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inbarfink · 10 months ago

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After all these years, ‘I Remember You’ is still one of the great highlights of Adventure Time Storytelling. And not just in the basic ‘what???? Silly children’s cartoon does something SAD??? HOLY SHIT MIND BLOWN’ way. But with the execution of that Something Sad. How it manages to pack so many Complex Emotions into just 11-minutes of television. And especially the way it utilizes the basic Adventure Time format for that purpose.

So Adventure Time is a Board-based show. Each episode has an outline pitched and written down by the writer’s room, and then this outline goes to a team of (usually) two Storyboard Artists who develop that simple outline into a full story. And with the show’s art-style deliberately eschewing staying perfectly ‘on-model’ in favor of having the animators take direct reference from how the different storyboarders draw the characters

And the show being generally extremely versatile in terms of themes and tone - AT has allowed a lot of their Storyboarders to really express themselves and their unique artistic vision as part of the Big Collaborative Narrative that is Adventure Time.

Now, the Boarders who worked on ‘I Remember You’ are Cole Sanchez and Rebecca Sugar. These two were a Storyboarding Duo from the start of S4 and until Sugar left the AT Crew during S5, and they always struck me as a curious combination. I think really from all of the individual boarders working on AT during that time, these two really are the closest to having like… Totally Opposite Artistic Sensibilities as boarders.

With Sugar favoring a style that is very loose and sketchy and also very rounded. Focusing on expressions and subtle body language and lighting. And being famous for going deep in depth into Big Moments of Emotional Catharsis

And Sanchez having a very clear art style that emphasizes strong silhouettes and clear lines that suggest flatness. Focusing more on major poses and the character’s positions in the space. And having just a really great eye for AT’s brand of silly humor.

Like, I almost kinda suspect these two were paired together so they can each cover for the other’s “weakspots” in writing ‘Adventure Time’.

And there were a few episodes that did some really interesting stuff with this very contrasting pair - ‘Jake the Dog’ is another example. Giving most of the Farmworld scenes to Sugar and most of the Time Room scenes to Sanchez both plays to their personal strengths as storyboarders and helps to emphasize the strong emotional contrast between these two scenarios.

And ‘I Remember You’ is actually kinda unique among Adventure Time episodes cause… Most episodes will have the two boarders alternate between working on the episode throughout it. Like you’d have Boarder A draw a bit and then Boarder B and then Boarder A again… But “I Remember You” is divided between Sanchez and Sugar… basically perfectly in the middle.

So the entirety of the first half of the episode was boarded by Sanchez

Until Ice King pushes Marceline and then leaves the room in shame.

And then, Sugar takes over.

And, like, even if you don’t know anything about the Behind the Scenes of Adventure Time or who Cole Sanchez and Rebecca Sugar even are - the Shift is noticeable. The shift in tone, in narrative focus, in the subtleties in which the characters are drawn.

The entire first half of the episode has this thin veneer of just being a Silly Goofy Ice King Episode. Sanchez’s talent for Adventure Time’s brand of comedy is on full display… but there is also this underlying feeling that Something is Happening just under the surface. And these hints of the Big Emotions of ‘IRY’ expressed via Sanchez’s kinda goofy style really create this balance between putting the audience into a false sense of security that this is just a Very Normal Episode about two characters hanging out and the Tension constantly brewing in the subtext.

And then it all comes to a blow.

And then the Shift happens. And now we are in Sugar’s court.

And this subtle shift in the artstyle and storytelling also coincide with Marceline finally openly expressing her feelings and the Reveal of Simon and Marcy's shared past. The episode changes focus from Ice King's silly antics to Marceline's feelings. Everything changes, everything in the first part of the episode gets recontextualized and... even on the most basic level, the episode is now Noticeably Different.

I would almost say that Sanchez’s half of the episode has Ice King define the tone, while Sugar’s half of the episode has Marceline define the tone. But more than anything it’s the catharsis. The reveal and release of those emotions that were building up so expertly through the Sanchez half of the episode. All of the Sugar-boarded scenes in this episode are really heartbreaking on their own, just through the tragedy of the story and Sugar’s expert knowledge of howto convey emotion in the visual medium - but it’s so enchanted by what came before it.

“I Remember You” is truly a great testament to how ‘Adventure Time’ could use every aspect of its medium to tell a great story in such a short time.

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descendant-of-truth · 20 days ago

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If I may throw my hat into the ring here, I think the source of a lot of problems in the writing of Miraculous can be boiled down to its confusion over its target demographic.

There are two very clear audiences the show is trying to cater to:

Grade school girls around 5-10

Teens/young adults around 15-20

And this results in some. unique conflicts in the show's internal logic.

Because it's a superhero show for little kids, it's full of fun, bright colors, wacky villain-of-the-week designs, and the characters are all very straightforward with exaggerated personality traits. The cheerful, clumsy, scatterbrained girl protagonist, her utterly charming and goofy (but slightly clueless) love interest, her cool best friend, her mean bully, etc.

This extends to the romance; the show is so comedic that Marinette's nervous crush and Cat Noir's flirting are played up for laughs. Their more "problematic" behaviors read as cartoon shenanigans first and foremost, which I do think was the intention - they're both shown as being more than a little ridiculous for acting this way, so they're not exactly trying to encourage people to emulate them. They're allowed to be genuinely wholesome, too, because it's nice to give the kids something to go "aww!" at, but it's not meant to be more complicated or deep than that.

And of course, it's gotta follow a sweet and simple episodic formula! A conflict in Marinette's civilian life, an inciting incident to get a side character upset enough for Hawk Moth to turn into a villain, Ladybug and Cat Noir show up, there's fun banter, Ladybug uses her Lucky Charm to figure out a wacky solution to the problem, and boom! The day is saved, Marinette and/or someone else learns a moral, and we get a cute little end screen showing all the key players of the episode.

The one aspect of the show's setup that's a little more serious is the fact that Adrien has a super controlling and distant father, but even this is something that doesn't necessarily break the kid-friendly tone for the first season or two. Superhero shows in particular like to put in some stuff that's a little more emotionally challenging for the viewers, even when they're mostly comedic, so it's not totally out of place here.

For example, while they tend to have more grounded tones overall, Spider-Man cartoons are aimed at kids and regularly keep the conflict between Harry Osborn and his father, Norman, intact; often including the plot point of Norman being the Green Goblin, a notorious villain. It's a similar deal with Adrien, and his dad secretly being Hawk Moth.

You can easily anticipate drama coming from this, but the show primes you to expect it to work out fine in the end because every other conflict so far has been wrapped up in a nice little bow once the episode's over. Though I will say, the choice to have Hawk Moth be Gabriel instead of his own, separate character is perhaps the first sign of the tone shift to come.

And, uh. it sure is a shift.

See, Miraculous does not start out with what you'd call a... plot. It vaguely alludes to there being more going on behind the scenes, but the only thing it really tries to get you invested in is the Love Square dynamic. Marinette and Adrien dancing around each other while fighting crime IS the plot, and it's clearly going to end with a cool final confrontation with Hawk Moth.

You expect it to end like... well, like the movie. Identities are revealed, Gabriel realizes the error of his ways when he finds out he's been fighting his son this whole time, and they may or may not make up but he almost definitely gets arrested. Marinette and Adrien kiss, roll credits.

This is not what happens, because the plot the writers actually had in mind is complex in a way that I would argue is meant for the same audience as YA novels. And with that plot comes a lot of darker, weightier traits to these otherwise silly characters.

Marinette isn't just scatterbrained and nervous, she has debilitating anxiety and an increasing need to be in control of everything due to the stress she's under. She has panic attacks on-screen. She's not just great at strategizing, she also knows how to manipulate people, and does so with increasing frequency - and to Cat Noir at times, no less. Her positive traits haven't gone anywhere, she's still loving and creative and sweet and doing her best to help everyone she can, she just. has all of that other stuff going on, now.

Adrien isn't just a charming, goofy, clueless love interest with a gazillion skills and a controlling father, he's like. actively being abused, and in some cases straight-up mind controlled. His tendency to heroically sacrifice himself so that Ladybug can do her Cool Protagonist Thing is gradually but unmistakably reframed as being a sign of suicidal inclinations. He has identity issues out the wazoo and he doesn't even know he's an artificially created human yet, because everyone in his life is keeping secrets from him and/or lying to his face about crucial information.

Information like, uh. how his dad died???

Yeah, so we're at a point in the story now where there was no satisfying conclusion to the Gabriel plot, no team-up, no moment where he realizes he's been fighting his son, none of that. He still has something akin to a change of heart, but he also still kind of gets what he wants - the Miraculous of the Ladybug and Black Cat, which he uses to rewrite the universe with a wish. It's just that instead of reviving his wife, he trades his life for Natalie's. Of course, he was already dying anyway, which was his own fault but he did force Cat Noir's Cataclysm onto himself, so, that's another thing poor Adrien is going to have to deal with at some point.

And because there's all these astronomically messed up things in Adrien's life, and Marinette's the one who got to learn about all of it before him, she decides that maybe it would be better if he just. didn't know about it. Which is understandable, if I was 14 and had all this information about my boyfriend's life that he didn't, I wouldn't know how to begin telling him about it, either.

But. can you see how we've maybe lost the plot, here?

Here's the thing: starting with a simple framework and gradually getting more complex and subverting the audience's expectations for how the main villain is going to be dealt with is not a bad thing. The fact that it gets darker over time is not an issue. I actually think that all these developments are, themselves, pretty cool! I'm a sucker for angst and complex character dynamics and the show is absolutely giving me those things.

The problem is that it didn't just start with a simple framework, it started with the framework for a different demographic entirely, and perhaps just as importantly, it never actually... stopped.

For as much complexity and intensity they're injecting this story with, they're still working under the logic of it being "for young kids." We still get goofy villain-of-the-week designs with equally goofy motivations, and the supporting cast is stuck remaining two-dimensional no matter their circumstances. Chloe is the most blatant example of this - she was made to be a simple bully first, so no matter what else they do with her, she has to remain straightforwardly evil.

This, I think, is the reason that Gabriel is a more nuanced and "sympathetic" antagonist than her, and why so much care goes into Adrien's character as a victim of abuse while Chloe is just a Problem Child despite suffering similar neglect; she wasn't made to be interesting, and so the show is resistant to changing that. Gabriel and Adrien, however, were already made with nuance in mind, and so they're allowed to develop as characters. And at the same time, it's a kid's show! We need to teach the kids what kind of behavior is acceptable, and Chloe's home life isn't an excuse to treat people badly, so--!

...Oh crap we're supposed to be teaching kids about acceptable behavior. Uh. Um. Quick, bring back the ice cream akuma who cares way too much about his ships so that Cat Noir can learn about consent! Uhh, but don't change his character too much afterwards, he's only marketable because of his silly flirting, and we can't lose that.

Yeah, remember when I said that the romance having problematic elements to it used to work well enough because it was clearly just exaggerated cartooniness? It wasn't free from criticism or anything, but you could see how it was intended to be endearing and silly, right? You were supposed to point and laugh at Marinette's convoluted plans to spend time with Adrien, at Cat Noir's dramatic flirting attempts that Ladybug herself fondly rolled her eyes at.

The tonal shift into deep character exploration kinda paints the previous stuff in a worse light, and to an extent, I think the writers know that. It's hard to laugh at Cat Noir being flirty all the time when he's also supposed to be taken completely seriously, and the more Ladybug rejects him, the more it turns into harassment, and it. kinda just stops being funny, even with the comedic framing.

It's also hard to laugh at Marinette's crush being so all-consuming when they try to tell us (in what I can only assume was an attempt to get people to stop complaining) that she's like this because it's fueled by an event in her past, one that made her so scared of loving the wrong person that she now needs to know Everything about them before asking them out. Her cartoon antics aren't funny under that light, it's just concerning, but they're dedicated to keeping it up anyway.

The show runs on straightforward cartoon logic where you're not supposed to think about it too hard just as much as it runs on grounded, closer-to-real-life logic where people are messy and complicated and actions have consequences. It's so divided that you can hand-pick parts of the story that are influenced by one or the other pretty easily, and depending on the episode you can find instances of both in the same 20-minute time span. Maybe even multiple times!

Neither thing they're trying to go for is bad, and neither is a better approach than the other, but forcing them into the same show makes both sides suffer.

It's not just hard to laugh at the parts I mentioned earlier, it's hard to take Gabriel seriously as a villain whenever you rewatch an episode and remember that he has a once-per-episode pun-based speech that he says so self-seriously that you can't help but laugh at. It's hard to take him seriously when you remember that he repeatedly akumatized a Literal Baby and practically threw a tantrum every time it didn't work, or when he randomly steals (and enthusiastically performs) his nephew's musical dance number, or something similar that you would only do for a cartoon villain aimed at five-year-olds.

And I can only imagine this whole show is a marketing nightmare, too. Hey, little girls, here's your cool role model! She's cute and smart and talented and powerful and can fix anything by shouting the title of the show! Hope you're having fun watching her tell her boyfriend that his newly-deceased father (who used deepfakes of him to sell merchandise that's built to enslave the population and then locked him in a solitary confinement chamber in another country) was actually a hero who sacrificed himself to stop the main villain instead of, y'know, being the main villain! Aren't you excited to watch her wrestle with the guilt of this lie for the next season or so? Doesn't it just make you want to buy her merchandise??

Like. what is even happening right now. what am I watching. how did we get here and why did we start where we did if this was what the story was going to be about

#miraculous ladybug #ml spoilers #ml s5 spoilers #ml s5 finale #analysis #meta #Does this warrant going under the salt tag?? I don't actually post about this series much #ml salt #just in case #'Who is this show supposed to be for' is a question that haunts me constantly #You can't even say it's a family show because family shows are NOT this conflicted about themselves #It's not just 'for everyone' because it's very specifically For Little Kids and For Young Adults SEPARATELY and AT THE SAME TIME #<-Stuff I couldn't fit in the main analysis but is relevant anyway #To be clear I DO like this show quite a lot and I'm absolutely looking forward to season 6 #I just needed to get this out there because it was driving me crazy

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username-archive · 4 days ago

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locked in (james wilson x reader)

𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆: as the hospital goes into lockdown, you realise you're trapped in wilsons office. what could possibly be brought up?

𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: forced proximity, confessions, heavy makeout

based on season 6 episode 17 'lockdown'

The hospital’s usual hum of activity shifted abruptly as the announcement crackled over the intercom: 'Code Seven.' In an instant, doors swung shut with a heavy clang, sealing patients, visitors, and staff within isolated sections. Nurses exchanged tense glances, their hurried steps faltering as they processed the change in routine, and doctors glanced at each other in surprise, the weight of the lockdown settling into their expressions. Bright fluorescent lights cast a harsh glare down the sterile hallways, now unsettlingly quiet. In the suspended silence, everyone waited, caught between the familiar routine of the hospital and the unfamiliar sense of entrapment.

You had to admire the way Wilson had decorated his office; it showed every aspect of his personality. A framed photo of him and House, probably one of the only photos of House looking happy in existence, sat on his desk next to a small robot made from clay that one of his child patients gave him. Stood proud on his bookcase were articles he had published, next to his degree. You’d been in his office countless times for a multitude of reasons, consults, pages, situations involving House; all you were meant to see him for today was a consult on a patient file.

That was until the lockdown alarm sounded and a security guard told the both of you to not leave the room. At first the room was clouded in an awkward tension as you sat on his couch but once the boredom hit you couldn’t help but pace around the room examining every detail as you shared stories of the countless stupid decisions House had made. It was difficult to not have the conversation be about him considering that was your only shared experience. Eventually you found yourself comfortable on the floor, knees to your chest as Wilson sat near you with his legs out flat.

‘Every time we talk it always leads back to House,’ You laughed as you rested your head against the wall, ‘It’s not as if he has anything important to say outside of a case.’

‘Actually.’ Wilson hesitates as he tilts his head to look at you, ‘There was one thing he said.’ You turn to look at him urging him to continue.

‘He had a theory that I might have feelings towards you.’ He said it in his usual Wilson tone, hesitating before words but still being unable to stop himself from speaking them. A small smile placed itself on your face when you rested a hand on his to comfort him from the feelings that he had pushed too far.

You didn't even notice as your bodies began leaning into each other, faces only inches apart. 'Do you think House was right?' you whisper, your eyes flicking between Jame's eyes and lips. The gap was closing, only a few centimetres between the one thing you wanted.

‘It’s always been you, ever since I first saw you walk in to help House with a case and when you stayed to be part of the team, I didn’t know what to do.’

bzzz

The phone on Wilson's desk interrupted the tension. James hung his head before muttering a small 'I should get that.' He sounded borderline upset. Leaning against the outside of his desk, he answered the phone, the voice on the other end sounding a lot like House. James answered every stupid question House threw at him about whatever patient he was stuck in a room with.

'James,' You meant it as a question but it came out more of a declaration. Standing to be on his level you saunter over to stand in front of him. 'Yes, we were told not to leave the room when she dropped a file off.' Maybe it was the way Wilson was talking about you, his tone of voice or maybe it was the surfaced emotions caused by being forced together in a small space but something caused a wave of bravery to overcome you as you took the phone from his ear and placed it back on the receiver.

'Y/N,' he breathes out placing one hand on your waist and the other under your chin, tilting your head up to face him.

You leaned into each other slowly, your breaths mingling as the space between you dissolved. Your hands found their way to the back of his neck, fingers curling into his hair, drawing him closer. His arms wrapped around your waist, pulling you closer against him. You pulled back, placing one hand on his cheek and the other on his chest as you pulled him towards the couch.

He pulled you on top of him as he fell back, moving your legs to straddle him, his lips finding yours again. Untucking his shirt you feel every detail of his chest. It was an unspoken agreement, forcing the kiss to deepen, flowing into something urgent and needed. Your fingers moved from his chest to his shirt, beginning to unbutton the top buttons while he took your jumper off. Your fingers slipped into the soft fabric of his shirt, pulling him closer feeling the warmth of his body. He responded with equal hunger, his lips moving in perfect rhythm as the air between you thickened. Everything about this was raw and unfiltered.

The door burst open, the high voice of Cuddy ringing in the room, ‘Lockdowns over, sorry Wilson I-‘ She paused as she realised the scene she had walked in on. ‘I will leave you to it.’ She began to close the door, ‘I have an obligation to tell you that any sexual activity within hospital grounds will result in a suspension so please, take it to the car’

#dr james wilson #x reader #fluff #house md #james wilson #james wilson x reader #comfort #robert sean leonard

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absolutebl · 8 months ago

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Began Beginning - Myanmar's first BL

Not So Quick Pitch (or is it a pitch?)

Cause I got a lot of thoughts

8 eps 25 min ea YouTube

Began Beginning feels very much like a first timers BL. Which it pretty much is. There’s a lot of explaining and info dumping and information that we really don’t need about the characters (or the family) especially in the first couple of episodes.

Here's your hlepful breakdown:

Mani = main boy workaholic, probably gay, acts ace

Hlyan = cute flirty bestie, smoker, closeted gay (for good reason) in love with Mani (becomes main character about 3/4 way through)

Walar = openly gay visitor recovering from a breakup who enters their codependent dynamic and things happen as a result

Thae = Mani & Hlyan’s other bestie, trans

I was tempted to say this reminded me of early Vietnamese BL, but in actuality what it reminded me of most was the stuff we got from way back in the early 2000's out of Hong Kong, or more recently from the Philippines (I'm thinking about something like The Boy Foretold by the Stars).

There is a grungy sticky authenticity to these works, of which Began Beginning is now a part. They have their own tarnished charm. For all their hiccups in storytelling and absurdities, there is an almost documentary feel to them, partly as a result of the inferior quality of production and filming (which is entirely economic). But that itself also somehow adds to the appeal.

This kind of BL is entirely the opposite of something out of Korea or GMMTV. And if you like that BL best, you aren't gonna like this product. But as much as KBL wins top ranks from me pretty consistently these days, sometimes I enjoy this kind of BL too.

The range itself keeps the genre vibrant and healthy.

So what is Began Beginning about?

Childhood best friends must come to terms with their own identities and true feelings for each other when a new boy comes to town, putting them into conflict with their families and ultimately, each other.

For the first half of this show there’s a lot of sitting across from each other and talking about life choices over yummy food and then going to tourist spots (mildly boring and not particularly important to the plot).

It changed tone about 2/3 in to be way more of a coming out family drama about forced marriages and homophobia.

And then at the very end it changed again, becoming a full on soap opera with kidnapping, crazy characterization shifts, and rescue missions.

All in all? It was a wild raw creature to consume as a binge. No kisses since this is Myanmar, but a very romantic end, so I think maybe actually worth your time? I'm certainly glad I watched it.

Recommended with lots of reservations but great respect. I’m going with a 7/10.

There is a particularly important part at the end when Hlyan talks about asking Thae to dress him as a girl to see if he was third gender because he had these feels for another boy. And how unpleasant that made him feel. I thought it was hugely impactful as a window into the boxes same sex loves in modern society forces upon us. No matter what options our culture provides for us, if the boxes are limited we feel limited too. Also, drawing a distinction between gender identity and sexual identity. Lovely bit of storytelling.

(see comments, turns out this is not the first one)

(source)

#it's wild and grungy but I enjoyed it #no kisses tho #Burmese BL #there's a tag I never thought I'd use #BL from Myanmar #Began Beginning

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grey-and-green · 1 year ago

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Ineffable (pre-2000's) Timeline

Before the Beginning

We don’t know how long before The Beginning this was, or how long they may have known each other in ‘heaven’ before Eden. We don’t know if one (or both) of them had their memory of the other erased (I think there's quite a lot of speculation about this, so I can't link just one example).

Angel!Crowley is the most adorable thing in all creation, but he asks some very innocent and appropriate questions and Aziraphale is scared for him (and maybe scared of him?)

Crowley shelters Aziraphale with their wing. Adorable. Love it.

4004 BC: Eden

Aziraphale gives away his flaming sword in his first official act of doing-good-against-God’s-wishes and Crowley immediately fucking eats it up.

"You're an angel, I don't think you can do the wrong thing" is well-intentioned but probably sets up a less-than-helpful anchoring point for Aziraphale's morality (see various points below about Aziraphale's moral evolution trajectory and rationalising Heaven's actions).

Aziraphale shelters Crowley from the rain (and the best part is that Crowley moves in, closer to Aziraphale, BEFORE Aziraphale puts his wing up. Fucking lovebirds. Ridiculous)

3004 BC: The Flood

Crowley seeks out Aziraphale at the flood. Essentially just shows up to flirt.

Aziraphale clearly doesn’t like the flood-and-death plan but he also isn’t ready to speak negatively about God. He defends the flood as “not that bad” and goes all “no comment” about killing kids (because he can’t actually defend that bit). Not a huge fan of heaven already by this point, but either too brainwashed or too scared (or both) to actively say anything non-conforming out loud.

Crowley is appalled by the idea of killing children, has always been a rebellious little cinnamon roll.

“You still have one [unicorn]” implies that Crowley either doesn’t know the point of the Ark (unlikely, he didn’t show up here by chance) or he doesn’t know about the birds and the bees. (Is it at all possible that Bildad The Professional Cobbler/Midwife still didn’t know what sex and childbirth were? No solid evidence that he had any plan other than pulling the ribs out. He’s so stupid)

(Theory: Others have considered that this meeting was more involved than what we’ve been shown so far because 1- by the Job incident Aziraphale is real damn convinced that Crowley won’t hurt the kids and 2- “sudden rainstorm forces them together under a canopy” doesn’t actually fit with either of the times our lovebirds sheltered the other under their respective wings, because neither time was sheltering “together”. So maybe this sudden rainstorm is what Crowley is actually referencing and there’s more here we haven’t seen). (Theory 2.0 is this wildly long meta that basically is a dissertation on why the kissed during the Flood and I’m here for it).

2500 BC: The Job Incident

Ugh, I love this episode. Nothing but endless love for our baby Bildad.

Appears to be a chance meeting between them.

They BOTH DEFY ORDERS to save the children.

When the bird-goats make a noise, Crowley turns around before Aziraphale says anything. He was HOPING that Aziraphale would catch on, he was baiting his Angel to see that he was going to save the kids. Which, I mean, we all already know Crowley is a softie and he’s not really tried that hard to hide it from Aziraphale in the history we’ve seen so far, so…tone down the evil demon cosplay, babe. We’re past that.

Crowley saving the kids isn’t surprising. But we actually have a big jump for Aziraphale here. When we originally only had the Flood and the Crucifixion in S1, the evolution of Aziraphale’s “defence” of Heaven seems subtle and slow between those two short scenes. But throwing this epic story in the middle? Genuinely a MASSIVE shift from rationalising Heaven’s plans for the flood to assuming he knows what God is thinking + actively collaborating with a demon and trusting a demon more than his fellow angels + willing to be literally damned to save three random kids. (Could easily argue that this seeming anachronism in Aziraphale’s arc [along with Bildad’s stupid hair] makes it all the more plausible that there is a magic trick happening here).

Aziraphale says that Crowley is “technically” a demon. (I see what you’re getting at there. I see you, Aziraphale)

Aziraphale tries human food for the first time. Odd sexual tension. I won’t elaborate.

When Aziraphale is sitting by the ocean, he’s waiting to be punished and thinks that’s why Crowley came over. But Crowley doesn’t know this. He was just coming over to spend more time with Aziraphale for totally platonic reasons.

Crowley has the chance to take Aziraphale to hell as a demon, and declines (hmmm, foreshadowing us all getting our hearts ripped out a few short episodes later???)

Crowley’s appearance: people have speculated on why they look so different here compared to the Flood and the Crucifixion. My theory is that the other to flashbacks (seen in S1) are Crowley going about her life and just popping in to flirt with Aziraphale, whereas with Job, Crowley is showing up to work. The Bildad getup is a work outfit, demon cosplay. Long hair and no sunglasses is Crowley being himself, and silly hair silly glasses is creating a character to play while hiding his eyes because humans are around AND he’s vulnerable when hell is watching.

Bonus happy thought: when they get the kids in the cellar they start bickering like an old married couple/BLATANTLY flirting and the kids are just...so confused. Fucking delightful.

33 AD: Crucifixion

Crowley seeks out Aziraphale.

Crowley has changed their name.

By this time, when Crowley says “Heaven’s being a bit shitty” Aziraphale doesn’t actually defend Heaven? “I’m not consulted on policy decisions” is much closer to “I know they’re awful but I can’t change anything” as opposed to trying to rationalise that heaven must, by default, be good. (See note above about Aziraphale’s non-linear moral evolution).

Not much else here except Crowley looking their absolute most gorgeous in all of history.

41 AD: Rome

Crowley having a bad day. A lot of people have written about how after the Crucifixion and everything else that has happened so far, baby bean is fucking disillusioned as all hell.

Crowley makes obvious ploy to get Aziraphale to ask him on a date, and it works. Delightful.

Bonus happy thought: the little pins each of them is wearing on their togas? The fucking angel wings and the snake? Nothing but love for the Good Omens costume department.

537 AD: Wessex knights

No idea if they’ve met between Rome and now, but I’m pretty sure they have? Aziraphale recognizes Crowley’s voice immediately, I feel like they’ve talked sometime (oodles of times?) in the previous 500 years.

Proposed Arrangement. Aziraphale very dramatically declines for corporate reasons. Not so much “working together is wrong” but that “working together is against the rules”.

Could possibly argue that this feels like a step backwards for Aziraphale since the Job incident. But I think, no? With Job, the stakes were high and they were literally saving innocent lives. Here, The Arrangement is presented more like cheating on homework. Like, this is just a report for work, I’m not going to risk being reprimanded for something trivial like faking a sick day. Because Aziraphale still wants Heaven’s (God’s) approval quite badly: he’ll risk his life to save human lives, but not to save himself a trek to a castle.

1601: Globe Theatre

By the now The Arrangement is well established. Aziraphale puts up a very lazy fight against it, but caves almost immediately.

We can see already that Aziraphale is concerned that Crowley could get in trouble over their relationship, but I don’t think he has really realized how much danger Crowley is in? Like, if he genuinely thought destruction was on the line, he might have protested more. But it’s still important here that Aziraphale is concerned with Crowley’s safety above his own.

