#That´s the origin of many of his conflicts with the JO but also what makes him be himself

[marvelstars]

Anakin Skywalker vs Jedi identity

I have seen many takes I consider bad about Anakin because they are based more on a narrative trope than about the character in the movies but recently I found another one I thought was interesting to analyse.

This idea that Anakin would have forgotten all about the well being of others if he choose to marry Padme and leave with her resigning to his place in the Jedi Order.

This take presumes just because Anakin(and Padme) wish to have a family, make their relationship official and raise their children on their own home instead of sending them to the Jedi order, a perfectly normal and fair aspiration by all measures considering their actual work dedicated to the Jedi Order and the Republic absorbed their childhood, this somehow means Anakin no longer cared about other people because he left the Jedi and the Jedi are involved while he is selfish and only wanted to be a Jedi for fame and the cool lightsaber, an understable take if you are looking at him as a jock trope but that is not the character from the movies, novels, comics or TCW.

For Anakin, the character in the movies, being a Jedi was secondary to freeing the slaves on Tatooine, it was secondary to freeing his mother, secondary to seeking peace in the galaxy, secondary to helping the clones, while at the same time, he had a big amount of respect towards the Jedi beliefs, so much that he bassically memorized their philosophy, he is actually the only main character other than Yoda who talks about Jedi philosophy in PT outside of the context of duty to the Republic and he uses those arguments to defend the Jedi Order from Palpatine´s criticisms , in fact in TPM , in his child mind, being a Jedi was his means towards achieving this ideal of freedom in the outer rim, for Anakin being a Jedi was never an end on itself, it was a means towards making lasting changes.

"I had a dream, I was a Jedi, I came back here and freed all the slaves" - Anakin Skywalker

It´s interesting for me because if anything Anakin´s problem when it comes to other people is that he cares so much that the Jedi often had to convince him to leave them behind, be it his Mom, Padme, clone troopers, his padawan, etc. His issue with the Jedi Order wasnt their involvement in helping others, that´s what he admired of them, his issue was their detachment often meant him abandoning family or leaving behind people who needed help because of this ideal of a higher duty, the many over the few or the one.

For example, that time he disobeyed orders to go investigate an objective for the republic army and discovered their information was incomplete and they were about to bomb civilians that had been made slaves by the separatists so he went to rescue them before doing their attack.

This personal characteristic of Anakin would not have changed if he left the Jedi Order to live with Padme, he still would have this urge to do anything in his power to help, because that´s simply who he is as a person since he was a young child, he wants to help, he likes to help, this is why he helped Padme get to her planet, that´s who he is and as much as he respects the Jedi, he can still help even if he left the Order.

I believe Yoda was right when he rejected Anakin from the Jedi Order at the start of TPM, not because Anakin didn´t have Jedi aptitudes, he already had a lot of them but those were not developed in the context of the Jedi Order, with a Jedi teacher, he learned them from his mother, from seeing the injustice on Tatooine, from wanting to do something about it. Anakin was already too involved with the world outside the Jedi Order as a child for him to adapt to the ways of the Jedi Order or to be content just following the Jedi Code for the rest of his life and this conflict between duty to the Order, to his family, to his friends was exploited by Palpatine.

So in a world in which Anakin married Padme and went to live with her, I don´t believe he would have cared much about losing his Jedi status, because that always had been secondary to his main ideals, which were to make a difference in the galaxy he lived and he would have seek to make that difference married to Padme or not.

This is also why I don´t see him at all as a stay at home Dad/Husband, the moment he was free to explore his own projects he definitely would have tried to make his childhood dream a reality and he definitely would have done so with Padme´s support and whoever wanted to join, he was a child slave who managed to help a Queen and a Jedi with his talents and good will alone, that´s who he is and that didn´t change.

[wecantseeyou]

a word on color - how line of duty series 6 uses wardrobe color to frame narrative (pt 4)

Author’s note: this is the conclusion to my essay on wardrobe color and how it’s used to inform narrative in series 6 of line of duty. Previous parts can be found here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. This part covers episodes 5, 6, and 7. Heads up, my analysis of episode 7 is actually quite short because of my focus on Jo, but I have many, MANY thoughts on Kate’s second to last scene and the general wardrobe choices for Kate in this episode.

Thank you to everyone who has been willing to entertain my ramblings here. While I have a background in theatrical production, this kind of meta analysis was quite new for me. I was relieved to see (most) of this theory actualized in the finale. Now, this part is nearly 8k words, all four parts together clocked in at over 20k words and nearly 40 pages, single-spaced, so I’ve officially written a third dissertation (after the other two took me 10 months…). 

Regular warnings apply: I’m American and therefore may be missing certain cultural context. Spoilers abound, but I stick to Jo’s storyline for the most part, and don’t include my thoughts about the finale writ large (I may write an analysis of the series 6 storytelling separate from this, if there’s interest).

Read on below the cut.

EPISODE 5

Episode 5 opens with Lomax briefing Jo and Kate about connections between the armed robbery and Gail Vella's murder, showing them results for an industrial estate that matches the description given by one of the robbers. Jo is wearing the same outfit she ended episode 4 in, the orangish brown sweater and navy suit, while Kate is wearing a grey jacket over a white shirt, buttoned all the way up. A side note - this grey jacket does not fit in with the rest of the wardrobe Kate has been in all series, and from a meta perspective, this is because they have to conceal the firearm Kate is now carrying. Ryan watches from the other room, again in a call back to the way Jo was watching Kate in episode 3.  Kate tries to talk to Jo, but she's quickly brushed off, much to Kate's chagrin.

Jo’s outfit, which we’ve seen her in numerous times, again demonstrates her pull between what’s right and pressure from the OCG. After all, Ryan has just threatened her twice. She knows that the investigation is heading in the right direction, which she both wants and is afraid of, and she is panicking. At the same time, she’s wary of letting Kate get too close lest she suspect something and acts on it, putting them both in danger.

Kate’s outfit actually shows some of that forced distance Jo is causing. We’ve seen her wear a white shirt buttoned all the way to the top once before - when she spoiled the raid of MIT by AC-12. That outfit showed her pull between Jo and AC-12, and we’re seeing that here again. This time though, the grey jacket shows that she’s leaning AC-12.

We see this in the next scene where Steve, in his grey suit with a white shirt and red tie, is directly paralleling his former partner’s wardrobe. Kate visits AC-12, and it's been revealed that she has permission to carry a concealed firearm because of the threat Ryan Pilkington poses. Now, call me crazy, but I believe we’re meant to understand he’s a threat to her at least in part because of her relationship to Jo, but I’m uncertain. When Ted asks for an update, Kate notes that Jo has become "cold and distant" toward her, and the team reveals Jo has been put under surveillance, which Kate isn't happy about. It's then revealed that Jo is related to Tommy Hunter (from series 1 and 2) through incest, which is of course horrifying, though we don’t know the full story of it quite yet.

Back at her apartment, Jo checks the laptop to find out the OCG won't let her go because of AC-12's continued investigation, which she promises to take care of. She’s surrounded by her blue flat, in her navy and orange outfit, her actions and heart still at conflict with one another. She’s distraught, and stuck.

Later, Kate and Steve meet in an underground car park in their matching navy coats. Steve shares that Lakewell gave him information off the record, which is that Gail Vella had been looking into the death of Lawrence Christopher at the time of her death. He also tells Kate about his discovery that Hastings gave Steph Corbett the missing $50k of supposed bribe money (from series 5). The former partners match here because they are coming closer to being full partners again, working in tandem and trusting one another with information. They have been at odds this series, particularly when it comes to Jo, but they have remained on the same page in their disappointment in the gaffer and belief in finding justice for Gail Vella.

Back at MIT, Kate is looking into the industrial parks that may hold an OCG workshop.  As she researches, she repeatedly looks over at Jo in her office and seems to have an idea. She then steps out of the office and calls Steve, though we don’t see the details of their conversation. Kate returns to the office and goes into Jo's office, telling her that they may have found the OCG workshop. She asks to brief the team immediately to avoid leaks, which Jo allows while glancing out at the bullpen. We can see once Kate leaves that she was looking at Ryan, who is watching her closely.

We don't know it yet, but Kate has found a way to test Jo’s loyalty and her belief that Jo isn’t bent. She tells the team about 1 location, makes them hand up their phones (which pisses them all off), and Jo makes them all stay within the MIT offices just as Ryan is about to step out. As the briefing ends, Kate goes to Jo’s office once more and demands to speak with her, despite Jo’s rude and annoyed response.

It’s later revealed that Kate then tells Jo there are 3 total locations to be looked at, but they’re starting with just one. Meanwhile, AC-12 surveillance teams are stationed at all three locations to see if people are tipped off and by who.

In these scenes, Kate is wearing a navy suit with a light blue shirt buttoned to the top, while Jo is wearing a grey suit with a grey turtleneck. For both women, the high necklines that fully encircle their throats indicates their discomfort and their desire to have a wall up for their own protection. We see Kate in all blue as she’s on a crusade to prove the truth - Jo isn’t bent, and this will reveal who is (as she suspects Ryan). Jo, meanwhile, is uncertain, and her monochrome grey outfit reflects that. Normally, this is the type of thing she would be expected to tip off to the OCG (as she did with Carl Banks), but Kate has cleverly made it so she can’t. She’s trying to push Kate away, but Kate keeps pushing herself right back in. She’s meant to be wary of Ryan, but she stopped him from an opportunity to send out a warning - and that’s before she knew there were three potential locations. All Jo knows is that she wants out from this lie and constant threat she’s lived under. She’s in all grey, not true blue but certainly not a warm tone, because she hasn’t decided what her next step is yet. Temporarily neutral.

The initial raid is not a success, so Jo informs the team that they'll move on to the other locations instead, revealing that she and Kate did not give them all of the information. Lomax is pissed off, and directs that anger at Kate. From his perspective, the boss just told them she doesn’t trust him or the team and treated them all like a potential rat, and he chalks that up to the former AC-12 officer’s involvement. In an interesting parallel, Jo and Kate are wearing the same outfits under their body armor that we saw them in during the raid in the first episode - Jo in her black jacket and Kate in her green jacket. 

During this raid, Ryan snuck out to call in the danger to the OCG from a burner phone, an act which was recorded by Chloe “the only real detective” Bishop. Steve, at the real OCG workshop, rushes in with his team which results in the deaths of two suspects. Jo and the MIT team arrive on the scene not long after, and Jo and Steve come to disagreement over jurisdiction, and she ultimately forces him to stand down using her rank (which we’ll see her flex once more later in the episode). I have to say, I have loved watching Jo and Steve come to blows in this series in part because Jo is so much better at it than he is. Steve truly has been Jo’s foil, contradicting her at every point. We see this even in their clothes in this scene. While Jo is wearing a grey turtleneck (typically in the AC-12 color palette), it is hidden under her black jacket, and Steve is wearing a blue shirt under his body armor. On the visual face, they appear to be working at opposite ends to one another, and in this moment they are.

Back at AC-12, Kate debriefs the team on what happened and let's them in on the honey trap* (*not really) Kate set for Jo, which she didn't fall for (but Pilkington did).  The team is taken aback, and Hastings points out how risky a move that was. "As far as I'm concerned, that's proof she's not bent," Kate replies, stubborn to the end. Steve has a different interpretation - Jo assigned herself to the raid on the location with the workshop, and took control of the crime scene from him. "That doesn't fit with what I've witnessed firsthand. I needed to know one way or another."  Kate will not back down from her staunch belief that Jo is not bent, an unfortunate foreshadow to Jo’s eventual betrayal. Hastings sides with Steve, but Kate clearly still disagrees. However, Steve does believe Ryan should be removed from MIT, even as Hastings wants to keep him there. This raises their suspicions because Kate had originally talked the gaffer out of bringing Ryan in, but the reality of the matter is that Ted feels he’s on a ticking clock with his forced retirement, and wants to handle this fourth man situation before he goes. 

Kate and Steve are again in coordinated outfits here, dressed head to toe in blue. We’ve seen this before, the former partners in clothes that parallel one another while seemingly at odds. Sadly, this is because they’re again both right about Jo. She is using her position (and even Kate’s trust) to manipulate the investigation, but that manipulation stems from fear for her own safety as she herself is being manipulated and doesn’t want to do what she’s done. She’s like a cat stuck in a box - bent and not bent.

On the Hill, Kate gives the team the low down on the OCG warehouse and their next steps. Jo congratulates the team and tells them to get to work collecting forensic evidence while Pilkington sends laser eyes her way. This time it’s Kate wearing a turtleneck, this one in black under an olive suit jacket, while Jo wears a grey suit with a grey-green sweater and a blue shirt buttoned all the way to the top. Again, the high necks of these outfits demonstrate the discomfort and reservedness both women are feeling, but we also see a subtle connection with the green tints of their clothes. As usual, green represents the pull between two different compelling interests. For Kate, the pull between Jo and AC-12, for Jo the pull between Kate and the OCG. 

Wearing these same outfits, Jo catches up with Kate outside of Hillside, where she confronts her about AC-12's knowledge of the raids. Kate tells her she tipped them off because they're making a lawful inquiry. "Look, I'm telling you the truth Jo, because I trust you with it." Jo takes advantage of Kate sharing the information with AC-12 and tells Kate to put in a transfer request, saying, "I wouldn't want to harm your career, Kate. It's best if you request a transfer." Kate is taken aback and asks "You've been distant with me for days. Is this personal?" Jo denies this, pulling rank the same way she did with Steve, "I'm your senior officer, I should be distant." Kate seems confused and concerned with her response of "But I thought we were friends. What's happening here?" And here we see Jo’s fear crack through her irritation, just for a moment, when she says, "So you can tell AC-12?" As much as Jo is pushing Kate away in order to get her out of the picture, she also has a real fear that Kate continuing to share information with Steve will get Jo killed. She’s playing up Kate’s betrayal to explain her anger, but she’s also hurt and she wants her to know that. Jo trusts Kate, even if she doesn’t trust her enough to tell her the truth on her own. Up until this point, Kate has worked with her and told her about AC-12’s work, even helping her get a leg up on Steve. Now Kate’s helping AC-12 get a leg up on her.

