#NOW EVEN EARLY S1 NICK MAKES ME SO SAD IN A WAY BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE HOW MUCH HE TRIES TO BE LIKE GLENN

[variksel]

every single day i think about nicky close-foster whose entire personality completely shifted when he grew up with a different dad. every day i think about how no matter what kind of person he turned out to be, the core is that both nick and nicholas idolized and loved their dads so much that they tried to be so much like them. in both timelines. the only core of nicky foster/close that stayed the same when he turned from nick to nicholas was the love he had for his father.

i think that if one of the other sons' dads had gotten switched, they hadnt had NEARLY the same kind of reaction to the kid. i think grant, terry, and the twins' personalities would have stayed at least relatively the same. but nicks didnt because he looked up to his dad so much that he based his entire personality off of him

and i will never stop thinking about that

[pynkhues]

. Hi, tbh Im feeling kinda sad lol That ep for me just didn't really give me closure I guess. I feel like the introduction of Nick's character was really just more to serve Beth's storyline than Rio. As we seen from these flashbacks Nick and Rio have such a toxic relationship. Nick Is an abuser!! He had such a hold on Rio for so long. I don't like the implication that Rio only decided that Nick has to go because of Beth it also doesnt make sense . It would have been more satisfying if Rio was the one working towards the entire szn to take Nick down.

Also wish i could have enjoyed the bench scene. I couldn't really because Anne and Ruby were suffering. Not that I want to see any of the girls suffer but I feel like every ch this szn suffered but Beth . She really never faced any consequences. Sure yes she got shot but compared to other injuries shown in the show.(Turner, Rio of course, Ruby etc) I say it wasn't that bad. They rly glossed over it pretty quickly . Now shes in such a power position and has Rio working for her!! Which full circle but this feels off . I guess what I'm saying is that none of what happened felt earned if that makes sense? IMO it all felt very rushed. . Sorry if this comes off negative n sry for how long this is lol. Would love to hear from your perspective?

Hi! I’m sorry you feel sad about it, anon, and I’m sorry that you don’t feel like it gave you closure! I get that – series finale’s are challenging at the best of times, but especially when show’s don’t realise they’re the finale, much like Good Girls didn’t with this season.

You’ve asked a few questions here, so I’m going to break it down into two sections, the first being Rio, Beth and Nick, and the second being that Beth didn’t suffer any consequences, and look, I’m going to prep you early! While I agree with a lot of your minor points, I don’t really agree with either of your major ones. I can absolutely see your standpoint on the first, which I’ll come to shortly; but I’m genuinely baffled at this point by anyone thinking that Beth hasn’t suffered any real consequence across the course of this show. In fact, I’d argue that she’s the character who has suffered the most consequences, and quite frankly, I’m exhausted by the hunger to see her punished.

I’ll come to that point too though.

Okay, let’s start with Nick.

Nick is abusive! I agree with that absolutely. I think he’s a toxic person who has manipulated Rio and positioned him where he wants him for a lot of their lives, but I disagree that Rio necessarily wanted out of that. What we saw of their relationship in s4 was that it was symbiotic. They function in a relationship which is mutually beneficial. Rio makes Nick money, Nick protects Rio and gives him broader professional networks.

Otherwise, they live separate lives, something very much established in 4.06 with the fact that Nick had no idea who Beth even was.

Rio has always seen Beth first and foremost as an avenue to opportunity. She was a pathway to a world he hadn’t had access to in s1, then one to the Boland Motors operation in s2, and free money in s3, and then as a way to greater power in s4. Yeah, his personal feelings were in play in the latter too, but Rio only entertained Beth taking down Nick when he saw it as a way of securing a better portion of Detroit himself.

He only talked to her about it when she was already running for city council, had Sweet P’s and the money laundering behind her, and was going after Nick herself.

Every character on this show is, in some way, parasitic, but especially Rio. I don’t even mean that in a bad way! He’s a smart guy who knows what works, knows what’ll run, and he attaches himself to that. He’s been that way since he saw a use for the girls in sending them over the border in 1.03. This is a huge part of the character he is, and him balancing his affection for Beth and his strained relationship with Nick doesn’t – and shouldn’t – change that. So why would he exit out of a beneficial relationship with Nick before he had an alternative?

God, in some ways, it’s probably easier for Rio to have a bad relationship with the person feeding that need for him, because there’s less of an attachment.