I believe Aziraphale asked Crowley to meet up at the theatre from what Crowley says about “you said we would blend in with the crowds”.

Bonus happy thought: I’ve seen people speculate about whether the coin toss was rigged. I choose to believe they BOTH rigged it so that Aziraphale would go to Scotland bc Crowley didn’t want to go, and Aziraphale knows that Crowley can’t ride a horse so was totally keen to save him from that ordeal.

1650: not shown

Something happens and Aziraphale does the “I was wrong” dance

I wrote elsewhere that this could be a promise of something we will be shown in Season 3 -OR- it could be a Clue that memories are missing (see The Magic Trick You Didn’t See)

Also, despite all the wonderful suggestions people have from actual history about what these two might have gotten mixed up in in 1650, my personal prediction is that if we see this in Season 3, the actual Thing that led to the dance will be extremely trivial, like Aziraphale knocks over Crowley's drink or something.

1793: The Bastille

Aziraphale gets himself in a damsel-in-distress situation and Crowley “has to” save him. Obvious ploy to go on a date. Flawless.

Crowley is clearly following Aziraphale around, since he showed up at exactly the right time. Zero coincidence detected.

Aziraphale has absolutely no issue with the executioner being beheaded in his place. Bit ruthless to sacrifice a random stranger for the cause of taking your crush out to lunch.

At some point, Aziraphale does the “I was wrong” dance here. Hopefully over crepes.

1827: Scotland

Crowley essentially just takes Aziraphale on a date to a graveyard. Such a mood.

Some obvious moral struggles for Aziraphale starting to realize that good and bad are not black and white and that extenuating circumstances exist.

Whether or not you believe that this memory was tampered with, when Morag is dying, Aziraphale essentially asks for Crowley’s moral guidance. He could have just healed Morag, but he defers to Crowley for ?permission...I don’t know for sure, but it feels significant that he wants Crowley’s approval here before doing ‘good’. That has to mean something.

“Last I saw of him for some time” is, at most, 35 years between here and St James Park, which means they are meeting up a lot more frequently now. We’re not regularly going decades/centuries between dates anymore.

Edit: As others have noted, the wording in this diary entry is actually odd because when Aziraphale is writing this, he MUST have already seen Crowley again for that last bit to make sense. Which means we actually probably have quite a lot of “us time” between the Elsbeth flashback and St James park.

1862: St James Park

Likely Definitely not the first time they have met up since the Scotland flashback (see edit above).

I THINK this is the first time we see Aziraphale’s personal tartan show up? He’s now officially created his own clan on Earth and is NOT wearing the official tartan of heaven. He later gives this tartan to Crowley which is Significant.

Since our last meeting, Crowley has been dragged back to Hell and, presumably, punished, for what he did with Elsbeth/Morag. (The time spent in Hell was likely not necessarily a LONG time but still seems like it was a sobering event for Crowley where he seems to catch up with Aziraphale about how much danger they might be in).

Crowley asks for the holy water because he now realizes that he may need to protect himself (and Aziraphale?) from Hell if and when they figure out the scope of his ‘breach of the infernal code’ and retaliate.

1941: London Blitz

Accepted by fans as likely the first time they have met up since the breakup in St James Park. As with the Bastille scene, it’s very clear that Crowley has been keeping track of Aziraphale (if not actively just following him around).

Obviously, canonically, the moment when Aziraphale realizes he is in love with Crowley.

Immediately after this realization, Aziraphale also realises how much Crowley is at risk from Hell by continuing to associate with him. This does not stop them from having a romantic glass of wine back at the bookshop.

Photograph of Crowley and Aziraphale exists, no clues as to what happens to it/who keeps it after the events of this night. I hope it’s in the photo album that I assume Aziraphale keeps with his diaries and little drawings of Crowley he’s made over the millennia.

At some point, presumably on this same night, Aziraphale does the “I was wrong” dance, but we don’t get to see that. Yet.

(Side note: I feel like by this point in their relationship, it’s really got to sting when Aziraphale assumes Crowley is the cause of whatever horrific thing humans are doing. I mean, what in the past 6,000 years would point to Crowley wanting to actually help nazis? It’s not funny anymore, Aziraphale, stop re-traumatising your boyfriend with baseless accusations.)

1967: Soho Heist

Crowley plans the heist in the pub that is literally across the road from Aziraphale’s book shop

Aziraphale finally gives Crowley holy water – whether this is because he’s actually worried about the danger of the heist, or if he has just come to his senses about the fact that Crowley is in mortal danger from Hell and may actually need a way to escape them if things go pear-shaped, or whether he’s just acts-of-love reaching out....could speculate for days on that.

He gives Crowley the holy water in a thermos with his personal tartan on it. 100% on their own side. Adorable.

Aziraphale isn’t wearing his bow tie in this scene. He still has his tartan, but he’s wearing it as a cravat instead, with his shirt unbuttoned at the top. I genuinely don’t know what this is supposed to mean, but the costume department is too good for it to be random. (It supposed to be flirty? Like, ooh, top button undone, basically naked? And that just necessitated losing the bow tie? Is there sartorial symbolism here about a cravat vs bow tie that I’m missing? Tell me what’s going on!?!)

“You go too fast for me” (ugh, gutted every time)

Additional event: year unknown

In their earlier flashbacks, we see them travelling the world for their jobs.

At some point they both end up permanently stationed in London.

My assumption is - that originally it was just the two of them on earth, possibly for thousands of years. Then their territory was limited to the British Isles, and eventually, when there were too many “oodles” of humans, they both ended up just looking after London.

So, who was assigned to London first? Because it’s not a blind coincidence they’re both specifically in London - one got assigned to the London first and the other one deliberately FOLLOWED.

I am still updating this as I re-watch and read other folks’ posts.

These are mostly my observations with a few additional things thrown in that I’ve seen people discuss already here on Tumblr. I will try to link to them best I can, but my Good Omens saved posts are massive and I’m not sure I can find all the original posts who's theories I’ve mentioned here

#ineffible husbands #crowley #good omens #ineffible #good omens 2 #good omens theories #good omens theory #aziraphale #Ineffable Husbands #Ineffable #Good Omens 1 and 2 #aziracrow #david tennant #michael sheen #aziraphale x crowley

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leikeliscomet · 4 months ago

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Flop and Bubble - Part 3/End - The Writers Room

When I recommended I May Destroy You, Mood, Dreaming Whilst Black and Champion it wasn’t just because they were Black British shows, even though that’s part of it. It was because they all represented similar themes to Dot and Bubble with more tact, nuance and depth than that episode could ever dream of. Arabella’s social media dependency became her outlet because she thought it was the only way to reclaim power after her assault. Sasha’s obsession with social media is because she knows social currency can turn financial and in her dire situation, she needs the reach. Kwabena’s outbursts take place inside his head because even though he knows he’s right, he knows what the consequences are if he speaks out and he walks the tightrope of validation and authenticity. Vita’s musical image is under control by her white manager because her roles as a dark-skinned Black woman in the music industry are limited. I also recommended them because they all reflect the dissonance between Black British media and creatives and white British media like Doctor Who. Every show essentially is the story of a Black British creative struggling to ‘make it’ in their respective industry. Arabella’s book. Sasha’s EP. Kwabena’s short film. Vita’s music career. Each of these reflects the struggle of the Black British creative in real life from lack of funds, the right imagery and ultimately what the white British consumer wants.

Again, by giving Black people our creative agency, there’s a place for Black experiences that Doctor Who can’t provide, or at least could but hasn’t. In Doctor Who, Adjani Salmon was just that guy with the ‘weird hair’ from that Eve of the Daleks episode. In Dreaming Whilst Black, he’s the creator and lead actor of a critically acclaimed show, BAFTA nominated alongside David Tennant. In Doctor Who, Malorie Blackman was just that Black woman that made Rosa. In Noughts and Crosses, she’s a critically acclaimed author, the first Black Children’s Laureate and to me, a massive inspiration that showed me Black girls can be book protagonists too. In Doctor Who, Tosin Cole as Ryan Sinclair is the ‘worst companion of the whole show’, a bad actor and a cardboard cutout. In Supacell, he’s the leading man and a breakout star of 2024. Where Doctor Who fails in Black representation, Black British media gets it right. In a bittersweet sense, I know the true representation I’d want from the show won’t come (or not at least for a very long time) but I know where it could be outside it. To repeat from previous essays, I don’t expect the perfect Black representation to come from Doctor Who as it's a predominantly white show intended for a white audience. I only expect the bare minimum of living up to its promise (which it made all by itself by the way) of having ‘space for all’, in this case providing Black representation both in and behind the screen. If it can’t do that, then at least be honest and say you just don’t want us here. It saves a lot of time. We can make our own spaces where we’re actually wanted.

The tone drastically changes when you shift from performing for white validity to defending yourself and essentially, stop chasing after the boat. It’s harsh and cold. It even exists in the show. When Martha defended herself she was ‘aggressive’. When Mickey and Danny called out their mistreatment they became ‘abusive’. When the Fugitive held a gun she never fired she was ‘violent’. The price you pay for not chasing after the boat is that you become the Bogeyman. It’s very clear from the responses I got from my OG thread, many white fans and non-Black fans of colour wanted me to stay in my place and be grateful for the steaming dump I was given. How dare I not bow before RTD? He wrote about racism and he’s got a Black guy what else can you want? Isn’t that enough? Didn’t he try his best? Isn’t RTD’s best good enough?

No. It’s not good enough. I don’t care who cries about me saying this. As I’ve already addressed in my Fugitive Doctor essay, I’m not crediting Black stories to RTD. Simply enjoying his work is fine. I enjoy his work myself, specifically the Sarah Jane Adventures, It’s a Sin and Years & Years. But when the Doctor Who fandom claims RTD, a white writer, is the reason for progress in Black representation and Black art over the countless Black creatives who’ve worked before him, the same time as him and after him, I will always, always push back on that as a Black person. I had no reason to gas this episode because it disappointed me from the initial watch and rewatch. From the disgusting antiblackness I experienced from this fandom for critiquing Dot and Bubble, I have zero reason to ever call it a good story about my own experience as a Black person. If you’re looking for a Black user to gas this episode to make your interest in this episode and season look morally superior and woke, it’s not happening. I don’t need to consider your disagreements, your interpretations, your opinions or your permission to dislike Dot and Bubble as a Black person. I will also push back on the bold comments made by RTD himself. You have a Black character and racism plot. Cool. How this is written and how this plays out is what actually matters to me than it just simply existing. Allyship isn’t the state of going from racist to anti-racist overnight. It’s not clinging onto the nearest Black person for dear life. It’s through consistent actions and support that someone becomes an ally. For once, you aren’t instantly rewarded for just showing up, you have to do more than the bare minimum. And that’s the closest to the Black British experience this fandom will ever get.

In a renaissance of Black British media, if Doctor Who’s getting any accolades from me, it needs to keep up. The idea I have to praise an episode just because ‘it's the racism one’, with shallow messages meant to soothe the ego of its audience instead of challenge it, with no Black writers in the creation process, no original theme of racism to begin with and that dozens of pieces of Black media have done a hell of a lot better, to sum it up, is a fucking joke. Black creatives don’t have to ask permission to create and represent ourselves. We just have to get on with it because it’s not gonna create itself. I’m not asking for permission to hate this dutty episode. I’m not chasing after that boat.

<- Part 2

#doctor who #dot and bubble #nuwho #new who #antiblackness #racism #fandom antiblackness #fandom racism #anti rtd #rtd2 #rtd2 era #rtd era #russell t davies #doctor who season 1 #black british #black british representation #doctor who analysis

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mdhwrites · 11 months ago

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I saw a post a while ago lambasting Amphibia for having its characters 'do the most horrendous shit imaginable' for the sake of comedic plots and get off far too easily for it. In their view, Amphibia took slapstick comedy way 'too far' sometimes. I thought this was quite hyperbolic; the protagonists made serious mistakes, but rarely anything I'd call unforgivable, especially since they'd almost always show a level of remorse. But it did make me think about the way immoral acts are portrayed in comedic shows, and how we, as viewers, can tolerate and forgive things we probably wouldn't in real life because of the way these acts are presented to us.

I mean, think about Hop-Pop using mind control on Anne, Sprig and Polly in Children of the Spore. If anything like that happened to you in real life, chances are you wouldn't react to someone violating your body and mind by shrugging your shoulders and going 'well, guess we pushed you pretty far.' You'd probably beat the shit out of HP and never talk to him again. But that episode is kinda self-aware about the awfulness of it all (which I love). Polly flat-out says the old frog crossed all kinds of ethical and moral lines XD

Going back to the whole 'too far' accusation, though, I'm pretty sure we're smart enough to understand the difference between a silly frog show and real-life crimes. I don't think there needs to be super realistic consequences to everything (as the post I mentioned was suggesting) when your focus is on writing a slice-of-life fantastical comedy. I guess the only real argument you could make is 'but it's teaching kids to forgive absolutely atrocious, unforgivable things!' And...maybe? But I'm pretty sure any kid with their head screwed on straight understands not to replicate or forgive immoral behaviour too easily.

I guess what I'm trying to ask is, do you think characters doing awful things for the sake of comedy or plot can go too far, in that they can unintentionally make characters far too heinous to sympathize with, or do you think complaints like those of the post I mentioned above are a result of taking something far too seriously? Is there even such a thing as 'too far' when it comes to slapstick comedy?

So let's talk about intent, tone and framing because these things REALLY matter to a story. It's actually part of the problem with fandoms wanting everything to be realistic, darker, etc. because they're really asking for one thing: For them to all be the same. To not be what they are because, you know, the fact that these are comedy cartoons for kids MATTERS.

But first let's actually shift gears AWAY from cartoons for a second to talk about things being genuinely irredeemable for comedy. MANY people are really against prank style reality tv because it preys so completely on human suffering. Because these people are doing terrible things to just normal people. I personally don't like the premise... But I like Impractical Jokers. That show frames it DEMONSTRABLY more about terrible things happening to these four friends, by these four friends, and usually the worst they do to others is leave them a little confused or a bit uncomfortable. One of the big elements to changing this is that all the challenges are effectively dares. Someone either commits to the bit or if it becomes too much, they dip out but they are ALLOWED to dip out, minus the final jokes which are always pretty much purely at the Joker's expense.

