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sw-daydreamer · 5 years ago

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More fan reactions!

SOURCE: tvsourcemagazine.com/2019/12/the-rise-of-skywalker-roundtable/

First Impressions of the movie?

Cam: Honestly, the first thought that kept repeating in my head as I continued watching the movie was “Who greenlight this?”. Too many hours spent on pointless plot points, bad dialogue, character regression and a clear intent to take digs at the previous movie.

April: The first time I saw the film I found it largely enjoyable. It reminded me of “old school” Star Wars films, which fits with J.J.’s nerdy love for the original films. However, there were glaring issues, largely that, in an effort to make every fan group happy, J.J. created a film where every fan group instead found something to nitpick. He bent to the will of the racist fans from “The Last Jedi” and shrunk Kelly Marie Tran’s role to nothing, he created women out of thin air (Jannah and Zorrie) to stand as helpmates to the men around them, just to name a few things. But as an end to Luke Skywalker’s story, it’s acceptable.

Anika: Thanks to spoilers, which I actively sought, I already knew what to expect. While I didn’t hate the movie in it’s entirety, my dissatisfaction with it made it the only Star Wars movie that I am quite happy seeing just once. So much of it just felt cobbled together and didn’t make any sense. It felt like the writers were trying to please every Star Wars fan base with this film, but never quite managed that feat.

Logan: As the credits rolled I thought, “Well, I enjoyed a majority of that movie until the end.” Originally, I said I enjoyed about 80% of the movie but the 20% I didn’t like were huge plot points. After thinking about the movie for a week, I’d say my percentage of enjoyment has majorly decreased.

Maggie: Unfortunately, I was entirely spoiled by Reddit and Burger King by the time I sat down to watch The Rise of Skywalker opening night. I mostly felt dread throughout the entire film and struggled to even enjoy the enjoyable moments. I think “fever dream” is the best way to summarize my first impressions.

Jenna: Like most people, I was spoiled by Reddit leaks that none of us could have ever anticipated being true. Sadly, they were. Although I knew what was going to happen, I still tried to go in with an open mind. While I did enjoy some of the movie, those feelings were unfortunately overshadowed by my intense dislike of the major plot holes and the poor messages this movie conveyed.

Heather: My first impressions were from Reddit Spoilers months ago because I am a known Spoiler Whore (I don’t like surprises) so if we’re going from the leaks my first impression was, “There’s no way this is true. It’s so stupid. Most of this doesn’t even make sense. Nah. I’ll wait for the LA premiere and the real leaks.” Little did I know.

When did you become a fan of Star Wars?

Cam: I have first watched Star Wars when in 1999 (Phantom Menace), then I watched the rest of them in 2015. But I only became a fan on 2017 when I watched The Last Jedi.

April: I was introduced to Star Wars when I was 7 years old. My cousin, 10 years my senior, had been tasked with babysitting me for the night and, in her desire to keep me quiet and happy she did what most teens would and plopped me in front of a VHS tape playing ‘A New Hope’. Within moments of R2-D2 and C3PO showing up on the screen I was enthralled.

Anika: I was 11 years old when I first saw Star Wars. The story of Luke, Princess Leia, Han Solo and a galaxy far, far away was an immediate obsession for science-fiction/fantasy nerd girl me. A New Hope is my favorite childhood movie and the saga, along with Rogue One and Solo, continues to be my obsession. I cried when I saw the first trailer for TROS because the movies were a big part of my childhood and teen years and knowing this would be the last story ever told about the Skywalkers was an extremely emotional moment for me.

Logan: The better question is when wasn’t I a fan of Star Wars. I grew up with a brother who is 10 years older than me and he was small during the theatrical release of Empire and Return of the Jedi. I grew up watching them because he watched them and I immediately wanted to be a part of that world.

Maggie: My father took me to see The Phantom Menace opening weekend when I was six years old. Despite the devastation of losing Qui-Gon Jinn, Star Wars basically overtook my life from that moment forward. For twenty years I’ve collected Star Wars ephemera and read through nearly the entire library of the Extended Universe.

Jenna: When I was around 10 or 11, the first six episodes were playing on TV for about a week. I saw my step dad watching one of them and I was captivated by it as soon as I walked by. I asked him what order I should watch them in, and then I could be found that whole week in front of the TV watching them every time they came on. After that, I didn’t watch them for a long time, but my love for the franchise returned when The Last Jedi was in theaters.

Heather: Star Wars has been a part of my life in a mostly passing way since I was nine years old when I was brought to see one of the prequels in theaters. My aunt and uncle and I also watched the originals and prequels at various points when I was a teenager though admittedly my interest was fleeting at best. In January of 2016 that very same aunt and uncle were back in our hometown visiting from England and they wanted to go see The Force Awakens for their third time. I had absolutely no interest in going to go see it but I wanted the family time so I did and I’m glad I did because I walked out a huge fan. For all of the grief I now give JJ Abrams I will say that he set out to make TFA both for old fans and to create new fans and he succeeded in that.

What did you think of Rey’s journey in this movie?

Cam: A complete regression of whatever it was supposed to be. I can’t explain it in a different way. From the beginning Rey was alone, in a desert planet, begging to find her parents and a belonging. As the movies progressed she finally learned she had to continue her life, she couldn’t be stuck in that place forever, and that she could find other people who would love her, “the belonging you seek is ahead” and all. She realized she could be powerful and important just for being who she is on the Last Jedi. She didn’t need famous parents to matter.

On Rise of Skywalker they reverted all that, she did need famous parents indeed and she never should have had to learn how to move on from her pain and self doubt regarding them since they were always good people that had loved her. Despite her entire journey, the movie frames her ending as someone who was again alone and again on a desert planet (despite arguments that it didn’t mean she would be alone, when a movie ends in a certain note that’s what you want your audience to take from it). It’s just a terrible regression that didn’t care for all the things this character needed but that instead cared about online complaints regarding her surname.

April: Rey’s journey in this film felt, in many ways, unfinished. We’ve always known that the Star Wars Saga was ultimately Luke’s story, even as we had other protagonists in the prequel trilogy it was clear that we were watching the beginnings of Luke (Padme and Anakin wind up being his parents and we watch the birth of his ultimate foe, Darth Vader). Unfortunately, “The Rise of Skywalker” (and indeed the entire sequel trilogy) struggle with the idea of Rey being anything more than just the final piece of Luke Skywalker’s story. Perhaps this would have read better had Rey been a Skywalker (as was clearly J.J. Abram’s (director of “The Force Awakens” and “ The Rise of Skywalker) initial plan, but instead Rey doesn’t actually begin her journey until the moment she stares off into the sun on Tatooine as the music swells dramatically. While it’s not unusual for a story to end with the hero heading into a new adventure, for this to be the “end” of Rey’s story feels almost empty, because we never truly saw her beginning.

Anika: Where do I start with Rey’s journey in TROS? Quite honestly, except for Rey becoming the powerful Jedi we all knew she would be, I don’t think she had much of a journey. She wanted to know her place in all of this and she does learn it along with a few other truths, but her reaction to every thing she learns was virtually non-existent. Rey’s journey is the saddest part of this movie. She finds the belonging that she wanted, but she has lost a maternal and paternal figure, a mentor and her other half in the Force. Rey is at the end of it alone again. How is that a happy ending for her?

Logan: Trying to think through my opinion is making me realize she didn’t really have much of one in this film. She started a strong Jedi and ended a strong Jedi. She started out as part of The Resistance and ended as part of The Resistance. The only changes to her journey revolve around finding out her lineage, which didn’t change any part of who she is, and also loss. Loss of Leia. Loss of Ben. Isolating Rey’s journey leaves me sort of depressed. So, my thoughts are that I don’t like it.

Maggie: At the end of The Last Jedi Rey was posed to have an incredible final act, unfortunately The Rise of Skywalker ended up being a regressive ending to her story. Her journey is rushed, disjointed, and nonsensical in this film. We never get her reacting to the revelation that she’s Darth Sidious’ granddaughter, which is perhaps one of the worst mistakes this film commits. The main protagonist is presented with a life changing detail about her past and is denied the chance to react verbally to the revelation. Not only was the implementation lacking, but the reasoning behind her having to be related to someone felt unnecessary. If Palpatine had always been the endgame for the trilogy, he should’ve been alluded to in the previous two films.

Jenna: Not only did I think that Rey had no growth in this movie, but I would even go as far as to say she regressed. In The Force Awakens, Rey’s story began with her living in the desert alone and waiting for parents that would never come back to her. In The Rise of Skywalker, Rey’s story ended with her living in the desert alone and isolating herself from the friends and family she has come to know. At least, that’s how I interpreted it. The Last Jedi set this movie up to have Rey realize how special and loved she is regardless of who her parents were, but this idea was thrown aside in favor of making her special only because of her family name.

Heather: Hated. It. I loved the message of TLJ that you don’t have to come from a powerful bloodline to be special or important and it was completely re-written. You’re only special if you come from one of these two families. Sucks to suck for the rest of you.

What was your favorite part of the sequel trilogy?

Cam: Ben and Rey’s ever growing understanding and love for each other. And Kylo Ren/Ben Solo’s entire arc that showed his pull to the light and his pain regarding the darkness.

April: The chemistry between the new trio (Rey, Finn and Poe) is hands down my favorite aspect of the new trilogy. Oscar Issac, John Boyega and Daisy Ridley play excellently off of each other and their interactions are a joy to watch. One thing The Rise of Skywalker did tremendously well was highlight their relationship and it is my opinion that Rey is now happily touring the sky with her boyfriend (Finn) and his boyfriend (Poe).

Anika: It’s a tie between the Throne Room scene and the hand touch scene in the hut. In the scene where she touches Kylo’s hand, we get to see both their vulnerabilities. He’s admitting that what she is going through, her loneliness is how he feels, too, and she’s reassuring him that it’s never too late to change that. The Throne Room scene is the best one in the trilogy. It was perfection in it’s execution. They way moved in sync with each other, watched each other’s back and that heartbreaking end when he offers her his hand and she knows she cannot take it was beyond anything else I had seen.

Logan: Admiral Holdo lightspeeding through a Star Destroyer. Hands Down. For me, Holdo was one of the most memorable characters of the sequel trilogy and that moment was followed by an eerie silence in the theater that I will never forget. Aside from that is all the confirmation of Jedi Leia, the return of Han, Poe’s introduction in The Force Awakens, the glory of Rose Tico. There are many moments that I will remember for many Star Wars films to come.