I think that the shifting power dynamics between Rio, Nick and Beth were really pivotal to that arc overall and that Rio saw advantage in the same breath that he realised his own weaknesses, and I think the arc let Beth reconnect with Rio in a meaningful way while letting her redistribute her hunger for power in a way that ultimately allowed her to see Rio as a co-captain instead of the lifeboat she’s always hadto see him as because of her circumstances.

Nick was a tool that let the power between them rebalance itself, and gave them both the chance to move forwards as equals, and I think that was felt in both their arcs, not just in Beth’s or just in Rio’s.

Beth has faced no consequences

Oh, anon. I know you don’t mean it this way, but this is something that infuriates me on so many levels.

Beth has, over the course of the season, lost everything.

She lost her parents before the series even began, her house in the pilot, her marriage and financial security at multiple points, the entire contents of her house in season 3, her children in season 2, and her relationship with her chosen family, Ruby, in s2 and s4. She’s been pursued aggressively by the FBI and the Secret Service, turned herself in and was arrested by the FBI, she’s been shot, she’s been cheated on by her husband, betrayed by her husband, set up, kidnapped, blackmailed and threatened by Rio, and strongarmed into a date with Fitzpatrick. She’s had a friend murdered, been chewed out by her best friend’s husband, and now, had her sister arrested for a crime neither of them commit, but a man tried to get her to take the blame for.

What else would you like to see her lose?

How else would you like her to face consequences?

How else do you think she should suffer?

And why do you think she should suffer more than she already has?

Because if you don’t think she’s paid her dues at this point, I don’t know what to tell you anymore beyond the fact that this makes me very, very sad.

[killian-whump]

OUAT 3x04: Rewatch Liveblog

Hey guys! I'm back again with another rewatch liveblog. Man, I'm kinda storming through S3 so far, due to the lack of Killian whump in a lot of these early episodes. Don't worry, I'm sure I'll make up for that by spending a quarter of a century on the next episode :P

But before THAT episode, we have THIS one! It's episode 3x04, and it's called "Nasty Habits". Unfortunately, none of those habits seem to be torturing pirates, because there's only some Killian angst in this one.

Well, let's watch it anyway... ;)

Neal bondage. Way to start off an episode!

Shame I'm not that into Neal, though :/

Hahaha, and Felix isn't even good at tying people up. Theeeere goes Bae.

Gotta admit, his "I'm not a boy anymore, and I sure ain't lost" is kinda hot XD

Bae: "Papa, I told you: I don't want anymore gifts from the people you terrorize." Ummm. Rumple, that's super fucking creepy. Rumple: "Then what do you want?" LIKE, LITERALLY ANYTHING THAT ISN'T THAT.

Hey, solid question here, but why IS the Dark One still living in a hovel at this point?

Oh, totally unnecessary but kinda awesome warpaint time.

And creepy Belle conjuring time. I mean, kudos to you for maintaining your child-like wonder, Rumple, but having invisible friends at your age IS kinda weird. Just saying.

Although, I mean, it DOES do a solid job of giving Rumple a chance to tell the audience his own inner doubts and fears in a far less creepy way than having him literally talking to himself.

So there's that.

Wow, that's a really nice little miniature "Pan's Compound" made out of rocks and sticks. Did they all work together to gather the rocks and arrange everything so artfully? Or did one of them just sit there and do this on their own like the world's loneliest middle school art project? And if so, who?

"It's not the sticks you need to worry about. It's the poison they're dipped in." MEANINGFUL OMINOUS CAPTAIN CHARMING LOOK BEHOOOOOOOOLD

Tink: "One nick, and you'll spend the rest of yo-" Dave: "Poison sticks equal death. We got it." No, no, Dave. Let her finish. This sounds relevant to my interests.

Tink looks so cheerful as she says she's ready to go as soon as they tell her the exit plan. Oh, sweet summer child. You're obviously new here.

...ALL of their faces right here. They're all like, "Oh shit, we were hoping you wouldn't ask us that." Except Hook, who looks as vaguely amused by their reactions as we are.

Regina's SO happy to hear of Greg's demise. I FEEL YOU, GIRL. I FEEL YOU.

David: "what about you, Hook? You got off this island before." Hook: "Yes. Aboard my ship, which would require some form of magic to create a portal, which... I got from Pan, in a deal I don't think he's ready to repeat." TELL US MORE OR I SWEAR TO GOD

He can't even meet anyone's eyes as he says it, either. Just what WAS that deal, Hook? Don't make me imagine it. You won't like what I imagine. Mmmm. I like what I'm imagining...

More angst. Yum.

Ahh... Rumple hears the murmurings of conversation...

