#THE VIOLIN CONSPIRACY

[lifesarchive]

THE VIOLIN CONSPIRACY by BRENDAN SLOCUMB (REVIEW)

quickly: a young black master violinist has his fiddle stolen just before a world-class championship (grandma’s favorite grandson / families that prey / great-great-great-great grandfathers / traffic stops and crooked cops / SLAVERY! / italian masters (of music, of plantations) / hidden treasure and family secrets / lawyers, lawsuits, and legacies).

A praying grandmother can work wonders for a family. The story is anchored by Ray and his violin, but he is here because of Grandma Nora and her appreciation of lineage and legacy. While Ray is surrounded by family members who constantly demoralize him, Grandma Nora reminds him to be loving and respectful and to honor his gift—music. The conflict commences when Ray realizes his beloved violin has gone missing, and there is a multitude of leads… the new girlfriend? his money-hungry family? the family who used to enslave his great-great-grandfather?

The writing is easy and open. The kind of reading you can do on a Sunday afternoon, or a long car ride. Doesn’t require too much mental work to stay with the story. There’s a little bit of thrill, a little bit of crime and mystery, and even a little bit of romance. It is also very honest about the discriminatory treatment of black people in music and in world society. And, as with every truly American story, The Slaves come back to remind us that they were here. An enjoyable read!

★ ★ ★ ★

[kamreadsandrecs]

Title: The Violin Conspiracy Author: Brendan Slocumb Genre/s: mystery Content/Trigger Warning/s: explicit racism, emotionally abusive parents and family, police violence, false arrest Summary (from author's website): Growing up Black in rural North Carolina, Ray McMillian’s life is already mapped out. But Ray has a gift and a dream—he’s determined to become a world-class professional violinist, and nothing will stand in his way. Not his mother, who wants him to stop making such a racket; not the fact that he can’t afford a violin suitable to his talents; not even the racism inherent in the world of classical music.

When he discovers that his beat-up, family fiddle is actually a priceless Stradivarius, all his dreams suddenly seem within reach, and together, Ray and his violin take the world by storm. But on the eve of the renowned and cutthroat Tchaikovsky Competition—the Olympics of classical music—the violin is stolen, a ransom note for five million dollars left in its place. Without it, Ray feels like he's lost a piece of himself. As the competition approaches, Ray must not only reclaim his precious violin, but prove to himself—and the world—that no matter the outcome, there has always been a truly great musician within him. Buy Here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-violin-conspiracy-brendan-slocumb/18709063 Spoiler-Free Review: So I picked this up because it promised to be a mystery about a Stradivarius being stolen from a Black musician, and while that's DEFINITELY what this book is about, the mystery of the theft is more like a frame for the story of Ray's growth as a musician; the origins of the Strad; and the many, MANY complications and dangers of being a Black classical musician. So really it's more like a bildungsroman than a mystery overall, but I think that billing it as a mystery makes it more marketable? Regardless, as a bildungsroman and as a mystery, it's a fantastic read. I enjoy classical music and it hasn't escaped my attention that it's an overwhelmingly white world, so I can only imagine the kinds of hurdles musicians and composers of color, especially Black musicians and composers, face in that world - this on top of the myriad other injustices that come with being a Black person in the US. Slocumb writes about those instances with a sharpness and clarity that comes from personal experience - something which he admits to in the Author's Note at the end of the novel. Another thing I appreciated was the family aspect of Ray's life: how Black children don't always get the kind of support they might need or want to pursue less "profitable" career paths. In a way, one can't blame the family for this because of the systemic poverty that haunts many Black families and communities, and makes it so that they have to struggle to survive. The psychological damage this causes is then passed on to their children, in a cycle that can be difficult to break. On the other hand, though, Ray's bitterness at the way he's treated by certain members of his family is entirely familiar. This is especially true in the way his family only begins to think he's "doing something" with his life once he hits the "big time" as a musician. It's something many people who've pursued careers in creative fields will recognize, and will relate very hard to.

