, but a mix-up in names gives it to his partner. Another example of Broadway hopes dashed? Not when Johnny is played by Fred Astaire. Sparkling Cole Porter songs, clever comedy and dance legends Astaire and Eleanor Powell make the final Broadway Melody (co-starring George Murphy) a film to remember. Powell’s nautical “All Ashore" routine (a/k/a I Am the Captain”), Astaire’s blissful “I’ve Got My Eyes on You” and Fred & Eleanor's elaborate routine to Cole Porter's classic "I Concentrate On You" are more than enough to please any fan. But they’re just a warm-up for the leads to tap one finale number into immortality: “Begin the Beguine,” introduced by Frank Sinatra in That’s Entertainment! with, “You can wait around and hope, but you’ll never see the likes of this again.”                                                                                     

 NEW 2021 1080p HD Master Sourced from a new 4K restoration of the last-known surviving nitrate Technicolor print!

DOCTOR X (1932)            

Run Time             76:00

Subtitles               English SDH

Audio Specs:       DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English, MONO - English

Aspect Ratio:      1.37:1 4x3 FULL FRAME

Product Color      COLOR; BLACK & WHITE

Disc Configuration           BD 50

Special Features: Alternate B&W version of feature; DOCTOR X (HD): UCLA Before & After Restoration featurette (HD); New documentary: "Monsters and Mayhem: The Horror Films of Michael Curtiz (HD); New feature commentary by author/film historian Alan K. Rode; Archival feature commentary by Scott MacQueen, head of preservation, UCLA Film and Television Archive. Original B&W Theatrical Trailer (HD)             

 Is there a (mad) doctor in the house? “Yes!” shrieks Doctor X, filmed in rare two-strip Technicolor®. An eminent scientist aims to solve a murder spree by re-creating the crimes in a lab filled with all the dials, gizmos, bubbling beakers and crackling electrostatic charges essential to the genre. Lionel Atwill is Doctor Xavier, pre-King Kong scream queen Fay Wray is a distressed damsel and Lee Tracy snaps newshound patter, all under the direction of renowned Michael Curtiz. The new two-color Technicolor master was restored by UCLA Film and Television Archive and The Film Foundation in association with Warner Bros. Entertainment. Funding provided by the Hobson/Lucas Foundation. Also includes the separately filmed B&W version (which has been restored and restored from its original nitrate camera negative) originally intended for small U.S. markets and International distribution, and which has been out of distribution for over 30 years.

 NEW 2021 1080p HD Master Sourced from 4K scan of original nitrate Technicolor negatives!       

ANNIE GET YOUR GUN (1950)

Run Time             107:00

Subtitles               English SDH

Sound Quality    DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English

Aspect Ratio       1.37:1 4x3 FULL FRAME

Product Color    COLOR

Disc Configuration           BD 50

Special Features: Susan Lucci retrospective & intro piece (from 2000 DVD release); Outtakes: Let’s Go West Again-Betty Hutton, Doin’ What Comes Natur’lly-Judy Garland, I’m an Indian, Too-Judy Garland,  Colonel Buffalo Bill with Howard Keel and Frank Morgan; Stereo audio pre-recording session tracks including There’s No Business Like Show Business featuring Judy Garland; Theatrical Re-issue Trailer (HD)

 Betty Hutton (as Annie Oakley) and Howard Keel (as Frank Butler) star in this sharpshootin’ funfest based on the 1,147-performance Broadway smash boasting Irving Berlin’s beloved score, including “Doin’ What Comes Natur’lly,” “I Got the Sun in the Morning” and the anthemic “There’s No Business Like Show Business.” As produced by Arthur Freed, directed by George Sidney, and seen and heard in this new remastered HD presentation, this lavish, spirited production showcases songs and performances with bull’s-eye precision, earning an Oscar®* for adaptation scoring. The story is a brawling boy-meets-girl-meets-buckshot rivalry. But love finally triumphs when Annie proves that, yes, you can get a man with a gun!                                                                    

 NEW 2021 1080p HD Master!                                                                                 QUICK CHANGE (1990)

Run Time             88:00

Subtitles               English SDH

Sound Quality    DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English

Aspect Ratio       1.85:1, 16 X 9 WIDESCREEN

Product Color    COLOR

Disc Configuration           BD 25

Special Feature: Theatrical Trailer

 The star of Caddyshack, Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day headlines and codirects this uproarious Big Apple heist-and-pursuit caper. Bill Murray plays Grimm, a frazzled urbanite who disguises himself as a clown – and sets out to rob a bank. Geena Davis and Randy Quaid play accomplices in Grimm’s daring scheme and Jason Robards is the blustery cop caught up in Grimm’s “Clown Day Afternoon.” Swiping a million bucks is a snap compared to getting out of town. Grimm and cohorts commandeer a car, a cab, a bus, a baggage tram and a plane (and encounter future stars Stanley Tucci and Tony Shalhoub in hilarious supporting roles) to make what becomes a less-than-merry escape. But for comedy lovers, Quick Change is a ticket to ride!                                                                                                 

 NEW 2021 1080p HD Master Sourced from 4K scan of best surviving nitrate preservation elements!            EACH DAWN I DIE (1939)

Run Time             92:00

Subtitles               English SDH

Audio Specs:       DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English, MONO - English

Aspect Ratio:      1.37:1 4x3 FULL FRAME

Product Color    BLACK & WHITE

Disc Configuration           BD 50    

Special Features: Warner Night at the Movies including 1939 Short Subjects Gallery: Vintage Newsreel,  WB Technicolor Short: "A Day at Santa Anita", WB Cartoon: "Detouring America"; Restrospective featurette: "Stool Pigeons and Pine Overcoats: The Language of Gangster Films" ; Feature Commentary by Film Historian Haden Guest; Breakdowns of 1939: Studio Blooper Reel; WB Cartoon: "Each Dawn I Crow"; Radio show w/George Raft & Franchot Tone; Trailer for "Wings of the Navy" and Original Theatrical Trailer for Each Dawn I Die (HD)  

 Framed for manslaughter after he breaks a story about city corruption, reporter Frank Ross is sure he’ll prove his innocence and walk out of prison a free man. But that’s not how the system works at Rocky Point Penitentiary. There, cellblock guards are vicious, the jute-mill labor is endless, and the powers Ross fought on the outside conspire to keep him in. Frank’s hope is turned to hopelessness. And he’s starting to crack. Two of the screen’s famed tough guys star in this prison movie that casts a reform-minded eye on the brutalizing effects of life in the slammer. James Cagney “hits a white-hot peak as [Ross,] the embittered, stir-crazy fall guy” (Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide). And George Raft (Cagney’s friend since their vaudeville days) portrays racketeer Hood Stacey, who may hold the key to springing Ross.                               