But Kate is nothing if not determined. "No, I wouldn't tell them personal stuff." Kate refuses to take the transfer, and Jo leaves in frustration and anxiety, leaving Kate confused yet again. 

Back at Jo's flat, she's on the OCG laptop again. She tells the user she can handle AC-12, but they claim she can't because of Fleming. Jo tries to ask for more time to sort it, but time's up. "Get rid of her." Get rid of Kate, the last person Jo trusts, the one who just broke her trust.

And here is Jo’s betrayal. "As long as it's my last job." She looks devastated after she sends it, and she is. What she’s about to do is unforgivable. But scared and vulnerable people often do unforgivable things to save themselves. Jo just wants to be free, and she’s willing to pay a price for freedom. 

Steve, in his iconic grey suit and navy tie, goes to visit Ian Banks in prison and learns that Ted is the one that disclosed John Corbett's identity that later got him killed. He later calls Kate to tell her the news. Matching Steve, Kate is in a navy shirt, but is wearing a black suit, only the second time we’ve seen her in this suit. The first was in episode 2, when she gave Jo the information about AC-12 and they later had dinner together. 

Kate heads back into Hillside after her conversation with Steve and runs into Jo in the hallway, who asks to meet with her outside of work to discuss their 'personal issues'. Jo specifically looks at officers further down the hall to confirm they're leaving before speaking to Kate. She also lowers her voice at her own mention of personal issues, adding an extra layer of privacy to an already empty hall. 

Checking to make sure there alone is something that Jo and Kate have done frequently throughout this series. In the handhold scene, they break apart when officers step into the hall. They mention how it’s easier to talk outside of work during both of their dinner scenes. When Kate tells Jo about Ryan’s spying, she dismisses Chris first, and later in that conversation when Jo puts her hand on Kate’s arm, they pull apart when they hear officers approaching. 

Kate is surprised at Jo’s sudden change in behaviour from the past few days, but she agrees to meet with Jo after work. As Jo walks away, Kate clearly knows that something is up with her, but seems willing to find out what it is when they speak.

What Kate is sadly unaware of is that Jo walks away to lock herself in the bathroom and have a breakdown, distraught at the machination she has set in motion against Kate. Her hand shakes as she locks the stall, she falls to the ground, she looks around desperately for salvation. Jo’s mask, one that she maintains so strictly, falls for just a moment (not dissimilar to her breakdown in her car after framing Farida). Thirty seconds in a toilet stall to breakdown, to think about the consequences of her actions, about what she’s done to Kate. But she takes a few deep breaths, wipes away her tears, and we watch as her mask slips back into place.

Back at AC-12, Chloe “my back is worse than Steve’s from carrying this investigation” Bishop has uncovered more about the racist gang that attacked Lawrence Christopher, including the investigators, Buckells and the current Chief Constable. This was the story Gail Vella was looking into when she was murdered, and appears to be the reason for her death. Steve is wearing the same grey suit and navy tie as when he spoke with Kate, and while he’s grateful for Chloe for digging everything up, he’s also concerned that the young Black woman had to learn so many details about the lynching of a young Black man. [Note: to be incredibly clear, the death of Lawrence Christopher as described by the script was a lynching, and the narrative did not do enough to reckon with that fact for anything more than relevance to the global racial justice uprisings reborn in late May of 2020. More than willing to discuss this further if anyone cares for my thoughts.] As they discuss the case, Patty Carmichael walks in with gusto (and damn if that voice isn't an incredible acting choice). She’s taking over AC-12, and she’s cancelling the surveillance on Jo and Ryan.

That night, Kate arrives at Frederico's to meet Jo, who calls her the moment she’s locked her car to ask to meet somewhere less public, for claims of privacy. Kate is immediately on alert, especially after her attempts to convince Jo to stick with the original plan. But after a small plea from Jo, she acquiesces, but not without caution. Kate immediately knows something is off - this is not how Jo interacts with her. Little do we know, Pilkington is skulking in Jo's backseat, coaching her actions.

As an aside, this is also the only time we see them meeting out of work while they're both wearing casual clothes, not just the clothes they wore to the office. 

Kate drives to the lorry park and calls Steve, because she's both an idiot and a genius. He’s wearing the same suit as before, grey with a navy tie. She learns that surveillance was pulled on Jo and Ryan, and explains Jo's odd behaviour, forwarding him the address. Unfortunately, their conversation is cut short by Carmichael, which immediately sets Kate on high alert and she ends the call. Just as Kate is about to leave, Jo pulls into the lot, and the tension escalates.

Steve receives the address and immediately informs Hastings and Chloe, ordering the team to get a unit ready. The team starts to rush out and Carmichael asks for calm, which Ted isn't gonna do when one of his people is in danger. AC-12 isn’t about to let Kate down.

At the lorry park, a distraught Jo gets out of her car and approaches Kate’s car. Kate tries to convince Jo to go somewhere else, but all Jo can say is that she's sorry. Kate is confused, but that goes away pretty quickly once an armed bent bastard steps out of Jo's car. He gloats to Kate, saying "Jo wanted to give you a way out. Should've put in for that transfer." Kate tries to convince Ryan to put the gun down, that the authorities will find him, but it doesn't work. Which is when Kate makes a gamble - she tells Ryan about the surveillance on him and Jo. Ryan tries to blame Jo for their situation, but she acts none the wiser (even though Kate told her about Ryan’s surveillance in the previous episode).

"Why would she come here otherwise?"

Sure, Jo is playing down her relationship with Kate for Ryan’s sake, but it isn’t quite that simple. Jo doesn't want to believe Kate had any faith in her. She wants to believe she was pretending, because she has no faith in herself. Her reaction does provide enough of a distraction for Kate to be able to pull her own weapon, and the most tense standoff ever begins...

One of the most key color choices of any outfits so far on the show are the clothes Jo and Kate wear to the lorry park where Jo sets up Kate to be killed by Ryan. Jo is wearing her grey coat, a blue sweatshirt, and a red top. Kate is wearing a blue coat, and a blue striped sweater with a band of red in the middle. These two outfits are ultimately the thesis statement between these two women. Jo is wearing red as her last layer, the one closest to her, but is surrounded by cool tones through her sweatshirt and coat. Meanwhile, Kate’s sweater has a stripes of red and orange surrounded by shades of blue. 

But it doesn’t matter that Kate is being visually connected to Jo, because Jo is about to be responsible for her death via Ryan ‘the bent bastard’ Pilkington.

EPISODE 6

Nevermind though, no death for our beloved Kate!

Now, I’m going to take the next parts of the episode slightly out of order in order to tackle Kate and Jo together before their ultimate confrontation with Steve and AC-12. First, a run down of the AC-12 crew: Hastings is in full uniform, which represents his ultimate faith in the system, despite the bad actors and groups that try to destroy it. Carmichael is wearing a grey coat, aligning her with anti-corruption, but it’s piped along the edges with red, which shows how she’s opposed to AC-12 (though not necessarily corrupt). Steve is in his classic blue on blue on blue under his body armor, which shows his dedication to justice and also his faith in Kate. Carmichael confronts him directly about Kate’s whereabouts, which he fastidiously denies having any knowledge of, but unfortunately Hastings is forced to admit that Kate was permitted to carry a concealed firearm for safety. Steve doesn’t trust Carmichael, and this is shown back at the office when he tracks what Patty C is up to, mobilizing Hastings when she’s on the move.

At first glance, Kate and Jo’s red and blue outfits read as a visual metaphor for AC-12 closing in on their location, but I posit that these outfits are also indicative of Kate's belief in Jo, despite her anger that Jo has just set up her death. It’s clear at this point that their simple flirty banter from the beginning of the season has evolved into a deeper connection, which is part of what makes Jo’s betrayal so painful - Kate has been on her side the whole time. Jo just didn’t know it. [note: wrote this before the finale so guess who has egg on her face now…]

After a time jump (of nearly two hours, based on someone else’s analysis of time stamps and radio calls), Kate and Jo arrive at Steve's apartment. Jo asks if Steve can be trusted, and Kate leaves no doubt. Jo also asks why the surveillance got pulled, and Kate informs her about the chief and Carmichael. Jo denies having any part of it, but Kate isn't sure if she can believe her given the whole, you know, attempted murder thing. In a desperate bid to prove her loyalty to Kate, Jo asks for her gun, intentionally putting her prints on the murder weapon. Again, their coordinating outfits are the outward manifestation of their connection. Kate, while still angry, seems to accept what Jo is offering to her, but is clearly trying to maintain distance in the moment.

Jo then tries to see if things between them were real, but Kate refuses to entertain the conversation. What Jo is completely unaware of at this point is the lengths to which Kate has gone to prove that Jo isn't bent, up to and including risking a crucial raid on the OCG workshop. To Kate, it's a question that doesn't need to be asked, [the egg on my face remains] but Kate is also in disbelief that Jo would question her feelings when she's the one who was nearly killed by Jo. It’s an inappropriate time to have this discussion, and Kate lets that be known. They find Steve's personal car, a slate grey Mazda because this show is nothing if not subtle with its vehicular choices - even their personal vehicles tie in to their allegiance with AC-12’s mission.

Driving in Steve's car, Jo asks again if Kate was pretending with Jo, and Kate diverts the conversation away from herself. Was Jo lying to her when she hired Kate because she was ex-anti-corruption? No, she was hoping Kate, with her anti-corruption background, would stop her. Would save her, really. They discuss Jo's ongoing work for the OCG, and Jo's fear that she'll be killed if she turns, just like Tommy. She insists that she's not bent and Kate implores her to prove it.

Kate is pissed [for the non-Americans, she’s very angry, not drunk…] in this scene, as she should be. She believed in Jo, she still believes in Jo, but she betrayed her in a major way. And now, when Kate is sticking her neck out for Jo again, she's still too scared to reveal what she knows. Jo does reveal that Tommy was her uncle, and that her father was a bent cop, which of course doesn’t align with what Kate knows. At Kate's further insistence, Jo directs them toward Gail Vella's house, and finally to the old print shop the OCG had used in the past that is across from Terry Boyle’s flat.

Kate and Jo arrive at the print shop, and Jo is finally about to reveal the truth to Kate. This act, coupled with putting her prints on the gun, earns Jo back a little bit of the trust she lost, and this is shown when the two women share the same shot. Most of the scenes between Jo and Kate have been over the shoulder shots where one woman is the primary focus, and this scene pivots to end with both of them together as the focus. This change happens in time with Kate dropping some of her much-deserved hostility toward the other woman.

But before they can step out of the car, flashing lights and sirens appear behind them - they've been found. The fact that they've been tracked shocks Kate, but she spends no time dwelling as she throws the car into drive and speeds away. AC-12 AFOs have set up an intercept point, which Kate ignores in a truly badass handbrake turn, no matter if it makes any sense that they could have possibly known the route Kate would take in order to set up a kind of road block.

Handbrake turn or no, the Mazda has been intercepted and Kate and Jo are stuck. Kate is still confused that they've been found, but Jo knows the jig is up and tells Kate she's going to say she forced her to drive. It isn't until Jo tells her they have no other choice that Kate gets out of the car. Once out, Jo puts her hands up, but Kate refuses. Just then, AC-12 arrives with Carmichael, and Kate is in shock. "Jesus Christ, Steve's in on it" - cut to Jo's panicked face. This is the man Kate said they could trust, and now he's after them too.

What follows is a very tense standoff between the two fleeing detectives and AC-12. Jo surrenders, but Kate refuses. First Carmichael tries, then Hastings (at which point Kate tells Jo she learned some shady stuff about him), and then finally Steve walks up to them. Jo begs Kate to surrender repeatedly, but the DI believes she’s onto her second major betrayal of the night and she isn’t willing to give in that easily. She thought she could trust Jo, and she nearly killed her, and to her mind she trusted Steve and he turned her over to Carmichael.

Kate is prepared to tear him a new asshole, but he swears up and down that he has no idea how they got tracked, he wouldn't do that to her. Once he promises to get the two women into safety, Kate surrenders. As he walks them in, Kate shared Ryan's confession of murder and Jo's clue about the print shop. To the end, Kate believes in justice and will pursue it.

We then see a disillusioned Kate in her all grey Fruit of the Loom being walked into her jail cell. She sits down on the plastic mattress, looking at a total loss.

Later that night, Steve and Hastings are discussing the events of the previous few hours. Steve is in a grey suit with a blue shirt and tie, same as he had been wearing during the chase. The gaffer questions why Steve didn't tell him about Kate, and Steve claims it was to prevent putting him in a difficult position with Patty C, who walks in with the same question. Apparently, the former partners have keys to each other's houses and vehicles, in case of emergency. Carmichael taking Steve's phone would've read to Kate as an emergency. Steve refuses to back down, and she appears to drop it for the moment.

Now, onto Jo’s interrogation. A lot happens in this thirty minute scene, but to boil down to the important points: Jo is wearing her best Fruit of the Loom, stripping her of her identity and any affiliations she has. The lighting in this scene is cold and sterile, completely cool in tone. Steve sits with Carmichael and Hastings on the other side of the table, dressed in a navy suit, white shirt, and red tie.

Something very important to note in this scene is Jo’s reliance on Steve. He speaks with her gently, acknowledges her pain, and encourages her to be truthful even when it is clearly very difficult. She takes Kate’s trust in him at face value and decides to trust him too. His outfit actually reflects this truth. He’s wearing the same red and blue that Kate and Jo wore while they were on the run - blue surrounds the red. As much as Jo is trusting Steve here because of Kate, Steve is being kind to Jo here for the same reason. His partner and friend does the right thing nearly always - if she was willing to go to these lengths to defend Jo, he owes it to her to learn the truth. Nothing exemplifies this more than when the conversation turns to Pilkington’s death.

Jo refuses to answer at first and actually waits for AC-12 to show its hand first. She notices that Steve hesitates when Carmichael instructs him to talk about the evidence regarding Kate's gun, and she realizes this is her in, this is how she can prove herself to Kate once and for all. It's only after this that she claims to have shot Pilkington and completely shifts the blame from Kate to herself. This catches both Steve and Hastings up, and they react in obvious shock, which changes how Hastings treats her through the rest of the interview and cements Steve’s belief in Kate’s trust. Afterwards, she looks to Steve, who nods. He understands what she just did for Kate, and Jo is relieved to see his comprehension. The questioning continues, and Jo only admits to what she can take direct responsibility for, but nothing that involves the larger network.

