#Flimsy s1 watch

[flameraven]

Thinking again about the 25 Lazarii miracle and it actually tells us some pretty interesting things about how miracles work!

First-- and maybe most important:

Heaven and Hell cannot tell who did a miracle.

They only know someone performed a powerful miracle. They assume it must be Gabriel because it was so off-the-charts. Shax says "only the mightiest of Archangels" could have done it, Crowley quips "how do you know it wasn't me?" But no one knows for sure. It could have been anyone near the bookshop.

Heaven and Hell can't tell what a miracle is meant to do.

The Archangels ask Aziraphale, who comes up with a flimsy lie about making humans fall in love, but the angels don't question it.

Basically Heaven and Hell seem to have something like a seismic detector for miracle energy. They notice if there's a big burst or spike of energy, but most things fade into the background noise. They can tell the general area of where that energy came from, but not who did it or what was done. No wonder the Arrangement went unnoticed for so long-- Heaven and Hell are looking for a ping on their radar, and as long as it happens at the right time and place, they don't look any closer to see who did it. (And in many cases, it seems, they weren't even watching for the ping.)

I feel like this backs up the idea that Gabriel's "frivolous miracles" comment in S1 is bullshit. If Heaven can't tell what a nuclear-level blast of miracle power is meant to do, there's no way they can track tiny individual miracles for reheating tea or whatever. So the comment simply seems meant to make Aziraphale insecure and doubt himself. There's clearly some level of surveillance when Heaven/Hell wants there to be-- Crowley and Aziraphale are both concerned about drawing attention once Gabriel arrives, and Hell noticed something when Crowley saves Elspeth-- perhaps all the size changing expended more miracle energy than he expected? In episode 1, it seems likely that they (and/or the shop) are being watched. But even then, Heaven and Hell seem to essentially be scanning the radar, watching for any pings. That's why Crowley proposes that a combined miracle will "barely move the needle" -- they expect to cancel each other out, as they've always done. It just backfired in this unique circumstance.

[murfpersonalblog]

IWTV S2 Ep6 Musings: Loumand (Spoilers)

Armand stressed me TF out this episode; I can't believe they had me yelling at my favorite TVC book character this much on this dang show. But I still stand by what I said about him having good intentions--

--but by god does this man make the worst decisions for the best reasons.

FACTS, I can't stand modern art. The first vamp capitalist, faaaacts.

The first vamp pilot--Louis WANTS to fly now!? Or maybe it's just the Cloud Gift that freaks him out; a vampire taking him up without his control/consent?

I cannot BELIEVE they're banging in Armand's office right in front of that flimsy glass door--that's why the coven hated y'all. 🤦 Rubbing in their faces that Lou can do whatever--and whoever--he wants.

OF COURSE that mofo was gonna say No--DUH! Lou, Armand don't want Lestat's spawn, he wants Lestat's SEED, there's a DIFFERENCE. 😅

He. Didn't. NO. The attitude in Lou's neck rolls had me QUAKING. AMC is leaning IN to Armand withholding more than Lestat, jfc. 😬

It was NOT ok, Armand. That was your cue to be part of the family, and join Lou as he went to the IVF clinic to get his eggs fertilized with YOUR seed, MORON. 🤦 Y'all could've been the Le Russe/Romanus family! Now they'll always be Lioncourts! 😩 Alexa, play Rolling in the Deep, cuz they could've had it all! 😔🎵 🎶

☝️ SAY IT LOUDER! ☝️

Roleplay don't mean ISH outside the bedroom--just cuz Armand's a subby bottom don't mean he didn't hold ALL the power the whole time; eff what Lou said, asked or "ordered." I said back in S1: Les & Armand HUMOR Lou, and let him pretend to be in charge (X X). It's called POWER IMBALANCE.

It looks like childbirth gone wrong.

Lou going from battered wife depression in S1 to post-partum-depression in S2. 😔 So Loius tried to kill himself again? By bleeding out? Throwing up all the blood he drank from Madeleine. Dang.

What "you did to yourself" is a little inaccurate, considering it was YOUR insensitive words that triggered him and made him want to yeet himself into the sun! This is what I always mean by Armand taking advantage of Louis' agency, cuz Louis was CLEARLY not in his right mind at the time to be asking for anything THAT serious, which he NEVER would've done elsewise.

So, 3 days after Louis' failed suicide attempt, he asked for his mind to be wiped--cuz he was still TRAUMATIZED, Armand! 🤦

Lou got high as a kite (if he was ever sober in SanFran.....)

Nearly killed the first human who managed to get anywhere towards helping him process his PTSD--if not just VENT a bit; as he hadn't spoken Lestat's name in 20+ years by that point.

Vented all his resentment to Armand for being hella boring

Was triggered by Armand telling Louis Claudia never loved him, wtf

Tried to kill himself by burning himself alive in the first sunrise he'd seen since Paul's suicide

Burnt to a crisp, he has to watch Armand torture TF out of Daniel, begging for his life & powerless to do anything

Then lay there all crispetty cracketty crunchetty and hear Armand have a effing telephone call with LESTAT

He even told OIdmaniel he'd been in so much pain he blanked out

Armand said drugs did a number on Dan's mind--Louis DIED an alcoholic; he was turned while he was drunk, and I bet mental illness runs in his family, too. So what damage was done to LOUIS' mind when he was in SanFran getting stoned every night b4 you scrambled his brain, Armand?!

Daniel's mind is sharp, yes, but his body sure ain't. Armand caused Daniel's Parkinsons--if it's even really Parkinsons, and not just the consequences of 6 days of bodily & mental torture, as his arm was crushed, head bashed, nose bled, and muscles were contorted. "To protect me, from YOU, my Molloy"--we been knew. "Why did I owe YOU my shame...my one act of cowardice?" Oh, you mean selling Claudia & Louis down the effing river?!

I'd bet money that Armand was so shook seeing Louis' reaction to what he said about Claudia hating Louis, and was so terrified of being on permanent suicide watch, that he was RELIEVED to have the chance to wipe Louis' memory, and soften the blow of his own culpability in WHY Claudia died hating Louis. Cuz she was HAPPY at that cafe with y'all! What happened AFTERWARDS, Armand!?

Why would vamps cheer and drink with alcohol; y'all shoulda known something was up; with this JUDAS at the effing table.

Why tf is Armand sleeping in Claudia's coffin? I guess Loumand doesn't share Louis' the way Loustat did. But better question: Why TF are they still in that flat?! I'd've left Paris for good; that was stupid of them to stay in coven territory. But I guess we know why Armand didn't insist they leave. 😒

Louis and Madz have tension. :(

This poor boy just CANNOT help himself, LOL.

LOLOLOLOLOL! Madz is NOSEY, spill all the tea, girl, yaaas! XD (The bass in Lou's voice when he says BIIIIIG HEAD nearly put me in a stretcher--omfg it was IMPROVISED!?)

👀 Yeah, he knows, alright. Knows you'll forgive him, Lou.

Cuz he felt he had nothing left if he didn't have you.

Cuz Santiago was right:

Speak of the devil, carrying the effing burlap sacks.

I could never sit there that calm and talk about all that without lunging over and pulling every follicle out of Armand's head.