 NEW 2021 1080p HD Master Sourced from 4K scan of best surviving preservation elements!                 

ANOTHER THIN MAN (1939)

Run Time             102:00

Subtitles               English SDH

Audio Specs:       DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English, MONO - English

Aspect Ratio:      1.37:1 4x3 FULL FRAME

Product Color    BLACK & WHITE

Disc Configuration           BD 50    

Special Features: M-G-M Musical Short: Love on Tap; Classic M-G-M Cartoon: The Bookworm

 Dum-Dum, Wacky, Creeps, Fingers: They’re just a few of the hoodlums in the world of amateur sleuths and professional bon vivants Nick and Nora Charles. And now there’s a new hood: parenthood. A birthday – make that boithday – party that some of da boys hold for infant Nick Jr. is part of the fun in this third film in the witty series. The case begins when the Charles family arrives for a weekend with a Long Island industrialist who fears someone wants to kill him. Sure enough, his fears come true. Nick (William Powell) is among the suspects. Asta scrams with what may be the murder weapon. And Nora (Myrna Loy) has her own ideas about the case and sneaks off to a nightclub to ferret out a clue. “Madam, how long have you been leading this double life?” Nick asks. “Just since we’ve been married,” she replies.

[sabineelectricheart]

Overnight Clairvoyance

Summary: Estella has been having strange dreams about her best friend and they are making her confused and anxious. Is pulling back really the answer? How does Sam feel about all that?

Rating: K+ - Suitable for more mature childen, 9 years and older, with minor action violence without serious injury. May contain mild coarse language. Should not contain any adult themes.

Words: 2100

Notes: Friends to lovers. What not to love about that?

Estella shot up from her large bed, her chest heaving, as she tries to anchor herself back into awoken reality.

The sunny day was quiet and tranquil, as it often is in the valley. Her bedroom was on the second floor, and so even the animal and labour noises typical of country living went mostly unheard.

However, the tranquillity of her environment did not translate to a tranquillity to her heart. The auburn-haired girl had been having another dream, a blissful and happy one, but then she awoke feeling nothing but dread.

This was nothing new. She had been having these dreams for months, now, to the point she is close to take on the doctor’s offer to talk to a psychologist. They depicted a future of a happy and blissful relationship, days passed by with lazy, languid kisses and longing and loving stares. The dreams were everything anyone could ever want out of a romantic relationship.

If it was just the general situation, Estella would have been perfectly fine about those oneiric trips every other night. The problem, however, laid with who starred in these fantasies.

Sam had been her best friend since early childhood. A long time ago, before her father passed away and his had been shipped away to war, his family had been tenants at the farm, and so Estella had been encouraged to spend time with the hyper blond boy around the property.

Over time, the relationship blossomed, even after Kent enlisted and was sent beyond the Gem Sea, after Jodi moved with the children into town. They had seen all of each other’s important milestones, they had been there for each other through everything, good and bad. She had always thought of Sam as a brother, just like she did Vincent.

That was, until the dreams began.

Suddenly his very presence made her stomach erupt with fireworks and roses bloom on her cheeks. Every smile he sent her made the girl nervous and every bit of contact made goosebumps arise on her otherwise soft skin.

It did not help at all that her friendship with Sam had always been touchy. From a young age, the two of them would hold hands or hug often. Many nights the two of them could be found cuddling on the large living room couch downstairs, her head on his chest, his arm wrapped around her waist, and her legs tangled together.

It had never bothered her before, despite many, many, many innuendos from her granddad, but suddenly every touch made her skin burn.

It was not as if they never had fallen in love before! Both of them had their own romantic adventures with other people, and they have always been honest about those, without any drama or jealousy. Why that insanity now?!

Estella knew it was horribly cliche, this whole thing about falling in love with her best friend, but the dreams made it an inevitability. She could not escape her fantasies of a domestic life with Sam, but there was too much at stake for her to ever reveal her feelings.

She could not even think about the possibility of him rejecting her without shuddering. At the very least, their friend group would shatter. She knew people would take sides and most of their friends would pick the lovable doof Sam over entitled princess Estella. Then, she would be forced to hang out with Haley, or worse, her own mother.

It was also not too difficult to conclude that, if Sam did not feel the same for her, she would lose him forever. She could not bear the thought of a life completely devoid of him. She would rather suffer the curse of eternal friendzone than the anguish of a ruined relationship, not to mention the fact that she would lose her relationship with Jodi, Kent and Vincent. They were like her second family and she could never hazard the possibility of ruining that.

So, Estella tried to pull back slightly, hoping that the distance would help rid her of those blasted feelings. Of course, the girl did not disappear completely from town, she was not able to stand the idea of that. She just… Stopped touching him as much and she spent more time in the farm than at the town square with him.

The auburn-haired girl could not tell if he noticed or not, but she dearly hoped that it all went on under the radar and he believed that everything was fine.

Estella looked around her room, realizing that the birds were not chirping on the trees near her window, and so it must already be well into the day. She spared a glance at the alarm clock on her bedside table and realized it was almost noon, which was very surprising, as she often rose at no later than seven o’clock.

She groaned as she realized that she was supposed to meet Sam nearly an hour ago. She hoped he would not be too angry that she overslept.

The farm owner’s granddaughter sighed and got up, her feet padding towards her dresser. She took a glance at herself in the mirror, grimacing at the messiness of her long and soft hair. She smiled, though, when she realized that, in last night’s sleep-induced haze, she had pulled one of Sam’s jumpers over her head.

She took a deep breath, inhaling the remnants of his scent on the sweater. He had forgotten the article of clothing at her house almost a season ago, when he trekked through snow for a movie night, but was driven back home on her mother’s garish pink convertible. The stupid infatuation was picking up steam by them, and so she hid it under her bed, wishing she could keep it for herself.

Luckily, Sam never seemed to notice he was down a sweater. Jodi must have thought he had ripped it irreversibly on a skateboard accident, as it often happens.

Her deep thoughts were interrupted by a sharp knock at the door. She frowned and smoothed down her hair, unsure of who it could be.

She walked over and opened the door, only to be met by Sam barrelling through the doorframe.

“Sam?” Estella squeaked, surprise overtaking her. “How did you get up here?”

Sam ran a hand through his blond, stupidly spiky hair and turned to face her. “You really think that your family could stop me from checking on you?”