BAM! Poppy dust to the face! Why did he use poppy dust, though? I mean, I assume it's poppy dust, since it looked the same as when Tink knocked Regina out last episode - which was pointed out to be done with poppy dust.

OH, HEY LOOK, GUYS, IT'S BAELFIRE

HE'S NOT DEAD, EVERYBODY!

Don't act like you've already known that since last season, because that's just gonna make Rumple feel bad for being so behind on the news.

THIS IS WHERE A COMMERCIAL WOULD BE IF WE HAD ANY

True Story: I meant to do this rewatch post the other day, but when I sat down to watch the episode, it turned out my copy of 3x04 was somehow episode 4 of Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, so I had to go online and re-download the right episode, because of course I’m too lazy to rip my own videos. I just download them like the dirty pirate I am. Yarrrrrr.

Anyway, this episode seems to have slightly longer black breaks where the commercials were. Weird. Anyway...

SERIOUSLY, RUMPLE?!

We've already talked about how creepy it is, giving your kid "gifts" you stole from the people you torment with your dark magic.

Oh, look. Rumple's gone to Hamelin. And the children are missing. And there's a piper. And he wears a pied cloak. THIS SOUNDS FAMILIAR... (and I don't mean from the previous times I've seen this episode, you smart asses.)

Rumple: "Pan is too powerful. You can only beat him if you're willing to die... which I am." Ummm. But you were willing to die to save Henry because Baelfire was dead, and... and... I mean... *gestures vaguely* Neal: "What if I told you there was another way?"

No, apparently it involves attacking one of Kraken-san's friends and relations. Don't worry, guys, no krakens were harmed in the harvesting of this squid ink. This particular kraken lived long after this, and sired a bunch of tiny kraken babies who went on to plunder pirate butts all along the shores of Neverland after the realms were united in S7.

It's true. I made it up just now.

Hahahahaha, Regina. "What is this supposed to be?" Well, it looks like... a gigantic rock of some kind, but I'm no expert or anything.

Oh, it's the "hot" conversation. I love it XD And the way David snaps the rope away from Hook, like he doesn't need his piddly help. "And I'm plenty hot." Yeah, you sure are, Dave XD

Mmmm... Hook's so intense when he's talking to Dave. "Why don't you?"

"Oh, if there's one thing I've gleaned from you hero types, it's that there's always hope." <3

"Is there something you're not telling me... mate?" Oh, NOW he's your mate XD

"Alas, hope and reality are most often worlds apart." T_T

Sure, just shove him, Dave. Can't you see he's going through something here? Look how angsty he is. Like an angst burrito wrapped in black leather.

OH SHIT. NOT THIS AGAIN.

I love the way Emma calls out Hook’s name. It's so familiar <3

Come on, baby. You can light the torch this time. Just keep trying. You can do i- DAMMIT DAVE. Every time I watch this episode, you shove him out of the way and use your fancy shmancy modern lighter to light the torch. He's just an angsty pirate, trying the best he can with one hand and a hook T_T

Showin' him up in front of Emma and all that... SO MEAN T_T

Hook's face, tho XD

...and Emma's not even paying attention, anyway XD

On a more serious note, these kinds of bestings make me laugh. I love them all <3

Oh, back to Hamelin.

Yeah, follow those kids, Rumple. This is probably the only time saying that wouldn’t be super duper creepy.

Gee, that piper on the other side of the fire looks a bit familiar...

OH MY GOD, YOU GUYS, IT'S PETER FUCKING PAN D:

Pan really IS a little shit, though, isn't he? Hahaha. Such absolutely horrible things to say to your own kid. WORST PARENT ON THE SHOW. And there's a LOT of competition for that spot, let me tell you.

NM, I don't need to tell you. You all already know XD

"After all, being abandoned is what you're good at, isn't it?" JFC, dude, chill out or something. This isn't the Cruelty Olympics up in here. I'd know if it was. I'd be taking part... AND STILL SIDE-EYEING YOUR NASTY ASS.

Just kidding. Love you, boo. Keep being the best little shit this side of the sewage plant.

Hey, thanks a lot whichever one of you is responsible for this one. Now I can't watch this scene without thinking they're out of paper towels D:

Henry: "Sorry. I don't hear anything." Pan: "Interesting." I'll say.

Oh, so the sentries were knocked out by a sleeping spell... that looks exactly like a puff of poppy dust. Busy year in the effects department?