Omg it's a matinee in DAYLIGHT, it's happening right then & there. 😭☀️

💀

[tea-earl-grey]

I watched every Star Trek episode & here are my opinions.

as the title says – i finished all the Star Trek shows as of today yesterday and since i watched most of them while i wasn't using tumblr, i want do do some mini-reviews – both what i think are objectively the best shows and which are my personal favorites. i might make a couple more "ranking" posts for theme song/pilot/finale/favorite epsiodes/etc eventually but this post is already long as hell. i'll also probably do a movie post sometime but i want to rewatch the AOS movies first since i haven't seen Into Darkness since it came out (before i was actively a Trekkie).

also just as a note, these are fully my own opinions & tastes. i'm not trying to argue that any of these shows are bad (nor are any flawless), i'm just Some Guy giving my opinions.

continued under the cut. apologies for how long this is but there sure is a lot of Star Trek.

Watch Order

my opinions are probably a bit influenced by the order that i first watched these shows in so just as some background – i watched sporadic episodes of TOS & TNG when i was a kid which was enough to be familiar with the characters, general vibes, & world but not enough to really get into it. in late 2020/early 2021 i watched DS9 per a friend's recommendation and really loved it and decided to give all the different shows a shot. i watched all of TNG summer 2021, watched some of Disco & (what was then all of) Lower Decks in fall 2021. i started Voyager spring 2022, was interrupted because of Life Stuff and finished it spring 2023. i watched the first season of snw & prodigy sometime in between then. watched Picard spring 2023 just before s3 aired. watched Enterprise summer/fall 2023. finished Disco spring 2024 (just before s5). did a slow march through TOS between summer 2023 and summer 2024. and finally i watched TAS this past month. and i've been keeping up with all recent releases since 2023.

i've also rewatched a large amount of Trek either with my mom or friends at various times so i've ended up seeing most episodes twice (or more in the case of DS9 & Voyager).

Somewhat Objective Ranking:

there's a large difference for me between shows that i think are objectively good & ones that i'm personally attached to so here's just my attempt at ranking Star Trek shows by how good i think they are from a critical lens, not necessarily my favorite.

for me – a good show, and specifically a good Star Trek show, should have in my opinion a) a diverse & strong cast of characters, b) have unique & compelling plots whether they're based in science fiction, politics, or philosophy, c) has a strong moral center & explores the nature of humanity in some way, d) allows the audience to believe in a better future, e) is consistent (both with continuity and episode quality), f) does something to differentiate it from other shows, and g) is actually entertaining.

i don't think any shows come close to fulfilling all of those qualities but some do better than others.

11. The Animated Series: probably not a surprise that it comes in last. it's a fun show by the standard of kid's cartoon in the 70s and i genuinely do like it but it has a lot of the flaws of TOS (lack of continuity, lack of character depth, flimsy plots) with few of the upsides. though i do like how the secondary characters get more of a focus than in TOS.

10. Enterprise: big jump up in quality here from TAS but Enterprise does fall flat compared to the other shows. the Vulcan & Andorian stories are almost always good but so much of s1 & s2 lacks creativity and a lot of the a plots end up feeling generic & reused (though the b plots are often great). s3 falls into an obvious & uncomfortable 9/11/war on terror metaphor that has not aged well. and s4 is a huge improvement but doesn't make up for the faults of earlier seasons. additionally, i think returning to "the Trio + secondary characters" was largely a mistake as characters like Hoshi & Travis remain horribly underdeveloped (and what a coincidence that they're characters of color...) all in all. some great ideas and a handful of great episodes but it doesn't make up for how meh large swathes of the show can be.

9. The Original Series: i'm going to be honest that it this is the hardest show to objectively rank just because it's the first and it's so hugely impactful not just on the Star Trek franchise (obviously) but also on science fiction, pop culture, TV production, and American culture. its impact is quite literally immeasurable and i think unfortunately it means the show will always feel small in comparison to the shadow it casts. don't get me wrong. some episodes are great even by today's standard, not to mention by the standard of the 60s. but so many episodes, especially as the show went on, end up being pretty mediocre, poorly paced, misogynistic/racist, and have thin plots. TOS is enjoyable for me because of the camp & exploring the foundations of this fictional universe i love so dearly but i'm not going to pretend that it's objectively better than other shows on this list just because of its legacy.

8. Picard: now i could pretty easily judge each season of Picard as its own show and each season would get spaced out in entirely different places on this list. i genuinely believe s1 of Picard is one of the best seasons of Star Trek. the writing fumbles a bit at the end but the characters, direction, & acting is some of the best of the franchise. unfortunately the choice to present each season as a separate anthology reallllly let's it down because of the lack of continuity between seasons. the pandemic definitely threw a wrench into the show but s2 (while i enjoy it), has a very messy meandering plot that feels insecure in its skin. s3 (which i also enjoy) has tighter writing but suffers majorly from having been outlined before the end of s2 therefore having a weird discontinuous transition between seasons and unfortunately excluding so many great characters from s1 & 2. i love it dearly (not to foreshadow my personal favorite ranking) but it is a mess.

7. Discovery: most of the critiques i have of Picard also stand for Discovery which also opted for the "anthology" style series which i think fundamentally doesn't work. Discovery took awhile to find its voice and after s3, still sung somewhat off key. Michael is easily one of the best & most well developed Star Trek characters and the rest of the cast is good but are painfully underdeveloped as its hyperserialized format doesn't really leave time to get to know the characters unless it's essential for the plot. like Picard, it also got screwed over by pandemic-era production leaving some episodes clumsily written. some seasons, in my opinion, end up with an overcomplicated plot that becomes difficult to follow. nevertheless, there are some episodes and scenes that are stunning and somewhat make up for the mis-steps. and ultimately, the later seasons of the show really do understand the heart of Star Trek.

6. Strange New Worlds: going back to an episodic style for the next live action show after the mixed reviews of Picard & Discovery was definitely a good choice. the writing is much tighter, the characters generally feel more whole, and there's more to grab onto compared to entirely serialized shows. and after a lot of the darkness in Discovery and Picard, it feels like a breath of fresh air to have a show that feels joyful & fun. however. so much of SNW is built off of pre-existing Star Trek (mainly TOS) that it struggles to form its own identity and when it tries to be a new show, it gets caught in the trap of betraying existing continuity. the episodes focusing on La'an, Uhura, M'Benga, & Una are great – some of the best of new trek – but episodes focusing on Spock, Chapel, and Pike end up feeling... off with messy writing and being Kinda Weird about disability/genetics. since it's only had two seasons, i definitely think SNW could ascend or descend in the rankings in the upcoming season(s).

5. The Next Generation: TNG wasn't quite as hard for me to rank as TOS but it sometimes struggles with a similar problem that its legacy in pop culture sometimes overshadows the show itself. it's also tricky because when TNG is good, it's phenomenal; when it's bad, it's really bad; but most episodes land somewhere in the middle. s1 is borderline unwatchable, s2 is just a step above, and from there it gets a lot stronger after behind the scene problems were worked out & it found a stable writing staff. it ends up striking a good balance of stories between straightforward science mysteries, deep explorations of philosophy, space politics, and fun romps. it ends up getting dragged down more than a little by Roddenberry's lingering insistence to have the characters avoid long term conflict and the very episodic style resulting in less ongoing story arcs. characters like Geordi, Wes, Beverly, & Troi also end up feeling somewhat underdeveloped in comparison to characters like Picard & Data.

