#I feel like this was only to set up last episode's illustration and they were like eh actually too complicated let's back from it

[mazojo]

girl me too what

[thewistlingbadger]

The problem with season 2 of Arcane is that so far it lacks emotion. Why is it that the first and last 5 minutes of act 1 from season 1 were more emotional than the entirety of act 1 in season 2? If you want the audience to be invested in your story you have to make it emotional. Here's a few examples

Caitlyn: Caitlyn acts BATSHIT crazy in act one and we can understand because her mom just died. Caitlyn is clearly filled with grief and anger. But Caitlyn shouldn't feel this way JUST because her mom died. Because there's something much worse about this that was set up in season 1: Caitlyn has a rocky relationship with her mother. A relationship that never gets reconciled because her mom dies. Imagine how much more impactful the death of her mother would have been had act One focused on this aspect of their relationship. They could have highlighted this by showing us flashbacks between Caitlyn as a kid and her mom, having a good time, connecting. Better yet, the loss of her mother would have been perfectly illustrated by Caitlyn actually finding the body. Imagine had the opening of season 2 been vi and Caitlyn, running to the council from zaun, desperate. Only for Caitlin to walk into the council room and weep at the sight of her dead mother. This could have perfectly paralleled the opening of season 1 with VI. Have there been more motion to her this could have helped the audience better understand how she quickly goes from an understanding and empathetic person to someone that no longer gives a shit.

Vi: Vi literally just had this really big confrontation with her sister and she acts like it did not happen. We saw how absolutely gutted she was by Jinx's words, but in season two she's just "yeah my sister's gone let's go kill her." We should see the way those words impacted Vi. We should see her questioning everything, we should see her reconsidering herself. But we don't see that in act 1. She just flips a switch when it comes to her sister.

Viktor: Viktor nearly died from the attack. Before that he was fighting a losing battle with the hex core and shimmer. He saw Sky die he saw the violence between zaun and piltover. He should be upset that Jayce betrayed, that jayce used the hexcore and made weapons with hextech. Yet he wakes up indifferent, uncaring. Jayce is yelling in his face and he doesn't care. Jayce literally let's his boyfriend erm I mean partner walk away from him when he's spent DAYS worrying about him. Had Viktor acted upset in the scene, it would have felt more impactful and it would have made more sense.

Chem barons: We barely got any explanation for them in s1. This season was where we needed the explanation, but we didn't get it. Had we seen their reaction to the news of silco's death, had we seen them without silco we would understand them more and their attack would be logical.

But instead we got fuckin music videos at the start of each episode for most of these.

[anastacialy]

alright that last post had me thinking. i understand a ton of people wish penelope and colin got more screen time directly. believe me, i get that! i am always the first to say we should have gotten ten episodes, not eight, just to let the other plots and especially scenes with colin and penelope breathe a little more. but. i keep hearing a lot about how some of the other plots were "completely unnecessary" and "didn't add any value" and that's just plain incorrect. i think a lot of people who i see saying this just sort of... don't understand? narrative foils?

for those uninitiated, a foil is "a literary device that compares and contrasts one character with another to reveal their traits, values or motivations of one character through the comparison and contrast of another character." think of this like a mirror, or a photo negative.

if you are looking for foils of only penelope and colin, we've got plenty, though many other characters foil each other, too. this is bound to happen naturally in a show with so many characters, but for this post i'll focus on them first and foremost: - the mondriches: many wondered what the point of the mondriches plotline was, and though i simply enjoy having them on my screen, (they are incredibly cute together) their narrative purpose is very clear. their son is now a baron, and they must navigate the world as not someone with title, but as the mother and father of a titled lord. penelope and colin, we learn by the end of the season, also have a son, who will be the new baron featherington. it is the very same solicitor that delivers the news to alice and will, who threatens to take away the chance at keeping the estate from the featheringtons. the titled son plotline was clear from the beginning, though it was a "mystery" which sister would turn out to be the mother of the new lord featherington. (mystery is in quotation marks since i doubt anyone actually believed that it wouldn't be penelope). either way, they are foils to another family, and other main characters.

still, they are not finished in their role, as they also serve to illustrate the struggle of working members of the ton, and the argument to give up a business you love in order to remain in good standing. in this, will is penelope's foil, and alice is colin's. though i love both alice and colin, they initially do not understand what it means to give up something you have worked unbelievably hard for, and see their partners giving up their businesses as the easy, clear choice. alice contrasts colin by winning her argument, and convincing will to let go of his bar. will contrasts penelope in the same way, by letting go of something that was important to him in order to make room for other ventures. while will and alice come to a compromise that prioritizes alice's desires (hosting balls to entertain rather than keeping the bar) penelope and colin come to a compromise that prioritizes penelope's desires (revealing her identity as whistledown and getting permission from the queen to continue writing). yet, both pairs have made the choices that are right for them, and both feel satisfied by the compromises.

and the last note on the mondriches' purpose: they show us what is expected of families of the ton, to inform penelope and colin's arguments later in the show. we are shown alice and will being given separate bedrooms, as many of the other families have been shown to have, though it hasn't been quite as clearly remarked upon until now. in their plotline, it is quite a big deal that they are expected to sleep separately, as they haven't before, and do not wish to now. they ultimately decide that they will share alice's designated room — and later, we see that after they argue, it is likely penelope's room that colin is sleeping in front of, rather than going to (presumably) his own. now, it is unclear whether this was simply a set limitation or not, as we never see an interior of colin's bedroom, but it's likely that he had long since decided they'd be sharing penelope's, as that is the room he chooses to introduce to her in the mirror scene, and the sitting area of that room is where he places his desk, whereas hers is inside the bedroom proper. (we only see this and their drawing room, but i don't doubt that the house is larger than was shown, given the size of both those rooms and the hallways that connect them.) - violet, agatha, and marcus: let's see, a brother and a sister, where the sister's best friend wants to be romantically involved with the brother, and all three of them are being weird about it. now where have i heard that one before? in these moments, agatha is a foil to eloise, marcus to colin, and violet to penelope. through them, we can extrapolate ways eloise may be feeling about penelope and colin's relationship, as violet and agatha talk it out, whereas eliose scampers off to scotland quite quickly. the contrast here is that violet and marcus are very timid and reserved in their relationship until they obtain the 'blessing' of agatha to pursue it, whereas penelope and colin dive headfirst into marriage before eloise and penelope reconcile their damaged friendship. however strangely, though, the foils here seem to swap characters often: marcus also mirrors penelope, as it is him who wronged agatha, not violet. another comparison within these three are violet and agatha mirroring penelope and colin, as violet has to outright state to agatha: "i hope you know that my care for you is not contingent on your aid. i am here for you, agatha, always." which shares a sentiment with what penelope states to colin later: "it is not what you do for me that makes me love you. [...] just being you is enough, colin. i do not need you to save me, i just need you to stand by me." agatha and colin, here, both assume their value lies in what they can do for others, rather than simply being themselves with those closest to them. - benedict, tilley, and paul: what, do you not want to see benedict kiss a guy? the fuck?

[aspoonofsugar]

Life, Death And Rust

The Parfait Predicament is that the Parfait is the least important thing that happens this episode :P

Here are some thoughts on what we got this week.

THE CYCLE OF LIFE AND DEATH

When we break or wear out or simply finish what we were made to do we are called back (...) I know, I know. Wehre you come from, things die, but we are not like you at all. We ascend. Herb will have his purpose again.

The CC's speech and Ever After's creatures not dying, but "ascending" ties into 2 themes dear to RWBY and Ruby:

Grief

Creation and Destruction

Both ideas come together in The Cycle of Life and Death, which is illustrated (or at least hinted at) in the character of the mysterious Blacksmith:

The Blacksmith's role seems to be collecting lost weapons and to use their metal to forge something new. When it comes to this, she is similar to Jinxy:

Jinxy takes things that are lost, changes their shapes and gives people the chance to get them back, if they are willing to pay the price. It is possible that what is left unsold is then given to the Blacksmith, who gives new life to it.

Two details have interested me of the Blacksmith's introduction:

She is made of gold and her workplace is all gold

She is forging a butterfly

Both are important symbols in the series.

Gold is the perfect metal and the objective of alchemy. The characters are going through the scale of metals and getting more and more refined, so that they can become gold. Pyrrha is gold to begin with and is the first one to become a true Huntress and to end her arc. Penny dies surrounded by a golden cloud because she goes from copper (her metal) to gold and reaches perfection. (This also ties with Pinocchio's fairy tale btw). In short, gold is important and the Blacksmith being covered in it frames her as an alchemist. Someone who starts reactions and transforms things.

Butterflies are symbols of transformation, of death and rebirth. So, it is important the Blacksmith is forging this specific animal. It may hint to how she is some kind of God in the Ever After. Or at least, that her role is God-Like. People who lose themselves in the Ever After come to her in the form of weapons and metals. She reworks them and gives them new life. The Butterfly might even be a reference to Herb, who "ascended" and is now being "fixed up".

So, what does all of it has to do with Ruby?

RUBY RIDING HOOD

(I have yet to write a full analysis of Ruby's allusion, I only have snippets of it for now. However, the imagery this episode was rather strong)

Ruby's meeting with the Blacksmith develops 2 ideas already present in the previous episode:

Her Journey Through Grief

Her Loss of Identity

So far, each episode has explored a specific stage of grief. Let's review:

Episode 1 > Denial

Episode 2 > Bargaining

Episode 3 > Anger

Episode 4 > Depression

Last week I identified episode 4 as Acceptance, but now I think it was depression (both Ruby and Herb are depressed). What is true is that it ends with the concept of Acceptance, which is fully developed this episode. The CC's speech and the appearance of the Blacksmith hint to this idea. Ruby, however, is still far away from fully reaching this stage.

Still, she is slowly getting closer to fully facing her ghosts, even if it is difficult to say if this is a good or bad thing right now:

The Blacksmith's weapons give Ruby 3 different mirror images:

Penny

Alyx

Summer

Why is that so? @lintuwaterfall shared a theory where they could represent Id, Ego and Superego (these are their words):

Penny - Id - Desire - She has deep feelings about her friend

Alyx - Ego - Reality - Doing what one can to survive in the world

Summer - Super-Ego - The ideal set out by a Parent

I quite like this idea and whatever the case, it is clear Penny, Alyx and Summer represent 3 parts of Ruby. In particular, they could once again allude to past, present and future (just like Neo's allusion while Ruby is falling may):

Penny is a lot like Ruby's past idealistic self. They became friends precisely because they were so similar. This is also why when Penny came back it is as if Ruby could find her childhood and innocent self once again.

Alyx went through a journey very similar to Ruby to the point they are often paralleled and juxtaposed. Alyx is described as a girl running from herself and she probably lost herself eventually.

Summer is set up to be Ruby's future. She is who Ruby has always wanted to be. An ideal she has been chasing after. She is the self Ruby has always wanted to become. Until recently, at least.

In short, the Blacksmith's scene is just Ruby going through the exact same pattern she did last episode with Herb. There she meets her past self, who asks her who she wants to become and suggests she may meet the same fate as Summer. Here, those unsolved and repressed feelings manifest themselves in a more subtle ways through the weapons.

This may also be why Ruby goes from Penny's beautiful sword:

To Alyx's humble and small knife:

From an ideal:

Ruby: Not just a powerful warrior, the most powerful to ever lived. She was touched by magic, and she gave her life for thousands. She took a message of hope to the stars, and she saw the world through better eyes. Take us to the royal birthday, and allow us to present this most precious gift.

To reality, which is much less beautiful and impressive:

The Blacksmith: What are you? Are you lost?

Ruby starts as beautiful as Penny's sword, a precious gem (rubies and jades), but has right now turned into a smaller knife. The question is... who will she become? Which weapon will she choose to wield?

Blacksmith: If you change your mind, you may choose anyone of these you like.

As for now, she seems to be willing to let go of her past self to a degree that is almost dangerous and destructive:

Ruby: Here, I'll give you this! It carries a mother's promise!

A moment after seeing a glimpse of Summer in herself, she immediately bargains away a reminder of her. Just like she gives up Penny's sword after getting it in order to meet the Red Prince. Ruby has just gone through the stages of grief when it comes to Penny. However, Penny's death has now forced her to go even deeper and to face Summer's. She is probably going through the stages once again, so that she can deal with Summer. Only then she will be able to accept both her friend (her inner child) and her mother (her future ideal self)'s deaths. And change.

RUSTED JAUNE

It is too soon to say for sure, but so far Jaune seems a foil to Ruby when it comes to dealing with grief and identity.

It is implied Ruby wishes to forget:

Ruby: When Herbs come back... will he remember anything?

And she is willing to let go of herself completely. To self-destroy:

Young Ruby: You can do whatever you want! Be whoever you want! You don't even have to be Ruby Rose.

The first glimpse we get of Jaune instead suggests he wants to remember:

He calls his new friend Juniper

He chooses to live in an acre called "garden" and full of flowers (Nora) and leaves (Pyrrha)

The leaves have a rainbow pattern, which calls back to both his teamd and name

His house is a giant lotus (Ren)

He wears a red bow to remember Pyrrha:

He seems to have been in the Ever After for years, but he has apparently failed to change. He is still wearing his old armor or at least a similar one and his weapon is still broken:

In short, if Ruby's reaction to grief is to refuse it, to forget it and to self-destroy, Jaune's reaction seems to be not to let go when he should. Both characters clearly have to change and evolve, but Ruby only sees the relief of self-destruction, while Jaune only sees the importance of moving forward. Interesting considering they reacted in opposite ways when it comes to Pyrrha and Beacon. In general, the 2 of them seem to also have exchanged places since the beginning of the series. There Ruby was an already experienced Huntress in theory and very effective in combat. Jaune was instead unsure of his role and was often the load. In this week's episode instead we see how Ruby seems helpless when it comes to fighting, while Jaune rushes to the battlefield and basically takes Ruby's role as the 4th of her team. (This is a superficial note btw... I think the point is simply Ruby doesn't know where to fit right now, which reflects on her fighting style and willingness to fight - see the chess fight).

Basically, Ruby and Jaune explore 2 opposite and extreme reactions to grief. It is probable them both will be forced to revisit them. Ruby might have to accept her own pain, while Jaune might be asked to let go of an already consumed persona.

Obviously, Jaune's appearance might be misleading and he might have already been remade into something new. In this case, his own attachment to the past and knight persona might be an illusion to hide how broken his own identity is (the shattered sword).

Whatever the case, it is probable Jaune will be forced to change and to be remade into his true self. So, that he can finally evolve.

JAUNE AND NEO - RUSTED KNIGHT VS JABBERWALKER

We have reached the midway of the season. So, all the main characters and ingredients for the story have gathered. This means that both Jaune in the form of the Rusted Knight and Neo in the form of her illusory Jabberwalker have joined the fray and interacted with RWBY.

This gives us space for a meta commentary (this partly repeats last week's post):

Ruby is the protagonist - she even more so than the others has 2 animals guides there to help her out. Still, she is thinking of refusing her role and wants to lose herself and to be remade.

Neo is the antagonist - she multiplies the Jabber Walker aka the only antagonistic forse in the Ever After > the only thing able to kill. Symbolically, she is spreading her grief in a world which knows no death. However, she might seem to want more than just a role and is using her semblance to add new characters and potentially change the story (only 1 Jabberwalker was supposed to exist).

Jaune is the side character- he has completely fused with the story to the point the protagonists know his character even before they meet him. It is as if Jaune is running from his role of main character in RWBY to be content with an easier role in another story.

At the same time:

Ruby processes grief through wishing to destroy herself (she internilizes)

Neo processes grief through wishing to destroy others and the world (she externalizes)

Jaune processes grief through refusing destruction altogether, so he doesn't let go of his mementos and protects others even in this strange world.

We'll see where we go from there. That said, it is interesting the Rusted Knight is introduced fighting the Jabberwalker because these 2 characters are juxtaposed in the opening:

And there is clearly something going on with the Jabberwalker... are they a person trapped in the Ever After? What is their deal?

The wonderful Chatterbox's song seems to suggest there might be a problem with communication:

I don't think the Jabberwalker is evil. Rather I think they have a problem, but since they are scary, dangerous and impossible to understand people have made them be the villain. Which leads us to the final thematic highlight of this week.

CREATION AND DESTRUCTION

Weiss: It's impossible. Things have to die someday, right? CC: Goodness no! Although, I suppose there is a creature...No, no. That's not the sort of thing you talk about while in polite company.

The CC may insist there is no death in the Ever After, but there actually is in the form of the Jabberwalker. Whatever form this death takes is left to be seen. (When is it that stories die? I would say when they are forgotten or their meaning is lost... so maybe the jabberwalker not being able to articulate things might be the reason behind it?). What is sure is that the Jabberwalker is a creature of Destruction, while the Ever After is the world of Creation. And yet, Destruction and Creation can't be divided:

Weiss: I am so tired of leaving places in ashes.

So, very poignantly the Ever After is compared to Atlas. Both are Kingdoms of Creation where the inhabitants live happily and think they are untouchable. And yet, Destruction arrives and changes things.

I don't think this is the only similarity between Atlas and the Ever After, though. First of all, the 2 places appear as incredibly rich and wonderful, but both ignore their shadows:

Atlas ignores Mantle and the Ever After ignores whatever place the Jabberwalker comes from. Not only that, but both places are in the end run through control and manipulation and roles.

Each character has a role and is dismissed the moment they are not able to fulfill it anymore? Doesn't it remind you of something? Like a very utilitarian and strict military state?

Maybe this is why the CC's power seems at the same time extremely kind and extremely dangerous. Atlas explores trust, but shows how it can degenerate in control. The Ever After might introduce the theme of empathy and how it can be used for manipulation:

CC: I gave him something new to do for the moment...

MISCELLANIA- A CAT AND A MOUSE

Blacksmith: Are you her guide, little one?

Little being recognized by the Blacksmith as Ruby's guide makes me wonder... is it possible Alyx too had a guide? And if yes, could that guy have been the CC? Did they fail their role as guide and this is why they are so interested in RWBY and Ruby especially? To the point they are ready to challenge the Red Prince, to have Herb ascend, to sacrifice a Poor Bird and to risk their own life, just to protect Ruby?

It seems a little bit too much investment for character introduced as minding their own business and acting on a whim.

If so, then this take on Alice In Wonderland is a retelling where Alice fails to get home and The Cat wants to make sure the story doesn't repeat itself? And yet, the CC is not Ruby's guide. Little is. Interesting the juxtaposition between a naive little mouse (heart) and an experienced tricky cat (mind).

Finally, this week's song rocked! I am enjoying the new songs, I must say! Also, this volume's soundtrack so far seems to be about Ever After Characters. Both the Red Prince and the Jabberwalker have now their own song. Interested to see if this continues or if our titular RWBY characters will get new songs as well.

[agoraphobic-artist]

Kuro-Shit Haul (Late Sep.)

The merchandise shown in this post was all sourced from Japan and is related to the Public School Arc of the series.

Starting with the set of shikishi artboards produced by MOVIC.

I loved that the art shows each person in their representative formal attire for each house, as could be seen during the opening ceremony for the cricket tournament.

The character line-up is pretty much the same as with previous merch for this season: Sebastian and Ciel, followed by the P4 - and our bonus character of Soma.

Next up, a set from the musical rather than the anime.

The Secret of the Public School 2024 Musical were selling Enamel Keychains of the outfits and I absolutely fell in love with them!

(The only thing to keep in mind is that they are a magnet for dust and fingerprints!)

Again, the main six characters we have come to expect but with a bonus character of The Undertaker this time; not sure why he is in those clothes, especially as he doesn't have his mourning locket at this point in the story either but it still is a very nice piece of merchandise.

Next, is the 3rd Japanese release DVD for Season Four of the Kuro Anime.

We have Herman Greenhill and Gregory Violet gracing our outer case this time and the inner illustration is another landscape shot this time of the Thames River.

Included inside the case are:

Episodes 6, 7 and 8 on the Main Disc, A soundtrack Disc, Information booklet and mini pop-up illustration.

The Soundtrack disc is labelled Vol. 2; The Vol. 1 disc was included with the first boxed DVD.

As a side note, a full list of the 19 tracks can be found within the information guide.

Moving onto the guide, inside are a breakdown of the individual episodes, what appears to be an interview and a couple of promotional art pictures in the back.

And lastly, my favourite part of each DVD is the bonus mini Pop-up scene. This particular one is named "Afternoon Break".

Depicting the characters in the Swan Gazebo, Violet is sketching in the foreground, in the middle we have Ciel contemplating his next move.

... and in the background we can find Sebastian... in a tree...

The very last item, is a "Project-Black-Butler" Tea set!

The set includes a Boarding School Edition Cup and Saucer, manufactured by MOVIC in partnership with Aniplex.

Recently, Aniplex held an online lottery, in which the "A" Prizes were themed cups for each house and one relating to the Main characters.

If I had infinite Money and space, I would happily purchase and display all six, however I feel that this separate one encompasses all of the elements tastefully into one commemorative piece.

The teacups pattern begins with a cameo motif wrapped in striped ribbon, there are two fountain pens crafted into the design with a large font initialling the item as Black Butler.

Subsequently, as you work your way around the cup, each house is honoured by their respective flower bordered with more filigree.

The only thing worth mention, is that the gold sections are gritty, like a fine sandpaper to the touch and had left gold streaks on the inside of the box from production. As a decorative piece I am sure that this would cause no issue. However, if someone were handling this item excessively or using it to drink from I am not sure that the pattern would remain intact as it seems to be some sort of transfer as opposed to painted.