Maggie: The Throne Room scene in The Last Jedi will remain my favorite part of this entire trilogy. The fight choreography is incredible and I felt like it was really a defining moment for both Rey and Ben. Watching them fight back-to-back was pretty amazing to see. Not to mention it’s some of Adam and Daisy’s best acting in the trilogy. So many emotions play out from the start to end of that scene. It’s flawless.

Jenna: The Throne Room scene in The Last Jedi, by far. Adam so clearly showcased the emotions passing through Ben’s mind when he decided to take down the man who had been abusing him his whole life. When Ben and Rey stood back-to-back to fight together after Ben ripped Anakin’s lightsaber through Snoke I could feel every cell in my body start to scream in excitement. It felt like such a pivotal moment in not only the movie, but the entire trilogy. Seeing a clip of Ben leaning forward so Rey could grab onto his thigh and balance herself on his back to kick one of the Praetorian Guard is actually what convinced me to watch the sequel trilogy.

Heather: Reylo. Kidding…mostly. I can’t deny that their chemistry and the thrill of a possible enemies to lovers/good girl & bad boy story was what made me originally interested in the first place but I think my favorite part was all of the fandom anticipation. Who would Rey be? Would Kylo turn back to the light? Would the Resistance survive? Would Leia keep her role as General? In between each movie fandom was always alive with theories and speculation and there’s a sort of magic and unity in that that I’ve always enjoyed.

What was your favorite part of TRoS?

Cam: Ben Solo being redeemed, as he should have. And all of the amazing scenes between him and Rey.

April: My favorite part of The Rise of Skywalker would have to be the reinforcement of the idea of “togetherness”. You see it, perhaps most clearly, in the moment when, wrapped up in his devastation about leading his forces once more into a hopeless battle, Poe hears Lando’s voice over the radio. When he pulls up and sees the crowd of ships full of “just people” to quote one First Order combatant, it’s such a powerful feeling. That same theme makes itself present again in Rey’s battle against Palpatines, when she is at her most defeated and we hear the voices of Obi-Wan, Anakin, Yoda, Luke, Ashoka and more, reminding her that she is not alone, because she is “all the Jedi”, it’s also repeated throughout the trio’s interactions, they even go so far as to use the word “together”. It’s a constant message in this film and it’s so necessary in our current time. It’s a reminder to each one and all of us that there are always “more of us” then those who would seek to keep us downtrodden and together, we can spark a true revolution.

Anika: Without a doubt, Han and Ben’s scene on the Death Star. Leia reached Ben, but it was his father’s love and forgiveness which truly made the difference. Ben was never the same after killing Han and he needed to make peace with what he did and to accept that forgiveness is possible. Change is possible, even if we veer so off course that we can’t possibly see the way back. My two favorite characters in Star Wars sharing a much needed cathartic moment literally made me tear up.

Logan: If I’m picking just one thing then I’m choosing General Leia Organa. My gasp at the flashback of her and Luke was loud and probably annoying to everyone around me. She has a lightsaber. She’s a Jedi Master. She’s fearless and selfless and as bad ass as she ever was. I got to say a beautiful goodbye to Carrie Fisher and that meant more than anything else. Honorable mentions, though, to Harrison Ford returning as Han for one brief shining moment and to Kylo/Ben’s redemption arc that I never for one second thought I would ever buy into and yet somehow did. (Also, D-O and Babu Frik because how can you not love them?)

Maggie: I wish I could say the Reylo kiss was my favorite part of the film, however the moment was so rushed and poorly orchestrated that I struggle with enjoying it. I can’t even think of dialogue in this film that I enjoyed. With The Last Jedi so many lines stood out — lines with substance. I suppose I enjoyed seeing the porgs one last time.

Jenna: My favorite part was when Ben showed up on Exegol to help Rey. The second you saw him running, you knew you were no longer looking at Kylo Ren. This was now Ben Solo. From his hair to his loose sweater to his quiet “Ow”, there was no question about who was on the screen. When Rey and Ben finally used their forcebond to help each other and she gave him Anakin’s lightsaber, I could physically feel my heart squeeze in joy. Oh yeah, the Reylo kiss was pretty amazing, too. Too bad he had to die right after.

Heather: The final force bond between Rey and Ben when she gives him the light saber and he pulls it out from behind his back. That was a moment. I also really liked when after the trio fell through the quicksand stuff Rey lit her saber to light the way and Poe turned on his little flashlight. It was a cheap way to make the audience laugh but it worked and I did.

What was your least favorite part of TRoS?

Cam: I could say literally anything else but i’m gonna go with Ben Solo’s death.

April: The sidelining of Kelly Marie Tran’s Rose along with the insertion of Jannah and Zorrie feels purposeful and wrong. It was recently announced that Rose had only about one and a half minutes of screen time in the entirety of “The Rise of Skywalker” which seems particularly egregious when one considers how prominently she was featured in “The Last Jedi”. Even worse, she is almost “replaced” by the insertion of Zorrie and Jannah, both of whom serve no true purpose to the overall plot of the film.

Zorrie is there to forcefully remind us that Oscar Issac’s Poe is straight and that’s it! You could argue that she put them in contact with the tiny alien (Babu Frik) who wound up highjacking C3PO’s memory drives, but, Poe was a spice runner in this same crew and thus already knew him. We never even see her entire face, but we do get to see her modeling a skin tight pink catsuit-to emphasis her femininity.

The same thing happens with Jannah, an ex-Stormtrooper who exists only to provide a point of similarity with Finn and also to be Lando’s daughter (something that’s not even clearly told in the film. She’s tough and strong and has grit and determination in spades. She doesn’t hesitate to run into battle and in fact supports Finn as he makes what could be a suicide play to take out the lead ship. Both Jannah and Zorrie serve almost as opposites of Rose, in Zorrie: the ultrafeminine and in Jannah, the toughness that Rose wasn’t allowed to have. They even manage to strip Rose of her leadership, refusing to allow her to wear the badge of her station (commander). It’s a disgrace and it should be discussed far and wide.

Anika: I have two that really ticked me off. I absolutely hated Rose Tico’s arc in TROS. New character Beaumont had more lines than she did. After playing a big part in The Last Jedi, I expected more interactions between her, Finn, Poe and Rey, but instead she played the part of an extra, more or less. TROS made it seem as if she was an afterthought for Finn. I never got a chance to see a Rey and Rose friendship or even Rose on a mission with the others. She lost her voice because whiny, entitled fans were upset for no other reason than she was a woman and a person of color. It is even more upsetting that their vitriol was rewarded. The second thing that really bugged me was the predictability and, therefore, unoriginal end of Ben’s death. For once, it would have been nice to see the redeemed hero live.

Logan: There are two least favorite things that are tied for how enraged they make me. One, the obvious sidelining and invalidation of Rose Tico. Which is thanks to Abrams and Company caving to racist and misogynistic nerd boys. Two, the death of Ben Solo. I am by no means a fan of Kylo Ren. Prior to this movie I did not believe for one second that he could be redeemed. (Check my tweets, seriously). But his death does not enrage me for Ben’s sake but for Han and Leia’s. They sacrificed their lives to reach Ben and hopefully save his life. Ben’s death makes their sacrifices pointless. My two favorite Star Wars characters of all time were killed for nothing. Great. Perfect. Thanks, JJ Abrams. That feels fan-freaking-tastic.

Maggie: Where do I even begin? There was about 131 minutes of content I didn’t care for. I will die bitter about how they reduced Rose Tico’s role in response to racist men from the worst parts of the internet. The lines that were given to J.J.’s buddy Dominic Mongaghan could’ve been given to Rose. The fact that the only real lines that Rose had in the film were lines were she rejected joining the main plot seemed far too intentional. Outside of the #WheresRose issue, what they did with Poe Dameron’s character was perhaps my number one complaint coming out of the film. The entire subplot with Zorri Bliss was unnecessary and only served to remind FinnPoe shippers that Poe had a girlfriend and change his backstory to incorporate an unfortunate Latinx stereotype that he was a drug smuggler. Outside of yelling Rey’s name, what was Finn’s role in this film? Coming out of The Last Jedi he had matured as a character, but throughout The Rise of Skywalker it seemed like J.J. had no plan for what to do with him. Wouldn’t it have been awesome if he’d actually been able to say he was Force Sensitive and we didn’t have to get that information from subsequent interviews and an Instagram post?

Jenna: I could probably write a whole book about what I didn’t like about this movie. Plot holes (how Palpatine is alive, Palpatine wanting Rey dead then all of a sudden wanting her alive, how a spaceship that’s been underwater for years and has been torn for scraps actually works), character stories (Rose being sidelined, Poe being a drug dealer, Ben’s redemption arc fading away with his body), and many many more aspects of this movie keep me up at night.

Heather: The sloppy editing, the incoherent storyline beats, how much this movie wanted to be an action movie with all of the “pew pew!” instead of focusing on character and emotional beats and attempting to distract the audience with bright flashing lights and loud sounds so that they wouldn’t notice how nothing was actually making sense with the plot.

If you could change one thing about this movie, what would it be and why?

Cam: I’d definitely make Ben Solo live. Perhaps this sounds simple for some but the fact is, for one if that happened I would have hope for the Skywalkers. All of their suffering, from Anakin Skywalker to Ben Solo wouldn’t have ended in such a bitter note. The Star Wars Saga have always been about the Skywalkers and while a lot is wrong in the last movie, you would think they at least would have respected the legacy and the theme of a 40 year old saga. But the way Rise ended the story Palpatine was able to manipulate and ultimately end their bloodline. It wasn’t a victory, it was a tragedy.

(I won’t even get into how watching the death of a character that felt lost and needed redemption is just a terrible message as well. The number of people that felt utterly defeated and left the movie crying speaks on its own)

April: The kiss between Kylo and Rey. I’ve seen the movie three times now, once alone, and two other times with people who are aware of the films but are not superfans. In every instance the kiss feels out of place, abrupt and unearned, not just to me but to those I attended with. I believe there were other ways to show the connection between Kylo and Rey (and in fact we’ve seen it highlighted in both “The Last Jedi” and “The Rise of Skywalker” via their force connection) without having them kiss. It is perhaps even more jarring to see them share a kiss in the moments before Ren’s death because we’ve never seen Rey or Ren acknowledge the injuries he’s dealt her, both physically and emotionally. It’s impossible to form an emotional investment in a relationship that is built on dishonesty, lack of trust and no genuine affection between either party. Perhaps if Kylo had actually been redeemed it’s a conversation worth having, but he wasn’t and thus, it isn’t.