4. Voyager: this is probably one of my more controversial picks (judging by how others tend to rank the series) and maybe i'm biased but i do genuinely believe that Voyager deserves its place this high on the list. Voyager is an inconsistent show which certainly pulls it down a little but manages to strike a better balance in episode quality and is able to have more dynamic characters & more ongoing narratives than TNG. Voyager still has its share of bad episodes and gets off to a somewhat shaky start (particularly struggling in early s2) but finds its groove more easily because of the experienced writing team that already had years of Star Trek under their belt & an excellent cast. Voyager's biggest stumbles are definitely in regards to under-serving some of the characters (especially Chakotay, Tuvok, and Harry) in later seasons.

3. Deep Space Nine: a somewhat obvious pick for top three Trek shows. DS9 has deservedly been getting its praises in recent years for its darker narratives, its bold approach to some of TV's first serialized stories, its exploration of politics & religion, and the masterful way it can bounce between nuanced episodes on serious topics & fun comedy. it flails a little bit in the first two seasons while finding its voice but compared to some of the other shows, it starts off strong and the quality is generally consistent with seasons 4 & 6 being the obvious highlight. however despite the strength of the characters, actors, and writing, there are certainly times when the show fumbles: episodes that get a bit too dark to bounce back from (and aren't followed up on), stories that present some troubling ethics without much pushback, and its fair share of the mediocre scifi mystery episodes seeded throughout 90s Trek.

2. Lower Decks: based on its first season, Lower Decks is a fun but non-serious entry into the Trek pantheon. so it was surprising when what seemed at first glance like a typical irreverent adult animation show, developed so much genuine heart for both the the Lower Decks characters & the wider Trek franchise. Lower Decks could have been an excuse to string together a bunch of fan-servicey references but it becomes genuinely heartfelt with great new characters, fun worldbuilding, actual insightful commentary on existing Trek, and the ability to laugh at itself while still being made with love. while the first two seasons drag it down a little bit (i think they went in too hard with the raunchy comedy vibes), season 3 and especially season 4 are really great especially with the exploration of Mariner's PTSD that strengthens her into one of the best character in Trek.

1. Prodigy: plenty of people have been singing Prodigy's praises since its untimely cancellation and no joke – it is, in my opinion, the best Star Trek show. it is more of a kids oriented show than the other entries on this list (except TAS) but that doesn't mean it lets up on having complex plots & characters. it might be the only Star Trek show that i genuinely believe doesn't have a bad episode (albeit a couple in s1 that are just okay) and s2 as whole is a masterpiece. the only things that let it down in my opinion are: somewhat clunky animation on close-ups (though the background animation is gorgeous) and the plot getting so over complicated by s2 that i had to draw a diagram to keep track of the time travel (and this is coming from someone who loves over complicated time travel stories.)

My Personal Favorite Star Trek Shows:

11. The Animated Series: as i said before – it's fun, i'm glad it exists, it doesn't really offend me, but with the exception of the episode Yesteryear, it doesn't really do anything for me.

10. The Original Series: yeah... i'm sorry. i just don't click with TOS that much (or TOS era in general as you can tell from the rest of this list). i can recognize its importance and there are definitely some episodes i really enjoyed (either for the camp factor or because they're genuinely good) but the majority of the episodes i either don't have much of an opinion on or i think are genuinely bad (in a not fun way). i'm also fine with looking past some of the bigotries of the time but even so the misogyny & racism in the show was just too much for me. sorry.

9. Strange New Worlds: i enjoy SNW for the most part but it's definitely dragged down because 1) i strongly dislike how Spock is written, 2) while i definitely like episodic Trek more, the short episode order does make the episodes i dislike stand out a lot more, 3) a lot of the show is built on nostalgia-bait for TOS era which... i just don't really have. there are great episodes but as a whole, i'm just not attached to it.

8. Discovery: i really disliked the first two seasons of Discovery when i first watched them and though they've grown on me, it's just too dark for me to really get into. seasons 3-5 i like a lot more and i appreciate how earnest & hopeful it is (especially compared to seasons 1 & 2) but the writing can be a bit heavy handed. and as much as i do really love Michael, i definitely prefer shows with a stronger focus on the ensemble as a whole. that said, i am definitely attached to the characters and really love the 32nd century worldbuilding that's done.

7. Enterprise: i'm honestly a bit surprised that i ended up liking Enterprise this much but the fourth season (with the exception of the finale that definitely doesn't exist) is banger after banger. and while the episodes of earlier seasons might be a bit uninspired, the general worldbuilding is genuinely interesting to me with the exploration of Vulcan politics, the Vulcan-Andorian War, the Temporal Cold War, the pre-Federation politics of Earth, and more. i'm also greatly endeared to all the secondary characters (Hoshi & Phlox particularly) which means it's also a shame that the non-Archer, Trip, & T'Pol characters get so little screentime. and while so much of the first two seasons is kinda bleh, the B plots & runners to those episodes end up being really fun and ends up creating a world & characters that feels worth exploring.

6. Prodigy: i think with time (and a possible third season...) Prodigy could become one of my favorite Treks and as i already said – it's very very good. the core cast of characters is really strong with all of them (except for maybe Murf & Jankom Pog) being well developed and compelling. the plot is interesting and feels relatively unique while still feeling like Star Trek at its core. it's also the rare example of a series that has a lot of fan-service while still retaining its identity and the strength of its own characters. ultimately, it ends up ranking lower on here than my more objective tier list because some of the angst & darkness i enjoy in stories doesn't quite deliver (which is very much not a fault of the show since it is a family show), the way Janeway is written doesn't always quite line up with my own view of the character (again, not a fault of the show), and the fact that i just haven't spent as much time with the show & characters yet.

5. The Next Generation: TNG is very much a comfort show to me. i don't have all that much to add from my objective review (there are very bad episodes, very good episodes, but most are somewhere in the middle). i really like all the characters and the behind the scenes friendships really translate well to the screen but none of them really compel me the way characters do further up on this list. i do give the show a lot of credit though for continuing the worldbuilding established in TOS and taking it in a new direction and a new vibes (rather than continuing the space western format) that is hugely influential to all of the shows that came after it.

4. Lower Decks: pretty much the same as my objective review – it's a fun show that ends up finding a good balance of humor, strong characters, and pointed commentary at past Trek shows. it's a show obviously filled with a lot of love for the franchise and i'm very glad it exists. aside from Mariner, i'm not quite as attached to the other characters but i do love them all.

3. Deep Space Nine: as i said before, DS9 is undoubtedly one of the strongest shows in Star Trek. it has the most recurring characters, pretty much all of which i find compelling, and a fantastic cast of regulars as well. the overall plot of the show is incredibly strong and allows it to have a lot of good commentary on imperialism, war, religion, race, and more. it has my two favorite episodes in all of Star Trek (The Visitor and Far Beyond the Stars) and so many other bangers as well. it's the show that first hooked me into Star Trek & the Star Trek fandom and it really is fantastic. the reason it doesn't rank higher here is entirely subjective in that i just don't feel as compelled to explore the characters & fandom as the last two shows on this list. other people have talked about how shows that are too objectively good aren't necessarily the best for fandom and that's how i kind of feel about DS9. it's great. i love it. i'm not necessarily compelled to feel like i have to add to it.

2. Picard: i can recognize that in many ways Picard kinda fails as a show (for reasons i've already stated) but that absolutely does not stop me from loving it. it's extremely messy and i've wanted to fix it ever since i saw it. it might be an unpopular opinion but the worldbuilding developments in s1 (the destruction of Romulus, the synth ban, the general darkness of the Federation) are incredibly compelling to me and i really do like deconstructing Picard as a character (even if i wish he was in the show a little less). and despite some major inconsistencies between seasons, i find the characters wonderfully rich and well written and every time i watch an episode, i feel like i want to explore them more and more. (not coincidentally, it's also the Star Trek show i've written the most fanfic for.)