Pan: "Now, now, Felix. Where's your sense of adventure?" See, that's why I still love Pan, even though he's a complete piece of shit. He's a fun piece of shit. He really gets into his dastardly and deviant behavior.

JFC KNOCK IT OUT WITH THE LANTERNS NOW. I can only have so many orgas- OH, HI GUYS.

The way Colin pops those consonants on the word "important" XD I fucking love this man. Why is he so much the way he is?!

Hook: "He got it from his mother." OH GOD, BABY. Somebody hold me. I can't handle the look on his face after he says that. Oh shit. I've revealed feelings. RUN AWAY.

"Yes, because pre-teen Baelfire probably made lots of pasta." Never change, Regina. You’re my boo and you always will be <3

This scene is really pretty, though. I love the soft yellow glow coming out of the coconut and the stars across the ceiling. Pretty <3

THEY'RE STILL OUT OF PAPER TOWELS. Goddammit, you guys.

Wow. That was a powerful gust of magic. I wonder who could've been responsible for that?

Pan: "We have a guest!" Ummm... Hate to break it to you, but your party literally dropped dead asleep about 2 seconds ago, so nobody's listening XD

Pan: "Who could it be?" I WONDER.

Slick move there, Neal. I might just start to like you again, after all. Hope you don't die in the second half of the season or anything...

Awww. The sad thing is, the viewer knows Rumple actually isn't here to murder Henry, but poor Rumple - Neal doesn't know that :/

I actually hate storylines like this. I'd rather be kept in the dark. It's so frustrating when you know shit that the characters don't know. Key reason why I'm not into S1 very much, actually. But you didn't hear that from me. Remember: I only dislike it 'cos there's no pirates ;)

Neal: "It's Neal!" Wow. Getting really loud there, Bae- sorry, Neal. Oops.

Ahhhhh, Peter Pan, you little shit. Causing more trouble.

Neal: "We're safer without you." Ummm... Are you, though? Are you really?

"Nothing is going to happen to you. Not while I'm here." Oh, Mary Margaret. About that... Heh. Heh heh. Hmm.

Hey, look guys. It's Neal, and he's found the heroes' campsite!

...and now he's been caught by Pan. I hate to say I told you so, Neal, and I hate to say Rumple told you so, as well, but...

LITERALLY EVERYONE TOLD YOU SO, YOU IDIOT.

Ahahahaha, "Never break in somewhere unless you know the way out." Peter Pan taught him that. Nice one, show. I forgot about that detail.

"I'll remember that for next time." Ummm... Wait. What.

Dammit show. You giveth and you taketh away.

Poor Jared, hahaha. He spends most of this episode being fireman carried by various people. Acting is so glamorous.

Ooooh, a good old-fashioned manhandling right here. Love it.

It still bothers me that Rumple's entire reason for living is Bae. I mean, having (Rumple!)Belle literally saying that now that Neal's alive, Rumple has a reason for living again... It just makes me feel bad about that ship?

:/

JFC WOULD SOMEONE GO TO THE STORE AND BUY MORE PAPER TOWELS FOR THESE BOYS?!?!

NOW HENRY HAS THE EMPTY PAPER TOWEL ROLLS

What are they even paying you people for?!

Wait. I'm not getting paid. Why are you guys getting paid if I'm not getting paid? Dammit, I quit.

PEW PEW PEW PEEEEEEEEEEW

[dead-end-street]

Get To Know You

I was tagged by @she-dreams-in-pink so here goes! :)

Top 3 Book Ships? Ooh, not really top 3 of all time, but 3 that I can think of at 1am lol. - Lara Jean/Peter from To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. I can’t wait for the movie on Netflix to come out already! - Astrid/Charlie from the Crazy Rich Asians books. I love Nick and Rachel a lot but I think Astrid was one of my favourite characters in the books and I really loved her story on her own, but also with Charlie. Again, I can’t wait for the movie later this month! (yay for Asian representation in August!) - Anne/Gilbert from Anne of Green Gables. I remember reading the first book as a chid and then slowly making my way through the other 5 books in the series and just being so obsessed with Anne and her journey and confused why she wouldn’t just BE WITH GILBERT since she clearly loved him back. I ended up watching the 80s tv movie and both book and movie Gilbert were probably my first fictional crush lol (i’m still so sad the actor has passed away irl :’( so sad)

Lipstick or Chapstick? Both. I always put on a lip balm first before applying lipstick cus i have a few that are matte and those will dry your lips like no one’s business. Then I tend to finish it off with a clear gloss.

