#I still need to analyze Chosen in this episode

[inksandpensblog]

I've seen a lot of post-Wanted ideas suggesting that Victim is envious of the relationship Orange has with Alan, but what if it's not about that. What if it's not the relationship that Victim envies.

After all, Chosen was the one the mercs were hunting down. They only got orders to bring Orange in when he appeared and interfered during their active pursuit of Chosen.

And Chosen...didn't have a very enviable relationship with noogai, to say the least.

So why, if the relationship with their creator is the source of Victim's contention, would he focus on Chosen?

Orange's and Alan's relationship is something that's developed with time, and communication, and honest effort on the part of both parties involved. But they began as two enemies extending a cautious truce because they wanted something from each other. Orange's and Alan's relationship was only even possible because Alan chose to spare Orange, and why did he do this?

There's no denying that they've come far since then, but still...whatever his reasons may be in the present day, Alan originally kept Orange around because his art skills made him valuable to Alan.

Orange got to live because the animator found a way to make use of him.

Now let's consider Chosen.

Given how noogai handled Victim when he got out of hand, you'd think he'd handle Chosen in a similar way. Especially since Chosen got much more out of hand. But, no. The animator doesn't simply rid himself of Chosen.

Chosen got to live because the animator found a way to make use of him.

Of course, there are important differences between them. Orange got a say in their terms; Chosen certainly did not. Orange was utilized in a way that enabled his skills to flourish, and allowed him some agency in their application; Chosen had limits and restrictions imposed upon his capabilities, and little to no choice in what manner him impeded skills were implemented. Orange is free to come and go as he pleases, but has elected to remain on the computer voluntarily; Chosen was held in captivity, and escaped the moment an opportunity popped up. Orange was released; Chosen freed himself. Alanspc is home, to Orange, and the animator is part of that; Chosen has only ever returned to Alanspc in times of crisis, and it's never been for the sake of the animator.

Orange is happy, with his creator.

Chosen suffered, under his creator.

But.

When you take away all the context surrounding Orange's and Chosen's respective histories with their creator and look at just the simplified timeline of events, what do you get?

The animator defeated Orange, and then kept him, alive.

The animator defeated Chosen, and then kept him, alive.

And what must that look like, to Victim?

Victim, who fought and fought for every second he got, and was dismissed as worthless? Victim, who battled the animator nearly to a standstill without even leaving the animation window, all without powers, using wits and resourcefulness alone, only to be brushed away? Victim, who did so much with the little time he had that he was still on the animator's mind when noogai created Chosen, and yet wasn't worth keeping around?

Chosen went on to spend almost five years on the computer, after his defeat. Would it matter to Victim, that Chosen spent those near-five years enslaved and miserable? Or can Victim only see the near-five years of life that Chosen got to have while Victim was denied?

Victim lived for fewer than two minutes. Quality of life might be negligible next to having a life to live at all.

He might not realize that the animator's decisions to spare Chosen and Orange were directly tied to how much control the animator could maintain over them. He might not understand that he was noogai's first living stick, and mistakes were bound to be made. He might not understand how noogai has changed, and how this has changed the way noogai sees stickfigures. He might not realize that the animator doesn't keep sticks anymore, doesn't determine their right to live based on any notions of usefulness that they could provide to him, doesn't make them stay. He might not believe that, given a second chance, Alan would do better by him.

All that matters to Victim is that the animator saw something in Orange and Chosen. Something that he didn't see in Victim. Even though Victim proved himself countless times over, in the fewer-than-two minutes he got.

[simplifydefeat]

I’ve been meaning to write this for a long time because it’s something that keeps me thinking. So many people talk about the fashion in The Nanny, but almost no one mentions the MUSIC. I consider it a key factor in the show as it doesn't feature a lot of music in general. Sure, there are the jingles between scene changes, but I mean actual songs with lyrics. While they aren’t used often, the few times they appear are super meaningful. I recall three (there might’ve been more) but these stand out the most. And two songs are like clues for us to follow, even if indirect, that were supposed to fulfill in few another seasons into the future.

Let’s start with the most obvious one: the final episode and Barbra Streisand’s Memories. I hardly need to explain why this song was so impactful, but I will anyway. The choice of Barbra’s song is so smart as she was brought up in the show so many times as Fran’s muse and the lyrics match the storyline perfectly – it was such a thoughtful decision by the creators. The song ties everything together in the finale, closing the chapter on Fran’s journey in a such beautiful, sentimental way.

Second song is from the Kindervelt Days episode when Fran is supposed to go to a reunion with Eric Estrada, but eventually Maxwell shows up and dances with her to Two Different Worlds. It took me some time to find the exact song, but I was determined to prove my point. Here we go with the lyrics:

Two different worlds We live in two different worlds For we've been told that a love like ours Could never be

So far apart They say we're so far apart And that we haven't the right To change our destiny

When will they learn That a heart doesn't draw a line Nothing matters if I am yours And you are mine

It’s clear that the song choice wasn’t random. The song is a foreshadowing of Fran and Maxwell ending up together, even though this was only the second season. Despite the “will-they-won’t-they” tension that ran through much of the show, the writers were suggesting that Fran and Maxwell were destined to be together, not only by the actions but also by the words in the background.

The third song, most important for me as a C.C. and Niles shipper, is from The Nose Knows episode. C.C. and Niles dance to Our Love is Here to Stay. Given how MEANINGFUL the songs in this show are, I believe this one was deliberately chosen to indicate where their relationship was heading. The title alone, Our Love is Here to Stay, tells us everything we need to know. Look at the lyrics:

It's very clear Our love is here to stay; Not for a year But ever and a day

The radio and the telephone and the movies that we know May just be passing fancies And in time may go But, oh my dear Our love is here to stay Together we're going a long, long way In time the Rockies may crumble, Gibraltar may tumble They're only made of clay But our love is here to stay

It was CLEARLY a planned moment, and for anyone who claims their relationship came out of nowhere, I think this song proves otherwise. I believe with my whole little cold heart that the writers were signaling, even if indirectly, that C.C. and Niles were always meant to end up together. Their love was supposed to be just like the lyrics say – I’ll defend that with my life.

And you know what I love most about The Nanny? How it seems to be a silly sitcom, but in reality there are so many layers to uncover if you take the time to look. I really believe the writers used these little details – like the songs – to communicate something deeper. As someone with a literary background, maybe I’m prone to analyzing things a bit more intensely than most people, but it’s so exciting to find hidden gems like these in a 90s sitcom.

Of course, people can enjoy the show without digging into the hidden meanings, but for someone like me, bounded with words both professionally and personally, I can’t help but appreciate the writers’ craft. Eighteen years after I first started watching, I’m still rediscovering new things, and that’s part of what makes the show so brilliant.

So yes, I really do think the music (which is three songs lol) is crucial to understanding the show’s emotional depth. These tiny little details make the experience so much better.

PS. Professionally speaking: this essay sucks, cause there are too many points I’m debating about and there is no sensible conclusion. Thanks for reading anyway.

[talktolwt]

I would like to focus on the music chosen for Hob Gadling's 80s sequence.

I'm extremely late to the world of The Sandman (finally binged it two weeks ago after my mother had been begging me to watch it with her and now I'm more obsessed than her) Bottom line: I'm unbelievably glad I finally watched this beautiful piece of television.

I have yet to read the comics but as for the first season, I have to say, without a doubt, my favorite episode is Chapter 6: The Sound of Her Wings. Death's 20-min segment is a beauty unto itself, but I'll be focusing on Hob's segment today. Specifically, his 80s scenes.

Considering I'm so late to this fandom and exploring all of its wondrous details and themes, excuse me if this has already been noted. I've been thinking about these details over and over but I need to get it out there in the Sandman world and hear everyone else's thoughts.

*Also excuse the terrible photos - Netflix doesn't let you screenshot and I was too lazy to get another app to let me bypass it. Please bear with my photos of my laptop screen.*

There are three songs that play throughout this sequence.

#1 - "She Drives Me Crazy" by Fine Young Cannibals

I accidentally deleted half my post mid-writing this but here I go again.

As we can see, after the breakup scene, we open up on Hob Gadling (he looks amazing in his 80s look, by the way) and this song plays.

Here are the lyrics:

I mean - where do I even start LMAO.

*Let me just give another note - regardless if you ship Dreamling romantically or not, I will be merely analyzing these lyrics as they are and how they convey Hob's feelings for Dream in general. But, I mean, the songs are THERE, the text is THERE. So do with that what you will.*

This will go for the following two songs as well, but these songs are placed with meaningful intention. Each of these offer a unique lens and dive into Hob's feelings.

I won't be annoying and over-explain anything, but the lyrics are clear I feel:

"She drives me crazy" - cough

"Things you do don't seem real" - in Hob's view, Dream literally is an enigma. Hob has no idea the capacities, the limits, and even the name of this being he meets every century.

"This waiting 'round's killing me" - well.

"Everything you say is lies" - now I wouldn't say particularly lies, but Dream does keep and omit things from Hob. Understandably, Hob would find himself in a confused limbo with Dream.

Here's the kicker:

"I won't make it on my own/No one likes to be alone." - HELLO. I mean, if this isn't the core message and pinnacle of Dream and Hob's lesson to immortality.

As Death mentions earlier in the episode, around 18:10, "Most of us will be glad for the company of a friend."

I feel I could go on forever and ever about the beauty of this episode and how well The Sound of Her Wings and Men of Good Fortune intertwine. They beautifully complement each other as stories lamenting the dichotomy of life and death, and the joys of humanity.