1. Voyager: Voyager has enthralled me mind, body, & soul. i've never had such a fast turn around from a show that i was meh about to one that constantly consumed my thoughts. it's undoubtedly imperfect but it's imperfect in a way that i feel compelled to want to study and fix. with the exception of maybe DS9, Voyager has the strongest cast of characters and one of the strongest premises of any show. i firmly believe that Kathryn Janeway is the best (and certainly my favorite) Captain in all of Star Trek and most of the characters rank among my favorite Trek characters of all time. even if there aren't a ton of obvious ongoing narratives, the subtle ways the characters change over the 7 years is great and leaves the door open for fandom to explore so much (which as you can tell is definitely something that draws me to a lot of shows). and while DS9 might have my favorite episode of Star Trek, Voyager ends up having more stories that rank amongst my favorites (Year of Hell, Latent Image, Endgame, Barge of the Dead, Bride of Chaotica, Riddles, Survival Instinct, Timeless, etc).

anyways.... that sums that up. i'll probably type up my list of favorite episodes sometime in the next few days because i need to milk the "i watched all of Star Trek" thing for a little bit.

[dixonsgirl93]

Corrupt Me

Merle Dixon x Virgin Fem!reader Era: S1, camp, pre Rick joining Word Count: 1.9k CW: p in v, fluff? Content Description: Y/N and The Dixon brothers had been friends for years and were together at the time of the outbreak. Y/N had had a crush on Daryl but he never showed any sign of feeling the same. Merle had teased Y/N for years about taking her virginity. Now, with the world gone to hell, she was tempted to take him up on it.

"Come on! I'll make ya feel good, I promise." Merle teased from behind me.

"I'm sure you would. I just don't think it'd be a good idea." I turned to face him and looked around. We were in the trees, some distance from the camp and the others now. "Also I came out here to pee so." I shooed him away. He just smirked and walked over to me, pulling me in to a hug.

"Need any help?" He purred and my heart raced.

"Merle!" I smiled, despite myself. "I'm serious."

He sighed and released me. "Just think about it."

I rolled my eyes as he walked away but his offer had been on my mind more and more these days. Since the outbreak it was becoming increasingly more possible that I was going to die a virgin. It wouldn't have bothered me so much but now, honestly, all I could think about was Merle. I really believed he'd make sure I was comfortable and everything. Despite his brash personality and "player" mentality, he had been adamant on being the person to take my virginity for years. He never pressured me but he always made it known.

For a long time though it was Daryl who had my heart. Dark, quiet, kind Daryl who had also been my friend for years but any mention of romance and he'd freeze up. I suppose at some point in the last year I'd come to terms with the fact he'd never like me back. Now, I wasn't saying I thought Merle would date me. I wasn't even sure he was boyfriend material at all. But losing my virginity was something and it wasn't like I had loads of time or opportunities like before. It was becoming more tempting by the day to sleep with Merle. Why not? What was stopping me?

~~

Later that night after everyone had had some food and went to sleep. Glenn and Dale were on watch that night, sitting on top of the RV. It was silent outside my tent, eerily so and I couldn't rest. The flimsy fabric of the tent didn't feel nearly safe enough and yet my eyes felt heavy and a weight settled in my chest sometime during the night.

That was, until footsteps approached my tent. I sat up straight, thinking it was a walker but the shadow was hunched as if tip-toeing and their footsteps were uneven, slow. Fingers reached for the zip and Merle's chest and then face appeared in the gap.

"Merle!" I hissed, my heart pounding. "You scared the crap out of me. I thought you were a walker." I breathed a sigh of relief as Merle sat next to me, smug look on his face. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

He shrugged. "I couldn't sleep." He smirked and then closed the short distance between us, planting a short and gentle kiss on my lips. My heart fluttered at his touch. He kept his face close to mine, asking for permission. I closed the distance, reaching a hand up to his face.

"Merle." I said against his lips. He pulled back just enough to look at me in the dim light. "What are you doing?" I knew what he was doing but I needed him to say it.

He leaned down and kissed my neck gently. My brain was slowly going fuzzy. "You don't know how sexy you looked in that forest today, Y/N. I wanted to take you then and there." He pulled away to look at me again, cupping my cheek. "I won't do anything else unless you want me to, though." He then wrapped his arms around me and kissed my neck, my jaw, my lips. His hands stayed on my hips and face.

Somewhere in the few minutes or seconds or hours that followed, I wanted, no, needed him to touch me. I held him closer to me and kissed him, his hands gripped me close and somehow I ended up lying down with Merle hovering over me. I wasn't sure if I pulled or if he pushed or both but I took the opportunity to move my legs either side of his hips.

He pressed his erection into my groin and my breath hitched slightly. Merle smirked and started to rub himself against me. Even something as small as that felt really good but it wasn't enough. I think he could sense I wanted more and so his hand slid up my body, massaging my boob through my shirt and bra. His hand felt so warm and good on me. I started to wonder why I hadn't done this sooner.

I lifted a leg around his waist and his hand slid back down my body to go under my shirt and under my bra. Here his hand was hot and delicious against my skin, rough from callouses but if anything if I liked the feeling more. He was gentle, trying not to get ahead of himself, holding back. I wanted to just tell him not to but decided against it. I had no idea what this man was like in bed. Could he have been too rough for me to handle? He said he was going to be gentle and that was what I needed.

"Merle." I said, my heart pounding harder. He looked up at me. "I want you to...take my virginity." My mouth went dry with anticipation.

He pulled back to look at my face, probably to gauge how serious I was. He smiled wide like he'd just won a grand prize. "I should've kissed you years ago." He mused, leaning down to kiss my jaw.

"Why did it take you until now to make a move?" I breathed as my arousal deepened.

"I guess it just took the world going to hell for me to decide to not waste another chance." His lips were on mine with more passion than before. This time he slid a hand into the waistband of my trousers, kissing me as he undid the belt and button with one hand.

"Wait. What about protection?" Afterall I didn't want to risk bringing a baby into this hell.

"Got it covered, sugar. I already happen to be carryin' a couple." He smirked and pulled one out of his jeans pocket.

I sighed with a smile. "Shoulda known."

"You sure you wanna do this?" He kneeled back between my legs, holding the little packet up. Just a few months ago I never thought I'd be here. Not that I hadn't thought about having sex with Merle but losing my virginity to him in the middle of an apocalypse? In a tent? I smirked and nodded. He moved next to and got his trousers and pants off surprisingly fast. I shimmied out of my trousers but kept my underwear on. I watched as he expertly put the condom on over his thick, pulsing erection. I was worried it was going to hurt.

"Be gentle, please." My voice came out soft, almost a plea. I hadn't meant to but suddenly the reality of it all hit me.

"Don't worry. I'll do ma best to make sure it won't, okay?" He got back between my legs and slid a hand up my thigh, his fingers gently grazed the outside of my underwear and my breath hitched again, a soft noise escaping me. He then slid his fingers underneath the fabric and between the folds to rub my clit. His fingers felt electric through me and my body responded. "Feels good, don't it?"