Last Song? Foreplay - Jalen Santoy

Last Movie? Ant-Man & the Wasp

Top 3 Shows? PFFFFTTT, yeah again this isn’t top 3 of all time. Just top 3 that I can think of off the top of my head: - The Americans. Spies who start out as strangers forced to get married and having kids and never really had those ~feelings for each other until years of marriage, suddenly start to have those feelings and even tho they always had each other’s back no matter what, their love makes them so ride or die, which in turn makes you, the viewer, want to die because they murder your emotions every episode. The show is over now, but I 100% recommend watching it and try not to spoil yourself, it’s such a thrill to watch if you like intrigue and super stressful drama, mixed with some fun Alias-style disguises/wigs and sexytimes. Basically, spies make everything better. (Keri and Matthew deserve all the Emmys tbh)

- The Expanse. This show is one of those that stay with you days after an ep airs. If you love scifi, political drama, and feel like you haven’t seen a smart, complex, ensemble scifi show since BSG, this show is for you. Honestly It’s rare that I can say that a show gets better with time, usually it peaks at S1/2 and then slumps and sort of rides the wave of hype it got early on, but this show somehow started strong and every season just keeps getting better and this last season was a fucking masterpiece. I’m so happy it’s saved and hopefully will have a few more seasons to fully explore the new world(s) they’ve introduced. It’s got an incredibly talented and diverse cast, but more importantly, for me at least, it has some of the best female characters I’ve ever seen on tv. They’re brilliant and smart and messy and there’s such a diverse cross section of women they portray (an engineer, a politician with a potty mouth, a marine, a fucking badass rebel/captain with a soft spot for a certain engineer, a pastor/scientist). This last season especially they’ve had some amazing arcs for the women and I think their storylines were the best part of the season in many ways.

- Brooklyn Nine Nine. If you follow me, you’ll see me flailing over this show, but I just wanna say, I’ve never loved a show as much as this. (Another almost cancelled show that is thankfully saved and I hope has a lot more seasons.) Usually it’s hour-long dramas that evoke this emotion, but somehow a 20min comedy is forever engrained in my heart. The characters are all so fully fleshed out and allowed to have their own adventures and b-plots separate from the main storyline and I dare you to pick a favourite character by the end because they are all so amazing and will have you shouting I LOVE EVERYONE IN THIS BAR multiple times. The continuity and attention to detail is unparalleled and really makes you feel like everyone really cares about making this show the best it can be. They also somehow manage to make eps that deal with sensitive topics that many other shows tackle and fail at, whereas B99 almost flourishes in these dramatic/intense scenes making you forget it’s a comedy. I just really really love this show, you guys!

-other shows I thought of after the fact that now I wanna mention as well: Good Behavior, Billions, Killing Eve, Cloak and Dagger, Good Girls, Queen of the South, Killjoys.

I’m gonna tag @cuddlybitch, @cupcakesandtv, @kategecko and anyone else who wants to do it. :)

[ericmooreporchkid]

watching THAT 70′S SHOW @ 25.

The first time I went to Point Place was summer 2003.

I was on a family camping trip of sorts with my friend Nick. Our families were pals and we thought it would be a stellar idea to spend humid Iowa July in some “cabins” (which were more Super 8 than log) and do some paddle boating, fishing, smore’s’in’, etc.

The trouble was we were suburb kids. Heat and bugs limited our activity to the sofa and stove Smore’s. Our moms took to the Cabernet and didn’t mind at all. After some frustration with the bloated and dusty TV ‘neath the spiral staircase, our media viewing ended up being some That 70′s Show DVD’s Nick had brought along. 

I didn’t get it at first. Why Nick liked it. We didn’t grow up in the era the show was concerned with. How could he even relate? We had velcro shoes and gushers. But, I wanted to impress him by also finding value in the funky colors and shaggy hair, so I dove in. I did feel a weird false nostalgia almost immediately, mostly because the weird orange-y chairs in the set kitchens and at The Hub closely resembled our cabin furniture and the seating offered by the shoddy grocery shop at the edge of the campground. This, interspersed with my mom’s occasional wine-hued comments about when an outfit was similar to something she’d once worn or when the coffee cups were what her grandma owned, made me urgently want to feel a kinship to this weird replicated era.

And so a few hours in I was pretty in love with all the characters. My embarrassing moments resembled Eric’s, my moron friends resembled Kelso, and all my crushes resembled Jackie and Donna. 