[magic-belodie]

I finished MCLAL Kentin episode 6. It cost me 1.206 AP. I got the illustration. Here is the summary: (This summary is the sequel of the summary of the proposal route episode 5: https://www.tumblr.com/magic-belodie/708420728642486272/i-finished-the-proposal-route-of-mclal-kentin?source=share)

You start this episode in the van. The dogs get up from the place where they were sleeping and start wagging with their tails. That can only mean one thing. Kentin comes inside the van and asks if you had a good day. The dogs jump up on Kentin and Kentin hugs them back. Then you pull Kentin towards you to kiss him. Your day was not bad, you saw Rosa, Alexy and Thia and eat ice cream with them. Kentin's day was a little bit tiring, because the customers were tiring. But after work he went to his parents. His parents are doing good, they are still really excited about the wedding. They asked all kinds of questions about the wedding. The wedding is only weeks away, and you two haven't done much of the preparation. But you two have a place for the wedding. Kentin looks a bit tired. The last two months, Kentin worked multiply jobs. You try to cheer him up with some food. Kentin has the week for the wedding free. Like planned. Kentin can't wait. The food is ready. Kentin sets the table outside and you two go sit and eat. The day after tomorrow you two are going to choose the rings in the morning, then Kentin is free. You also arrange to go to the caterer this Friday. It was the only spot they had left. But Kentin can't, he has to work. If he works this Friday, you are able to choose every menu you want. But you want Kentin to go with you. You don't care about that. You just want Kentin to be with you, and do those things with you. Kentin will call his boss tomorrow and change his schedule. You thank him for it. It is the wedding for the both of you. It is much more fun to do those things together. Kentin smiles at you. You are right, Kentin is excited to do those things with you. But Kentin is very tired now. Kentin and you clear up the table and go to bed. You have problem falling a sleep. You are a bit worried that Kentin is working too much. Kentin has been working so hard because of the wedding. He really wants it to be the best. But you haven't seen him a lot since he is working so hard. You didn't imagine organizing, and the time before your wedding, would be like this. If things go on like this, you have to talk about it with Kentin. The next day started normal. You confirmed the caterer for Friday. You walk the dogs and work as a waitress at the Cozy bear café. But when you get back, Kentin is already at the van. Kentin asked to get free for Friday, and it didn't go well. His boss was not happy that Kentin wanted free, after he arranged everything that Kentin could work more hours. Kentin requested it. You ask Kentin why he did that. He is already working enough. Kentin did because of the wedding. You ask Kentin what is going on. You and him have enough money for a wedding. We are in the budget if we stick to what we said. But Kentin wants to be able to do the things big without any limit. It is a really important moment for most girls. For Kentin, of course also. But he wants you to have the wedding of your dreams. That you could just choose any ring or dress you want, and that you don't have to look at the price tag. You can't help but smile, Kentin is so cute. You feel like Kentin is the one with the greatest ambition of the two of you. And three weeks of work is not going to change the budget that much. Plus, the choosing is part of the fun. You want to choose things with Kentin. Kentin wants to choose two, but he wants those things to be covered in diamonds. He wishes he can give that to you. Kentin is so sweet. You are very touched to hear him say that. But the rings, cake, dress, it is all decoration. And it makes you happy to do it and choose it. But the most important is Kentin. If it puts this much pressure on him. It is not worth it. The only thing that matters to you is to share everything with Kentin. You would marry Kentin in secret in the back of the van, without hesitation. Kentin smiles at you. Would you really marry him anywhere? Yes, you would even do it in the cave where you found the dog on your last trip. But you have already booked a place. It is better if you take advantaged of that. Kentin cares your cheek. Let's make the wedding day the best day within you two means. Plus, Kentin is already going to give you the best gift, his last name. Kentin is surprised. He didn't know that you had already made up your mind. Kentin's name Lerhay fits you like a glove. Kentin takes you in his arms and spins you around. You would have told him sooner if you knew that it had this effect on him. Kentin is going to call his boss. He is going to participate in all the choosing stuff. His boss has to understand and otherwise who cares. You are both so happy. The wedding rings Hand in hand, Kentin and you walk to the jewelry store. You two first look outside at the window. You both see multiply things you like. But Kentin and you have to choose. Kentin kisses your forehead. He has been in a fantastic mood since yesterday. You both walk inside the store. The sales lady asks if she can help you two. You two would like to see wedding rings. She shows you where they are lying. Kentin and you are pointing out all the rings. It is hard to choose. And seeing them lay on a cushion reminds you that you haven't chosen the ring bearer. It would be logic to go with Cookie or Muffin. So definitely a dog. They both have an important place in your history. But normally a child would do that. You two could ask Thia. She would like it. Or a friend, Alexy is Kentin's best man. Maybe you two could ask Armin. Kentin says that you may choose. You choose to let Cookie and Muffin do it. Each of them would carry one ring. That way, no one is jealous. Maybe Joker and Siska would be. But Kentin is sure they would understand. It will be perfect. Then you two look back at the rings. You are sure. You want the crossed rings. Plus, the ring that fits with it was the first one that Kentin liked. They will look perfect. Kentin gets the sales woman. She takes your measurements and makes sure they are ready. Kentin and you walk out of the store. Kentin can't wait for all the other choices. You are both so happy. Kentin and you walk to the ceremony place. Both your parents are already there. You all hug each other. And then you tell them about the rings you two have chosen. But they don't get to see them, it will be a surprise. The place looks beautiful. It was a little climb to it. You are 1500 feet high. Kentin was the one who chose the place. Kentin knew the guy of the place. He worked for him a few seasons ago. At the altar you have a view of the whole valley. At the bench you have a view of the mountain. It will be safe, there are fences everywhere. Your parents point out that you both look so happy. And you do, who wouldn't be with a place like this. The meal is going to be served in the big building over there. There will also be dancing and you can park your car behind it. Kentin's parents ask if he still manages everything with work. Kentin took some free time for the wedding. Everything is going great. You discuss a lot of other things for the wedding, and the bachelor party will be organized by the maid of honer and the best man. They ask who you choose. Kentin chose Alexy. You asked Kim. The athletic girl who works at the gym. Your mom thinks it is a good choice. You want to ask them their opinion about activity between the ceremony and the meal. It is a good thing. You all come up with things to do. You like the musical chairs option. Kentin likes it a lot, two. Kentin and you walk back to the van. It was a nice moment with both of your parents. Kentin is also still really happy with the rings. And he can't wait to get his suit tomorrow. You also can't wait to see what Rosa has planned.

The Dress Kentin and you are at Leigh's shop with Rosalya and Leigh. They are both really happy to see you. Kentin points out that you should take the dress you want the most and don't care about the price. Rosa will make sure that happens.  Leigh and Kentin leave to get his suit. You stay behind with Rosa. Rosa shows you the dresses. They are all beautiful. There is one Rosa likes the most, but she doesn't want to influence you. You have to discover the one you love on your own. And no matter what you choose, she has a matching outfit for Kim. The same goes for Kentin with Alexy. Rosa tells you a bit about every dress. Then you get to try all the dresses on. As soon as you put on the breathtaking one, you know it is the right one. You get to pick the dress. There is only one option to choose. This dress was Rosa's favorite. Kentin and Leigh are back. He found the perfect suit. Kentin and you see them back at your bachelor parties. Kentin and you leave the shop. You are both really happy with the outfits. The wedding is coming together. The caterer Kentin and you have tasted all the appetizers. You don't know what to choose. You taste again and choose the forgotten vegetable verrine. It is very colorful and tastes so good. And it is light, a good way to start. That way, Kentin and you will still be able to dance in the evening. Then we can move on to the main course. Since the wedding is in the mountains, they made something special. Balsamic pork tenderloin with cured ham and a salt-crusted potato. You taste the food. It is really delicious. Kentin has no words for it. It is so good. They also have a vegetarian option, which is also perfect. Then you get to choose the dessert. It will be a decorated cake or a tired wedding cake. You get to taste all the options and choose to go with the decorated cake and chocolate taste. It is one of the classics they are selling a lot of them. It is not a surprise. Then everything is set.

The Bachelorette Party Kentin and you still haven't decided on the honeymoon yet. You two have some time left before your parties start. Kentin was already looking at a place for you two. A paradisiacal place. That you two have never been before; Cuba. During the dry season, it will look incredible. Kentin always has wanted to go. You two already have been to a few of the Caribbean islands, but not to this one. Kentin asked if you had already thought of a place. And you did. You thought of Canada. The adventure of the nature. The forest and the snow, it calls to you. Or you could go to a hotel spa and have a relaxing retreat. The opposite of the van. Kentin likes both the options. You choose to go with Canada. Cuddling up with Kentin in a cabin. Spending days in the forest and the snow. Kentin also likes the idea. It sounds like a great program. It would be a nice change. He can already picture it.

You have to leave for your party and walk to the park entrance. There you see Rosa. She asks if you are ready and lets you turn around. Then you see all your friends; Priya, Kim and Melody. You all hug each other and go into the limo. The limo takes you to the beach. There you have a treasure hunt. The puzzles were about your travels with Kentin. They also arranged a meal and a sleeping place. It was amazing.

The Big Day You are with Rosa in the van, and you are very nervous and not able to stand still. It also makes Rosa nervous. If she doesn't get your dress good, you have to marry in your underwear. So you keep standing still. But you are still nervous. You shouldn't think of everything that could go wrong. You should think of everything that could go right. Kim keeps you updated on how it is going at the location. Everyone has arrived, and the cake looks beautiful. Muffin and Cookie already have the rings. You start to relax. Everything is going to be okay. Your dress is ready. You look like a princess. Rosa and you go to the ceremony location. 

Your dad is waiting for you and walks you to Kentin. Kentin looks stunning. You get to read his mind. When he saw you, it felt like the whole mountain was rocking. Kentin was waiting for this moment, his whole life. It wasn't just a feeling. He dreamed of this moment for so long. And it is finally here. You are even prettier than you have ever been. He can't take his eyes off you. Kentin is afraid you will disappear if he does that. But you are really there. The moment he has dreamed of so many times. And now he is living it. It is even more beautiful than he could ever dream. He hopes that this moment also meets your expectations. The story switches back to you. You are at the altar and hold Kentin's hand. It is time for the vows. Kentin starts. He is necessarily not the most comfortable when it comes to words. And he already hopes that you know how much he loves you since always. But he wants to tell you again in front of family and friends. And above all, to tell you again here, it's the closest thing to the top of the world. In any case, it's the highest we can get without having to get married in an insulated jacket. Because that is where he wants to be with you. On top of the world. That is where you belong. You deserve nothing less. Kentin has known it since the first time he saw you. At that moment, he knew he liked to go to the end of the world with you. He wants to go everywhere, and that you feel like he feels now everywhere. Happy, loved and the world at your feet. You have tears in your eyes. But now you have to say your vow. You have always felt like that. Ever since you and Kentin found one another again. It took you some time to realize it. To realize that your idea of a lot of things was wrong. That you had the possibility of being happy, as you have never been before. You just had to agree to change your perspective. This place is perfect for the both of you. You never have made a better decision, then to leave and see the world with Kentin. And if Kentin is right that you deserve to be on the top of the world. It is all thanks to him. And you be rather anywhere else with him then here alone. And you want to thank him for that. That is always why you loved him. Kentin has tears in his eyes. Everyone is clapping. The rings are coming towards you two. Muffin and Cookie walk over the aisle. They both have a ring on their color. The dogs sit at your feet so you both could take a ring and put it on each other's fingers. You both say I do. Kentin and you may kiss. He takes you off the ground and into his arms. You kiss him passionate. You get the illustration. Then the episode ends.     

[nokingsonlyfooles]

This is a Poll! I Will Eventually Get to the Poll!

Conversational drift is a thing and if you got someone who's drift compatible, you hang onto that person for life.

So, the spouse and I were discussing how the word "subwoofer" is wasted on an audio device and it should instead refer to some kind of discreet toy that give deep bass vibes, perhaps via blue whale noises. That's not what I'm gonna ask you about, Tumblr, that is objectively true.

No. Somehow we decided Yassified Mrs. Tweedy from Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget has real dom energy and her next conquest would be El Pollero himself, Gus Fring - if only he wasn't gay! El Pollero is Mrs. Tweedy's impossible dream! In fact, once he finds out about the chicken collars, he might try to seduce "what's-his-nuts, in the chicken suit" away from her. "Mr. Tweedy II," I ad-libbed, (It's Dr. Fry but I had to look it up.) "has it never occurred to you to to sell these happiness collars to people?" And then, in a goofier voice, "But they're chicken collars, they're to make chickens happy..."

And the spouse says, "I don't know how to make people happy!"

If I'd been drinking water I would've done a spittake. "WTF, are you adding emotional depth to this? Oh, my god. That's a fic!"

"It's a crack pairing. It'd only hold up for a thousand words or so..."

"No! Are you kidding me?"

"100k, slow burn romance?"

"YES!" A pause. "In the spirit of that game where you buy three items to freak out the cashier, the only fic I have on AO3 right now is the WTYP one. WTYP fights Gozer, a slow burn romance between Gus Fring and whats-his-nuts in the chicken suit, and what's the third one...??"

After some discussion, I admitted, "The one I really wanna do is Bartleby the Scrivener as a Seinfeld episode... And maybe in the B-plot Kramer does The Tell-Tale Heart."

"Wait, is Kramer the killer or the victim?"

"The killer? I dunno, we need him for the next episode..."

Anyway, we decided Kramer gets a Furby and he's taking it everywhere and Newman's real annoyed with it, but he needs to sneak into Kramer's room while he's sleeping and steal it without setting it off. A cursory internet search suggests that Furbies and Seinfeld did share a brief moment on this planet, so this would've been one of the last episodes, perhaps a lost finale. ...In which case I would be free to kill whoever I like!

But, okay. I'm done with my next six-pack and I'm not going to publish it until I can illustrate. My eyes are putting me on indefinite hiatus. But I can write! So, if I get real bored... And I'm not saying I will, 'cos I got a lot of eye exercises to do and ATM they get me real tired and useless. But IF I get real bored, and if this poll strays across your dash, and you decide to care, do you wanna see:

Option 1: A slow burn romance between Gus Fring, from Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad, and Dr. Fry from Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, guest starring Yassified Mrs. Tweedy. I can't promise you 100k but I will take it as seriously as I can.

Option 2: An episode of Seinfeld where Elaine details her investigation of her new coworker Bartleby, George tries to get out of work by saying "I prefer not to," and Kramer and Newman do The Tell-Tale Furby.

And if you feel moved, go ahead and steal. I think our takes would undoubtedly be unique, and it would be hilarious if someone clicked on a tag and found MORE THAN ONE.

[mk-wizard]

15 Video Games that could translate well into a TV series or Film

Hi, everyone. I mentioned in my last post that my favourite Final Fantasy game Final Fantasy 4 would make an excellent TV series as long as it stays true to the source material, but after thinking about it, it’s not the only one. And with the success of the Mario Brothers film, I think other iconic stand a good chance at making a great show. Note that some of these game have already been made into movies or shows, but I mention them anyway because they still have what takes to translate into amazing TV shows or film when they’re respected and the follows the source material. And above all else, culture wars and politics stay out of them. Games and fantasies are a neutral territory for everyone. I will also not mention video games that already have great shows or movies made out of them, so I will not bring up Sonic the Hedgehog.

1- Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (anime series): This is the best LoZ video game in opinion and it had a very episodic feel to it within itself. It has been adapted into manga four times and I can confirm as someone who read them that they were all great. With that said, this game could definitely translate beautifully into in anime TV series. Heck, the illustrations in the manual were fit for an anime as they were.

2- Chrono Trigger (anime series): This is another video game that feels episodic for obvious reasons and it has a tight cast. Plus, the art was already made by Akira Toriyama who also did the art of several Dragon Quest video games which also got several successful anime spin offs. Plus, the characters are very well developed and animated. My only nitpick is that I would not give the hero Crono a voice. In fact, I think it would be better and a very nice twist if he was mute because you don’t need to be noisy to be a hero. Also, this anime would have to be drawn by Akira Toriyama. Period.

3- Secret of Mana (aka Secret of Mana 2 in Japan) (anime or cartoon): This game’s story and visuals are a fan favourite and are beloved even by adults. Plus, I could imagine this anime/cartoon as a big hit with kids too. However, it has to stay true to the plot and the characters have to be in character all the way down to their true names.

4- Resident Evil (CGI film): Now, I know what you’re all thinking, but hear me out. When I propose making a movie out of RE, I mean RE 1 the video game. Not a spin off, not a reimagining, not an AU and not a self-insert fanwork that got greenlit. I mean a film that stays 100% true to the plot of the game that started it all. Of course, we can leave out the puzzles and just reference them instead. Also, I would have the narrative switch between Chris and Jill. Who knows? Maybe a proper movie will remind Capcom what RE really is and set it back on the right path.

5- Silent Hill (CGI or live action film): Considering a revival of the video game franchise, perhaps a proper movie is in order. Like my RE suggestion, I can easily see the first game translating into an amazing film. Harry Mason is so underrated and he deserves more respect than being called “feminine” for being a good dad. He’s also a very relatable character because he isn’t a man of action. He’s everyman who dearly loves his daughter.

6- Darkstalkers (anime series): Usually, fighting games don’t translate well into film or shows because each character’s story is too unique and you usually too big of a cast to work with. However, Darkstalkers is the exception because it usually 90% of the same cast, each character’s story intertwines and Morrigan is a pretty badass heroine. She as “strong female” as they come. She kicks butt, is independent and she’s got style. Plus, she did it all FIRST long before Bayonetta.

7- Final Fantasy V (anime series): Like FF4, FF5 which I admit is also my second favourite FF game, has an amazing and unique story which would translate beautifully into an anime series. It has a tight well developed cast that makes you laugh and root for them, Bartz is a charming hero, ExDeath is a delightfully evil villain and the art and music of the game is stunning. However, it has to stay true to the source material unlike the attempt that was made in the past which was pretty bad.

8- Dino Crisis (CGI or live action film): This video game was made to be film material as it even feels like the long lost sister of Jurassic Park. It is also another video game that has a strong female protagonist Regina who breaks all the molds. Like with RE, I would just reference the puzzles and I would true to the source material, but I would forgive some liberties because the setting is supposed to be in the future and now, that future is past. Plus, you can’t go wrong with dinosaurs.

9- Dead Space (CGI, live action or cartoon film): Not much to say here except that this franchise already had an animated prequel, so why not just go the whole nine yards and make the first game into a film? The twist at the end is one of the best twists in writing I have ever seen. The story alone plays out like a modern Lovecraft film.

10- Castlevania (cartoon or anime series): I know this one recently had a series, but it was bad. The jokes were not funny, the plot was boring, the characters were not likeable or in character, and the obvious hate towards Christianity was in poor taste especially because the real Castlevania is religion neutral and positive. The art was solid though and the source material makes for a solid TV series. However, when creating a proper series for this franchise, you have to accept that it has Christian themes. If you can’t, then you shouldn’t be working on it. Plus, if you want to adapt it into your own way, the best blank canvas Belmont to use is Simon and even then, please make him likeable and a hero we can root for.

11- Parasite Eve (anime film): This video even felt like a cop-horror movie and considering it is actually the sequel of a novel with the same name which also got the film treatment, it would be great. However, I would make it an anime not live action especially consider what Mitochondria Eve and the monsters look like. In fact, this game had a manga based on it and it was nice. And Aya Brea was unjustly forgotten. She deserves to be remembered and known.

12- Marvel’s Spider-Man (cartoon series): Honestly, I’m surprised that this game was not pitched as a cartoon series first because THIS is exactly the type of Spider-Man we want to see more of. We’re long overdue for a non-child-friendly Spider-Man as it is. My only nitpick is that it would look even better and the facial expression would be more passionate if it was animated in 2D.

13- Final Fantasy VI (anime series): This was my brother’s favourite FF game and I have to admit that it was FF’s last great game before it developed an identity crisis. When I think about it, it can work, but you would have to condense the cast in such a way that some characters become secondary or tertiary ones. The main cast would work for this story in order for it work as anime would have to be Terra, Locke, Celes, Edgar and Sabin. That’s it. They have the most impactful roles in the story and the plot only moves on as long as they are there. Don’t get me wrong, I like the other characters too, but their stories are very personal and they are more like team mates towards one of the five main characters.

14- A Plague Tale (anime or cartoon series): Both Innocence and Requiem feel episodic and play out like a TV drama within itself. It is a beautiful story worth animated as a cartoon or anime because you don’t see many like it. The bond between Amelia and Hugo is absolutely touching and while it sad, it’s a beautiful kind of sadness.

15- Metal Gear (CGI or cartoon series): Did you know that Solid Snake was actually inspired by both Rambo and Van Damme? Well, that alone says a lot. Snake has the personality of a TV character to begin with and the series could play out like multiple seasons of a series that could become a cult classic. My only proposal is that one you do Metal Gear Solid, stop. After that game, everything got weird, contradictory and confusing. Also, let’s animate it. The actors who inspired Snake’s look are too old to play him and I can’t imagine anyone else doing so.

[amplifyme]

Cat and Mouse

I’m back! Another short entry; but I’m sure it will still be delightful~ :DDDDD

Anyway, my thoughts: a pleasure to reread, especially in putting William’s grumbles and Winslow’s abrasiveness in better contexts, having gotten to know the characters from the show. Love how Nan captures the littleness of “human” reactions without self-discipline, all ages, ranges, and stages of life. Cullen is really growing on me-- I already liked him from AWTN; but was a bit thrown by the series episode. Rereading is putting it all back together, in a way. Father is delightful even in his flustery, mother hen panicky concern. Vincent and his chessboard maneuvers-- with ‘Rat’ and the people Below alike-- are fascinating, especially knowing what else Nan is building on top of these moments. Vincent’s anger at feeling ‘separated’ from the people Below by his failure is really, really excellent of Nan to draw from, touch on, and further set up for future explorations. 

Overall, highly enjoying myself-- and so is Sis (she is enjoying the experience more than the human drama; but that’s her typical schtick.Sis: “Hey, don’t get me wrong, I can get invested in human drama….”). And I am also highly enjoying taking her most extreme reactions, hyperbolizing them, and reading them back to her (Sis: “Yeah… they’re fun…” said with woeful sarcasm? “I dunno-- irony, maybe.”) And now, I shall transcribe Sis’s reactions: 

““He resignedly scuffed on to the top of Father's stair, overlooking the study, which seemed empty. “Father? I'm sorry if I'm late, I—” “Vincent?” Father's voice brought Vincent's head up, and he located Father on the balcony, shoving off a stool and starting in great haste down the spiral iron staircase. “Vincent? Where on earth have you been?”” Sis: COOL YOUR JETS, OLD MAN. Let him live.”  (We had a bit of banter here-- her Father’s stanship will last because she is invested enough to critique and still hold him as a favorite.) 

She and I are having a brief tete a tete (Sis: “BUT WE ARE ALREADY HAVING A CONVERSATION-- it’s different than a tete a tete because--” and I lost the rest because she was talking a mile a minute) over Father’s parental worries-- she’s still salty about Devin-- but, overall, it’s entertaining for me to hear her ranting (“No, it’s not ranting, it’s not really ranting!” she rushes to assure me, after she calls it ranting.) 

““You say you were hunting,” Father prodded. “The so-called rat, I presume? Did you...settle the matter?”” Sis was so highly amused she was cackling over Vincent going Street Fighter on a metaphorical rat. 

I was describing these short stories as photos in an album to better illustrate why Father still has lessons to learn (on top of the other lessons he will ALSO learn in AWTN); and Sis threw in the idea that Diana is the third party that thinks all of this is messed up. We’re having a blast (Sis: “It’s about the friends we made along the way.”) 

““Vincent, don't ever say that. You are not an animal.”” Sis: “Just try getting him to believe you. Obviously, that didn’t work.” 

We briefly talked about Gabriel, and Sis made a crack about punching him amicably before both of us denied it because she doesn’t have amicable feelings towards Gabriel (Sis: “I’m not friends with him. He’s just a guy.”) 