Once Carmichael and Hastings leave, she quickly turns to Steve and says a desperate "I'm so sorry." Sorry for hiding evidence in Operation Lighthouse. Sorry for framing Farida. Sorry for what she’s done to Kate.

And Steve, gentle when he can be, gives her a kind "Yeah, me too," in reply. I’m sorry you were groomed into the OCG. I’m sorry you were scared for your life. I’m sorry you hurt Kate, too.

Patty C goes to talk to Kate, and lets her know she won't be charged for Ryan's murder - Jo will be. Kate has a look of relief on her face as she processes the information. But Patty C notes Jo isn't firearms trained, and Kate is. She's telling Kate she knows what really happened, and she's letting it slide. This time. Kate is well aware that Carmichael isn’t stupid - she knows Jo was lying and is only letting Kate get away with it because it better serves her interests. Kate is free, and she sighs with relief and the knowledge of what Jo did.

Steve, still in the same outfit from the interview, and Kate, in a navy pea coat and yellow sweater, meet in an underground car park. once she's been released. A quick note on Kate’s coat: I’d love to say there’s a deeper meaning for the shift in her coat, but I genuinely think it’s just because filming was originally in the spring, then was moved to the fall and continued until November, so it was simply colder. The cut and color of the coat are generally the same, despite the style changing.

Steve offers to lend an ear about the shooting, and then Kate asks about Jo's interview. Steve tells her they didn't get enough information out of her, and Kate tells him that Jo told her that her dad was an officer. "She's scared, Steve. After what happened to Tommy, Dot, Lakewell, nevermind John Corbett". Kate’s anger seems to have dissipated at least a little at this point, because here she is, defending Jo by explaining why she wasn’t forthcoming with a lot of information. This is most obvious through her yellow sweater - still affiliated with Jo, even through everything else. Steve lets her know that Jo is in a secure cell with extra monitoring, which seems to appease her. Kate then informs him she's been made SIO at MIT, and will guarantee cooperation with AC-12. Lomax calls Kate, and the two partners are back working together.

Kate and Steve meet Lomax at the OCG workshop, where he goes over the forensic findings so far as MIT’s resident plot reciter. Kate tells him they need to look further, and orders him to dig up the floor, ruining the poor man’s plans for the evening.

Chloe calls Steve with an update on Thurwell. Then we get a weird scene of darkvision Spanish police apprehending Thurwell. Truly hate it. He's dead. It's a deadend. Clever writing, Jed.

The episode ends with Jo in her navy blue jumper being put into her cell at Brentiss. Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee, Lindsay Denton’s besties, walk up threateningly before Jo is led into her cell and the door is shut. I do love the shot here of Jo through the door, caught in a small tight space that’s almost closing in on her.

EPISODE 7

Before I fully jump into Episode 7, please be aware that I am doing a textual analysis. I’m not going to go into the fourth man reveal and its logic or even greater meaning (particularly because I’m looking at this show from a different political context as an American), and I’m not going to speculate on things not seen, at least in this analysis, because the focus is on wardrobe. You can trust I have many thoughts, particularly around race and the writing around female characters, some of which I’ve included but most of which I did not. It took me 9 full days to write everything for this one episode, and was shockingly exhausting. Forgive me if it doesn’t live up to my other ramblings.

We’ll jump right into things. I'm gay but Steve looks so good here in his AC-12 uniform. Anyways, Steve is watching Hastings' old interview with Carmichael about Ian Banks. His concern about Hastings is clear. He’s in pursuit of justice, even if justice puts him up against the gaffer.

Later, Steve and Kate discuss the gaffer and his suspicious behaviour, and he informs her that Ted is slated for retirement. Steve wants to let it go, but Kate refuses. She asks if Steph Corbett knows anything more, and suggests she may be blackmailing Hastings, but Steve is dismissive of it. This causes Kate to raise an eyebrow - oh god Steve's done it again. Steve pleads "It's not like that, mate, it's different," and Kate has never looked more disbelieving and annoyed. She responds, "She's a person of interest,” and their conversation is cut short when Chris calls Kate with an update. Steve is still in his navy suit, and Kate in her yellow sweater. The lack of coordination in these clothes show Kate isn’t quite on the same page as Steve yet, but they’re getting there.

Lomax tells them there was a case found in the floor of the workshop, much like the one holding Gail Vella's computers at the abandoned print shop that Jo led them to. No comment on the OCG’s evidence techniques.

Steve, who kept skipping his occupational health warnings, is in therapy. I didn't cover the OH stuff throughout this analysis since it didn't relate to Jo, but this manages to tie in later so here it is now. It ends in him agreeing to temporarily give up his firearms license. I'm not going to discuss the rest of the meeting, given that Steve seemed to kick his pill addiction and reliance on alcohol and pain relievers to deal with his back pretty damn quickly and it's a storyline of entirely no relevance except as something Ted holds over Steve in a moment of manipulation later. Steve also admits this to Hastings before Occupational Health can tell him. This entire storyline is frustrating. Moving on!

Kate is watching Jo's AC-12 interview at her desk on the Hill, specifically rewinding to parts concerning who Jo believed her father was. She pauses it on a frame of Jo’s face, the terror clear. Kate is dressed in a black suit and a light blue shirt, back on the side of AC-12 and in pursuit of justice, not only with regard to the OCG, but for Gail Vella and Jo.

Steph calls Steve again, and he ignores it, because he's being a bit of a dick. Then he steps out of his car and has a back spasm. This only comes up so Kate can ask about it later and show that Steve, wearing a blue jacket, listened to what she said about getting close to a person of interest. Would truly love to know why Steve parks by an underpass by a river for this scene, but needs must, I guess.

Back at Hillside, another Lomax briefing! Because Chris, Chloe, and sometimes Kate are truly the only people who do any detecting in the entire series!!! Anyways, Chris tells Steve and Kate about the contents of the box under the floor of the workshop. Conveniently, it held four murder weapons (can Jed Mercurio spell deus ex machina?) and neatly tied a bow on Corbett, Bindra, and Vella's deaths, and in a nice series 1 throwback, Jackie Laverty's murder! Kate is wearing a grey turtleneck which coordinates beautifully with Steve’s grey suit, blue tie, and blue shirt. This shows that they’re back on the same page and on the same team, despite their ups and downs this series.

Kate and Steve return to AC-12, where Kate in her new navy pea coat shares that the proceedings against Terry Boyle will be stopped. Except, to my knowledge, Jo already handled that...? They literally made a point of it in her interview. Anyway, Chloe, like Chris, did all the detective work and tells them that the IP of the OCG laptop is in the UK, not Spain as previously believed. Amanda from forensics, the only other person who does any real work, interrupts with a message that shows Jo is about to be targeted. Definitely is spelled wrong. I give up. They feel the need to spell out what JD and BP mean, but spend 3 episodes never explaining what a CHIS is. Sure. Chloe is tasked with finding the fourth man via spelling.

Also I'm truly not being funny by why is Kate on the investigation board in AC-12. Like. What. Was she a suspect? She’s not with the other victims!

A very forlorn Jo in her blue Brentiss jumpsuit is sitting in her prison cell before being collected for transport to Hillside. Jo is very aware that something must be wrong because she’s a damn fine detective. She's mad suspicious as they head out to the van, and lo and behold, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum are on the transport team.

En route to Brentiss, they learn that Lomax and Kate's signatures were forged on the production order for Jo. Meanwhile, Jo is too smart for her own good, and questions the guard during the transport about the requesting officer. Tweedle Dee plays dumb.

And then… nothing happens. They intercepted the van in advance, removed Jo, and planted Steve and Kate on the van. Because Steve is such a great choice what with his being an UNARMED OFFICER AT THE TIME. They arrest everyone.  Steve ends up with a gun. Ok.

In an interrogation room, Kate and Steve explain what happened to Jo. Hastings looks on. Kate tells Jo she can apply to witness protection, and that all of her notes will show that she was under coercion from others, giving her a shot at the life she never had, but only if she reveals who the top man is, aka her father. Jo begins to cry, and Steve reminds her those OCG men were sent to kill her - this man doesn't care for her. Jo begins to tell them that she had no reason to believe Tommy was lying to her, all while speaking only to Kate. Steve encourages her further, telling her she's not bent. Kate asks her one last time for the name, and we see Jo resolve to say something before the scene cuts. Heaven forbid we show something happening instead of faking built suspense.

Now, I need to pause here for a small moment of rage. Kate should have been the one who got the call back line by telling Jo she's not bent. Not for any romantic reason, but because their little run from the police stunt was done at least in part under the auspices that Jo could prove to Kate that she wasn't bent. In fact, Kate pleads with Jo to do so. It's just frustrating, and gives Steve an emotional beat he hasn't truly earned with Jo, or at least hasn’t earned as much as Kate.

And Jo gives them a name! They search a prison cell, and find nothing. It's really built up to seem like it's Fairbank, who is revealed to be a confused old dude. Why Jo thought she was communicating with him this entire time is simply never addressed. Whatever. They ask about the murders and cover ups, and he offers nothing. Kate asks about Jo, and after some more pushing, Fairbank implicitly agrees that he and Tommy Hunter convinced Jo he was her father.  Hastings is pissed, but Chloe calls to save the day (again).

Chloe "I should be Chief Constable" Bishop brings the team up to speed on the text search for incorrect spellings of the word definitely. Which they've apparently managed to do in a matter of hours, even on handwritten reports from 17 years prior! Because Jed has definitely never needed to do a text analysis by hand before. They then proceed to NEVER NAME THE SUSPECT. FOR 1 MINUTE AND 10 SECONDS.

Oh but don't worry, because this is the perfect opportunity for our realigned partners to confront Hastings about the bribe money and his conversations with Ian Banks. Can't reveal who the fourth man is when the head of the investigation is also a bent cop, silly audience. And it's revealed that Ted leaked Corbett as a UCO because of Corbett's role in the attack on Hastings' wife. But it's okay because he's sorry about it!

To be hella clear: Hastings, an anti-corruption officer who prides himself on following the letter of the law, took actions he knew would result in the death of John Corbett and Kate later forgives him for it. Jo was under threat of death from the OCG and tried to get rid of Kate via transfer and then led her to an empty lorry park to be killed while she thought Ryan was under surveillance that could likely intervene, and we in no way see Kate react to that experience in this episode. Cool!

Finally, we get the interview with the fourth man, which is revealed 8 minutes and 32 seconds after the characters themselves learn the information. For some reason unknown to God or man, Kate is there despite not being involved in Buckells' case since she works for MIT, not AC-12. Frankly, not gonna delve into it. Kate is wearing a sweater we've yet to see her in, a blue crew neck that is frankly more feminine than anything we've seen this series so far, and moreso matches what she's worn in previous series. It’s unsettling. Steve is in his classic AC-12 uniform.

Just a quick q for the kids at home - if Buckells only ever communicated with people via a secure browser on burner devices, how in the hell did he get a laptop in prison? Also, why did he not break himself out of prison by having someone else plant evidence of some kind, especially since he supposedly had a lot to blackmail Jo with?

At what I can only assume is their local, Steve and Kate congratulate themselves on doing nothing beyond sit in interview rooms to catch Buckells. Kate might go back to AC-12 - even though she left because of the gaffer's actions which turned out to be WAY WORSE THAN SHE PREVIOUSLY BELIEVED? Sure, Jed. They have a chat about what's been happening with Steve and his painkiller addiction. Kate implies he should drive up to Liverpool to see Steph, which he doesn't think is a good idea. But don't worry, they've got each other, mate. Platonic soulmates forever (no romantic underscoring in this analysis).

And then, with no previous discussion in the script or even telegraphing by the camera, Kate is in therapy. Which is great, because she truly needs it, girl has been through a lot. She mentions her ex, and Josh who is apparently her reason for living but she's texted about him once and mentioned him offhand to Jo to tell her he'd be with her ex, and then her great friend and partner, Steve (which is true, but the romantic framing is gross and out of character).

Not being funny, Kate is wearing a truly horrendous mauve top here, over a white shirt. We've never seen her in a color like this, it doesn't fit in with the rest of the color palette in her wardrobe, up to and including all of the orange and brown she wore at MIT. It's honestly frumpy, and in no way aligns with the characterization shown to us through her wardrobe in the rest of the series. The last time we do see her in an outfit like that is during the interview with Jo. Jo left and took Kate's excellent sense of style with her.

Kate and Steve meet with Patty to discuss Darren Hunter's involvement in the murder of Lawrence Christopher, and discuss how there's more corrupt officers to be uncovered. Patty C isn't gonna do anything about that tho. Hastings strolls up to chat with Patty C, and we learn that Buckells will get immunity. The trio are about to leave when Ted storms back into her office to confess to his actions leading to John Corbett's death. He gets one more speech about carrying the fire and bad apples in policing before they all leave.

For the final outfits we may ever see them in, Hastings is wearing a blue shirt, Steve is wearing a grey suit, white shirt, and green tie, and Kate is in a white turtleneck with a navy pea coat. Again, this turtleneck is more effeminate than anything we’ve seen her in this series. Hell, even Patty C is wearing blue to show she’s aligned with anti-corruption and just kind of a bitch, not actually corrupt.

Finally, to the blessed epilogue. Shoutout to Terry and Farida for getting some closure to the bullshit they’ve been through.

Jo steps out of her little stone cottage in the country, dressed in a casual sweater of grey and blue, breathing in the fall air deeply. Her layers of clothing are gone, her hair is down and soft. Her Icelandic sweater shows that she’s finally free to honor her heart, and no longer feels trapped by her family and who she thought they were.

And then, a dog trots out after her, and we see Jo bend down to hug the retriever and kiss its head. This is the most free affection we have ever seen Jo give. A set of legs appear in the doorway behind her, and a redheaded woman steps out of the cottage to meet Jo and the dog. Jo smiles at her, oh so freely after the tension she carried for 21 years, and they clasp hands, walking down the country road away from their home. Because Jo is free, and she can freely love and live without fear in her new life.