But essentially, Death reteaches Dream how beautiful humans can truly be, and in this pivotal moment, she says this zinger of a line. The camera was initially on Death but for THIS line, it cuts to Dream.

BECAUSE - poor Dream is definitely in need a friend.

Which is then shown to the audience by the 30-min long Hob Gadling sequence that ensues, and we see Dream's aversion to needing someone, to needing a friend.

But I digress - back to the song, and that one line about not wanting to be alone.

That is such a poignant line, because as much as Dream felt alone and needed company, so does Hob? An immortal, constantly seeing the death of others around him, his companions and family long gone, he needs someone.

Considering this 80s sequence ruminates so heavily on post-breakup feelings, Hob is missing Dream dearly. His constant in life.

I'm rambling too much, onto the next one!

#2 - "Shattered Dreams" by Johnny Hates Jazz

Time skip to perhaps a few hours later, who knows. We see Hob still waiting for Dream, alone in the pub.

Hm.

Literally what else could I say. I'm being slapped in the face with pining and angst and longing.

Here are the lyrics:

Some noteworthy lyrics:

"So much for your promises/They died the day you let me go" - this breakup man

"Caught up in a web of lies" - another lie motif

"I thought it was you/Who would stand by my side" - the theme of Dream and Hob being constants in each other's lives

"Shattered dreams" - I could scream. The title of the song. SHATTERED. DREAMS. giggling rn.

"Woke up to reality" - I think that's a very interesting line toeing between the constant references of the Waking and the Dreaming

Basically, I've been noting these evident similarities within the songs to align themselves to Dream and Hob's situation, and it's clear that the director/writers chose these songs with intent of it paralleling Dreamling.

So that makes it even more insane when lines like "From this empty heart" are meant to parallel Hob. Like.

Okay, last song.

#3 - "Keep On Moving" by Soul II Soul

This song plays as the night progresses. It's late, it's clear Dream isn't showing up, and Hob is feeling pretty final about that, and perhaps he's accepted it at this point. Dream isn't coming.

So this is where he speaks to the bartender and that scene ensues.

Here are the lyrics:

The themes of time and clocks are super prevalent within this song, and again it's once more clear how heavily this reflects and represents Hob.

Noteworthy lyrics:

"Why do people choose to live their lives this way?" - I think this also uniquely touches on the general aspect of humanity and one's reason to live/love life. Dream battles with his confusion/slight disappointment for humanity at the beginning, as he asks Death, "Why would any sensible creature crave an eternity of this?" And then Hob helps Dream realize why there's so much to live for. (24:30)

"I know the time will come today/The time will come one day"

"Walking alone in my own way" - Again this idea of walking alone and needing company.

"You'll be in my life, my life always" - Dream and Hob being constants again.

This all goes to say - Hob cares. He cares for Dream.

And I just think that's very beautiful. The magnitude with which Dream's absence means to him and how much their friendship/companionship both means to each of them. I just think their connection is a beautiful thing that I love seeing and rewatching. Wonderfully, these songs give the audience even more layered insight into this connection.

This was super long, and I apologize if I went on some tangents. But I also just couldn't help it, The Sandman is so incredibly rich in its storytelling and its connections and dynamics that I had to write this all down. I also just very much appreciate the amount of care and detail that goes into every aspect of television, and needle drops such as these three songs are no exception.

Thank you for sticking with me through this! Can't wait for season 2!

[sky-fire-forever]

Ya'll need to learn to love more than one character. Like someone loving a certain character does not take away your ability to love a different character or even their ability to love a different character

Izzy's my favorite character, yeah. But why are people assuming I hate Ed?? I fucking love Ed. I adore him so much. He's so baby girl. He tries so hard to be good and a lot of his worse actions are fuelled by his self-hatred and loss. He's fascinating to me and I want to study him like a bug. The way he distances himself from his cruelty ("technically the fire killed those guys") and how he presents himself differently to different people (the party boy to Jack, the sensitive sap with Stede, the ruthless captain to Izzy) are both things that I fucking love analyzing and talk about to my partner constantly. I love how hard he tries to be a good person! I love how he is slowly learning how to care about people on their terms instead of his own. I love his growth and how much he WANTS to grow

You know who else I love? Stede! His compassion and care for the people around him is so touching and I love that he takes so much pleasure in the little things. I love how we've watched his confidence build since the first episode, where he was constantly panicked and nervous, to a capable captain who still loves his crew but will defend himself and won't take as much shit from people like Nigel. He'll defend his crew instead of hiding like a coward. I love how he delights in details like fancy wardrobes and a cursed suit because he takes pleasure in small things like that! In marmalade and puzzle chests. He's a sweetheart and he rejects the idea that he has to be cruel to be capable

Oluwande was my favorite character when I first watched season one (though I dislike a lot of his season two writing because it feels like they dumbed him down) because he's kind and very intelligent. He cares a lot for the crew and he's extremely capable while also being a little goofy and being soooo bad at addressing his feelings. I love that he was so obviously in love with Jim, but had that first instinct of denying it if questioned because that's so often how crushes work! His little "What? No! Shut up!" When the chief pointed out his feelings for Jim still makes me giggle. He's a little awkward, but he's sweet and he's supportive. He also can be a little shit when he wants to be, like when he basically made Jim confront their past because he was petty about them not telling him about it. He's always got people's backs and there's a reason he was chosen to be the captain during the Izzy mutiny.

Jim is a character who means SO much to me as a trans person. Their arc is so special to me and they're also just... so fucking cool. I love their journey of figuring out who they're supposed to be versus who they WANT to be. Their struggle with what's expected of them and them wondering if they even want what they thought they wanted is so touching. Them defending Izzy is actually so great to me because it shows their loyalty and their need to defend their family. It didn't have to be Izzy, it could be any member of the crew and they would have their back. Because that's what family means to them. "Our dick" says a lot about them, as does their little "He was your friend" line. Jim cares about people even when they're quiter and more closed off. Hell, they stabbed a man in the first episode for insulting Frenchie and they didn't even talk yet! Them being the one to tell the Pinocchio story to Fang was so great because it shows just how soft they really are and want to be.

Speaking of, I also adore Fang so so so much. He's such a sweetheart and he's sensitive and he cares so, so much about his friends. He's a big softie and I wanna hug him. I bet he gives such great hugs. As soon as he's given the allowance to be soft, he takes it. He misses his dog that Ed forced him to kill (which I feel like no one talks about?) and gets blushy and giggly about Lucius finding him attractive. He's just!! So fantastic

I wish we knew more about Ivan because I love him and I have so much fun imagining stuff about him. Like how I hc him as a trans woman

Archie as a character is so fun and I wish wish wish we got more of her because I fucking LOVE everything about her. She's so fun to watch and I want to know how she gets along with Oluwande and I want to see her interact with the rest of the crew so badly. The way she fell in love with Jim because of their hope makes me CRY. I love that she kisses Jim while they're covered in blood and there's a rotten leg like a foot away and she doesn't care. I love her energy and her excitement and every scene with her just makes me grin like an idiot. I'm still so mad about the season being cut because I feel like we could have gotten more scenes with her

Roach is fucking great. My partner and I will quote "meat is meat" at each other constantly. He's so ridiculous and I love him. I love how obsessed with Zheng's soup he is. I love his bitchy "how am I supposed to cook here?" when Stede moves them to live under a bridge. I love how chill he is and the faces he makes when he's reacting to things. He's so funny and I love him

Frenchie is my fucking beloved. His mind box is something I think about so often. How he doesn't want to think about all that has happened to him, but doesn't. How hurt he is. How he fucking deserves every bit of becoming captain of his own ship. The fact that he sings and plays an instrument (I do not know what specific instrument he plays. Is it a ukulele?) and sings about how they're all gonna die with a grin on his face. He's a dork and I love how he hides Izzy at great risk to himself because he cares about his family as much as Jim does. The way he expdcts Ed to kill him and basically offers to do it for him just to get it over with (if I'm remembering correctly). I love his superstition and how he believes it's supported by fact! I think his superstitious beliefs are so, so interesting and I want to know where he learned them.

Wee John is so fucking great. How long has he been doing drag? What happened to his mother with whom he used to make dresses? I need to know! I love that he just wants to set things on fire all the time. I love his line about "I'd love to be stabbed by Jim". I love all of him! He's such a fun character

I love Lucius and how trauma genuinely changes him. He's a bitch and he's petty and he loves gossip. He's the first person to insert himself into a shitty breakup, helping both Stede and Ed at different points. Him keeping Jim's sex a secret and him helping both Stede and Ed is so interesting to me! He's a supportive friend and he's a slut (affectionate) and he's a bitch (affectionate) and everything about him makes me obsessed. I like that Stede has to talk to him about opening up about his trauma! I like that Lucius genuinely loves Pete and how his trauma has made him more bitter. I love how he's still the first person to call bullshit on Ed.