Are these four people bad people? No. But part of why we also know that is because it's television and they're doing it to entertain as part of being comedians. Bizarrely enough, a lot of modern cartoon fandoms seem to want to act like fiction IS reality. It's where you get people going "Oh, you're being so cruel to a 14 year old, nuerodivergent girl!" and me going "I'm being critical of a character in a narrative. Can you please stop telling me, an actual human being in the real world, to kill myself because of a fictional character?"

Because shock of all shocks, PEOPLE CAN TELL REALITY FROM FICTION! In fact, even kids can! The fucking video game industry had to go through this hell HARD to prove that killing people in a video game is not the same as having psychopathic tendencies in the real world. Do you know how many kids play CoD? And those kids are fine. At least most of them.

So with all of that preamble out of the way: When can a morality focused show fuck up?

It's actually incredibly rarely in the terrible things the characters do because the show USUALLY addresses these elements as part of the moral of the day.

For the example given of Hop Pop's mind control, it is shown as... Eerie to put it mildly. Even from go, Hop Pop only enjoys it so long as he doesn't have to interact with it. It is never framed as a positive besides a bit selfishness. However, Hop Pop is a good enough person to show genuine remorse and try to fix this. He puts in a lot of effort, is admonished as the lesson of the day is learned to not try to control people and to potentially compromise and then it MOVES. ON. Because they live in a fantasy world where anyone could die at any second. A day of none thoughts is not actually that big of a deal, especially since it wasn't done out of malice or even really on purpose. It's a part of the fun of the setting and of the fantasy genre as a whole that you can just do these weird concepts like this and move on because magic happens sometimes. You might grumble for a day or two but hey, at least it was your neighbor and not the king, am I right!? Hail King Andrias.

A big part of this though, and why so many morality driven shows can have characters do terrible things without imparting the wrong lessons, is because it's addressed. Pretty much explicitly. It is framed as wrong, addressed as wrong and then fixed because it was WRONG. Even if it gives momentary gain, that gain is almost always also included in being wrong.

It's actually a formula that Amphibia purposefully breaks for an episode, carrying it over from directly the one before, because there genuinely was one crime committed that hadn't been addressed and by the time it was, that sin had grown to a point where it was too reasonable to have a character still be mad to ignore it: The music box. Hop Pop hiding it is actually an AWFUL thing to do because it dooms Anne, it means her parents will never get closure, dooms the rest of Anne's friends, etc. etc. Hop Pop has to be okay with Anne never quite being fully happy because of always wanting to go home while also living with this false hope that he implanted into her. A trust he has not earned because of the lie.

So even after they theoretically have their morality episode about the box, Amphibia takes this time for such a PERSONAL attack on Anne to stick with her for another episode during The First Temple. It actually acknowledges that you don't get over everything immediately. That sometimes you need space. I don't even like that episode but the break in formula is actually meant to make the message more powerful, and does so successfully, especially because the crime was different. It wasn't of indifference or something quickly fixed. It was of long term AGONY and a complete breach in trust that would make one question what relationship they can have with another person. There's pretty much zero other crimes in the show like that besides Sasha/Marcy's betrayals, which aren't treated as easy fixes, and Andrias' betrayal is the heel turn that makes him the primary antagonist. These crimes, these personal, genuinely awful things to do to other people that could be replicated, unlike so much of the fantasy violence, are usually seen as something you do have to work on. It's a great, nuanced take on being a morality one off show while also being able to elevate some issues to being dealt with more seriously and consistently.

Also, quick note from someone on my Discord: They NEED to do bad things in order to teach! They are meant to be the bad example so when their actions lead to things going wrong, you understand not to copy that behavior. This is honestly storytelling 101 for most... Plots. Not just morals but plots. If the characters do NOTHING, nothing happens and nothing will be learned.

You want a show that will teach kids bad lessons and then reinforce there are no consequences for those? WELCOME TO THE OWL HOUSE! Specifically: The show that tells you to lie and keep secrets because your fear justifies keeping them!

I know that sounds shitty but like... Luz is the main character. For half of the show, she is portrayed as the second most moral character in the show behind Willow. She admonishes stealing, cheating, etc. as her contrast with Eda. Then after Yesterday's Lie... She literally can't stop lying and never faces consequences for it.

The closest actually comes in Falls and Follies where Amity at least forces a promise out of Luz to be more open with her. This actually though doesn't fix the problem, it just makes it WAY WORSE because one of the main targets of these lies, that kids can easily replicate, especially because Luz is almost always lying about things that might upset others which is the most common thing kids will lie about, is Amity. So now we have both lying and breaking promises. You know, two of the most basic morals any kids show should impart on the audience!

In Reaching Out though, Amity gets a little mad but then it's excused because of her dad! In Thanks to Them, no one gives a shit that Luz has been keeping secrets and lying for months. Camila makes sure Luz DOESN'T tell her friends the truth either about her plans. You know, Luz's MOM who should want her daughter to be an honest person. The show then constantly keeps cutting Luz off from telling anyone anything because it literally can't without revealing how bullshit what she's doing is until by the end of the show... Luz hasn't been punished in any way and the lies just... Drift away.

Completely unaddressed.

This causes a problem because while the lies theoretically hurt Luz... They hurt less than losing her friends. Hurt less than disappointing a parent. Hurt less than making her look bad. And this is the main character. The one kids are supposed to connect with the most. The one who usually most explicitly defines the morality of a show. And she is never punished or stopped from all. Of. Her. Lies.

(As a note: This is also how you get a lot of guys taking the wrong lessons from anime perverts. Sure, this guy gets smacked but he never loses his friends. Never faces real consequences. In return... He gets way more ass than the main character does, doesn't he? *gags violently*)

THAT is how you impart bad morals. It's not surprising to me that the fandom for TOH hides behind excuses so much for their show because their literal main character was justified, in fiction, to have all of the terrible things she did, all the choices she didn't have to make or the people she discarded, because she ALWAYS had an excuse. And so long as you have an excuse, by what TOH says, you can get away with fucking anything.

And mind you, that last part is NOT Luz specific. Have a bad uncle? Don't worry Hunter, the fact that you literally hunt, oppress and potentially kill wild witches can be entirely forgotten and ignored. Have a mean mommy? Don't worry Amity, we literally never have to properly address the literal years of bullying you did to another character or even how attempting to kill Luz was wrong. Collector? COME ON! You just had bad friends/family so now you just need good ones and we can forget all about you oppressing people for fucking months!

This isn't addressing these problems. These are excuses. And excuses can seem REALLY appealing to people. After all, how many hide awful acts or statements behind: "Come on, it was just a joke." Shields are useful for trying to avoid criticism after all. If you never acknowledge you were in the wrong, you don't have to feel bad for having done something mean, let alone terrible.

Just to bring it back to Amphibia: Sasha tries to do this. She believes she knows best so she feels justified in all she does because it will make everyone the happiest, at least in her own eyes. Then in Turning Point, she realizes the folly of her ways, addresses that she was a terrible person and plants her foot down FIRM. No more acting the part of protector while actually being a tyrant. She will risk her very life in order to right these wrongs. And we see it also in Commander Anne where she is taking the change seriously. These are two half episodes, a single episode in full, that lets us know that her actions were inexcusable and that they were wrong and now she is allowed to be a part of the good guys now that she has made sure the audience knows that they can look to her as an example.

One full episode to ADDRESS the fact that what Sasha did was wrong and to not excuse it but to learn from it.

That's why all these terrible things protagonists do in shows is fine. They learn from it. They genuinely regret their actions. They show the audience why they shouldn't have done it. It's never okay to the show that they did. Not that it can't be forgiven, because people should be allowed the chance to grow, but that it still wasn't okay.

For a kid's show, that is pitch perfect. It's why moral of the day storytelling exists and I can't really think of any huge errors in this department on Amphibia's side. It's pretty damn good at smacking someone over the head when they act like a jackass. At bare minimum, there are WAY worse examples out there.

======+++++======

This is absolutely one of those criticisms that has me look at the person making it and go "Just admit you don't like cartoons. Or children's media in general probably." Admittedly, there's actually plenty of adult stuff just as childish, no one stays mad in Family Guy, so it's probably just "You don't like cartoons." It's the sort of bad faith criticism that just reveals you as not having actually wanted the product but whatever you thought the product should be.

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

#amphibia #toh critical #the owl house criticism

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romchat · 1 year ago

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My Journey to You Ep. 12 visuals: Love in blue

Ok, I'm not really a color theory girlie, BUT when a character suddenly changes up their outfits that's something I like to pay attention to. Gong Shangjue has always been portrayed in somber black and suddenly he's dressed in blue for his little lantern date with his assassin fiancée who also happens to frequently dress in blue?

Oh, it's so on, production design team.

But first, let's take a moment to relive this banger of a scene.

The sexual tension between these two makes me absolutely feral. This slow burn is what enemies-to-lovers should always aspire to.

...

Well, shit. I saw that jaw clench, Shangjue. Sorry, can't offer any substantive commentary. Still recovering.

Moving on...

Something I didn't really notice until this episode was how blue-toned Shangjue and Qian's scenes are in comparison to Gong Ziyu and Yun Weishan's scenes.

It's reflected in the costumes, with Ziyu and Weishan often wearing warmer colors with more exuberant gold embroidery and trimmings. It's reflected in the lighting with their scenes more reliant on the warmth of ambient lighting while Shangjue and Qian's are often shot with cooler natural light. It's also present in the set design, with Shangjue and Qian's scenes (especially those shot together) consistently involving or happening by water, which reminds me of the Chinese poem:

Drops of water can break through stone [if given long enough].

In other words, "soft" strategies can eventually make headway in difficult challenges—in this case, Qian's clever use of care to crack through Shangjue's personal defenses. And probably vice versa in the future.

Also, note how both scenes above start with the camera panning and tilting up from the blue of the water before focusing on the two characters. The camera crew for My Journey to You use a surprising amount of movement in their shots so I'm going to pay more attention to how they introduce and conclude scenes from here on out.

Of course, Shangjue's new blue outfit (and the warm blue of the pond landscape) is immediately noticeable given how starkly monochromatic and cold most of their scenes have been up until this point. Wearing the same color is a costume representation of their growing closeness. This dinner date is yet another unexpected peace offering from Shangjue, possibly his response to Qian's earlier question of "Isn't it good to be cared about?" (And correct me if I'm wrong but I think it's also the first time he actually gives Qian something rather than a few insights into his psyche. He and Ziyu have very different love languages lol)

But from the loaded dialogue it's clear that neither are overcome by the unnamed growing attraction between them, and I expect the blue that visually represents their relationship to return to a cooler tone by the next episode. They're still playing cat-and-mouse with each other, just with sexier vibes.

(Side note: Ryan Cheng is so good here. The way he relaxes and tenses his body, the smooth transition between microexpressions as the two characters dance between interrogation and half-truths. Ah, to be hot and talented. Can't relate.)

Finally--and I'm pretty sure I'm reaching but it's my tumblr so why the hell not--I want to talk about Gong Yuanzhi's costuming. Something I immediately noticed about Yuanzhi's character is how his closet is probably the most diverse of the main cast. Unlike other characters who tend to wear variations of the same fabrics, his outfits use different textures and colors. He wears a lot of black like his beloved cousin but also blues, silvers, whites, and now in Episode 12 green. I wonder if his lack of commitment to one color story is an indication of how his alliance with Shangjue will shift in the future, especially if Shangjue ever allows his attraction to Qian to cloud his judgment about either Yuanzhi's loyalty or what is in the best interest of the Gong clan.

Episode 12 definitely felt like a transitional episode that is meant to drop clues and kickstart a bunch of plot threads so I'm excited to see how those threads converge or diverge from these color stories if at all.

#my journey to you #云之羽 #cdrama #ryan cheng #set design #costume design #god I hope I don't become a color conspiracy theoriest #meta

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lurkingshan · 1 year ago

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Recalibrating on Dangerous Romance, aka Heart in the Wind

After last week, I was feeling a little confounded by this show and what it was trying to be, and I think perhaps GMMTV marketing had a similar struggle. The English title was changed from Heart in the Wind to Dangerous Romance, and it was marketed like an enemies to lovers drama with darker undertones than we typically see in bl. Episode 1 mostly supported that read with a few discordant notes, and I recall after that first episode that a lot of us were talking about how refreshing it was to see the mains be actual enemies at the start, and looking forward to a long journey to see their feelings change. Which is why episode 2, with its very sudden shift in their dynamic at the end, felt so startling to some of us. The relationship change was happening too fast for that that kind of narrative, and Kang and Sailom seemed to be letting go of their animosity far too quickly and easily for actual enemies.

Now that I’ve watched episode 3, I feel like I have a better handle on what this show actually is: more of a push-pull romance narrative, where Sailom has been harboring positive (and possibly romantic) feelings for Kang all along, the hatred between them was never meant to be read as that serious, and the tone is overall lighter than initially expected. There will be drama, class differences, and difficult circumstances that interfere in this relationship, but animosity between them is not the real conflict. They already like each other, they’re already finding dubious reasons to kiss, and they’re already bonding and sliding into a close friendship on the fast track to romance. The problems that come between them going forward will be more externally based.

I must admit I am personally a little disappointed, because I wanted that darker and spikier version of the show, and a more serious examination of class conflict and the resentments it breeds. But I’m making like Elsa and letting it go, because Perth and Chimon are great in this and I want to appreciate what they’re doing rather than wallowing in my disappointment about what the show is not.