Merle smirked down at me as he worked his fingers. I reached up to kiss him and his fingers worked harder. I moaned into his lips and he groaned back into mine. "Fuck, Y/N. You're so wet down here. Moan for me again." He then slid his fingers down and teased my hole with a single finger, slowly, centimetre by centimetre he slid it in and out again, each time going in a little deeper until his whole finger was inside me.

He leaned his head down to kiss my neck and jaw, suckling and biting gently. I could hardly stop the soft moans as the new sensations rocked me.

Merle then surprised me by using another finger. He did the same trick again, slowly stretching me out as well as getting me more aroused. "Merle." I gasped.

"You don't know how much I've wanted this, Y/N." He breathed. I cupped his head in my hands and I was about to kiss him until his fingers unexpectedly went all the way inside me. I moaned into Merle's mouth, none too quietly. As he pulled out to push them in again, I buried my face into Merle's neck to muffle the sounds coming out of me. I whimpered as his fingers pumped faster, pushing into me a little harder. I gripped onto him.

"I think you're ready for the real thing. You think?" He voice was ragged in my ear, probably from the effort of holding himself back. All I could do was nod against his shoulder.

He leaned up and lined his cock up with me, moving my underwear aside the tip just resting against my pussy. The anticipation was agony. My body thrust up into him.

"You're so eager for ma cock, aren't ya? God, you're sexy." Merle then leaned down to kiss me hard and pushed his cock into me at the same time. I had the sensation of being stretched and filled, it felt strange at first. Once he was all the way inside he stayed still and used a hand to lift my shirt and bra up, exposing my boobs. He then took a hardened nipple into his mouth and suckled on it. Oh, that was a new and wonderful sensation. My body arched into him and I moaned softly.

He started to pump in and out of me slowly, softly, moans escaping him as he did. "You feel so fucking good, Y/N. Fuck." He took my other nipple into his mouth and then pressed a kiss to my lips. As he pulled away just a bit, his thrusts became faster, a little harder. He was nearing finishing. "I'm cumming." He gasped and moments later slowed and I felt him throb inside me. "Shit, I'm sorry." He gasped.

"Don't be." I breathed into his lips.

"Nah, I can't finish it like that." So he pulled out of me and, without taking the condom off, used his fingers to rub my clit again. Those electric waves washed over me pretty quickly. The little circles he rubbed into me built something inside me and a heavy moan escaped. His lips crashed to mine to muffle the noise. "Cum for me, Y/N. Come on, baby."

The waves reached a crescendo and my body pulsed as each wave intensified. My legs shook slightly as I came down.

Merle then took the condom off and cleaned himself up with a rag from his pocket. He kissed me again, got dressed and lay next to me.

"Jesus. That was..." I couldn't finish.

"Oh, I know. It gets better each time, too. I can promise you that." I could hear him smirking.

I leaned up on an elbow. "Next time, huh?" I smiled down at him.

"I've waited years to have you, Y/N. I ain't letting you go now. No way." His tone had turned serious.

"What are you saying, Merle?"

"I..." He paused. "I didn't just wanna fuck you, you know."

I shook my head but he wasn't looking my way. My heart was racing for a whole different reason. "No, I didn't know."

He rolled over, shoving a blanket over us both and cuddled me into him. "Silly girl. I like you."

~~

(part 2?)

[ocdeeznut]

In rewatching s8 i have some thoughts. Why it didn’t work as an ending, and what i think could have been changed.

WARNING THIS POST IS LONG AS FUCK, so strap in if you’re interested.

- The feel of the writing is distinctly off. Not bad, but it doesn’t feel like you’re watching Voltron anymore. It feels grittier and more like a high stakes adult animation than the other seasons. Which, again, isn’t necessarily bad, but the shift is too quick and it could have been executed better if they spent more time digging into the individual characters and their growth during s6/7.

- The issue of ‘there’s always a bigger enemy’ starts to make the plot feel stale. You get bored of a bigger robot, higher stakes, more to lose. They start killing people and planets for a cheap audience reaction when we weren’t all that invested in the first place. It felt like a split second decision by the writers to destroy Olkarion. Something like that needs to be pencilled in from the beginning. There were too many attacks on Olkarion, and as a consequence we got too used to seeing it’s people in peril. There should’ve been a distinct shift where we, as the audience, realised Voltron wasn’t going to be there to save them this time. Whether that’s a writing, animation or atmospheric issue i’m unsure. Maybe it’s just a me thing.

- The Atlas should never have been able to transform. That for me was the biggest investment turn off. Why do we need Voltron anymore if there’s a bigger, stronger robot on their side? If they were going to replace the castle, they should have made it clear and stuck with the intention. That’s not a support ship anymore, that’s something else entirely. I’d gladly watch a show JUST about the Atlas, with Shiro at the helm, but it’s not Voltron.

- Too many things happen at once, and it’s massively convoluted. 13 episodes is not enough time to: introduce a romance, have me actually care about that romance, kill off a main character, form a new version of voltron, redeem three main antagonists, AND cutely tie up all the glaring plot holes of the show. S8 needed to be two seasons at least. If things were spread out and more passion was pumped into the writing, it could’ve worked.

- Allura’s character was ruined. She became a nagging, reckless, martyred love interest. I love her dearly, i have from S1, but they did her SO dirty. Lance, too. They both deserved better.

- I think, personally, that Sendak should’ve been the final villain. Not Honerva. Her arc was rushed and her CORE motivation made little sense. They used the flimsy excuse of her corruption to redeem her love for Lotor, and his name was literally raked through hell and back for a very mediocre payoff. If that was the plan from the start, it needed to be hinted at more.

- There was too much, as i call it, flip-flopping. The alteans are alive, now they’re evil, now they’re not. We can’t get into Oriande, but now we can! Personally, i need explanations, and strict universal rules. If those rules are to be broken for whatever reason - it has to be a show stopping exception and a main event. Everything is excused and explained away when it doesn’t make any sense.

- Now, i actually really likes the subtle art style and animation adjustments in the season, visually it was spectacular so i have no critiques there. If only the plot could have done its outer shell some justice.

AND GET LANCE OFF THAT DAMN FARM.

[delopsia]

Rambling thoughts on Season 2 🌼

Though I'm thoroughly enjoying all of this new Rhett content, I do not know how I feel about this new season at all 😭 there's a noticeable shift between the directors, and I knew that there would be, but damn there were times when I didn't even think I was watching the same show.

I dunno.

Maybe I need to rewatch it, but this season, it felt like they were using Rhett to get from point A to B. It's like the writers decided they needed a character to entertain Dr. Nia Bintu and reintroduce the BY9 threat, which would then give us scientific reasons behind the hole's existence in a potential S3.

Rhett was their only viable option without creating someone new. That seems to be the point of his character this season, other than being Maria's love interest. We got these deep stories for all the characters about why they're doing what they're doing, but Rhett? He's just there.

Him being a bull rider is essentially never mentioned. He's got new tattoos that weren't there in S1, and not even he seems to notice. Maybe there was more there, and they cut it for time, but I'm just so...disappointed in how they handled him.

I'm not saying that the fanfic writers nail his character better (though I am biased to say that yes, we are), but god damn, a smut fic has given him more personality. The niftiest details we get this season are that he is allergic to cats and got his first handjob in a movie theater.

Why is he suddenly entertaining Dr. Nia Bintu when he wouldn't give her the time of day earlier? What was his reaction to Royal telling him about the past and the hole? Not a clue! He's just out here doing shit, and we have no idea why.