It was a lie, of course. He was deathly afraid of her mother, and had a profound reverence towards her grandfather. If either of them had told him he could not come up, he would never try to disobey.

“So… I’m wagering that they are out.” The girl jabbed, playfully.

“I saw your mother going out with the car, and your granddad is usually out on the fields at this hour.” He said with a flaunt, his commentary clearly intended to be a joke but the frown on his face ruining the effect.

She laughed softly, though the sound was hollow. She wrung her hands, preparing the apology that was about to spill from her lips.

“Listen, Sam…” Estella started, avoiding his gaze.

“What did I do wrong?” He asked suddenly, interrupting her in a most abrupt manner.

She froze, unsure of what to say. It seems that her hopes of counting on her friend’s overall detachment were about to be dashed.

“Because I think that you’ve been avoiding me and now, you’re not showing up for our plans, and I don’t know what I did!” He said quickly, the words spilling from his lips desperately.

She shuffled awkwardly in her place, next to the dresser.

“I didn’t mean to not show up this morning…” The girl said, meekly, trying to diffuse the situation.

Sam furrowed his thick eyebrows.

“So, you did remember that we had plans?” The boy questioned.

She looked up at him with an apologetic look.

“Of course, I remembered.” She said. “I just overslept.”

Sam let out a sigh of relief, his shoulders slumping.

“I feel quite dumb now!” He joked with a laugh. “I overreacted quite a bit, don’t you think?”

Estella gave him a forced smile, knowing that, while he had been wrong about her ditching plans, she had, in fact, been actively trying to avoid him.

Sam flopped dramatically onto her bed, kicking off his shoes in the process.

“Please hold me. It’s been a day!” He said with a playful grin on his face, his arms outstretched to welcome her into his embrace.

She laughed and made her way towards him.

“Sam, it’s not even noon yet.” The auburn-haired replied with a smile. “Wouldn’t you prefer to at least have lunch beforehand?”

Despite her token resistance, Estella clamoured into bed next to him, feeling the warmth of his strong arms around her needy body.

“What about our plans?” She asked softly. “I thought we’d go to the community centre.”

Sam let out a non-committal noise and pulled his totally-platonic friend closer.

“We can always go next weekend. I want to hang out just you and me.” He said, earnestly. “I’ve missed spending time with my girl.”

His careless words sent a jolt of electricity up her spine. She snuggled closer into his chest, pretending for a moment that maybe he wanted her the way that she wanted him.

*_*_*_*_*

Several hours later, Estella woke up, still curled up next to Sam. At some point, the two of them had fallen asleep in her bed. She looked up to look at his sleeping face, admiring how his eyelashes fluttered against his skin. She reached up and poked his cheek, causing him to stir slightly.

“Wake up, sleepyhead.” She said softly in his ear.

He groaned, stretching out his legs and his back. He reached up a hand and rubbed his droopy eyes. He seemed dazed and half asleep, not fully aware of what was going on. He looked at her face and she saw a gentle smile grace his lips.

“I think that you might be my soulmate…” He murmured softly, his eyes half-lidded and his voice groggy.

Estella felt her face fall in shock.

“What?” She whispered out numbly.

Sam seemed to wake up fully then, shooting up to sit in the bed. He put his head in his hands.

“Fuck.” He grumbled. “I didn’t mean to say that.”

She sat up, brushing hair away from her face, and removed her hands from his face.

“Sam, honey.” She breathed, trying to keep her voice even. “Why would you say something like that?”

He looked at his lap, avoiding her gaze.

“I’ve been having these dreams, you know?” He began to explain. “Where you and I are, I don’t know, together, I guess. Happily married, boyfriend and girlfriend, something like that.”

It took everything in her not to gasp at his words. It was just like her own.

“Everything that happens in the dreams is just so perfect, and I know that you’re so perfect, even in the real world. If I could have a Stardrop here and now, I know that it’d show those dreams becoming reality. I really, really want to be with you, and this is my heart’s fondest desire.” He said softly.

Estella sat on the bed in shocked silence, unsure of what to say. How was that possible? That they had both been dreaming of one another?

“And now you’re turning so quiet, and I’m pretty sure that I just messed everything up, but I think that I love you.” The blond boy admitted. “I know I’ve always been shit at sorting out my own feelings, but something about these dreams seems too real for them to mean nothing.”

His voice was filled with nothing but sincerity, his eyes downcast as he took her silence as a rejection.

“I’ve been dreaming of you, too.” Estella finally admitted.

He looked up at his crush with a wide-eyed expression, a shocked smile spreading across his face.

“You have?” He questioned breathily.

The girl nodded shyly.

“I have. And I think you might be right.” She said softly. “I really do think we might be soulmates.”

Sam let out an airy laugh before tackling her into a bear hug. He was feeling so damn excited that he could swim to the Fern Islands and back. She giggled as he pressed a quick kiss to her cheek and tickled her side.

“Sam!” Estella shrieked in excitement, slapping his shoulder playfully to make him stop teasing her.

“Hey, get used to it!” He said playfully. “I am your soulmate, after all.”

*_*_*_*_*

Stardew Valley Masterlist

[brokehorrorfan]

Blu-ray Review: Big Trouble in Little China

While cinephiles reflect on John Carpenter's output from the '70s and '80s with great reverence - some might argue that it's an unparalleled run of genre classics - many of his films were considered failures upon initial release due to a lack of commercial success. The Thing is the most well-documented example, but Big Trouble in Little China suffered a similar fate. Produced by 20th Century Fox, the film's domestic gross of $11.1 million only covered about half of its budget, and the critical reception was mixed.

Disillusioned by the Hollywood system, the production influenced Carpenter to return to his independent roots, where he would stay for much of the remainder of his career. But, like many of the master of horror's works, Big Trouble found a cult audience through television and home video. Difficult to classify, the genre-bending adventure combines elements of action (martial arts, no less), comedy, fantasy, horror, western, and even a dash of romance.

The film follows swaggering truck driver Jack Burton (Kurt Russell, The Thing), who finds big trouble while passing through California's Chinatown. He becomes mixed up with Lo Pan (James Hong, Blade Runner), an ancient, evil sorcerer with a legion of warrior followers. Burton has a crew of his own, including his newfound love interest, Gracie Law (Kim Cattrall, Sex and the City); his friend with a vendetta against Lo Pan, Wang Chi (Dennis Dun, Prince of Darkness); and Egg Shen (Victor Wong, 3 Ninjas), who shares his expertise in magic.