Black Pete actually used to annoy me, but he's grown on me. I love that he's such a dork who struggles with insecurity to the point of making shit up about himself. I love how much he loves Lucius! I fucking adore his one-liners and his delivery of them. He's so fucking funny

I could spend fucking hours talking about Mary Bonnet. I love her so much. Everything about her makes me feral. How she refuses to take Stede's bullshit. Her paintings! Her relationship with Doug that seems so fucking sweet. I love this woman. Please bring Mary back. Please. I'm begging

Buttons is Buttons. Everything about him is fucking fantastic and I want to chew on him like a chew toy

Me enjoying a certain character does not take away from my absolute love of other characters. I tend to talk about Izzy most because I find active displays of tragedy more interesting and Izzy and Ed are the most outwardly angsty characters (which is also why I'm usually talking about Kraken Era Ed when I discuss him). They outwardly express more dramatic feelings rather than characters like Stede or Frenchie who bury a lot of those feelings or express them in different ways. Izzy is from the dramatic genre and I love dramas. Comedy writing is not my specialty

But I can recognize that while I think about other characters a lot, I don't talk about them as often. So expect more metas and discussion of more characters in the future (hopefully. I just write things as I think of them and them to my queue tbh)

[sonkitty]

The Sideburns Scheme Post #48

(For reference: The Sideburns Scheme)

Crowley, Good Omens 2, Episode 3, I Know Where I'm Going, with

...

Sideburns Check

The above image is brightened. The sideburns are long. Again, I would even go so far as to say they can go in the longest-length category. That's typical for being in Gabriel's presence without humans around.

Gabriel is the supernatural presence that affects the sideburns in such a way for most of the present day story.

...

Brighter Red Streak Check

As is often the case with Gabriel's presence, the streak can be found more easily in this scene.

...

Hairstyle Changes

Given the lighting, Crowley's hair looks darker here. The hair in front curls in, up, and back. In the previous scene, the hair near the part curled in, and the front top hair went up and tilted to Crowley's right. In these particular chosen screenshots, the more saturated red streak is more clearly defined with the darker hair.

...

Earthly Objects

(For reference: Earthly Objects | Earthly Objects Study - Windows Part 1)

Crowley is already holding some books in front of his tie, like earlier. He has re-manifested his jacket back on. The books he is holding are showing their back bindings. They were reversed earlier.

Crowley looks at Gabriel as if to ensure he, Gabriel is touching an earthly object and/or sitting down before Crowley moves to answer the phone.

Crowley touches the phone and names the bookshop.

For paying attention to the pockets...

Gabriel's hands are making two pockets, one bigger and one smaller.

Crowley's Tied Hands probably retie. Why do they even need to retie? Did something in the minisode happen to require it? If so, my best guess is Crowley making himself bigger since he used his hands as part of the process, followed by my next bet guess that the minisodes require it if Crowley's next present day scene has him standing.

Also, the book-throwing may again be related to whatever absurdity is happening with the retying here. I still feel bad seeing them thrown around like that.

Crowley does get lights directly above his head and some to the left though these lights are smaller and more blurry than is often the case for the more understood Overhead Lights.

Along the way of answering the phone, Crowley makes pockets with his body and even gets pockets of light on his face when looking toward the window. Such pockets include the phone.

Because I analyze this game to the extent that I do, some of Crowley's excitement seems to come from not just seeing Maggie approach Nina but that Nina has both her hands in her apron pockets.

Crowley hanging up the phone allows him to place himself at the threshold for the window look. The next present day scene is going to be a very special windows sequence he does for the game.

A window look threshold in Earthly Objects has the character looking at the window without a visible earthly object touch on screen when they look. Presumably with the special circumstances of the phone, Crowley is allowed to reset and pause at this threshold for his upcoming sequence.

...

Gabriel has no lines in this scene. He is referred to only by the name "Gabriel" twice from Aziraphale on the phone. He is not referred to by the name "Jim," and Crowley does not say either name himself.

...

Story Commentary

As a general reminder, my sideburns theory goes that Crowley and Aziraphale are borrowing each other's homes to form a special connection.

They are in a phase of doing such a thing at this point the story.

Crowley remotely contacted Aziraphale earlier this episode during Aziraphale's drive.

This time, Aziraphale remotely contacted Crowley.

I've assumed that's one of the steps in the overall process to make this connection happen.

Admittedly, Crowley looked worried before answering and relieved when he did answer.

Another thing I think is relevant is that Aziraphale said "our car" when he proposed near the end of episode 2.

Here, Crowley says "we" twice in representing the bookshop as he answers the phone.

So, now each one of them has verbally claimed their borrowed space as a shared space within this present day story.

...

That's it for this post. Sometimes I edit my posts, FYI.

...

Main post:

The Sideburns Scheme

[zacki0gaming]

Trying To Analyze Cintagon’s Backstory In The Season 1’s Finale

I know haven’t got a lot of analyze posts to say about the TPC series, but I want to actually fully talk about Cintagon’s backstory here, including truth of Pentellow’s mother, the Green Tree of Life’s conversation, etc. It is because I definitely know it’s still terribly written to this day for me…

Scene Overview

So apparently, Cintagon’s story discloses crucial information regarding Pentellow's origins, her mother's fate, and his own paternal relationship to her. It revelation serves multiple narrative purposes: it elucidates Pentellow's background, contextualizes Cintagon's challenging past decision between the Green Tree of Life’s request (we will get to this bullshit part later…), and establishes a profound emotional connection between the long-separated father and daughter.

Analysis

Cintagon’s Revelation

Lines:

"It was before this pink virus existed."

"Your mother died from giving birth to you."

"So your father was going to raise you like any parent would...But..."

"He had to give you away to someone else."

Setting the Context: Cintagon starts by mentioning a period before the Pink Corruption Virus was created. It contextually shows how this backstory is gonna playout later on within this discussion.

Grief and Responsibility: Cintagon’s statement about Pentellow's mother dying at childbirth, introduced a profound sense of lose as Cintagon's use of "your father" in the third person creates initial distance, building suspense before revealing his true identity to Pentellow.

Conflict and Duty: The word "But..." introduces a turning point, highlighting the internal conflict between his parental love and his sense of duty, evident through his promise to raise Pentellow like any other parent would.

Pentellow’s Curiosity and Shock

Lines:

"Why?"

Innocence and Curiosity: Pentellow's single-word question encapsulates her confusion and longing for understanding of her seeking the truth about her past and more about her family's background.

Cintagon's Explanation and Vulnerability

The Backstory’s Dialogue:

"The tree of life told him to. It said his daughter will become the second caretaker, and will succeed at it. If he's willing to give you to someone else. He was devastated. He thought he could never see her again... Until now. I can finally tell you why I had to give you away."

Forgive me for my stupid computer pen writing skills here....

So basically, this flashback represents Cintagon's vulnerability through the Green of Tree of Life's request in order to have his daughter, Pentellow to become one of the Caretakers. It is testament if he is wiling to give his daughter to someone else. So, remember the promise Cintagon made to take care of his daughter like any other parent would?

Emotional Devastation: This will get heavily influenced and destroyed here, humanizing the depth of Cintagon's long-lasting emotional toll for sacrificing his chance of taking care of his daughter in order to have her become one of the chosen ones.

Revelation of Identity: By saying "I can finally tell you why I had to give you away," Cintagon reveals his true identity as her father, blending relief, regret, and a desire for reconciliation.

Alright, here’s the main fucking problem here…

I don't mind Cintagon being Pentellow's father, but the overall execution of this main storyline arc needed more improvement. It was so underwhelming, rushed, and poorly-written. The initial episodes of Season 1 (1-5, and possibly 6) primarily felt like we were focusing on Cube and Cyan's characters when they basically became caretaker and hero in the first few days. But however, this sudden shift to Pentellow's backstory on searching for her long-lost family feel somewhat abrupt and disconnected.

The buildup to the realization of Cintagon's role as Pentellow's father lacked subtlety, with foreshadowing that was overly transparent. By the conclusion of Season 1, Episode 9, when Polyhedron stated, "Oh, you need to find this guy named uhhhh…. Cintagon," the revelation had become quickly predictable, diminishing its potential impact.

Now we talk about the backstory here. In essence, the Green Tree of Life makes a highly controversial and seemingly unjustified decision, instructing Cintagon to go fuck himself to cease all of his parental responsibilities towards his daughter for a period of 24 years. Let me say this AGAIN...! "A FUCKING 24-YEAR TOLL." I don't like this because The Tree's request was just so unreasonable and poorly justified. Like, the Tree was just seeming to disregard Cintagon's paternal role and emotional well-being, not wanting him to actually take care of his daughter for no fucking reason WHY…!

Overall, this main story arc for Pentellow appears to have been implemented hastily, resulting this storytelling experience with so much of wasted potential. Pentellow dosen’t get a whole lot of character development, Cintagon’s backstory was poorly-explained with the Green Tree of Life being so nonsensical and out of character for the sake of being a asshole toward Cintagon.

Alright, that’s all I’m gonna say here. See yall in my next rant post.

[nothingmattersbutgenloss]

Gl!ranboo is not a good person

Gl!ranboo os not a good person. Hear me out, I also wouldn’t classify them as a bad person either? It’s been something that’s been on my mind the last few days and ranboo confirmed some of my thoughts in a stream yesterday. They talk about the original idea to end Gen 1 with the audience not liking gl!ranboo because they made selfish and cruel decisions. I don’t think that would have been enough to make the audience kill them but I could be mistaken, I liked the alternative ending that we got to see.

Continuing in the thoughts I have been having about gl!ranboo not being a good person. Showfall media frames them as the “hero”. The trailers, when Hetch discusses them, gl!ranboo is called the hero of the episodes. Ranboo actively says they just want to go and escape, rather than take down this horrible company. And although still under control of the company, there is still some choice there I’m sure when gl!ranboo decides to rip open patient Charlie and pushes Sneeg and Austin out of the way so he can fit through the hole in the wall. Both these actions are done out of survival instinct, both lead to the death of others, so do we judge that as bad or good? Was it even gl!ranboo if they were supposedly forced to do those thing? Depends on your own moral code. Would you do the same to survive? Or would you refuse to be involved in something that would kill someone.