Now, from a purely logistical standpoint, very little affection between anyone could be shown from episodes 3-7 because of COVID filming protocols (which seem to be far more strict on physical distancing than American and Canadian productions). The production team actually did a brilliant job using forced perspective and interesting over the shoulders to make people seem like they were closer together than they were. From a film nerd perspective though, they broke the 180 rule so frequently that I nearly lost my mind (glass boxes are great but they ignore all rules of perspective).

All that aside, the logistics of filming in COVID mean that moments where we do see physical distancing broken are all the more important. Kelly filmed this scene with an actress who she has not been working with for months, because it is so, so important to see Jo come out of the other side of her tragic life intact. It also matters that her partner is wearing a warm hat and has red hair (intentional casting or otherwise) and that their home has a red door, because it shows that those warm tones represent something different for Jo now. They don’t represent fear and betrayal and being trapped - now they represent home.

Additionally, there are a lot of comparisons made between Jo, Dot, and Ryan. All three had been groomed by Tommy Hunter since childhood to work for the OCG, all three were put into the Central Police to act as inside men, and all three committed terrible acts in their own interest. But there are differences here. Ryan was a little shit as a kid and he clearly had a terrible home life - his mom was the worst. He gravitated to an authority figure who offered him something different and who gave him power. He is a victim of circumstance - but he also found power and enjoyment in his terrible actions. He gloated about Maneet Bindra and John Corbett’s deaths, and he enjoyed wielding power over Jo when he was threatening her.

Dot is the blend between Ryan and Jo - he too was groomed by Tommy to enter this world of crime, and did many awful things without regret, including killing people who threatened to expose his identity as the Caddy. It’s not until his friendship, and burgeoning relationship, that his behavior changes. He almost gets away from the Central Police, despite Kate hopping on a lorry for a free ride to track him down, but when faced with the reality that this would mean Kate’s death, he sacrifices himself and gives her a final clue to dismantle the OCG within the police.

Jo, from what we’re shown, felt regret after everything she did, and the show made it a point to demonstrate Jo as a victim of her family and genuine fear for her life if she didn’t continue following the actions of the OCG. We never saw Ryan or Dot with a gun to their head or with a dozen locks on their door. We never saw them break down in bathroom stalls, or even framing people and discrediting them instead of killing them. And it’s ultimately her relationship with Kate that changes things for her - she tries to use Kate at first to get caught, and when they get close she tries to push Kate away in order to protect her, right until she thinks she has no other choice but to let Ryan kill her.

It’s interesting that all three characters meet their end with Kate (and a damn shame the show never chose to address that fully). She quite literally kills Ryan, has a standoff with Dot that ends with him sacrificing himself for her and giving a dying declaration, and goes on the run with Jo to give her time to prove she isn’t bent and who plants evidence against herself to protect Kate. Later, it’s Kate who convinces Jo to give up everything she knows about the OCG and the man who claimed to be her father, and Kate who offers immunity and witness protection. Finally, in their last scene together, Kate manages to save one of the people corrupted under the thumb of the OCG. She completes a task she first set out for in series 1, the first time she interviewed Ryan and tried to get him to realize there’s a better life out there for him.

Kate does what Jo was hoping she would: she saves her, and gives her the life she never thought she could have.

I wish I could end this with a perfect bow that ties the wardrobe threads of this series together, but frankly I can’t. On a macro level, cool tones remains the symbol of anti-corruption and the pursuit of truth and justice, and warm tones represent any force opposing those ideals. On a micro level, Steve’s clothing choices and what they represent remain consistent throughout the series, as do Jo’s. However, the character that ties Steve and Jo together, the person who believed in the truth of Jo despite what face value was saying, that person’s wardrobe gets thrown to hell in the final episode. Kate’s colors remain cool, and it’s understandable that the warm tones that represented her connection to Jo disappear as Jo turns on the OCG, but the actual physical clothing is completely different from what she’s been wearing before and doesn’t fit her characterization.

I think it’s crucial to note that her femininity is only played up when she’s back on a team with men, where her earlier androgynous dress became suddenly unacceptable. It’s a damn shame, because the emotional payoff for Kate’s growth outside of AC-12 could’ve been really spectacular, and she was stymied in the end in favor of her male colleagues.

[aristidetwain]

Who on Earth is Rasputin?

If you answered “the Fourth Doctor using a Chameleon Arch”, you have seen the 1971 biopic Nicholas and Alexandra and you have the sort of spirit we’re looking for. We love you, Tom Baker, we love you.

Nevertheless, while it is clearly canonical that every other part played by a given Dr Who actor represents that actor’s Doctor under a Chameleon Arch, (/s), let’s dig a little deeper, because it’s fun and we have cause to do so, into the life and history of Grigori Rasputin in the Doctor Who Universe.

(Lengthy development under the cut.)

1. 

The PETER HARNESS Story

For those who haven’t been keeping up with the flood of great content springing from the Doctor Who: Lockdown event like slightly wobbly ambrosia from the Cornucopia, Peter Harness has released a synopsis for one of the most improbable missed opportunities of the Welsh Series: a Capaldi one-parter entitled How The Monk Got His Habit. 

This story would have seen the return of the Time Meddler himself, or, as you may know him, the Monk—a positively delightful antagonist from the 1960′s who got overshadowed by the more enduring and more malevolent Master, and whose gimmick was that he was an amoral hedonist who changed history for fun and profit with no care for the consequences. In his televised appearances in the William Hartnell era, the Time Meddler was played by Peter Butterworth; first encountered posing as a monk in an 11th-century monastery, he was subsequently remembered as “the Monk”, wearing that costume, and known thereafter as “the Monk” or “the Meddling Monk” in fandom and in subsequent appearances. 

Harness decided to feature an early incarnation of the character colliding out-of-sync with the Twelfth Doctor, giving nothing less than the origin story of the Meddling Monk, both the “meddling” and “monk” parts, and just from the original pitch email he dug up, it is a thing of beauty.

(Source)

Further enjoyment is to be gleaned from the fully-written-out opening scene of a hypothetical novelisation of the unmade story, which can be found here and establishes the incarnation of the Time Meddler at the start of that story (currently going by “Roger”) as being his fifth. 

This is mildly interesting in that in true Doctor Who fashion, it manages to contradict one of the very few already-existing stories that had tried to make sense of the Monk’s timeline. I refer of course to John Peel’s The Mutation of Time, which took time off to establish that the already-meddling, already-monasterial Peter Butterworth incarnation seen in The Time Meddler and The Daleks�� Master Plan was the Monk’s first incarnation. But never mind that.

Note that the historical Rasputin died at the tail end of 1916. I could construct elaborate theories of how and why Rasputin turning insane in 1917 could affect the Russian Revolution and the rest of human history, but I’ll spare you and myself the additional headache, and assume this was simply a typo.

2. 

The BOOK OF THE WAR Story

Where it gets complicated, as is often the case, is when you factor in the Time War. See, The Book of the War, in one of its most entertaining side-stories, establishes that Grigori Rasputin actually did not die in December 1916. Instead, Faction Paradox, those lackadaisical jackanapes, thought it would be funny to spirit him away to their hideout a few days before his death, leaving a barely-sentient clone to act out Rasputin’s real death. 

Unaware of this, the Celestis (a faction of Time Lords who turned themselves into incorporeal demons to escape the Time War) had decided to recruit Rasputin in their usual faustian way, offering him a form of immortality in exchange of his accepting to be Marked by them, becoming a slave to their will. Because the Rasputin clone’s basic programming included “Do whatever freaky time travelling sorcerers are telling you to do”, the thing blithely accepted the Celestis Mark and was on its way. 

And then, unaware of what the Celestis had done, but having caught wind of the Faction Paradox cultists’ plan to bring Rasputin to their homebase, the actual Gallifrey-based Time Lords decided to duplicate Rasputin themselves, leaving a “trapped” Grigori for the Faction to find, one who was secretly loyal to them, the Great Houses. And so they showed up one day before Rasputin’s death to perform the switcheroo, being under the impression that if the Faction were to whisk Rasputin away, they would do so mere instants before he was supposed to die. 

(Maybe the Time Lords thought that because that’s how they would do it. For more information, see S09E12, Hell Bent.)

Hence, come the fateful day, the Time Lords’ doctored duplicate of the Faction’s doctored duplicate of Rasputin, now secretly immortal thanks to, and under the control of the Celestis, (are you still following this?)… not only does it take forever to die because duh, it’s a badly-made golem, not a human being… but once it does find it within itself to die, it is instantly resurrected by the Celestis, who activate their Mark, ordering it to do their shadowy bidding.

At this point, the misbegotten triple-zombie experiences an existential crisis too big for its artificial brain to handle, as what passes for its soul has now been conditioned to faithfully serve the interest of three different factions who are at war with each other. Not-Rasputin goes instantly mad with confusion and goes drown itself in the nearest river.

Meanwhile, in the members-only Faction Paradox treehouse, the original Rasputin whom the cultists replaced with the first golem is properly inducted into the Faction, where he is widely observed to turn into just as crazy a Grandfather Paradox zealot as he was a devout Orthodox and mystic. He proceeds to use his newfound authority as Father Dyavol of Faction Paradox to advise his fellow Faction member Princess Anastasia to secede from the Eleven-Day Empire and bugger off to Moscow.

After Anastasia and Dyavol’s revolution crashes and burns, his corpse is found in the river again, appearing to once more have been mutilated in more ways than it would take to kill a normal human being. The Book’s ambiguous in-universe authors are themselves unsure of quite what happened.

3.

The OTHER STUFF

Those two are the “big ones”, but I would be remiss if I did not mention other Doctor Who takes on the historical Grigori Rasputin.

Big Finish’s Companion Chronicle The Wanderer has the First Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbara coming across the younger, wandering-pilgrim Rasputin in 1903. He briefly becomes a genuine prophet due to having come into contact with an alien artefact which grants him knowledge of future human history, but this is undone at the end of the story and so doesn’t amount to very much. 

I am told that this is because the story was originally written with Nostradamus in mind, which makes a lot of sense. What is of interest to us is that Rasputin is here depicted as a basically good, sane man, once you set the grandiose prophetic visions aside.

Dave McIntee’s The Wages of Sin, on the other hand, is also constructed around Rasputin’s death in December 1916, but it posits that Rasputin was a non-supernatural and non-crazy monk, totally undeserving of his ghoulish and supernatural post-mortem reputation. Rather problematically, it gives us a direct insight into Rasputin’s thought processes as he dies, with no thought of being a triple-zombie with conflicting allegiances to be gleaned: 

4. 

The THEORY

What this tells us is that Rasputin’s death is not strictly a bootstrap paradox — the original historical death that the Faction fetishized to the point of wanting to get their own ritualistic mitts on Rasputin, the one the Monk accidentally averts, a few months before it’s supposed to happen, in a way that threatens to change all of human history, is not the farcical catastrophe described in The Book of the War. There was an original, untampered-with timeline that got thrown out of whack by too many different Time Lords trying to meddle with it.

You could, I suppose, posit that there are three different timelines: the Monk and the various Wartime factions both split off in different directions from the baseline Wages of Sin timeline where the human Rasputin died in the river. But that is no fun at all, is it? And furthermore, it does not account for the fact that the definitely human Rasputin of The Wanderer and The Wages of Sin is a good man unfairly maligned, whereas the Rasputin who becomes Father Dyavol is a rebellious lunatic. So let’s assume instead that the Book of the War story’s time meddling is building onto what happened (or, you know, would have happened) in How The Monk Got His Habit.

If we assume that the “the Monk drives the real Rasputin insane” incident happened a few months prior to December 1916, and it is on the day when he was driven mad that the real Rasputin is taken out of time by the Twelfth Doctor and replaced by the regenerated Monk, then this finally makes sense of the difference in characterization between pre- and post-1916 Rasputin. The sane, misunderstood Rasputin was the real human being, whereas the ranting madman Rasputin is the persona put on by the repentant Monk. Remember, per Harness’s outline, the Monk has a checklist of what Rasputin is supposed to do historically speaking, but I don’t see him having any real way of knowing how Rasputin is supposed to act. Most of his involvement with the man took place on the day that he drove him irreparably kookoo, after all.

So we end up with the following story:

The original Grigori Rasputin, who meets the First Doctor in 1903, is a mostly-sane and wholly-non-evil man. He has a traumatic experience with visions of future history, which the Doctor is forced to telepathically lock away, Donna-style. (The Wanderer) In the original timeline witnessed by the Third Doctor, Rasputin lives out his days largely as he had begun. He is assassinated in largely-mundane circumstances; Jo’s attempt to avert this by switching out the poisoned cakes for normal ones gives rise to a legend that Rasputin was unusually hard to kill, and causes the event to go down in history. (The Wages of Sin)  The Earth band Boney M write a song about Rasputin which inspires the Fifth Monk  to go back in time and make Rasputin listen to it. This drives him irreparably bananas, likely because of his having already had one barely-contained traumatic experience with future knowledge given to him by aliens, back in 1903.This screws with time to the extent that when he realizes he is out of his depth and calls for help, the Fifth Monk actually reaches the post-War Twelfth Doctor. After a lot of shenanigans, the Doctor leaves the Monk in 1916 with instructions to regenerate into a Sixth Monk physically identical to Rasputin, and then act out the part Rasputin was supposed to play in history to a T. (How The Monk Got His Habit)  The Sixth Monk’s Rasputin cosplay leaves a lot to be desired, since he mostly bases his performance on the damn Boney M song and on the bananas, post-listening-to-the-song Rasputin. Nevertheless, it’s enough to fool Faction Paradox into abducting him a few days before he was supposed to fake his death and go back to business as usual. The improbable series of coincidences which follows, with the triply-brainwashed duplicate, might represent Time trying to adjust so that the myth of Rasputin’s outlandish death, which started this entire series of events, still goes down in History somehow. Once in the Eleven-Day Empire, the Sixth Monk realizes pretty quickly that his being there at all, in the middle of the Time War, is a perfectly irregular breach of all the Protocols of Linearity. Hoping to avoid detection, he continues hamming it up as Mad Prophet Rasputin until he figures out a plan. To his surprise, he manages to fool Anastasia, and so he manipulates her into giving him a free ticket out of the Faction, namely the whole Thirteen-Day Republic thing. (The Book of the War) But wait. What happened to the real Rasputin who went crazy? I reckon the Twelfth Doctor took him to some place of caring or other. What’s more, I reckon he voiced his intention to do so while the Fifth Monk was still with him. (How The Monk Got His Habit) And so the final grisly piece of the puzzle comes into place. Desperate to escape back to his own place in Gallifreyan history, where it’s safe and black-and-white, when he sees the Valentine’s Day Battle approaching, the Sixth Monk commits his first truly evil act by hopping back into his timeship unseen, bringing the real Rasputin back to the Thirteen-Day Republic, and murdering him in a way which he hopes will look like the original timeline reasserting itself. To further avoid detection in case he should be intercepted on the way out, the Sixth Monk regenerates himself into a clean-shaven Seventh Monk right there and then, probably hiding in a closet. (The Book of the War) As far as any of the Wartime powers know, “Father Dyavol” is dead, and so the now-inconspicuous Seventh Monk is free to slink away back to his TARDIS. Knowing the Doctor is found on Earth in almost all of their incarnations, the Monk hovers close to Earth’s timeline, hoping to find the “right” Doctor again and rejoin Linearity by latching onto him. When they finally bump into each other in 1066 Northumbria, there’s still a 50-year difference between them, but the Monk thinks “eh, close enough” and reenters normal time for good, now with much-loosened moral standards. After all, act or no act, he spent quite a lot of time working with Faction Paradox — besides which he has seen that everything the Time Lords of his day stand for is torn down eventually by the War, so why bother with any of those Laws of Time he know will eventually be suspended? (The Time Meddler, The Daleks’ Master Plan)

…oh!