““...Vincent could sense only the tension and the anger, none of the love and relief they sprang from.”” and ““As the outer bruises faded, the inner ones went deeper, toward the heart, affecting Vincent's most basic sense of who he was and of what he was to everyone around him.”” are so key to Vincent’s journey in AWTN-- glad I caught it even more the second time around. 

““Father patted at the air. “William, that's a matter of simple logistics--”” Sis’s mouth dropped open, imagining the numerous logistics: “Well then, you figure it out, Father!” I explained how Father would not be able to do so as well as William. She completely understood: “Oh, well, fine.”

““When Cullen's hand landed on his shoulder, he was so startled he nearly choked.”” THERE’S CULLEN STARTLING HIM AGAIN. Love whenever Cullen does that in the narrative. 

Sis gave Part 2 a “thumbs up”-- she’s a self-described “click off” reader, meaning she reads, she likes, she clicks off. Her modus operandi. So a thumbs up is her way of expressing “yay” to the reading experience. (Yes, she does this to my stuff, too.) 

Anyway, gotta shuffle off again! Will be back soon with the next installment~.

Hey! Sorry I didn't get to this sooner. Yesterday was cray-cray. I love reading yours and Sis's thoughts and the bantering you do while in the midst of your re-read. I really don't have anything to add to this except for one thing, below the cut...

““Vincent, don't ever say that. You are not an animal.”” Sis: “Just try getting him to believe you. Obviously, that didn’t work.” 

Okay, but here's the thing, V is right: he is an animal. And he's much more cognizant of that fact than any of the people he lives amongst and loves. That's always been and will continue to be Father's absolute blind spot when it comes to his very unique son. There's no doubt F offers that belief to V out of deep love and respect for all the things V is that don't include "animal," but to deny that part of him is to refuse to accept the whole of the person - good and bad. And I think it's part of the reason V has such issues with his own sense of worthiness.

It's the same thinking that so many fans (especially Classic) have of Vincent: that he's this perfect man who just happens to have leonine features and enormous strength. But they're wrong, he's not just a man. He's very much other, and a large part of that is animal. And there's nothing wrong with that. Vincent is a singularly unique individual, a "creature who has never been."

I think one of the reasons Nan and I hit it off so well is because we shared the same beliefs about V. It's so easy to focus on the aspects of him that are the most admirable and relatable. But if you chose to ignore or disregard the truth of his otherness, then you do him a great disservice.

One of my favorite lines in the show ever, is one of Diana's and is, sadly, one that a lot of folks didn't or don't pay enough attention to. It not only goes a long way in explaining who she is and how she thinks, but it also strikes me as the perfect example of why she and V are such a perfect pairing. Because it proves that she'll be able to acknowledge and accept all of Vincent, and not just the parts that are the best of him.

"If all you’re willing to see is what you’ve seen before, you’re gonna miss half of what’s going on."

I'll leave you with that. 😊

[jackiestarsister]

OUAT Rewatch: Season 2

Possible spoilers for future seasons are noted in parentheses.

Episode 2x01 “Broken”

~ The first time I saw this episode, I did not realize that the opening scene was part of it, because it starts in such an ordinary, mundane setting outside of Storybrooke or the Enchanted Forest. It is only when the bird shows up with the Storybrooke postcard that it becomes clear that this is that story.

~ I’m quite confused about the timeline of Maleficent and Aurora’s relationship, given what they say about each other and what is shown in later seasons.

~ Although a tearful reunion might have been expected, Emma’s reaction to her parents makes complete sense. It’s weird and awkward because she has been carrying mixed feelings about her parents her whole life, and they’ve turned out to people she has already spent time with, and even considered friends/family.

~ Snow/Mary Margaret is right that they have lot to talk about, but she could have at least waited until they were alone before trying to initiate that catching-up conversation.

~ Dr. Frankenstein being the one to lead an angry mob is quite ironic!

~ Why/how does Gold have a selection of women’s clothing in his shop? Does he sell secondhand clothes too? That’s a funny scenario to imagine, if people come to his shop like it’s a boutique!

~ Mary Margaret improvising a blowtorch = badass!

~ Why does Regina play ignorant when Jefferson is mentioned?

~ How/when did Gold learn that the wraith was gone and Regina survived? Did anyone tell him?

~ Mary Margaret did the opposite of Gold when her child was being sucked into a portal to another world. He clung to the world he was comfortable in, whereas she leapt in to follow her daughter into the unknown.

~ While it is sad to see them separated from Emma and Snow/Mary Margaret, it is really nice to see David and Henry finally spend time together during this half of the season.

~ This episode is pretty confusing as far as the flashbacks/flashforwards go. Did the Land Without Magic storyline happen before the Enchanted Forest storyline?

Episode 2x02 “We Are Both”

~ Considering Emma and Snow/Mary Margaret have been kind of the main protagonists of the first season, it’s interesting to see an episode where they are absent for the most part.

~ Flashback Regina has a tree-shaped pendant, probably an homage to her apple trees!

~ Gold says that portals are outside his purview, but he knew how to get his hands on the looking-glass in this episode.

~ Gold uses “love” as a term of endearment before Hook ever does!

~ It looks like Henry has been prepared for a quick getaway for a while; or maybe he used the same method to sneak out on past occasions.

~ The cycle of a child becoming like the parent they hate is on full display in this episode. Regina stops Henry from running away the same way Cora stopped her from running away.

~ It’s amusing to see Sebastian Stan and Josh Dallas in scenes together, knowing they play very different types of characters in their respective Marvel movies!

~ I wonder what David would have done if he knew what Jefferson did to Mary Margaret and Emma last season.

~ I hope Ruby or some other townsperson eventually told Snow/Mary Margaret about David’s speech. She would have been so proud!

~ Where did Emma leave David’s sword after fighting Maleficent, and how did he get it back?

~ David and Henry sipping their drinks in unison is adorable, and the shot of them sitting together at the counter looks like Norman Rockwell's painting "The Runaway"!

~ Introducing present-day Cora at the end after seeing all the flashbacks is excellent. The audience spends the episode thinking that the flashback storyline was simply illustrating Regina’s past, but it was actually setting up for the future.

~ This is the first of three episodes that shows one of the main characters fighting a villain in the past, and then revealing that villain as a present contender at the end of the episode. First it’s Cora, then King George, then Hook.

Episode 2x03 “Lady of the Lake”

~ Parent-child relationships are a focal point of this show, but this episode really zones in on mothers: Snow most of all, as she gets to act as a mother to Emma for the first time; Ruth, as she meets her daughter-in-law and sacrifices for her family’s future; and Cora as she plots to reunite with her daughter.

~ Cora uses an apple idiom to describe Regina! It’s such an ordinary phrase, it’s easy to miss, but with Regina’s connection to apples, it is kind of hilarious!

~ King George using a potion to sterilize an enemy is really horrendous.

~ It’s beautiful to see that Ruth and Snow had a meaningful and positive relationship despite only having a short time to be together. Unlike in many other meet-the-parents stories, they love and respect each other right away. That really only makes sense given that one of them raised David and the other fell in love with him.

~ It’s amusing to see Snow White and Princess Aurora, two classic Disney princesses, fighting hand to hand!

~ Did the group camp for the night as they originally said they would, or did they press on to reach the castle that night?

~ Henry is kind of like Emma in this episode: he has been so used to operating alone that he continues to do so when he wants to check out Regina’s vault.

~ This is the first time Henry reveals the more selfish desire underlying his original goal of getting Emma to break the curse: he wants to be part of the fairy-tale world and be a hero.

~ A possible clue to my question about the other worlds’ religions: most of the Enchanted Forest characters say “gods” as an interjection, but Lancelot refers to “God in His mercy.” Of course, it would make sense for Camelot to be a Christian land, since the Knights of the Round Table famously seek the Holy Grail, which Lancelot alludes to during the wedding ceremony.

~ I hope Snow tells Emma at some point about how she’s indebted to Ruth and Lancelot for her life.

~ Snow and Charming’s music motif sounds so sad as Snow leaves the nursery!

~ Cora does what Rumplestiltskin does, bottling ingredients for magic to use in the future.

~ The final scene uses the same cinematography device twice, having a character watch other characters interact from a distance while sitting in a car.

~ Henry moves as though he has already done some sword-fighting!

Episode 2x04 “The Crocodile”

~ This may be the first episode in which Emma, Snow, and/or Regina are completely absent.

~ Evidence of Milah’s drawing ability can be seen throughout the episode. When Rumplestiltskin enters his family’s home, a drawing of a desert island can be seen pinned on a wooden beam. When they return, a sheaf of them can be seen on a table. It seems Milah had been daydreaming about her getaway for a while. (I initially wondered if she drew them, or if her pirate friends drew them for her.) Finally, near the end, a portrait of Baelfire is shown.

~ Killian Jones (not yet Hook)’s first scene is wonderfully understated. If you’re not actively looking for and watching him, he could be overlooked as an ordinary crowd extra; he only has a couple lines and doesn’t get any closeups.

~ Is Rumple trying to nurse Milah’s hangover when they talk at home? That would explain why she’s in bed and he’s making her a warm drink.

~ The way Milah talks, it sounds like she was thinking she, Rumple, and Baelfire could travel with the pirates, or at least get passage to another place to live. I wonder if Killian would have let Rumple and Baelfire come with her if she’d asked?

~ Prince Charming mining with the dwarves seems oddly fitting, like a rite of passage for him to be part of Snow’s adoptive family. But is his pickaxe magical like the dwarves'?

~ Ruby/Red Riding Hood bringing them meals is just perfect!

~ Rumple does the same thing in both storylines of this episode: he is looking for his love interest, who he thinks is in danger from another man, not knowing whether she left voluntarily or was kidnapped.

~ “A man unwilling to fight for what he wants deserves what he gets.” That’s almost like Killian’s thesis statement, a motto that he lives by. He fights hard for what he wants, whether it’s revenge or love. (Spoiler: I wonder if his thoughts on this change over the course of the series, as he ends up being a recipient of grace, receiving much better than he deserves.)

~ Killian’s devil-may-care attitude vanishes when he recognizes Rumple. He becomes dead serious when he realizes the danger he is in, and he tries to protect Milah by saying she died.

~ David and Gold’s conversation doesn’t make much sense, because David and Mary Margaret’s relationship didn’t work in Storybrooke. Rumple should have asked how Charming and Snow made it work.

~ Rumple foreshadows what he’ll later do to Milah when he says he wants Killian to feel as helpless as Rumple did when Killian took Milah.

~ Rumple seems to project his own regrets onto Milah: they both abandoned Baelfire in a sense.

~ Milah and Belle are very different in that Milah puts her own desires first and Belle puts others’ needs first. But they have one thing in common: they both want to see the world and have adventures. It seems odd, but could be a sign of learning, that Rumple does something to grant this wish for Belle by giving her the library.

~ Killian is shown to be a true scoundrel, given the way he treats Rumple; but his self-defining moments in the final scenes, as he becomes Captain Hook, are just awesome!

Episode 2x05 “The Doctor”

~ Although the present-day Enchanted Forest storyline doesn’t relate much to the rest of the episode, the first scene helps to establish the horror-genre tone.

~ (Spoiler:) Emma is the one who finds Hook! I guess finding people is still what she does, but it’s also fun foreshadowing if you know how things go for them later in the show!

~ Rumple really is like Palpatine and Snoke, urging his “apprentice” Regina to go further down the path of darkness on the pretense of training.

~ “So long as you live in your past, you’ll never find your future.” Not the most original line, but significant in a show that’s all about time and the relationship between past and future.

~ (Spoiler:) It’s not surprising that it takes Emma such a long time to trust Hook, considering their first-ever conversation was full of him lying, and even lying about not lying. Also, he talks about survival from the very beginning!

~ I’m surprised that Cora amassed so many hearts even before she became a queen. What reputation did she have before Regina sent her to Wonderland? Did people outside her family know about her and her abilities? I’m guessing those hearts were of people still living, since they were still pulsing, which would mean that she had a lot of people under her control.

~ If Jefferson had seen Cora’s heart collection, did he know, when he ended up in Wonderland, that she was the Queen of Hearts?

~ Rumplestiltskin, Dr. Frankenstein, and the Mad Hatter: three different varieties of insanity. They only share the screen for one scene, but I would have loved to see more!

Episode 2x06 “Tallahassee”

~ This is the first episode with flashbacks taking place in the Land Without Magic, and the first to show part of Emma’s past.

~ (Spoiler:) The way Neal first speaks to and looks at Emma kind of sounds and looks the way Hook would. I wonder how much of Hook’s personality or mannerisms might have rubbed off on Neal during their time together.

~ Emma basically does the same thing in both past and present timelines: trying to steal something with her love interest. Given how things went with Neal, it’s no wonder she doesn’t want to give Hook the chance to betray her.

~ Emma and Hook have to dress/equip each other before climbing up the beanstalk! He gives her jewelry/armor, and she gives him his prosthetic/weapon. Kind of intimate if you think about it.

~ The name “Henry” is visible among the keychains when Neal is talking to the cashier!

~ Neal likes the Apollo candy bars, just like Henry!

~ Bad dreams are discussed in both timelines: Emma teaches Neal about dreamcatchers, and Snow tells Aurora about David lighting a candle.

~ “You’d make a hell of a pirate.” Hook is more right than he knows: Emma kind of was a pirate in her old life.

~ Emma’s jacket in the flashbacks looks sort of like Snow’s old outfits.

~ It’s interesting to see Snow acting as a mother to Aurora since Emma is reluctant to let her fill that role for her.

~ How can August say that Neal was just “caught in the crossfire”? Does he think it mere coincidence that he and Emma met?

~ When August came to Storybrooke and found out Emma had a son, he must have known that it was Neal’s. So August knew, before anyone else did, that Baelfire, son of Rumplestiltskin, was Henry’s father.

~ The giants’ home couldn’t be very well-constructed if one giant could make the stones from the roof fall just by running.

Episode 2x07 “Child of the Moon”

~ “Once one controls something, one no longer need fear it.” A fitting quote for this episode, and very in-character for Gold.

~ It’s interesting that Gold does a favor for Henry, as if he has a special care or interest for him. Does he already suspect, at this point, that Henry is the boy prophesied to lead him to his son, and then be his undoing?

~ David says that it’s been “a few months” since Mary Margaret was framed for murder. That seems longer than what’s been shown or suggested: the last few episodes of Season 1 and the first few episodes of Season 2 only looked like a few days or weeks each.

~ Interesting stuff going on psychologically with Red/Ruby in this episode, and the werewolves in general. Not sure how much I agree with the way they describe it, but it sounds similar to the concept of “eating your shadow,” confronting and integrating the parts of yourself you don’t like.

~ (Spoiler:) Belle saying “I’m sort of an expert when it comes to rehabilitation” is funny, but not really true in terms of her overall relationship with Rumple, since he has ups and downs and she is still capable of being manipulated by him.

~ I don’t like Ruby’s emotionally-driven decisions. The last one especially, deciding to put herself in the mob’s way, doesn’t make sense because she could end up hurting them in wolf form.

~ This is a really emotional episode for David, and reveals a lot about his character—his bravery, his loyalty, his faith—but I feel like it didn’t go deep into his point of view.

~ As much as I love Red/Ruby’s friendship with Snow and Charming, I wonder if another character could have played David’s role in calling her back. That showed the kind of brave, selfless love that spouses, parents, or siblings show.

~ I wish the series showed Red and Granny reconciling after she finds out the truth about her mother.

Episode 2x08 “Into the Deep”

~ I think this is the first episode that does not have any flashbacks. I’m glad, because they aren’t really needed, since the action cuts between multiple parties in both realms in the present day.

~ I had forgotten about Cora controlling the dead with the hearts she’s taken. I’m surprised that wasn’t used more.

~ Looks like there are some autumnal decorations in Granny’s diner, suggesting that it could be sometime in the fall.

~ Do Belle and Gold ever have a proper, uninterrupted date? They didn’t even get a bite of their hamburgers before Regina showed up with a crisis!

~ Henry gets a scene with three of his grandparents: his two biological grandfathers, and his step-grandmother Regina.

~ “I was born to do this.” = a nod to Joan of Arc?

~ “Sometimes being a hero means knowing when not to run into the fire.” Sounds like a bit of Mufasa wisdom.

~ Aurora finally shows some backbone and integrity in this episode. Her scene with Cora is interesting; I hadn’t realized that she was thinking about starting a new life in Storybrooke.

~ The music during Hook’s scene with Aurora sounds noble, like he’s doing a good thing and genuinely hopeful of renewing his alliance with Emma. What I’m wondering is, had he already taken Aurora’s heart by that point?

~ I like Emma and Mary Margaret’s conversation about who is to blame for everything that has happened.

~ Cora’s bird companion and Regina’s laboratory setup both look like nods to Disney’s Snow White

~ Regina and Henry’s scene may be the first time we’ve seen them have an honest and positive conversation. It’s not exactly a bonding moment, but it’s a nice change!

~ Henry and David’s moment is lovely, and feels earned now that they’ve spent time together.

~ David’s journey to find the burning room could be symbolic of the journey to the subconscious.

~ It’s nice how Emma and Mary Margaret take turns encouraging each other.

~ (Spoiler:) “You must have a death wish” is a funny line to have addressed to Hook, considering how many times he’s going to die in the show!

~ Hook really is sleazy and slippery, kind of like Rumple—or, for a Marvel comparison, Loki. You’re never quite sure when he’s sincere and when he’s manipulative, or both at once.

~ That last scene with the princesses is intense! There’s a moment when it really seems like Snow is going to kill Mulan, and Emma is already shocked. How would things have played out if Aurora hadn’t arrived?

Episode 2x09 “Queen of Hearts”

~ It’s interesting to see Hook and Evil Queen Regina meet. They’re both characters who play up their attractiveness and try to use it to their advantage when they want to entice or intimidate.

~ Good on Regina for trying to continue her upward redemption arc! And boo to Rumple for trying to twist her motivation.

~ Apparently this is when Emma finds out that Rumple/Gold knew she was the Savior all along. Did she not get that when she talked with Regina and Gold about the creation of the Dark Curse in the Season 1 finale?

~ The scroll with Emma’s name fits with both Rumple’s descent into madness and his penchant for names.

~ Henry reads the storybook to David, just as Mary Margaret did for each of them when they were in comas!

~ Rumple has said that fairy magic doesn’t mix well with him, yet he harnesses the power of the fairy dust here.

~ Why would someone as smart and ruthless as Cora leave the princesses alive in the cell? They had no further usefulness to her. It’s the same thing that happens in superhero stories when the villain leaves the hero detained or on their way to death while they go off to complete their evil plot. The only possible explanation I can think of is that Hook may have requested that she let them live, and they would probably have died of starvation in the cell.

~ The way Regina’s theme plays, so light and gentle, over Henry’s lines twice in this episode is so sad.

~ If Regina didn’t want to have any weakness, why didn’t she just rip out her own heart, like Cora did?

~ Hook did a random act of kindness! And in the middle of a battle! Repairing the wrong that he did to Aurora! In spite of all his selfishness and switching sides, he still has a shred of compassion. Also, the way he saves the satchel from falling is like Flynn Rider in Tangled.

~ Not very subtle sexual imagery when Hook pins Emma down—not only in his words, but in the way he moves his weapons down over hers.

~ All the dwarves watch over David under the sleeping curse, the way they watched over Snow!

~ Gold says that Emma needed to find the scroll so everything could occur; but he didn’t seem to know she would be able to use it to get back to Storybrooke.

~ “Maybe one day, they’ll even invite you to dinner.” Emma does, in fact, invite Regina in the next episode; and (spoiler!) Season 6 ends with everyone having dinner together!

~ How did the Jolly Roger get through the portal? In fact, where has it been all this time? Was it inside Cora’s protective bubble, shielded against the curse? Did they restore the bean’s magic at Lake Nostos and then bring it to the ship to make the portal?

~ What happened to the enchanted compass? Do they ever use it again? (Spoiler: My headcanon is that Hook later got it and used it to find Emma in New York.)

Episode 2x10 “The Cricket Game”

~ The opening shots of Hook are just him acting fabulous and slightly Byronic.

~ There are swans near the docks when Hook and Cora disembark!

~ It’s odd to cut from a Charming family scene to a flashback of the Evil Queen. Usually at least the first flashback is related in some way to the present scene—either the same character is in them, or a common item or similar situation. It would have made more sense to cut between Mary Margaret in bed and Snow White running through the forest.

~ They reused the “Welcome home Mary Margaret” banner from Episode 1x19, and added “and Emma”! I’d like to know who among their friends was so practical.

~ Emma and Regina’s conversation feels very real, like divorced parents trying to get along for their child’s sake. Regina’s music theme sounds so sad and wistful at the end.

~ This is a question I had from the pilot episode: who are the nameless soldiers who sit with Snow, Charming, and their more iconic friends at the round table?

~ When she’s looking out her tower window, Regina’s theme sounds a little more like usual, but still sadder.

~ The door between the interrogation room and the mirror room remains ajar when David and Emma go through.

~ What did Rumplestiltskin receive in exchange for giving Snow a way to test Regina?

Episode 2x11 “The Outsider”

~ Why is this episode called “The Outsider”? To whom does that refer? Greg Mendel seems the most likely candidate, but he only shows up in the last seconds.

~ It’s pretty messed up that no one notices the death of the person Cora actually killed. When the local conscience/therapist dies, everyone takes notice, but when some random guy without a famous story dies, no one comments? Do they take him out of Archie’s grave after learning it was someone else?

~ Belle is present at Archie’s funeral, even though she didn’t know him as long as the others. She really must have gotten to know everyone in the short time she’s been out of the asylum.

~ Marco/Geppetto must feel so alone thinking that both Pinocchio and Jiminy are gone!

~ Belle wears brown, for the first time, in both storylines of this episode. Her outfit in Storybrooke is my favorite of them all.

~ I love the concepts behind Belle’s flashback adventure, but they’re not super well executed in terms of dialogue.

~ Belle reminds me a little of Desdemona in Othello: she has so much love and faith, she doesn’t seem capable of imagining what horrible things the man she loves might do.

~ Smee must have gone to Hook and told him about the way to cross the town line; but Hook must have been spying on Gold if he was able to find out about the shawl and where it was hidden.

~ It’s brief and only visible through the window, but Gold’s reaction to realizing the shawl is gone is to cover his mouth, just devastated.

~ The first thing Gold smashes is a model ship! Clever.

~ Belle carries the gun so casually as she searches for the Jolly Roger.

~ Belle is extremely book-smart, but not very street-smart, and she’s rather reckless when she tries to do things on her own. The safe, smart thing would have been to tell Gold her hunch, or at the latest, when she had found the ship. But I wonder if she kept it from him because she did not want him to confront Hook himself.

~ Did Hook see Archie leaving? Did he simply let him escape?

~ Emma finally shows a desire to be with her parents!