I know I said earlier that the mystery acts more like a frame for the bildungsroman that forms the actual heart of this novel, but I think they play very well with each other, because the bildungsroman provides you with a list of potential suspects: all the people in Ray's life who could possibly want to get their hands on the Strad, along with their potential motivations for doing so, and their potential methods. Whenever someone new comes into Ray's life, you look at them with some suspicion, even if they seem nice, because they could potentially be responsible for stealing Ray's violin. And I'll admit: I didn't guess who the real culprit was until Ray himself figured it out. It's always fun to try and guess ahead, but I also appreciate it when I don't figure it out until the precise moment the protagonist does. Of course, that only happens when the rest of the novel is also fun to read, which was definitely the case here. So overall, an enjoyable read with a great look at what happens behind the curtains, so to speak, in the classical music world. It's also a great look at the kind of prejudice Black classical musicians face in that same world, which they must deal with on top of the prejudice they already face in less rarefied circles. I do wish, though, that there had been a list of all the musical pieces mentioned in the novel at the end of the book. Slocumb provides a link to a Spotify playlist on his website, but I wish there'd been a list at the end regardless. Rating: five violins

[frombehindthepen]

Brendan Slocumb Makes Classical Magic in His Book, The Violin Conspiracy

Brendan Slocumb Makes Classical Magic in His Book, The Violin Conspiracy #Music #Reading #NCHumanities

Oh my goodness, this is the fourth book I read for the 2024 North Carolina Reads statewide book club from NC Humanities. I fell in love with and was so inspired by the character Ray McMillan in this book. His colorful story opened up a whole new world in my understanding of violins and classical music while introducing us to the famous Stradivarius violin. Yet throughout this book, Brendan…

[bookdivareads]

Top Reads of 2023

It's that time of the year, my "top reads of 2023" has posted. Happy Reading Y'All! #fiction #topreads #bookrecommendations #bestoflist

Happy Holidays and Seasons Greetings Y’all! Once again, I spent way too much time this year re-reading as well as reading. As with previous years, this year’s “best of…” list will cover a variety of genres. This list includes books read with online and local book groups, a few books that I read and reviewed, and other books I’ve had the pleasure of reading over the year. Not all of the titles…

[kammartinez]

Because here is the heart of it: it wasn’t about the money, or the prestige of playing a Stradivarius, or the looks people gave him—envious and impressed—when they learned who he was and what the violin had been. His loss had nothing to do with any of those things, and the wealth and fame were distractions that he shrugged off. Here is what he realized in the gray shadows of his 3:00 a.m. vigils: He was alone now. He was desperately, terribly, alone. Until then, he’d been a solitary, lonely kid—and then a solitary, lonely man—who had had one special person in his life, dressed in a pink housecoat and smelling of lavender and bluing solution in her hair. She had gone, but she had given him music, and music had filled his world, had allowed him to connect with people in a way that he sometimes could not believe could be real. But now she was gone, and the violin had gone, and the music was gone, and he felt so lonely and guilty now that he often thought the misery would paralyze him and he would simply, suddenly, stop breathing under the weight of it.

-- The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb

[fiction-heals]

Tis my new keychain (one of them glows in the darrrrrrrk!) and the new book in my earbuds c:

[theshadesofwords]

[triceratopper]

Music is about communication—a way of touching your fellow man beyond and above and below language; it is a language all its own.

The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb

[clle0]

twoset violin is gone. the only explanation is a kidnapping orchestrated by Big Soda due to their continued promotion of bubble tea.