Big Trouble in Little China plays out like John Carpenter's answer to Indiana Jones. In lesser hands, it would be little more than a campy B-movie, but Carpenter's unique lens elevates the material without losing the quirkiness. Aside from a plot that's more complicated than it needs to be, this is the closest Carpenter ever came to making a children's movie, complete with an extremely '80s end credit theme song performed by The Coupe De Villes (consisting of Carpenter and filmmaking friends Nick Castle and Tommy Lee Wallace).

The screenplay began as a cowboy western that incorporated Chinese fantasy elements, written by first-timers Gary Goldman (Total Recall) and David Z. Weinstein, before script doctor W.D. Richter (Invasion of the Body Snatchers) adapted it from the Old West to a contemporary setting. When it came time to shoot, Carpenter smartly solicited input from the Asian cast and crew members to ensure well-rounded portrayals rather than stereotypes.

The introduction of Chinese mysticism allows for the inclusion of monsters, which were created by Steve Johnson (Ghostbusters, Species). The special effects guru was initially disappointed to have to make cartoony characters, per Carpenter's request - but, after seeing the final product, he conceded that the filmmaker was right. The creatures are not a far cry from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles villains, but there's a charm to them that fits the picture's atypical tone.

Jack Burton is ostensibly the prototypical action hero, as the story is framed around him. Upon closer inspection, however, the character is little more than a bumbling sidekick to Wang Chi, who actually knows what he's doing. Burton serves as the voice of the Western audience, ignorant of the mythology and incredulous to the sorcery. Russell, in his fourth of five collaborations with Carpenter, tackles the charismatic part with aplomb.

Big Trouble in Little China has received a new Collector's Edition Blu-ray courtesy of Shout Factory. It's available in both standard and limited edition Steelbook packaging with artwork by Laz Marquez and Nathanael Marsh, respectively. In their final collaboration, Carpenter and longtime cinematographer Dean Cundey's (Halloween, Jurassic Park) widescreen visuals shine even more in high definition, utilizing an existing transfer that’s sharp.

The first of two discs features three audio commentaries, two of which are new. The first is more of an extended interview with producer Larry Franco, hosted by special features producer Justin Beahm. Rarely mentioning what's on screen, they discuss Franco's entire career - including his lengthy stint on Carpenter film's from Elvis to They Live - in chronological order. The second new track finds Johnson in conversation with Sharknado filmmaker Anthony C. Ferrante. Thanks to Johnson's unfiltered nature, it's a fascinating and entertaining chat in which he divulges that he funded his early makeup supplies by selling marijuana, beer, and shoplifted goods to friends.

An archival commentary with Carpenter and Russell, recorded circa 2001, is full of laughs between the two friends. They poke fun at the fact that the movies they do together don't catch on until later, while Carpenter acknowledges that the Big Trouble set was reused in Janet Jackson's "When I Think of You" music video. An isolated score track, featuring 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio of the synth soundtrack composed by Carpenter in association with regular collaborator Alan Howarth (They Live, Christine), is also available.

The first disc also includes: a vintage audio interview with Carpenter promoting the film; electronic press kit interviews with Carpenter, Russell, Dun, Cattrall, Hong, and visual effects artist Richard Edlund (Star Wars); deleted and extended scenes, including the extended ending; a gag reel; the Coupe De Villes' music video, which somehow makes the song feel even more overtly '80s; three theatrical trailers, one of which is in Spanish; five TV spots; and three photo galleries: movie stills, posters and lobby cards, and behind-the-scenes pictures.

The second disc contains a whopping twelve new interviews with cast and crew members. Dunn discusses his transition from marketing student to actor on a whim. Hong, equipped with a paper fan that he puts to good use when discussing Big Trouble, calls Lo Pan one of his best roles. Actor Donald Li, noting the stereotypical nature of most Asian roles in Hollywood, says he identified with his happy-go-lucky character of Eddie Lee. Actor Carter Wong discusses how his martial arts training led to a film career and his explosive death scene as Thunder. Actor Peter Kwong, who plays Rain, details the racial prejudices he faced early in his career, driving his aspirations to spread a message of humanity rather than race. Actor Al Leong, who plays the Hatchet Man, is animated in his praise for Carpenter.

Richter details how he turned the original period western script into a contemporary film. Goldman provides additional context to the earlier script, including original scenes that were modernized. Martial arts choreographer James Lew explains how he was drawn to martial arts because he saw Asian representation in Bruce Lee films. Castle - best known for playing Michael Myers in Halloween and co-writing Escape from New York - tells more of his origins and musical background that led to The Coupe De Villes. Wallace - who directed Halloween III and It - calls music his first love as he discusses his lifelong friendship with Carpenter, including their earlier musical collaborations. Legendary poster artist Drew Struzan (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter) shares his fascinating backstory and admits that he posed for his own reference photo for Kurt Russell's body on the poster.

Although they did not participate in new extras, 2013 interviews with Carpenter and Russell offer their recent thoughts on the project. The straight-talking Carpenter is open about his unpleasant experience dealing with the studio, while Russell looks back on his Carpenter collaboration with fondness but reveals that the studio intentionally buried the release. There's also interviews from the same period with Cundey, who briefly touches on his many Carpenter collaborations; Franco, which features a lot of the same information from the commentary; and stuntman/actor Jeff Imada. Extras are rounded out by an archival interview with Endlund, who breaks down several visual effect gags, and a vintage making-of featurette.

Big Trouble in Little China is available now on Blu-ray and Steelbook via Scream Factory.

[everlarkbirthdaygifts]

Happy birthday, historywriter2007!

The day is drawing to a close, but we want to wish @historywriter2007​ a very happy birthday! To help keep the celebrating going, @booksrockmyface​ has written a little story just for you!

Title: Pins and Needles

Rated: E

Trigger Warning: Fires, injured firefighters, gruesome scenes in a hospital.

Author’s note: Happiest of days! Hoping this will meet all your birthday expectations. It’s a little angsty. (Thanks to @neighborhoodkitchenwitch​ for giving this a once-over.)

______________________________

The news reporter Caesar Flickerman spoke gravely over the footage playing on the TV. The courthouse was ablaze People were being escorted out by firefighters and ushered to the waiting paramedics.

Katniss looked at her phone, not for the first time, and groaned when she found there were no new messages. Peeta was in the middle of a week-long shift at the firehouse. He was definitely there fighting this fire. There would be no way for him to send her a message he was okay until it was all over with. She had been through this so many times, especially since they were married a few months ago.