Anyway, it was worth a watch. I still dislike Maria and I was thrilled to see so many of my theories turn out to be true. I'll give it another go later, but in my flimsy opinion, season 1 Rhett was better 💐

[roxyandelsewhere]

I have finished season 2

yknow what, fuck it, im not a natural born livetweeter but here's a thread of whatever I post on serializd along my teen wolf rewatch

to be updated probably

also i'm amazed by how many shots this show has that feel so iconic and like landmarks of the show and i'm wondering if they really are or it was just a fandom very active in gifmaking and edits that made specific shots feel so familiar to me

[beevean]

Yeah but don't you seeee? The abbot aligning himself with vampires is the point because he's a hypocrite and because church bad!

Much like how Carmilla beating up Hector in that one scene is supposed to show us how much of a hypocrite she is with her men bad rhetoric :)

As a side note maybe Alucard showing up will also result in Annette losing much of her de facto main character status. Let's see what's more important to them: representation or Alucard's boobs

As much as this pains me to type... Carmilla's brutal beatdown makes more sense in universe than the Abbot.

She is a hypocrite and a dumbass who puts her own anger and sadism above logic. And her actions do have realistic consequences, which is that she had Hector in her grasp, and she completely ruined all of her work for a few minutes of anger venting; she gets reasonably called out for it (badly, because it looks like Morana read the script), and Lenore in S3 has to fix the damage that she caused (badly, because she too destroys Hector's trust for shit and giggles - dunno if you noticed but I don't like S3 very much :^) ).

I despise that scene with all my heart, I will never watch it again, and I won't stop thinking that it's too cruel and voyeuristic and misery porn-ish and the real point of it is to torture the chew toy Hector... but yes, it fits with Carmilla's character. She's an idiot, insane parody of a radfem. Now I actually have more issues with Lenore doing the same, because she is the one who gets established to be above violence. But Carmilla? I understand her flimsy reasons behind her choice.

The Abbot thinking that an alliance with vampires is more godly than the Revolution just doesn't make sense. That is not how a person would think. That is a plot device. That is just the writing slipping once again into that trite CHURCH BAD rhetoric that I thought we left behind in the OG S1.

I'm just tired of stupid writing decisions being justified with "but they're insaneeeee", "insanity" still has its own consistent logic! Dracula is insane when he decides that all humanity has to die, but I can understand what train of thought lead him to that conclusion. OG Isaac was driven mad by the Curse and he was exceptionally cruel in the way he targeted Rosaly, but I can understand how his grief could make him do that. I don't understand the Abbot! He's not a character! He looks deep in his inner conflict, but said conflict is completely nonsensical!

anyway, yeah. I vote for the Alutiddies. They haven't failed so far.

[bidisasterevankinard]

Sorry, I'm gonna go off here since you agree with my tags, I'm an Abby hater, and I've been an Abby hater since the first time I watched season one (granted I did watch s1 in a haze in one weekend so everything happened back to back for me) because like, for starters, if a male dispatcher in his 40s used his position to get the number of the cute 26 yo female firefighter he saw on the news, no one would let that fly as a love story and that's makes me irrationally angry because they keep putting Buck through shit and never dealing with it because he's a man, but I digress, Abby abuses her position on dispatch to get his number, actively pursues him to make herself feel better, and I get it, she's in a shit situation, but Buck is a human with his own set of feeling that need to be validated here too, but she never does. She tells him not to sleep with other people before they're even dating, she doesn't believe him with the whole catfish thing, they get into a fight because of it and she just ups and leaves for a different continent with no warning, no nothing. And she leaves him leaving at her place and she decides she's not coming back and her reaction is to stop talking to him? She forces Buck to remove himself from the situation she dragged him into because she doesn't have the guts to break up with him and when she comes back all he gets is flimsy excuses, she never apologizes about the way that she left, stopped talking to him, and came back with a whole fiance, she keeps making it all about herself and her feelings as if Buck wasn't in the relationship as well. And she makes Buck promise he's gonna save her fiance and Buck puts himself in danger to do it. She makes me so angry because Buck is Abby's love interest, not the other way around, so the relationship is all about her, but since Buck is the one who stays, we keep seeing him trying to pick up the pieces when she ghosts him and that shit makes me want to start a fight so bad.

Anna, I'M SO AGREE WITH EVERY WORD WITH 1000000000%. I watched 911 1-4 in a wek before 5s, and when I was watching all 1s I was constantly feel sick with the way they treat Buck like it's ok to make him feel like trash to make Abby feel good. All their relationship from the start looked like old enough woman needed to have fun time and used young man for it. She always treated him like shit, but "oh poor Abby was going through a lot and it's Buck should change himself for her". SHE SHOULD TREAT HIM BETTER TOO. He's her partner, not a toy, but she never did ANYTHING FOR HIM. Not believes him when he was begging her, not even normally end things. HE FOUND OUT SHE IS IN USA, BUT LIVES WITH HER BROTHER FROM CARLA!!!!!!! Like she could at least send a message, but no, just ghost him is better. She is awful. 911 tried to constantly made her look best woman in 1s, but they only made me hate her. I was, am and will be Abby hater

[bourbon-ontherocks]

I’m bummed we lost roxane and didn’t even get sofiane back 😤 I’m guessing they had to move him out at some point… kinda feels like the s1 line "il a des problèmes" was a backup storyline they never found a use for. sigh.

daphné’s dive into astrology turned into a clumsy attempt at restoring equality, that’s just like her. commendable intent, flimsy line of thinking, awful execution 😆

euh sinon, can we get an audit of the precinct finances, do they not budget for interpreters?? you’d hope they would take precautions when taking witness statements (while investigating a murder, no less), but apparently not???? (and I know jackshit about procedure, but shouldn’t they be concerned about confidentiality if they use google translate?)

Okay, I'll admit I only understood in the finale the purpose of Sofiane's comeback this season, but I most surely hope that his moving out doesn't make him immune to coming say hi once in a while, I'm still waiting for an actual Morgane - Sofiane interaction in the flesh lol! As for the "il a des problèmes" line, I've always thought this was Adam's way to not mention that his brother is disabled while attempting to justify living with him (let's not forget that this was 102, he barely knew Morgane at the time and he most surely didn't feel like sharing that information with her). I've always assumed that Sofiane's special needs require he lives with someone and/or has some professional care coming home on a daily basis (which would be what Adam euphemistically called "problems"), but him leaving doesn't mean he didn't move in with a friend/boyfriend/girlfriend/their mom or got himself an assistant. So the famous "problems" remain.

And I'm keeping my hopes up that Roxane will return someday, either someone will be under the scrutiny of the IGPN again, or Adam will bump into her in the street or something 🤞

Daphné was sooooooo funny this ep (and the whole season actually), and oh my gosh, "commendable intent, flimsy line of thinking, awful execution 😆" this is the perfect definition for her!!!! 😍😍😍 Also "l'astrologie, ça fait débat..." "non, ça fait pas débat non", mdr, this woman would argue that 1+1=3 with the same definitive energy, poor Gilles 😂

Ok, the interpreter thing. I'll admit that it was hilarious seeing Gilles en galère sur Google trad, and also I understand it's necessary for Morgane's later big reveal, but this has to be one of the most ridiculous things I've seen on the show... Finding someone who speaks Mandarin in Lille is a matter of minutes, and I'm pretty sure there's even something like a list of translators under oath, I mean we're not talking about a language that's barely spoken in France or even on the whole planet 😅 Just for the record they faced a similar issue in Engrenages at some point, having to interrogate a witness who only spoke some Chinese dialect, so they had to go to a Sino-French association, find a guy who spoke the said dialect, make him sign a non-disclosure agreement, and translate the interrogation. And that was it. So this scene was absurd and probably made any actual cop who watches the show howl, but at least it brings back the refreshing nonsense of the first seasons 🥹

[fangirleaconmigo]

I finally started watching The Boys.