#dangerous romance #thai bl #shan shouts into the void

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sharlmbracta · 1 year ago

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watching atla in my "first" language really hit different to me.

fiction and storytelling, even for ones that were originally made here, especially for ones that weren't originally made here, all of them were always more natural for me in english.

for atla, when i watched and rewatched, read and reread the series, the comic, the fanfictions all in english, the characters felt like characters more than the representations that they hold. when i turned on the series in korean, out of curiosity, the entire dynamic felt shifted in this intricate way that are both personal yet distant yet i felt like i was yanked up by this unfamiliarity i was supposed to be familiar with. if that makes any sense.

like. the characters were more the representatives and statuses such as the wordings and cultural tones but the parts where the translators failed to catch the tone of the characters themselves but rather they have compartmentlized and integrated into the labels of the statuses, those that we were more familiar with what we were relayed on the history classes. especially the words that dealt with royals. the words that referred to "father", the words that referred to "king". the words that referred to "high priests", "physicians", and "my lord". when in english (at least to me) it felt like the statuses were first and foremost used as tools to add up flavor to the character, in korean (at least to me) it felt like the statuses were first and foremost used to establish the solid grounds and frames what they would play out into in terms of the fictional politicary, and the characters added second to just slightly differentiate the framework between the royals.

(high chance that i may be rather heavily biased in this since i did only watch (made to watch) most movies and animations in english since i was at a very young age, and that habit turned into a purposeful one as i grew older, so i have a very limited range of feel of how "scripts in korean" could vary in terms of The Feel. when i watch a fiction in korean that i have already digested through thoroughly in english, the foremost automatic reflex is "wait that's not right" and more than often my brain tunes the rest out as if it was a fight or flight situation. i always thought the translations were poor, a lot of them may actually are, but even when they might be decent.)

in korean i suddenly felt the weight shifting onto the race of the characters, as if they had suddenly turned "asian" in terms that i felt (or thought i felt) more "familiar" with, in a way that reasonated way too personally- not on the "me" level but on the "national" level. especially the ones- the titles of the statuses- around the imperialism words.

(to be blunt, it felt weird and uncanny in this very specific way that the real life history drilled into you(me) to memorize (and failed to) was suddenly yanking you by the collar and making itself known the fabricated imperialism and the actual imperialism that had happened in the personal-not personal-national way at the same time shoved in your face and the titles of not only said imperialism but also the status pyramid in general which you now barely acknowledged reeked out of the mere words that the characters used.

for example, resulting in the brain functioning from

"this person is azula"

"this person is an imperialist(political) princess(raw) loyal(in patriarchy) to the(her) fatherlord(as in the actual term used by the children of the high king, who was referred and (made) reverred as the "father" of the nation via confucianism (patriarchy + family, organizations == family at its core == therefore any organization especially enforced by the nation == loyalty to the king(lord) == loyalty to your father >>> individuality))"

and suddenly you(i) feel the characters like formatted boxes and yes the characters are still there but the tone is just not there anymore, and this may be just me after only watching the last 3 episodes in this language, but i felt like aang became(as in framed into a mere box of) a {kid}, sokka became a {kid}, toph became a {sister}, katara and suki became {companions}, zuko became a {guy}, azula became an {enemy the crazy}, and ozai became an {enemy the fatherlord}. and nothing else. no lingering spices of the characters. the weight of all the statuses and namesakes clouding over (all) the flavor.)

(though the added weight is kind of interesting when considering the characters derived from the feel of both languages i guess)

below is a rambling thought of how i think this would've turned out if atla was published in here, perhaps, in the form of kdrama which seems to be the most popular medium on broadcast tv lately, especially if it was pushed for nationwide publishment.

this may be biased since this post is coming from me only, so you may ignore the rest of this post if you don't want to read a wall of condemnation of what i personally (therefore not an exact official fact) think of kdramas (regarding sexism) + how the characters would've turned out if atla was one. i won't fight you if you decide to fight me or engage in Formatted Discourse because i'm a cowardly little shit who throws up a wall of rant when braindump is required and runs away irresponsibly

i'm not someone who had watched that many kdramas, but kdramas are the thing that turns up everywhere whenever the tv on the house is on (on the few times it is actually on) and this is from my viewpoint from all the glimpses i got from the kdramas. kdramas, which seem to love so much the gender roles and how the plot "tears them apart" when ironically, the established grounds themselves are made to very heavily, both blatantly and subtly rotate around the gender stereotypes and the set of the power positions- man on high position, woman on the hardworking helping side at best. and there's always some type of "romance" going on. the arrogant male tries to get the girl, but the girl eventually makes him learn his place.

oh and let's not forget the age gaps. i am not saying that age gap relationships are inherently bad but the notion of the "age gap where the man is much older than the woman" in itself seems to be a very popular trope in kdrama in the majority. especially especially those of which the background is set in the past like the chosun dynasty where the patriarchy was domineering its highest, when the man was always older and of higher-status than the "court receiving" woman with no exceptions, where the man always protect the woman in the end when it came down to drama-typically life-threatening on either side. i get that the "man status" is one of the things that the drama made as "that's just how history is" but (for me) it always felt like the setting deliberately focuses on the gender split and runs with it while having the effect of romanticizing and glossing over the entirety of it. man always "helping out" the woman via his status that the woman is inherently made impossible to reach, the label never quite really being approached in contrast to the advances that men always had.

so back to the subject. if atla was to be created first in here, similar to a kdrama, therefore having more parts to be glossed over by the media producer, the executives, the broadcast approvers, and their enforcements for "mass media taste" on top of the traces of patriarchy seeped everywhere that never really went away.

azula would have more limitations of what she could do, such as not really having full control of her ship or her army, somehow being distanced in some way she knows but cannot grasp, having a second in command that does all the actual command-in-power- even if the show lets her do all the fighting- due to the inhibitions as a female that she never had in the series. most importantly, scenes of her would no longer have that iconic "fear aura" she always had and controlled, entirely by herself, while still wearing the label of evil. her preciseness and manipulation closely nurtured and delicately yet forcefully groomed by her father, the entirety of her complex character, would be watered down to an overbearing snotty control freak who can't really do anything. and when she duels zuko, she would be fighting for the power she never was really given. zuko's win would be cloaked a heavy shade of patriarchal win.

katara would be framed as a righteous lecturing damsel in distress. she would show skill, she would be taking down dozens, but her selfless passion and enthusiasm would be made thwarted to "catch" the attention of stereotypical prying males. she would be pinned down by a manhandle and there would be a dramatic, perhaps romanticized, male rescue. she would be fighting more stereotypical men targetting her than doing her actual part of saving the goddamn world. in the series, the one "blatantly patriarchal" society she had to face in the northern water tribe overturned in quick succession due to a usage of a plot ticket of acknowledgement of personal loss of a high master due to the patriarchal norm as well as an acknowledgement of katara's skill and resilence. i can't even start to imagine how it would've turned out if atla were to be produced in here.

toph would be framed a "loudmouthed little brat", as a guy who captured her in a metal box had said it. she would be strong, she would be vigilant, but she would be ignored, she would be babied more, and she would be made to either simply shrug them off, or be condescended as if she was nothing but a child when she does show her anger. her rightful anger would be treated as nothing but a simple child's fit. either that or her gender would have been replaced entirely, as she was made in the ember island play scene, but with more region-typical stereotypes laced along the way.

all of them would be made to wear some lipstick and makeup.

all of them would be made to wear tightly fitted clothing on their higher torso, in some way.

all of them would be regularly commented of their appearances in some way.

all of them would abruptly find themselves in the face of blatant sexism as if it was an obvious topic in a conversation.

i would continue to scrutinize over how suki, aang, sokka, hakoda, and ozai would have been, but i'm not sure i honestly could, at least in terms of accuracy, with my current state of experience and knowledge on kdramas and korean media culture as well as the limited time i have. (and i really don't want to compartmentalize my time further watching tv dramas for "culture studying" sake)

so uh. thanks for reading? i guess. if you did. through the entire wall of ramble text. which i doubt. congratulations. i wouldn't read it too

#LONG POST #rant #atla #character #character study or something but not really i guess #language #status #mostly that i guess #kdramas?#i was infuriated with that one line that translated sokka's “have i ever mentioned how sweet it is that you invented metalbending”#to “i don't know how pretty you are for inventing metalbending”#and i was like. what the fucking hell. is that supposed to mean.#and so came the final push to rant down the lower half of this post #even if that was a mistranslation of “how sweet it is” i am still mad #every bit of the dialogue/transcription is at least slightly off which is why i don't use translated material if the source language is eng #the entire fucking tone and context is DEAD on translation #which i deem as the most important thing for solidifying the delivery of the expected character establishment for the audience.#i don't know about the rest of the folks here but. to hell with it. i would do a BETTER job thank you very much #ramble #brain dump #period typical misogyny #but is it only under “period typical” if it's regarding kdrama?

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iamvegorott · 5 months ago

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Magicians Don't Need Superheros Pt13

First: Link Prev: Link Next: Link

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Marvin and Jackie’s finished plates sat aside on the end table while the two now ate from two bowls of popcorn Jackie had made between episodes. They had heard Robbie pout about bedtime and Henrik saying that extra sleep was needed for Robbie’s age. Chase had snuck some of the popcorn while it was popping and JJ made himself some as well, saying he couldn’t resist after smelling it. They hadn’t seen or heard anything from Anti yet, but maybe he was just entertaining himself.

Sadly, they were proven wrong as Anti plopped himself down between them on the couch a few moments later.

“How far are you guys?” Anti asked with a laugh, helping himself to some of Jackie’s popcorn.

“Fifth episode,” Jackie answered, holding his bowl up so Anti couldn’t reach anymore.

“The beginning of the trauma.” Anti went for Marvin’s popcorn and huffed when a green magical barrier prevented him from getting any. “Rude.”

“Go make your own.” Marvin clicked his tongue.

“But that means I have to get up,” Anti whined, and then his eyes shifted with an evil glint. “You two make out yet?” His question got Jackie to start choking on a piece of popcorn.

“Kind of hard to with you in the way.” Marvin joked with a shrug, only half paying attention to him as he turned his attention back to the show.

“Here.” Anti leaned back all the way against the couch and gestured at the space in front of him. “Now kiss.”

“That's it,” Jackie grunted as he stood up. “Out.” He pulled Anti to his feet and started pushing him out of the room. “You've lost your living room privileges.”

“Oh gross, you sound like Chase.” Anti faked a gag.

“I hope not. I couldn’t handle if you ended up getting a crush on me,” Jackie said with a smirk. Marvin paused the show and turned to what was the much better entertainment.

“What!? I don't-that’s so gross!” Anti protested and Marvin swore he could see some red on his cheeks through the anger on his face.

“You might not now, but Chase told me about how you used to follow him around like a lost puppy.”

“We were the only Septiceyes-”

“There was Henrik.”

“I-we-but I-sh-shut up!” Anti fumbled over his words before storming off.

“The hero has some sass.” Marvin teased as Jackie sat back down on the couch with him.

“A good hero knows how to have good banter,” Jackie stated. “And then the villains get really scared when the hero isn’t joking around so then the beat down is so much cooler.”

“I bet it is.” Marvin chuckled. “And Anti has a crush on Chase?”

“He had one, or at least we’re pretty sure he did with how he reacts to it. Who knows if it was even an actual crush or just an attachment to someone who was somewhat like him.”

“How much of that was a quote from someone else?”

“Most of it,” Jackie admitted with a laugh. “I don’t do good with like crush talk or stuff like that.”

“Really? I never would have guessed.” Marvin exaggerated his tone.

“Rude.”

“Not rude if it’s the truth.”

“I just…fine.” Jackie sighed in defeat.

“You can never beat my banter.”

“Every hero needs a witty sidekick.”

“Sidekick?” Marvin scoffed. “If we ever went on a mission together, you’d be the sidekick.”

“I’m the one with the hero name and the mask.” Jackie tried to do a hero pose while sitting.

“I have a better mask.” Marvin waved a hand in front of his face and a white, cat-shaped mask appeared in the green glow of magic he created.

“That was so cool!” Jackie praised with the biggest smile.

“My point is proven.”

“You win for now. But there’s a lot more to being a hero than just the look.”

“I’ll give you that.” Marvin chuckled and turned the show back on, seeing that the episode didn’t have too much longer left.

There was a comfortable silence between the two as they watched the show and when the end credits began, Jackie turned the TV off.

“I am so tempted to watch more but I am tired.” Jackie stood up and stretched.

“It is getting late.” Marvin glanced at the clock on the wall.

“I think Chase said something about getting you your own phone tomorrow.” Jackie picked up the plates while Marvin got the bowls as they went into the kitchen.

“It’d be nice to have one.” Marvin hummed, waiting until Jackie rinsed the plates before doing the same to the bowls.

“It’ll help make sure you don’t steal mine again.” Jackie dried his hands off and handed the towel to Marvin to dry off as well.

“I might still steal it every now and again for fun.” Marvin hung the hand towel up, left the kitchen with Jackie, and walked down the hall.

“As long as you leave yours behind.” Jackie stopped in front of his door.

“I don’t think you could handle seeing what I’d have on my phone.”

“I refuse to think any further into that.”

“That’s probably a good idea.” Marvin was in front of his own door, the two talking across the hall.

“Night, Marv.” Jackie opened his door.

“Marv?”

“You don’t like it?”

“I think I can deal with it.” Marvin grinned and then took a hold of the doorknob and he hesitated.

“Want to get changed and then watch another episode in my room?” Jackie offered.

“Was I that obvious?” Marvin asked with a weak laugh.

“It was a wild guess.” Jackie shrugged. They both knew that wasn’t true but Marvin appreciated Jackie letting him have some denial. “I’ll get everything set up.” Jackie pointed over his shoulder with a thumb before going into his room, leaving the door open.

Marvin sighed to himself for still feeling so…odd in this room. This was supposed to be a place of comfort, that’s probably why it was made to be a replica, to have something familiar to go back to but it wasn’t what it was aiming for. Instead, it felt like Marvin was inside a dollhouse and being observed, as if someone or thing was waiting for him to break or make some grand discovery for them, or…it was just…he didn’t like it.

Marvin changed into some sleepwear and left the room, walking into Jackie’s and seeing that the other man was set and ready; sitting on the bed, leaving a spot for Marvin, and the show they had been watching was pulled up and waiting for one of them to press play. He also saw a mug sitting on the bedside table, the tab of a tea bag hanging over the rim, and steam floating above it as well gave Marvin a big clue what it was.

“You really did set everything up.” Marvin chuckled, getting on the bed and picking up the tea to show Jackie what he was talking about.

“I knew that stuff helped last night, or at least I think it did. If making a tea lets you get some sleep, then it’s no problem at all.” Jackie sipped from a bottle of chocolate milk.