~ It’s strange that Belle isn’t more disturbed by Hook’s revelation that Rumple killed Milah.

~ “Why do you think anyone who’s gotten close to him has either run away or been killed?” It sounds as though Hook believes Baelfire ran away from Rumple.

~ “Your [heart] is rotten.” / “You’ve no idea.” Does that mean Hook believes his heart is more rotten than she thinks, or not as much?

~ Does Hook have an actual death wish? Twice, he tries to goad Gold into attacking him, knowing that he can’t defend himself against magic.

~ How did Hook get to the town line so quickly, if he was walking and Gold was driving?

Episode 2x12 “In the Name of the Brother”

~ Who called Emma and her parents to the scene of the accident? Are all three of them on night patrol?

~ Emma is very sensitive to Hook’s circumstances: she notices him after the accident, diagnoses his injury, and has the presence of mind to tell the hospital staff to hide him so Gold can’t get to him. When she sums up the situation to him, there’s a note of genuine concern in her voice.

~ “If I had to pick dead guy of the year, I’d pick you.” Foreshadowing on multiple fronts!

~ Emma and Hook give each other such nasty smirks!

~ Greg Mendel’s ringtone is Star Wars music! I guess that was allowed after Disney purchased Lucasfilm.

~ “We don’t let go of people.” Interesting line, especially for Frankenstein!

~ Cora snooping around Regina’s house is actually such a mom thing to do! Did she need to see a picture of Henry so she could impersonate him?

~ I did not notice until now that Henry’s bedroom is full of clocks!

~ Cora knows exactly what Regina has always wanted to hear from her. But she stops short of an apology for killing Daniel, and she doesn’t exactly apologize for forcing Regina into a loveless marriage, just says she shouldn’t have done it.

~ I laughed at Regina referring to “Emma and Henry and the two idiots”

~ Cora says they see Regina as a snake, but Cora is really the one acting like Satan, sowing doubt and convincing her that she can’t make things right with the others.

~ What became of Gerhardt Frankenstein? Did he die at some point before the Dark Curse?

~ That high tinkling music sounds eerily like “Rock-a-Bye Baby”

~ Even in hospital, Belle still wears yellow and blue!

~ Belle smashing the cup is heartbreaking! You can see how much that crushes Gold, like shattering his hope.

~ It’s odd that Ruby and Belle both have several scenes but don’t interact with each other in this episode. Ruby is later shown to be aware of Belle’s situation. Did she not try to check on her when she arrived?

~ Gold seems to be looking at Henry when he threatens to kill the whole family!

Episode 2x13 “Tiny”

~ Hook seems to be done being a “gentleman,” as he said he always is. Is it because he’s no longer with just women, as he was in the Enchanted Forest for a while? Does he start making innuendoes about Mary Margaret just to irritate David and Grumpy? Is that his way of making himself feel powerful?

~ How was Cora able to abduct Anton? Did he come down the beanstalk, or did she go up?

~ Hook seems to slip away when Anton attacks David. Did the others simply forget about him? Shouldn’t he be in either the hospital or the jail?

~ Ruby continues to play the role of delivery girl for the sick!

~ James is dressed like an attractive villain, similar to Hook: black clothes, low V neckline, necklace.

~ The Jack introduced in this episode seems to be a different character than the one Hook described to Emma when they went up the beanstalk.

~ Jack slayed the Jabberwock!

~ Emma really does act like a daughter, or daughter-in-law, toward Gold during the airport security scene. In that moment, he’s not a wizard or the local miser, he’s just an old man who needs reassurance.

~ Cora must have had the mushrooms to make Tiny small, and then big again, because she brought some from her time in Wonderland.

~ The way Emma and Henry look at each other after Gold leaves clearly says, “What are we going to do with him?”

~ Why is Tiny’s small size the one he now reverts to? Does it not wear off the way the growing mushroom does?

~ How did David manage to hold Anton’s weight? And how does Anton come up before him?

~ The dwarves seem to accept Tiny as one of them, with an axe and everything. So why didn’t he accompany them for the rest of the series? Did the actor lose interest, or did the writers not know how to include him?

~ The sound of the plane taking off is an effective way to show Gold’s increasing anxiety!

Episode 2x14 “Manhattan”

~ Milah is sewing Baelfire’s shawl in the first scene, and later he’s wrapped in it as a baby!

~ I appreciate that Hook is still moving like a man who was injured in a car accident.

~ Gold seems to think that Henry has already fulfilled his role as the boy who would lead him to his son, since Henry brought Emma to Storybrooke.

~ The Seer could have overheard the soldiers call the saddles “cows,” so it’s not much of a confirmation of her clairvoyance.

~ Neal and Snow both have lines, addressed to their significant others, about never having to see each other’s face again.

~ If Emma thought she could still bring Neal to Gold, how did she think she could keep him from meeting Henry? Did she think they could be introduced without them realizing the truth?

~ Why does Gold think who his son loves is pertinent information? Would he have used that against him?

~ Does Gold really think he could beat Emma in a physical fight? He’s shown that he can be brutal even without magic, but he still has a bad leg, and she’s much younger than him.

~ The fact that Neal came back to defend Emma, after spending his life hiding from his father, speaks to how much he cares about her.

~ Having the scene where Rumple meets his son right before the scene where Neal meets his son is brilliant.

~ The Greg Mendel scene should have been at the end. It feels like a random interruption in the midst of so much drama.

Episode 2x15 “The Queen is Dead”

~ How are they not suspicious of the package arriving on Snow’s birthday? Cora is one of the few people who would know that date.

~ Having Hook emerge from hiding and reclaim his hook is a great way to end the teaser!

~ Why couldn’t Regina and Cora just use magic to dig, instead of a shovel? And that conversation was way too convenient—were they trying to be overheard, so Snow would look for the dagger?

~ Emma, Henry, and Gold must have stayed somewhere in New York overnight and met up with Neal again the next day or two.

~ I’d forgotten how violent Hook and Emma are to each other: he pushes her aside to attack Gold, and she hits him in the head with a fire extinguisher. And she locks him up again, this time in a storage closet.

~ Why did Cora impersonate the Blue Fairy to talk to Snow White? Why did she want to give her that candle? What did she expect Snow to do? Did she want to darken Snow’s heart, or cause a particular person’s death?

~ Snow losing her mother as a child is even more tragic knowing that she was the one with her mother when she died.

~ King Leopold’s absence in this episode feels off—not that it mattered to the story, but that it’s out of character for him not to be present and involved at his wife’s death and funeral.

~ There might be an inconsistency about how much time passed between Queen Eva’s death and Snow’s first meeting with Regina. It wouldn’t make much sense for Cora to wait long to arrange the meeting after the queen’s death, but in Episode 1x18 King Leopold says it’s been years and that he’s searched the land for a new wife.

Episode 2x16 “The Miller’s Daughter”

~ Mary Margaret is holding an apple during her first scene. Why is that, when their family, in general, does not like apples, and she has a negative association with them due to Regina?

~ How and when did Regina and Cora tap Mary Margaret and David’s phones? Must have been after Emma gave Mary Margaret the news about Gold’s son, since they don’t know about that.

~ Regina says Henry would never forgive Cora; does she mean for killing Gold? But Regina doesn’t yet know that Gold is Henry’s grandfather.

~ Cora speaking to Regina about never bowing is first time she actually comes across somewhat sympathetic.

~ Past Cora adds a rose to her hair—a nice nod to her future as the Queen of Hearts!

~ This episode kind of ruins the timeline that was described in Episode 2x02. Prince Henry said that Cora knew Rumplestiltskin long before he met her, and it sounds as though Cora’s relationship with Rumplestiltskin lasted a fairly long time for him to teach her magic, to the point of her calling him “master,” and eventually meeting newborn Regina.

~ “You’re selling off your own flesh and blood” is a strange line to give Cora, who basically sold Regina into a loveless marriage for status and revenge (and did more, as season 3 reveals).

~ I like how the ridiculous boast about turning straw to gold comes about, starting as a jest in their verbal sparring.

~ The look that David gives Neal after being introduced!

~ I don’t like the way David talks to Mary Margaret, saying she has to “stay” pure of heart, as if she doesn’t get to choose for herself.

~ It’s nice to see that Henry is still optimistic and encouraging toward Emma, despite being angry and distant with her after finding out she lied to him.

~ Cutting from “You won’t let her get away” to Cora being trapped in the tower is pretty effective.

~ (Spoiler:) Cora questioning the “firstborn child” clause is more significant knowing that she had already given birth to her first child by now. Did she think Rumple would want Zelena?

~ Gold and Emma have a mentor-student moment, probably their first real one—and it ends with him praising her!

~ It’s cool to see Regina and Cora using magic in sync. But what did Emma, Neal, and David expect to accomplish against them with just swords?

~ Rumple encouraging Cora to use her bloodlust to fuel her magic explains a lot about her.

~ When he shows his face, you can see they did a good job of casting young Prince Henry; he does look very similar to the old man.

~ Cora and Rumple’s relationship is so twisted and toxic … and yet, it rings true because of their similar motivations. It’s completely based on their tendency toward darkness, a sharp contrast against his relationships with Milah and Belle.

~ How was Mary Margaret able to get into Regina’s vault? Does she not have any locks or protection, even after living in hiding there?

~ Emma’s theme music is played twice over Mary Margaret’s scenes; it sounds so eerie and ominous when she takes out Cora’s heart!

~ Interesting that Cora took to heart (no pun intended) the advice of the king she hated.

~ Rumple’s three greatest loves are on display in this episode to compare and contrast: his destructive love with Cora, his wounded relationship with Baelfire/Neal, and his pure love for Belle.

~ Emma and Neal both struggle—particularly in this season—with forgiving their long-lost parents for giving them up.

~ Neal and Rumple’s scene after the phone call is wonderfully realistic: there is still anger, but also love on both sides, and it’s as close to a reconciliation as they can expect to have at that point.

~ The worst thing Mary Margaret does in this episode isn’t using the candle; it’s tricking Regina into being the instrument of Cora’s death. That whole conversation in the vault, Mary Margaret manipulates Regina, weaponizing her desire for her mother’s love.

~ How powerful can protection spells be if Cora and Regina are able to break through them so easily?

~ Cora actually seems regretful when she says that any baby she has will not be Rumple’s.

~ Did no one in the royal court have any issue with Cora, a princess by marriage far down the line of succession, declaring that her daughter would one day be a queen?

~ Cora’s last moments are so tragic, because all at once she feels the love that she should have had all along for Regina, and she realizes that love “would have been enough.”

Episode 2x17 “Welcome to Storybrooke”

~ The orange car is such an appropriately vivid contrast against the dark title card!

~ This episode is a fascinating exploration of Regina’s psychology in both the past and present.

~ Did Mary Margaret give her students the exact same lesson about birds every day for 28 years?

~ Is Gold being genuine when he talks to Regina, asking her to give up her feud? Does he really care about her happiness or Mary Margaret’s life?

~ Regina’s reaction to Owen is so sweet—it’s probably the first time anyone has shown her unsolicited kindness.

~ When did Regina get Kurt’s phone number?

~ Regina tearing her mother’s clothes is powerful.

~ Gold and David, too, can apparently just walk right into the vault. But Gold makes more sense because his magic is so powerful.

~ Gold’s take on Cora and Regina’s different reasons for being dangerous is interesting. Which is more dangerous, being too led by your heart, or not letting your heart lead you at all?

~ Henry is acting in the role of a prophet again, calling everyone out and reminding them who they are (supposed to be).

~ Neal can understand exactly how Henry feels about his evil magic-wielding parent. Henry’s idea to get rid of magic is strikingly similar to Baelfire’s original goal to rid his father of his power.

~ “He’s your son!” In that moment, Neal realizes exactly what that means: Henry can be just as deceptive and conniving as he.

~ Greg Mendel crossing paths with Henry is more ironic when you know that Greg’s goal is to destroy magic, which is exactly what Henry is trying to do in that moment.

~ You can hear Greg’s phone camera go off as he picks up Henry’s bag. That must have been when he figured out Henry was Regina’s son.

~ Regina actually let Owen go in the end, rather than trying to use his father as leverage or have Graham restrain him. Maybe, on some level, she did care about him. At the very least, she realized she could not force him to love her—and she has the same realization about Henry in the present day.

~ Why was Storybrooke visible to Kurt and Owen at the beginning, but not later? Did Regina do something to change that, like a cloaking spell?

~ I know Regina had a lot on her mind in both episodes, but she must have wondered who Neal was and why he was so protective of Gold and Henry.

~ Mary Margaret’s bookcase has clocks lined up across it, like in Henry’s bedroom!

~ Gold’s advice to Mary Margaret is phrased in such a way that it sounds as though it hasn’t worked yet for him.

~ They did a good job of casting two actors for Greg/Owen. They have very similar faces.

Episode 2x18 “Selfless, Brave and True”

~ Neal wears his coat and scarf like Henry!

~ One minute Emma is bemoaning the fact that outsiders are coming to Storybrooke, as though Tamara is a threat; the next, she urges Neal to tell Tamara the truth about where he comes from.

~ Snow White listening to “Reputation” while doing archery … is one form of self-care.

~ Where did the abandoned trailer come from? Was it always there as part of the curse?

~ Neal and the Blue Fairy/Mother Superior don’t interact, but their scene with August/Pinocchio may have been the first time they saw each other since she gave him the magic bean.

~ The scenes that connect this episode with ones before and after don’t have much setup/payoff within the episode. For instance, Henry hasn’t been shown pulling away from Emma the last few episodes, but she decides to talk to him after seeing Geppetto/Marco and Pinocchio/August reconcile. And we don’t see any of Regina’s thought process prior to her conversations with Greg Mendel.

~ Greg and Tamara are each separately shown using their phones a lot—and there is one time Neal looks at his caller ID and says “It’s her,” like she’s labeled on Greg’s phone!

Episode 2x19 “Lacey”

~ Neal is so into his swordfight with Henry! He may not have much practice, but he really throws himself into being a dad when he finds out he is one.

~ At first, Gold seems to respond the same way everyone else does to Belle’s claim that she saw magic, like he’s gaslighting her; but he’s not. He acknowledges that she’s been through a lot and been under the influence of drugs, but he doesn’t say that what she saw wasn’t real, he just assures her that it will become clear when she remembers.

~ The flashbacks of this episode show just how horrible Rumplestiltskin was to Belle when she lived with him. That period of time was mostly glossed over in “Skin Deep.”

~ I don’t know what’s funnier: David making a pun of Dark One and Don Juan, or Gold’s claim that “Don Juan was nothing before he made his deal with me.”

~ It makes sense that the first thing Emma does after learning about the beans is to read Henry’s book. (Spoiler:) The sentiments she expresses in this episode are fleshed out more fully in the second half of Season 3, particularly in the season finale.

~ Gold wears a blue pocket hanky on his date! And while it’s painful to watch Lacey’s behavior, he is so adorably happy when she acts like the Belle he knew!

~ Rumple takes the Sheriff’s tongue so effortlessly. Was that a nod to the BBC Robin Hood episode, “Sheriff Got Your Tongue”? Can Rumple do that with any part of a person’s body? That’s terrifying.

~ I’m surprised Rumplestiltskin didn’t already know Robin Hood’s name.

~ Belle basically plays the angel on Rumplestiltskin’s shoulder. It’s heartbreaking to see Lacey become the devil on his shoulder.

~ “You are not the kind of man to leave a child fatherless.” Ooh!!! He has probably wanted to hear that for centuries.

~ David driving all the dwarves in the back of his truck is so familial!

~ Emma and Neal seem to do pretty well with co-parenting.

~ I wish we got to see Henry becoming friends with young August/Pinocchio!

~ Neal says one of Emma’s characteristics is, “You don’t stop till you find what you’re looking for.” What Emma is really looking for—now and throughout the series—is a happy ending, only she doesn’t know what that would look like. (Spoiler:) Perhaps it's intentional that the next scene brings back Hook!

Episode 3x20 “The Evil Queen”

~ Why are David and Mary Margaret talking about something so sensitive in a public place?

~ I knew that fisherman was … well, fishy, given the way the camera focused on him.

~ Funny that Emma bumps into Tamara, kind of like Tamara did Neal. Did Emma do it on purpose?

~ Regina seems to have such a warped perception of herself and her capacity for good or evil. Does she truly not recognize how she has earned the name “Evil Queen”? Does she really believe all her actions are justified? Does she truly think Snow is evil, after living with her for at least a decade?

~ Rumple was the one who caused King George’s kingdom to go bankrupt!?

~ I’m not a fan of when shows wipe characters’ memories so they can have interactions without any consequences. In this episode, it happens in a single scene!

~ Is Hook being sincere when he talks to Regina about Cora? Does he actually feel bad for her and want to help her win?

~ It’s interesting that Hook shows an understanding that revenge is an end, not a beginning, and that he’ll be empty without the pursuit of that goal. In that sense, he may be more mature than Regina, who has always put her revenge first and was angry that it did not satisfy her.

~ Did Hook ever meet Maleficent, or did he just piece together what Regina had said?

~ Did Regina saving Snow really have such a profound impact on her faith in people’s goodness? That’s rather ironic, and if true, Regina’s descent into evil should have shaken some of Snow’s faith, because it would have been an upending of her understanding of people in general and Regina in particular.

~ Emma and Henry doing a stakeout together is great to see, harkening back to Season 1. But she’s not setting a very good example for him by breaking into hotel rooms and teaching him how to give a warning signal.

~ This is the first time Henry has seen his parents argue, and you can see how awkward it is for him, but it’s also kind of sweet that he finally gets to experience that.

~ It’s significant for Henry to tell Emma that he believes her. For one thing, no one believed him about his fairy tale theory, so he knows the feeling. For another, he now trusts her not to lie to him again. (Spoiler:) Sharing that ice cream is the last peaceful, happy moment they have together for a long time.

~ Giving a stranger a weapon and the instruction to stay behind her isn’t really smart of Snow.

~ Such a strange interaction between Regina and Snow at the end … Regina leaves her alive, which is good, but how can she insist upon her own goodness when they’re standing in front of the village she slaughtered?

~ (Spoiler:) “The one thing I excel at is surviving.” Hook saw this as a characteristic of his all along!

~ Hook takes no pleasure in the way Greg and Tamara taunt Regina, and he actually looks kind of concerned at the end.

Episode 3x21 “Second Star to the Right”

~ Pulling in the story of the Darling family is a great way to transition to Neverland, which so far has been mentioned but not explored.

~ This show chooses odd moments to use title cards to establish time and/or place. There’s no need for “London, England” when they just showed Kensington Gardens and Big Ben.

~ It seems Baelfire/Neal began his thieving career at the Darlings’ house!

~ Wendy is one to talk about “unusual” names: there were hardly any Wendys before the publication of Peter Pan.

~ Odd to have Hook, the one-handed guy, be the one to restrain Regina. She may not be able to use magic, but she’s not afraid to use physical violence, as seen the time she hit Emma. Did he threaten her with his hook to make her comply?

~ Mrs. Darling deciding to take Baelfire in without even knowing his name … is fast, but fits with how the Darlings adopt the Lost Boys at the end of Peter Pan.

~ “Never underestimate the power of a guilty conscience.” Interesting words coming from Gold!

~ Mary Margaret’s emotional state must be really bad if she can summon a tear so easily.

~ Emma tells Tamara that Regina is missing, as if Tamara knows Regina, but as far as Emma is aware they haven’t met yet. She would only have been a name on Tamara’s list.

~ The music at the end of Emma and Neal’s scene is so pretty and sweet—such a contrast from the usual emotional tone of the show. The music usually evokes wistfulness or suspense.

~ Interesting that Greg and Tamara’s feelings about magic are similar to Baelfire/Neal’s, except that they want to destroy it while he just wants to stay away from it.

~ It’s nice to see that Baelfire/Neal got to be part of a decent family for a while. He’s experienced parental love in the past, but his time with Wendy, John and Michael is his first experience of sibling love, and he proves himself a wonderful big brother.

~ The way the lights go out is like when Tinker Bell arrives in stage productions of Peter Pan.

~ Wendy and Emma both experience losing Baelfire/Neal in this episode. But it’s different than when Rumplestiltskin lost him through a portal, because now Neal is urging them to let him go, sacrificing himself so no more families will be broken. Only he doesn’t see that they will be broken because he won’t be there.

~ Regina wakes up the same way she did in the flashback in the previous episode, startled by Snow/Mary Margaret pressing a compress to her face.

Episode 2x22 “And Straight On ‘til Morning”

~ This is the most Hook-centric episode so far. Up to this point, he’s been seen mostly through the eyes of other characters (Rumple, Belle, and Emma). In this episode, he has multiple people, at multiple points in time, asking him about who he is and what motivates him.

~ “Well aren’t you quite the hero?” Hook doesn’t know how true that will be!

~ Even with Lacey influencing him to do evil, Gold deciding to kill Henry makes no sense with Neal back in his life. Why would he inflict that pain on his son?

~ Hook says, “The things we do for our children,” so knowingly, like a father!

~ I love that Grumpy cares so much about Belle!

~ I wish we got to see Sneezy getting his memories back. His brothers must have missed him over the last several weeks, while they’ve been working in the fairy dust mines and beanfields.

~ There are soooo many layers to Hook and Baelfire’s conversation at the helm! Hook must be thinking and feeling so much—obviously calculating about his revenge, but also thinking about how Rumple and Milah both abandoned Bae in some sense, and how he had a hand in Milah’s actions.

~ Hook has to watch the Charmings’ family discussions twice, and you can tell he’s uncomfortable.

~ The idea of sending the wraith and the failsafe through portals to other dimensions actually isn’t all that selfless. They don’t know where they are sending those dangers. The wraith attacked Philip when they sent it through. They are basically passing their problems on to strangers.

~ Hook’s theme music sounds so sad and reflective when he’s contemplating his choice.

~ (Spoiler:) Was “I’ll track them down in Hell if I have to” foreshadowing the Underworld arc?!

~ Hook looks at Gold so icily when he realizes they’re going to be working together.

~ Once the six of them are on the Jolly Roger, the heroes and villains automatically congregate to opposite sides.

~ Hook’s expression when he says they’re going to Neverland = he knows better than any of the others what kinds of trials they’re in for.

~ Are they actually helping to steer the ship, or just hanging on to parts of it for the ride?