[carolinemillerbooks]

New Post has been published on Books by Caroline Miller

New Post has been published on https://www.booksbycarolinemiller.com/musings/no-substitute-for-a-hug/

No Substitute For A Hug

The email came as a disappointment.  My friend had come down with Covid. That meant a reading of his short stories, both a public and Zoom event, was canceled. For two decades, I’d encouraged his writing, so I was looking forward to the occasion.  Twelve years my junior, I knew my friend’s health would rebound and that the event would be rescheduled. I also consoled myself with the knowledge that he had many years ahead to add to his body of work. Since his recent retirement, he had already won a $1000t prize for one of his pieces. If the event didn��t go forward, I could anticipate meeting him for a private session as we’d done in the past.  The last time was at a coffee shop where he’d spun out an amusing story about a young protagonist who got his comeuppance at the hands of his wiley parents.  Zoom is no substitute for an up-close moment like that one–the kind where I could watch my friend’s lips form a bow as he anticipated his punchline.  In that pre-Covid world, I had patted his arm to indicate I understood the joke and the touch provoked a fresh round of laughter.    Zoom doesn’t allow for serendipity, either—a chance to meet interesting strangers while taking in the sights. Years ago, I was strolling through a mall on a Saturday when my eyes fell upon a man notable for his thistle of grey hair.  He was sitting alone at a table near the edge of the thoroughfare and must have been there for a while because the cream in his coffee floated like a greasy Lilly pad on the surface.  He didn’t notice when I paused, curious about the frown line dividing his forehead.  “Stuck?” I kibbitzed. His chin raised a notch to acknowledge me.  “No. Thinking,” he laughed. We chatted long enough for me to learn he was a person of many talents. A prize-winning Science Fiction writer, he’d studied astrophysics in college before earning both a law degree and a Ph. D. in economics. At the time, he was working as a journalist. ”A keeper,” I thought.  That’s why we exchanged email addresses before I allowed him to return to his thinking. Since then, he’s made several guest appearances on my YouTube book show, Just Read It. Having touted the benefits of socializing, it may surprise some that I am a hermit by inclination.  The Covid lockdown flew past me with none of the withdrawal pangs that affected those rich with family.  Instead, I enjoyed having more time to write.  Avvy Mar, the host of the radio talk show Between the Covers picked up on my solitary habits during our interview for my upcoming memoir, Getting Lost to Find Home.  Well, why wouldn’t she see through me?  She has a Ph.D. in psychology. One of her questions left me aghast as if a gust had stripped away my fig leaves. She wanted to know if a loner was ever lonely. I assured her that like everyone else, I needed human contact. As proof, I went on to say that during the lockdown, I’d reached out to others with Zoom. For example, I’d contacted two prominent writers who’d agreed to be guests on Just Read It:  Karl Marlantes, author of the two best sellers, Matterhorn and Deep River, and Brandon Slocum.  The latter’s debut novel, The Violin Conspiracy, was making waves in all the right places. I  also noted that my blog reached not only readers at home but many who lived in countries as far away as Singapore. I knew what Mar meant, of course. The encounters I’d described were shallow. I wasn’t bearing my soul to a trusted friend. Yet the fault isn’t entirely mine. As I approach 87, many of my contacts have died. Even a loner recoils at so many wounds, the kind that never heals.     My friends on social media tend to be young. Many, as I’ve said, reside in faraway places like Kenya and India. Youth has muscular ambition.  Inexperienced in life’s vagaries, they throw themselves into the oncoming tide, determined to achieve their dreams. Inexperience blinds them.  Hard work may not be enough. Success is truest when it travels with luck, and luck answers to no dream. The long view of success is more sustainable.  Take joy in the doing.  A friend of mine has run out of luck. Alzheimer’s is eating away at her memory. Yet even in darkness, there are pinpricks of light. How else could there be stars? At the time of her diagnosis, my friend’s caregiver said her patient dreaded visitors. She was embarrassed by her disease as if, somehow, she’d been careless.  But as the months have fallen away, she no longer mourns her condition. She fails to realize she has one.    I’m making plans to pay her a visit.  She won’t know me when I enter the room. Gone will be the memories of birthday celebrations or strolls through art galleries together. No longer will we talk about her latest design in molded glass.  Safe to say, if I reminded her of one cherished gift that sits upon my coffee table—a blue-black bowl inscribed with Chinese symbols for the word friendship— she’d frown or ask If it was time for dinner.   “Hello, my dear,” I��ll say when I bend to her, anchoring my arms around her thin shoulders as if to prevent a breeze from carrying her off.  My embrace will be a long one, I promise you, knowing it will have to last a lifetime…knowing as a hermit does that a hug can pierce the delirium of approaching death.  ——– June will reveal the cover for Getting Lost to Find Home. Here’s a teaser.   