A few years later in middle school, as I began to crank into pubescent Hornville and become informed about sexuality and romance from movies/tv (yikes), I would spend late nights watching re-runs of the show with my younger brother. We had that early teens late night energy and hunger, and it felt weirdly invigorating to watch what high school might be like over microwave nachos. Having a consistent friend group who constantly face dumb sophomoric challenges like drinking ages and curfews and virginities in a pursuit of fighting boredom was exhilarating. 

I went through high school and had a lot of those first experiences (kisses, drinks, slight vandalism), with less cheese and folksiness but pretty similar small-town ennui. Occasionally the show would come up in mid-aughts conversations normally dominated by DEXTER, or Weeds (girls I would date were usually stronger-willed and muscled than me, so I settled into an Eric-ish self-deprecation mode that never felt good but at least felt defined), but I never watched it the way I did in that early teen fuzz, where the concept of sneaking out or drinking seemed so outlandish and attractively alien.

My summer after my first year of college (and the only summer I ever went back home for) was bleak. I had switched from journalism to creative writing, which my parents were not stoked on. I had experienced two relationships that were impactful but not meaningful. I had my first big surges of anxiety, panic attacks, calling friends and having nothing to say. I had a small part in a play and worked a part-time job doorknocking for a friends’ dad’s senate campaign. Having old people shout at me for supporting “the gays” in heat was far from reassuring life fodder. I rewatched all 200 episodes of the show that summer. It was true comfort at that point. True and natural nostalgia. It wasn’t “the 70′s”. It was just high school. It was friends. It was community. And the jokes felt cheesier than I’d remembered, but I excused them, the way you do when your mom ejects a jest you’ve heard a thousand times. The show didn’t ask me what I was going to do next, it just followed the quests of Donna to be taken seriously, of Eric to be respected by his dad, of Fez to be acknowledged as a person and also to “do it.”

Six years later and I find myself peppering in a few episodes amidst the onslaught of streaming content available. It’s odd now. It feels like summer break is done. I’ve grown so much in comedy and comedy has changed so much, on a pure structural level. Some quips that used to spark just flare out immediately, like the end of a sparkler placed in a Diet Dew can. A lot of themes and dialogue are pretty dated and gross, because it’s something made with a late 90′s concept of social structure trying to handle the 70′s style of equality, gender norms, etc. Hyde is not cool and anything remotely sexual from his mouth is dusting considering Danny Masterson’s real life monster behavior (go fuck yourself, Danny). It’s sad knowing Laurie (Lisa Robin Kelly) died from a drug overdose and the lifestyle she has on the show is so slut-shame-based, treats vices like weaknesses. The blacklight of time is on.

On a pure production level, it’s weird knowing more about sets and shooting and Hollywood gunk, which honestly does take a lot of the magic I used to see away.

But the frame and the shots and the haircuts and the love are still there. Things still work. I want to be in the circle. The world and the characters exist with such life. So many scenes are real laughter, the laughter of actors in their early 20′s having fun and being blown away that they’re getting an opportunity to create together. I don’t ever really drip into the later seasons (fuck Randy) except for that last episode when Topher returns. 

I watch that one a lot, actually. It makes me happy that past the prime of the narrative and show, they wanted to end it back on the steps with kids doing nothing and trying to understand the world right before the buttoned-up eighties. The world got uglier and prettier as the show left us, but the basic soul of the material is pure and honest and explorative. The way adolescence is. The way we can sometimes remember being. 

Below are my top five episodes. Hi, Wisconsin.

5. “Hunting” S 2, ep. 13

Eric and the guys go hunting with Red and Bob. This is some of the most stellar Red vs. Eric activity, but it comes to a real emotional truth that surpasses the show’s normal depth when Eric reveals he knows how to shoot animals and he just doesn’t want to. The way he uses an ability Red so aggrandizes to prove its arbitrary importance is such a satisfying kick in the khakis and a nice representation of one generation slightly jolting the other awake. Also, everyone accidentally eats crow. 

4. “Halloween” S 2, ep. 5

The gang breaks into their old elementary school and reads their permanent records. The relatable curiosity every kid has over what the fuck a permanent record means also turns into a beautiful bottle episode of “how did we all meet?” I always end up tracking the spider webs of my own friendships post-view.

3. “The Career Day” S1 ep. 18 

Seeing the spectrum of Point Place’s job market is pure fun. It’s such a good characterization episode (Kelso telling his brainy dad he’s just gonna write down that “he’s a farmer” always kills me) and it rocks that moment many of us go through where we look at what our parents do and think what the fuck am I gonna do? Certainly not that. 