The thing that was interesting to me is that when gl!ranboo gains more control in ep 3, they momentarily forgets the idea of escape when they find out that some of the other cast members are alive and need saving. This makes them seem more selfless and little more like the hero we are told we are watching. This doesn’t last long before gl!ranboo decides to just escape, wanting to just let the police deal with it.

We are so used to seeing the “chosen one” be hesitant at first but ultimately make the decision to save everyone and any cost, gl!ranboo does not give us that typical chosen one we expect. They kill for their own survival, attempt to make bargains with the bad guys to survive: gl!ranboo begged to be let go and in return they wouldn’t even tell anyone what was going one- leaving many to suffer at the hands of showfall media.

It’s just so interesting to me that regardless of state of gl!Ranboo’s control over themselves, they dance the line between moral and immoral, good or bad. But at the end of the day it all comes down to what you believe is okay in the name of survival

I still love gl!ranboo very much. They are very sad and I just want to give them a hug and a snack without pickles or slime, but they are not your typical perfect chosen one hero. They are a realistic version of a person - at least of one in their circumstances -trying to survive. They are not a good person.

I think it speaks more of the need for things to be black and white in our society, when most of it is just grey and depends on your own moral values

Regardless of whatever I say being accurate or not, props to Ranboo and crew for creating this! It’s true my spectacular and I haven’t had this much fun digging up and analyzing and just in general enjoying a fandom.

[illamda-spaminations]

Very specific MTP anime scene we need to talk about more

Cuz I really like it :]

Spoilers for Moriarty The Patriot anime and manga [specifically the "Noahtic" and brief mentions of "The final problem"]!!

Warning: long post lol

->The "Noahtic" Act 1 and 2

This has to be one of my favorite anime openings to an episode in MTP. It starts off with a man getting hunted by, who we later learn, is Blitz Enders, the "villain" in William's play. The opening itself has a very dramatic look to set the mood. This blood red lighting is usually seen when an important death is about to happen [example: Og William's death].

We don't really learn about the man who got hunted, but rather, we learn more about the hunter; a bit about his personality and why he is the target of William. It shows us that Enders is a man who hunts humans, his targets being peasants [if we analyze the clothing the victim is wearing], and is definitely not going to come out of this experience alive.

Not only that, this scene is important because it plays again at the end of Act 2, when Enders tries to escape from the guards. The scenario is turned on its head, with the hunter getting hunted; the victim in the opening now being Enders, the hounds being the police men and finally, Moran taking the role of the "hunter".

I kid you not, I was so hyped when this scene came to play. I genuinely love the juxtaposition in this specific scene; the differences, the similarities and, the final cherry on top, William's smug smile being the final thing Enders sees before he plunges into the ocean.

I also really like the fact that Enders goes absolutely insane in this episode. Him slowly but surely breaking down, eventually snapping and seeing himself as some sort of savior is so fucking good I was that shit up.

[To expand on the savior complex point, random tangent incoming] When Enders had the whole "I'm getting rid of the rats in this ship" speech, it made me think about William for some reason?? I think it was because of the similar yet very different sense of "justice" between the two. William's sense of justice is more righteous, as he doesn't deny the fact that, yes, he is one of the "devils" he is trying to exterminate, he is very guilty of his crimes, no matter the motive. Hell, the whole Moriarty plan hinges on his death as a way to end the murders. Enders, on the other hand believes that he is righteous and can do no wrong, a very stark contrast to William's methods and beliefs. He is "killing the rats", not because the "rats" have done wrong, but rather the "rats" very existence is wrong, and that the upper class is perfect without them. I'm not sure if this was intentional but yea, it's still pretty interesting.

If there is one thing I noticed about these episodes, its about the victim of this case. In the manga, the victim was a peasant who didn't do much wrong. We don't really know who he is. Maybe William didn't really look into him that hard and was waiting for Enders to choose a random man to hunt, all he needs is to have Enders commit murder and be in the spotlight; it doesn't matter who the victim is.

In the anime, however, we get some information on him; what crimes he committed and how he was paid by Moran to annoy the shit out of Enders. William did look into him, we know that this man, whoever he is, has been specifically chosen by William because he is a criminal.

This difference in both the manga and the anime shows William in two different lights. If we go by the manga's version, we can interpret William with "the end justifies the mean" principle. He is willing to sacrifice a possibly innocent person just to get what he wants, that is, Enders death and putting his crimes in the spotlight. It paints William in a morally grey light, that he is ambitious, and sometimes that ambition can get in the way of his righteousness.

In the anime, William knows and actively guarantees the fact that he [the peasant] is the victim of Enders' crime. He makes sure that the victim is someone who is no better than Enders and that made him William's target, killing two birds with one stone. It paints William in a morally light grey light, that he is much more calculating, and while you can say he is ambitious in his goals, his ambition does not get in the way of his righteousness.

I honestly prefer a mix of the two. I think it was interesting that the victim was possibly innocent, further justifying Enders' death and a reminder to the audience that William is not THAT righteous, that he is willing to bend the rules to his favor, even if it costs an innocent life. It makes William much more nuanced and fits well with his character.

I also really like the plot point where Moran paid the victim to actively annoy Enders; it shows that William really has orchestrated the perfect crime, accounting for every single detail, down to the victim as well.

In short: the Noahtic is a very good episode and I'm glad the anime didn't really shy away from certain details of the story. Do I like the manga better? Yes, while the animation is really well done, I still prefer the manga as it has more plot to it, not to mention the episodes the anime left out [example: The hunting in Baskervilles]. Whenever I recommend MTP, I'll always say "read the manga first if you want more plot", since it's gonna take a while for the next season about the NYC arc to come out lol.

I'll prob make another tangent related to Liam and Sherly but for now I'm gonna go study since that's the reason why I stopped posting online too much.

Have a good day everyone :D

[yardsards]

God I really wish we got an Emira episode. I get that there was limited time and any decision made would inevitably leave out somebody, but man. She’s really fascinating to me and has so much character potential regarding her place among the Blights.

for real! like i Get why "protagonist's love interest's older sibling" wasn't given much focus but also it feels odd when amity's *other* sibling got his own portion of an episode but emira didn't get the same

though at the same time, i suppose a decent chunk of why i got invested in her as a character in the first place is in part *because* of the lack of focus she got in the show compared to her siblings. a while back i had some ideas for a few fics about the blight family (especially focusing on post-canon) that i never really got around to writing much of. and the one i ended up starting with was one focussed on emira, because i kinda wanted to like, balance out her lack of content. and in thinking of ideas for that, i looked deeper into her as a character. and the more time i spend analyzing characters, the more i tend to get attached to them.

and there's something so Interesting about how like. the main thing she has (before the timeskip epilogue, anyway) that distinguishes her from edric is that she's the *comparatively* more cautious/responsible one, and that she seems to be almost the leader of the two of them, and that she takes on a sort of caretaker/support role for both edric and amity. (all the while her stated worst fear is being glued to her twin's side her whole life).

like, i know the whole "her main trait is just 'older sister/twin'" thing has a clear doylist explanation of like, that's all they had time for her to be and she served her narrative purpose there. but i have chosen to make my own watsonian interpretation of that, wherein she herself doesn't really know who she is as an individual outside of her role in her family.

an idea that i wanted to explore in fic but never got around to writing is like. she finally gets her wish of getting to be her own independent person. their abusive mother is out of their lives, and their formely neglectful father has stepped up to start taking care of all of them. she no longer needs to be the one taking care of her siblings. and edric has started finding his own identity outside of being her twin, and people have stopped treating the two of them like a matched set. and she's happy but also struggles with it because she's not had this freedom or this chance to really explore herself before.

all the while having to figure out what she wants her relationship with her siblings to be now that she no longer needs to be their caretaker (or mirror image or rival or any of the other roles their shitty home life had forced them into in the past). and wondering if they'll still want her around now that they don't need her to protect then (they do, of course, still want her around. as a *sister* and not a protector)

[inukag]

Hey Cynthia! This is kind of an ask but mainly a rant because I find this INCREDIBLY annoying, because it's clear these people don't understand the story AT ALL.

I don't think all KogKag shippers are annoying, but I'm surprised that there are so many fans who say that Kagome should've ended up with Koga because Inuyasha was aLWaYS going after Kikyo or that Koga would've TrEAtED her better. I feel like people who say this are just self-inserting onto Kagome. Reason number one: KogKag has little to no substance in canon, with her just humoring him every time he flirts with her. Number two: if they were paying attention, they would know WHY and WHEN Inuyasha went after Kikyo and that for him, there was only Kagome.

TLDR; Do you think people who say "Kagome should've chosen Koga because Inuyasha bad" are self-inserting? I know the anime changes are a huge factor, is that why people say this? I like your analyses so I'd like to know what you think.

Hello! First of all thank you for the love 🥺

(I know I have mutuals & followers who love Koga & Kogkag so warning: this post is very critical of both!)

I’m going to start off by saying “self-inserting” exists in a lot of ships. There’s plenty of people who love Inuyasha and self-insert into Kagome with inukag. That’s not something I have a big issue with, we all have our favorite characters and there’s nothing wrong with self-indulgence. But if we analyze the canon story, I think you definitely need make Kagome OOC in order to ship her Koga. I mean, if canon!Kagome had any interest in him she wouldn't have wasted her time with Inuyasha, lol. I've said this before but the main reason why Kagome loves Inuyasha and not men like Koga and Sesshomaru is because Inuyasha has a good heart. He might have a harsh personality (that he is improving) due to his past trauma but he has never killed & eaten innocent people the way the other two did.