She sat down heavily on the sofa and put her face in her hands. She should turn off the TV and do something to distract herself. She reached for the remote, but Caesar’s commentary gave her pause.

“The flames appear to be growing.” Caesar placed his hand on his ear and listened. “We’re getting reports of some firefighters might be trapped inside.”

Katniss opened her phone and sent a text to Annie. Do you know anything?

Annie’s reply was quick. Nothing. Want to come over?

Katniss considered it a moment and then declined. She didn’t want to be on the road in case there was some big development.

This could be a while. Offer still stands. Annie’s next text read.

Katniss continued to watch the news coverage, even though she knew it was the worst thing she could be doing. After several grueling minutes, a pair of firefighters came out of the building. One was being carried across the other’s back, his leg hanging at a very worrisome angle.

She watched, barely breathing. The fire was beginning to come under control. Several more agonizing minutes passed.

Then Katniss’s phone started ringing. She quickly answered and pressed the phone to her ear. “Yes? Hello?”

Finnick’s voice came through the line. “Peeta’s okay, but he’s in bad shape. Heading to the hospital. Get there now.”

Katniss disconnected the call as she dashed out the door, fumbling to find her car key. She drove in a daze, but somehow made it in one piece. She spotted Prim dashing into a room with an armful of supplies.

Prim noticed her at the same time and pointed. “Trauma two.” Then she was gone.

Katniss moved in the direction her sister pointed to and saw so many doctors and nurses gathered around someone on a gurney. His leg was stripped down and impossibly mangled.

“You can’t be here, ma’am.” One of the nurses said.

“If that’s Peeta Mellark, I’m his wife.” Katniss stood rooted to the spot.

The nurse exchanged a look with someone and they exchanged places. The woman, someone about her age, removed her gloves and the smock that covered her scrubs. Katniss realized it was Delly the moment her arm came around Katniss.

She smiled that same kind smile she gave everyone. “We need you to fill out some paperwork.”

Katniss tried to move away, but Delly held her firm. “I need to know his condition.”

Delly continued to smile and helped her find a seat in the waiting area. She sat down beside Katniss. “He’s stable, right now,” Delly assured her. “But we are still trying to assess the full extent of his injuries.” She popped up and talked to a woman at the reception desk and came back with a clipboard. “We need you to fill out these forms. I’ll make sure someone comes to update you soon.” Delly started to rise.

Katniss asked, “What happened to his leg?”

“I’ll have the doctor come talk to you.”

Katniss let out a shaky breath and tried to fill out the paperwork.

She didn’t know how much time had passed, it seemed like an eternity, when a woman came into the room. “Are you Katniss?”

She was startled by the sound of her voice. “Yes, that’s me.”

The woman sat down in the vacant chair. “My name is Dr. Portia Danvers. I’ve been working on your husband.”

“How is he?”

“Stable. A wall collapsed and fell on his leg. It’s crushed. An orthopedist is in examining him now to assess the damage more fully.”

Katniss swallowed. “Can I go see him, please?”

Portia nodded. “Follow me.” She stood and led Katniss back toward the curtained area.

A familiar doctor straightened up and covered Peeta’s leg with the blanket. He wrote a note and hung the clipboard on the end of the bed. When he spotted Katniss, Cinna gave her a kind smile. “Hello there.”

“Cinna, what’s going on?” Katniss moved to the top of the bed and smoothed a hand over Peeta’s hair. His eyes were closed and his breathing was steady. He didn’t stir.

“The damage appears to be very extensive,” Cinna explained softly, “I need to get him a CT scan to be certain, but I believe the leg may need amputated.” “Does he know this?” Katniss asked softly.

Portia spoke from a few feet away, “He was put under as soon as he got here because he was in severe pain.”

Katniss nodded. “Set up whatever you need.”

“We’ll make sure he’s moved to a room as soon as possible.” Cinna squeezed Katniss’s shoulder and left.

________

Katniss watched the monitors beeping and listened to the chatter outside the curtain. Things moved slowly and then all at once. Peeta was brought to a private room and then for a scan a short time later. Katniss paced the halls.

Surgery was scheduled. Katniss drank lots of coffee and dozed in the chair beside Peeta’s bed. Prim came in for a visit between shifts.

Late the next day, before the doctor had a chance to come in for rounds, Peeta groaned painfully.

Katniss sat up. “Peeta?”

“I hurt all over.” He croaked.

“I know. It was pretty bad, Peeta.”

“My leg—”

Katniss put her hand on top of Peeta’s to stop him. “It was crushed. The damage was more than they could repair.”

“It’s gone?” He asked.

“Yeah, it is.”

Peeta dropped his head back on the bed. “The room is spinning. And I’m so tired.” He winced. “It hurts.”

“You can sleep. I’ll get someone in here to give you something for the pain.”

Peeta grabbed her hand and squeezed it hard. “I love you.”

Katniss leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips. “I love you too.”

[superman86to99]

Action Comics #691 (September 1993)

REIGN OF THE SUPERMEN! The Superman in Black and the black Superman (Steel) infiltrate the giant mega-fortress made by the black-hearted Superman (Cyborg) over the ruins of Coast City. Steel and the Man in Black didn't seem to get along when they first met two weeks ago, but they quickly bond as they battle of hordes of robots and alien warriors together.

Meanwhile, we find out Superboy survived last week's missile explosion over Metropolis and landed on a dump by the bay, where he's warmly greeted by Lex Luthor II. Lex wants to know where Supergirl is (she disappeared around the time Team Superman left for Coast/Engine City), but Superboy isn't much help in his current condition.

Back in the robo-fortress, Steel marvels at the Man in Black's incredible luck: whenever a robot's about to shoot him, its gun seems to malfunction and explode. It's like some invisible superbeing is following them around and helping out! Because that's exactly what's going on -- Supergirl's been tagging along the whole time in her invisible form, helping the Supermen while snooping all over the Cyborg's fortress. Now that's she watched enough aliens pooping, she's ready to reveal herself.

Elsewhere in Engine City, the Cyborg's lackey, Mongul, has grown tired of being bullied by his boss and is like "screw this, I'm out". He plans to go back to space after prematurely activating the engine that gives Engine City its name, even if it destroys the planet. Oh, yeah, and said engine is powered by... a huge chunk of Kryptonite! Somehow! TO BE CONTINUED.

Plotline-Watch:

Hey, wasn't this the Eradicator's series? Where is that guy? Still recovering at the Fortress of Solitude, where the robots tell him he should be in tip-top condition in a few weeks or so. Unfortunately the Eradicator, too, goes "screw this, I'm out" and uses up all of the Fortress' juice to heal himself early. He then emerges from the Fortress' ruins looking like Clint Eastwood in a swimsuit.