2. “Parents Find Out” S2 ep. 19

The self-explanatory title was not only satisfying because of the parental reactions, but because there are a few episodes between when Eric and Donna lose the V and when it actually matters. You know when you do something you think your parents are gonna kill you for and then you realize they can’t really do anything? Every time I watch this I still feel like Red is going to shoot Eric. I am happy Pavlovian here. 

1. “Dine and Dash” S3 ep. 15

An amazing modernized “And Then They Were None” wherein we see each character slowly avoid the bill. Of course its dumb teenage rebellion, but there’s also a very human quality to each of the characters turning on each other. It’s carnival stress.

(below: My friend Adam and I at a gas station before prom in 2009, complete with 70′s locks).

[dna-creative-blog]

The Handmaid’s Tale  Season 1, episode 1

I’ve been anticipating this series adaptation for quite some time now, and after watching the first episode - I am quite pleased at the treatment. In general the most important elements got incorporated in smart ways. The acting across the board is quite excellent! Below are my thoughts on the episode and the differences between the book/show I noticed. Feel free to reply or send me a message on your thoughts! I would love to discuss! I will try not to go too far into the later story from the books, but fair warning that the show does skip around a little and more might be revealed to you in my writings as I navigate around those story points. 

Review/Recap S1.episode 1 

The show starts with the forest scene in the book where Offred (Elizabeth Moss) describes how she tried to escape with her husband & daughter. In the book, this scene happens much later, but for the purposes of the show, I thought it was appropriate to frame Offred’s motivations in terms of her family unit. It is, after all, her main intrinsic motivator throughout her story to keep going and to take the risks she takes. For me, the scene where Hannah (her daughter) is ripped away from her is gut wrenching and we witness it right from the start. It’s an early indicator that this show is going to pull all the punches - they will not shy away from anything hard or uncomfortable from the story. 

I think it’s interesting that they show Offred being taken into the van in the opening. It alludes to a point in the book later on - those of you who’ve read It know what I’m talking about ;)

I am pleased that Offred’s character relays a lot via voiceover in the story. As you get to know the society of Gilead (not yet revealed in the show), it is of course extremely repressive. Being as Offred and the other handmaids, Martha's, etc cannot speak/chat with each other freely about their emotions and what they’re really thinking. The voiceover mechanism is really useful in letting us in to her inner workings and everything she’ll be working through as the story progresses. 

Offred’s first meeting with Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski) and Commander Waterford (Joseph Fiennes) was a very awkward affair. I don’t recall if in the books the Commander exchanged that many word with Offred in their first meeting, or if at all? But it does emphasize the awkwardness with which these social interactions carry on, because Gilead is still very fresh. The behaviors of the caste society they are imposing are not yet engrained into everyone’s natural day to day - most of the lower caste (handmaids, Martha’s) were all taken and forced into their new positions. 

Commander, “It was nice to meet you.” Offred, “...You too.”

You can literally see in everyone’s faces how freaking weird that was.

During this meeting Serena Joy’s most important line was, “It was like training a dog.” - when she was talking about the previous handmaiden. It is very clear between Serena Joy and Offred the relationship dynamic Serena will be keeping with Offred. It’s obvious Serena does not like Offred’s presence. 

When Offred comes down to the kitchen to speak with Rita (the Martha played of Amanda Brugel), we see the wings for the first time! I like the design and in general I love the designs of everyone throughout the show. In the book, I always imagined them as really large, but these wings are sensible - gets the job done of blocking things out/hiding a handmaid’s face, and doesn’t get in the way of their daily duties. 

When Rita is making the bread, Offred talks about how “they” fought for Traditional Values. Now you can come to interpret that in many ways, but as the story goes on, you get the sense of where the values are truly being glorified from. 

There’s an extra scene here with Serena Joy and the Commander interacting during their breakfast. Not particularly significant, but I think the show is trying to build up Serena & the Commander’s relationship more than in the books. 

Nick and Offred’s dialogue is quite refreshing - although they are still very conscious of the social restraints that are supposed to be dictating their interactions. I definitely felt the immediate chemistry between Nick & Offred! Max Minghella, who plays Nick, is for sure giving me that smolder-y, hunky vibe ;)

As we meet Ofglen, Offred’s internal monologue really kicks it up a notch and we really start to get her own brand of edginess. 

“I sincerely believe that Ofglen is a pious little shit with a broomstick up her ass.”

We have not lost our sense of humor!