Also, the racism. Kagome's defining personality trait is that she is open and welcoming with everyone. Why would she date Koga who calls people slurs unprovoked? Why would she date Sesshomaru who bullied his half-brother for being mixed? Sure these two somewhat improved their behavior over the course of the series but 1- There's no indication that Koga and his wolves changed their diet. Koga never showed any remorse for his actions and never said he wouldn't do it again. 2- Sesshomaru tolerates/respects a few people by the end of the series but he very much still sees human life as expendable (see his “Who cares?” line when he hears his action could kill everyone in Kaede’s village). That is simply not compatible with Kagome Higurashi. 

The second anon brought up some good points about the misogyny in the fandom, and how male characters like Koga are praised while Kikyo is villainized for less. I constantly see Koga fans criticizing Inuyasha for “being nice to Kikyo despite what she’s done to Kagome” yet these people seemingly have no problems with Kagome being nice to Koga despite what he has done to Inuyasha. I think both Koga and Kikyo have poorly written “redemption arcs”, I think the inukag fandom just talk more about Kikyo/Inukik because Inuyasha did have feelings for Kikyo while Kagome never had any for Koga, so usually it isn’t worth talking about. 

As for Koga being "nicer" to her, I think a lot of it is definitely anime-only. There's that one filler episode where Inuyasha insults Kagome and Koga brings her flowers later (if I remember correctly) which is obviously meant to make Koga look like the better choice. I’ve talked about this a LOT on my blog but Sunrise went out of their way to make sure Inuyasha would almost never be kind and honest with Kagome compared to the manga, and they added a bunch of scenes where he insults her. Honestly with all the things that Sunrise changed I don’t blame anime-only fans for having issues with anime!inukag. Kagome has self-esteem issues because of Inuyasha’s ex (who is her pre-incarnation) and on top of that the boy she loves insults her himself? I know a lot of inukag shippers just see it as a joke, but since Kagome’s self-worth is a real issue in the series I don’t find it particularly funny. But if we’re focusing on the manga, Inuyasha is not mean to her, he’s only rude when he’s angry (calls her ‘bakaa’ or uses ‘temee’). 

Also, what does Koga even do for Kagome beyond giving her superficial compliments? He saved her a few times, which is what Inuyasha does on a daily basis. Koga said Kagome is “pretty” and “has guts”, which in my opinion pales in comparison to what Inuyasha said about Kagome: 

Inuyasha genuinely KNOWS Kagome. She’s his friend. He spends all his time with her. He has seen the best and worst of her. Koga is just a guy who tries to woo her when he bumps into her once in a while. Inuyasha doesn’t compliment her all the time to score points, he says these things when he can tell Kagome is feeling down and truly needs to hear it. 

Koga really is just putting on a front to look good in front of Kagome. The things he says to her are not necessarily true, as Ginta and Hakkaku point out. 

If he did manage to win over Kagome, who’s to say he would keep up this act? Would they work out in a long-term relationship? What does Koga and Kagome have in common? Like I said, he barely knows Kagome. Unlike Inuyasha, who share Kagome’s values, and share a group of friends with her. Inuyasha knows Kagome’s world, her modern friends and her family (and they love him!). Inuyasha has a demon slaying business with Miroku and lives in a human village where Kagome can thrive as a miko. Koga rarely shows respect for what Kagome wants (he claimed her as his mate and spent the entire series touching her & calling her his “mutual lover” without her consent). Even when Kagome was crying in Inuyasha’s arms after he almost died, Koga still said he “refused to give up on her”. Like the second anon said, the guy really just can’t take a hint (until the very end), and as someone who dealt with men like this in real life I think it’s a pretty big red flag.

Inuyasha literally said he owes everything he has in his life to Kagome. That he was born for her. He continuously chose to live with her instead of dying with Kikyo, risked his life to protect her by giving her the fire rat robe, ditched Tessaiga to save her, jumped into the well every 3 days ready to abandon his world for her. The fact that some people think he’s not the biggest Kagome simp out there and think he’s not “worthy” of Kagome is insane to me. 

Inuyasha learned to give Kagome space when she needs to be alone so she can study. He respects her desire to finish school, respects the fact that she loves her world and didn’t pressure her to choose him over it. 

Also people argue that Koga’s redeeming quality is that he cares about his pack and getting revenge for the ones that Naraku killed. Well, funny how he completely gave up on that once he lost his shikon jewel shards uh? Koga is a FULL yokai and he abandoned his vow to avenge his friends as soon as he lost his power boost, meanwhile my boy Inuyasha stays true to his promise to protect Kagome even in his WEAKEST form! 

Rip to Koga but Inuyasha is simply built different 🤷‍♀️

Anyway, the last point is Inuyasha and his feelings for Kikyo. At this point I’m convinced some people watched/read a completely different series than I did. I mean, the other day I saw a Tik Tok that was like “When Inuyasha runs off to kiss Kikyo for the 100th time” like... what? Inuyasha initiated like 3 romantic interactions with Kikyo in the entire time he has known her. One hug when she was first revived to calm her down, one hug when he told her she could call him when she’s in danger, and the final kiss goodbye to put her soul at peace. Inuyasha is NOT a “two-timer” who “keeps going back to his ex”. He’s a 15 years old boy whose first love got brutally murdered, he started to move on and fall in love with someone else then his “ex” was revived as a vengeful revenant and guilt tripped him into thinking he should die with her. He cares for her and refused to let her get killed by her murderer again, but his real desire was to LIVE and move on and be with KAGOME. At this point anyone who doesn’t understand that probably doesn’t have the emotional maturity to understand the story. I’m not saying that Inuyasha handled the situation perfectly, because of course not, the situation is insane and the boy has no social skills from being ostracized his whole life, but the way some people think he’s a bad person for loving more than one person in his life is insane to me. And you know what sucks? Inuyasha can’t win. If he didn’t care about what happens to Kikyo because he has a new girlfriend, people would call him heartless and would criticize him for treating women like objects that can easily be replaced. And that is one of the main reasons why comparing Inuyasha to other men like Koga, Sesshomaru or even Hojo annoys me a lot: Inuyasha did NOT choose to be in the situation he’s in. He did not intend to be with both at the same time (the anime line “why can’t have a both” is NOT canon). 

I think one other issue is people projecting their personal romantic fantasies on the situation. So many people dream of being someone’s “one and only”, of having their partner tell them that they’ve “never felt like this before”, and the fact that Kagome is not the only women Inuyasha ever loved somehow makes his feelings for her less “pure” or less “intense” to them. Which never made any sense to me because 1- Why would you be less “pure” for loving many people in your life? The fact that Inuyasha fell in love & stayed with Kagome despite the fact that his “ex” was revived and wanted him should actually be proof of how much he loves Kagome 2- Kagome IS Inuyasha’s “first” in SO many ways! The first person to make him happy, the first to cry for him and to make him cry, the first to give him a home, the first person he will be intimate with, the first (and only) person he MARRIES. His past feelings for Kikyo does not take away from that. I think the worst is when people argue that Inuyasha “still thinks about Kikyo after her death” like yeah, he’s still fighting Kikyo’s murderer until the last chapter/episode and his guilt got progressively worse as he repeatedly failed to protect Kikyo, remembering her does not mean he’s still in love with her. He can’t exactly wipe out his memories. Some people even argue that he ”shows sign that he loves her” in the bonus epilogue chapter?? Never mind the fact that the epilogue chapter just kind of sucks, Inuyasha didn’t have any reaction when Kikyo was mentioned, he said he didn’t care and he was only worried that Kikyo being mentioned would hurt Kagome’s feelings. 

When both Kagome and Kikyo were gone from his life, who did he miss? Did he go to Kikyo’s grave every 3 days wishing she hadn’t died? Did Inuyasha ever think about using the shikon jewel or Tenseiga to bring her back properly so he could be with her? No he never did, because Kagome is the one he was born for and the one he wanted to spend his life with, not Kikyo. 

Tl;dr: From what I’ve seen the popularity of kogkag seems to be from people who just like Koga better than Inuyasha and are willing to ignore (or they don’t remember) all the atrocities he committed because they find him hotter and more “charming”, which is fine to me until people actually claim that Kagome should have been with Koga in canon. People who say that are usually just mad about the love triangle because 1- they only watched the anime and haven’t read the manga (and they also misremember the anime) 2- they idealize this idea of being someone’s “first and only love” and they think Inuyasha’s feelings for Kikyo “tarnish” that and 3- they usually lack the emotional maturity to understand the situation Inuyasha was forced in and don’t realize that Inuyasha did the best he could. Inuyasha is a hanyo who was alone all his life and is just starting to open up and trust others while Koga is a full yokai who never had to struggle in his life, and despite that Inuyasha consistently proved that he is a better person. Just because Koga is loud and straight forward with his advances doesn’t make him more loving than Inuyasha, who actually knows Kagome and is romantic and kind to her when it matters the most. 