FORTRESS DESTRUCTION COUNT: 2. The previous Fortress-destroying instance was also caused by the Eradicator (back when he looked like a space egg), but hey, he built the place, so it's okay.

GOOF: The Man in Black claims he hasn’t felt this helpless since the dashing Mr. Mxyzptlk took his powers away in Superman #49, but that didn’t happen to him, that happened to Superman. Who’s now dead. Duh.

As of this issue, Steel, Supergirl, Superboy, the Eradicator, and even Mongul are in the "Man in Black is the real Superman" camp. Don Sparrow says: “I like that so many characters take the time to acknowledge that there’s just something about the Man in Black that makes them feel like this is the real Superman. Even villains!” FOOLS!

Gonad Face and Lil' Lion Guy from Superman #81 are helping Mongul in his escape/sabotage plan. The Cyborg doesn't inspire a ton of loyalty in his subordinates, it seems.

Maybe everyone should have seen the Cyborg's heel turn coming, given that the dude talks like Doctor Doom.

Wait, holy shit, just realized something. In Jonathan Hickman's Fantastic Four comics it's established that all alternate versions of Reed Richards from across the multiverse eventually go mad and turn evil, except for regular Marvel Universe Reed. And, as you know, Hank "Cyborg" Henshaw started out as a blatant Reed copycat. Damn, this Superman era is so good at pre-planning that they foreshadowed an event happening in another company decades before the fact.

More commentary and stuff I missed from Don Sparrow, after the jump!

Art-Watch (by @donsparrow​):

We start with the cover, and it’s a pretty good one, if a little busy.   We get a nice central image of the man in black breaking through, with images of the other Supermen among the shards.  The white teeth on the cyborg look a bit off, but otherwise a pretty good cover (note that they even fractured the title dress, which is a rare thing!)

The issue opens with a pretty cool full page splash, showing the enormous scale of Engine City  I’m still confused how large expanses of flat, smooth surfaces could “grow” out of the techy little pods they showed during Coast City’s destruction, but clearly I think about this too much.  

This issue is mainly a lot of slugging it out with a crew of alien mercenaries, the bulk of which appear to be Gordanians, alien slavers from the pages of Teen Titans, to my eye, which is a nice in-universe touch. [Max: Ha, you’re right! I thought they looked familiar but couldn’t place them.]

There’s a maybe visual callback to an earlier issue, where Superboy fails to fly after his confrontation with Lex Lunior.  It reminded me of way back in Adventures of Superman #480 when Superman couldn’t remain aloft after narrowly escaping vapourization in the sun when fighting the Eradicator.  

Nobody draws Cyborg Superman better than Jurgens and Breeding, but Jackson Guice does a pretty great job on page 9, showing the metalhead in profile.

I love the cutaway view of the Fortress of Solitude on page 11—these blueprint-like illustrations of lairs were a lot more commonplace in old comics, so I love the effort to show how expansive the place really is.  Or, was, for the next five minutes, as the Eradicator once again trashes the place to absorb more power.  I suspect Eradicator’s apparently blinking eyes are a colouring error on the following page, which is a shame, because it’s an otherwise excellent drawing.  I also like that they make the Eradicator look different from this point on, as it would be weird to have Superman, Cyborg Superman, AND Eradicator more or less all be sharing the same features (and Superboy looks more than a little like the real steel deal as well).  Keeping with Eradicator’s vigilante justice vibe, he looks for all the world like Clint Eastwood, circa 1994 here.

Some great colour work on page 20, when we see Superman and the Man of Steel as viewed with Cyborg Superman’s infrared vision, as well as a nice in-story callback to the poster from the Cyborg’s first full issue.  

STRAY OBSERVATIONS

Godwatch: Roger Stern is the most consistent user of Biblical imagery and quotations, and he leans into that on page 14, as Bible-sounding phrases like “power and…glory”, “vengeance shall be mine” and even the narration says “Heaven help us all.”  Steel invokes a deity when Supergirl is revealed, on page 16.

It’s a nice detail that Superman takes time to reload his weapons, as mentioned on page 17.  It also adds a practical use to his badass Image-comics-y bullet belts.

I like that Supergirl helping Superman with flying and leaping explains some of his ability, but it’s also exciting that we get little hints that he’s slowly regaining his powers, as when he leaps the 30 feet on page 18. [Max: I just assumed she was gently carrying him down there.]

The issue is mostly Superman and Steel duking their way into Engine City, where not a lot else happens.  This makes the intrigue between the Cyborg and Mongul all the more interesting.

Mongul is a big talker, but as discussed on the message boards for this very site, he does more than bow to the Cyborg when they meet again much later on.

[Max: The back of the Cyborg’s hand must be worn down by now from all that smooching.]

[buriednurbckyrd]

Necessary Paradox (10)

The teasing almost wasn't worth it, but Tony was nothing if not a loyal friend.  Some of his generosity may have stemmed from his natural tendency to show off, but that didn't make the gesture any less kind or appreciated. Even if Steve did kind of want to throttle the man for all the less than subtle remarks about his sex life.  

“You're the one that went to Stark,” Bucky reminded him with a smug grin as they divvied up their Chinese take out.  “I don't know why you always seem surprised when he runs his mouth.”  Steve stabbed at a piece of chicken.  

“I'm not surprised, I just thought maybe he would lay off a little since he's met Y/N now.”  Bucky snorted.

“Wishful thinking, pal.”  

“Whatever.  The bottom line is he came through in the end and if Y/N is on board with it she can make the appointment knowing that we have a safe place to get through her heat.”

“I know 'safe and secure' is the big selling point here, but you might want to add in a dash of romance when you tell her about it.”  

“I'm not an idiot,” Steve grumbled.  “I know I don't have a lot of dating and relationship experience but I do know my Omega.”  Bucky held up his hands in mock surrender.  

“No judgment! I'm just here for the egg rolls.”  

“I need to make this good for her so badly,” he said quietly.  “I hate what she's gone though, Buck.  She's finally ready to move on and I'm terrified that I'll do something that will...I don't know, trigger her?”  

“I think you need to trust yourself more, and her.  Y/N doesn't strike me as the kind of person that makes snap decisions.  She trusts you, and herself.  You need to do the same.”  The two of them sat in silence for a while after that, Bucky continuing to eat his way through the majority of the food, Steve absently picking through the container in front of him while he contemplated his best friend's words.  Bucky knew he had worked it out in his head when Steve smiled to himself and pulled his phone out of his pocket.  “Tell Y/N I said 'hi'.”  He yelled as the other man left to make his call in private.  