“Hopefully I don’t pass out in your bed again. Waking up to a yelling Anti was not fun.” Marvin said as he took a sip.

“You’ll get that no matter where you end up sleeping.” Jackie chuckled.

x~x~x

Marvin didn’t know what woke him yet as he groaned, burying his face into the pillow under his head before lifting it to look around. He was in Jackie’s room. Meaning he did the same thing again. Oh well, it didn’t seem to be anything too troublesome or Jackie would have kicked him out.

Speaking of Jackie, he was still asleep but something was wrong. Marvin turned over and saw Jackie’s face scrunched up, almost looking like he was in pain. He had sweat on his forehead and he was mumbling under his breath as he squirmed. It was probably a nightmare and it didn’t seem like an easy one either.

“Jackie?” Marvin said softly.

“H-Hurts.” Jackie whimpered and Marvin found himself praying that he would never hear that kind of sound come from Jackie again. Something about the pain in his voice, made him sound small, young, and afraid; it was like a stab to Marvin’s heart.

“Hey, Jackie? Jackie, wake up.” Marvin placed a hand on Jackie’s shoulder to give him a light shake but that seemed to trigger something since the next thing Marvin knew, he was on his back with Jackie above him.

His wrists were pinned to the bed, held in a strong grip that got tighter and tighter. Marvin saw Jackie glaring down at him, but the glare had fear behind the anger. He was scared, lashing out in a way to protect himself, unaware of who was his target. Eventually, the hold on Marvin’s wrists got to be too much and he shouted in pain, and that snapped Jackie out of his trance.

“Wha-oh, shit!” Jackie quickly got off of Marvin. “Holy fuck, holy shit, I’m so sorry. Oh, my God.” He was nearly hyperventilating as he tried to piece together what was happening. “Did I hurt you? Oh, fuck, I did.” Jackie placed a hand over his chest as his breathing got worse and worse, the fear taking over and panic kicking in as well. “I’m so so sorry. I didn’t-I didn’t mean-shit.”

“Jackie, I’m fine,” Marvin said despite the pulsing ache in his wrists. He didn’t hear anything crack so nothing was broken at least.

“It’s not-I-I held-and I-I thought-I’m so sorry.” Jackie was on the verge of tears. “It’s been-I haven’t done that-I thought I was done-I wouldn’t have-I’m sorry.”

“Jackie.” Marvin ignored the burn the movement caused but he held Jackie’s face with his hands, seeing the red imprints of his skin. “I’m not upset with you. I’m not angry. Everything is fine.” He saw how Jackie seemed to pause and melt into the touch. It grounded him somewhat, made him more aware of the present and his breathing thankfully turned into slow, deep ones. They were still shaky, but it was a good start.

“We should get Henrik.”

“In the morning.”

“But you-”

“It’s going to bruise like a bitch, but nothing’s broken.”

“B-But-”

“You said Henrik has a third eye for this stuff. If it was that bad, he’d be barging in here yelling at both of us.”

“Are you sure?” Jackie’s breathing was steady again.

“I’m sure. It’s too early to do things.”

“I'm so sorry.”

“Everything's fine. I promise.” Marvin pulled Jackie into a hug, letting him hide his face in his chest.

“I'm sorry.” Jackie's apology was muffled and the several other apologies that came after it were as well.

Marvin just let him go, letting him say sorry until he wore himself out and soon he was softly snoring on top of him. Marvin didn't even bother thinking about moving, not wanting to wake Jackie again. Instead, he closed his eyes and went back to sleep as well.

#magicians dont need superheros #marvelsepticeye #veggie writes #Anti cant take what he dishes XD #and look #jackie got some trauma too

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innitmarvellous · 5 months ago

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I finally finished Inside No. 9 after not watching an episode for ages. I had stopped in the middle of S7... Anyway, I took some notes about the episodes which are possibly interesting for a rewatch. They're pretty vague, but I'll hide them under the read more link just in case. ^^

Kid/Nap: Not my fave episode, but the double twist was kind of intriguing. Although I guess it would've been possible to expect it.

Wise Owl: Wow, I didn't expect this to get so dark towards the end. I mean, it wasn't a happy episode to begin with, but that 'come upstairs with me' bit... But I liked that he freed himself from the influence of 'Wise Owl' at the end.

Bones of St Nicholas: Didn't like this one too much tbh. It was a nice spooky story I guess, but not really what I'd expect from IN9 idk

Mother's Ruin: I'm glad I didn't watch this while I was eating something, lol. Idk, but I did quite like it. Lots of surprises (although I knew that it wasn't their mothers ghost talking lol)

Friday 13 (no, I can't remember that title and I'm not sorry xD): The first part was pretty funny, although really anxiety-inducing. That stuff about various annoying things happening when you just quickly need to do something happens in my dreams all the time and I hate it, lol. Well, the reveal of what it really was about was alright too. But I KNEW that something would happen in the end after all. I knew it.

Love is a Stranger: looking back it was so obvious what was going on, but it was a great misdirection, so I was nevertheless shocked when I realises the truth. Probably tells a story about prejudice and how it makes you perceive things and people

3 by 3: idk why, but this one made me really uncomfortable, even though I knew it was an ep of IN9 and not a quizshow. But I thought the twist was a bit too late, too small and if you knew what it was it was easy to pick up on the hints beforehand. I assume the effect would've been greater if watching it blind, but then I would've turned off long before the end of the episode because that was one lame quizshow :D

Last Weekend: HOLY FUCKING SHIT THAT ENDING, I think this is the first episode I definitely won't ever rewatch, lol.

Boo to a goose: this one made a big impression on me when I watched it and the social criticism is really important, but I think it loses a bit of its effect the more I think about it. It really is an interesting watch though and I kind of want to rewatch it to pick up on more hints like the ads on the windows etc.

Trolley Problem: I didn't expect the story to take this turn and I found it thrilling to watch (the mind game episodes are always the best ones tbh), but I can't really say much about it. Of course there's the moral thing that 'just doing nothing' doesn't mean you're free of any guilt.

Mulberry Close: I found this one oddly funny? The twist wasn't even that big, but the ending was just great black humour, I'd say.

CTRL ALT ESC: I actually really liked the metaphor, even though I didn't understand it at first. And I didn't expect that he'd actually made his 'escape', so the last minutes were pretty tense. Oh, and the title…I initially confused it with the command used to open the task manager, but that's Ctrl+Shift+Esc. The combination in the title is used to force a switch between the active and a background programmes (iirc), so in a sense…someone needed to use that key combination on him to get his programme aka consciousness to the surface again. Kinda clever, and yet you don't realise it immediately :O

Curse of the Ninth: Oh, I loved the classical music theme! The ending with that use of music (and the way he tricked her lol)! And Reece's character constantly getting Devonshire's name wrong was kinda hilarious to me…maybe because it didn't seem to fit the tone of the episode at all, haha.

Plodding On: They might as well have called this episode 'Steve and Reece say: RPF is fine' lol. It was an unusual episode, but idk, I kinda liked it. That fucking 'Time to say goodbye' clip collage tho…that song always almost makes me cry for some reason, haha.

#inside no 9 #in9 #steve pemberton #reece shearsmith

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eliziarts · 2 years ago

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It really gets me how you can't say shit about Helluva Boss (or Hazbin Hotel for that matter) to actually critique without fans getting buthurt, and the only people agreeing with you people who just hate Vivzipop (for the record i dont lol). But here are my gripes that I wish people were actually talking about (btw I really *want* to love Helluva Boss and none of this is mean-spirited, just things I've noticed that I wish the team would fix, or I believe are beyond fixing):

1. The very confused tone. I know a lot of people deflect any criticism from the show by saying 'oh but it's a comedy you shouldn't take it too seriously'. Here's the thing- it's literally taking itself too seriously. There's a balance that a show can have between dark elements and humor, but Helluva Boss consistently tries to tackle very, VERY heavy subjects. This combined with the Brandon Rodgers-essque d!ck joke comedy doesn't.. work. At least not in the way they're attempting. I think the most egregious example of this is the scene in the latest episode when Moxie's dad is literally threatening to kill him if he doesn't follow through with an arranged marriage... immeadiatly followed by Moxie walking though a hall of wall d!ldos. It kind of says, 'hey, we were taking this really seriously 2 seconds ago, but jk actually now you should laugh!'

Juxtaposition doesn't work if it actively confuses its audience on what to feel. I'm not sure how much influence Vivzie and Brandon have on the outcome of the show vs the rest of the writing team, but it seems like Brandon's humor and Vivzie's tendency to write melodramatic soap opera scenes just aren't really meshing together quite right. I wish it had more similar pacing and tone shifts that HH had, because it felt more sudden in a purposeful way, rather than 'we're too lazy to find a good transition between these two scenes.'

2. Why does Vivziepop never write interesting female characters? I know this is talked about a bit more, but it's growing increasingly prevalent in Helluva Boss. We still haven't gotten an episode focused on any of the female leads that's actually about *them*.

Millie is practically nonexistent without her relationship to Moxie. Even the episode where we meet her family, it doesn't give us any insight about her. Every time she goes feral(tm) it's either to save her husband or it's part of a group fight. The only backstory we got for Loona was there to service Blitzo's character, and show us *his* reaction. The only things we've seen with Octavia were put there to help us learn more about Stolas. Even in the scene where they only had Loona and Octavia on the screen, it didn't feel like it was about them at all. It didn't feel like the scene existed to show us them bonding about their shitty dads. It felt like the scene was there to once again ask the audience to give Blitzo and Stolas pity points. Which- brings me to my next problem.

3. Its justifications of abuse. I know they're in hell. Most of them should be shitty people, and they are! But I wish the story would stop trying to pretend they're not. Helluva Boss keeps doing this thing where it draws a line between 'good' abuse and 'bad' abuse. And this kind of completely changed Stolas and Blitzo's relationship. Ik some people may like this change but I personally don't.

Earlier on, we were made to believe Stolas kind of fucked up by cheating on his wife. Not only did this affect Stella (tho ofc we later learn it's due to image reasons) but his daughter as well. It's just generally an uncomfortable and tricky situation. And I liked it! It was interesting and had levels of nuance. However, now that we know that he was basically being abused by Stella this entire time, and met Blitzo when they were kids (which is a WHOLE OTHER UNCOMFORTABLE CAN OF WORMS LMAO) the audience no longer feels like Stolas did anything wrong. Now his actions feel justified.

As much as I loved his confrontational scene with Stella the first time I watched it, as I know many people did, I also know that it kind of ruined any sense of nuance that whole situation had. Now, Stolas suddenly has been absolved from any previously implied mistakes. And, Stella is portrayed as this 1 dimensional cruel monster.

Which brings me to the point of abuse in this show. It's a very prevalent theme, and it's a heavy one for a show branded as a sit-com to portray (hard, but not impossible). But it fails on the end that it doesn't stay consistent in its condemnation of it. Every time a character does something 'bad', as soon as we find out there is a reason for this bad behavior, the show suddenly makes it seem like we should feel bad for them and that their actions are justified because they're a broken person. See: the narrative around Stolas' affair suddenly being changed as soon as we find out he was being abused by Stella.

Inconsistent emotional consequences in writing is lazy for sure. But the real problem is when it gets to the abuse side of things, it can actually become harmful. It's implied that Blitzo had an emotionally abusive relationship with Verosika. But ohh we know he had a fucked up childhood and has fear of forming emotional bonds so! Geuss it's okay! But when it comes to Stella, she's just downright mean, 1 dimensional, and literally says she's doing things for no reason other than to make Stolas suffer.

It's important to note that every single time a character gets a *reason* for their assholery, it becomes a *justification* in the way the show frames it. But whenever a character doesn't have a reason for being as asshole, like Stella (at least not one that's shown), that's where the show then draws the line.

This is harmful! Hate to break it to you but the bulk of abusive people out there were abused themselves. They have multitudes of reasons for why they are the way they are. But that doesn't excuse their actions! And I really hate that this is the standard of framing Helluva Boss has set up for their show because now, no matter how bad a character's actions are, they can slap on a sad backstory and suddenly make that character a sympathetic one.

Yeah but anyways idk. If you read all of that I thank you for taking ur time to listen to my 2 cents. The last episode I really enjoyed was the Ozzie's one and I'm just kinda bummed at a lot of this stuff I mentioned.

#helluva boss #hot take #helluva boss blitzo #stolas helluva boss #stolitz #vivzie why cant you spend more time on your female chrs im begging you #vivziepop #helluva boss critique #helluva boss criticism

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where-theres-smoak-2 · 1 year ago

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Loki 2x6 Review (Spoilers!)

Phew, so that episode was quite the ride. Overall as an episode I really loved it. Were there some things I feel a bit conflicted about? Yes, but for the most part I thought it was an epic finale to the season, also I am pretty sure I cried my way through about 70% of this episode. Fair warning I have a lot of thoughts so this is another fairly long post, sorry bout that. So lets get into the episode.

Spaghetti Loops

The episode starts off exactly where we left off at the end of ep 5 and this is one of the very few predictions I made that actually came true, Loki just kept going back and trying it again and again trying to do it faster and poor Victor got spaghettified over and over. Now don't judge me ok, but I just found this whole sequence hilarious. Loki getting more and more exasperated every time it fails. Also the way everyone was looking at him like he had gone completely mad and being confused when he keeps saying again and faster this time because for them this is the first and only time its happened. I also loved when Loki gets the loom model out and says 'Mobius you're in luck. It looks like Mobius but its actually Victor Timely' about the little figurine. Loved the call back to the argument they had in ep 4.

Another moment that had me cackling like a mad woman was when after asking OB how long it would take to learn everything to know about mechanics, physics and engineering, and Victor answering centuries, it comes up with the centuries later text screen. This guy legit spent centuries learning everything he needed to know to make that multiplier faster, he's dedicated that's for sure.

A concept I did like about this sequence was how Loki would take all the things that go wrong each time and then ensure they don't happen the next time, like making sure Victor's suit is taped in all the right spots, that his visor is locked properly, that he doesn't trip on the first step, that he doesn't put down the multiplier so it won't roll off the gang way. Eventually he is able to guide Victor through a successful attempt. Well successful in the sense that he is able to get the multiplier to connect to the loom and make it back. I'll admit when they were celebrating and for a moment it looked like it had worked, my first instinct was nah this is too good to be true, it is way too early in the episode for this to be fixed. Which is when we learn that actually the Loom is impossible to fix.