It’s been on my “to watch” list for years but I was just standing on the precipice wondering…is it actual satire? Is is intelligent? Or is it try-hard-edgy-bois using a flimsy excuse to create the thing it’s satirizing? It’s peoples’ responses to it and some of the marketing that had me wondering.

But my sister and my son started watching it and told me I’d love it so I did.

And it’s really really good.

I got through S1 in a matter of days. I just finished the season premiere of S2. Here are my spoiler ridden thoughts:

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS

Wow it is addictive and bingeable and the characters are all flawed and infuriating in such REAL and HUMAN ways that you are like psychoanalyzing them and super super into all of their lives and dramas. It’s good ass food and compelling storytelling.

The themes of private companies involved in national defense and criminal justice are appropriately fucking dystopian.

Yes. Ok. There are many disturbing bits. I almost didn’t keep watching because of what happened to Annie. I just don’t trust people to write that shit well. But it has surprised me that it has. It has focused it all on her growth and what that means for her. It’s not reveling in her pain or sensationalizing it. But she’s very human and it focuses on her growth in a way that feels authentic. I was raised by fundamentalist baptist (a much more hardcore version of how she was raised) so I feel it every time she is disillusioned. It’s so real.

And as for the gore and violence it is just campy enough to be fine (you can’t take it too seriously when Butcher is using an infant to shoot at people 😂)

And as for the anti-supe crew (I am sure the fandom has a name for them):

Was there ever a more precious crew of violent murderers and criminals?

Frenchy is just unbelievable and sweet. They get busted and gassed and there are armed men pouring in to fuck them up and he runs to the door where the immortal supe is setting up camp (Kimiko is like, you’ll get the bathroom back when I’m done looking adorable and she was so right for that) and puts a towel under the door so the gas doesn’t get to her. Just stuff like that. Unbelievable. Perfect. No notes.

MM, (i can’t call him mothers milk after seeing Homelander chug the breast milk) is SO FUCKING GORGEOUS AND HUGGABLE and loves his family and helps struggling kids as his job. He is firm but kind with Hughie. I’m obsessed. I just stare at him with my little heart eyes.

And speaking of Hughie

Oh god I usually could not give a shit less about the romances but Hughie and Annie are so precious. It’s because it was not initially based on romance or attraction at all. Hughie was grieving but he was attracted to how honest and vulnerable and good she was. He palpably admires her and respects her as a human being and it’s so touching. And when she got her moment to rescue him and the sparks were going from the ceiling a la Castiel in Lazarus Rising I was like Ahhhhh Bahahhahaha 😍😍 I’m rooting hard for those kids.

Ok shorter thoughts

I love the kind of bastard Butcher is. The kind of character that has an understandable obsession but who loses himself in it to the detriment of others.

I love how many compelling, hardcore, older women there are in it. One role I notice people have a hard time envisioning women in, is the older, flinty, world weary advisor, so I loved Mallory.

I’m sad the MILFs are dropping like flies (Jennifer Esposito I am free on Wednesday but also Thursday and Friday and really any day just call me pls) but it is what it is.

Holy shit the guy the plays Homelander is so good and creepy and terrifying and he makes my skin crawl.

Maeve baby leave him. You are tired I get that but pls go to your girlfriend. I want to hug this woman so badly.

I hope Kimiko gets a bigger role soon. Her character has so much potential and deserves to take up more of the narrative.

Ok that’s it. On to S2.

[koreandragon]

I'm not meaning to be obnoxious but can I get your thoughts on island? Idk I just finished it and like. Don't get me wrong eunwoo was AMAZING I truly loved seeing him on screen, but overall the plot felt very flimsy and all over the place. The main lead wasn't resllly giving anything acting wise or character wise. Idk if I'll watch season 2 (also WHYYY are we doing first seasons now with s2 already confirmed??? The glory s1!? Island s1?? Just stop the reason I like kdramas is cause they END with a 12-20 episodes. Beginning and end ugh enough)

well i think part of it could be that it was only 6 eps and they were trying to tell too much in a short amount of time. even if there is a season 2. it wasn't the most amazing thing i've seen that's for sure but it wasn't bad either. i do wish they gave van more character. all we know about him is that he's not really talkative and he had some kind of trauma in the past that they haven't fully explained. kim nam gil is an amazing actor actually i just don't think he was given too much to work with. i will not take kim nam gil slander in this house.my dear eunwoo was GIVING everything that needed to be given, he was horribly typecast before but he just wants to fight with swords and be cute while doing it.

but these multiple season things do annoy me quite a bit like make up your mind if it's a mini series or not.

[gunmetal-ring]

Lmfao SERIOUSLY? This is unreal. How can they keep doing this. Readmore because I'm rambling

It's like they don't remember how upset everyone was when Melissa was first kicked out. It's like they don't remember how twd s9/10 brought the show back to life. It's like they don't remember how excited a huge part of the fanbase was for the CARYL show. It's bad enough that Melissa didn't warrant an actual title to the show she SHOULD have been granted (and no, a subtitle following an eponymous male character that was SUPPOSED to costar with her doesn't count). It's bad enough that angela getting booted was swept under the rug with a shitty nonexistent EP credit to what was SUPPOSED to be HER show haphazardly slapped on as a pity prize.

A (male) showrunner that was totally unaffiliated with twd produced a spinoff that (from what i hear, bc i refused to watch it and canceled amc+ the day it was announced that melissa and angela were kicked out) a) retconned daryls history of abuse, b) shipbaited once again, c) made daryl hem and haw about if he should stay forever with a couple people he's known for a week vs try to get back to the woman he (canonically, remember?) loves and his surrogate children, and d) retconned daryls ability/comfort with forming emotional and physical connections with strangers. Im sure im forgetting other things, too.

SFX are great, greg - but even the best SFX in the world arent good enough to make up for shitty, flimsy, inconsistent writing. Producing a little vanity project is fine, norman - except for when you're destroying a pre-established beloved character to do it. Barring women from the jobs they excel at is never great, gimple, and actually it doesnt surprise me one bit that you want to ensure this spinoff continues to suck because does anyone else remember when he ran the flagship show into the ground? Hm? Just me?

So many fans fell off throughout the years, and so many carylers stopped watching because what do you know, it turns out shipbaiting and dangling and teasing a romance between two of the most popular characters of the show over the course of 11 seasons actually isn't all that enticing. People were excited for the CARYL show. AMC actually had to put out a statement regarding the backlash of the cancelation of the CARYL show, if anyone happens to remember. I actually had stopped watching twd years ago but started up again once the CARYL show was announced (and subscribed to amc+) because it was the one thing that actually made me interested again. (Keep in mind that I made it about two episodes into s8 and then watched youtube clips of all the caryl moments because it was so fucking boring. Thanks, gimple!)