[yourlocal-edgelord]

heres what i think would happen if the core four started a band

none of their mentors would know, bc like yea obviously, the amazonians would proudly play their music aloud infront of evryone, speedster thru my extent of knowledge is like do u evn know the meaning of subtle i mean they would play their music vids infront of evryone, the bats r just like super nosy and tim figured leave them to find out on their own bc what is communication? And kon just didnt tell anyone out of pure spite, only ma kent pa kent and alfred know bc theres no hiding shit from them.

second they wouldnt be soley famous for hit songs, naur theyd be famous for being the most unpredictable effing band of all time, they have like no chill, just when the audience think they’ve got them pegged they do something wildly unexpected, whats their music genre? All of them. They once released a sneak peak to their next album and everyone thought it would be a heavy metal album, it was country music. The album after that was modern rock and pop if it counts for something atleast. They rarely ever keep only one genre of music in an album though, just when you think this is an album just full to the brim with break up songs the next song is gonna be the most hard core screaming (heavy metal basically) song abt growing up and drugs.

they have no sense of roles in the band they do whatever the fuck they want, 75% of the time tims the one singing with 20% cassie and the last 5% a mix of kon and bart.

They each play an instrument, usually its cassie on the bass, kon on lead guitar, bart on the drums and tim as the rythm guitarist and main vocalist but they switch up with no complaints if the song calls for different people on different instruments bc they have diff playing styles, they each have their own guitar solo each show bc theyr extra like that.

Once they bought in a piano, violin, cello and triangle bc they had a classical song on theyr list

They all have stage name given to them by the fans and they got tiny tattoos of them underneath theyr right eyes

Cassie has a tiny star bc her stage name is star, reason being she always wears atleast one item with a star on it to every show (along with a gold rope wrapped around her waist as a belt) (i also hc that instead of having super short hair she’d have a shaved side and her ends dyed gold at the tips with her hair stopping half way to her elbow)

Bart has a tiny lightning bolt bc his stage name is bolt, reason hes just fast af (hes usually rapping if singing) and the fans dig it. (His hair i keep as its true wild fluffy self bc its so bart for him to have it unconquered on his head jst sitting there)

Kon has a smol fire bc fans took to calling him flame aftr he accidentally set the stage on fire once (i see him keeping his yj98 hairstyle)

tim has a teeny kawaii-ish ghost bc fans started calling him ghost after he screamed his throat raw (like a banshee) during a performance. ( i honestly just hc time as @strange-birb ‘s secret band au tim bc im obsessed with how he looks there)

ALL of them have multiple piercings, Cassie has three ear piercings on each ear and an upper lip piercing. Kon has multiple ear piercing a nose piercing and a tongue piercing. Tim has four ear piercings per ear and his face is untouched. Bart has three ear piercings on each ear and a small stud on his nose.

I see cissie anita and greta watching them and starting their own girl group, which leads to them collabing multiple times.

Their band has a twitter and instagram and its a complete and utter mess ranging from tim passed out on the kitchen floor with pizza sauce on his face to pictures of cassie lecturing kon and bart after they destroy something with a clip of them destroying said thing.

they also have a yt and tt for their band which is a completely different story.