Anika: Ben Solo’s death and, therefore, the end of the Skywalkers. When I say Ben deserved more, I am saying it from a place that wanted, needed and expected better for the last Skywalker and the child of Leia Organa and Han Solo. Ben Solo has never really known a moment’s peace. I wanted him to live so he could discover who he was without a Sith Lord in his head, to atone for the things he did and to finish the work his mother started. It was lazy and easy writing to kill Ben.

Logan: I’m gonna change two, because if you’re giving me this chance I’m pushing my limits. One: Ben lives. Two: Rose goes with our Main Trio. Ben lives so that Han and Leia’s deaths have meaning. Rose goes with the trio because the amount of times they needed a mechanic were numerous and Rose was wasted staying behind with Leia. (Obviously considering Merry from Lord of the Rings had all the dialogue Rose should have had.)

Maggie: That’s a loaded question. If I had to choose one singular change, I would’ve started the film with Leia having died in the time between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. In that situation, J.J. wouldn’t have been limited to playing around unused The Force Awakens scenes. Poe would’ve been General Poe outright, rather than handing him the role in Act 3 without any follow through. The pacing of the film would’ve likely been better and the stakes would’ve shifted.

Jenna: There are many things I would change in this movie, but if I had to pick one, it would be that Ben would get to live in the end. I’ve heard arguments that he deserved to die because of everything that he’s done, but I would argue back that he deserves to live for those same reasons. Dying is easy, but living is hard. If he had lived, he wouldn’t have just been able to jump into the Resistance with open arms. He would’ve had to work for forgiveness. He deserved to live so that he could eventually earn that forgiveness. Not to mention that his dying also ripped away not only the first love that Rey ever had, but also her Force equivalent of a soulmate.

Heather: I’ll give you three because I do what I want:

Ben Solo should have lived and earned the right to his redemption. Being redeemed through death is cheap and manipulative and had already been done in the original trilogy. Tell a new story. Let the villain earn his redemption by actively righting their wrongs instead of just killing them off.

Rose going on the adventure with the trio. Her underutilization is disgustingly criminal.

Not making Poe a drug runner just for a laugh and a plot point. There wasn’t even a hint of shady behavior in the other two movies so pulling it out of left field was not only jarring but for fans who actually read the supplemental material, noticeably false.

What unanswered questions would you like to have been addressed?

Cam: How is Palpatine back? Why didn’t Rey’s dad show up to her all these years if he was Force Sensitive? If Palpatine created Snoke why didn’t he know about the Force Dyad until the end of the movie? Why didn’t Ben Solo’s force ghost show up? Why didn’t we see Rey mourn her canonical soulmate? What is happening between Finn and Rose? Why was Kelly Marie Tran so terribly sidelined?

April: What is the confession Finn is trying to make? Yes, it has been purported that it’s pertaining to his force sensitivity. But this is a fact already known since The Force Awakens and one that he would not seek to hide from Poe, especially not in his potential dying moments. In fact, he mentions to Jannah that what led him away from the First Order was the force. We have no reason to believe force sensitivity is truly the secret.

Why didn’t Lando search for his missing daughter? The Visual Dictionary advises us that Jannah is Lando’s daughter and yet we are to believe that Lando has not spent the past 20 years searching for his daughter but stuck on another desert planet doing exactly nothing. Even the ending scene is ambiguous about who Jannah really is.

How did Palpatine survive being thrown down a shaft by Darth Vader and blown up in the second Death Star? We’re given no hints about that, although we are shown Palpatine hooked up to a crane like device receiving constant transfusions to a zombified corpse.

When did Palpatine even have time to have a child? Given the time frame, the only possible time for Rey’s father to have been, well…fathered is between “Revenge of the Sith” and “A New Hope” and I don’t know a lot of people who would have slept with Palpatine the way he looked back then.

How did Luke and Leia discover Rey was a Palpatine? Did Luke discover it in the Force? Was it just a feeling he had? Why did neither of them think to mention it to to Rey? Why did they continue to train her after discovering it?

Anika: How is Palpatine still alive and, if he created Snoke, why didn’t he know Ben and Rey were bonded? If Palpatine could find Ben in Leia’s womb, why couldn’t he find his granddaughter who shared his blood? Why didn’t Leia become a Force Ghost until Ben’s death and why didn’t Ben become one at all? Most importantly, I need to know where the Sith death eaters came from?

Logan: Does Rey ever find out that Finn has been pining for her for three films? That seemed like something important they introduced in The Force Awakens that got dropped for no reason. (Bonus: How was Palpatine behind Snoke this whole time? That made no sense whatsoever.)

Maggie: Why wasn’t Ben a Force Ghost at the end? Why did Rey decided to bury the lightsabers on Tatooine — a planet Luke despised, Anakin hated, and Leia never visited. How is the galaxy going to react to the granddaughter of Darth Sidious? How does Rey feel about the revelation? Why didn’t Rey mourn the loss of Ben? Why was Maz smiling when Leia vanished, given that Ben had died? Why was there so much focus on Rey staring at children? What was the point of the Force Dyad? What was the point of the visions in The Force Awakens? Why did the Knights of Ren exist? Why didn’t they just say Jannah is Lando’s daughter?

Jenna: How did Palpatine survive? What happened to Finn and Rose’s relationship? What was the point of Rey’s vision in The Last Jedi signifying that she was a nobody if she was a Palpatine? How did Ben not die after being thrown off the cliff? Why did the Jedi not help Ben? Why did the Jedi not do something to help heal Rey when she died after killing Palpatine? Why was Ben not a Force Ghost in the end? Why did we see such little reaction from Rey when Ben died? Why did Rey bury the lightsabers on Tatooine? Why did Leia wait to become one with the Force until Ben died, as if that’s something she wanted? Why did Rey take the Skywalker name instead of embracing that she didn’t need a name to make her special?

Heather: So many questions. How is Palpatine back? How did Ben get to Exegol if Rey stole his Tie Fighter on the Death Star? Why did Palps not know Ben and Rey had a force bond if Snoke claimed to create it and he created Snoke? Why did both Snoke and Palpatine want Kylo to kill Rey if in the end he wanted Rey to kill him instead? How was Poe ever a drug runner when in his comic he was born and raised on the Rebel base? If killing Palpatine would bring all of the Sith in to Rey’s body and she did in fact kill him, do all of the Sith and all of the Jedi live in her now? Why did Anakin say, “Rise and bring balance to the force like I did.” when Palpatine wasn’t dead meaning he didn’t bring balance to the force (and really his whole arc is now obsolete since he was in fact, not the chosen one after all)? There are more but if I kept going I would have an entire essay.

Were you satisfied by the ending of the trilogy? Why or why not?

Cam: Not at all. This trilogy ended making an even bigger tragedy out of the Skywalkers, I can barely watch the other movies without thinking “this was all for nothing.” The one character that knew enough about the Skywalkers and survived the ordeal (Rey) is alone. What is there to be satisfied about?

April: As an ending to Luke’s story I am absolutely satisfied with the ending of the trilogy and as a fan of his, I’m happy with what we received for him, Leia and even Anakin. As a fan of the new trio, I find myself wanting more of their stories. Who are they besides a former scavenger, spice runner and stormtrooper? Yes, Rey is “all the Jedi” and the granddaughter of Palpatine but who is Rey? We’ve spent three films with her and her primary focus has always been saving a male of the Skywalker line, in “The Force Awakens” that’s Luke and in “The Last Jedi” and “The Rise of Skywalker” that’s Kylo.

Who is she when that’s not her primary focus? Now we’ll never know. Yes, Poe is a child of the resistance, a spice runner and, now, a general, but who is Poe? In both “The Force Awakens” and “The Rise of Skywalker we see the beginnings of his story, a child of the resistance who, perhaps due to his parent’s deaths winds up a spice runner (something I don’t find as objectionable as many do-historically People of Color often do things deemed objectionable to support themselves or their families in troubled times) before coming back into the resistance fold with the return of information about Luke Skywalker’s return. We are given hints of his time as a spice runner, a possible past romance with Zorrie and then nothing else.

Finn is perhaps the biggest mystery. Even his name is not his own, given to him by Poe upon their first meeting. We will never know who he came from, what specifically about “the force” drove him to leave the First Order and trust the Resistance. We’ll never learn more about his force sensitivity and what that means for his potential future as a Jedi, we’ll never learn about the other stormtroopers who are also potentially force sensitive. So much is left up to guesswork and it is the worst part of the ending to me.

Anika: I was not satisfied at all. As I said before, the redeemed hero dying is so predictable. The story of the Skywalkers ends as one of tragedy and not hope(I’m sorry saying you are a Skywalker does not make you one). Rey is back in the desert again. I really don’t see how some found this satisfying.

Logan: No, because now Han and Leia died for nothing. That is the worst ending I could have imagined for two heroes of their caliber.

Maggie: No. I genuinely do not know how anyone can be satisfied with that ending. Han, Leia, and Luke died for nothing. The Skywalker line is dead. A Palpatine is using their name. Rey is back on a desert planet, right where she began.

Jenna: No. I felt like I left the theater with more questions than when I walked in, and that’s never something you want from the conclusion of a trilogy. I walked out literally feeling used and abused.

Heather: No. I am not satisfied at all. As a whole this movie was a mess. I know that JJ Abrams and Chris Terrio want to place the blame of that on to literally everyone but themselves but the fact of the matter is Rian Johnson dismantled everything in The Last Jedi which gave them a fresh start to tell a different story. Instead, they pretended that TLJ didn’t happen at all, retconned everything that happened in it, and once again fell on to using what worked in the original trilogy, instead of doing what their paid to do and giving us a cohesive, good, imaginative story. Putting all of your faith in to a trilogy and thinking it’s going to lead somewhere that they assured you was hopeful and good and having the rug pulled from under you is not what I would call a good time.

Kylo Ren; Redeemed or not? Do actions speak louder than words?

Cam: Definitely yes. Adam Driver was given nearly 0 lines after the redemption, so it’s hard to speak about words here, but ultimately his character did everything in his power to fight Palpatine and save Rey, so, yes.