[maryholmes94]

‘Sherlock’ Out Of Fandom. Essay №1

For several years I’ve been writing about ‘Sherlock’ and its actors, Sherlock Holmes and his various adaptations, and a couple of weeks ago I’ve decided: why not to write about it in English on Tumblr? As some of you pointed out, it is not that easy to find any analysis of this show, which is not johnlock-related (at least on the English-speaking websites). So I’ve decided to express my thinking in writing, hoping that it could be useful not just for me, but for somebody else. I have no idea how many essays I’m going to write, but I want to unite them under the title “‘Sherlock’ Out Of Fandom”. And by that I mean that I’m not going to give any attention to the theories and speculations which were based on the incorrect interpretation of the original source (which in this case is the ‘Sherlock’ TV-series itself). So I’m not going to talk about the so called “Johnlock Conspiracy”, or about “season 4 is not real” theories, or about any other fantasies this fandom is so full of. Furthermore – I’m not going to be involved in the discussions which are concerning such theories, so I warn you in advance: if you want to talk about ‘Sherlock’, please be kind enough to talk about the actual show. The show that was actually released on television and not on AO3 in some fics you like so much. That would be a different topic and I’m not interested in discussing it.

Since we established this simple but important rule, I think we can move to the first essay in this series, which is titled

Three things that make ‘Sherlock’ special

The viewers may like ‘Sherlock’ or hate it, but whatever their personal opinions on this show are, they can’t deny that it is indeed very special. And not just because of the unique place it occupies in the ‘multiverse’ of interpretations of the original stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. And even not because it helped to speed up the revolution that changed the whole TV industry and our perception of it. What makes ‘Sherlock’ really special is its authors’ innovative attitude towards the old narrative. It was a radical break from traditions, which, surprisingly, is still unnoticed – maybe because other subjects interest people more, but maybe because, however radical this break was, it looked so natural that people simply didn’t realize its significance.

This innovation is visible through the entire series, but there are three milestones, which are the fundament for the whole narrative and story-telling of ‘Sherlock’, so let’s have a look at each of them.

The analytical approach to the original material

The fans of Conan Doyle’s stories know that there are basically two ways of bringing them to the screen. The first one is the good old ‘filmization’ – or, to put it simpler, the film adaptation, when the creators take the original story and adapt it to the screen. That was the path taken by the famous ‘Granada’ TV-series, the Wilmer-Cushing series from the 1960s and the Soviet version from the 1980s. The second way is the good old ‘based on the characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’, when the creators write a new story and add here and there some ‘easter-eggs’ and references to the original source. The best examples here are Rathbone-Bruce movies from the 1940s, the Guy Ritchie’s movies, and all these young sherlock holmeses, extremely old sherlock holmeses, enola holmeses etc. Which way have Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat chosen? Some may say – both, but the more correct answer would be – none. What they did is what every true scientist is doing when he or she needs to analyze their sources: they’ve read them all, they’ve singled out the essentials and they’ve drawn the balance – which at the end became the carcass of their story. So therefore each episode of their show is not just an adaptation of the original story, and not something new that they invented – it is a profound analysis of the Conan Doyle’s stories which is put under the lens of their own perception. And that makes ‘Sherlock’ not just an adaptation, but a philosophical research both of Sherlock Holmes as a cultural phenomenon and of the world Gatiss and Moffat – and their audience – are living in.

Which brings us to the second point.

2. ‘Sherlock’ tells the story of its own time

Again, the fans of Conan Doyle’s Holmes certainly read many books and articles about the famous writer and his attitude towards his creation, about the origins of his ideas, and about many other things, but what sometimes is overlooked is the fact that all the stories about Holmes written by Conan Doyle are a huge source of historical material. His stories present a chronic of his own time – yes, it has its flaws and it is far from complete, but nonetheless, if the reader wants to know something about the late Victorian and Edwardian era, Conan Doyle’s books are a rich source of knowledge on the subject. And ‘Sherlock’ is the first interpretation of it which is also a chronic of its time. Yes, there were other movies before that which were set in the contemporary era, but how much can a viewer find out about the 1940s from the Rathbone-Bruce movies? Yes, there was a war, and people wore certain clothes and travelled by trains, but who were these people? What a world they were living in? The information on this subject is scarce and hides behind the human drama and detective plots. ‘Sherlock’, on the other hand, is rooted in the time it speaks about – just like the original material it is based on. That’s why Conan Doyle’s stories were so popular, and that’s why ‘Sherlock’ is so popular too. People see in it the world that surrounds them, they know it and understand it, and understanding brings interest and a sense of belonging – the key to any TV-show’s success.

3. As its title says, ‘Sherlock’ has only one main character

The third milestone of ‘Sherlock’ narrative seems at first sight to be more concrete, but it is closely tied to the other two. A long history of bringing to the screen the characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle accustomed the viewer to a certain paradigm. Sherlock Holmes is always accompanied by Dr. Watson, and sometimes (though in fact very rarely) they are joined by other characters, such as DI Lestrade and Mrs. Hudson (more often) and Mary Morsten or Mycroft Holmes (more rare). And here ‘Sherlock’ broke the tradition again: not only did Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat give the supporting characters important roles, but at the same time they also made Sherlock Holmes a little bit lonelier than he already was by putting his personality at the center of their attention. In the end, it’s all about Sherlock and the circumstances which made him a man he is. Yes, his interactions with other characters are part and parcel of the story, but the fact that Dr. Watson doesn’t have the “exclusive access” to him anymore enriches the narrative and enables the writers to show all sorts of Sherlock’s personality. Suddenly he takes a whole number of roles nobody before thought him capable of taken: he is a son, he is a Godfather, he is the best man at the wedding, he is a close friend of Mary Morsten, a defender of Mrs. Hudson, a sarcastic, but caring younger brother and a tender forgiving older brother. And the main subject of the show is the moral and internal evolution of this extraordinary man. Sherlock Holmes written by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat and played by Benedict Cumberbatch is not a legend and not a monument: he is a man of flesh and blood, and it is his extraordinary inner world and not his deduction skills that makes him so unique – and special.  

These are the three major things that in my opinion make ‘Sherlock’ a special adaptation of the original Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories. It presents an analytical take of the original source, it perfectly depicts its own time (and its main problems), and it brings Sherlock Holmes at the center of the narrative, making him not just a hero of his time, but a man who has a story all of us can understand, and some – even relate to. In the end, ‘Sherlock’ is not just another adaptation – ‘Sherlock’ is an original story everyone can take to heart without even knowing about its source.

@rey-jake-therapist - tagging you in case you find it interesting

[archietransdrews]

Clothing As Fate On Riverdale? SAY MORE

this #theory hinges on a reading of riverdale as comic, or at least riverdale as a show that still operates fundamentally on comic book principles.

in comics, appearance is everything. i mean this in the sense that characters are given distinct looks so that the viewer can easily tell them apart when scanning strips; i mean it also in the sense that since comics are largely a visual medium, we learn who characters are not only by analyzing what they say but also and principally by analyzing how they look. comic characters’ outfits rarely change, because their appearance is how we recognize them, and yet those outfits are significant despite being stable precisely because of what they indicate about different characters’ personalities. think of pierce from zits or pigpen from peanuts or nermal from garfield or — you get the picture; in a comic, appearance IS character and vice versa.

because we need characters to look distinct in order to tell us what they’re like, there are plenty of pieces of clothing in comics whose only function is to communicate something about a character’s personality; this is true in riverdale as well. jughead’s hat is a perfect example of this, given that the show is aware of its purpose — have you ever seen me without this hat on? that’s weird! but the place it’s not weird for a character to literally never be seen without the same hat on is in a comic strip; jughead just doesn’t know that he’s from a comic (yet).

in comics perhaps more than any other medium, clothes and physical traits are chosen to efficiently communicate characters’ existing personality traits, and so it follows that the reverse is true as well, in the sense that donning a certain piece of clothing can also serve to influence or alter a character’s personality or behavior after the fact. this starts to get at the idea of clothing as fate — the idea that wearing something particular has the power to influence or predetermine future events. we see this frequently time in riverdale when characters dress up like fictional characters only to begin experiencing the same plots that those characters did, e.g. betty dressing up as laurie strode and then immediately living the events of the movie halloween or archie wearing a superhero costume for one night and then becoming a vigilante or like. every musical episode. riverdale fundamentally cannot or will not distinguish between a character and someone who is dressed up like them, so dressing up as someone else triggers a narrative shift.

we need characters to look distinct when reading comics in order to be able to tell them apart, so it follows that when characters in the comic that is riverdale come to resemble each other too closely they begin to merge, which is to say they begin experiencing similar plotlines and ultimately similar fates. i have been mostly paying attention on this rewatch to the jasonification of jason’s doubles, particularly archie, cheryl, and chic, but there is also a lot to explore with regard to characters dressing like their parents while in the process of becoming them. (jughead putting on the serpent jacket is the first moment we know he is going to join the serpents; veronica ripping off her pearl necklace communicates more urgently than any words might how strongly she doesn’t want to end up like her parents.) we might even argue that using the same actors in the midnight club sealed the riverdale teens' fates as they became physically and therefore narratively indistinguishable from their parents, doomed to repeat their mistakes.

in summary, pretending to do something on riverdale is the same as doing it for real because everything on the show operates on an equal level of (un)reality; sartorial choices in particular take on additional consequence owing to riverdale's archie comics heritage. thus, in riverdale, dressing up as someone is not fundamentally distinct from becoming them, or at least taking on their narrative role. in this sense, then, clothing is a primary vector through which fate exerts itself on the characters, forcing them to experience plotlines that correspond to what they're wearing even if it was only supposed to be a costume.

[inksandpensblog]

…the premier for the next episode of AvA6 is out already?