…

Y/N pressed a hand to her stomach to try and soothe the butterflies. Despite the nerves, her face was radiant joy.  Will poked his head into her office and it took him several tries to get her attention.

“Hey, Earth to Y/N!  Did you get any of my texts?  J made meatballs, come upstairs and eat.”  

“Huh?” She looked up but Will wasn't sure she was actually seeing him. “Oh, yeah I'm coming.”  

“You okay?”  The Alpha asked with concern.  

“I'm...amazing. I heard from Steve and...I just made the appointment, Will.”  She rubbed her arm absently.  “It's coming out.”  

…

Steve reached over and took her hand, lifting it to his lips to kiss her knuckles.  Y/N turned away from the passing scenery outside her window and smiled.  

“How are you feeling?”  He asked, still holding her hand while he drove.

“Still the same,” she chuckled softly.  “It's only been a few hours, Steve.”  He shrugged and grinned.  

“You know I'm not going to quit checking, right?”  She nodded and leaned over to kiss his cheek.  

“I do, and I appreciate your concern.  Have I told you lately how lucky I am that you're my Alpha?”  She watched the happiness and embarrassed pride war in his expression and it made her giggle.

“I'd say I'm the lucky one,” he replied, glancing over at her with a soft look in his eyes that made her heart stutter in her chest. “Regardless of what happens in the next few weeks together…  If you change your mind about bonding now…  I just want you to know that I'm not going any where.”

“Steve-” He kissed her hand again.

“I have to say it now, okay?  I never thought I would find you.  I never thought it would feel like this, and Y/N...”  He trailed off and focused intensely on the road in front of them.  She felt words bubble up in her throat but swallowed them, waiting patiently for him to continue.  “I want to be a good mate for you.  I want to be the Alpha you deserve.”

“Pull over.”  He was startled by her command and hit the brake harder than he intended.  When the vehicle stopped he turned to face her but she had already undone her seat belt and launched herself at him.  

“I don't know what I did to deserve you, Steve Rogers,” she mumbled against his neck.  “Just when I start to think I can't possibly love you more, I just do.”  He cupped her cheek and his thumb brushed away a stray tear.  

“I didn't want to make you cry.”  

“Maybe I'm already getting hormonal emotional overflow.”  She joked.  “We should keep driving before the other symptoms kick in, Alpha.” She nipped his earlobe playfully and he groaned.  

“You're the one that told me to pull over, Omega,” but he shifted out of park as she settled back in her seat.  “And you shouldn't tease your driver.  I need you in one piece so I can ravage you later.”  The wink and smirk he sent her way made her whole body flood with warmth.  

“Noted. I'll keep my teasing to a minimum.”

“Thank you for the restraint,” he said dryly  “Now, does your arm feels all right?  Any pain?”  His change in subject cleared some of the lust from the air.

“Not so far.  The patch itches a little, but that might be more mental than anything.  I'm very aware of it.”  He glanced at the little band-aid covering the incision where the doctor had removed the implant.  He had been a little surprised at how tiny a thing it had been.  Medical science had come a very long way since his time. “Have you been here before?  Where we're going?”  She asked.  He shook his head and glanced at the GPS.  

“No, but Tony told me it's nice and private.”  The tips of his ears burned when he remembered the scientist's suggestive commentary and worry that he would regret asking for the billionaire's help briefly crossed his mind, and not for the first time.  “We should be nearly there.”  He frowned and searched their surroundings.  “If he programmed the wrong directions I'll knock him through a wall.” Y/N patted his leg.

“I'm sure he didn't do any such thing,” she assured the agitated Alpha. “He said 'private', and well, this looks pretty private.”  They hadn't passed anything other than forest in at least twenty minutes. “A secluded cabin in the woods, how romantic.”  The reassuring pat turned into a sly stroke over his thigh.  

“What did I say about teasing?”  He tried to sound authoritative but his growl had a bit of a whine in it.  

“Got you to stop being annoyed for a few seconds, didn't it?”  She said with an impish grin.  Steve sighed and shook his head, but he was smiling.  “Hey, is that a gate?”  Y/N asked.  He slowed down as they approached, but the GPS answered her question.  A voice not unlike the familiar tones of FRIDAY told them they had arrived at their destination.  He turned into a driveway and stopped in front of the gate Y/N had spotted.  

“Is a troll going to come out and ask us three riddles so we can pass?”

“I really hope not,” Steve laughed.  “I'm pretty sure this car has a sensor or something.”  He crept a little closer and they heard a series of beeps and then the voice of Tony Stark himself.  

“Welcome to the love shack, lovers.  No, I'm not spying, this is a prerecorded message to mess with you, Capsicle.  Maybe while you're smoochin' it up with Y/N you'll find a sense of humor.”  

“Oh for the love of- he's such an asshole.”  Steve dropped his head against the steering wheel and Y/N giggled.

“Any way, enjoy your sex-cation.  Don't worry about getting...fluids on any thing.  My cleaning crew is very good.” The gate began to swing open and Steve grumbled as he drove through.  

“From what you've told me, that's pretty tame coming from him.”  

“He just has to get the last word in.”  Steve sighed.  

“Holy shit!  This is not what I had in mind when I heard 'a nice cabin in the woods'.”  It wouldn't have been out of place in Aspen or some other mountain resort frequented by the very wealthy.  

“He doesn't do anything small, either.”  

“I think both mine and Will's childhood homes could fit in there with room to spare.”  She said in awe, as they got out of the parked vehicle.  

“The extra space could probably hold the old Brooklyn apartment I grew up in.  Maybe Bucky's too.”  He looked down as she laced her fingers with his.  

“I know you didn't love asking Tony for the favor, he likes to push your buttons.  But I'm glad you did.  I can't wait to spend this time with you here.”  She squeezed.  “But I would be happy with you anywhere.  Even that old Brooklyn apartment.”  He smiled at the thought.  

“I don't think I would've wanted to bring you there, it was pretty drafty.  And the neighbors were a little sketchy.”  

“Isn't that why I have my big, strong Alpha?  To keep me warm and safe?”  

“I can see through your flattery, little Omega.”  But he was grinning.

“Got you to stop being annoyed,” she echoed her earlier words.  “Should we stop admiring the outside and go admire the inside?”  

“I'd rather admire you.”  

“Now who's using flattery?”  She poked his stomach.  “Go use those big, strong muscles and grab our bags, yeah?”  He kissed the top of her head.