When they get to the supermarket, I’m kind of surprised. Honestly, from the descriptions in the books, it sounds like a bunch of independent shops like in a small town or something. Repurposing the supermarket is a very smart idea - but it does give off some sense of abundance, and in the book there is to me a sense of scarcity. The war or ongoing military action could be causing shortages here and there of food and supplies. The image of the supermarket is kind of jarring, because as a viewer it feels so familiar and innocuous. These women who have shopped for themselves their whole life with their own money are basically shopping as part of their household duty as part of the household ‘staff.’ 

I was not prepared to actually see the wall. Yikes.

Offred has her first flashback of the Red Center and sees Moira (Samira Wiley). In the books, Offered is in the Red Center before Moira gets taken there. Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) is exactly the way I imagined her. Spot. On. 

The first glimpse of the Red Center does a good job of the purpose and lengths they go to in order to indoctrinate the women into their new roles as handmaidens. 

When Offred gets in her bath we see an ear chip that has a designation & number. Here she has a flashback of her daughter at the aquarium and we get some gorgeous cinematography by Colin Watkinson. Beautiful!

We get another flashback of the Red Center, this time of the confession circles. It is truly chilling to witness them forced to indoctrinate each other of the victim blaming mentality that is still very prevalent in our present society. It’s always the part in the book that makes me nauseous and super cringe. Yuck. However! In this scene we get an INCREDIBLE cameo by Margaret Atwood herself when she slaps the heck out of Offred! I was super happy about that (sorry Elizabeth Moss).

Getting ready for the ceremony, Rita & Nick line up behind Offred. I had hoped that Cora - another Martha from the books - would pop up by now, but it looks like she’s not going to be included. Maybe she’ll appear later in the series, but not for the time being. I always liked the character of Cora. Cora was sort of a happy go lucky sort of person (considering the circumstances). Her presence lends a sort of levity to the otherwise very tense and anxious mood of the Waterford house. Rita is usually very terse and Nick is mysterious at best. 

“In this house, little things mean everything.”

We get alluded to the fact that women in Gilead are forbidden to read - and the Bible literally being locked is such a clear sign the lengths they’ve gone for even the Bible - the one text that everything in this society is based on. 

So the Ceremony... the entire premise of Offred’s servitude and story is about this moment when the Commanders actually have to have intercourse with the Handmaids. The Handmaid’s duty and servitude is in the hopes that they can reproduce. The looks here express everything. Everything else is very business - all clothes on, no touching. So. Damn. Awkward. You get every sense of how weird and wrong and crazy this all is. 

Afterwards, I liked Serena’s scene. You really don’t like Serena for the way she treats Offred, and her whole complicit role in this society. However, I really couldn’t help but feel bad for her in this scene. You can really feel how attached she is to her husband, and the immense sense of loss she feels that this has to happen in order for her to have a family. 

Next we go back to the Red Center, where Janine (Madeline Brewer) is having a full blown mental breakdown. Kudos to the acting here. 

“Keep your fucking shit together.”

We go back to the present and The Salvaging. Now I’ve always thought how diabolically clever and fucked it up it was that Gilead came up with the “Particicution.” Here we see Offred triggered by the news Janine tells her - Moira was sent to the Colonies and is probably dead. Offred’s intense emotion - rage, sadness, frustration - is the perfect embodiment of all the things that get bottled up inside from being forced into sexual slavery by a militant government. Now with all of this pent up emotion, it would be natural that a group use that energy to resist or revolt. However, the Aunts administer this Particicution and it allows the Handmaids to have a catharsis. This tool helps keep them in submission and control. Juxtaposed to the execution, Janine has a crazy, joy in the sunshine moment. That imagery together definitely gives you the uneasy and disjointed feeling - the continued corruption of the society but it’s all based on “traditional values.” Now you can take that to mean that traditional values = good, but in this case not really. 

You can see the internal turmoil Offred has after the salvaging. She let herself go in that moment of the particicution, thinking about Moira and everything else she’s lost in the world. She does not feel good about what she’s done. 

Ofglen reveals to Offred that there’s an Eye in the Waterford house. This really does not sit well with Offred obviously. She can’t piece it together, but her resentment for her station grows.

She goes back to the Waterford house with a new sense of purpose - 

“Her name is Hannah.

“My husband was Luke.”

“My name is June.”

Overall, this is an excellent first episode! You got A LOT of information, enough to get some perspective. Still much more to come! Most importantly, I really get the spirit of Offred in this first episode. It’s an exciting character - she’s relatable, she’s complex and she’s really trying to survive. It’s a great platform for the things ahead.