And if you want the real Rasputin’s story to have a happy ending, maybe the Faction, once they rifle through the possessions found on the corpse of Father Dyavol, find a fobwatch and open it… reviving the Fourth Doctor, who offers the befuddled coroner-Cousin a jelly baby, shrugs that this particular attempt to throw off the Black Guardian clearly didn’t work, and returns to his own era.

The jelly baby in question was then placed, with religious deference, on a velvet cushion inside the Catalogue.

[claudia1829things]

“LITTLE WOMEN” (2019) Review

"LITTLE WOMEN" (2019) Review Ever since its release in movie theaters back December 2019, many moviegoers have been in rapture over "LITTLE WOMEN", filmmaker Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 novel. The movie did acquire several acclaims, including Oscar nominations for two of the film’s actresses, Best Adapted Screenplay and an actual Oscar for costume design. I never got the chance to see it in theaters. I finally managed to see it on the HULU streaming service.

Anyone familiar with Alcott’s novel knows that it conveyed the tale of four sisters from a Massachusetts family and their development from adolescence and childhood to adulthood during the 1860s. The first half of Alcott’s tale covered the March sisters’ experiences during the U.S. Civil War. In fact, Alcott had based the March family on herself and her three sisters. Unlike previous adaptations, Gerwig incorporated a nonlinear timeline for this version of "LITTLE WOMEN". There were aspects of "LITTLE WOMEN" I truly admired. I did enjoy most of the performances. Or some of them. I thought Saoirse Ronan gave an excellent performance as the movie’s leading character Josephine "Jo" March. I thought she did a pretty good job of recapturing Jo’s extroverted personality and artistic ambitions. I do wish that Gerwig had allowed Jo to convey some of the less pleasant sides to her personality. Do I believe she deserved her Oscar nomination? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Although I thought she gave an excellent performance, I do not know if I would have considered her for an acting nomination. But I was more than impressed by Eliza Scanlen, who portrayed third sister Elizabeth "Beth" March. Although her story more or less played out in a series of vignettes that switched back and forth between the period in which she first caught the scarlet fever and her death a few years later; Scanlen did a superb job in recapturing the pathos and barely submerged emotions of Beth’s fate. It seemed a pity that she had failed to acquire any acting nominations. One last performance that really impressed me came from Meryl Streep. I have always regarded the temperamental Aunt March as a difficult role for any actress. And although I do not regard Streep’s interpretation of the aging matriarch as the best I have seen, I must admit that for me, she gave one of the best performances in the film. The movie also featured solid performances from the likes of Emma Watson, Laura Dern, Chris Cooper, Tracy Letts, James Norton, Louis Garrel, Bob Odenkirk and Florence Pugh, who also received an Oscar nomination for her performance as the youngest March sister, Amy. About the latter . . . I really admired her portrayal of the older Amy March. But I found her performance as the younger Amy rather exaggerated. And a part of me cannot help but wonder why she had received an Oscar nomination in the first place. Jacqueline Durran won the film's only Academy Award – namely for Best Costume Design. Did she deserve it? I honestly do not believe she did. I did enjoy some of her designs, especially for the older Amy March, as shown below:

I found the costumes worn by Pugh, Streep and many extras in the Paris sequences very attractive and an elegant expression of fashion from the late 1860s. Otherwise, I found Durran’s costumes for this film rather questionable. I realize both she and Gerwig were attempting to portray the March family as some kind of 19th century version of "hippies". But even non-traditional types like the Marches would not wear their clothing in such a slap-dash manner with petticoat hems hanging below the skirts, along with bloomers showing, cuts and styles in clothing that almost seemed anachronistic, and wearing no corsets. The latter would be the equivalent of not wearing bras underneath one’s clothing in the 20th and 21st centuries. Someone had pointed out that many of today’s costume designers try to put a "modern twist" to their work in period dramas in order to appeal to modern moviegoers and television viewers. I really wish they would not. The attempt tends to come off as lazy costuming in my eyes. And this tactic usually draws a good deal of criticism from fans of period dramas. So . . . how on earth did Durran win an Oscar for her work in the first place? I understand that "LITTLE WOMEN" was filmed in various locations around Massachusetts, including Boston and Cambridge. A part of me felt a sense of satisfaction by this news, considering the story’s setting of Concord, Massachusetts. I was surprised to learn that even the Paris sequences were filmed in Ipswich, Massachusetts. However, I must admit that I was not particularly blown away by Yorick Le Saux's cinematography. Then again, I can say that for just about every adaptation of Alcott’s novel I have ever seen. There were scenes from "LITTLE WOMEN" that I found memorable. Those include Jo March’s initial meeting with her publisher Mr. Dashwood; Amy March’s conflict with Theodore "Laurie" Laurence over his behavior in Paris; Jo’s rejection of Laurie’s marriage proposal, and especially the montage featuring Beth March’s bout with scarlet fever and its consequences. However . . . I had some problems with Gerwig’s screenplay. As I have stated earlier, "LITTLE WOMEN" is not the first movie I have seen that utilized the non-linear plot technique. I have seen at least two adaptations of Charlotte Brontë’s 1847 novel, "Jane Eyre". Two more famous examples of this plot device were the 1995 film, "12 MONKEYS" and two of Christopher Nolan’s movies – 2000’s "MEMENTO" and 2017’s "DUNKIRK". How can I put this? I feel that Greta Gerwig’s use of non-linear writing had failed the film’s narrative. It simply did not work for me. Except for the brilliant montage featuring Beth’s fate, it seemed as if Gerwig’s writing had scattered all over the place without any real semblance of following Alcott’s plot. If I had not been already familiar with Alcott’s story, I would have found “LITTLE WOMEN” totally confusing. I also feel that because of Gerwig’s use of the non-linear technique, she managed to inflict a little damage on Alcott’s plot. Despite the excellent scene featuring Laurie’s marriage proposal, I felt that Gerwig had robbed the development of his relationship with Jo. I also believe that Gerwig had diminished Jo’s relationship with Professor Bhaer. In the film, Bhaer had expressed harsh criticism of Jo’s earlier writing . . . without explaining his opinion. But he never added that Jo had the potential to write better stories than her usual melodrama crap. Why did Gerwig deleted this aspect of Professor Bhaer’s criticism? In order to make him look bad? To set up the idea of Jo ending the story as a single woman, because that was Alcott’s original intent? Did Gerwig consider the original version of this scene a detriment to feminist empowerment? I am also confused as to why Gerwig allowed the March family to push her into considering Professor Bhaer as a potential mate for Jo? This never happened in the novel. Jo had come to her decision to marry the professor on her own prerogative. She did not have to be pushed into this decision. Come to think of it, how exactly did Jo’s fate end in the movie? I am confused. Did she marry Bhaer after rushing to the train station in order to stop him from leaving for California? Or did she remain single? Whatever. And why on earth did she position Amy and Laurie’s first meeting after the former’s hand had been caned by her school teacher? Gerwig had transformed an incident that had taught Amy a lesson about self-respect and generated the Marches’ righteous anger against a schoolteacher’s abuse to one of comic relief and a cute rom.com meet for Amy and Laurie. What the hell? Someone had once complained that Gerwig may have assumed that everyone was familiar with Alcott’s story when she wrote this screenplay. And I agree with that person. Earlier I had questioned the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ decision to award the Best Costume Design statuette to Jacqueline Durran and nominate Florence Pugh for Best Supporting Actress. But I also have to question the organization’s decision to nominate Gerwig’s writing for Best Adapted Screenplay. I honestly believe she did not deserve it. There were aspects of "LITTLE WOMEN" that I found admirable. I was certainly impressed by some of the film’s dramatic moments. And there were a handful of performances from the likes of Saoirse Ronan, Eliza Scanlen and Meryl Streep that truly impressed me. But I cannot deny that the other members of the cast gave either first-rate or solid performances. In the end, I did not like the movie. I believe "LITTLE WOMEN" should have never been nominated for Best Picture. Greta Gerwig’s use of the nonlinear technique did not serve Louisa May Alcott’s plot very well. If I had not been familiar with the novel’s plot, I would have found this movie confusing. Aside from Ronan’s Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, I feel that the other nominations and Best Costume Design win were undeserved. And a part of me feels a sense of relief that Gerwig had never received a nomination for Best Director.

[hymn2000]

Ideal Confusion - MCU AU Fanfic - C11

(Title subject to change)

Story summary: Giving into the constant pressure from the press, Tony decides to put a rest to the rumours that Peter is his biological son - once and for all.

Previous Chapter(s): 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Part of my Frostiron and Spiderson series.

Warnings/themes: family, family stuff, adoption, DNA test(s), pressure, peer pressure, social issues, mentions of alcoholism, mental health problems, potentially some minor medical inaccuracies, mentions of corporal punishment, hurt/comfort

You can also find me on AO3

Chapter 11 - Blues For My Baby And Me

-

Jo Jo looked understandably wary when Loki and Peter came back downstairs.

“Hi...”

“Peter has something he wants to say”

He gave Peter a gentle push forward. Peter swallowed.

“I... I’m sorry for the way I’ve been today. I’m sorry for being rude and shouting and calling you names and pushing you and all that stuff. I don’t really know why I did it but I know it was bad and unfair. I feel really bad about it. I’m sorry...”

Jo Jo stood up slowly. “Thanks, little guy. I appreciate it. Sorry you’ve been feeling a bit rubbish today. And I’m sorry for nearly smacking you”

Peter nodded, glancing down, and then back up, and down again. Jo Jo fancied he knew what he needed.

“Can I get a hug, little guy?”

Peter looked up and nodded. Jo Jo hugged him, and Peter hugged him back.

“I forgive you” Jo Jo said. “Are you ok now?”

“I think so”

“Good” Jo Jo held him at arms length. “You’re a good little kiddie, really”

Loki lay a hand on Peter’s shoulder. “Good boy. Why don’t you do your own thing for a little bit while Jo Jo and I talk?”

Peter knew it wasn’t really a suggestion, so even though he rather wanted to stay with his dad, he nodded.

Peter went out to the corridor to look through his overnight bag, and suddenly noticed the upright piano opposite the door to the kitchen. It wasn’t anything special; just a regular old wooden one, but it looked well kept. Peter lifted the fall board, looking at the keys. He tapped each one in turn, and then tapped out Mary Had A Little Lamb. It sounded perfectly in tune to him. He pulled out the piano bench, looking up to see if there were any music books on top of the piano. There wasn’t, but there was a little CD player.

Peter went over to his bag. He’d just thrown a random handful of CDs in there, not bothering to look which. Following the theme, he grabbed one of them at random. It turned out to be a homemade compilation of Elton John music - one Peter had forgotten about until that moment. He flipped it over, reading the track listing scrawled on the back paper. He shrugged, double checking the CD player was switched on, and loading the CD. He sat down on the piano bench, making himself comfortable, and clicked the buttons on the CD player, finding the right track. He pressed play, and set his hands on the keys.

-

Jo Jo looked up. “Do you hear that?”

Loki listened for a moment. “Yes..”

They were quiet for a minute or two.

“That’s not just a CD, is it?” Jo Jo said.

“I don’t think so” Loki said, standing up. 

Jo Jo followed, and they went back through to the kitchen diner as quietly as possible, keeping a distance so Peter wouldn’t be distracted by them. They watched him, listening to him playing along to the stereo, and listening to him sing.

“... Bruised in this cold war of words, we've come undone, two loose ends alone. Possessed, by that curse you've endured, the spell that I cast, couldn't make you come home”

They moved closer, carefully, leaning against the door frame.

“...Why is it always this way? Time never seems to really fly. And time is never really on my side. And I can't stay alone tonight. Things have to change, and they might, but I can't stay alone tonight. Things have to change and they might, but I can't stay alone tonight”

They stayed quiet, listening to the last few bars as the music faded out into silence.

“Well” Jo Jo said, and Peter jumped. “Ah, sorry! I didn’t mean to make you jump!”

Peter looked at them, pausing the CD, his face flushing. “H-how long have you been stood there?!”

“A minute or so” Jo Jo said. “I didn’t know you could sing!”

“Um...”

“Where did you learn to play the piano like that, young man?” Loki said.

“I-I, um, I just kinda, just kinda made that up. Well, not made it up, but just like, copied what I heard. Like, singing along. But playing along”

“That’s a hell of a skill” Jo Jo said. “Having an ear for music like that is pretty spectacular”

Peter looked down, his cheeks hot.