On Halloween performances i see them dressing up with likenesses to previous enemies theyve fought with the crowd being non the wiser

There are hundreds of conspiracy channels trying to suss out what the band is going to do next with them always getting it wrong, once they were so sure they were right when they thought tim was going to release a folk song with him instead singing opera

Gon continue adding more hc’s gradually and maybe put in the effort to build a playlist or draw them

@cristinacclearwater @derp-a-la-sheep @periwinkle-the-11th @stormikitty @yjcorefourenjoyer @veanet @stargazinglesbian

[kamreadsandrecs]

He would tell you that music is a universal language, and that we, the listeners, will always impose our own fears and biases, our own hopes and hungers, on whatever we hear. He would tell you that the rhythm that spurred on Tchaikovsky is the same rhythm that a kid in a redneck North Carolina town would beat with a stick against a fallen tree. It is a rhythm in all of us. Music is about communication—a way of touching your fellow man beyond and above and below language; it is a language all its own.

-- The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb

[shenanigans-and-imagines]

39 and 55 for Tav/Astarion? OH AND I LOVE WANT IT ALL, YOUR WRITING IS IMPECCABLE ‼️<3

Prompt(s): leaning into the other’s side + tracing the lines on the other’s hand

Astarion x AsexaulBard!Tav Masterlist

There really was nothing like being pleasantly tipsy while in good company. Your party was in good spirits, the night was warm and, for once, danger was something that happened to other people. 

Eventually everyone had shuffled off to bed, leaving you and Astarion leaning against each other as the fire crackled on.  Your thoughts floated in front of you, swimming lazily in the air. Everything was just so lovely, especially the other hand in yours.  You couldn’t help but run your fingers across the lines, smiling as you made a study of every angle.  

“See something you like,” Astarion asked, amused.  He was decidedly more sober than you and appeared content to stay that way. 

You nodded idly. “You have beautiful hands. I bet you’d make a wonderful pianist.”

He gave a low laugh, shaking you slightly with the effort. 

“What?”

“Oh nothing,” he said, grinning. “You just might be the only person I know who could study a man’s hands and think only of their musical capabilities.” 

You stared confused, before a sinking rush of embarrassment flooded your stomach.

“Oh.”

He laughed again, turning just enough to kiss your temple. “Just teasing darling. Although I do love that color on your cheeks.”

“Serves me right for trying to give you a compliment,” you said, pouting. 

“Oh don’t be like that. I relish them all.” 

You huffed in childish annoyance, which only seemed to humor him. He then raised your entwined hands to the firelight, narrowing his gaze as if to examine them himself. 

“Do you think I’d actually be good?” he asked as a peace offering. 

You let out a sigh. There really was no use trying to stay annoyed with him. 

“Capability is there,” you allowed, “provided you have a very, very patient teacher.”

“Are you offering?”

You raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you’re interested.”

“Depends if you’re offering,” he repeated, with a sly smile. 

You didn’t answer right away, scrunching your face in exaggerated thought. 

“Maybe not piano,” you concluded. “There’s only so far the blind can lead the blind.”

He nodded in understanding. “How about the violin?”

Again, you considered before shaking your head. “Too difficult for a beginner. Lute isn’t bad though.”

He gave a dismissive scoff. “Overdone. The lyre, perhaps?”

“Bit on the nose don’t you think?”

His brows furrowed, his lips pursing in consideration. “A lyre and a player…Yes, I suppose you’re right. The jokes just write themselves. Flute?”

You shrugged. “Never learned actually.”

“Really?” he said, sounding genuinely surprised. “Pan pipes.”

“No.”

“Horns?”

“No to all wind instruments. I think it comes down to mechanics. I never saw the appeal of having to put my lips together and blow.” 

You glanced up at Astarion, keen to watch his reaction. 

He stared at you for a long second, a look of utter confusion on his face. His eyes then widened as a loud laugh barked from his lips. 

You broke that same instant, dissolving into giggles. 

“I can’t believe you said that,” he said, trying and failing to get a hold of himself. “Gods that was awful!” 

“But effective,” you pointed out, grinning. 

He gave another short laugh before shaking his head. “What have I gotten myself into with you?”

“Having regrets?”A wicked smirk flashed across his face. “Far from it, darling.” He then leaned in close, his eyes alight with conspiracy and mirth. “I think you and I are going to have a lot of fun together.”