[c-40]

A-T-4 157 LL Cool J I Need A Beat

There's a lot of misinformation around Def Jam's early singles. On T La Rock's wikipedia page it states his and Jazzy Jay's single was the first to display the Def Jam Recordings logo, it wasn't that was the "Hose EP" which had a large logo on one of the sides like the later singles. The initial release of "It's Yours" didn't carry the Def Jam logo at all the 2nd press did and it also had the tone arm illustration (designed by the partner of Hose singer under Rick Rubin’s direction), I've read many journalists erroneously repeat this claim. The laziest journalist will even state Russell Simmons was around when "It's Yours" came out but Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin met as a consequence of Rick Rubin making “It’s Yours”. When LL Cool J sent Def Jam his demo tape Simmons had no idea who Rick Rubin was. There's a documentary show on the BBC in the UK at the moment called The Battle For Black Music it's an important and interesting subject but it could have been presented so much better. In the preview of the second episode the end of the first (aired last Saturday) it gives Motown and Def Jam as examples of black owned record companies. Motown, yes! Def Jam, only if you change the race of Rick Rubin! In the book Def Jam Recordings: The First 25 Years of the Last Great Record (Bill Adler, Dan Charnas, 2011) Russell Simmons is clear "Rick created the label in 1982. That was his." in 1984 Simmons was in negotiations with EMI to set up Rush Records

There is also misinformation from the people who were around at the time. It's a long time ago now and people and people can misremember some of the details, Russell Simmons has a knack for this but he admits he was “smoking a lot of dust at the time.” The story about the creation of the first Def Jam maroon single as told by Rubin, Simmons, Horovitz, LL, the original Cut Creator, and T La Rock is all pretty consistent. Jazzy Jay on the other hand remembers things differently. He feels slighted because he thought Def Jam was going to be Rick and his thing. Rick Rubin often plays up his idea to put the DJ front and center on these records like what heard live in clubs (as opposed to the disco rap coming out on record, although by this time hip hop was already shifting towards the striped down drum machine sound that would dominate the next few years.) I don't think Jazzy Jay is interviewed for the book I mention above but there's an insightful but bitter interview with Jay Quan in which he talks about the early days of the label. Auction houses have gone mad for hip hop history. In March Jazzy Jay put up his TR 808 for sale at Sotherby's the description is full of inaccuracies, it's kind of wild. The most basic error is he says the second maroon single (cat number DJ002) is his single "Def Jam / Cold Chillin' In The Spot" when it's not, you don’t have to be an expert to know that. In the Jay Quan interview Jazzy Jay says Rick Rubin bought copies of Jay's drum machines and he taught Rubin how to programme his 808 (which I believe actually belonged to Adam Horovitz). The way T La Rock remembers "It's Yours" is "all I know is I saw what Rick Rubin did in his dorm room. Jazzy Jay tried to say the same thing and I couldn’t vouch for him. Unless I saw it, I can’t vouch for it. The only one I saw with the drum machine was Rick Rubin. I didn’t see Jazzy Jay programming any beats. That’s not to say he didn’t, but when I was there I didn’t see Jazzy Jay program any beats." - Unkut

I'll try and unpack the various stories about making LL Cool J's "I Need A Beat"

LL Cool J's "I Need A Beat" is the first of Def Jam's maroon singles. Russell Simmons puts $2,100 in to getting it released. It's the first of a small amount of records Def Jam put out independently

'Russell “Rush” Simmons had been an important figure on the rap music scene for a full five years. His Rush Productions was already managing Kurtis Blow when Kurt recorded “Christmas Rappin’” for Mercury Records in the fall of 1979. During the next several years, Rush’s roster expanded to include Jimmy Spicer, Whodini, Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde, Run-DMC and others.' - Def Jam 30 at Cornell University

In 1984 the hip hop mogul Simmons was organising the first hip hop showcase to tour the US. Fresh Fest featured Rush Productions artist and the Fat Boys who were produced by Kurtis Blow

Rick Rubin describes meeting Russell Simmons for the first time:“Russell and I met at a party for a TV show called "Graffiti Rock." It was a pilot episode and Run DMC appeared on it and the Treacherous 3 appeared on it and it was in a loft somewhere on the West Side in the teens. But I remember being really excited when I met him because, as a fan of hip-hop, he had already — you know his name on a lot of the rap records that already came out — Kurtis Blow, Run DMC — so I was excited to meet him. And when I met Russell he, it turns out that "It's Yours" was his favorite record, which was a surprise to me. And he was really surprised when he met me because it was, because he didn't picture me as I was, based on what the record sounded like.” - Def Jam Recordings: The First 25 Years of the Last Great Record (Bill Adler, Dan Charnas, 2011)

Graffiti Rock aired live at the end of June 1984

Russell Simmons memory of his first meeting with Rick Rubin is different: "I heard T La Rock’s “It’s Yours” [produced by Rubin] on the radio: I had a lot of records on the radio that I produced, but I didn’t know that record and it was the best. So I called up Fred “Red Alert” Cruse who hosted a pioneering rap radio show in New York. Red Alert gave me his cousin, Jazzy Jay, who gave me Rick Rubin. I met Rick at [legendary 80s New York club] Danceteria." - same as above

Jazzy Jay's recollection fits with Simmons: 'I introduced Rick to Russell at the Danceteria and Rick was like, “Oh Russell’s so cool.” At that time I didn’t see the writing on the wall, that he was getting ready to step over me and make Russell his partner." - Jazzy Jay interviewed by Jay Quan

Before this introduction happens LL sends Rubin a demo tape labeled Ladies Love Cool James. "The lad was 16 years old in the spring of 1984 when he sent a demo to Rick Rubin, whose Def Jam label was then enjoying a local hit with “It’s Yours.” Rick never spent much time listening to the tapes coming in over the transom, but the Beastie Boys’s Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz—who hung out a lot in Rick’s NYU dorm room in those days—plucked LL’s demo out of a box, dug it, and played it for Rick. Rick agreed it was great" - Def Jam 30 at Cornell University

Going into the studio

T La Rock begins asking where the money from record sales for "It's Yours" was. T La Rock sounds like a straight up guy he says he an Rubin didn't fall out they had a disagreement and the upshot is he signs with Sleeping Bag/Fresh Records. Jazzy Jay tells it this way “Well LL was a replacement for T La Rock… So Rick came to me like, “I’m thinking about replacing T La Rock cause he’s a pain in the neck and I don’t think he wants to record with us anymore.” I was like, “Let me talk to T.” Rick was like, “Nah, I want you to listen to this guy.” That’s how they got that scene in Krush Groove. LL came in, he put on the music and “Har-Rar-RARRR!” (imitates LL peeling paint off the walls). I was like, “Yo, let’s record him! We’ll deal with T La Rock later.”" There's never been bad blood between T La Rock and LL, they have both been vocal about the mutual respect they have for each other. Jay continues "So Rick [and] LL started doing some beats and I came in and did most of the scratching, all of the arrangements and some of the mixes." According to everyone else involved, including the writing credit on the single, the the story goes like this '"Ad rock actually made the beat on my first song 'I Need A Beat'," LL recalled. "Rick Produced it, but Ad Rock programmed the drum machine.""LL went on to say that before Ad Rock's version that he himself programmed the beat on a Korg drum machine. "It was similar, but Adam's was definitely better."' - LL Cool J Rock The Bells

They went into the studio with LL Cool J in September 1984. The scratching was actually done by the original Cut Creator Philly Phil. The original Cut Creator is only on the "I Need A Beat" and "Dangerous" singles for Def Jam. They kept the name but it's probably Jazzy Jay on LL Cool J's debut album Radio and DJ Bobcat was brought in as a second DJ on LL's second album Bigger And Deffer. Cut Creator: "The day “I Need a Beat” was recorded I got a call from LL. He asked me to meet him at NYU because he wanted me on a record with him. I said bullshit but went anyway. I met up with him and we went to Rick Rubin’s dorm room. Chubby Jewish dude who wants to make a rap record? Whatever, I’ll play along...

"Rick Rubin allowed me a free hand in that direction and I just followed the flow of the rhyme and rhythm." - Cut Creator talking to Rob Swift

"I Need A Beat" is the first time engineer Jay Burnett (as Burzootie) is in the studio with a Def Jam artist. Burnett has engineered many records I've shared on this blog over the past two years

LL Cool J: "As soon as we finished the demo, me and Rick played it for Russell. I remember sitting on a pillow because Russell didn’t have chairs in his office at 1133 Broadway. Russell looked at me then asked Rick, "Who’s this guy smilin’ at?" He was smiling, too. Until then, I’d never heard of him. All I knew was that he was behind that desk and had something to do with my dream." - Def Jam Recordings: The First 25 Years of the Last Great Record (Bill Adler, Dan Charnas, 2011)

Rick Rubin: "I brought it to Russell and said, "I just finished this record. What should I do with it?" He said, "It’s great. It’s a hit. Let’s give it to Profile." I said, "All you’ve done since we’ve been friends is complain to me about Profile—you hate ’em, you don’t trust ’em, you have to do all the work because they don’t do any, they steal from you, they don’t pay you. Why would we give it to them?" He said, "Well, there are so few options." I said, "Why don’t we just do it ourselves?" He said, "I don’t wanna do that because I’m gonna start a real label." He talked about Robert Ford because Robert Ford was his mentor, and he had an imprint deal with Mercury Records. That was the path Russell wanted to go. I said, "This won’t get in the way of that. This is separate. Let’s do a little independent company. I’ll make all the records. I’ll do all the work. I’ll do everything. You just be my partner."" - as above

Russell Simmons: "I was getting a deal from Steve Ralbovsky at EMI. It was gonna be Rush Records. Then along comes Rick. I gave him some money: $2,100. The label put out LL’s first record, "I Need a Beat." It started selling before people even heard it because the core community that bought the cool records saw the Def Jam label—and "It’s Yours" was on Def Jam." - as above

Simmons has continually stated Def Jam for him was about the music not the money (I know!). He partnered up with Rick Rubin because of his talent as a producer. Run-DMC had started the stripped down drum machine sound with "Sucker Dj's" the year before and Simmons saw how Rubin ran with that. On the maroon Def Jam singles it says Reduced by Rick Rubin as apposed to Produced because they were looking for a minimal, hard, raw sound

"I Need A Beat" was released in November 1984. The single sold more than 100,000 copies and established LL Cool J in the rap industry. The success if "I Need A Beat" no doubt helped secure a distribution deal with Columbia. There Def Jam independently put out seven singles in maroon sleeves, the last being "It's The Beat" by Hollis Crew (The Afros) in 1985. After these Def Jam has a distribution deal with Columbia and the sleeves become black

Here's a final exert from how Jazzy Jay retells the beginning “All of this time [Rick] was in negotiations with Russell to get the first deal that they had got from Columbia for the million. The only thing Rick was telling me was, “We might have something in the making.” We, we, we. He was speaking French at the time, then as soon as the deal started going through he started clearing his throat: Meee! Me-Me-Me-Meee! (laughs) Russell had Kurtis Blow on Mercury, and Whodini on Jive, so Russell’s got a track record [but] at that time they wasn’t gonna give me [or] Russell no million dollars. I ain’t gotta tell you how this industry works, but you know if you ain’t got the right color sometimes you ain’t gonna get that green and that’s definitely the way it was [then]. Rick, because his father was corporate head of Kinney Shoe Corporation or one of them big corporations, he had connections and that was all they needed to give them that type of money. Meanwhile I was in the studio with the LL album.” - Jazzy Jay interviewed by Jay Quan

[kaisooficpodcast]

In the Clouds With You by at1stsoo ft. ksoo's I Do

This episode is in commemoration of Kyungsoo’s second mini album, pre released track, titled ‘I Do’. we will be looking at a fic I believe is very appropriate. This story we will be looking at today, illustrates and has the essence of the song. 

The sequence in which we will be sharing this space:

Introduce the fic with its technical aspects of word count, tags, author’s summary, setting.

My experience reading the fic, and connecting parts of the narrative to the lovely song we have received from our dear Kyungsoo.

Short intro to the author and a qna with the author.

Without further ado, let us dive into the fic of the day.

The fic i will be going through today… is laced with so much love, and even more love to be desired upon after reading this short thousand word fic. 

In the Clouds With You by at1stsoo is the fic we will be looking at today. Set in this universe where kaisoo is the way we see them now, but of course laced with fiction. This work is part of the Waxing & Waning series. I will not get into what Waxing & Waning is today, because that series needs a few episodes by itself. But going back to the fic of the day. General tags of In the Clouds With You by at1stsoo includes Fluff, Romance Wedding ish, and because it is a non au, it has also been tagged as canon compliant. 

The premise of the fic, reading from the authors summary: The location is heavenly, and Jongin envisions something other than a press conference taking place. (Kyungsoo does, too.)

The setting for this fic comes after the Waxing & Waning series, so kaisoo is already in an established relationship. It is a non au, so it is inspired by real life events. Here, the event that sparked this beautiful thousand word fic was The War press conference back in July 2017.

—

Everytime i read this fic, it is quite a fast read, well again it's about a thousand words, and wow does it give me the giddy feeling of love. The first few paragraphs of the fic, we have a scene where kaisoo are in their immaculate suits, written so painfully like them getting ready for a wedding ceremony in the venue. Sorry not A wedding, THEIR wedding.

The giddy feeling of love and hope and knowing their love is perfect. TO ME. Their love is perfect to me.

–

I am so in love with kyungsoo’s voice and his loving and lovely lyrics. So with that, connecting parts of the narrative to the song, we have Kyungsoo singing Whatever you like, I like it too Wherever you go, I go

And in the last part of In the Clouds With You by at1stsoo, and i quote: 

He releases his boyfriend and reaches into his white pants to pull out the silver ring and look at it properly. Jongin turns it over in his hand and notices an inscription inside the band:

Then, Now, Always

His eyes well up a little, and he meets Kyungsoo’s gaze with a *hitch* slight hitch in his breath.

“You like it?”

Jongin nods, his joy evident despite the tear that trickles down his cheek. “I do, I do.” Kyungsoo smiles back at him, a little glassy-eyed himself, and reaches into his navy pants’ pocket, pulling out a matching silver ring. Jongin marvels at it for a moment. “So we were only missing an officiant today?”

“Pretty much,” Kyungsoo says, giving him a light peck on the nose, cheek, and lastly lips. “You like it here? Or someplace like this?

“Name the time. Name the place. I’m yours.”

–

To fuel this kaisooism even more, Kyungsoo says in ‘I Do’: I know you and you know me like we are one, between us we share countless, identical memories.

I think enough has been said. The thing is, as a kaisooist who takes references from at1stsoo’s fics, it is as if the song was inspired by this moment. Their moment of innocent intimacy, their promises of lifelong commitment, and the confidence that they would be able to prevail all that limits their bond of love. 

Just an anecdote of what happened on the day of the pre released track, as i was listening to the song, i DMed at1stsoo. She mentioned upon listening to the latest release, that she had to edit the fic to have Jongin say I do, I do, to Kyungsoo’s sweet proposal.

—-

Onto the next segment where we introduce a bit on the author: at1stsoo is, as we all know, a writer. A kaisoo historian and won the best kaisooist a few years ago. Works on ao3 amount to about 50 fics and counting. All on EXO.

at1stsoo has been in this fandom since 2013, that's about 10 years. The pull factor that got her into this fandom was when EXO released Growl. She heard the song and loved the start of the second verse. When she watched the music video for Growl and saw Kyungsoo sing the start of the 2nd verse, her bias was solidified. Back during The Moon promotions, at1stsoo obsession was on all of Kyungsoo’s stage greetings for The Moon and the confidence he is showing in interacting with fans. The meaning behind her user pseudo name is: when she fell in love with Kyungsoo at first listen and at first sight.

My question for at1stsoo was, what was your thought process when you saw kaisoo in the war press conference? What was the first thing that came to mind, and how did everything come to place in the end to birth this beautiful one shot?

At1stsoo response was that she immediately thought the boys looked like they were ready to be in a wedding, esp Kyungsoo and Jongin, and the venue for the presscon was soooo different from the usual? outdoors? greenery? it felt like such an outdoor wedding, so she thought - ok today's the day Kaisoo gets married in the Waxing & Waning series.

at1stsoo continued that of course, a proposal made a lot more sense than an actual wedding, so she ran with that. at1stsoo had always loved their secretive whispers right in front of fans on stage so she thought a secretive proposal in front of the press was kinda fitting.

So that about sums it all for this episode, link to the fic would be linked, do take some time to read! It is just a thousand words, and what better way to celebrate this proposal ish song other than at1stsoo’s subtle wedding ish nonau fic, In the Clouds With You?

Have a lovely week dear kaisooists, thank you so much for tuning in, and we’ll see you in the next one. Bye!

[twig-tea]

Here's where I'm at.

At the beginning of the show, I really disliked Lom a LOT. Lom was in a position of power, and he was abusing the hell out of it. He was not just making Nuea spend time with him but he was also intentionally making the wedding planning process more difficult. He approached Nuea at first with no intention of acting on his interest (or at least so he says), which would have been fine if he hadn't been flirting so aggressively, but he not only played the 'annoy him because he's cute when he's mad' game, he spent time intentionally getting Nuea emotionally invested in him, to seemingly play with Nuea's feelings as his version of a last hurrah.

Nuea was clear from the get-go that he found Lom attractive but wanted to keep things professional, and continually tried to set very reasonable professional boundaries, and Lom consistently tread all over them, using his position as a high-paying client to influence Nuea to ignore his own instincts and self-preservation.

Also, this is just a personal thing, but fucking with someone's job when they sincerely love it is a particular sore spot for me and something that I find difficult to forgive in the queer pantheon of fuckery. Nuea was so passionate about that job and Lom made it a chore and then made it a place of harassment so he had to take leave in order to protect himself. You don't mess with a queer's income, especially when they love it (which is so rare); not in this economy!

When Nuea asked Lom to his face, he lied about his marriage. While everyone was right that it would not have solved the situation for Nuea to know (as this episode illustrated with Marine), not telling him meant Nuea was so confused about what to feel, how to act, and what was happening. All of his instincts were telling him that Lom was flirting with him, and this man said to his face that he's happy and in love and wanting to be married. He essentially Puem'ed (from Hidden Agenda) Nuea throughout episodes 2-4.

Lom forced a kiss on Nuea with the very tenuous argument that Nuea's turn of phrase invited it. He continued to try to encourage Nuea to have feelings, even while intending to do nothing about it.

Lom eventually decides he does need to tell Nuea so that he can actually pursue him, but he doesn't, in what felt like the most egregious instance of "wait, let me explain....[crickets]" I've seen in awhile--though I will be totally honest and admit that at this point I was not fully paying attention and haven't rewatched ep4, so this may be just my bias coming into play. Instead, he gets drunk with Nuea and they have sex.

At this point, I didn't think there was going to be anything that could redeem Lom to me. The only thing I liked about Lom so far was that he'd seemed to have come to the realization that he might have to give up his fake marriage for Nuea and he talked to Yiwa about it before talking to Nuea and without requiring Nuea to lead him to that or any other conclusion; and I did like the way the story was showing how he was coming to this realization around his parents' control and the fact that giving them something wasn't going to change their expectations--that they were seeing the marriage as capitulation, not as the compromise he was seeing it as. But none of that was enough to forgive the amount of fuckery that had happened with Nuea's feelings. At this stage, I was ready to dislike Lom excessively while still having sympathy for him. Admittedly, partially I was functioning on expecting a Mame story to do what Mame stories normally do: possibly excuse but definitely not make up for any past wrongs, not acknowledge the issue in any power imbalances, etc., and I was braced for that.

Instead, what we got was a power reversal I could not have predicted! Nuea takes time off, and because he has a supportive boss, the impact isn't nearly as bad as it could have been on his career. Lom is forced to go to Nuea on his own turf, his literal family home where his family owns the business, when up to this point Lom was constantly calling Nuea into his world (his office, his gym, his favourite places). And Lom has to get past a cadre of supportive friends and family to get there, underscoring how much richer Nuea is in this aspect of his life than Lom.

Nuea is given the option of leaving, or working to show his sincerity. And he chooses to stay. He shows that he's been paying attention to Nuea. He tells him the truth. He demonstrates that he's willing to put Nuea first above his job. He acknowledges that he's been selfish and that he hurt Nuea. And when Nuea shows independence and the ability to take care of himself, he is happy about it rather than threatened. The choice about what to do about their relationship is left entirely to Nuea: Nuea decides when he's forgiven Lom, when he's ready to kiss him, when he's ready to do anything more, when he's ready to go back to the city. He decides that Lom is going to stay in his lavender marriage, that he's going to stay on as his wedding planner, and that he's going to join the polycule. Nuea and Marine have a conversation! And being at Nuea's family home establishes pretty clearly that Nuea does not need Lom. But they took time to establish that he wants Lom, when given the chance to decide that for himself. All of this was so much more than I was expecting.

And I agree with @befuddedcinnamonroll that to this point we hadn't really seen the pressure on Lom--he said he was in the marriage for Yiwa's sake, and it was only when we saw his mother trying to dictate that they were going to live in the family home rather than have their own condo after marriage that it started to become clear the marriage was also for him.

Anyway all this is to say I was feeling big mad at Lom through episode 3, mad but appreciative of the narrative arc for him (still not for his relationship though) in ep 4, confused about my emotions during episode 5 until I'd thought through the power dynamics and why this was working for me in a way I didn't think anything would, and have now turned around in episode 6.

I'm still not sure I particularly like Lom--his personality seems to be acts of service and over-confidence stemming from money and looks, which is fine but not compelling to me--but I'm not nearly as mad at him anymore. And I acknowledge part of why I was so mad at him as a character was because I liked Nuea so much and the narrative just didn't give me good reasons for why what was happening was happening.

I still don't think the show has done a good enough job making clear the emotional weight of a secret that's been kept for over a decade, the confusion about what Lom actually wants, and the internal journey he must have had to go through to get there between episodes 1 and 4. I have been doing some of that work in my head since episode 5 when I realized they were actually doing something about the power imbalance and maybe it would be safe to get invested, but I shouldn't have to add that much in to make a character understandable. Since this show is from the perspective of Nuea, it makes sense that we'd be taken on the same emotional rollercoaster as Nuea, so in that sense it's worked really well on me! I was successfully confused alongside Nuea about what the heck Lom's actual motivations were, and what decisions he was going to make. But I also did not understand why he was interested at all, and that's where the show fell flat for me in the first few episodes.

TL;DR it was not the secret itself but the mental fuckery he was doing to Nuea that I was mad at and didn't think they'd be able to win me back from, but they did.

If there are other folks still mad at Lom and this wasn't the insight you were looking for, apologies!

[editing to add because I felt like I said this but maybe didn't say it explicitly: the reason why the power dynamic shift in ep 5-6 made so much of a difference for me is because no amount of sad history or trauma or explanation is an excuse for bad behavior -- understanding and sympathy isn't the same as a justification -- but the power shift allowed for real acknowledgement of wrongdoing and restitution without the power dynamic putting any pressure on Nuea to accept the apology.]

I haven't been in the tag, so I'm going to ask sincerely: Why do y'all hate Sailom so much?

[rambling-addict]

May I rant about the season 3 finale of MFS?

No? I’ll still do it anyway. This took me awhile. Had to get my thoughts organised, because my brain is just itching to begin rambling. There’s too many to say, and I’ll probably miss some stuff.