“I didn’t know you could play anything at all on the piano” Loki said. “Did someone teach you?”

“Well, we’d done a little bit in music at school” Peter said. “And Mr James has been giving me some little lessons too. I can’t read music though: it just doesn’t make any sense to me”

“Instrument music lessons cost extra at St Hendricks, though” Loki said.

“I-uh... I paid for them out of my pocket money”

“Why didn’t you tell us? We’d have been happy to pay, and help you practice”

“Well, I kinda skipped some swim team stuff so I could do it, and I didn’t wanna get into trouble with dad”

“Oh sweetheart” Loki rested a hand on Peter’s shoulders. “It sounds like you’ve got a gift”

“You could be great - better!” Jo Jo said. “Can you play us something else?”

Peter looked at him, and then at Loki, who nodded and stepped back. Peter paused, looking at the listing on the CD case.

“I... I could try this one?”

“Ambitious” Loki said. “Go on, chick. Show us what you can do” 

Peter clicked the skip button on the CD player a few times. He felt a little sick, his hands were shaking, and his heart was thumping with nerves, but he tried to pretend the grown-ups weren’t there. He took a deep breath, sat up straight, pressed play, and got ready to play. Maybe he should have chosen a shorter song.

“Captain Fantastic, raised an’ regimented, hardly a hero. Just someone his mother might know. Very clearly a case for, conflicts and classics. Two teas both with sugar please. In the back of an alley..."

It wasn’t a song Peter had tried playing before, and it wasn’t easy, even though he knew the tune so well, especially as it wasn’t a track where the piano was easily heard. He had a few wobbly notes, and a few times he accidentally caught two keys at once. But, he didn’t think it was bad for a first, nervous try, so he carried on valiantly, trying to lose himself in the story of the song. 

“...For cheap easy meals, hardly a home on the range... Too hot for the band, with a des-perate desire for change.. We've thrown in the towel too many times, out for the count an’ when we're down, Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, from the, end of the world to your town..”

The pace was a bit too fast for Peter, and he stumbled over his words a little, but he did the whole five minutes and however many seconds, and then paused the CD player and sat back, turning nervously to Loki and Jo Jo.

“That was a bit fast for me” he admitted.

“You did great!” Jo Jo grinned. “You’re so good! Do another one!”

“Umm...”

“Why don’t I choose?” Loki said, taking the CD box and looking it over. “I’ll choose a shorter one for you”

“Please don’t choose Grey Seal” Peter said. “I’ve never managed singing along to that one”

Loki laughed slightly. “I’ll choose a nice one, don’t worry, chick”

He took his time surveying the list. Peter looked down at his hands, stretching his fingers. It had been a good couple of weeks since he’d played. The only instruments they had at home were Loki’s guitars, which were more ornamental, a decorative horn, and some maracas he’d had as a toddler, so he hadn’t been able to do anything there. He felt a bit rusty, but he did enjoy losing himself in the music.

Loki fiddled with the CD player, selecting a track.

“Ok?” he said.

Peter nodded, readying himself, and Loki pressed play. Peter recognised the track straight away, and couldn’t help smiling.

“She chose the soft scent and, took it to bed with her mother. And the ideal confusion was just an illusion. To gain further news of her bro-ther”

There was something incredible about seeing something new in Peter, Loki thought. He was comfortable, and his playing was fluid. It sounded good, and so did his voice. His style imitated the original to a degree in pronunciation, but was also quite definitely a different take. 

“His styling is good” Jo Jo said, quietly, so as not to distract Peter.

Loki had to nod in agreement, keeping his eyes on his son. He got a few of the lyrics wrong, but, Loki thought, he could see why he made the mistakes, as some of the lines did sound like something else - and Loki only knew they were wrong for certain because he remembered reading the lyric book of the Empty Sky album. But, it didn’t matter, because it sounded right - and Loki wasn’t going to point out any of his mistakes.

“And I don't want to be the son of any freak, who for a chocolate centre, can take you off the street. For soon they'll plough the desert, and God knows where I'll be. Collecting submarine numbers, on the main street of the sea”

It’s incredible, Loki thought. How a song that means so much can mean even more coming from him. 

“The Vicar, is thicker, and I just can't see through the hymn, for his cardinal sings, a collection of hymns, and a collection of coins is made after..”

There was a brief silence after the last few notes were played. They let the next song on the CD play, none of them saying anything. Peter swallowed hard, and turned to the adults.

“I know that one” he said.

“You certainly do!” Jo Jo said. “You’re amazing!”

Peter could feel his face flushing. He wasn’t sure how to take this newfound praise. Music wasn’t something he’d considered being good at: only enjoying. Loki was smiling at him. 

“Do you think you have another one in you?”

“Umm...” Peter took the CD case, looking at the back. “Well... Maybe one more”

Jo Jo stepped closer, looking at the listing. Peter grabbed his drink and took a few mouthfuls, his pulse thumping in his throat. 

“What about this one?” Jo Jo said, pointing.

Peter was quiet for a moment. “I’ve played it quite a lot, so... Ok. But it’s the last one”

“Ok! You give a good show, little guy”

Peter swallowed, turning back and finding the right track on the CD player. He took a deep breath, and looked at Loki.

“You’re not just humouring me, right?”

“Now, sweetheart, when have I ever been known to do that?”

Loki was generally straight to the point, so Peter nodded. He still felt pretty nervous, but this next song was a good five minutes long, and Peter was confident in his ability to play it. It was nice playing piano outside of a St Hendricks practice room, anyway, so he may as well make the most of it. He pressed play on the CD player, grateful for the couple of seconds lag which gave him time to ready himself.

“What happened here? As the New York sunset disappeared, I found an empty gard-en, among the flagstones there. Whooo lived here? He must have been a gardener that cared a lot, who weeded out the tears and grew a good crop. And now it all looks strange. It's funny how one insect, can damage, so much grain...” 

Loki felt like he was watching someone completely different. He felt, strangely, that this was someone he’d never seen before - but at the same time, it was also so undoubtedly his son. These words, the way they spilled from the boys mouth, and the way his fingers danced on the ivories...

“...And we are so eh-mazed, we're crippled and we're dazed. A gardener like that one, no one can replace. And I've been knocking, but no one answers. And I've been knocking, most all the day. Oh, and I've been calling! Oh, hey hey Johnny! Can't you come ouuut to play..?”

Loki had always known Peter was deep and expressive, but this - watching him - was so much more than that. The power the small boy was throwing forth, the determination, the feeling, the pure skill, was incredible. How had he overlooked this talent? He supposed he shouldn’t be surprised, but he was. It was obvious Peter was trying to stay true to the original, but even so, his own styling was coming through - as was the extent of his voice when he sang with confidence.

“...OH, and I've been calling, oh, hey hey Johnny! Can't you come out, can't you come out to play? Johnny, can't you come out to play, in your empty garden..?”

-

Tony looked at the people round his table. It was incredible how he’d overlooked just how many of the people he worked with - well, that worked for him - were family men. The topic of conversation seemed to have turned to that. Someone had recently had a baby, and so many other had pictures of their children as their phone backgrounds, and they were all sharing and showing. 

“Tony?”

Tony glanced at Pepper, not saying anything. He was grateful for his phone going off, as it gave him an excuse to look away. He opened the message. It was from Loki; a video, simply captioned; ;A;

Tony turned his volume up, hesitated, and then opened the video. He was surprised to see Peter sat in front of a piano. For a moment, he didn’t know what was going on, as the video was too long for it to be some sort of anecdote. But then Peter pressed a button on a CD player, readied his hands on the keys, and began to play - and sing. 

“Is that your kid?” Someone asked, muscling in on his side. “Oh cool, I didn’t know he was musical”

Tony didn’t say anything. He couldn’t take his eyes off the screen. He’d heard Peter sing before, but not like this. And since when could he play the piano?? He was vaguely aware of people babbling, and some crowding round to look at what he was watching. 

Tony knew this song. He remembered Peter making him listen to it and then rambling about it, asking if he knew it was a tribute to John Lennon, and talking about how it made him feel. Tony’s heart was thudding, but he wasn’t sure why. He could tell that Loki had filmed it without Peter knowing. He went to stop the video, but Pepper stopped him. Tony watched the video play out till the very end, where the camera went shaky and stopped as Loki hugged Peter.

For a few moments he was silent, listening to everyone who had seen and heard the video praising his sons voice and playing, praising his talent, asking if he had plans to go big...

Tony looked at Pepper. “...I made that”

“What? Why would Loki send-” Pepper looked at Tony properly. “...Can I borrow you outside for a moment?”

-

The corridor held that familiar strange atmosphere of every empty hallway outside the room of a big event: dim, and echoing, and a little hazy. Pepper took Tony over the other side of the hall, away from the noise of the main hall. She put a hand on his arm.

“Give me your phone”

Tony did as he was told. Pepper found the video again, and hit play. Tony tried to grab his phone back, but Pepper wouldn’t let him; making him listen and watch again. Once the hallway was once again filled with heavy silence, she gave him his phone back.

“What did you say?”

Tony looked at his phone. He clicked the side button, looking at his lock screen photo.

“...I made that”

“Tony”

He looked at her.

“Tell me”

“We did a test...”

There was a pause.

“When did you find out?”

“Yesterday”

“Then why are you here, and not with him?”

Tony took one last look at his phone, and then put it back in his pocket. He leant against the wall, trying to stop his heart from thumping so furiously; trying to breathe steadily, and trying to keep the tears from forming in his eyes.

“Tony, look at me”

Tony didn’t. “I feel... I don’t know. Like an idiot, I guess”

“Do you remember the mother?”

Tony hesitated, and shook his head. Pepper sighed. Tony swallowed, shifting uncomfortably.

“...Are you surprised?”

“Tony, I spent years as your PA” she said. “I’ve shown countless women the door - and that was just the ones you actually brought home. I’m not surprised you don’t remember her”

“No, I mean... Are you surprised he’s... That I’ve got a kid? Like, biologically?”

“Faulty contraception is rare. It’s never something I considered, and, to be honest, if I was going to happen, I would have expected it long before now” she said. “So yes, I am surprised. Even though I’d always seen the resemblance between you two. I just put it down to coincidence”

Pepper waited for Tony to respond, but he didn’t.

“What does this mean? What are you going to do?”

“...I don’t know”

“What do you want to do?”

“Get drunk”

“And what are you actually going to do?”

“...Go to bed”

“I’ll walk you up”

It was a quiet walk up to Tony’s hotel room. Tony thanked Pepper, and just before he closed the door, he looked at her properly for the first time that evening.

“You won’t tell anyone, will you?”

“Of course not” Pepper said. “Trust me. I’m not telling anyone”

-

Peter sighed and set his phone down. He’d called Tony five times in a row, with no answer. He supposed it was getting kinda late - maybe he was in bed. Peter knew he should be calling it a night, too. After the friction of the first part of the day, Peter had had a good afternoon. They’d gone for another walk, and then had tea in a nearby bar/restaurant. They’d spent an hour or so playing card and board games when they got back, and then Loki had told Peter to have a shower and go to bed. 

But, Peter had left his drink downstairs, so he went to get it - but paused on the stairs. He could hear Loki and Jo Jo talking, and they sounded serious.

“So what’s up, really?” Jo Jo said, flopping back beside Loki on the sofa.

“What do you mean?”

“With Peter” Jo Jo said. “I know everything blew over, but something was definitely up this morning”

“What does it matter? He’s better now” Loki said, sounding cagey. 

“You’re off today, too. You haven’t been your usual self”

“You’re being ridiculous”

“I’m not. Don’t lie to me, Lokes. I’ve known you long enough to know when something’s not right. Come on, you can tell me”

Loki looked at Jo Jo. He was right; something was wrong. Loki knew him well enough to know he could be trusted - and Loki just had to tell someone. He was usually ok with keeping things to himself - or just within the family - but this was different. It had been praying on his mind all day...

Peter wasn’t surprised. He didn’t feel great about it, but he understood why Loki had told Jo Jo. Whatever they might all be thinking and feeling, Peter knew that there was no way this was going to stay secret forever, whether he liked it or not. He wasn’t sure yet. But all of a sudden he didn’t need his drink anymore. 

He crept back up to the bedroom, closing the door quietly behind him. He crawled into bed, pulling his toy seal close and resting his head on it. He felt ok. He knew he should make the most of it while it lasted.

*

[backtoreal]

MY FAVORITE DRAMAS OF 2019 !

Hello everybody, I’m back for this annual drama pick !

Unlike last year, this year was good, not exquisite, but good. But, I’m still going to give you the best of the best, la crème de la crème ! Once again, this is only my humble opinion, and I might add, I can’t watch every kdrama of the year, so I guess this is quite a small list.

PS : I still can’t choose an order, so please, make your own ranking out of my choice ;)

The 2018 version of it !

Hotel del Luna (호텔 델루나)

Jang Man-Wol is the CEO of Hotel del Luna. She made a big error many years ago and, because of this, she has been stuck at Hotel del Luna. Jang Man-Wol is fickle, suspicious and greedy. Koo Chan-Sung, a sincere perfectionist but actually has a soft disposition, begins to work as a manager at Hotel del Luna, due to an unexpected case. The hotel's clientele consists of ghosts.

> Where to begin... I guess IU got me again this year (My Mister in 2018), but in a totally different role and kind of acting. I was not disappointed. This drama has a really good storyline, using modern days and history, and reality and myths and legends. This kind of mix works really well for me. All the cast was perfect and the two leading actors had a great chemistry, and it made me love Yeo Jin-Goo a little more. Plus, the scenery and special effects were really great ! AND let’s not forget the looks of Man-Wol, and the charisma of IU > PERFECT ! I guess this drama is in my top 3 !

Kingdom (킹덤)

10 days have passed since the King collapsed from an illness. Queen Jo and her father Chief State Councilor Jo Hak-Joo have forbidden anyone else to see the King. Even his own son Crown Prince Lee Chang is forbidden to see his father. But rumors spread that the King is dead. Crown Prince Lee Chang senses something sinister and sneaks into the King's palace. He sees a shadowy monster through a door and smells its foul stench, but he is discovered and escorted out of the palace. To find out what happened to the King, Crown Prince Lee Chang and Moo-Young travel to the Jiyulheon clinic in faraway Dongnae to see a physician. When they arrive, they discover that the clinic is in ruins and dead bodies are found under a building. A medical staff member Seo-Bi tells them that the dead they saw at the clinic are not dead and they will rise up soon to kill.