A Looming Problem.

I felt so bad for Loki in that moment when they realise that the Loom can never be fixed because you can't scale for infinite. I mean he looked so damn relieved and happy when it seemed as if it had worked, poor Loki had done that scenario and watched it fail who knows how many times and for a moment it finally seems like its going to be ok but then you realise the terrible truth that all your efforts will always be futile.

I do feel like the whole sequence before that was played off in a very comedic way despite the scenario actually being rather dark, Loki has to watch Timely and his friends die over and over. But I do think choosing to give it this comedic tone was a genius move on the writers' and producers' part as it puts the audience in a good mood, so when the moment when both the characters and we the audience learn the Loom melting down is always doomed to happen, its even more of a gut punch. It really puts you in Loki's shoes, like him you're on a high and then you just get dragged right down with this drastic tonal shift.

Sylvie saying that as soon as the timeline branched this was doomed to happen gives Loki the idea to go back and try to stop her from killing HWR. I loved the scenes that took place in the citadel particularly the conversation between Loki and HWR. I loved how it seemed like once again HWR is the one in control and in the know. He reveals to Loki that the time slipping, Victor and the Loom were all part of his plan too. That the Loom was actually a fail safe to protect the sacred timeline and a way to ensure his own resurrection. It also explains why everyone was sent to their branches when the Loom exploded. HWR says that the TVA was collateral and easy to rebuild, so the Loom resets everyone and then HWR just goes around and collects them all and on and on it goes.

I love when Loki stops time and its revealed that actually Loki is the one that is a step ahead of HWR and has already had that conversation with him. I really loved that moment. When HWR tells Loki that the equation always has the same outcome, loki loses, Loki decides to 'change the equation'. This reminded me so much of the end of ep 5 when he says he'll rewrite the story. His plan is to just break the loom. I think it is interesting that HWR actually looks surprised by this. He immediately starts trying to manipulate Loki into not doing that. In episode 4 Sylvie wonders if HWR was scared when she killed him and she just didn't notice, well I can't help but wonder the same now, is HWR scared in this moment, is he scared because he knows that Loki could destroy the Loom and if he does then all of HWR's plans come crumbling down, Sylvie will kill him and with no Loom there's no failsafe, no resurrection.

HWR's response to this is to try and scare Loki into doing what HWR wants. Its like what Loki said in 1x01, its an illusion conjured by the weak to inspire fear. The illusion being this threat, if you destroy the loom there will be a war that will kill and destroy everyone and everything. Now I don't think he's lying about all of it. I do think with HWR gone there will end up being a multiversal war between his variants but do I think this war will kill everyone and destroy every timeline? Nope! This is a superhero franchise so obviously our heroes are going to band together and save the day.

Before the episode was released I made a prediction post, well there was one thought that crossed my mind that I didn't put in that post because it was more of a deep fear than a prediction and I didn't want to accidently manifest it into being. That unwritten prediction (fear) was that as a last, nothing else has worked so this is the only option left, move Loki would go back to the citadel and kill Sylvie. So you can imagine my distress when we first have Sylvie, repeatedly, saying you'll have to kill me. Then HWR says Loki has two options, destroy the Loom and unleash a war that destroys everything, or kill Sylvie and protect what you can, ie the TVA and the sacred timeline.

My immediate reaction to this was something along the lines of, no, no, NO, NOO! Not going to lie they had me going, I really thought they were going to go through with it and have Loki sacrifice Sylvie to protect everyone else. Especially when he goes back to speak to her in timeline OB's workshop. And I will come back to that scene in a moment but first I want to talk about how great the transition was between the scene where HWR lays out the two options and you see Loki looking at Sylvie as he slowly approaches her and then you hear Mobius asking 'What are you going to do?' and then we're back to when Loki was first arrested and interrogated by Mobius.

What is really interesting about this scene is that looking back at it now they give us the answer to the question here, they tell us what Loki is going to do, past Loki tells us himself, when Mobius asked what he was going to do he replies, 'Finish what I started... Claim my throne.' Then when Mobius asks if he wants to be king, Loki responds 'I don't want to be. I was born to be." Throughout the whole franchise this idea has been pushed that Loki was born to be a king, he says it multiple times himself, but Odin also tells him as a child that even though only one of his sons could sit on the Asgardian throne they were both born to be kings. Come the end of this finale Loki is now on his throne. There is also this idea of Loki being burdened with glorious purpose that's repeated throughout the franchise and that is something else we see him find in this episode. I just find it funny that they told us all the way back in 1x1 what choice Loki was going to make in the season 2 finale. One little detail I like is that both ep 1x1 and ep 2x6 have the same title 'Glorious Purpose.' It's a neat way of bringing it all full circle.

The story Mobius tells about the hunter and the 8 year old boy he couldn't prune was also really interesting to me. Firstly because it reveals that Mobius, like Renslayer, was once a hunter before he became an analyst. Also that Renslayer was his partner which explains their bond. I do wonder if the reason why Mobius couldn't prune this boy was because he was just a kid playing with his brother and maybe subconsciously it reminded him of his own boys and even though he didn't remember them, some protective instinct kicked in and stopped him from pruning the boy.

I also feel like this story about the boy is supposed to be a mirror to Sylvie's own story. They were both kids who were minding their own business playing, when the TVA showed up and destroyed their realities. In the boy's case he was pruned to boot. In both instances it was Renslayer who was the responding hunter. I think its fascinating that Loki is trying to make this impossible decision on whether he should kill Sylvie and in that moment he is told a story that has to have reminded him of Sylvie and how she was a little girl who had everything ripped away from her.

Whilst they told us in that scene with Mobius what Loki would ultimately decide to do, obviously whilst watching the episode I hadn't figured that out yet, so when Loki went to see Sylvie right after this scene, the moment in timeline OB's workshop that I promised I'd come back to, I was filled with dread. To me at first it seemed like a goodbye scene and like he had gone there to kind of explain why he was going to have to kill her. I am not ashamed to admit that I did tear up at that moment, the mere thought that they might go through with having him kill her for 'the greater good' was heartbreaking to me.

But once I had pulled myself together I rewatched that scene and what is really interesting about it is how it parallels and links to their pie room scene. In the pie room scene you had Sylvie saying that it would be easier to destroy the TVA and start from scratch and Loki saying fixing things is hard, hope is hard. Here in this conversation those two ideas combine and meet. You have Sylvie explaining to Loki that growing up in apocalypses taught her that sometimes its ok to destroy something and that's when Loki realises and finishes for her 'if there is a hope that thing can be replaced by something better.' Loki is being asked to make the hard choice and here Sylvie is asking him to have hope that destroying the loom will lead to something better which links back to what Loki said in the pie room, hope is the hard choice and therefore the choice he chooses.

King of Time

Sylvie asks Loki some really good and deep questions in this scene as well which I think influences the decision he makes. She asks him what kind of god he wants to be, whether he really wants to be the kind that takes away people's free will, aka the god he was in the first Avengers film. She also kind of points out that he is asking the wrong questions. He's asking what good is free will if everyone is dead and she's asking but who are you and what right do you have to make that decision for everyone. They have the right to chose to die trying, fighting for something better. I just think its a really interesting debate.

Another little clever detail that I noticed is that after making his decision when he timeslips into the loom room the aura reader announces 'welcome he who remains.' Loki is about to become the kind of new HWR and it's almost like they are announcing it in that moment.

So now we get to the hard part, and yes I did bawl like a baby during this whole scene. Loki heads down into the Loom and looking back to where Sylvie and Mobius are behind the locked doors he says. 'I know what I want. I know what kind of god I need to be. For you. For all of us.' Again I think this is a parallel back to the bar scene between Sylki where she asks him what he wants and also the scene in this episode where she asks what kind of god he wants to be. I know there is some debate over whether Loki was speaking to Sylvie or Mobius or both here when he said 'for you.' Personally while I do think it was partly to both I do think it was mostly directed towards Sylvie. My reasoning being that it was a reference to those conversations he had with Sylvie alone.

The scene where he was walking down the gangway and his clothes turn into his new King of Time outfit was stunning, like breathtakingly so. Him breaking the loom and setting the timelines free was also really beautiful imagery. There's a moment when Loki reaches for one of the blackened branches and tries to bring it to life with his magic but the moment he lets go it begins to die again and that's when he realises that he is going to have to weave the branches and hold them stable himself. It's such a bittersweet moment as he takes one last look back at the ones he loves and cares for before making the hard, the impossible choice to isolate himself at the end of time. Again the scene where he is weaving those branches together and the way what once was HWR chair turns into a pure golden throne that Loki takes his seat in, stunning, visually it was stunning.

Yggdrasil

Just when I thought nothing could be more stunning than that sequence the camera panned out and showed us that the timelines were now woven together in the form of a breathtakingly gorgeous tree. I mean it was such a stunning image that I want to get a copy to frame and put on my wall.

But I am sure I am not the only one who saw it and instantly thought of Yggdrasil, the world tree of Norse Mythology. So here I have, well I don't know if I would call it a theory or not, but a thought at the very least.

So something that I think is really interesting that I think might possibly have some significance later on, maybe, is that in some versions of the myths around Yggdrasil (there are different and varying accounts and sources) the tree has three main roots. One is rooted in Midgard, the realm of men. The second is rooted in Jotunheim, the land of the giants and the third is rooted in Hel, the underworld.

I think these three roots are symbolic of Loki, Sylvie and Mobius. Mobius would represent Midgard, he's a human who had a life on Midgard. Sylvie would represent Jotunheim, as a Loki variant she would have been born on Jotunheim and is a frost giant. Then Loki would represent the root for Hel, he's currently at the end of time and in season one to get there you had to go through the void and when Loki first woke up there he asks if its Hel, it definitely has that imagery or symbolism of an underworld.

I don't know exactly what this could mean going forward but I think the three of them are going to be the key to keeping the tree together and protecting it. Or I could be looking too much into it.

Sylki

So anyone who has seen any of my previous posts will know that I am huge sylki fan, so obviously I have to talk about them in this review, feel free to skip over this section if you aren't a fan of sylki.

But anyway, before this episode I was of the opinion that if we didn't get a kiss or at least a scene where they talked about their feelings and cleared the air, then I would be really disappointed, and whilst yeah it would have been nice to get those scenes I am surprisingly not disappointed because in my opinion what we got might have been even better, or at the least just as good. After this episode I am in no doubt that these guys love each other, Loki was particularly obvious about it.

I've said in previous posts that in my opinion everything Loki has done this season has been for Sylvie. His motivation was simple, what he wanted was simple, he wanted Sylvie to be ok. This episode is no different it only further reinforces that this is Loki's desire.

He is faced with this impossible choice kill Sylvie and save everyone else, or risk everything by protecting the free will Sylvie gave everyone, that she fought for. Give her the chance to live a life. HWR I think thought Loki would choose himself, would choose to sacrifice Sylvie to ensure he wouldn't be alone and so that he could get a throne. But I think HWR underestimated the love Loki felt for Sylvie. I mean he replayed that citadel fight over and over because he was not willing to hurt Sylvie even to stop her from killing HWR. Again it all circles back to what Loki said in 1x6, he doesn't want to hurt her, he doesn't want a throne he wants her to be ok, and this is something HWR doesn't understand and that is why he loses.

The moment when Loki chooses to sacrifice himself for her is so heartbreaking, the way Sylvie immediately followed him down to the loom and how she desperately said she had to get in there when she realised what he was doing. There is also a moment when the portal thingy opens to the end of time and Loki knows what he has to do, he looks back to Sylvie and she shakes her head at him, he just gives her this sad smile and does what he needs to do. It reminded me so much of the moment in 1x5 when Sylvie says they need a distraction for Alioth and Loki puts a hand on her shoulder, Sylvie shakes her head because she doesn't want him in danger. It was clear how deeply she cared about and loved him, it was just so bittersweet.

Sylki's romance in season 1 was very different from season 2, last season they were very flirty and cute whereas this season has been mostly angst thanks to the fall out after the citadel in 1x6. But I still think it was still a romance in season 2. Loki sacrificed his own happiness for Sylvie, there are so many quotes out there about sacrifice being the purest form of love and I think that is what they were going for here. Loki choosing to sit at the end of time and hold the timelines together was the burden he chose to carry for her, what's more romantic than that? I mean it hurts and it sucks and makes me want to cry, but its still the epitome of romance.

Also I couldn't help but see the parallel between Thor choosing to destroy the bridge and therefore separating himself from Jane for the greater good and Loki choosing to trap himself at the end of time away from Sylvie to protect her and his friends, as well as the greater good. Both brothers end up away from the women they love in an act of heroism. The glimmer of hope for me is that Jane searches for Thor, eventually they are reunited. I'm just saying Sylvie still has that tempad. I would love if we get to see these characters again in a season 3 or other Marvel project, if we find out that Sylvie has been searching for a way to free Loki but still keep the branches stable. Maybe she could even team up with thor and mobius. Or she could seek out Wanda or Dr strange to get more magical knowledge. The possibilities are endless.

After

So lets talk about the ending and where everyone ends up starting with B-15, Casey and OB. So I like that they all stayed at the TVA and that B-15 seems to be kind of running the show. I also loved that OB wrote another TVA guidebook edition 2, I feel like it might be a bestseller. I also love that it is yellow as that colour symbolises optimism and the promise of a positive future which I think will be good for the TVA going forward. Another thing of note and which I really loved was that when they show the new TVA with its new 'growing together' propaganda posters, everyone look really happy and content, like they've got this new purpose and its one they feel good about.

Well everyone looks happy but Mobius. Both his and Sylvie's endings were left very, very open. I do get the sense that they are both feeling lost now that Loki is gone. That could be why Sylvie seeks Mobius out, she knows he too feels lost without Loki. When asked what she's going to do now Sylvie shrugs because she doesn't know, which is interesting to me because if she is happy on her branch like she has been saying all season, why wouldn't she just say she's going back to her life there? Unless Marvel have other plans for her character. Same with Mobius we don't know what he's going to do next. Though the door for him to return to the TVA has been left open with B-15's offer that there is always a seat for him if he wants it.