April: I do not believe that Kylo Ren was redeemed, nor do I believe it was ever in the cards for him to be redeemed. There is a common belief that Kylo turned due to abuse, but we are not canonically shown any evidence of this. Yes, a voice whispering in your head can be stressful, but Kylo was born to two of the biggest heroes in the resistance and nephew to another, even if he didn’t feel comfortable turning to Luke (and who can blame him) in the aftermath of Luke contemplating killing him, his parents were still there. In choosing to run to Snoke, Kylo made a choice that would forever taint his life. In each movie of the franchise, we continue to see Kylo choose darkness and power.

In “The Force Awakens” he slaughters a village to obtain information about his uncle. He kills Snoke to become the Supreme Leader, in “The Last Jedi”, and when Rey offers him her hand, the final opportunity to truly do good, he refuses because his desire for power is stronger. Even as “The Rise of Skywalker” begins he is once again slaughtering people (who, to be fair, were a cult loyal to both Vader and Lady Corvax-but again, this information is not shown it is told in the Visual Dictionary). When he is searching out Palpatine it is, once again, to kill the person standing between him and the potential for true power. Kylo is, for all intents and purposes his grandfather all over again and neither of them deserved redemption in the true sense of the word.

Kylo’s last few acts, to run to Exegol, to fight against Palpatine and to give his life force to Rey are-ultimately much the same as his grandfather’s. He realizes that he’ll never truly have the ability to atone for his actions and so he gives his life to Rey, allowing her to be the balance his grandfather was always meant to be. This sacrifice is the most noble thing Kylo is ever shown to have done and because it comes so late in the trilogy, literally the final act of the final act, it is largely worthless. It is possible to give characters like Kylo real redemption (see Zuko of “The Last Airbender” fame) and it would perhaps have been possible even for Kylo, if only they’d begin his journey to that redemption in the end of “The Force Awakens” or the beginning of “The Last Jedi.”.

Anika: Redeemed. It’s been something I have wanted for him since The Force Awakens. I expected more with his redemption, however. He never got to express himself through words and I hate that he was sidelined for the fight with Palpatine. I’m glad we got a redemption, but it felt a little anti-climatic.

Logan: Not a fan of Kylo Ren, but I would say yes. I think as Han said, Kylo Ren is dead. We were seeing Ben Solo by the end of that movie and I wish we hadn’t had to say goodbye so soon. Adam Driver made him the perfect combination of Han and Leia and that could have been a joy to watch for more than just a few minutes.

Maggie: I have been rooting for Bendemption since The Force Awakens. The execution of redemption was awful. I would love to know what J.J. has against Adam Driver, because from the moment Kylo Ren is “redeemed” he speaks a single line of dialogue — “ow”. While I love the moment where Ben fights the Knights of Ren, I would’ve preferred some sort of dialogue as a trade. Not to mention the film starts with Kylo Ren reduced to his The Force Awakens persona and seems to forget The Last Jedi even happened. I got redemption, but at what cost?

Jenna: Kylo Ren being redeemed was one of the things I was looking forward to most this movie, but I was severely let down with how I got it. The scene with Kylo and Han was cheaply ripped straight from The Force Awakens. I believe they could have done this in a good way, but sadly, the way they chose to do it wasn’t the best. However, I did enjoy his scene on Exegol when he fought against the Knights of Ren. Unfortunately, this was also downplayed by Ben’s lack of dialogue in the whole end of the movie. After his redemption, we never get to hear him talk again, and then he dies.

Heather: Absolutely redeemed. Not only did Han explicitly say (and it doesn’t matter that it was in Kylo’s head because it’s what the writing wanted the audience to take away from the conversation by explicitly stating it) that “Kylo Ren is dead, my son is alive.” But Kylo threw his saber in to the ocean, picked up a blaster, and became Ben Solo. His mannerisms, his wardrobe, everything screamed, “I’m a different person now!” So, yes. It’s funny that you ask if actions speak louder than words though since the only word he said after his redemption was “Ow.” Don’t get me started.

Would you like to see more of the Skywalker saga? Is it put to rest?

Cam: Before watching Rise of Skywalker I would say no, but right now I kinda need one last movie to actually give justice to the Skywallkers. Just saying.

April: As I stated earlier, I believe that “The Rise of Skywalker” puts paid to the Skywalker Saga. I believe that their story has reached it’s natural, hard fought conclusion. I am satisfied with where our original characters have been left, with perhaps the exception of General Leia Organa but we all know why her story ended the way it did. With that being said, I would be interested in following the story of our sequel trio for one more film, watching them truly discover themselves and their reason independent of the influence of the Skywalker family. I’d also love a story about Rose Tico and Paige Tico, if Kelly Marie Tran would be interested.

Anika: In the current state of affairs, no. If they explain that Ben isn’t really dead, but exists in the World between worlds and there is a quest to bring him back, I’m all for it. I don’t see how you continue the saga without a Skywalker. Again, I don’t count Rey as one because she says so.

Logan: Unless they can give me a do over of this entire movie then no. Leave it lying in it’s own mediocrity. It’s what Abrams, Kennedy, and crew deserve for allowing fear of a fandom to dictate their every decision. They were afraid of giving any one group something so, as a result, no one got anything. Let’s just put the Skywalkers out of their misery and move on to new characters and new sagas. (Once again, unless I can get a do over of the final film in the saga which will never happen.)

Maggie: Look, if it’s the actual Skywalkers and not Rey Palpatine using their name, then sure. I keep saying I would love to see them create something like The Clone Wars to improve upon this terribly rushed film.

Jenna: I would only like to see more of the Skywalker saga if they would bring back Ben. Put an actual Skywalker on my screen, or I don’t want it.

Heather: I’m not particularly thrilled that at the end of the “Skywalker Saga” all of the Skywalker’s are actually dead. In fact, I’m downright bitter about it and don’t find that satisfying in any way whatsoever. So, I think after a rest (perhaps 5-10 years) I would like to see more of the Skywalker Story. Maybe Ben is in the World Between Worlds paying penance, maybe Force Ghost Luke is getting up to some after life shenanigans. I don’t know but I do know that I’d love to see it.

Who is your favorite character of the sequel trilogy?

Cam: Ben Solo.

April: My favorite character in this last installment of the Skywalker Saga is Finn. Former stormtrooper turned resistance hero his story is what a lot of people wanted Kylo Ren’s to be. He’s bold and protective of his found family. He’s kind and generous and, even as he makes mistakes, he works consistently to correct them. He has never left a friend behind. He is loyal and fair. His choice to consistently do “the right thing” when every piece of his upbringing tells him otherwise is hero-worthy. I’m so grateful that he was created and so grateful that John Boyega was chosen to breathe life into him.

Anika: Kylo Ren, hands down. He was more of an emotional, adult child still seeking love and approval than a real villain to me. His struggle with the Light that’s still a part of him, his connection to Rey which is his first real connection to anyone in years, his vulnerability and his redemption made him more than a one dimensional villain. No one could have done this character any more justice than Adam Driver did.

Logan: If I discount one off characters then Poe Dameron. He’s a lot like Han Solo, who has been the love of my life for as far back as I can remember. Also, his introduction in The Force Awakens is one of my all time favorite sequel trilogy moments and I loved him butting heads with Holdo all through The Last Jedi. He was also was the sole character in our main trio to truly keep me invested in this last film.

Maggie: I’m torn between Kylo Ren and Poe Dameron. I think they’re both phenomenal characters and I only wish that the final film had done better with their storylines.

Jenna: Kylo Ren is my absolute favorite. Watching his internal conflict turn to redemption, hate for Rey turn to love, and everything in between was what captivated me to this trilogy. It also helps that Adam Driver is such an amazing actor. He could make watching a cactus interesting.

Heather: Despite being Reylo Trash (which I am and have the necklace that says so to prove it), after much thought I think I’m going to give my favorite character award to Rose. While she was disgustingly underutilized and truly only got one movie to show her stuff I find myself often thinking about “We win not by fighting what we hate but saving what we love.” I find Rose to be an inspirational character. She’s tough but loving. She seems less like a character and more like someone I would know in reality. I don’t know if my love for Rose is for the character herself or because of Kelly Marie Tran’s performance of her but that’s my final answer.

Do you agree? Disagree? Love it, hate it? Either way sound off below in the comments or find us on twitter @TVSource. Thank you to all of our wonderful participants for giving us your wonderful, well thought out answers!

#reylo #tros #fan reactions #from different sides of the fandom #roundtable #reviews #interesting

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hereticpriest · 5 years ago

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Lost Stars Part 1

Post John Wick 3: Parabellum.

SPOILERS

@lvngdvns

“We can’t do this by ourselves.”

“I don’t intend on it.” The Bowery King stands tall despite his injuries, looking down on John Wick, the boogeyman, somehow still alive. Maybe it’s skill, or dumb luck, or perhaps he’s just too damn stubborn to die. Either way, he’s alive, and the Bowery King intends on making use of him in this fight for revenge. Him, and his connections.

“Aurelio gave this to me. She gave it to him at her father’s funeral. He gave it to me just before you went excommunicado. She designs weapons now. She left the business ages ago, but she stays in through a third party to keep selling her designs.”

The envelope he holds is old school, wax sealed, with words written on the front in bold, red script.

When John does something stupid, open me

John tenses, taking the envelope from him and carefully opening it. Inside is a piece of cardstock with an address written on it, a key with a number on it, and a pass to enter a storage facility. There is no personalized letter, no signature. To anyone else, it might even appear emotionless. However, John knows the truth. John could see that the action itself was the emotion. This was a woman with whom he had had a toxic relationship, and since he had left her, he had killed her brother and her father. After Viggo’s funeral, he received a letter stating her intention to avoid any sort of feud. Giving him condolences, expressing she's glad he got to experience Helen's love and hopes he appreciates how much of a gift that was, and saying she hopes he finds peace after this. The letter was without return address, or any evidence of where it came from.

There had always been a space in his heart that she had lived in, and that she would never leave. She was the first woman he ever felt for, though he hadn’t realized it was love until it was far too late. He hadn’t had a chance to go looking for her since he received the letter, and he wasn’t sure how welcome he would be if he did. But now? Her reaching out with this olive branch was a good sign at very least.

With her, this might even be possible.