“Here, this is the key for the front door.”  He separated it from the others on the keyring and handed it to her before opening the back of the car.  They were both fairly light packers so there wasn't a lot of luggage.  He shut the back hatch and froze, Y/N hadn't opened the door.  She was just standing on the porch, her body stiff.  

“Y/N?” He called in alarm and sprinted for her, leaving the bags on the ground.  He grabbed her shoulder.  “Are you all right?”  She was holding a piece of paper, her face dazed.  

“Tony had one more surprise.”  She said weakly and handed him the letter.

Oh by the way love birds, this cabin now belongs to you.  Consider it a gesture of my great affection for you, Y/N.  And I guess I'm pretty fond of you too, Cap.  Happy mating. -T  

Next

[nellie-elizabeth]

Doctor Who: Resolution (2019 New Years Special)

Yeah okay, that was a lot of fun!

Cons:

I'm not upset on principle that we didn't get a Christmas Special. That's totally fine. But I will admit, there's a lot less you can do with New Year's Day. It just doesn't have as many iconic elements. Ultimately, the time of the year didn't really influence the plot in any major way. There was some dialogue peppered in throughout, but it didn't really match the fun Christmas spirit that some of the past specials have managed to capture. It's a small point, but one I thought I'd mention.

I love seeing the Daleks return, I really do, but I do have to admit that I chuckled when the classic Dalek design finally appeared. The Dalek had been legitimately threatening as a squid thing, but I wasn't feeling properly scared of it in the big dramatic scene where it first appears in its traditional form. They really amped up the music and clearly wanted to make that a big moment, and I thought it fell a tiny bit flat.

Pros:

So much! This was a fun episode that kept me gripped from beginning to end.

First of all, I love that this team of friends has clearly become a well oiled machine. We hear talk of many of their adventures that happen off-camera, and it allows their friendship to escalate in a natural way. The Doctor takes them around to many different New Year's Eve celebrations so they can pick their favorites, which is just an adorable thing to do. It reminded me of one of my favorite things about Doctor Who as a whole. The Doctor has incredible power at her fingertips, but generally chooses to use it to help people where she can, and to bring joy to people and have fun, just because. It's so different from most over-powered people we see in fiction, who have some grand plan at the end of all their shenanigans, whether that plan be benevolent or evil.

I really liked the adorable archaeology couple. We didn't need to spend a lot of time with them to understand how much they cared for one another, and I thought it was really well done. The final shot of the episode shows the two of them holding hands, united through adversity and through mutual crushes and New Years Eve kisses, as the TARDIS zooms off with the Doctor and her best friends. It was a wonderful way to add a dash of romance into the story. (Other than the romance between the Doctor and Yaz, I mean. Anybody else feeling that?)

The real humanity of this episode came from Ryan's story with his dad. Once again, Graham and Ryan are the best at making me feel the feelings. Aaron, Ryan's absentee father, shows up to try and make amends. Ryan is really resistant to this, for good reason. Aaron and Graham then have a good talk, and at the end of the episode, Ryan saves Aaron's life and the two share a hug. Just typing it out like that doesn't convey the emotional resonance of this story. I think my favorite moment was when Graham got a box of Grace's stuff out for Aaron to look through. It was Aaron's stuff, that his mother had kept for him. Graham could have condemned Aaron and piled on yet another lecture, but instead he just talks about Grace, and asks Aaron why he didn't come to her funeral. Not for Grace, not for Ryan, but for himself. It was a beautiful moment of catharsis and you can really sense the healing begin.

Jodie Whittaker hasn't had a lot of really meaty emotional material in her first series, if you think about it. The stakes have only been personal for her insofar as she wants to protect her new friends, and keep people safe in general. I don't mind this, although I have noted it in earlier reviews, waiting for that moment when I would feel like this person was the same Doctor I've followed through so many adventures in the past. Through all of my own slight doubts, though, Whittaker has given a masterful performance. And here, finally, we see her come face to face with the oldest and baddest foe the Doctor will ever have. I loved all of the work Whittaker was doing here, particularly when her companions try to join her and she says that facing the Dalek is personal, and something she needs to do alone. We also get the ultimate bad-ass moment when the Dalek scans her, realizes she's the Doctor, and immediately freaks out and tries to exterminate her on the spot. The Doctor is a lover, not a fighter, but it is of course awesome when she gets to be kind of a bad-ass too.

Another overarching theme of Doctor Who is that people are always better when they work together. The Doctor will always want to keep her friends safe, sure, but she doesn't do things by herself just because. She asks for help when she needs it. I loved the nod to UNIT in this episode. The Doctor tries to contact them for assistance, but she gets roadblocked. Apparently the UK has had a falling out with her international partners. Hmmm... sounds like a not-so-subtle Brexit commentary. If the Doctor is all about coming together and uniting to do the right thing, then it's no wonder that something like Brexit would prove to be an irritating obstacle for her and her mission.

While Yaz got the short end of the storytelling stick once again, I like the material that's filling in the gaps in her screen-time. While Graham and Ryan have their family drama going on in several of this series' episodes, Yaz's place seems to have fallen in right beside the Doctor. She's always supporting her, always the first person the Doctor turns to when discussing a plan or while having a mild freak-out. I love how their relationship is developing, as the Doctor seems to answer to Yaz in a really fun way, and Yaz's loyalty is extremely apparent.

I mentioned that the moment when the Dalek was revealed was a little cheesy. But I did like so much of what was done here with this classic Doctor Who villain. We see that this particular Dalek was split into three pieces and buried on separate corners of the Earth by the ancient Britons who fought it. But now it's back. Apparently this Dalek was an early scout, coming to Earth centuries before. It has the power, in its squid form sans machinery, to latch on to people and take them as hosts. This is a fairly standard sci-fi idea for an alien of this design, but the fact that it's a Dalek makes it all the more creepy. We've seen what these Daleks are capable of achieving, so one getting loose in Sheffield feels like a legitimate threat. I was also genuinely scared for the life of the girl who was being possessed, and then later for Aaron's life, although luckily they were both able to fight back enough to be safe.

And that's that! Looks like our next series won't be out until 2020, so it will be some time before we get more of Whittaker's Doctor. I thoroughly enjoyed this series. I hope that by laying a solid groundwork, future series with this Doctor and these companions can get a little bit more adventurous. I can't wait!

9/10

[roaringxthunder]

Smiles as he sees everyone getting presents and giving them to loved ones.

......

Remembers he’s an orphan with no one.