Canon caryl is what a major section of the fanbase wants. And HAS wanted. For years. Which AMC knows. Because their official accounts have endorsed it. So... if you want people to watch your show, you have to actually make it watchable, i.e producing something that people want to watch. People didn't want to watch s1. The only reason more people are excited for s2 is Melissa. What's not clicking?

Here's what I know is going on. AMC wants to hire an experienced female showrunner—a Caryler from what I hear—for S3. The men in charge want total control of the show and don't give a fuck about what the fans want, so they're trying to prevent the deal from happening. AMC—evidently still prioritizing the men's needs despite how poorly S1 did—are now considering hiring an unestablished male showrunner who may not even like Caryl, but he'll be easy for the three male EPs to push around. So basically, Zabel 2.0. If that happens or if they keep Zabel, we may not get canon or the strong storylines Caryl deserve or much of anything we want. If that happens, we know who to blame. And AMC will know why their numbers still aren't going up to where they should be.

Nothing has been finalized yet, and from what I gather, Melissa hasn’t been given the chance to weigh in (yet? 🤨). If this concerns you, I strongly recommend posting about it in the Caryl tag here or on Twitter with #TWDCaryl. Because that's what we want, isn't it? A Daryl and Carol show that honors both the characters, treats female EPs equally, and respects its audience.

For fuck's sake, AMC, do the right thing.

[flimsyzee]

The fact that Pogtopians just wanted their home back,, and Technoblade needlessly villanized them to fit his own agenda.

“I just wanted...I just wanted L’manberg” - Tommy “You just wanted Power” - Technoblade

Tommy never ever mentioned wanting to have power, literally everyone else said “oh! he probably wants to be president” When he merely wanted to be back home in the nation he founded with Wilbur, Tubbo, Eret and Fundy

[szczepter]

how do i explain the feeling of nostalgia i get during s1-5 of something i was never a part of?? it’s such an eerie feeling. 

[k-mund]

I still don't know what to do with statements like:

1) “Blackbeard did say he credited you with a lot of his skills.” / “He said you taught him everything he knows. Made him the Captain he is today.” Did Ed really say all that to Stede or just the first (in my opinion plausible) part? Is Stede misinterpreting? Is he trying to flatter Izzy? If the second part is supposed to be true, then why does S1 keep showing AND telling us that Ed is this brilliant sailor and that Izzy lacks imagination so much he needs Ed to come up with the plans?

2) “Blackbeard, he gets all this praise, when you are quite clearly the brains of this operation” Am I supposed to believe Ricky there? The guy who tried to be a pirate for ten seconds and failed immediately? The guy who “love[s] a good pirates' tale” and tells an anecdote about Captain Kidd that Izzy immediately contradicts, just before this scene? What does this guy knows about anything? Fang and Spanish Jackie (and presumably Anne Bonny and Mary Read) all know Ed and Izzy personally for some time, why not use their POV at some point in S2 to convey trustworthy info to the audience about their relationship? But, regardless, if you want me to believe that Izzy has so much ingenuity and can rival with or even surpass Ed... I need proof of that and an explanation about why it really didn't look like it in S1.

If these two statements are supposed to be bullshit: what's the point? What are the writers trying to accomplish here?

If they're not supposed to be bullshit, then I feel like their purpose is to reinforce the notion that Izzy is saying the truth in his deathbed speech, by giving the impression that 1) Izzy have a lot of influence over Ed (although the canon shows us repeatedly that Ed makes decisions without him, ignores his concerns, conceals informations from him, resorts to violence without needing Izzy around to encourage him, resorts to violence even while Izzy tries to discourage him), 2) Blackbeard is a shared identity, that can be buried with Izzy, so that Ed can be free of it (without having to be held accountable for his own actions).

(I think it's funny that some Izzy haters are like “you all ignore when Izzy says he fed his darkness”, because I don't see them subscribe to “Izzy was the brains of the operation and everything Ed knows comes from Izzy”, even though it would support their position. We're all dismissing flimsy “evidence” because it doesn't add up!)

But how can we accept anything Izzy says in this scene as The Truth anyway when he spent all of season 2 rearranging the story, the only constant beeing his obvious self-blame?

Sometimes you watch a show that has clear goals but struggles to execute them, here I don't understand the goals. I alternate looking between the writers' intentions (or what I imagine they are) and the canon to try and makes sense of it all and I'm just lost. Not even in a fun way as in “oh, the writers are trying to mindfuck us with this mysterious relationship” because if this is intentional, it's badly done.

After reading multiple metas on all sides, I think the biggest problem with OFMD, specially Season 2 is that it is almost entirely built on tell don't show. Worse sometimes it is hint, don't tell or show. This is not great writing in itself but it is made worse when the POV characters are all shown to have a rather unstable relationship with reality and memory.

Stede is self-centered enough to just not acknowledge or even notice things around him that don't actively interact with his focus which is mostly just Ed. He is self-centered to the point of being delusional about other people and reality of circumstances. Season 2 sees him doing better and his rescue of the crew is his highest point. But we see this even through Season 2 in his interactions with Lucius and during Ed's apology his interactions with Zheng Yi Sao.. Basically anyone not Ed.

Ed is shown to have a negotiable understanding of truth - seen with his Ed/Blackbears/Kraken split, his "I didn't kill them, the fire killed them" dissociation with his own actions, his rewriting of the context of his own memories (Knife parade) or just straight up forgetting shit (Talent show). And yes all of these are trauma responses but that does not dismiss the fact that his perception is far from objective.

Izzy is straight up shown to be lying in his first interaction with Ed regarding Stede. He is aware of his surroundings better than Stede and Ed but he is also supremely blind to himself and his interpersonal relationships. Where Stede is delusional about the world he can be interpreted as delusional about himself.

We as the audience ofcourse can put context to their words from their actions and this worked ok in season 1 (not always but mostly and that becomes important later) But Season 2 leans much more heavily on tell without show. (Yes yes budget cuts...but that doesn't change the final product).

Where season 1 added some flavour of back story with tell dont show, Season 2 expects dialogue to do all the heavy lifting (none more than Izzy's death speech) without this dialogue being backed up by action. Worse (or better) this dialogue isn't exposition which makes the scene better but which also means more often then not it is merely hinting at a meaning.

So we have half explained dialogues, sometimes with dubious context, used as a substitute for action given to us by characters with established unreliable perspectives. The heavy lifting of understanding the meaning of these dialogues, their significance and weigtt, has then been shifted to the audience interpretation. This interpretation is of course done per individual interest and bias. This is not bad in itself but remember this has been happening since season 1. Which means the new interpretations are being built on older interpretations. Those little flavour back story hints have now become the lens through which the entire season 2 is meant to be understood.

We are all watching a different show in a sense and that us not a failure of the audience. It is, rather, an accidental byproduct (and a failure) of the show's design because of the combination of all the above factors which was (made worse by the budget cuts leaving less time/space for action)

The show then unfortunately comes down to whose POV are you accepting (and certain fans have turned this into an exercise of moralizing self righteousness.) and to what extant.

A true understanding, imo, can only be by accepting that none of their perspectives are absolutely true and trying to center the objective narrative between all of them in a way that best fits all their perspectives AND accounts for all their blind spots, rather than lift any one POV as the absolute uncritical truth. (And fans on all sides have been guilty of this)

(P.S. I think this may also have worked positively towards making this show so huge is season one because it left enough ambiguity for us all to project on it multiple complex and sometimes contradicting interpretations creating an Illusion of much greater complexity that was more in our collective heads than in the actual show.)