Mischa Tarasov, the eldest of the Tarasov children, had always been everything her father wished. She was brilliant, with a keen mind for business, strategy and tactical defense. She was charming, a brilliant liar, and able to think on her feet. She spoke multiple languages, had been tutored in tactics since she was a child, and had been taught varying forms of self-defence since she was a toddler. Ballet, gymnastics and acrobatics had rounded out her training, giving her versatility and instilling an almost unhealthy work ethic in her. She was everything her brother wasn’t; driven, focused, able to lead or follow in any given situation. Mischa could take a punch, could endure torture, and could inflict it effectively. She was everything that Viggo wanted, and she had loved her brother with all of her heart despite his rampant stupidity and short-sightedness.

When she left the Russian mob, it was not because she didn’t love her family. She left the life because she wanted to be Mischa instead of Mischa Tarasov. That began with continuing her ballet training, leading her to find an apartment of her own. She got a roommate to help keep herself afloat, despite the money she had. She wanted to save it, in case of emergency. Which is how she met Mallory, and by extension, Duncan. Mallory was everything Mischa could have wanted from a roommate, and her boyfriend Duncan was just as amazing. Of course, that was after Mischa had a serious conversation with Duncan about knowing he was the Black Kaiser and how she knew how to kill him if he hurt Mallory. Mischa struggled with relationships, primarily because she didn’t want attachments, and because she didn’t trust easily.

Mallory frequently found herself concerned with Mischa’s stress level, and that led to her badgering her constantly. Which led to Duncan intervening on Mischa’s behalf. That led to Mallory and Duncan catching each other admiring Mischa’s ass as she bent to pick up some clothes from the floor in her room while wearing a sundress that barely covered her. After a frank conversation, Mal and Duncan agreed to approach Mischa separately before going together.

One night while Duncan was out of town, Mallory approached Mischa while she was bathing after ballet practice. She started easy, rubbing Mischa’s ankles and calves, then moving up to rub her shoulders. Mischa questioned it soon enough, and Mal assured her that Duncan was okay with this. Mischa leaned into her touch after that, dragging Mal into the bath with her without much more thought to it. Mal ended up taking the lead, and after fingering Mischa in the bath for a bit, the girls ended up in Mallory’s bed. Mal tugged Mischa into a top-and-tail position, giving her little chance to breathe before she began to work her open with her fingers.

It took a couple of days before Mallory was off overnight for work, and before she left, she stole a couple of kisses from Duncan and told him to have fun. Mischa overheard that from the kitchen and furrowed her brows, cracking open a beer. Just over an hour later, Duncan had Mischa lazily slumped against him while they watched a film, playing with her hair. He was hard from anticipation, and he didn’t see much point in dancing around the point, so he gently tilted her head back so she was looking at him.

“Ya hotela tebya ves’ den’.” Duncan murmured, watching Mischa’s pupils dilate and her lips part. (Translation: I’ve wanted you all day)

“Duncan… Mallory-“

“She knows. She wants it. Just like I wanted her to play with you.” Duncan promised, skimming his hands over her hips. When Mischa nodded, he lifted her easily, setting her on the kitchen table. Once her jeans were off, he pulled her underwear to the side and slipped on a condom, then began to slowly press into her. By the time Mallory returned the following morning, Mischa was blissed out in bed with bruises covering her hips and thighs while Duncan sleepily made breakfast. It became a thing after that. Odd as it may sound, Mischa became a part of their relationship. If Mallory or Duncan were gone, the other would usually turn to Mischa for affection. When they were together, Mischa was a bit of an outlet for both of them. All the while Mischa was able to get the affection and sex that she needed while never feeling trapped by the relationship.

Duncan told Mallory about his background, so Mischa came clean as well. Duncan helped Mischa get some contact with the underground again and assisted her with transporting her designs and retrieving payment. When Mallory decided to move in with Duncan, Mischa was sad to lose her roommate, but the pair invited her to live with them not long after. Their triad was comfortable, and there wasn’t much point in separating if they didn’t have a reason.

It continued like this for some time. Mallory and Duncan comforted her when John got married, though she absolutely refused to admit she cared. Mallory insisted she had stunted emotional growth, but Duncan would just remind her how Mischa grew up and it would once again become clear why. The day after the wedding, Mischa admitted she was happy for John, as he finally would get to experience a life on the outside. To love, and be loved, as he deserved. It hurt, but Mischa was used to pain and had enough distance from John to adjust quickly.

Learning of his wife’s death was difficult, and the events that followed regarding her brother and father made her want to lash out, but she wasn’t sure if she was more upset with John or her own family. In the end, she stayed out of it and simply waited until she got the call from Uncle Abram through Duncan to assist with the funerals. She was paid out her entire inheritance, as well as Iosef’s, and she put them in the bank, then gave Aurelio a letter at the funeral and went home. She didn’t leave her room for a week after the funerals, and once she came out, it was to go to an appointment for tattoos.

She had a collection of mob related tattoos, including 8-point stars just below her collarbones and an intricate cross on her ribs. Tarasov was tattooed on her shoulder blades in big letters, and she had a lioness rampant on her lower back on the left side. After her latest appointment, she returned with a tattoo of Iosef’s birthday on her wrist, Viggo’s name on the inside of her upper right arm, and two Xs behind her right ear. MS and DV had been tattooed behind her left ear for years, one of her only non-mob related tattoos. She also carried John’s initials carved into her inner thigh from when she had been his.

After getting her tattoos, Mischa readjusted to normal life in the healthiest way she could – by getting Duncan and Mallory to hurt her. Duncan taught Mallory how to use Mischa’s stiletto knife to cut lines into her hips that would heal with minimal to no scarring. He helped Mallory tie Mischa into intricate poses that strained her muscles even with her ballet training, and left her in them until she tapped out or he decided that any more would do serious damage. Usually the latter, considering the stubborn set of Mischa’s chin. Duncan fucked her hard enough to make every movement ache, and Mal helped force her to cum over and over again until she begged them to stop. Mallory practiced asphyxiation under Duncan’s watchful eye, and the two spent a day edging Mischa until she sobbed, broken and defeated. After five days of this with only the most basic aftercare allowed by the stubborn Russian woman, Mischa clutched the two of them to her and allowed them in. They showered her in love, each in their own unique ways, and things finally went back to normal.

They stayed good for a while, until Mischa’s phone dinged one day with an alert telling her that someone had just entered her emergency storage shed.

She lays behind Mallory, curled around her while she laid half on Duncan, watching the security cameras to catch a glimpse of John. The pang she felt when she saw him again showed on her face, clearly, because Mallory steals her phone to take a look. She sighs.

“You weren’t kidding, Misch. He’s handsome.”

Duncan chuckles, leaning over to look despite knowing full well what John Wick looks like. They watch as he searches through the storage shed, finding each hidden shelf and drawer like they were labelled for him. She supposed in a way they were, since he had shown her a lot of the techniques she had used. After finding the address she had left for him for their new home, he uses one of the bags she’d left to load up on weapons, ammo, body armour and gold coins, then grabs the bag of essentials she’d left under her desk and heads out.

“He won’t take long to get here.” Mischa informs them quietly, looking unsure of whether she was happy or sad about that, “I won’t drag you guys into this, I promise. I don’t know if I’ll see you again, but my will is under the floorboards in my room. It’s valid, but someone might try to change the contents, so I’ll leave you guys with the original copy.”

“Mischa, stop it.” Mallory insists, snuggling closer to her.

“No, Mal, I’m serious. There’s every chance I won’t come back. I’m going to try not to die, but I can’t promise I won’t.” Mischa looks up at Duncan, and he sighs softly, leaning over to kiss her passionately. It is a goodbye kiss, and Mischa loves him for giving that to her. Just in case.

Mallory notices the energy in the room, and after a moment of observing Duncan, she pins Mischa to the bed and kisses her hard. It is its own kind of goodbye kiss – the kind of kiss you give someone instead of saying ‘damn you for leaving’. Mischa presses her forehead against Mal’s once they part, just breathing her in and enjoying her last hours with them.

“Look after her, Duncan. If you guys have kids, you better name it after me.” Mischa teases, smiling at Duncan’s snort. She snuggles in between them, relishing in their affection while she still has it. Soaking it in like warmth on a cold night.

Neither of them ask if she really has to go. They know the answer.

#john wick #spoilers for parabellum #john wick/oc #john wick/original character #duncan vizla/oc #duncan vizla #polar #oc/duncan vizla/oc

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thisismydesignhannibal · 7 years ago

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FannibalFest 2017 Recap! 1/3

PIC HEAVY!

PHEW! Going to have to do a few of these to even attempt to cover such an amazing experience! My apologies for taking so long with this... Con drop is real people! And even though I’m usually on Tumblr more, Twitter was easier to use during the Con. If you’re interested in even more pics and stuff, you can always go find me there (@MyDesignHanibl). I’ll do some general con stuff in this post, and follow up with two about the tours (one for each day).

FIRST OFF, WHAT AN AMAZING CON!!!!!

If you were thinking about going but were on the fence, PLEASE consider it next time! It was absolutely amazing. The guests, tours, panels, props, meals and overall vibes were just wonderful. @fannibalfest-toronto did an incredible job!

Our wonderful guests, Janice Poon, Vladimir Jon Cubrt, Martha De Laurentiis, Demore Barnes, Scott Thompson, and Aaron Abrams! And one of many appearances of special guest, Peking Hannibal... Janice brought him and he got a really good run for his money with us ;)

SO MANY MORE THE PICS under the cut!

I apologize in advance that my pics of the guests aren’t better... I was so busy clapping and giggling (not to mention not wanting to shove a camera in their faces) that they could be better :/

The cast arrived at the welcome ceremony ahead of Mamma Martha. They seemed so happy and excited to see us, Vlad ran around the room giving high fives, Demore was incredibly eloquent, Aaron and Scott hilarious, and Janice adorable!

The guests were presented GORGEOUS personalized flower crowns by the incredibly talented @apoptoses Below, you can see the lovely crown she made for me, and her absolutely STUNNING cosplay of Margot! Love and hugs my talented, funny, lovely Hannipologist friend XO P.S. She takes commissions!