…shoot, guess I need to get moving on all those analysis I still haven’t read for the first one. Had those sitting in open tabs for months. 😓😰 I might just forget writing my own at this point, I know I said I wanted to wait to form my own opinion on Chosen but at this rate I don’t know when I’ll get around to actually doing that. The time commitment I’d need to rewatch and analyze is just not something I can estimate from the outside.

[dojae-huh]

Huh nim, not about jaedo but have you taken the mbti test yet? Let me guess you might be an Xstj? (I know you seem neither have interests in mbti nor believe in it though😂, so if you don’t wanna talk about it just ignore it) I’m curious about your result because I really appreciate the logical way you analyze jaedo, and how you organize your observations and opinions really clear, and take all the real-world conditions into consideration, not just making up some love stories. You know a lot of jaedo shippers just see jaedo as a very childish and irrational couple, going through a lot of dramas and conflicts like two characters from kdrama, which I just can’t relate at all haha.

I don't think MBTI is a complete hoax. Brains do differ, and it's possible to divide them into categories. Naturally, any classification will be pretty loose. An MBTI type doesn't describe an individual fully, just explains what the brain of this person prioritizes, how it deals with the information, and so on. However, there is no "species" as a unit of life in reality, biologists still find this term very useful.

I do not trust the online tests though: they are too short with bad questions. As well as people self-identifying (biased and don't really know themselves) or others trying to do it looking at the "vibe" (easy to be mistaken).

And I do not trust idols' official MBTIs because: a) they take the short tests, b) they have motivation to lie for their image (in SK some types are considered more desireable: friendly, hardworking, etc).

I'm INTP-T, and a very clear one (I'm even a scientist in real life). It has never changed since childhood. You guessed one letter, heh.

I think the usefullness of MBTI type of systems is that people can comprehend and accept that other people think differently. And sometimes get the "keys" to "why?".

Have you seen the MokChu episode with Johnathan? In the comments most of the fans wrote how they started to see the guest in another light. Johnathan wasn't behaving differently from the way he MCs: he laughed non-stop, didn't care for his image much (like gulping cola glass after glass). It is his daily habits and his interests (the love for Korean history, the thoughts about enjoying the life while young because the life is fleeting), that reveiled his depth. It is the same with JaeDo and with most neos: one needs to spend time to get to know an idol, invest in memorisation of facts about him, retain all of the information, not only that that fits the desireable picture. Otherwise people just see constructs (Doyoung as a babygirl), invent stories (JaeDo as an irrational couple (what? heh)), or gloss over some core traits (Do's fans are constantly reminded he is witty and sassy, however, they omit this trait when they build his character for themselves, don't think how these traits influence the rest).

Yesterday YT gave me a video of DEI nominee US judges going through a comittee. Once again my worldview was overthrown because I still can't comprehend how judges like Kelly Hodge exist and are allowed to decide fates of other people. My logical brain just breaks faced with the reality of how the modern world is ran by emotional and irrational people...

But back to shippers. The majority of shippers are interested in shipping as an entertainment, a fun activity. They don't expect their chosen ship to be real, and most don't care to stick to IC. Drama is fun, stereotyping simplifies things, the constant worry about the ship breaking up provides an emotional roller coaster. In the first place, shipping as an activity in public (discussion, fanwars) is attractive for emotional and social people. People who are more logical (who are usually introverts) don't see the need to go into those spaces and argue, participate, share their thoughts. As a result, you don't see them.

[norraexploradora]

The Impact of Tech’s Sacrifice within the Fandom

An analysis of why it sparked so much controversy and possible solutions on how that could have been avoided.

A Disclaimer about this analysis:

Before I go into detail about how Disney handled Tech’s death in both Season 2 and Season 3, I want to clearly state that I love the Bad Batch.

This story and the characters grabbed my heart instantly and S1 got me through the darkest years of my life after my brother passed way. The amount of gratitude I have for those who put this beautifully animated series goes beyond words.

My analysis isn’t an attack on the creators, writers, animators, etc. I believe that many episodes throughout all 3 seasons are some of the best written stories in all of Star Wars. The animation itself is awe inspiring and the soundtrack is a work of art.

However, one can still love a show while also having valid criticisms.

This analysis is strictly concerning the nature of Tech’s sacrifice in the series. The questions of why it happened, when it happened, how it was handled, and what was the detrimental affect on a particular group within the fan base were all factored in.

I have placed my personal feelings aside for the sake of offering a fair assessment of Tech’s sacrifice within the series. With complete neutrality, I have spent a great deal of analytical thought regarding the controversy and it has allowed me to provide a few alternate solutions to how it could have been avoided.

The heart of the debate:

After the conclusion of season 2, Tech’s sacrifice has become one of the most emotionally painful losses in all of Star Wars and started one of the most heated debates within the fandom.

Is he alive or did he really die on Eriadu? After analyzing every scene and dissecting the overall narrative within the Bad Bad Batch, there was plenty of evidence that it could be interpreted either way.

Tech’s sacrifice was undeniably heroic. He gave his life without hesitation in order to save both his squad and his family. It secured their survival and thus their eventual success in season 3. There could be no greater act of love.

Neither side of “Tech is alive or Tech needs to remain dead” would deny this.

However, the fact remains that the circumstances surrounding Tech’s sacrifice did spark debate regardless. Therefore, I’ve come up with a few possible ways that Tech’s sacrifice would have less room for speculation:

If a batch member died (permanently); placing it within in the 3rd act, not the 2nd

Having the entire Batch remain alive until they were reunited. It heals the wound of the fractured family and gives the catharsis of seeing them finally fighting together on the same side.

Having a canonically neurodivergent character, who also gets an unfinished romantic story with a WOC right before they are killed off, will always cause a deeper introspection to why they were chosen to be sacrificed. Removing all intentional/non intentional aspects of having a sacrifice interpreted as “shock value” would help alleviate that concern

The manner of which Tech died was too ambiguous for many viewers. In real life, Tech would never survive a fall from that height, but this is Star Wars. Characters survive impossible situations all the time. In order to reduce speculation when a main protagonist dies, the death needs to be clearly shown on screen. The fact that there was a huge debate after Plan 99 proves that insufficient evidence was provided

This is not a universal sentiment from all fans, but the lack of sufficient payoff or closure led many of them to believe Tech would return. They were awaiting official confirmation that was yet to be revealed in season 3 that would solidify if he was still alive or really dead

Combining all of these factors, here is how the story may have unfolded:

If the stakes needed to be raised in Season 2, having one of the main protagonists severely injured, enough to cause viewers to fear they may die, would still require the Batch going back to Ord Mantell for help with AZI.

The betrayal by Cid would still happen and Omega would still end up captured; thus leaving us with the same cliffhanger of Omega being ripped away from her family. Having a character still clinging to life and Omega being taken would certainly quantify as raising the stakes for ACT II.

As hard as it is for me to admit this, Wrecker would be the obvious pick if Tech was slated to die later in the series. This would have given Wrecker more focus for season 3 character development should he be hindered in some way after the injury.

Season 3 would start out exactly the same; the Batch hunting for Tantiss’s location and Omega. Omega would have the same time skips and bonding with Crosshair and would still escape and reunite with the Batch, Exactly as shown.

The reunion, however, would allow the entire Batch to reconcile and learn to work as a team again. Tech could have solidified whatever feelings he had for Phee during this time. The Batch would seemingly have won but trouble would still be on the horizon.

The series still goes on as originally planned, Omega would still want to free the clones they left behind on Tantiss. Since Omega and Crosshair both have knowledge of Tantiss, the Batch would all be summoned to Teth in order to aid Rex with this shadow operative. Unfortunately, this would once again place Omega and the Batch on the radar again because CX-2 would still be dispatched to Teth…etc etc.

The Batch would realize Omega was being targeted and therefore, the plot of Ventress could also carry on. (Though I’m pretty certain Tech would have known what an M-count was).

So now we get to the mid point of Season 3 where a sacrifice would have built up to a larger payoff.

The Point of No Return would be a perfect place for this option. It was the turning point to when everything goes wrong for the Batch in Season3.

By this time, the viewer has been led into a false sense of security. Having a main character death here would have proven just as shocking and emotional as it did at the season finale of season 2.

Tech and Phee would have already solidified their relationship and would have had the kind of emotional moment Kanan had with Hera had in Rebels. Tech’s death could have been just as unexpected and shocking as Kanan’s, as well as having a similar completion of his story arc.

Also, creating a Plan99 type sacrifice while on Pabu may have been able to clearly define his death unlike how he disappeared into the clouds. Omega would have still witnessed his sacrifice and the viewer would be left with zero ambiguity of whether or not he survived.

Continuing down this path, we would also see Omega’s reaction to Tech’s sacrifice just like Plan 99 and could have immediately set her towards the decision to give herself up in order protect her family and the island inhabitants. Basically two huge sacrifices happen. Stakes would have definitely be raised.

In the episode that follows, Tech would be given proper mourning; perhaps a funeral of sorts on Pabu.

Even though Omega had unfortunately returned to Tantiss, the closure in Tech’s death would have been equal to the weight of his character importance. Having his story arc with Phee resolved and seeing the Batch fight together against the Empire, may have lessened the sting of a neurodivergent character being the only one who didn’t survive after the finale.

This alternate direction in the story, would also mean that CX-2 wouldn’t be a mystery box. One would be led to believe that the shadow operative was clearly a metaphor for “What Crosshair would have Become” without having the the possibility that CX-2 could be Tech.

One could even argue that it would have created more emotional impact on the mental struggle of crosshair when the mystery box element is removed from the equation.