Ok so let's talk about Loki. Now can I appreciate the character development of Loki going from the selfish, narcissistic god who wanted a throne and who tried to take away people's free will, to a hero who sacrifices himself for the greater good and to ensure people get to keep their free will. Yes. Do I think it was hella romantic that he chose this path because he couldn't bear to hurt Sylvie? Oh yes that was some real romantic stuff right there. Do I think his arc was well written? It was, beautifully so. Am ok with Loki ending up trapped at the end time alone, something he feared? ABSOLUTELY-FRIGGEN-NOT!!! What the hell marvel! Honestly if this is the end of the story for this character then Marvel and I are going to have issues going forward.

A Glimmer of Hope?

The first thing I did this morning was hop onto google to see if there was any information on whether we'll get a season 3 because I had seen alot of talk about season 2 wrapping up the story and I was met with a little spark of hope. There are several articles out covering an interview from producer Kevin Wright where he says this about a potential season 3:

We take it season by season, and there are certainly things that Tom and I and other casts have talked about of where we see this going, and I know there’s some excitement for that internally, but just from a storytelling standpoint, I think we always conceived of seasons 1 and 2 as a whole."

The producer went on to describe both of the Tom Hiddleston-led seasons as "two chapters of the same book," but admitted that there are "other stories" or "new books" to be told:

"That these are two chapters of the same book, and that season two is finishing that book, and there are other stories to be told there, but I think they would be new books, if that’s not too coy."

"It was similar to Season 1 in we wanted to tell this story and tell it well, but even in Season 1, we obviously were thinking about where we were going. I would say Season 1 and Season 2 were developed and created as, like, kind of two chapters of the same book. We felt pretty strongly, all of us involved, that Season 2 was about closing that book but that there are many other books on the shelf for this character and for this world. But this felt like it wanted to be the conclusion of these great things that we set up in Season 1. We don't want to constantly leave people with drastic cliffhangers for our finales."

So it seems like all the talk about closing the story was actually just in relation to the storylines they had set up in season one and that this isn't intended to be the end of these characters' stories full stop.

A few of the articles also talked about Marvel's plans for their tv shows going forward:

Contributing Loki's Season 3 odds is Marvel Studios' new direction for its Disney+ shows since, via The Hollywood Reporter, Marvel is reportedly "leaning into the idea of multiseason serialized TV" a la Loki instead of the "limited-series format:"

"And just as 'Loki,' which returned Oct. 5, marked Marvel’s first season two of a series (out of nine TV shows to date), the studio plans on leaning into the idea of multiseason serialized TV, stepping away from the limited-series format that has defined it. Marvel wants to create shows that run several seasons, where characters can take time to develop relationships with the audience rather than feeling as if they are there as a setup for a big crossover event."

So if they are going to be leaning more into multiseason shows it would make sense to me for them to make Loki one of them as it is one of, if not the most, popular shows they've done so far. So I would expect that they would monopolise on that.

So I do think there's a good chance that we'll potentially get a season 3, I for one would love to see where they take these characters next. And that is all the thoughts I have on the finale, sorry this got so long but if you did read all the way to the end thank you.

#loki #loki season 2 spoilers #sylki #loki x sylvie #loki review

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jadelotusflower · 1 year ago

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Lois Lane costume appreciation (Part III, seasons 8-10)

Part I - seasons 4-5

Part II - seasons 6-7

This is Part III of my appreciation for Lois Lane's costuming in Smallville, and in particular the colour yellow.

While the previous seasons relied heavily on the red-blue-yellow colour scheme, the soft reboot of the later seasons moves slightly away from it as we spend more time in gritty Metropolis. Although we still have primary colours in the setting - the Kent farm, the Talon, the Daily Planet, and in season 10 Lois and Clark's apartment - the costuming shifts to more muted tones. In season 8 Clark takes up the persona of the Red-Blue Blur, but to protect that identity he stops wearing red and blue in his civilian life, starting work at the Daily Planet in suit and tie to match Lois's business attire that she adopted in season 7.

Lois actually doesn't wear straight yellow as much these last seasons (other than a few notable exceptions), but is occasionally associated with gold. She still favours red and blue, but we start seeing shades rather than the bold primaries of the earlier seasons. Lois is also often costumed in pink or white at important moments - white being the colour of purity, but also Krypton/formal Kryptonian robes we see both Jor-El and Lara wear (as opposed to black which is Kryptonian military/solider coded). Clark wears a lot of black and shades of grey in season 9 as he is torn between his Human and Kryptonian sides, and between the philosophies of his father Jor-El and his would-be brother Zod.

Pink is of course a mix of red and white, and also a Superman I reference ("I like pink very much Lois"). Lana wore a lot of pink in the earlier seasons, so there is a precedent for it being used to denote romance/the love interest in the show's visual storytelling.

As Lois and Clark's romantic relationship develops, we rely less on the symbolism and subtext because it's up there on the screen. Lois becomes Clark's heart in the narrative, so we don't need to see it represented as visual foreshadowing. But there's still some key symbolism to explore in the presence of yellow and thematic-adjacent gold.

The first time we see Lois in yellow this season is 8x05 Committed, where Lois wakes up at the farm hung over after getting drunk at Chloe and Jimmy's engagement. She wore gold shoes to the party, and I think this is an instance where the use of gold was perhaps unintentional, but is a nice little detail. We then see her in Clark's yellow and red football jersey, with very nice placement of the blue sheet almost like a cape.

Since I doubt Clark wears this jersey on the regular, there's a good chance Lois either rifled through all of Clark's drawers and chose this to wear, or Clark specifically picked it out for her - either option delights me (and is ripe for fic potential). Also note Clark in his blue shirt for this scene, so together they complete the red-yellow-blue combination.

She then puts on one of Clark's plaid shirts over her dress, the one with the red, yellow, and blue print. This episode is of course when Lois (under duress) first declares her love for Clark so the return to and emphasis on the Superman colour costuming is appropriate. It also continues the tradition of Lois wearing Clark's shirts that started in 4x02 and we'll see several times going forward.

While we see plenty of Lois in red or blue in season 8, we don't see her in yellow or gold again until 9x01 Savior after Lois returns from the future. At the end of the episode, Lois is wearing a yellow top with her pjs right before her memories of the future are triggered, including her and Clark having sex. So Lois in yellow at this moment, having the experience of the future with a Clark that emotionally died without her, is narratively apt.

Now while Lois's memories are later erased and this timeline never exists, the events still happened for Lois, so an interesting quirk of the show is that Lois has sex with Clark before he has sex with her, but he ends up with memories of it and she doesn't.

In the next episode 9x02 Metallo, Lois wakes up from having more dreams of the future in flannelette pajamas with red yellow and blue helicopters. These pjs are reminiscent of earlier seasons, and it's likely that with Clark missing in action and feeling out of kilter with her visions, Lois is seeking the comfort of that time. She takes Shelby back to the Talon with her not only to smoke Clark out, but as a reminder of her time at the farm and the surrogate family that was the Kents (also note the yellow in her blankets).

The red/yellow/blue plaid shirt from 8x05 shows up again in 9x04 Echo for what should have been Lois and Clark's first date, and we see Lois cut off the sleeves to get ready for Monster Trucks. This means she kept the shirt all that time and brought it out specifically for their date, and I find that extremely cute. It also shows how far they've come - when she borrowed his shirt in 4x02 she presumably returned it as he's seen wearing it later, but this shirt she never returned, and it seems Clark never asked for it back either. I do kind of wonder about a cute AU where the monster truck date happens and what Clark's reaction would be to her wearing this.

Then Lois wears a gold dress when she catches up to Clark after he stands her up which is an interesting transition. This is also a scene where Clark hears how vulnerable she is, not only in her feelings for him ("this was never about more than a story - maybe it never will be") and in general ("they always leave").

This is a crucial step, but given the moral question around Clark hearing Lois's thoughts and using that information to his advantage that Chloe articulates, it's important that this wasn't their first date and that while it progresses Clark's understanding and appreciation of Lois, it doesn't actually progress their romance.

However the end of the episode we do get this lovely shot with the burnished gold of the Daily Planet behind them.

I'm going to take a detour from yellow just for a second, to point out that in 9x06 Crossfire the new tie that Clark bought to wear to the Good Morning Metropolis interview is a similar shade of orange as Lois's bridesmaid dress in 8x10 (I first made this observation in the tags of this post).

Orange of course is a mix of yellow and red, and is also a colour we occasionally see Lois wear - notably in 4x01/02. In this context it represents that Clark and Lois are close but aren't quite there yet thematically, but it's also made clear that Clark bought this tie specifically to the interview and seeing that orange is a colour he rarely (if ever) wears, it's not a stretch to think this was either a subconscious choice, or that Clark thought of her (and how amazing she looked in that dress) when he saw it.

In 9x12 Warrior Lois wears a Wonder Woman Amazon Princess costume which is red, blue, and gold but this one doesn't really count much since it's a WW reference, but the end of this episode is another important step forward in their relationship ("you asked me what my dream was and it's this - with you, Lois").

In 9x15 Escape it's tartan galore - above the bed and on the pillows at the McDougal Inn where Clark and Lois intend to take their relationship to the next level.

The tartan on the pillow, notably, is very similar print to the plaid shirt from 8x05 and 9x04, as is the tartan costume Lois chose to buy when they visited the "world's biggest ball of yarn". It is certainly the plaid pattern of their relationship!

Lois is back in gold in 9x18 Charade (one of my favourite episodes!), undercover to try and protect the Blur's identity - and is still wearing the gold bodysuit under her coat later in the episode when she's abducted by Maxwell Lord.

In one of the most pivotal scenes for Clark and Lois's relationship, (with some very prominent yellow and blue lighting), Lois knows the Blur has just saved her (after she saved him by destroying the photograph revealing his identity), and could very easily turn around to see who he is, but actively chooses not to.

While in 9x02 she asks the Blur to "let me see your face" now she accepts that "I can't know who you are. I'd give anything to see your face, to know you're name. But you can't protect us if we know who you are." She has gone beyond wanting to know the Blur for a story, or as a boost for her own ego - she understands the burden he carries and doesn't want to add to it. This moment must have meant to much to Clark after years of everyone feeling entitled to his secrets, for Lois not to make any demands of him but to trust him implicitly.

10x04 Homecoming is of course the pinnacle of symbolism of Lois in yellow, exactly six seasons after 4x04 with Lois leaving Smallville High, Lois takes Clark back there for the reunion. Again, the in-universe explanation for Lois wearing a yellow dress could be school pride, but it's not a coincidence that she's back in yellow for the 200th episode, where she and Clark exchange I Love Yous for the first time, and Clark flies.

The reunion is important to Lois, she dresses up, straightens her hair, and remembers all their classmates even though she was only there a short time. Clark wears his letterman jacket but is less than enthused to be the centre of attention. However by the end of the episode the jacket is gone - the future Lois takes it off him, and he doesn't put it back on, symbolically leaving behind his youth and ready to embrace his future.

In 10x07 Ambush we see Clark and Lois post-coital with Lois wearing Clark's jersey, calling back to 8x05 but an indication that while she is his destiny, she is also a link to his past. This is a nuance that Clark will learn to embrace at the end of the season - to become Superman, but to always hold on to Smallville.

In 10x12 Collateral Lois wears a red shirt with a gold belt while Clark is in red and blue - even in the virtual world a nod to the color scheme, and in this episode Clark flies with Lois in his arms in order to escape the dreamscape.

At the end of 10x17 Kent, we see Clark and Lois in their domestic bliss, with Lois again wearing one of Clark's plaid shirts with a yellow shirt underneath. This is the episode they decide to move to Metropolis, after Clark returns from the mirror universe where he saw alt!Jonathan.

This is a double callback, since it looks an awful lot like the yellow tank she wore in earlier seasons, and the plaid resembles the one she borrowed in 8x05. However we know that shirt got cut up in 9x04, so this likely means that Clark went out and bought another one, and then Lois commandeered that too! I love it.

In 10x19 Dominion Lois and Clark move into their new apartment in Metropolis, and for almost the entire episode Lois is wearing Superman-adjacent colours - blue jeans, mauve top, and a yellow belt. The latter is particularly interesting given that many versions of the Superman suit include a yellow belt, and at one point we get Lois in a classic superman stance.

In this episode we see Lois as a fully integrated member of the team, overruling the plan to blow up the gate to the Phantom Zone and delivering the line "Being a hero's wife means never accepting defeat."

This is actually the last time we see Lois in yellow, although in the finale we see her in gold skirt/belt in her post-wedding outfit.

But there's another side to gold, as season 10 introduces us to gold kryptonite that could permanently remove Clark's powers away (the Star Blade in earlier seasons is also yellow/gold). Do I think this undermines my argument for Lois as representing yellow/gold as Clark's heart/family? Not at all.

Yellow is ultimately symbolic of Clark's humanity, arguably the most important aspect of being Superman - he's an alien who is undeniably human.

There’s an interesting dichotomy in the yellow sun giving Clark his powers, but gold kryptonite as the substance that can take those powers away. This does fit in with Lois being his strength, as well as the linchpin of his human life - the heart of both Clark and Superman.

So take this with a grain of salt (since I know the Crisis cameo was not well received by most), but consider all of the above, and how we see the Lane-Kent’s for the last time. First, Clark in yellow gloves (inherited from Jonathan) working on the farm and unaffected by green kryptonite:

Clark said he gave up his powers - was this with gold kryptonite? It's unclear if this is something Clark chose to do, or had to do, perhaps to save the world, or was a temporary thing while he and Lois raised their daughters (sidenote, I love Clark as a girldad). I personally like to think that Clark would become Superman in this continuity again, when he's needed.

But for now last time we see Lois and Clark they are in red and blue, muted from the bold primary of Superman, but undeniably present, a reflection of their true selves even without the powers or destiny. And yellow is still there, in the farmhouse, the home where they are raising a family together:

#smallville #clark x lois #clois #lois lane #clark kent #costume appreciation #meta #superman #long post #jlf posts

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