Some photos of me with the Cast and one with Mamma Martha! They were all so generous and seemed to get a real kick out of everyone’s poses. I love Janice being EXTRA in the group photo and Scott deciding to make it like an awkward family photo... Demore kept his hand on my back through the photo and I could barely concentrate ;P He really tries to make sure people are at ease and he is constantly dropping words of eloquent wisdom with that incredible voice of his!!! When it came time for my solo photo with him, he asked what I wanted and I just blurted out “I want you to strangle me!” he gave me that low chuckle and this pic is what came of it... we laughed later at the autograph session that it looks like I’m being strangled by a Dr Seuss character ;P Aaron and Scott really liked my photo with them, and Aaron even posted it on his Instagram! It was from Scott’s comments about how his gun instructor on the show had to keep telling him to tone down the Charlie’s Angels with how he wielded the gun, HA! Vlad was super high energy and welcoming... I was able to borrow the plastic knife from the lovely @miasmatik and ask him to “cut my throat” Vlad asked if I wanted us to play serious to which I stupidly responded “I’m happy you’re murdering me!” He laughed and said “Ok, then I’m going to be really menacing.” ;P They all loved @apoptoses flower crown and my shirt by @wisesnail <333

Mamma Martha! We were incredibly lucky that Martha announced at the last minute that she was going to do free autographs and selfies with everyone! She was so generous with her time and seemed really amazed by the dedication and creativity of the fandom. No major Season 4 news, but she’s definitely working on it and appreciates our ongoing support.

One of the biggest highlights for me was when my fic The Way I Changed You won the Stag Awards for the fluff category!!! Both Janice and Demore presented my award (a copy of the @radiance-anthology and a nice plaque!) and gave me some lovely hugs :) I’ll do a proper post for it soon, but I’ve finally got it up on AO3 if you’d like to read!

Aaron and Scott joking about not caring that the other is answering questions aimed only at them ;P With all their hilarity and jokes, what struck me most is that they seem so much like an old married couple! Aaron is such a long-suffering wife, and Scott constantly looks to Aaron to both rein him in and egg him on :P They riff off each other so much and seem really in sync. Both incredibly good sports and Aaron in particular seemed so fascinated and complimentary of the fandom and everything we do.

Martha did her own panel and told us so much about how Hannibal came to be, the complexities of rights, and how she found herself in the roll she’s in. I had no idea that she started out with a modeling scholarship that took her to New York... hating the modeling, she then went to school for accounting and started doing books for films in New York! Such an inspiring story. The final panel had everyone, including Janice, which was a lovely treat! Janice’s story was just as fascinating as Martha’s, including designing weddings for Saudi princesses, being an editor, and owning a fancy shop in Toronto’s high-end Yorkville neighbourhood. She described herself as “rudderless” and said it was a wonderful thing :D

At his panel Demore spoke so eloquently about basically everything and gave two lucky Fannibals the opportunity to get played like a cello...to two songs he hummed from Phantom of the Opera ;P Aaron found he was missing a button at the Sassy Science panel...eventually he substituted a Hannibal pin to fill in the gap!

Some more photos of the cast... Demore being beautifully eloquent at the meet and greet, Aaron checking Scott before he said something he shouldn’t (he was slacking on the job a bit!), Vlad being Vlad and really coaxing the energy in the room, and Aaron making Hannidoll bow down to him in the meet and greet (take note of the pin). Mostly they asked questions about us at the meet and greet, and seemed so genuinely interested in the fandom and what we do. They said we feel like a family :)

A fun arrangement of Hannidolls that accidentally ended up as a centerpiece on the main table at the luncheon! Aaron in particular seemed to think it was hilarious and took a ton of pics ;P It was moved off the table since we didn’t want them to be uncomfortable, but they thought it was funny :)

Our dinner with Janice! The menu had vegetarian options for us few vegetarian cannibals, which was lovely. Janice came around and sat with us while we ate and was honestly just ONE OF US. She’s just like talking to another Fannibal, albeit one who knows a bunch of stories about teaching Mads to cook and whether he swallows (he does ;P) and she can be just as wonderfully inappropriate as us (take for example her comment about hypothetically saving Hannibal’s cock in the freezer for “reasons” instead of eating it ;P) Afterwards she signed our menus and hung out. She in no way kept herself separate from us and often was seen around the Con or taking in panels (or messing around with the Peking Hannibal!)

Peking Hannibal was a big hit...Janice brought him to the party and he made lots of appearances throughout the Con. He’s an actual Mads body cast so you can imagine that we were...interested...for reasons ;P Janice’s sanguinaccio dolce demo was on the second day and she had him all laid out and covered in fruit (top pic!) and was totally cool with us checking him out after the demo was over.

OK! I have so many pics but I should stop :P If you have any particular questions just let me know!

Stay tuned for 2 more posts on the two tours!!!

1st tour post

2nd tour post

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cedarrrun · 4 years ago

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The placebo effect remains one of medicine’s greatest mysteries. Here’s what we know about how it works and how we can use it to help our bodies heal.

Rachel Carlton Abrams, MD, knows firsthand how wonky teenagers’ sleep schedules can be. Three years ago, her then-17-year-old daughter couldn’t fall asleep until well past midnight most nights, which resulted in unpleasant mornings on school days. Low light, sleep teas, and screen-free evenings weren’t helping, so Abrams decided to add another element to the nighttime routine: a low dose of melatonin, a hormone supplement that may help regulate the sleep-wake cycle. Research shows it’s been effective with sleep issues such as jet lag, but not with chronic insomnia.

But that melatonin worked like magic for her daughter, says Abrams, an integrative family medicine physician and author of the book BodyWise. “As a doctor and a parent, I know we are all suggestible: If the mind believes it will be sleepy, it will be sleepy.”

Irina Todorov, MD, an integrative family medicine physician at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, had a similar experience with one of her patients, who’d suffered from chronic knee pain for more than a year. Over-the-counter painkillers, physical therapy, and injections hadn’t helped, and knee-replacement surgery was the likely next step. But Todorov wanted to try one more thing first. She recommended the patient start taking Boswellia serrata, also known as Indian frankincense. While research suggests the herbal supplement can reduce pain and inflammation from knee osteoarthritis, it usually takes several weeks. But Todorov’s patient reported that the morning after she took the first dose, her pain was completely gone, and it stayed that way.

Could either of these supplements have worked so quickly and completely all on their own to cure insomnia and chronic pain? Possibly. Without conducting controlled clinical trials, we can’t know for certain, but both physicians credit their simple suggestion with the diminished symptoms—in other words, the placebo effect.

see also Yoga for Chronic Pain

Imagine a visit to a physician’s office. Symbols of treatment are everywhere—the name of the practice on the door, the framed diplomas on the wall, latex gloves, white lab coats, stethoscopes, and prescription pads. We recognize these things and assign meaning to them. To us, they represent medical care. These symbols are entangled with what Kaptchuk calls the rituals of treatment: the series of actions both patient and provider take to initiate healing.

Consider how taking a class at a yoga studio is imbued with ritual, even before we move into the first pose. We don our yoga clothes, enter the space, remove our shoes, set up our mats and props, and immediately we may feel more relaxed and centered as we wait for class to start. The same principle applies to rituals in the health care setting. The interactions leading up to treatment tell the brain we have entered an environment conducive to healing—the process of care has begun.

The final component that Kaptchuk believes initiates a placebo response is the relationship between the patient and provider. Research suggests patients are more likely to experience a placebo effect when working with a physician they’ve determined to be both likable and competent. According to Kaptchuk, the placebo effect is 50 percent stronger when there’s a positive interaction with a provider.

see also The Ultimate Crystal Rituals Guide

Consider healing practices such as yoga, meditation, acupuncture, and Reiki. These modalities work with the parasympathetic nervous system by lowering heart rate and inducing a state of calm and relaxation, says Chasse Bailey-Dorton, MD, chief of integrative oncology at Levine Cancer Institute in Charlotte, North Carolina. Some of these modalities haven’t been robustly researched, so the exact mechanisms by which they work aren’t precisely known. But part of what’s happening may be a placebo response initiated by the ritual of treatment and the patient-practitioner relationship, Bailey-Dorton says. That, combined with our own conditioning and openness to a treatment’s potential efficacy, unleashes a cascade of events in the brain and body—and while that’s as much as the experts know about what causes a placebo effect, it’s enough information to put to work for our benefit.

One of the core tenets of integrative medicine is that it is both “heart-centered and patient-centered,” Abrams says. “Caring about your patients is actually essential to their healing. When you enter a practitioner’s care, do you feel safe? Do you feel listened to? These factors have a dramatic impact on your health outcomes.”

Experts agree there’s a connection between the mind and body. If you’ve ever had sweaty palms before a job interview or butterflies before giving a speech, you’ve experienced it, Bailey-Dorton says. Feelings that start in the brain—nervousness, anxiety, overwhelm��can cause physical sensations in the body. “If the mind-body connection is powerful enough to cause butterflies, what else is it powerful enough to generate to help our bodies heal?” she says. And yet, experts don’t agree on the scope of the placebo effect or how it relates to the mind-body connection. Some, like Kaptchuk, confine the response to certain circumstances under clinical conditions. Others, like Abrams, say it’s evidence of the body’s ability to heal itself.

See also Understanding the Mind-Body Connection

Tap Into Your Inner Healer

Even though the placebo effect is still shrouded in plenty of mystery and debate, there are ways we can tap into it on our own. Creating symbols and rituals of healing at home can be just as powerful as those we find in a physician’s office, says Lissa Rankin, MD, founder of the Whole Health Medicine Institute and author of Mind Over Medicine. “Create a home altar you associate with healing,” she says. “Imbue your herbs, supplements, and pharmaceuticals with your own rituals: Sage them, wave incense over them, pray to them.” Paired with visits to caring practitioners, our own rituals of healing can encourage a placebo response and help chill us out, Rankin says. “Positive belief, meditation, prayer, and the loving presence of a true healer all relax the nervous system, taking us out of the chronic fight-or-flight that causes disease, activating the body’s natural self-healing mechanisms,” she says.

To that end, visualization, with guided suggestions from a trusted health care provider, is a powerful tool associated with the placebo effect. “When my patients have procedures, even unpleasant ones such as injections or chemotherapy, I have them visualize that the substance entering their body is positive and is going to do its good work to help them,” Abrams says. “They might imagine the chemotherapy is pink and wrapping around the cancer and leaving the healthy tissue alone.” This technique has some scientific weight behind it. In a classic study from the 1990s by psychologist Henry Bennett, surgical patients who visualized blood moving away from the incision site during the surgery and moving back to the site afterward had measurably less blood loss during the operation.