The rest of the season continues on as normal. No changes; not even the beautiful epilogue.

What if Plan 99 stays the same in Season 2? What other directions could be taken to avoid viewers from speculating?

How would one maintain Tech’s sacrifice; only adding slight differences that may have enhanced the narrative?

The mission at the summit could have either been a success to increase the payoff or have been given more time to ensure proper closure. This could happen in a few ways:

Tech sacrificed himself to save his family but the mission itself failed. Not having a successful payoff allows viewers to draw a conclusion that all the character buildup for Tech and the entire plot of the finale was to kill off a character to “raise the stakes.” Whether it was the intentional not to do so is irrelevant. Many in the fandom interpreted it as such.

Having some part of the “mission gone wrong” still ending with some success allows the thought of “at least this good thing happened” and the audience experiences the relief of knowing that something came from it beyond Tech’s sacrifice.

Think of Cassian and Jyn in Rogue One. Even though their sacrifice was heart wrenching, Cassian and Jyn’s sacrifice immediately led to the Death Star plans reaching Princess Leia.

Tech saved his family in Plan 99, which was heroic no doubt, but the failed mission had the viewer go through an entire third season in order to experience the payoff that the survival of his family eventually led to them defeating Hemlock and retiring on Pabu.

The second option is that if Plan 99 and the rest season 3’s plot is keep exactly as it is, to include more clear and concise emphasis on the characters grief and mourning from the remaining members. It would allow the viewers to also process the loss and grieve.

As it stood, after a few tears from Omega and a drink from Wrecker at a bar, the Batch was immediately rushed into being found by Hemlock and Omega being captured. Many complaints online stated that Tech’s death seemed like an afterthought by the end of the episode; especially after Emerie’s bombshell reveal was introduced.

Another direction one could take to alleviate any hope or confusion over Tech’s death was to remove the ambiguity. In Star Wars, having any character “fall out of sight” without being clearly dead first; especially in Star Wars, will always lead to speculation.

If Tech had experienced an ending more like Fives, the viewer witnesses his last breath and it removes all doubt that he has died.

How would any of those options look applied to the story:

Starting season 3, avoid moving straight into a time skip. This would include showing Omega telling Crosshair about Tech as well as Hunter and Wrecker telling Phee. Seeing the reactions of important people in Tech’s life, who wasn’t present during Plan 99, would allow the viewer to know how much he was missed by everyone.

Another possible scenario is a reflection scene, much like Crosshair’s moment with placing Mayday’s helmet on a makeshift memorial.

Perhaps the entire Batch standing behind Omega as she placed his Goggles in the Archium. Many in the neurodivergent community have expressed that Tech was only mentioned whenever his skills were missed. Having a few words about Tech’s character and not just his skills, may have resonated more with people who related to him. If anything, just to take some of the edge off for the families and young children watching.

Wrapping up:

This assessment was to examine how Tech’s death was handled within the season and how other directions within the story could have alleviated some of the speculation and dissonance within the fandom surrounding Tech’s sacrifice.

I’m not trying to persuade anyone to change their opinions on whether if Tech should be alive or stay dead. My hope was to offer a deeper understanding of the issues surrounding Tech’s sacrifice and how that fueled heated debate.

It is completely possible to watch Season 3 and see CX-2 as a misdirection. It is also completely understandable to see CX-2 as as a mystery box reveal that he could be Tech with the clues given.

Either way, it remained a debate and distraction after the finale of season 2 and all the way to the end of season 3.

Tech said it best, “Understanding you doesn’t mean I agree with you.” People will always see the world differently. No matter how Tech’s sacrifice was presented, there will always be those who feel it was the wrong decision because Tech meant more to them than the majority of the fandom. Their grief and feelings are just as valid as those who disagree.

No one’s grief or sadness should be made into a joke, ever. You may not understand it, or agree with it; but like Tech said we should always “respect their decision.”

Star Wars is about hope and the stories found within touch us all in different ways. We bring our own unique life experiences and connect to the story in ways that are deeply personal. Fictional characters do hold weight into the real world because of this.

A personal note:

I will always love Tech. He will remain one of the best and bravest characters in the entire Star Wars Universe.

However, I do wish that there had more clear and direct confirmation regarding Tech’s sacrifice. Being neurodivergent and “processing moments and thoughts differently,” made me see parallels and patterns that kept conflicting; driving a mystery that my brain desperately needed to solve.

Now that the Bad Batch is over, I’m relieved to have that mystery officially closed; even if I had to say goodbye to the one Star Wars character that I connected to the most.

Ironically I lost my brother, (who was my only sibling), on the same day Plan 99 aired. Now that Tech’s death is officially confirmed, it’s hard to know that March 29th is also the day Omega lost her brother too. We both have had to carry the weight of having a brother whose life ended too soon.

I have yet to reach that feeling of acceptance with losing both my brother and Tech but I’m sure I’ll get there. Tech lives on through Omega. My brother lives on through me. I still wish they both survived long enough to grow old and share more moments with their families. Still, I’m thankful for the precious time we were given with them.

So to everyone…

Be kind to each other. Reach out often and tell those you care about how much they mean to you. Try hard to remember that we are doing our best to survive in this world together, so be kind and compassionate to those who are struggling.

And as always.. May the Force be with you.

[queer-as-used-by-tolkien]

Storyline Study: One Path Ends (S3)

First | Prev | Next (PoF)

So I said I’d talk about why I dislike One Path Ends, the last episode of S3.

Now, I love One Path Ends because 1) we go back to Orr, 2) ORR IS HEALING, 3) we get to kill Risen like the good old days and, for those of us wielding Caladbolg, we get to weep over it, 4) THERE ARE SYLVARI UPHOLDING TRAHEARNE’S LEGACY, 5) the ghost King Reza is still around ;alkjsdf;lakjsdf 6) well I think you get the point. “Callback nostalgia episode” yes, but not because of GW1, haha. I’m not saying none of this happened; I’m saying it’s not part of the Commander’s character arc.

The main reason is that it wasn’t originally planned in the pacing and arrangement of the rest of S3. Anet devs realized there would be a big gap between the end of S3 and the start of PoF, so they spun up an extra episode. Now, if it meshed nicely with the rest of the season, I wouldn’t mind, but it doesn’t. It ends on a high and happy note, which destroys the message and arc of the rest of S3, which is a negative Fall arc.

You go from one (1) ally and three big baddies, to being inducted into the Shining Blade (the Commander being desperately lonely and needing allies?) to completely making mincemeat out of all the doubts and insecurities that plague them in one or two combat sessions. That’s just… not how it works, in real life or in narrative story theory. That part I think can’t have happened right. I think the Commander’s trauma was just so bad it broke the system. I’ve spent some time analyzing the mechanics of the boss fight to see what psychological processes they’re manipulating, but it seems to hinge on “use the guilt to motivate you to do better! at some point you’ll hit rock bottom and after that there’s nowhere to go but up!” which. is. not at all how that works. That may have been what the Commander did, but in no way shape or form did it heal them from the trauma or in any way insulate them against it being used against them.

In fact, it probably made the trauma, the guilt, and everything else worse. If you’ve ever read the Wheel of Time, where Rand tries to “make himself harder” by reciting a list of all the women who’ve died because of him… it’s rather chilling to watch him get more and more closed off emotionally over the course of the series because the guilt of everything is too much, he can’t take any more. He shuts down and does his Chosen One duties, sacrificing everything he used to love, seeing his friends as pawns on a chessboard. Some of the other characters make it their mission to make him capable of laughing again, because he needs to be able to feel, to love, in order to fulfil his destiny. (I won’t spoil it for you, although if you play GW2 and can read fourteen books, I need to be your best friend.)

Anyway, that’s what would be happening to the Commander in this trial. Eventually they’d be hard enough that the trial just wouldn’t work on them. I don’t think it would take much, not when there’s nothing really at stake here and they knows it’s just phantoms, and not when they’s pretty hard already.

And that’s if the trial would have actually worked the way it was conceptualized. You can’t just beat up your own inner demons by yourself like that, without any emotional support. This is true for any trauma, much less the Commander’s specific ones, relating to loss and death as they do.

One Path Ends has to happen because that’s how we find the Eye of Janthir and find out where Balthazar went. We also get to kill Lazarus, because GW1 points - and also, because you can’t end a major season in a video game without a bossfight, and it has to be one where the player actually defeats the baddie. It’s just… not the baddie that’s at all important. (Why did we try to take him on with just the two of us, anyway?)

Take out it's significance to the narrative arc and the mission in Orr is a spark of green amidst the misery, it’s non-critical (it’s about Lazarus and not Balthazar), and gives the Commander something to kill. So it’s just a bunch of Things That Happened but didn’t change the Commander’s story arc or how they approaches their Lies.

Now, there is something I’ve thought about before: shifting One Path Ends from an epilogue for S3 and turning it into a prologue for PoF. (I’d still ditch the Shining Blade trial, though.) Being in Orr with its greenery, and the reminders of Trahearne, is the perfect preparation for the return arc the Commander is about to experience in PoF.

Like I’ve said before, the Commander isn’t a “blank slate,” they’s an Etch-A-Sketch. Anet has drawn a picture for us. There is a narrative arc. We can shake it up and do our own thing completely if we want, or we can keep and expound on Anet’s example. Their example includes this wonky One Path Ends for game-content reasons, and while I can’t bring myself to erase it completely (Green Orr is too amazing), I can negate it’s narrative impact or move it to a place that makes more sense.