Disclaimer: I still love the show with all my heart. It brought me Raylla and the beautiful friendship that is the unit. And I know, I know… they’re rushing with this season and trying to wrap it all up. I’m familiar with this excuse. But seriously? Still left so many questions.

So here I go… my rant list:

1) Anacostia’s death.

Was it really necessary? It’s so sudden. And seriously, if you’re gonna kill her off, at least do it in a more honourable way! Crushed by a fuckin’ truck?? Really? All that power and badassery—reduced to this incredibly mundane death? I am so upset. They didn’t need to follow other shows formula in killing off characters for shock value.

First off, they ‘kill’ Izadora… then bring her back so she can set off Penelope on Hearst and Silver—meaning, the death was unnecessary. And now, Anacostia… my heart is broken. Why can’t she be revived, too, then? At least, bring her back like Alder…get her to say her goodbyes. That eulogy was lackluster—they moved on so quick, like c’mon. It’s so stupid.

2) Scylla as a side character.

I hate that Scylla got reduced to that in this last episode. From necro ex-Spree agent, she’s just there… a love interest of the main character. You could have written Scylla off this finale, and it wouldn’t matter… because she didn’t add to anything. She was an accessory to the unit, and I hate that. She’s so much more than that, and she’s capable of more. I’m so pissed that the last we get to see her is them all staring at the sky. No proper goodbye to the character. Even Adil and Khalida.

Also, as a side rant. I hated how Raelle didn’t seem as devastated when Scylla was captured to be tortured. When it was the other way around, you could feel Scylla’s pain at losing Raelle. Raelle was a bit out of character that episode. Rebel Raelle would’ve slipped off to save her girl. But no matter… seque rant over.

3) No Raylla happy ending scene.

It would have been nice to have a single scene Raylla walking along the beach by the lighthouse… or a shot of them hanging their army medals on their front door. A life with no obligations, no army. But I guess with the unit being the mushroom’s new stewards, we don’t get that. I’m shocked that they didn’t even have a finale kiss, not even one. Even Tally and ‘Greg’ had a kiss scene.

4) Nonsense earth and sky thing.

All that build up about the earth and sky being too powerful or dangerous to be united… only to point out that Abigail is a steward. If Jem can sing two elements —earth and sky— then why did they play up that narrative of Abigail and Adil? Of the Camarilla hunting down the Tarim and Bellweathers? I’m confused. And while I’m stoked that Abigail is a steward, Adil got pushed to the sidelines. Their union was all for naught. And I wanted a scene at the beach, damn it!

Also, all that mystery regarding the Abyssinian line… and the clue is in a book collecting dust in an abandoned house in Ghana, complete with illustrations, lol. The Camarilla historian surely sucks at his job. Or maybe they were hiding the fact that they knew it was the Bellweathers? I guess it doesn’t matter now.

And I thought the song had to be passed down? Or did I miss that?

5) Where is everyone?

When everything was going down, they said half of the army was still in the Cession. So the other half is in Fort Salem, right? So where the hell were they when the base was getting attacked?? Hiding?? I was hoping for a war scene, even just glimpses—just to prove that the Army isn’t such a wimpy bunch. They’ve looked so helpless the whole season. I wanted them to fight back!

Where is M? They’re more useful fighting alongside the unit, not protecting the Wade. G-boy gets to be there in action, why not M??

And Kara Brandt? Like a ghost. I’m hoping it’s a loophole to make her the villain when there’s a next season, yeah?

6) What did Tally ‘figure’ out, really?

What is the mushroom’s plan with them as the ‘new stewards/ goddesses’? Again, I’m hoping it’s open-ended as a continuation for future seasons. But c’mon… it didn’t make sense when Tally said she figured ‘it’ out. I was like—what? What did I miss?? How is it about the three of them? If the First Song didn’t matter, then why the stewards still sung it? It’s a bit of a cringe, it’s just so cheesy—that scene with the Mother speaking through Alder.

7) Everyone are witches now?

I get that the original six went off in different parts of the world to spread the gift, so it is possible that witchcraft is passed on. But then if everyone has an inner witch that awoke, what’s with all the witch hunt last season? The army and Camarilla determining who has the dormant witch gene? And the witch plague, Penelope? I thought the plague was only deadly to witches… Hearst died because he had a witch vocal cord maybe, but Silver? I am so confused. And what happens to Penelope now?

8) Witch bomb

The whole scene inside the mycelium still boggles me. One minute, it’s Adil and Scylla dying… then Raelle ends up on that glow-y sacrificial table of sorts, now she’s the one kinda dying and ready to blow? It just confuses me. And Raelle dispersed the gift to everyone in the world, with the witch bomb? This would’ve been the perfect moment for the Mother to actually materialise and explain her mysterious plan…

9) ‘Greg’

Again, nothing against the actor…but really? You manage to squeeze in a scene of him rambling to Tally why he failed to help them in that Necro room and then give them a stinkin’ kiss scene (albeit short)… and then nothing about a Raylla/ Adigail kiss scene at the end? Or even some other significant scenes—like what the hell was happening outside Fort Salem, or like clips about the aftermath… They cut so many scenes for this guy, and his scenes doesn’t even add to the plot. *shakes my head* Yup, still bitter.

10) Overall dark and slow-paced season and didn’t live up to the previous 2 seasons,, BUT still the one of the best shows to represent a wlw couple.

Like I said, it’s all mixed feelings. I’m disappointed at the finale. But at the same time, I’m so grateful for knowing Raylla. Taylor and Amalia did their characters so well, and I will forever cherish this ship. The cast are all brilliant, and all the crew did a fantastic job on making this show happen. I just wish it could’ve ended on a good note instead of rushing. It was a hot mess, but it’s done. I’m still grateful… and I’m still hoping for more seasons so they can fix this.

[elmainlcye]

Do you really think there is a chance of stancy being endgame? Steve's scene watching Nancy and Jonathan's reunion feels like closure to me and...

"Season 5 is going to start pedal to the metal. We're not going to do the ramp-up. There's no time. There's no normalcy, obviously, once you've reached the end of four. That's not like there's going to be time to explore our characters' love life, and how is Steve’s dating going? There's going to be none of that, it's just going to be going 100 miles an hour from the beginning."

i mean the Duffers made it very clear that season 5 is going to be action from minute 1 and the specification that there is not going to be time to explore the love lives of the characters especially Steve makes it look like they are going to leave things as they are on the romantic stuff (jancy, Mileven, jopper endgame).

It's the last season and they have to tie up a lot of loose ends in regards to the overall plot literally they are not going to have more time to delve into the characters love life and that kind of drama like they said.

It's going to be 8 episodes of the length of 45 minutes, that seems to me little time even just for the supernatural plot so....

Also sorry for my bad English!

hi there! in the same interview you're citing, the brothers say this when discussing character arcs in season 5:

"...and again, that's sort of setting up sort of us coming full-circle back to Season 1, and I think you'll see that with a couple of character arcs, not just with Will, but also with Steve and Nancy, and her relationship with Jonathan where things are not fully resolved. The characters have maybe made steps like in the case of Will, but that journey isn't over yet and all of that is going to play a huge role as we try to wrap this thing up next season." (x) so no, the camera panning to steve walking dejectedly away while robin rubs his back was not meant to be seen as closure. and regarding the "how steve’s dating is going" comment, that was the db saying that unlike season 4, where the first two episodes were spent establishing what the characters have been up to for the past year, with little given to the main conflict before all the characters come together when they realize Something's Wrong, season 5 is going to be pedal to the metal. they are picking up right where they left off, no wasting time with What Are They Up To Now b-plots, which is how they've started each season previously. there's going to be no 'how nancy's time heading the school newspaper is going,' 'how eleven's been adjusting to her new high school,' etc. steve dating around to try and find love is an equally easy way to illustrate that point.

beyond that... yes, i do think all of this is to set-up steve and nancy ending the series together. the...12? sdhjk intellectuals in stancy hive have reflected on this much better than i have the bandwidth for, and have eloquently brought attention to themes, motifs, etc. but in essence, they not only brought back romantic tension between steve and nancy, but had dustin and robin, the two people who know steve best and mean the most to him comment on it and advocate for it, had eddie, the now wise-ghost quasi-omniscient plot device characterize it as true love, had vecna take nancy through her unresolved trauma about barb and interspersed that with memories of her and steve’s first time, had her wake up from that trance in steve’s arms, had steve and nancy connect about the future, had steve confess his dreams of a future with nancy that was interrupted before she could respond, and topped it all off with jonathan lying to her about college and what he sees as their miserable future together. and that’s just season 4. and to your point that there’s no time for this in season 5, well, they already did all the work. we just have to hear from nancy.

sometimes you kind of like.. just have to pick up what they’re putting down, you know? there’s a lot in this show that relies on theory. romance has never been that.

[stachehand]

A year later, it's finally time for the follow-up!

Seasons 6 to 9:

Season 6, Episode 1: The Crystalling, Part 1

The pacing at the start, while fine as a reintroduction to Starlight, feels like it's got a ball & chain on it's ankles. Sunburst is BARELY introduced, not helped by his surprising emotional constipation. Also, remember Lesson Zero?

Season 6, Episode 2: The Crystalling, Part 2

Some kingdom folk you saved, Spike. Now, Sunburst's personality proves appealing and advances Starlight's arc through a funny bait-and-switch. Flurry Heart's alicornhood was basically shock value that brought about some dumb choices.

Season 6, Episode 3: The Gift of the Maud Pie

Maud expresses the most powerful emotions through only her words, she practically steals this show by the balls. Also, it's interestingly subversive to see this kind of present-on-present story illustrated through a FRIENDLY rivalry.

Season 6, Episode 4: On Your Marks

It seemed they made an unwarranted slight against the CMC's pre-established hobbies. Besides that, they were close to the finish line, and they made a random plot swerve just to reiterate their revelation and proud declaration from last season.

Season 6, Episode 5: Gauntlet of Fire

Spike was THE definition of a noble dragon in this. One of his finest roles in any episode. Twilight and Rarity brought some welcome levity with their convenient set of disguises, and Ember? What a wholesome sweetheart with a rough exterior!

Season 6, Episode 6: No Second Prances

So, Twilight actually learned NOTHING about controlling her student's friendship education, AND she's a willful liar? Furthermore, is the SCALE of wrongdoings not important to mention? The start of StarTrix chemistry's a small victory then.

Season 6, Episode 7: Newbie Dash

Odd how despite the continuity nods, there's not really an arc of putting aside pride to open up about the "Crash" name's personal effects. Thankfully, the Wonderbolts are all in-character and have some amusing frivolity to their professionalism.

Season 6, Episode 8: A Hearth's Warming Tail

Certainly another feel-good recommendation for a Christmas viewing list. It goes about how you'd expect an adaptation of A Christmas Carol to, and sings it's heart out while giving us TWO song bookends, in two different ways, to boot.

Season 6, Episode 9: The Saddle Row Review

Don't these ponies know about Help Wanted ads? I should figure they especially do. On the plus side, the interview cutaways never disrupt the plot too much. Characters reflecting after the heat of the moment has long passed is also fun.

Season 6, Episode 10: Applejack's "Day" Off

I think the ending resolution would have made a bit more sense if Twilight was shown trying the complicated methods, but then aiming for efficiency, BEFORE opining about Applejack's time management. Feels as slow as the spa day itself.

Season 6, Episode 11: Flutter Brutter

It's GENIUS for Fluttershy to have someone (not villainous) in her regular life who angers her, and by that someone's abuse towards the Harmony concept she stands for. I just wish Zephyr Breeze had more going for his potential for success.

Season 6, Episode 12: Spice Up Your Life

There'd be grounds for Rarity's smug idea with the restaurant, if she wasn't already exposed to THEIR qualities, and clearly feigning her fondness for the fancy fare. Seems like denial that isn't addressed. Nice song and lesson, at least.

Season 6, Episode 13: Stranger Than Fan Fiction

Quibble Pants certainly reflects how mean-spirited some critical fans of fiction can get in their passion, but he avoids being gross or total dead weight in the story. They also get about the maximum mileage out of the convention.

Season 6, Episode 14: The Cart Before the Ponies

One: why are the big sisters so tyrannical AND oblivious? Two: why didn't the CMC just trade sisters for a day from the beginning? Three: have all the competitors had too much to drink before the race? A few giggles aside… lame.

Season 6, Episode 15: 28 Pranks Later

The third act plays out like a G-rated creepypasta! I don't think the moral correlated with Rainbow's exact deeds, where she was showing no signs of restraint for practical joking. But, Pinkie gets to use her townwide connections more. Neat!

Season 6, Episode 16: The Times They Are A Changeling

My only criticism here is that the song number at the end is rather repetitive, which is no good for it's heartwarming message. The rest hits the nail on the head on one thing: fame is well worth sacrificing for what's right.

Season 6, Episode 17: Dungeons & Discords

I mean, Dungeons & Dragons, a game where anything can be done, and a character who CAN do anything with a mere, quick thought? It's like grilled cheese and ketchup! Discord's also kind of precious when he's a little bit pathetic. Y'know?

Season 6, Episode 18: Buckball Season

An unlikely character expansion and promoting the value of curbing worries go a long way. But, I scratch my head at the workings of the training program, and the conclusion wound up downplaying the teaching on skills for different reasons.

Season 6, Episode 19: The Fault in Our Cutie Marks

Gabby, you're too adorable and pure for even THIS world! Better yet, they manage to cleverly tell when victories can be part of failure born of an impossibility. Sadly, Twilight became a premise and setup without a punchline.

Season 6, Episode 20: Viva Las Pegasus

The way the antagonist sows strife between the ponies in his employ is so vague as to make the extent I can hate him… incomplete, I guess? As for Flim & Flam, seeing them doing honest business for a change freshens up their characters.

Season 6, Episode 21: Every Little Thing She Does

Starlight makes THIS big a relapse, and we ain't gonna talk about it? The story's BEGGING for addressment of die-hard habits. Perhaps some tougher love as well. Gotta admit, though, I get a kick out of the pop culture quotations.

Season 6, Episode 22: P.P.O.V. (Pony Point of View)

I'm a sucker for a Rashomon story's meta comedy, so here's a big win. But, the ponies' grudges feel over-the-top when you consider their accounts are tied together by a LIFE-THREATENING INCIDENT they CAN'T blame on each other.

Season 6, Episode 23: Where the Apple Lies

This did NOT need to be an origin for Big Mac's speech pattern. The episode acts like it's all about how much he says, rather than his point. Goes to show that any idea needs the right execution. Could've easily squeezed THAT lesson in.

Season 6, Episode 24: Top Bolt

See? Was putting a usable point on both sides so hard? What really helps the plot along is Rainbow using her observational memorization to aid in the resolution. Besides that, I sensed a "fake friends" metaphor between Sky Stinger and Vapor Trail.

Season 6, Episode 25: To Where and Back Again, Part 1

All setup and no act progression make episode a dull boy! And man, that village scene felt like a passive-aggression assault. Cutting losses feels like a genuinely good tip. Serious Discord and rascally Trixie save the day.

Season 6, Episode 26: To Where and Back Again, Part 2

What a status quo change between creature clans, and it's dropped! Also, they win by just doing something really hard? Oh well, Starlight's arc pays off in an organic full circle, and everyone uses what they have competently.

Film 4: Equestria Girls: Legend of Everfree

Although bits and pieces of this movie seem more born from contractual obligation than legit purpose, nothing breaks the sweet deal of the gang coming to terms with magic fully entering their otherwise normal human lives, or the music.

Season 7, Episode 1: Celestial Advice

I enjoy this expansion on Celestia's character and the equally pleasant and funny scenario for Twilight to discover the warts beneath her clean mental image, parallels and all. Though, it only HALF follows up on the preceding season finale.

Season 7, Episode 2: All Bottled Up

Aside from this episode's odd, cluttered, anthology-like structure, it's a successful test of a recent friendship's endurance. Starlight at the end set a fine precedent for her firm hoof as a hero going forward. The resolution was sweet, also.

Season 7, Episode 3: A Flurry of Emotions

Sheesh, these are pretty dang relatable dilemmas that play out, both on Twilight's end and on Shining Armor and Cadence's side. While the different spin on a babysitting story is appreciated, much of the runtime bores with it's padding.

Season 7, Episode 4: Rock Solid Friendship

There's a good storyline going on here about friends in the making of two worlds, buried beneath odd progression choices. Maud's bonding with Starlight feels disconnected in the grand scheme of things, and Pinkie's a stupid scene thief.

Season 7, Episode 5: Fluttershy Leans In

Genius resolution, but the friends who recommended the experts CONFRONTING them on breaking their trust (or catching the red flags) would've been better narratively. That, and paying mind to the other side of the "artist's vision" coin.

Season 7, Episode 6: Forever Filly

There's the nitpick of the "growing up and interests evolving with time" lesson being lessened only by the show's refusal to update the CMC's designs in physical age, but no BIG gripes. The parallel plotlines click nicely, and are so wholesome!

Season 7, Episode 7: Parental Glideance

They had SOMETHING, but then lost me by treating Rainbow Dash as the bad guy. It's made only worse by her tirade being weak for all the history of her parents being more her overzealous cheerleaders than, well, her PARENTS. Long gags, too.

Season 7, Episode 8: Hard to Say Anything

Pretty amusing for the most part. Big Mac gets over the top for HIS character, though on the other hand, for a repeat nuisance, Feather Bangs could've been a HUNDRED times more obnoxious. A blessing worth counting. Sugar Belle's alright.

Season 7, Episode 9: Honest Apple

A lesson about brutal honesty and how it needs moderating? All good. Not so much attaching it to a story where a character who KNOWS hard effort AND it's value doesn't recognize it in another line of work, and adds nothing of worth to the field.

Season 7, Episode 10: A Royal Problem

It's got everything to make it work. A sense of dread from the sisters' conflict, in-character steps into each other's shoes, a use of established abilities that brings the twists and turns into the plot, and Starlight shutting Twilight up.

Season 7, Episode 11: Not Asking for Trouble

That's subversive; rather than the proud swallowing their pride, it's worked around. It only offers small bits of yak lore, makes their way of living questionable, and is paced slowly, but Pinkie Pie and Rutherford formed a fun bond.

Season 7, Episode 12: Discordant Harmony

A great dive into Discord's insecurities about his friendship with Fluttershy. His change into a common gentleman was a very natural descent, and came with a grim, but interesting catch. It brought quite a creative side out of Fluttershy.

Season 7, Episode 13: The Perfect Pear

Easily the show's best romantic story! The relationship between the Apples' parents makes it all the more tragic we'd never see them speak to their children. Just as gracefully illustrated was the pointlessness of rivalries. Perfect indeed!

Season 7, Episode 14: Fame and Misfortune

Son of a bitch it's more asinine than I recalled! The total lack of savviness in basically making the Mane 6's DIARY public, and the testament to how HIGHLY Ponyville views these gals leaves the bitterest taste in the mouth! Boneheads!

Season 7, Episode 15: Triple Threat

Thorax and Ember trading advice, and Ember's confusion with pony customs, make the episode. The plot of keeping them apart, however, feels like an arbitrary conflict. Annoying to watch nobody take the truthful route, and blame one for it all.

Season 7, Episode 16: Campfire Tales

As far as mythos dumps go, each of the three legends spoken are solidly structured and maintain the appropriate parallels to their respective narrators. The resolution is quite a dumb convenience. Also, Fly-ders are gross and shouldn't exist!

Season 7, Episode 17: To Change a Changeling

Pharynx adds dimension to the changelings' reformation they hadn't shown before, and the mirrored half-dysfunctional relationships between him and Thorax as brothers and Starlight and Trixie as friends are heartfelt and equally funny.

Season 7, Episode 18: Daring Done?

Glad the history lesson about Somnambula was there, or this episode would've sucked outright. It gets confused on lore along with it's OWN backstory, and Rainbow Dash enters weak-dumb-damsel-in-distress mode out of nowhere to contrive a climax.

Season 7, Episode 19: It Isn't the Mane Thing About You

Geez, Zecora, why don't you pay attention while you brew? It's also kind of ludicrous that magic can't surmount the challenge of growing hair, but the journey of regaining confidence is cathartic, and the punk style's cool.

Season 7, Episode 20: A Health of Information

Once Twilight and Fluttershy get to the swamp area, the story's progression from there gets a little messy in places. The moral of taking care of yourself WHILE you take care of others is a strong message, and realistically depicted.

Season 7, Episode 21: Marks and Recreation

Everyone in this episode needs to calm the hell down about Cutie Marks, especially the CMC, who are fanatical and even PATRONIZING throughout! Oh, and it would've helped to know Rumble's background earlier! Thunderlane cannot save THIS!

Season 7, Episode 22: Once Upon a Zeppelin

I can definitely see the appeal when it comes to certain parts. Twilight's struggle and her family's enjoyment are well and good, but some poor discernment and forethought, AND Iron Will's character rewrite sullied what was nearly gold.

Season 7, Episode 23: Secrets and Pies

The whiplash of going from classic Pinkie behaviour to obsessively defining insanity, then just accepting Rainbow's lying, even with the knowledge she let most of her lovingly baked goods go to waste. Some feeling sparing. So dang muddled.

Season 7, Episode 24: Uncommon Bond

They showed the cold reality of how distant Sunburst has grown from years of separation, and gave him plenty to do with the featured side characters. It's quite good, aside from Starlight's narrow vision for pastimes. What even was THAT scene?

Season 7, Episode 25: Shadow Play, Part 1

It's very rewarding to see the legends told earlier this season tied together, but there's too much exposition before the midpoint, some superfluous. The relic hunt ESPECIALLY shows in it's pacing that it wasn't made for half an episode.

Season 7, Episode 26: Shadow Play, Part 2

How satisfying to see something new with the Elements! However, the Pillars and Stygian's story reveals a bit of wrong on both sides, but they act like there isn't. Plus, even the ladies wrote the guy off? Points for the Dazzlings cameo!

Special 1: Equestria Girls: Dance Magic

A pretty nice stand-alone story that gives a fair bit more nuance and likeability to the Crystal Prep students, not to mention some closure to their headbutting with Canterlot High. The titular song's also great beyond the earworm factor.

Special 2: Equestria Girls: Movie Magic

A rudimentary mystery backed by a few extraneous time fillers, and a culprit who has a simple enough goal to empathize with, but confusing motivations, considering their generous position. Human Twilight was the biggest heroine THIS round.

Special 3: Equestria Girls: Mirror Magic

Starlight carried this chapter! Her speech on thinking about the present moment and remembering what you have is wise and reinforces her differences from Sunset AND Twilight. Just one cost: the oversimplification of Juniper Montage's arc.

Film 5: My Little Pony: The Movie

Starting off: every musical number, from the bouncy to the dramatic, hits the correct beats, more than half the main cast plays that static character role effectively, and the energy of the whole movie leaves a feel-good tingle when all is done.