Given this and the growing body of evidence of placebos’ power, Kaptchuk wants to see physicians embrace and prescribe open-label placebos. No randomized groups, no deception—just the placebo from a trusted provider. Placebos could mitigate the effects of nausea, anxiety, and pain that cancer patients often experience during treatment, particularly when combined with other healing practices such as yoga or meditation, or provide an alternative to pharmaceuticals with side effects that range from mildly unpleasant to downright devastating, as with opioid-based painkillers.

After all, Kaptchuk says, the lowly sugar pill has emerged as the most powerful, most reliable medical treatment we have, across countless studies of countless drugs and treatments for countless conditions: “The most common treatment in all the medical literature is the placebo control of randomized controlled trials,” he says. “In subjective symptoms, that placebo usually mimics, more or less, the effect of the drug. That’s unbelievable. We’re talking about hundreds of thousands of people. There’s no better evidence for anything.”

see also Everything You Need to Know About Reiki

#sleep sounds #sleep music #white noise app #nature sounds #relaxing sounds #rain sounds for sleeping

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lastgenpodcast · 7 years ago

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Star Wars, Han Solo, Its Directors, and Kathleen Kennedy. What's the deal here?

It was recently announced that Lucasfilm and the directing duo of Phil Lord and Chris Miller have parted ways on the upcoming untitled Star Wars film centered on a younger Han Solo. This announcement came via StarWars.com and has subsequently hit the echo chamber that is the internet. The reaction has been pretty solid towards posing the question, "Is this worrisome?". Sadly, when you look at the recent history of Lucasfilm and its directors, the answer leans yes.

Now, let me preface this. What you are about to read is not going to be an article claiming that Earth has burned to a cinder. The film will still come out and the franchise will move on regardless. Still though, what's the deal with the majority of directorial choices made by Kathleen Kennedy and Lucasfilm? Kathleen Kennedy's resume speaks for itself and when she was announced as the new head of Lucasfilm, personally, I could not have been more excited. This is the woman who produced 17 Steven Spielberg films, the Back to the Future Trilogy, Scorsese's Cape Fear, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Sixth Sense, and many many more films that fill the lexicon. She understands everything a person in the film business can and she has handled large franchises before. Perfect, right?

Towards Star Wars, things started great. A smart, if safe, choice for the re-entry into the Star Wars universe was chosen in the form of J.J. Abrams who has two very distinct talents. Working with younger casts, and making a film comfortable to ease into. He is a populist director with a massive amount of charisma and a strong eye. To restate, his ability to get performances out of younger actors is comparable to that of Spielberg. He is THAT good. On the other hand, beside the dead horse joke of lens flare, he does not exactly have a style of his own.

When you see a Tarantino film, you know where you are. You don't need to be told it was directed by Tarantino. Same goes for select modern day directors such as David Fincher, Wes Anderson, Christopher Nolan, and even Guy Ritchie. When you walk into a film directed by these folks, you are told it visually and audibly. Abrams, not so much. He is a fantastic chameleon. He has an innate ability to mimic film styles. There is no better example of this then in Super 8, a film I really enjoy, which is a giant hug to Steven Spielberg. His Star Wars entry was likewise in that it had his staple of young actors firing off fantastic chemistry but it still felt and looked exactly like a Star Wars film. That is not a complaint either. As I said, it was the smart, safe choice and paid off in spades. The Force Awakens was a hit and besides some folk begrudging how similar it was to A New Hope (the mimic point arises again), it was embraced by the fans and movie goers at large.

Following this we learned that Rian Johnson would direct Episode 8 and hot off the financial success of Jurassic World, Colin Trevorrow would helm the finale of the new trilogy. In addition, Josh Trank was attached to an unnamed Star Wars project with Gareth Edwards earning the opportunity to show us exactly how the plans for the Death Star got into Princess Leia's hand with Rogue One. This did not happen all in one afternoon mind you, but there it was. A lot of wheels were in motion and excitement was high.

Then Fantastic Four happened.

John Trank had a fresh take in his low-budget, found footage, superhero film, Chronicle, but his followup film with 20th Century Fox, Fantastic Four, was an utter disaster. Not only was the film a critical and financial failure, reports surfaced of over $100,000 worth of damages to a rented home, issues with the producers, and Trank being "erratic". All of this lead to re-shoots that occurred only months before the targeted release date and many unhappy executives at Fox. Let's be honest too, if the film wound up being a success, all the other issues would have gone by the way side. Keep that in mind.

With all of the bad vibes spreading over Trank and his behavior, he was bumped off his Star Wars film. Lucasfilm was gracious in allowing Trank to state that he departed the project, but everyone knew the deal. He had lost the gig. The question then arose as to why a largely new, stranger to big budget film, director was even given the reigns at a Star Wars film with everything that was riding on it? Sure, Chronicle is great but it seemed a large jump and may have hurt Trank's career in the long run.

Then came Gareth Edwards and Rogue One. Edwards got much deserved attention with his film Monsters which was a low budget indie hit. It showed a filmmaker who can do a lot with sci-fi without having to show a special effects cluttered mess. He followed that up with 2014's Godzilla which is neither great nor terrible. It suffers pacing issues and dispatches the most interesting character way too early. It also barely features Godzilla on screen, which I liked, but it did feel a bit empty as a result too. After that, onto Star Wars. The shoot of Rogue One had some issues at hand though and ultimately Tony Gilroy was brought in for re-shoots and was paid to the tune of 5 million dollars to do so. Now, re-shoots are not uncommon, on the contrary, but bringing in another person on the paycheck of 5 million is not exactly common practice either. We don't know the specifics of why Gilroy was brought in, but obviously the product at hand was not stitching together very well in the eyes of the producers. In particular, the ending was retooled quite a bit, or all together depending on what source you read. Upon release, Rogue One was a box office smash but definitely had its share of criticism towards pacing and lack of character development. It also used CG to recreate some lost folks and the reaction was mixed. Truthfully though, towards Tarkin, many people who were not aware of who Peter Cushing was and that he had died over 20 years ago, had no clue the character was CG. Make of that what you will. With all of those concerns though, Edwards brought a new look to the Star Wars cinematic universe. It had a grit without being dour, felt more tactile, and improved upon the "lived in" feel that the best Star Wars film have. Full marks to him on that. Yet, despite the film being a box office monster and successfully introducing a new tone, the question remained towards the motivation on the heavy retooling and bringing in Tony Gilroy. Was this another un-experienced director who bit off more than he could chew? And if so, how did this get by the powers that be. Maybe hiring the director who made heads turn by showing less and accomplishing more, was not the guy to then tell, "Show everything". It seems an odd match.

Now for the uplifting piece. Rian Johnson. The director of The Last Jedi, aka Episode 8, seems to have it all rolling. His enthusiasm for the project is addictive, his knowledge of the series makes him seem trustworthy in his love of the lore and quite frankly he is the best damned director of all the people chosen for this new run of Star Wars films. None of the other filmmakers made a better film than Looper, Brick, or even his three episodes of Breaking Bad. He also is the only director that I can sit down and get a sense that he directed it. Johnson has his own style and it seems he was given the leeway to inject it into his entry of the series. Granted, I am basing this off a teaser for The Last Jedi, but it feels different from the other "saga" films in a good way. If anything, it feels very "Empire", which is exactly what most fans want to see and hear. This choice seems the most inspired and fitting. J.J. Abrams fit extremely well due to what needed to be accomplished, but this choice seems to fit in the effort and need to expand the films into a larger. more original, story.

For Episode 9 we have Colin Trevorrow. This may be the most head scratching one for me. I get it, Jurassic World made a ton of money but I think the nostalgia machine was turned so far up, the film would have had to arrive on fire to not make money. Nothing in that movie stands out beside the assistant woman being tortured slowly by dinosaurs who drag her over the ground and sky to eventually eat her. It's a total rehash of the original with no new interesting characters or events. More recently, The Book of Henry was released and the reaction to this offering by Trevorrow has been pretty harsh. It's sporting a Rotten Tomatoes score of 24% and to quote one review (trust me, many echo this sentiment) it's "grotesquely phony and manipulative". So, that's something. I find myself in total agreement with an article recently written by Owen Gleiberman in Variety where he states, "To my mind, Trevorrow has never made a movie in which he has told a powerfully and convincingly emotional story. His aesthetic seems to lack the human factor." Did Kathleen Kennedy and Co only look at box office receipts? I understand the business of the business but making a quality flick also is good for business isn't it? At this moment, I have zero enthusiasm for Episode 9 and many folks are starting to rightfully question WHY Trevorrow gets this honor. That being said, PLEASE, prove me wrong and make the best Star Wars finale film yet.

Finally, we find ourselves five months into filming the unnamed Han Solo film and the directors just packed their bags and left. Did it really take this long to realize a "creative difference" existed? Miller and Lord have been making quality and bank off of comedies for the most part. 21 Jump Street, 22 Jump Street and The Lego Movie all have a great off-center feel to them. It would be a good guess that they would bring that very approach to Han. That would be my guess anyway. Behind Rian Johnson, I felt the most excitement towards this match up. Han needs to be a silly, fun romp. Miller and Lord are a perfect fit for the need. Again though, are the folks at Lucasfilm only looking at box office receipts and not the actual product produced by the talent at hand? Were they unaware of their previous works and tone created in such? What was the disconnect here and why so late in the game has it fallen apart?

In conclusion, out of the 6 directorial choices made, he have one that never made it to production, one that required a second hand to come in for extensive re-shoots, another that left while approaching the finish line, and a director who has yet to make a compelling film but people like dinosaurs.

Does this fall on the shoulders of Kathleen Kennedy? She is ultimately the one calling the shots. Her resume is beyond compare but she has also had the blessing of seeing Steven Spielberg in the directors chair for 17 feature films. Is finding the right fit for this franchise proving to be a larger problem than anticipated? I can't imagine so but based on the current results, that seems a question to be raised.

In the end though, Star Wars will be fine. Kathleen Kennedy will be fine. Hell, the Han Solo film will probably be fine despite this development. Too much money is at risk and mountains will be moved to ensure the investment is paid in full with interest pouring over everyone's head. In closing, don't panic but definitely shoot first.

#Han Solo #Star Wars #Lucasfilm #Kathleen Kennedy

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allthingslincoln · 8 years ago

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Do we know what Lincoln actually sounded like? I like to think he sounded like how his voice was done in the movie Lincoln

Very interesting question!

It appears that everyone and their cousintwice removed have a definite opinion on what Abraham Lincoln sounded like. Meincluded, of course.