> If anyone asks, zombies are my thing, it’s been years, I literally dream of a zombie apocalypse (no, not really). As I’m not over Train to Busan, I was very excited to see zombies in a kdrama. And I’m not gonna lie, it was damn good ! And I was not very glad at first that the storyline happened in old time, because like I already said, I don’t really like historical drama. But this one made it to the list. Great zombies, great actors , great all ... I guess it’s Netflix ! (Mr.Sunshine from 2018)

My Strange Hero (복수가 돌아왔다)

When Kang Bok-Su was a high school student, he was falsely accused of committing violence and kicked out of school. This was caused by his first love Son Soo-Jeong and a male student Oh Se-Ho. Kang Bok-Su is a now an adult, but his life has not gone smoothly. To get revenge on Son Soo-Jeong and Oh Se-Ho, he returns to the same high school as a student. The environment at the school has changed and Kang Bok-Su gets involved in unexpected cases.

> In a lighter tone, my strange hero is a great drama with a great story and great acting from Yoo Seung-Ho, it kind of made me want to follow his project in the future. The story is a classic revenge one, but it really made me want to have justice for Bok-su, it made me attach to this character. Great drama to relax and enjoy the love story.

Touch your heart  (진심이 닿다)

Oh Yoon-Seo is a popular actress. She is famous for her beautiful appearance, but her acting is bad. She gets involved in a scandal with the son from a chaebol family. Her acting career declines precipitously. Oh Yoon-Seo hears that a famous screenwriter wants her to play the lead female role for a drama series. The character works as a secretary for a lawyer. To gain experience for the role, Oh Yoon-Seo is required to work as a lawyer's secretary for a few months. Meanwhile, Kwon Jung-Rok is an attorney for a law firm. He is arrogant and cold-hearted. One day, his boss asks Kwon Jung-Rok to let actress Oh Yoon-Seo work as his secretary for 3 months. He is not happy about the situation, but he has to accept.

> Basic Kdrama trope, but this one worked on me. We can say that Goblin greatly influenced my choice, the chemistry between Lee Dong Wook and Yoo In Na is beyond everything. But my heart goes all the way for Lee Dong Wook ! Anyway this drama really shows some deep characters and I loved it ! Bonus : it’s funny as heck !

Leverage (Korea)  (레버리지:사기조작단)

Lee Tae-Joon is an excellent insurance fraud investigator. An unexpected case changes his life. He quits his job and recruits talented criminals, that he once caught, to form an elite fraud team. The team includes Hwang Soo-Kyung , Ko Na-Beyol , Roy Ryu  and Jung Ui-Sung . They scam wealthy criminals and return the money that they stole to the victims.

> As a huge fan of the original US version, I was forced to watch this one, and let me say that, for once, the Korean version did not disappoint ! It takes the best of the original series and adapt it to Korean standards, and it works very well ! We can feel a great union between the actors who plays the team ! 

He is Psychometric (사이코메트리 그녀석)

Lee An has a special psychometry ability. Whenever he touches someone, he can read that person's memory. Using his psychometry ability, Lee An wants to take out evil people in the world. Yoon Jae-In is a girl with a scar in her mind. She tries to hide that. Lee An and Yoon Jae-In happen to meet and they struggle to solve cases.

> I was never a fan of Park Jin Young, but damn this boy got me ! He really has a great future in acting in front of him ! But all the cast were amazing. The story for once was really outside the box, I think that’s why I liked it so much ! Kudos to Da-Som whom I hope to see in more dramas !

The Light in Your Eyes (눈이 부시게)

Kim Hye-Ja hopes to become an announcer. She is honest and has a positive personality, but she suddenly becomes a 70-year-old woman. 70-year-old Kim Hye-Ja gains the special ability to manipulate time. Lee Joon-Ha wants to become a reporter. He has worked hard to achieve his dream, but he now lives his life hopelessly. He gets involved with Kim Hye-Ja.

> You can never guess how much I cried at the end of this drama ! You should really watch this drama, for the great acting, but also the story, a brilliant and well made one, I think you never really expected the ending, it tells how much the directing of this drama was good. This drama is definitely a revelation for me !

Extraordinary You (어쩌다 발견한 하루)

Eun Dan-O is a student at a prestigious high school. Her family is wealthy, but Eun Dan-O has a heart disease. Her fiance Baek Kyung attends the same prestigious high school. She likes him a lot, but he does not like her at all. Suddenly, Eun Dan-O has short-term memory loss and she can see what will happen in the near future. She gets confused by her symptoms. Then, Jinmiche, from the school cafeteria, tells Eun Dan-O that she is a character in the comic "Secret" like everybody else there. Eun Dan-O learns that her character is not even a main character, but rather an extra and she doesn't have much time to live. Eun Dan-O is stunned, but she decides she wants to find her own true first love and not someone written by the comic writer. One day, she falls down the school stairs. She feels her back touch the back of another student, among a group of male students. Her heart suddenly starts to flutter. Eun Dan-O wants to find the male student who made her heart flutter. She eventually finds the student and he is her classmate. He is a character that doesn't have a name. They get close and Eun Dan-O names him "Ha-Roo."

> I really did not expect to like this, why ? Because the basic story of this drama has been already this a thousand times : high school crush, bullying, ... But the fact that it happens in a comic really changed it all, plus, the scenography is really pretty, and the acting is on point when you watch them shift of characters ! You should really watch this !

Search : WWW (검색어를 입력하세요: WWW)

The story of three women in their late thirties — Bae Ta-mi, Cha Hyeon and Song Ga-Gyeong — who work in the top two competitive web portal companies: Unicon and Barro. This drama is about the conflicts, the wins, and losses one experiences when working. It will follow the story of 21st century women, who chose to not be a wife or a mother and successfully work without discrimination or impediments.

Bae Ta-Mi works as a director for a big web portal company. She is in her late 30's and is quite competitive. With her competitiveness, Bae Ta-Mi enjoys success. The methods she uses to win has her wondering if she is doing the right thing with her life. 

Cha Hyeon also works as a director for a big web portal company, but as the direct competitor of Ta-mi, she’s also quite competitive, fierce, but also has a soft side, a side that she only shows to Ga-Gyeong her superior and friend.

Song Ga-Gyeong, is a rigid director of Ta-Mi in Unicon and the daughter in law of the CEO of KU Group, a big society who wants to influence the politics via Unicon. She is used by her mother in law but quickly became a fierce woman who stands for herself.

> First ... THREE STRONG WOMEN AS LEADS ! What can go wrong ? What can do better than this ! I don’t know my dear friends, I don’t know... If you ask, yes there is a love story (it won’t be a kdrama otherwise duh !), but the main couple isn’t really that great, and I really didn’t care about that. I loved the show for the power that these three women shows, and how it’s natural for women to rule the world ! (Yes I said it !) Bonus : openly showing that some characters could be bi (Cha Hyeon), and it show a very natural side of people that often people (especially in Korea) think it’s deviant (not shy about expressing their feelings, implying sex scene, etc ...). Great great drama !

  Honourable mention (but did not make it to the list) : Romance is a Bonus book (My love for Lee Jong-Suk did not help unfortunately ! The female lead was hard to like), Her private life (great drama, great actors but the fangirl story is a little cringey), Melting me softly (Nice but weirdly made love story...)

That’s it for this year !

Please feel free to recommend me some 2019 kdrama ! ☺️

2018 ; 2019

[aion-rsa]

Doctor Who: Which Monsters Will Return in Series 13?

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Spoilers: contains reference to unofficial series 13 filming photography

Doctor Who began life as a time-travelling sci-fi show with a historical bias and an educational bent. One thing – or, rather, one race – changed all of that: The Daleks. Those oppressive pepper pots gave the public a taste for the fearsome, the far-off and the fantastic, and the following five decades would be stacked with all sorts of aliens and monsters, from the sub-slime to the Drashig-ulous, and everything in between.

A new showrunner always wants to put their stamp on the series, but if novelty is vital to Doctor Who, then so is nostalgia. The allure of bringing back an old foe to put face-to-face with a Doctor’s new face is too strong to resist. At first, Chris Chibnall let Jodie Whittaker settle into her performance unburdened by the baggage of monsters past, but it wasn’t long before the Daleks, the Cybermen, the Master and the Judoon arrived to claim their places in the ever-expanding continuity of the Who-niverse.   

Series 13 is on its way, and yet more familiar monsters have been spotted as joining the fray. Here are the alien races confirmed as returning, along with some speculation as to who else might come back in the seasons to follow…

The Sontarans Are Back!

The Sontarans – those war-like, unbudging, unblinking little kick-ass clones – have been spotted on location, so they’re a shoo-in for 13’s thirteenth. We first met the Sontarans in 1974 when Jon Pertwee’s dashing, debonair Third Doctor caught a crash-landed specimen of the species, Linx, abducting scientists from present-day Earth (using timey-wimey-ness) and putting them to work fixing his kaput spacecraft back in Medieval England. Later, Tom Baker’s Fourth Doctor encountered them on a barren Earth in the future, again abducting human beings, but this time to study them like lab-rats in a bid to probe mankind’s weaknesses and thus their ripeness for conquest. Sontarans showed up again later in his tenure to invade Gallifrey in perhaps one of Doctor Who‘s most overblown yet underwhelming of stories, ‘The Invasion of Time‘ (an episode that features the world’s longest chase sequence involving the same swimming pool and gym corridor in monotonous rotation). Each time the Sontarans appeared in Classic Who they lost a little of their mystery and lustre, to the point where their appearance in the much-maligned sixth-and-second-Doctor team-up, ‘The Two Doctors’, was largely superfluous. 

The Sontarans used to look like malevolent jacket potatoes. They sported weird, ventriloquist-dummy mouths and bristly little beards. Their weapon of choice was a noisy torch that triggered fatal bouts of over-acting in its victims. When Russell T Davies brought the Sontarans back to battle with David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor in 2006, they were upgraded to match the show’s new-found popularity and bigger budget. They had sleek and shiny new metallic-blue body armour, almost perfectly spherical heads, and a voracious appetite for conflict and killing that was finally able to be properly conveyed on screen. Blustering and almost comically pompous they may have been, but, boy, did those doppelgangers give UNIT a run for its money in the massacre stakes. Showrunner Steven Moffat leaned into the comically pompous aspect of the Sontarans for their return in seasons six through eight, in the shape of Dan Starkey’s Strax, a played-for-laughs associate of the Doctor, who was perhaps one of Sontar’s most pacifistic sons – although he did enjoy sojourns to Glasgow to fist-fight with the natives.

So what mode of Sontarans will we encounter in season 13? Apparently they’re going to be back in the black-and-grey combat gear of their 1970s heyday. But will they be brutal and militaristic – Doctor Who‘s very own Klingons – or will they be more Strax-like – Doctor Who‘s very own Ferengis – perhaps with an invasion story that’s equal parts Keystone Cops to Charlie Chaplin? Or will we see a story wherein a breakaway faction of the clones wants an end to war and the right to individual autonomy – Doctor Who‘s very own Borg?

One tantalising possibility presents itself, one that could bring back yet another of the show’s long-unseen menaces…

Could The Rutans Join Them?

Chris Chibnall said in this Radio Times interview that he would only consider bringing back old favourites if they’d already appeared in the post-2005 iteration of the show. That means no Sea Devils, no Axons, no Drashigs, no cybernetic pirates with killer robot parrots perched upon their shoulders. But might he make an exception to allow an old foe from the classic series to ride into the modern era on the coat-tails of a qualifying species like the Sontarans?

Read more

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By Ryan Britt

The Rutans look like the result of a union betwixt a floating brain and a jellyfish. The Fourth Doctor found one in Victorian England imitating, manipulating and murdering the occupants of a lighthouse. These are the creatures with whom the Sontarans have been locked in an aeons-long battle that has raged across the galaxy, claiming in its wake countless millions in collateral damage. Might we see the Sontarans face off against their sentient-snot rivals using Earth as a battlefield, with only the Doctor standing between humanity and oblivion? I think we’d all enjoy seeing the Rutans updated for the 21st century, rendered so they resemble what they’re supposed to be, and not a plastic bag filled with Vaseline that someone has stuck a torch in. 

Return of the Weeping Angels

The Weeping Angels have also been seen on set, so expect to enjoy some counter-chronological tomfoolery in season 13.

The Weeping Angels were, of course, the brainchild of Steven Moffat, who set them against the Tenth Doctor and Martha (Freema Agyeman) in ‘Blink’, one of the series’ most warmly-regarded episodes to date, classic or contemporary. While ‘Blink’ had its share of timey-wimey-ness, it was at root a simple story, simply told; a satisfying blend of heart and horror, pathos and peril. Each subsequent appearance of the Angels has diluted their impact, although Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor two-parter ‘The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone’ did a commendable job of maintaining much of their menace whilst also doing something a little bit different with them.

The question now is: where have these angels left to tread? We’ve had their spooky debut, their far-future follow-up and a companion swan-song that also saw the city of New York petrified (both figuratively and literally). Many potential scenarios suggest themselves: an Alien-esque race against time on-board a spaceship with an escaped Angel wreaking havoc?; the Doctor entering their quantum realm to communicate with them directly?; the Doctor hurtled back through time by an Angel and having to contravene, or at least bend, their rules on occupying the same point in time and space twice, perhaps by secretly piggy-backing a ride in his/her own Tardis?

I’m secretly hoping we’ll never see a true origin story or get a glimpse of their home planet. Some things are better left mysterious (though many would level that same comment at the events of ‘The Timeless Children‘).

Given that the Angels have been snapped on a sleepy suburban street somewhere in contemporary Europe we can assume that the action is going to be a little more Earth-bound. But might the re-appearance of the Angels (barring their very small prison-based cameo in ‘Revolution of the Daleks’) coincide with the introduction of John Bishop’s Dan, and, if so, what heart-ache might the unforgiving gargoyles have in store for him?