Tempest Shadow's an intimidating and multi-faceted villain, to the point she's like an eerily real symbol of the old and jaded folk. The other celebrity-voiced characters range from fun to just feeling unneeded (Grubber). The Storm King was disappointingly underused.

The pacing's leaps at points convince me that the runtime needed 10 or 15 more minutes. Lastly, the third act breakup is super forced, and Tempest doesn't commit to her pre-reformation ideology, going by the supposed "deal". Overall, warts and all, it's a grand time!

Special 4: Equestria Girls: Forgotten Friendship

Yep. Though it ain't perfect, they NAILED the reunion of Sunset and Celestia! It's a stealthy parallel to Wallflower Blush's grim point of view. Also, this contains what may be Trixie's most likeable usage across the whole series.

Season 8, Episode 1: School Daze, Part 1

Their attempt at saying "higher ups' by-the-book thing bad" was terribly confused by the main character's inane decisions that sharply swerved away from their honest intent. It's a conflict driven by an overall lack of common sense. Geez!

Season 8, Episode 2: School Daze, Part 2

The Student 6 are instant winners in their chemistry, but tragically, they cannot get out of the shadow casted by obliviousness from the adult characters, and the most damn arbitrary two-parter antagonist Friendship is Magic has EVER had!

Season 8, Episode 3: The Maud Couple

"Pinkie Pie is Brain-Dead: The Episode" is an apt title for this, because she can't see past the veil of her hypocrisy, and is portrayed like a spoiled, possessive brat. Mudbriar's gratingly repetitive, but he didn't justify the bad attitude.

Season 8, Episode 4: Fake It 'Til You Make It

On one hand, it's fun to watch Fluttershy get creative with salesperson personas and the raccoons play a large role, but on the other… you can't just give the "pretending" handwave to what are conscious choices. Where's the damage?

Season 8, Episode 5: Grannies Gone Wild

YouTube Poop-ass title aside, there's a valuable note to take here on how seniors are only as old as they feel themselves. Applesauce really concerns me, though. Amusing, but hindered by that "Really? That easy?" kind of cop-out ending.

Season 8, Episode 6: Surf and/or Turf

Go away, Twilight. You're taking too much screen time from the characters in the limelight. Oh well, just a little wrinkle in a heartfelt and entertaining story that speaks of the heart in home, and that choices don't have to be complicated.

Season 8, Episode 7: Horse Play

Why is Applejack the ONLY one stressing the truth solution when Spike, Starlight and Rainbow have been through this type of scenario? Worse, way to get the "no acting talent" memo ahead of time and let the all-TOO-effective fiasco run it's course!

Season 8, Episode 8: The Parent Map

The reconciliation of Starlight and Sunburst and their parental figures is strongly handled by making the harsh honesty nothing to regret, and the perfect reasoning. However, the first half is driven sloppily by poor friendship perception.

Season 8, Episode 9: Non-Compete Clause

Maybe this would've been the time to acknowledge some of the main characters as not belonging in a school job? Applejack and Rainbow Dash didn't do anything but dangerously BUMBLE their way into a test of the students' (fine) cooperation!

Season 8, Episode 10: The Break Up Break Down

A solid misunderstanding-based story that makes me root for the romance, and Discord even gets an arc about mortal matters. They could've progressed the plot without the CMC's mix-up, though. Investigation wouldn't have hurt, either.

Season 8, Episode 11: Molt Down

I welcome Spike speaking with another young member of his species, and the character advancement that comes by the end of this. That's alright. Not so much when the episode brings bits to a point I have to think "Okay, I get it! Move along, guys!"

Season 8, Episode 12: Marks for Effort

The CMC have piss-poor motivation for wanting School of Friendship education, and sudden contempt for THEIR school, Twilight can't tell a student messing around from a genuine effort, and Cozy Glow's betrayal to her coaches is downplayed!

Season 8, Episode 13: The Mean 6

Thanks for making 7+ seasons of friendship look doubtful! Oh yeah, and reducing Chrysalis to THIS, because of implied insanity? I appreciate that, too! I always wanted these good ponies to look like punchable asses compared to the evil clones! /s

Special 5: Equestria Girls: Rollercoaster of Friendship

I think they put too much extra effort into making the antagonist someone who needs to shut up over fine tuning the story. It gets hilarious, but sadly evens that out with some rift contrivance and an unearned reformation.

Season 8, Episode 14: A Matter of Principals

Discord returns to his villainous roots, and WINS (sort of)! It's nonsensical that they don't consider he's just being petty, knowing Spike's past with him, and it's maddening that they present the idea of hiring teachers for nothing.

Season 8, Episode 15: The Hearth's Warming Club

This is the time the Student 6 needed! The recollections of their clans' holiday traditions are really cute, not to mention funny, and the conclusion to the "Whodunnit?" element makes on point use of lore that was long-untouched.

Season 8, Episode 16: Friendship University

Sheesh, this is boring. The oldest trick with Flim & Flam is pulled while their current most interesting aspect is mostly overlooked, Twilight just lets herself get blackmailed way too easily, Star Swirl feels near-extraneous… snore.

Season 8, Episode 17: The End in Friend

Sure is the friendship fallout from The Movie in here, and it's instigated by the lighting of gas! What did Rarity and Rainbow have to prove so badly? Strangely, it takes a clever turn away from the mean-spirited stuff in the second half.

Season 8, Episode 18: Yakity-Sax

They took Pinkie from a brain-dead dope to an egotistical shit! Not helped by how the episode insinuates it's bad for her friends to have called out the bad noise making AT ALL! It's like suffering a screeching child and admitting defeat to them!

Season 8, Episode 19: Road to Friendship

Getting a mixed message. While the close to home depiction of stress by traveling and their doofy antics are something to enjoy, I can't fathom how this duo never felt like they underprepared, or Starlight having friendship entitlement.

Season 8, Episode 20: The Washouts

First a conflict that's driven by Rainbow feeling oddly insecure about a position where she ain't got jack to prove, and then a revelation from Scootaloo based on something the antagonistic force wasn't subtle about. Confusing, yet pretty fun.

Season 8, Episode 21: A Rockhoof and a Hard Place

It hits that personal spot in the sight of everyone Rockhoof knew growing and advancing to great heights in life without him, though the episode could've used more Pillar support and less time-filling gags and delayed epiphanies.

Season 8, Episode 22: What Lies Beneath

An interesting journey through a bunch of common fears, from the childhood frights to the dumb and irrational. If I have any gripes, it's that Ocellus' trial doesn't say much beyond something surface-level. Plus, intimidation tactics much?

Season 8, Episode 23: Sounds of Silence

That whole part before the ending solution needlessly recycled information dumps and came off as a convenience-inconvenience hybrid, but I can look past it for how they handled the anger management plot and the smart bit of Chekhov's Gun.

Season 8, Episode 24: Father Knows Beast

They gave time between Spike and Smolder the shaft to redo the plot of Spike wanting to feel like his species, and at similar levels of incompetence as last time. Spike shouldn't buy into this fat jerk's game when he's been where HE went.

Season 8, Episode 25: School Raze, Part 1

I'll commend the villain bait-and-switch keeping things fresh, and the building on Tartarus. I ain't so generous towards Neighsay proving himself a loser in the hierarchy, or the silent retcon to magic. BTW, screw that one Twilight line!

Season 8, Episode 26: School Raze, Part 2

Horribly waste the CMC's one time to shine in a finale, give the desperate, hateful tool a desperate, dumb redemption, paint one of the show's best villains as a freaking pushover, AND write idiocy by plot demand, will you!? What a mess!

Special 6: Best Gift Ever

What a palate cleanser! They drew a full circle for the storyline and crafted a seamless journey full of charisma, sacrifice, entertaining headbutting and total nerdiness. The few patches of yellow snow have no effect on this intelligent Christmas tale.

Special 7: Equestria Girls: Spring Breakdown

I want to break down at the misplaced regrets and the out-of-nowhere casual pause the story has when there's supposed to be an emergency. Also, they misrepresent The Movie, SOMEHOW. The beginning and ending are better than the middle.

Season 9, Episode 1: The Beginning of the End, Part 1

I don't get making Sombra a hammy villain when three are literally right over there. Or NOT using the Crystal Empire's power again. But, for it's cute trope awareness and exciting cliffhanger, those things can be overlooked.

Season 9, Episode 2: The Beginning of the End, Part 2

They made the stakes higher and more personal than they've EVER been, and gave the Mane 6 a revelation they NEEDED to hear. If only there weren't the issues of the pacing, Discord's implicit ulterior motive and lore muddling.

Season 9, Episode 3: Uprooted

Yona is the perfect voice of reason! The episode constantly wins me over in the transition from the students' appropriately childish plans to their ultimate compromise. The ending also builds off their connection with the Tree of Harmony up to now.

Season 9, Episode 4: Sparkle's Seven

A strong teaching of how the least obvious option is sometimes the most, including what WAS the most obvious at first. Spike's relationship to Twilight's family was finally cleared up for a sweet character arc, and a crafty ending twist, too.

Season 9, Episode 5: The Point of No Return

The message of perfection's impossibility and how much it can leave you feeling stuck is clear and valuable, but what it takes for the story to reach that life lesson is a severe sense of zigzagging with needlessly mean-spirited bits.

Season 9, Episode 6: Common Ground

Quibble Pants maintaining his character development? Cool! A nerd trying only to be seen by a child as more than a joke or inferior replacement to their lost parent? VERY cool! Rainbow's actions and speeches? They leave me a very confused man.

Season 9, Episode 7: She's All Yak

Hmm, maybe if Twilight had told her friends about making the ball an open invite to the outside clans? Seems silly to neglect THAT thought! Yona and Sandbar's thing is cute, but I didn't come out of this fully convinced of their compatibility.

Season 9, Episode 8: Frenemies

No complaints here! Chrysalis, Tirek and Cozy Glow make for a hilarious vitriolic trio. Never a dull moment in witnessing their respective strategies, and deigning to cooperate, only to find themselves enjoying the helping hands. It was humanizing.

Season 9, Episode 9: Sweet and Smoky

What is this, a comedy? Garble's time with Spike feels like they never left Season 2, they try to give the guy an embarrassing (and random) secret, but have him bullied WITHOUT revealing it, and glorify a Chekhov's Gun for a redundant reason.

Season 9, Episode 10: Going to Seed

How do you miss a guy looking so exhausted and in bad need of backup? Applejack would recognize Big Mac's condition. Aside from that and a rushed turn, the Apple sisters are very precious. Rediscovering the child within is a touching journey.

Season 9, Episode 11: Student Counsel

They're really exacerbating the problems with the School of Friendship and actively doing nothing about them. The story, still, does provide an effective deception and a gripping danger dodging scene. Oh yes, and Maud completes this episode.

Season 9, Episode 12: The Last Crusade

Crazy to imagine Scootaloo's goodwill with her long-absent parents, but it's easy to care less about that when the mom and dad are chill, all the emotions spark true, and they pay respects to the Cutie Mark Crusaders' historical importance.

Season 9, Episode 13: Between Dark and Dawn

Celestia and Luna bitching at each other is feeling like imagination bankruptcy by now. Also, I cannot buy that Twilight would give her former mentor so little credit, believing she had no pragmatism in running Equestria for centuries.

Special 8: My Little Pony: Rainbow Roadtrip

Massively wholesome character stuff with a simple story that manages to justify the extra runtime. At the core is an important, wise moral on how when old traditions run dry, it's worth reminding why they were traditions to begin with.

Special 9: Equestria Girls: Sunset's Backstage Pass

A wonderful sub-series closes out on some high-energy insanity, a surprisingly vital-to-the-story decoy, prime cuteness, and "villains" whom, though barely existent for most of the special, deliver one HECK of a banger! Thanks!

Season 9, Episode 14: The Last Laugh

Weird Al's range shined from performing a joyless and desperate Cheese Sandwich, and swapping right back to his usual upbeat and enthusiastic self again. I can appreciate the story all set in a more optimistic corporate environment, as well.

Season 9, Episode 15: 2, 4, 6, Greaaat

See, this is what happens in a story when you write a character around IT. It created a flaw in Rainbow Dash that gaslights us about the years spent establishing her. They also ended this plot on a note that paints an awfully bleak picture.

Season 9, Episode 16: A Trivial Pursuit

As funny as Twilight's lunacy is in theory, it isn't to see her obsess over another trivial (no pun intended) goal, and flaunt this snobby prima-donna conduct to everyone, friends included. Sunburst's repetitive padding didn't help either.

Season 9, Episode 17: The Summer Sun Setback

Twilight's growth hit the ideal spot. If only a visible road there preceded this episode. The villains perfectly performed to their strengths, but they expect me to fathom that the last leg of their trip was free of further obstacles?

Season 9, Episode 18: She Talks to Angel

I'm getting the strangest marriage counseling energies here. It's amusing to hear Angel Bunny speak English when in a pony's body, although I think this conflict comes off as one-sided, especially with an animal character so intelligent.

Season 9, Episode 19: Dragon Dropped

Spike and Gabby feel like an obvious duo; shocking it took so long to put them together. I just dislike how they framed it as some love triangle. Why Rarity is suddenly the one so wanting of Spike makes no sense. It speaks ill of their bond.

Season 9, Episode 20: A Horse Shoe-In

I'm rather amazed that Trixie's stunt near the end didn't raise concerns about the School's safety. It's great how she unintentionally gives some things of worth to the students until that point. The last minutes are where some iffiness is.

Season 9, Episode 21: Daring Doubt

What the actual hell are they talking about?! Why is Fluttershy airheaded about peaceful approaches, and with such petty, unapproachable people? How'd this hole-filled, last minute villain's empathetic background spawn? Rushed redemption much?!

Season 9, Episode 22: Growing Up is Hard to Do

The ONE time the CMC could grow up with their voice actresses! It's a story that's entertaining in it's (familiar) simplicity. Coming of age is an art, in a sense. However, there's that outdated feel to the kids' characterizations.

Season 9, Episode 23: The Big Mac Question

Lots of kicks to get out of this long comedy of errors and in-character Discord shenanigans. They just look kind of silly by TRUSTING Discord with an innocent gesture, not to mention there's a strange absence of some supporting players.

Season 9, Episode 24: The Ending of the End, Part 1

Okay, to start positive: Rarity strenuously throwing debris is charming. So is Pinkie's Party Bazooka. But oh my googly GOD, Cozy Glow's special brand of villainy is gone, and the action feels like it was pencilled while blind!

What they meant to be Twilight making a hard and heartbreaking choice came out more as idiotic and cowardly, knowing her abilities! Plus, did anyone remember who Discord was when they agreed upon that plot twist which, beyond a convenience for the stakes, is WORTHLESS?!

Season 9, Episode 25: The Ending of the End, Part 2

My time watching a cartoon season and appreciating it's developments has NEVER been more fulfilling! /s How OLD is this script?! Why did the villains get great showings before, and then wind up reduced to lackadaisical twats?!

Some bits I WANT to like, but there isn't enough genuine relief to not feel insulted and mortified by all the rapid stupidity, obviously haphazard progression, unearned "payoffs", and those fucking vomitous lines from Applejack and Twilight in the midpoint! I HATE this!

Season 9, Episode 26: The Last Problem

Truthfully, it's a bit of a ways off from a grand masterpiece. I blame some elements that felt meaningful in earlier stories, but pointless here, and those character decisions that stretch the premise of the Mane 6 overworking to absurdity.

Nonetheless, a natural conclusion was drawn finely in this final status quo upheaval, they didn't miss a beat on the poignancy of the change these friends must cope with, everything's still wide open for the imagination, and the outro song? Exceptional. Ideal end point.

My My Little Pony Episode Opinions (Part 1)

Ever since the beginning of this year, i've been rewatching My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, though have been extremely slow in getting to the seasons past the third. I mean, the year's almost over and I still have four more to watch. On Twitter, i've made a thread dedicated to opining about each episode I revisit, which is to include not only the main show, but also all of the Equestria Girls films and specials, the 2017 theatrical film, and the Christmas and Rainbow Roadtrip specials. Currently, I have done everything up to the end of Season 5. Also, I should note that i'm leaving out shorts and music videos for the sake of keeping things streamlined.

Anyway, here's my long list of thoughts i've constructed so far in the tweets, with the character limit Twitter allowed:

Season 1, Episode 1: Friendship is Magic, Part 1

The humble beginnings. It doesn't waste time in providing the foundations of our main characters, and is also an informative preview of what can be expected out of the show besides world-threatening conflicts. Ideal start point.

Season 1, Episode 2: Friendship is Magic, Part 2

Everyone contributes organically to the climax setup, and none of it feels rushed despite the time limit. I can also give Nightmare Moon props for her proactivity. Too bad about Spike being mostly sidelined at the end, though.

Season 1, Episode 3: The Ticket Master

Cute seasonal setup episode with fun visuals, though my favourite part is how one character has the end goal of financially supporting her folks in mind for attending, while the others have reasons more hedonistic or thirsty as F in nature.

Season 1, Episode 4: Applebuck Season

This episode speaks to me louder now than it did way back then. I have to question how much it was going to take for Applejack's friends (besides Twilight) to notice how out of it she clearly was by her actions, but it's a barrel of laughs.

Season 1, Episode 5: Griffon the Brush Off

Pinkie Pie in top form. New person got poisonous attitude? Use a party! Although, I wonder if her "she might give it back" comment about Gilda stealing that apple (and then eating it) was made because Gilda's a bird. Imagine THAT scene.

Season 1, Episode 6: Boast Busters

Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Rarity's attempts to upstage Trixie feel like natural end results, though the episode SORELY overlooks Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy in the matter. Also, Spike gets repetitive. Trixie? Delightfully theatrical entrance!

Season 1, Episode 7: Dragonshy

As our first exposure to dragon mannerisms and power outside of little Spike, it's pretty intriguing. Even better, it took the first big steps in the right direction for Fluttershy's character. Sadly, Angel Bunny's would only get worse from here.

Season 1, Episode 8: Look Before You Sleep

Gotta have an episode to remind me what kind of cartoon i'm rewatching. Seriously though, it never gets too sickly sweet, thanks to the entertaining antagonism. But was staying at Twilight's house REALLY the only option for BOTH ponies?

Season 1, Episode 9: Bridle Gossip

The effects of the Poison Joke flower were the REAL stars of this episode. Also pre-Cutie Mark Crusaders Apple Bloom. I think most of us can agree it's odd how Twilight is skeptical for most of it, then changes her tune at surface-level stuff.

Season 1, Episode 10: Swarm of the Century

Parasprites are terrifying and gross creatures that shouldn't exist. Pretty darn convenient that the Andrea Libman-voiced pony who ISN'T the animal caretaker knows about these things and how to remove them. Proves her intellect well.

Season 1, Episode 11: Winter Wrap Up

The song is still lovely, and the resolution plays to one of Twilight's greatest strengths. Nice use of Chekhov's Gun. However, I can't help thinking the disaster could've been avoided if a moment was taken to remember "Oh yeah, telekinesis."

Season 1, Episode 12: Call of the Cutie

Someone needed to call out Twist for her betrayal. Where's the justice? That aside, this episode makes one thing perfectly clear about Apple Bloom: she ain't her sister, and this road of self-discovery begins by stepping out of her shadow.

Season 1, Episode 13: Fall Weather Friends

A case where Applejack and Rainbow Dash butt heads in the heat of competition, and fun stuff is done with it. I love how it has a dash of The Tortoise and the Hare at the end, just because they could do it. All they need is a rematch.

Season 1, Episode 14: Suited For Success

Art of the Dress is still a masterwork. Twilight and the others are lucky that Rarity didn't hold their "looking the gift horse in the mouth" (as the ending lesson put it) against them. Also, I guess Spike's a ghost here. Do NOT miss out!

Season 1, Episode 15: Feeling Pinkie Keen

I enjoy me a round of cartoon slapstick, and this episode doesn't disappoint there, though I feel the Pinkie Sense could've been handled a bit differently in hindsight. Like, imagine it's a condition Pinkie has that's cured by "doozies"?

Season 1, Episode 16: Sonic Rainboom

It demonstrates one of the fantastical feats one of the heroines can pull off outside of cartoon logic. And Libman's acting chops. One thing i'll say is that you can probably get to the competition with about half the scenes leading up to it.

Season 1, Episode 17: Stare Master

I think Twilight's motivations could've been ANYTHING to get her in the petrified state, but the Cutie Mark Crusaders, like the children they are, are likable in their never-ending activity bouncing off Fluttershy. The Stare's quite an anomaly.

Season 1, Episode 18: The Show Stoppers

An unfortunate aftereffect of this episode is the running gag it'd attach to the Cutie Mark Crusaders for a good while to come. Within the episode itself, the talent show kind of comes off as an element as random as the montage escapades.

Season 1, Episode 19: A Dog and Pony Show

Seriously, what MLP fan doesn't love Rarity getting under the Diamond Dogs' skin with her squeaky whining? One part I find a bit nonsense was Twilight going "But only Rarity finds gems.", and one second later: "Wait, Rarity taught me."

Season 1, Episode 20: Green Isn't Your Color

FUN FACT: this was the first FiM episode I properly watched, so I have a bias in calling it one of my absolute favourites. Fluttershy's situation is why I never want to have celebrity status, but I also identify with Rarity's plight.

Season 1, Episode 21: Over a Barrel

Now Applejack and Rainbow Dash deny others their chance to speak for themselves in a potential compromise, and they aren't called out for it as much as they SHOULD be. Worse: one of the earliest examples of Pinkie being outright brain-dead.

Season 1, Episode 22: A Bird in the Hoof

For a molting bird, Philomena was quite a crafty little stinker, wasn't she? Sure produced some good laughs in the climax. I appreciate the ending revelation making sense of Celestia leaving her sickly pet behind, the conflict's catalyst.

Season 1, Episode 23: The Cutie Mark Chronicles

A wholesome anthology-type episode where everything meets up neatly in the middle. The circumstances are very conveniently coincidental, yet they still defy the whole common "it was your destiny" trope in a strange sort of way.

Season 1, Episode 24: Owl's Well That Ends Well

The beginning's on the nose, and you'd swear that Owlowiscious WAS threatening Spike's position with his 24-hour presence. It gets pretty ridiculous thanks to a lack of desperately-needed communication. Also, this image here, man!

Season 1, Episode 25: Party of One

The story mixes brilliantly deceptive foreshadowing in the prologue, a believable insecurity in Pinkie, a hilarious demonstration of vocal range from Libman, and a great moral on knowing your best friends like the back of your hand. Perfection!

Season 1, Episode 26: The Best Night Ever

Strong start, then it swerves into nonsense country. First season finale: main protagonist is barely in the plot. Fluttershy gave us a funny freakout, make no mistake, but at what cost? Finally, the ending is depressing in numerous ways.