[inbarfink]

Okay, so one of the common recurring motifs of the various Ace Attorney OST Covers is Orchestra AUs

And, like, all of these artworks are Official, but obviously they’re not Canon, y’know? Phoenix Wright doesn’t know how to play the Violin and the drum and conduct an orchestra. They’re just trying to convey the idea of ‘Ace Attorney and also music’. The instruments are based on, like, characterization and Vibes but not necessarily canonity.

Except...........

This alternative cover for ‘Gyakuten Meets Orchestra’ features Miles Edgeworth playing the flute.

And Miles does actually play the flute in canon! 

(Also, I always thought it was interesting that he mentions both the flute and piano as instruments he plays in the present tense. But whenever it’s specifically about what he played as a child, only the flute is mentioned. My Headcanon has always been that the piano is something he started learning later in life under Manfred Von Karma’s tutelage.)

And since Franziska isn't actually conducting but instead whipping people... she's technically also canon compliant???

So… maybe from this little detail we can infer that the art on this specific cover is actually consistent with the instruments these characters play in canon??

I mean, maybe it is a bit of a stretch and kinda tin-foil-conspiracy-theory but… well, maybe I just want to believe…

I want to believe… Gumshoe plays the triangle…

[kammartinez]

He would tell you that music is a universal language, and that we, the listeners, will always impose our own fears and biases, our own hopes and hungers, on whatever we hear. He would tell you that the rhythm that spurred on Tchaikovsky is the same rhythm that a kid in a redneck North Carolina town would beat with a stick against a fallen tree. It is a rhythm in all of us. Music is about communication—a way of touching your fellow man beyond and above and below language; it is a language all its own.

-- The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb

[couldnt-think-of-a-funny-name]

okay so TENATIVE predictions for season 4: it looks like they're going to be playing into the mandela effect. half the universe remembers the umbrella timeline, half the universe remembers the sparrow timeline, and the ONLY thing both groups remember is Ben.

I've been praying since day one that Ben will have memories of both lives in his head, and judging by the fact he appears to be Going Through It in the trailer I assume that'll be the case.

since Ben is at the center of the conspiracy, I almost want to say he's who they're supposed to be rescuing? like, maybe instead of One Ben Two Lives, it's Two Bens One Cup. I don't think they'll do that, though. They're probably trying to rescue Jennifer. HOWEVER I do think it would be really sexy if Nick Offerman and Megahn Mullally weren't playing a couple but were instead playing the same person from different universes (hence being named Gene and Jean), and they somehow found each other and that's why they're leading this conspiracy.

Mystery Jennifer is stressing me out. obviously by the glowing she's got something going on. I'm thinking there's a possibility she was erased from the family's memories after Ben's death- the trailer makes it seem like Reginald made Allison rumor them after the fact. there's probably a decent chance they all knew her, she lost control of her powers, Ben died, Reginald locked her away and erased all traces of her. maybe in the sparrow timeline she died instead, or maybe she was always locked up there and Ben was drawing her from memories that were already starting to leak through from the og timeline, but either way probably in trying to uncover how Ben died they figure out they have to save her. idk!

also, six is like. a random number of years I'm sorry. why wouldn't they just say five years later? maybe another thing to do with Ben bc umbrella Ben was number six? I'm probably reading too much into that one.

I'm truly SO scared they're gonna reveal none of them have spoken during the time skip. Five doesn't deserve that 😭😭. in my perfect world him and Viktor have an apartment but the show writers 100% forgot they said those two were best friends when they were kids judging by the rest of the series rip. when the Gene and Jean characters were first announced I thought maybe Five got stuck in the foster system and they took him in, and that could still be the case (maybe that's how they noticed the universe is a lie in the first place, the boy loves to Yap) but I think it's less likely now idk

if Diego and Lila's daughter isn't named Gracie....what was this all for. what was this all building towards. what's the point. LMFAO I know the popular fanon one is Anita (personally in my head I've been calling her Poppy and I Don't Know Why) but like Gracie is the only name that makes sense, Diego is Too Much of a mama's boy to accept anything else.