You bring in the Spielberg movie and I haveto say that I think Mr. Day-Lewis did an incredible job interpreting everythingthat we know about Lincoln’s voice.

However, there aren’t as much sources as one wouldthink – his contemporaries weren’t as concerned in describing his actual voicein details as they were in describing Lincoln’s manner and habit of speaking,his gesturing or his tactics. This only became an issue when movies started toportray his voice in various ways.

Still, there ARE some recounts and they allagree that it always started out as “shrill”, “high pitched” and that it wascarrying, which is another indicator that Lincoln wasn’t a bass or baritone.

As I have stated before, Daniel Day-Lewisdid an outstanding job in my opinion. The speeches presented in that particularfilm were mostly of a more intimate manner and do – except for two occasions –do not take in account his actual speaking voice when addressing a large crowd.Personally, having read so much about how Lincoln started out a little awkwardin manner and speech but getting his footing and using mimic and gestures to haulin a crowd – I missed that a little in the movie.

As for the actual sources:

William Herndon states that “Lincoln’svoice was, when he first began speaking, shrill, squeaking, piping, unpleasant;his general look, his form, his pose, the color of his flesh, wrinkled and dry,his sensitiveness, and his momentary diffidence, everything seemed to beagainst him, but he soon recovered.”

In an undated clipping from the Terre HauteExpress, a journalist described a meeting as “a long arm armed reached to my shouldand a shrill voice exclaimed “Hello Nelson, do you think, after all, the worldis going to follow the darned thing off?” It was Mr. Lincoln”.

Abram Bergen remembered “But whenever hebegan to talk his eyes flashed and every facial movement helped express hisidea and feeling. Then involuntarily vanished all thought or consciousness ofhis uncouth appearance, or awkward manner, or even his high keyed, unpleasant voice.”

And Noah Brooks recalled the secondInauguration as received “in most profound silence. Every word was clear andaudible as the ringing and somewhat shrill tones of Lincoln’s voice soundedover the vast concourse.”

Others pointed out Lincoln’s ability togive his voice a quiet tone. As for example Governor Henry J. Gardner who wrote“When he was announced, his tall, angular, bent form, and his manifestawkwardness and low tone of voice, promised nothing interesting. But he soonwarmed to his work. His style and manner of speaking were novelties in theEast.”

Oh, and I really want to point one thing out - we came so VERY close to hearing Lincoln’s voice! Shy twelve years of the phonograph, there was a thing called the phonautograph that was the earliest known device for recording sound.

Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville patented it in 1857 and nowadays we are able to replay the sound it recorded. He had planned to take it to the US and present it there - it never happened. But according to his traveling schedule, there was a really good chance we could now listen to the Gettysburg Address instead of someone singing “Au Clair de la Lune” (SUCKS!!!)

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theconservativebrief · 6 years ago

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The 2018 midterm elections have arrived, and with them the infamous exit polls that start to roll out before official results come in.

We might know what happened between Beto O’Rourke and Ted Cruz in Texas, or Stacey Abrams and Brian Kemp in Georgia, long before the final votes are counted. Or at least we’ll have some signs, thanks to television networks and other media outlets releasing the results of exit polls that try to predict how votes are shaking out.

Exit polling can be a tricky business, though, and not necessarily reflective of how elections will turn out — some early exit polls in 2016 pointed to a victory for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump, for example.

Given the high stakes of the 2018 midterms and the intense interest, many Americans will likely be watching the exit polls closely on Tuesday. Beyond projecting a winner, exit polls can also help explain why a candidate won — indicating which voters went to the polls in bigger numbers.

But the system isn’t perfect, and two news outlets this year are trying something new. Here’s what to expect tonight when the polls close and exit polls start rolling in.

Nationwide exit polls date back to the 1970s, according to Pew Research, starting with CBS and soon followed by the other networks. They started to pool their efforts in the 1980s, when they formed Voter Research and Surveys, which eventually became Voter News Service (VNS) in 1993.

VNS dissolved after some mishaps in 2000 and 2002, and the National Election Pool (NEP) was formed after that. Up until this election, NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox, CNN, and the Associated Press hired a pollster — most recently, Edison Research — to conduct exit polls.

This year, things are going to go a little differently because Fox News and the Associated Press have split off and are doing their own thing.

ABC, CBS, CNN, and NBC will again work with Edison, interviewing voters at polling locations in all 50 states. Edison has also sent interviewers to in-person early voting locations and interviewed early and absentee voters by phone prior to the election.

In 2016, Edison interviewed some 85,000 people on day-of voting and spoke with about 16,000 early an absentee voters by phone.

AP, Fox News, and the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago have instead this year teamed up for a new project dubbed VoteCast, which will survey 120,000 registered voters and have three parts — a random phone and online survey of registered voters, a group of voters from NORC’s panel, and an opt-in online survey.

Multiple other news organizations, including the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post, will use the VoteCast system in 2018.

“We thought it was necessary to try something new,” Arnon Mishkin, head of Fox News’s Decision Desk, said at a polling conference in Denver earlier this year, according to NPR.

The issue at hand was, in part, early exit polling in 2016 pointing to a win for Clinton.

Sally Buzbee, executive editor of the AP, told the Post recently that recognizing the exit polls had been wrong about Clinton was a “sobering moment that told me that we needed to try to see if we could use an alternative going forward.”

So this year, we’ll see two sorts of sets of exit polling results that could, potentially, tell different stories.

The primary purpose of the exit poll is to allow TV networks and the AP to project who’s won races as soon after the polls close as possible.

Ahead of Election Day, NBC News laid out how it will present data that might help you understand what the calls mean — projected winner means the network believes a candidate will win but the vote count isn’t complete, apparent winner means that the candidate has likely won but results could depend on a recount or official tallies, and the winner will be declared when a race is beyond the margin for a recount. You’ll also, of course, hear a lot of “too early” or “too close” to call.

But the exit poll isn’t just about whom people voted for — that’s why there are interviewers even in safe states. Voters are asked to provide basic demographic information like gender, age, and ethnicity. They’re also asked some questions about their personal viewpoints and behaviors, like their religion and churchgoing habits, and about major issues facing the country.

That means the exit poll data is actually more detailed, in some ways, than the official US Census vote tallies that come out several weeks after the election. It can offer the first hints, and often the most important ones, of what voters thought this election was about. That’s very important to pundits as they try to interpret what it means.

“It’s more than calling a race,” Jay McCann, a political science professor and exit polls expert at Purdue University, told me. “The big question is what explains an outcome, and exit polls, by virtue of the fact that you’re interviewing individual voters at the site when they’ve just made the decision, that would give you some insights that other kinds of polls conducted further away in time couldn’t really give you.”

In 2004, for example, post-election chatter focused on ”values voters.” Voters who attended religious services regularly had overwhelmingly voted for George W. Bush. That narrative came out of the exit poll data.

Of course, what voters say is important to them is partly what campaigns have told voters is important — there’s political science research suggesting that when a campaign hammers particular issues, those are the issues that the candidate’s supporters say are most important to them. But the exit poll is still the best opportunity the national media has, in some ways, to figure out who voted, why, and how.

The media outlets running the exit poll want to be able to describe who’s voting, and whom they’re voting for, to the public as early as possible. But they don’t want to have any influence on who ends up voting — they don’t want anyone deciding not to vote because they’ve already seen what the exit polls say and they don’t think their vote will matter. (There’s some evidence that this happened back in 1980, when some outlets projected that Ronald Reagan would win the presidential election before polls closed on the West Coast.)

Sometimes, networks slip up. In 2014, for example, Fox News showed early exit poll results in New Hampshire before polls had closed there in a tight Senate race. The network argued that it hadn’t broken the exit poll rules because it technically didn’t show how many respondents had voted for Jeanne Shaheen or Scott Brown — it showed how many people said they would vote for each candidate if the race came down to a runoff.

There’s never been a completely leaked exit poll in the US, but there are sometimes hoaxes.

Some reporters are allowed to see some exit poll results as they come in, but they’re under strict security.

At about 5 pm ET, media outlets start reporting what the exit polls say about who turned out — namely, who turned out earlier in the day. And as soon as the polls close in particular states, media outlets are allowed to start projecting winners based on exit polls results. In other words, a slew of projections are likely to start coming in at about 7 pm on the East Coast.

The New York Times this year will also bring back its infamous “needle,” which will tip back and forth starting in the evening as results begin to come in with projections about who will control the House of Representatives, the range of seats each party could hold, and an estimate for the final national popular vote, among other things.

Exit polls are an imperfect system; hence the issue with early signs pointing to Clinton in 2016 that’s causing some outlets to switch things up.

“There are a couple of challenges in the current environment,” McCann told me. “There may be a systematic tendency for some types of people not to want to participate.”

Early voting poses a challenge for exit pollsters because they’re still figuring out exactly how to approach it. Both the NEP and VoteCast survey early voters, but early voting is a relatively new — though very fast-growing — trend, and they’re still figuring out processes. Early voting polls via phone run into the same problems a lot of phone polls do — that it’s hard to poll people who only have mobile phones and who don’t often pick them up.

“I have to assume, and there’s been some reporting on this, that it’s much more haphazard,” McCann said.

Sample size can also be a challenge because the smaller the sample, the less likely it is to be representative. Exit polls are reliable when it comes to large demographics (men, women, Democrats, Republicans) but less reliable as it gets more granular (young voters, Jewish voters). Analysts also believe that exit polls have a tendency to oversample voters of color who live in majority-white areas.

Exit poll results on Tuesday will be eye-opening in terms of how voters feel about issues such as health care and immigration, who turned out to vote, and whom specific groups voted for. And, of course, they’ll be telling about who wins and loses.

But some other components of the 2018 midterm elections will take a lot longer to figure out. Turnout, for example, could take days, weeks, or months to completely decipher, simply because completely counting all votes takes a long time. Mail-in and absentee vote processing can last past the election, and in California, the most populous state, ballot counting can be especially drawn-out.

The Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey, which has collected voter and registration data since 1964, will look at self-reported registration and voting activity and release its results in the spring or summer of next year. (Its breakdown of the 2016 election was released in May 2017.) As Pew notes, that data and other post-election surveys often don’t get as much media attention as exit polls — the news cycle has often moved on — but that information could provide a fuller and more accurate picture of the midterms.

Original Source -> Exit polls will give us an early — but imperfect — glimpse of the Election Day results

via The Conservative Brief

#IFTTT #The Conservative Brief

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