Season 2, Episode 1: The Return of Harmony, Part 1

A magnificent introduction to Discord. What made his plan to corrupt the heroes brilliant is that he did it while their friendship was still young, and they organically behave like how they characteristically would on bad days.

Season 2, Episode 2: The Return of Harmony, Part 2

Spike got to be a plot convenience. Now, one thing I think could've been tweaked in this episode is the memory spell deal. Twilight's friends may have easily had their true selves restored by their unity in the last few minutes.

Season 2, Episode 3: Lesson Zero

Still a hilarious episode, and the funniest Twilight's freak-outs ever got. But besides it's humour, the show wouldn't have moved forward as much without it. Also, those ponies are totally jealous of Spike's purple unicorn friendship seniority.

Season 2, Episode 4: Luna Eclipsed

One has to wonder how much of a break Luna was taking since her previous appearance to have this out-of-touch position here. No matter, though. This episode is interesting for how it shows Twilight, a student, becoming the master for a night.

Season 2, Episode 5: Sisterhooves Social

It's not only cute, but important. First, it goes to show that cutting someone out of your life doesn't simply begin with a declaration. Second, it's essentially every good sibling's childhood fabrication of a good guy & bad guy scenario.

Season 2, Episode 6: The Cutie Pox

Here's a good message: there's no reward in taking the easy way out, because the easy way out doesn't really exist (or at least doesn't have to). Although, if the titular disease is that widely known, shouldn't the signs have been seen sooner?

Season 2, Episode 7: May the Best Pet Win!

I do not get why Fluttershy doesn't object more to Rainbow's snubbing of Tank. He's a good boy, that tortoise. With how present he was, it would've been a plot twist to NOT have him get the win. Pretty strange episode here, I must say.

Season 2, Episode 8: The Mysterious Mare Do Well

My god, the staggering lack of self-awareness of one simple fact they demonstrate: EVERYONE'S got an ego, just in differing sizes. I think they wanted too much for Rainbow Dash to be seen in the wrong by the lengths of her idiocy.

Season 2, Episode 9: Sweet and Elite

I need to pay my respects to this episode for playing with the old "liar is a liar who's revealed as a liar in the end" type of story a little. We got a genuinely charming minor character out of it. Pure wholesomeness permeates the runtime.

Season 2, Episode 10: Secret of My Excess

Growing pains ahoy! Spike got a well-told lesson about giving from the heart over taking because of temptation, but since his species is mysterious at this point, bit of a time waster to consult the local PONY healthcare first, Twilight.

Season 2, Episode 11: Hearth's Warming Eve

Always a good watch around Christmas. It's history lesson on the show's main setting is easily digestible, yet a bit complex, and the in-universe casting is perfect. I think all that's missing is an appearance from Twilight's parents.

Season 2, Episode 12: Family Appreciation Day

So, the entire town of Ponyville, not just that one big apple orchard, owes it's existence to magic fruit? That's oddly specific. Also odd how a more direct rescheduling method stares at everyone right in the face, and no one saw it.

Season 2, Episode 13: Baby Cakes

Isn't it weird how Pinkie seems to have realizations of how in over her head she is, yet basically proceeds with her old strategy anyway, and just never uses what she learns as she goes along for the sake of the obvious end episode moral? Crazy.

Season 2, Episode 14: The Last Roundup

Applejack had a pretty realistic reaction to her failure, and what's more, her skill in loophole exploitation is a devious dimension to her honesty streak. Cartoon antics aside, it's mature writing. Also, something something Derpy's voice.

Season 2, Episode 15: The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000

The fact nobody in town got to know what the Flim Flam Brothers' cider tasted like BEFORE the quality control cancellation lessens their threat a bit. Nonetheless, the ending deconstructed the lesson formula hilariously.

Season 2, Episode 16: Read It and Weep

If you ever need an episode of this show that's a confidence booster when you don't know how to come out about something you've grown smitten with, this is the one. Or just watch Rainbow be likeable while trying to maintain her street cred.

Season 2, Episode 17: Hearts and Hooves Day

Besides how the conflict came about from someone neglecting to mention an important detail to the CMC, and maybe too much of the sugary lover names, this is a funny step outside the Cutie Mark obsession comfort zone. A cute song, too.

Season 2, Episode 18: A Friend in Deed

The Smile Song is still the ultimate feel-good song. The story that follows it has a heartwarming Chekhov's Gun payoff, but the lesson Pinkie should've learned was the importance of minding her personality around someone new and unfamiliar.

Season 2, Episode 19: Putting Your Hoof Down

By the end, i'm left puzzled as to why they'd overlook the detail where assertiveness turned into needless aggression. It should have some slightly bigger repercussions than what happens, as hilarious as Fluttershy's loud rampage is.

Season 2, Episode 20: It's About Time

This is an episode of it's time. The audacity to poke fun at all the bogus doomsday predictions that used to run rampant, and put Twilight in the position of an overanxious believer. So much she forgot that she lived in the royal city once.

Season 2, Episode 21: Dragon Quest

If this episode just had a few elements added on to it, like some female dragon characters, and interactions with the seasoned adults, it'd come off less like a "cute and girly good, rad and boyish bad" story mixed in with the intended message.

Season 2, Episode 22: Hurricane Fluttershy

You can tell the show's beard is growing here. They tactfully handled the childhood bullying trauma and fit it seamlessly into a lesson about even the tiniest things having difference-making potential. Fluttershy really defined courage.

Season 2, Episode 23: Ponyville Confidential

What's admirable about this story is that regardless of anything that compels the CMC to go through with their hurtful journalism, they are still accountable for their actions and need to earn forgiveness. And voice-of-reason Rarity.

Season 2, Episode 24: MMMystery on the Friendship Express

This was specifically written and drawn to give us dessert cravings, I swear. Besides the fun film homages, if they wanted the mystery factor, it was hurt by both the nighttime silhouettes having the distinct pony shape.

Season 2, Episode 25: A Canterlot Wedding, Part 1

There were quite a handful of questions that Twilight could've easily brought up if she were to have any chance of helping her case about "Cadance". Shining Armor needed better explaining, too. But dang, does it strike the heart.

Season 2, Episode 26: A Canterlot Wedding, Part 2

The second half of this two-parter went hard. The song, This Day Aria, went hard. The villain, Chrysalis, went hard. The action went hard. Lastly, it opened the gateway for villain returns and other family stories. What a finish.

Season 3, Episode 1: The Crystal Empire, Part 1

It gets off to a slow start, not helped by a song number, but they nicely pulled off the long-lost kingdom angle with traumatized amnesia victims clashing against the eye candy environment. Nobody feels out-of-character, either.

Season 3, Episode 2: The Crystal Empire, Part 2

King Sombra, for his limited screen time, is a believable threat, like a smart cross between a posthumous antagonist and a cataclysmic force. That aside, parts of this episode play out like novel narration, and it's kind of funny.

Season 3, Episode 3: Too Many Pinkie Pies

Goes to show there's only room for one of any iconic character. They earned points for making not an episode with Flanderization, but an episode that fires a shot at Flanderization. Then points are lost for an overly-elaborate solution.

Season 3, Episode 4: One Bad Apple

Someone I know put it best about the CMC's revenge stunt, long ago: "That's not bullying, that's retribution." The song's serviceable, but what's bothersome in this story is the surprising lack of adult presence, and some bits of underreacting.

Season 3, Episode 5: Magic Duel

There was more smoke & mirrors magicianry than in Trixie's debut, oddly. It's an overall good time with a spectacular antagonist comeback, except for that uncharacteristic display of cowardice from Fluttershy when her friend's life depends on her.

Season 3, Episode 6: Sleepless in Ponyville

Hey, it's an animated look into a child's patterns and emotional weakness, topped with an unofficial adoption on the spot. This is why Scootaloo is my favourite CMC. One note: I never saw Sweetie Belle's sour note as a continuity fail.

Season 3, Episode 7: Wonderbolts Academy

The academy scenes are great, Lightning Dust is a fun foil to Rainbow, but the stuff with Pinkie and co. needed to be shortened, as the ending's a little rushed. Twilight or Applejack could've quickly come up with the care package idea.

Season 3, Episode 8: Apple Family Reunion

I doubt it was at all intentional, but the way I see it, there's a bit of dark comedy to the overtones of Applejack's reunion arrangements, and that's got me feeling uneasy. Worse, not enough Babs Seed time to warrant her reappearance.

Season 3, Episode 9: Spike at Your Service

Many fans hate this episode, but I can't. It's so bad, it's great. Although, it'd be funnier if the Dragon Code was just a shopping list, and nobody realized it. Speaking of what-ifs, surprised Rarity didn't have a big fit of jealousy.

Season 3, Episode 10: Keep Calm and Flutter On

I always found the pacing in this episode fine for such a big shake-up to a character. It worked because Discord had a believable layer added to his chaotic nature, but also, in the end, everyone knows his redemption has just begun.

Season 3, Episode 11: Just for Sidekicks

If Spike was reminded that he could always go digging for more gems, and Angel Bunny wasn't portrayed as unaccountable, despite his clear sentience, I wouldn't scratch my head at this. At least Zecora remembers the threat greed poses.

Season 3, Episode 12: Games Ponies Play

It's too convenient that nothing about inspecting the games or the name "Ms. Harshwhinny" manages to leave anyone's mouth around the excitable visitor they mistake for the inspector, until near the end. Said visitor's likeable, good thing.

Season 3, Episode 13: Magical Mystery Cure

Sure, it feels like there's a missing episode to this plot, but the song numbers are beautiful and Twilight is properly rewarded for her initiative and knowledge. If you can call this an amnesia episode, it actually gets amnesia right.

Film 1: My Little Pony: Equestria Girls

If it isn't dragging it's feet because of obligatory world-building or Twilight forgetting obvious concepts, it's got me questioning some of the characters' awareness. Bop of a song, cute interactions, messy story. Less ideal start point.

Season 4, Episode 1: Princess Twilight Sparkle, Part 1

The episode draws you into the mystery it's setting up, and pulls cunning misdirection. But, something I thought about now: why don't they use Spike's letter-sending fire to try getting a lock on where the Royal Sisters are?

Season 4, Episode 2: Princess Twilight Sparkle, Part 2

Cons: undercooked Nightmare Moon background, and Twilight's friends deciding to send her home too easily. Pros: Discord being a fun stinker in mentor tactics, and the lesson of a friendship lasting beyond where it started.

Season 4, Episode 3: Castle Mane-ia

A serviceable episode that provides a logical follow-up to the retired formula of the past seasons, but otherwise it doesn't do anything of interest with this historical setting but the golden age horror homages as obligatory as the title pun.

Season 4, Episode 4: Daring Don't

The twist in this episode makes sense with the compact in-universe lore of the character in question, and what it comes with is a subversive, but still relatable take on the "never meet your heroes" cliché. Just one thing: remember it for later.

Season 4, Episode 5: Flight to the Finish

This undoubtedly went some personal. psychological places for kids, because for all the right reasons, this is pretty sad to watch, comical bits aside. Nothing to complain about, other than the status quo blatantly butting in at the end.

Season 4, Episode 6: Power Ponies

You gotta laugh at Fluttershy having a rage fit, but if you're gonna paint your story like Spike's friends aren't taking his comic knowledge or instructions very seriously, make more use of that leeway you have with an enchanted book's powers.

Season 4, Episode 7: Bats!

The very real dangers of peer pressure and the very real problem of pest infestations and how to control them, all in one episode. Dang, what a juggling act. That impresses me. Though, you'd expect a balance in the characters seeing sides at the start.

Season 4, Episode 8: Rarity Takes Manehattan

A smart piece of commentary on switching environments and giving out trust. It's easy to understand Rarity almost sacrificing her ethics and devolving into one of the dog-eat-dog city folk, after simple goodness came back to bite her.

Season 4, Episode 9: Pinkie Apple Pie

It exemplifies the best of a family dynamic. When they drive each other up the wall, but nobody gets hurt in any fashion and they resolve the tension on their own, they're functional. Additionally, Pinkie was funny and smart this go-around.

Season 4, Episode 10: Rainbow Falls

Fundamentally awkward story for Rainbow Dash's "key". It shouldn't be that exciting for her to fly with the Wonderbolts. She already does! Yet despite the repeated continuity nod, that detail is conveniently ignored. Plus: that's not Spitfire!

Season 4, Episode 11: Three's A Crowd

If they didn't spend so much time saying Discord had a (fake) problem, Twilight and Cadance's bonding could've been more interesting. Why WOULDN'T Cadance want a fully peaceful day with Twilight after the craziness in the past two seasons?!

Season 4, Episode 12: Pinkie Pride

What an episode to air on my 20th birthday! Cheese Sandwich steals the show, and we see a case of a prideful person who doesn't aim to upstage anybody. The live-action shots are gags straight out of SpongeBob, and I love them for that. Perfect!

Season 4, Episode 13: Simple Ways

Goofy, but meaningful. Goes to show that when you think you can change yourself to someone else, you need an accident for your true character to re-emerge. A love triangle was a useful plot device, even. You wouldn't expect that normally. LOL

Season 4, Episode 14: Filli Vanilli

Plot convenient continuity nodding and a realistic take on facing your fears for the win! As for Pinkie's bit, I can say it was fine for one time, but when it's repeated, especially in succession, it's just writing her as a brain-dead babbler.

Season 4, Episode 15: Twilight Time

And there's our special lesson on how association can possibly be a curse, even if, for a short time, it looks like a blessing. It just could've been heavier on the show over the tell. On another note: how about some justice for Randolph, huh?

Season 4, Episode 16: It Ain't Easy Being Breezies

I find it fascinating to see how an act of goodwill can still come from someone betraying their biggest moral trait. That's a strong message. That said, the ending solution feels comically convenient, and the problem puzzling.

Season 4, Episode 17: Somepony to Watch Over Me

Oh, you poor idiot plot. Applejack can't be bothered to remember outside helpers until the worst moment, and I don't get why they bothered characterizing the chimera. That song cancellation gag and action scene were good, though.

Season 4, Episode 18: Maud Pie

I love Maud. Absolutely adorable in her monotone, and a positive example of how emotions and opinions can come from different reactions than the expected. A few nitpicks in character and scenario writing, but otherwise a lovely, must-see episode.

Season 4, Episode 19: For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils

Once again, Rarity and Sweetie Belle carry an important story. It's a familiar feeling, seeing the older sibling as a villain, leading to a touching revelation by the perspective shift. An anti-revenge note also don't hurt.

Season 4, Episode 20: Leap of Faith

A balanced take on the matter of well-meant lies versus difficult truths, because while everyone obviously needed to hear the latter, the former brought vital details of body and spirit to light which might've been forgotten about otherwise.

Season 4, Episode 21: Testing Testing 1, 2, 3

I'm all for them passing down THIS kind of knowledge. The idea of how one can achieve it without consciously trying to exercise their intelligence. Not so much for most things that pay off starting as spells of incompetence. Oh well.

Season 4, Episode 22: Trade Ya!

It goes pretty swimmingly for a bit. I'd say the setting had some amusing escalation. But then one subplot seems to skip a beat, and the ending conflict feels too last-minute and easily avoidable to get invested in. Now, who wants chicken dippers?

Season 4, Episode 23: Inspiration Manifestation

The moral of Spike's journey: if you are friends with someone, even love them, and you're willing to call them out for their mistakes (which they recognize), that's a testament of a true bond. The lesson's progression was on point.

Season 4, Episode 24: Equestria Games

Did we necessarily need an Olympics backdrop and episodes building up to the event to tell THIS story? It's simply a (fine) lesson on expectation and celebrity mortality. Also, that dumb, long gag should've had a comedic (and quick) cutaway.

Season 4, Episode 25: Twilight's Kingdom, Part 1

It gets so much right as a first part. It presents the reality of pep talks being great, but not always certain to heal an insecurity immediately, creatively utilizes Chekhov's Gun, and establishes Tirek as a cool force of nature.

Season 4, Episode 26: Twilight's Kingdom, Part 2

The fight had no reason to go that anime, and I love it! Icing on a cake layered by a show-stealing villain, two congruent arc conclusions, thrilling stakes, and how it ends with an unapologetic, radical restructuring! Fecking! A!

Film 2: Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks

What can I say besides that Sunset had a realistic and rewarding redemption, I laughed, they cohesively built drama off a wound from the original's conflict, the villain songs are the sickest beats in this franchise, and more?! It's… ART!

Season 5, Episode 1: The Cutie Map, Part 1

You wouldn't think MLP would use it's cute image to thinly disguise a light psycho-thriller. Pinkie's uncharacteristic behaviour actually works to a pretty humorous benefit. Though I scratch my head at the town's self-sustainment means.

Season 5, Episode 2: The Cutie Map, Part 2

The heroes pulled some airtight manipulation and deception, and Starlight Glimmer's self-interest reveal is an effective spot to leave her in for what's to come. Her secret is revealed by an odd convenience, but nothing story-breaking.

Season 5, Episode 3: Castle Sweet Castle

Massively poignant episode that respectfully handles the pains of leaving home forever and adapting to a new place of residence, paired with a heartfelt tribute to the show's continuity and previous status quo. Ingenious resolution there.

Season 5, Episode 4: Bloom & Gloom

The first nightmare sequence captures the eerie similarity to reality real dreams have to a T. Babs Seed being mentioned, but absent is strongly felt, though. Like, "should've probably had physical presence" (in dreamland) felt. That's just me.

Season 5, Episode 5: Tanks for the Memories

While I respect this children's cartoon's creative take on the 5 Stages of Grief, they egregiously overplay how much of a change Tank's hibernation really is. "This isn't good-bye. It's just good-bye 'til next time." - remember that?

Season 5, Episode 6: Appleoosa's Most Wanted

Everyone's pointed out how the writer forgot what makes a Cutie Mark manifest, but I found it rather annoying that the CMC weren't quick to stand up for the poor alleged criminal. Also, i'm lost on the comedy of his self-harm. Yipes.

Season 5, Episode 7: Make New Friends but Keep Discord

Following from Discord's redemption arc, it highlights just how little he's been offered a hand in friendship to react how he does. Spoiled, close-minded, and still a fun scene stealer. But, Smooze is gross and superfluous.

Season 5, Episode 8: The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone

Quite a bold twist to take former friends who couldn't possibly ever restore the goodwill between each other, but manage to because of a little hidden nostalgia for happiness they never stopped valuing. Gold among the junk.

Season 5, Episode 9: Slice of Life

It's an insane train ride of fan service, not much motivation behind it but that, but dang does it demonstrate the setting's inherent goofiness and cement it as a lived-in place. Part of me thinks the Mane 6 characters should've been excluded.

Season 5, Episode 10: Princess Spike

Spike really doesn't just come off as a kid enjoying getting cool stuff in this, but uncomfortably tyrannical. Adding on, Twilight being treated as the center of the kingdom, the one with all the answers, is ludicrously sudden and incredible.

Season 5, Episode 11: Party Pooped

I see the aim of the moral, how the journey can mean more than the destination, but I think another message is to be taken away from this episode. That is insanity. Constant, predictable actions leading to predictable, and repetitious, results.

Season 5, Episode 12: Amending Fences

They did a great job resolving the loose end of Twilight's forgotten friends, and stating that the mistake of one shouldn't make others tied to that person accomplices in hurting somebody. If Twilight just wasn't so forward, it'd be perfect.

Season 5, Episode 13: Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?

Besides how creepy it is that Luna's been secretly doing this self-punishment thing ever since she reformed, the reveal behind the Tantabus's origin is handled in such a blasé manner. Points for creative action, though.

Season 5, Episode 14: Canterlot Boutique

The rejected altered dress deserved a happy ending, damn it! I thought that Sassy Saddles was such a self-centered, callous person, her turn at the end was too little, too late. They even confused workplace depression with pride. So dumb.

Season 5, Episode 15: Rarity Investigates!

This is definitely something you watch more for the fun film noir homages than the actual mystery, but it does have value in teaching the importance of heeding details. Very smart use of Rarity's character, and her dynamic with Rainbow.

Season 5, Episode 16: Made in Manehattan

It's hilarious that the problem they needed to mend literally stumbles into them from the sky. Prime plot convenience. But hey, I can respect when they pay respects to the simpler ways to help people. Also Coco Pommel, that cinnamon bun.

Season 5, Episode 17: Brotherhooves Social

The ending makes for a genuine and heartwarming sibling moment. I know that sense of inferiority born from a relation to someone with great achievements. But why put minutes of generic, awkwardness-peppered comedy in front of it, guys?

Season 5, Episode 18: Crusaders of the Lost Mark

They pulled off the most original way they could've closed out the CMC's longest-running plotline. I don't find that Diamond Tiara's abrupt shift in sympathy eliciting hurts that story too much. The songs won me over on it easily.

Season 5, Episode 19: The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows

Boy, was this a heavy allegory for spoilers, and what joys in the world are worth not having spoiled for you. Surprisingly, a scene lasting seconds effectively humanized Shining Armor more than his wife. Hobbies give you life.

Season 5, Episode 20: Hearthbreakers

A good moral on how the important thing about someone's yearly traditions is that they're happy with them, and what does the same for you should harmonize with them. What thwarts it a bit is Applejack's uncharacteristic disregard for consent.

Season 5, Episode 21: Scare Master

Now that's a twist, to say that if you don't want any part in an activity, even if it reveals talent you didn't know you had, you're under no obligation to regularly invest your time in it, even for friends. Also, relevant episode is relevant.

Season 5, Episode 22: What About Discord?

Did this episode WANT things to be left up to viewer interpretation? Whatever the case, it sure paints the ponies (not named Twilight) as oblivious to the comedic Rule of Three, and somehow, Twilight is insane AND sympathetic. Awkward.

Season 5, Episode 23: The Hooffields and McColts

It feels weird to have an environmentalism story sneak up on you when the focus has been so hard on a petty conflict over minor annoyances, but I can roll with it here. What's more odd is a big cake is baked without Pinkie Pie.

Season 5, Episode 24: The Mane Attraction

Rara made me want to joyfully cry, and I would give her all my love and protection! Seamless transition from an extravagant concert parody to a number straight from the heart. Top-tier, without question! BTW, send Svengallop to Tartarus.

Season 5, Episode 25: The Cutie Re-Mark, Part 1

And Starlight's revealed self-interest is brought to the forefront, bringing a finely executed strategy. Aside from that, the exposition gets annoyingly on the nose and long-winded. Could've spared some details. This image, though.

Season 5, Episode 26: The Cutie Re-Mark, Part 2

No point to exploring more than one alternate future when there are no obstacles. It's padding, exacerbated by Twilight being so slow and her telekinesis neglect. And why did young Starlight just stand there all glum? The nonsense!

Film 3: Equestria Girls: Friendship Games

Human Twilight differed from the pony version enough to justify her story. The Shadowbolts are fine rivals, though a few seem to come from a little underuse of the pre-existing character roster, and they get shafted hard at the very end.