this one isn't a prediction it's just a demand- I DEMAND a white violin icon moment set to extraordinary girl by green day. they can 100% get away with just doing an instrumental version since Viktor's not a girl lmfao, but it literally Haunts Me that they didn't do that at the end of season 1 (or at LEAST play the opening of letterbomb when Viktor was in the basement hallucinating) so they NEED to make up for that. it's the last season. play the fucking song oh my God.

there might be too much going on to bring the sparrows back in any meaningful way, but like! I liked them! I especially wanted more Marcus last season, he and Viktor had good chemistry. and Fei was an icon. Why Are We Hiding Sloane Tho. I considered maybe they were rescuing Sloane, but like, Luther just seems a little too happy for that to be the case? that's why I also think Diego and Lila's kid isn't the one being rescued like I saw some theories suggest- Diego is so excited and Lila's grinning in the car scene. can't imagine their 5 year old is missing.

Five is absolutely gonna die. like I'm sorry since episode 1 there's never been a believable outcome where everything's okay and he lives. HOWEVER I think there's a very strong chance the series could end with the timeline is finally saved and set right, and grandpa Five died- but then right at the end 2002 baby Five shows up and gets stuck in the safe timeline. Five has been a walking paradox the whole series. it'd be bittersweet to lose the Five we love, but know that he's still technically getting a happy ending because he doesn't have to live through the apocalypse and become an assassin. I think that's like the best outcome we can hope for.

I think it'd be EXTREMELY funny if Reginald is just super nice now that Abigail is back. like the entire excuse for 30 years of insane behavior was that he missed his wife. bestie there are better ways to cope than abusing superpowered kids </3 but lmao I'm intrigued by him and Viktor being together in both trailers! I've always gotten the feeling that Viktor is one of his 'favorites' (to the best of his ability anyway), and from the brief childhood flashbacks we see that he had baby V acting as an assistant for him, so I'd like to see their relationship expanded a little bit. honestly I just want a lot about Reginald cleared up- he does give off the distinct impression that he actually cares about his kids, even though he's abusive. I'm assuming the explanation will be something along the lines of 'well I always planned to bring you back and safe in the New Universe', that he was approaching it as a 'they have to suffer now to save the universe, and then they can be happy' mindset. that would be interesting. but I'm also a little worried they'll wave his behavior off with 'oh he's an alien he just can't understand how he affected them', which, would suck writing-wise.

I'm worried about Allison- I'm sure they're gonna want her to have a full redemption by the end of the series, but what she did to Viktor and Luther last season...like I just don't know that they'll pull off a meaningful redemption, to where it's believable that they forgive her (other than the fact they're both softies and push overs). not with the shorter season, anyway! I *think* the person Viktor was punching in the trailer was Allison. but I'm worried that instead of actually fixing the issue the writers will just have her do a sacrifice play. especially since, bless her, she's the least sacrificial person in the family, so I could see the argument that it'll be a meaningful character growth moment, but like...if they don't actually have her believably fix her mistakes it'll just feel like a lazy writing move. also, I love her and I don't want any of them to die. as I said, the only death I'm willing to accept is Five's WITH the promise of baby Five getting a happy ending.

I want the Handler to come back, even if it's only for one scene. sorry, I think her absence was one of the low points of season 3.

I think if Grace appears in this season at all it won't be the robot version we're used to, but an older version of her human self that Diego met in the 60s. could be very bittersweet. I just don't think the robot exists in this universe bc honestly if my husband revived me from the dead but then I found out he's been living without me just fine, but made a robot copy of a pretty young fling he had after my death and seemingly can't live without her. I'd be a little pissed! sorry! lmao that said I also have personally been headcannoning that Grace is actually a cyborg and not a robot this whole time, the kids just don't know because of all the insane protocols Reginald set up, so if they do something with that instead I'll be really excited.

Diego and Lila's daughter deserves powers<3

alright I think that's all I got for now. but I wanna hear more theories!!