Is The Judoon‘s Story Finished?

The Thirteenth Doctor put herself in the Judoon’s crosshairs when she interfered with their pursuit of a hitherto unknown version of the Doctor, played by Jo Martin. Her solidarity saw her snagged by the Judoon at the climax of ‘The Timeless Children‘, and dragged off to a prison complex that bore more than a passing resemblance to the infamous Time Lord facility ‘Shada’ (glimpsed in all its glory for the first time in the animated reconstruction of the incomplete Tom Baker serial of the same name). The Doctor escaped, with Captain Jack’s help. Does this mean they’re both to be considered fugitives of the Judoon? It all depends who hired the Judoon. If they were employed by the Time Lords to track down Jo Martin’s Doctor and punish her for absconding from The Division (one distinct possibility) then surely the Time Lords would have to re-enlist the Judoon to recapture the Doctor, the one reasonably huge snag there being that all of the Time Lords are dead.

Still. It’s never stopped them before. 

When Will We See the Master Again?

Sacha Dhawan‘s Master doesn’t just chew the scenery: he chews the galaxy. His hysterical, histrionic, genocidal iteration was one of the true highlights of series 12. It’s debatable whether this Master comes post-Missy (after all, few things in the Who-niverse can truly fell a Time Lord, least of all a script) or pre-John Simm (more likely); what isn’t debatable is that we’d love to see him return. He’s almost certain to. Though perhaps not in series 13’s reduced run of eight episodes.

Who Else Could Return?

There may not be room for it this series, but might Chris Chibnall or some yet-to-be-specified future show-runner consider redeeming the Slitheen? Season one’s ‘Boom Town’ showed that there was plenty of pathos lurking behind the raucous farting of this on-the-run criminal family. Could we see their home world? Meet more of their species? Capitalise a little more on their imposing physical presence and terrifying strength? Make them a credibly scary and engaging villain?

And perhaps the Reavers could return to mop up whatever mess the Master has made of Gallifrey’s timeline.      

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Which monsters do you think deserve another crack of the whip? Let us know who you’d like to see making a return…

The post Doctor Who: Which Monsters Will Return in Series 13? appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[girl-q]

The Originals Season 5 Episode 11: Nobody died during a wedding this time. Hurray

What a day to be alive. The last two episodes of the Originals is coming up and Caroline will be in both.

Review

The gang is back together. We are morning my baby’s death for like two minutes then Declan drops the bombshell. He knows everything, he is on vervain and wants to lead the human faction. And that was the moment I started hating Declan. He just crossed the line and is in the same annoying human cesspool as Alaric and Matt. Congrats to the Q´s most hated club. Feel free to mingle with her second hate group, which consists of annoying female protagonists in the shows. This includes Bonnie, Sybil, any Heretic but Valerie, Vicky, Antoinette, Camille and so many more all-stars. Marcel locks Declan up for now.

On the other side Freelin are all in love and stuff and are deciding to put on their wedding today. Elijah is kinda being selfish and says no to walking his sis down the aisle. They set the whole spiel up and then for ten minutes the wedding is in danger, because Freya announces she doesn´t want to have a family, because the Mikaelsons are all a broken family and she is scared to do that to a child. She is upset for like a minute until Rebekah tells her, Hey girl maybe you can do it. Yeah so with no effort Freya changes her opinion and there is a whole heartfelt emotional scene between Freelin, who as the Originals most beloved lesbian couple will from no on until eternity always referred to as one unit. Freelin forever.

Elijah’s story line was my favourite in this episode, but before that one let’s quickly jump to the Klaus and Hope plot. Klaus asks my girl Davina to help him with Hope. Davina the old wise sensei collects some tears from Hop after the girl cried on a rose about……I want to say Bill the archivist. He had one line and no personality, but I feel a connection between the two of us man. The tears are all magiced up and we find out that Hope is dying from the Hollow. It’s the whole the dark magic is killing you from the inside thing. What can they do? I don’t know, but surely something.

Now to Elijah. Elijah is struggling with a memory of Hailey we´ve never seen before. It turns out like a lot of Mikaelsons she did visit him in France. Elijah truly was at his best in France. She hides her name (sort of) and talks with Elijah technically about him and they go to an art gallery and flirt and drink and it´s really sweet and charming. They share a romantic moment and then Hayley leaves. They talk about finding each other in another life again and it´s so ironic it hurts, because in another life they did. He know, who Hayley was, when he attacked her Hayley actually wrote him a letter. Elijah is about to leave town like that selfish dude Vincent, who couldn´t even stay a couple hours longer for his really good friend’s wedding. Man

In the most dramatic fashion Elijah reads the letter and decides to stay. He goes to the wedding and both Klaus and Elijah walk their sister down the aisle

Well the wedding happens. Girl doesn´t Keelin have some sort of werewolf friends? Anyway it´s quite pretty and nice. Nobody died like Jo. I mean one could still die like Stefan. Weddings are not really great in this universe. In an ironic ha-ha they are ancient vampire moment Kol mentions something about an Italian monk in some century. How funny. Bitch I´m quaking…….Ok let’s move on.

After the wedding they dance a little and the concerned family looks at Hope dancing and getting tipsy on champagne. Fuck it up Girl. She gives a speech, which caught my attention. She said that with these happy moments she hopes to be part of Forever and Always too, which is quite sad when you think about it. At some point Hope will be dead and her father not. He can look over his grandkids for all eternity, but his daughter will die and Freelin too. Vincent and all the others will vanish and in the end it will just always be the Mikaelson siblings (+Marcel).

Marcel and Rebekah talk insisting that they will never be over and with a change of heart Marcel frees Declan and offers to teach him how to rule.

That seems about it.

 Thoughts and theories

I have something to say about the brother hug scene. The symbolism is amazing in this scene. It not only shows the love between the brothers, but how time after time family love trumps romantic love on the show. The balcony is the same balcony Klaus and Camille kissed for the first time an obvious romantic moment, but Camille is as dead as my unexfoliated skin cells and not there anymore, but who is still there with Klaus on this balcony? It is his brother Elijah. The hug shoot parallels the Klaus and Camille kiss just also from the camera shot. Love and lust went and came for these brothers and this family for thousands of years and even when all their ex-lovers are only dust there will still be the two brothers on that balcony. I though the symbolism was truly incredible. Once in a blue moon I´ll recognize that in the show and I love it.

I have an actual theory. Call the boys and deliver the world the good news. I, master of everything and funniest person on the planet, predict Elijah’s afterlife. It will be in that bar in France, because that´s where he was the happiest. He will play piano for eternity right up there with Hayley. He will see her again after his life ended. It´s just logical knowing that their parting was so brutal and not romantic at all. It´s the typical make the audience feel good moment.

Next episode

So Hope is in critical condition. She goes through her first werewolf transformation since she triggered it with sweet old Bill an episode earlier. I guess it will worsen her condition, because they all talk about how it´s killing her and that she won´t survive the night. Spoiler: She definitely will. The suspense completely vanishes when the girl is already filming her spin off show.

Klaus and Elijah go to Mystic Falls to see Caroline, because she is an expert in tri-supernatural teenage girls with a curse inside? I don´t really know, but she has been an incredible guidance for Klaus this season and is always full of obnoxious/helpful opinions, so throw it all out there honey.

Elijah comes to some heart wrenching realization about Hope and I guess it´s that she is dying?

The most obnoxious part about the synopsis is that god damn Alaric Saltzman will be A: in it and B: being in the way of whatever plan Klaus has. God damn Alaric. He, Matt and Declan are really the definition of obnoxious white boys with blondish hair, who can´t keep their noses out of everybody’s fucking business.

The thing I´m most excited about though is that we will meet a bunch of characters from the new Legacies spin off. That will include Caroline’s twins, who are apparently mean girls now.

So I googled the characters of Legacy and there are a bunch of names of minor characters, but lets only discuss the main cast, which is Hope, the twins, Alaric and two dudes named Landon and M.G.

Landon is in the new episode in fact. I don´t know about M.G, but here is who those two dudes are:

M.G: He is the black character. DiVeRsItY. Fuck yeah. Look this shit is so ridiculous. He is like the Bonnie of the show. That one black main cast kid and I´m disappointed. Beside from that he is described as popular, kick-ass and brilliant nerd. Look either the kid is going to be gay or a best friend type to Hope, who will date a twin later or whatever. Since he is a student I would guess him to be a witch since he’s black and that´s often the case. Of course a werewolf is also likely, but I don´t think he´s a vampire. But to think of it the witches are pretty covered with the twins so maybe I lean to werewolf.

Landon: Now he is going to be more main than M.G I think. He is not a student, but I think he will be. I think at some point in Legacy he will turn. Either he has a werewolf gene or will turn into a vampire. I guess the later. His description has more to offer and it says he is a thoughtful, compassionate, self-aware, romantic kid desperate to escape his broken home and his small southern town. He has a shady past and investigating it could lead him into the dangerous world of the supernatural. Hope finds him when he is getting bullied, so good luck Landon cause last time she helped someone who got bullied people died. Maybe his shady past has something to do with either being a supernatural hunter or werewolf, but I´m so bored of all the definitions. Can´t he be something new? Like a mermaid? Or anything from the sea? Why? Anyway he is a hot contestant for Hopes love triangle. The actor looks like every dark haired, strong chin, white dude and sorry hoe but Roman is hotter than you.

Roman is actually not listed in Legacy, but I think that will be just a matter of time until the last season finishes and then they´ll add more. They do that a lot on the internet to avoid spoiling too much. I think I want to see Roman again, because after all he is quite hot and I think diamond boy is growing on me a little, but don´t think that saves you hoe, because I change my opinion in a split second.

That´s almost all of my information about the next episode and Legacy characters, but before I´ll go I think the title says a lot about what maybe could happen.

The title is a “Tale of Two Wolves” and that story is actually quite a famous Native American legend. It´s about a grandfather telling his grandson a story about two wolves fighting. When his grandson asks which wolf won the fight he says whichever wolf he chose to feed. What that basically means is a metaphor about an inner conflict a person has. It could be good or evil for an example. Good and evil fight in your brain to “win” to influence you. Which side of yourself wins is determined by the actions you take and if their good or evil. For example if you´re doing malicious things the “Evil Wolf” wins in your brain. I hope that was somewhat understandable.

If we see it from a Good vs evil standpoint it could mean the Mikaelson family especially Klaus who constantly battles with that. The Wolfs of course references the werewolves in the show. That transition into one is what Hope goes through. Finally Hope is fighting a battle in her head right now, with the hollow spooking around and destroying her. I like the idea actually of that being what saves Hope. Choosing to oppose the Hollow, who obviously is an evil, corrupting spirit with her own good nature?

So yeah.

I´m out kids

The review for the Tale of Two Wolves will be out about two or one day before the finale because I got plans and I´m going to be gone

XOXO

Q

[nightmareonfilmstreet]

Terror from the East: 12 Films From East Asia You Should Watch

We’re an entire month into the New Year. 2017 brought horror back into the lime light of popular cinema in full force. Now a solid month into 2018, are you keeping up with your New Year’s Resolutions? Fear not, fiends, there is always time to try something new! What better way to better yourself than expanding something you love?

Let’s talk about East Asian Horror. This sub-genre primarily consists of films from Eastern Asian countries including: Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, and others. Much like Giallo, French, or other film fanatics outside of North America; the horror blends in elements unique to the cultures from which they come. Some elements that are popularized in these films include a strong connection to the supernatural or that they don’t shy away from the ultra violence.

Currently there are as many films in this sub genre as any in horror. To help get you introduced to the horror out East, here are twelve films to get you started and why you should watch them.

A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)

Ju On (Takashi Shimizu, Japan, 2002)

Synopsis – Rika Nishina is a social worker assigned to watch over an ailing, elderly woman, but the house she lives in holds a dark whisper. Years before, a brutal double murder of a mother and her child left an imprint on the home. Their vengeful spirits will haunt whoever goes within this house’s walls until they vanish mysteriously. Rika, now tormented by these angered specters, must find out how to lift the curse of become one its victims.

Why You Should Watch – Jo On is a perfect starter for anyone wanting to explore East Asian Horror. It was one of the first few films to be adapted for North American audiences. Sam Raimi himself assisted with the production of the film, which saw wide release. The pacing and the way the cinematography of the original Japanese version will make you sit and watch the horror as it creeps its way towards you.

  Shutter (Banjong Pisanthanakun & Parkpoom Wongpoom, Thailand, 2004)

Synopsis – Thun, a young photographer, and his girlfriend Jane flee from a car accident resulting in them leaving a badly hurt woman. Afterwards, ghostly images begin to appear in the photos that Thun takes. As the ghostly images become more frequent and the hauntings of a ghost woman begin, Jane begins to wonder, is there more to these ghostly torments?

Why You Should Watch – This is another film to get the Hollywood adaptation for North American release. Unlike similar films, The Grudge and The Ring, Shutter’s American adaptation was not as well received. The original version showcases a more fleshed out backstory to the spirit haunting Thun and Jane, as well as more ghost photography to send shivers down your spine.

  Train to Busan (Yeon Sang-ho, South Korea, 2016)

Synopsis – Sok-woo is a busy man, so busy that time for his daughter Soo-ahn is usually a luxury. The divorcee wanting to please his daughter, decides to taker her on the KTX from Seoul to Busan so that she can see her mother. Things do not go well for their travels as a zombie outbreak wreaks havoc in South Korea. Now Sok-woo must protect his daughter from flesh eaters and the paranoid living alike, while trying to make it to Busan and possibly safety.

Why You Should Watch – Easily a good way to get into the style and cultural approach to Korean cinema while not shying away from the things that will make your skin crawl. The unique and fresh approach to the zombie theme has resulted in the film’s growing popularity everywhere. Keep an eye out for director Yeon Sang-Ho’s take on the superhero film, which will also be distributed by Netflix.

  Noroi: The Curse (Koji Shiraishi, Japan, 2005)

Synopsis – Renowned paranormal investigator Masafumi Kobayashi is missing. His home is burnt down and the remains of his wife are within the ashen ruins. The film centers on the recordings of his newest, in development documentary ‘The Curse’. Find out what event led to Kobayashi’s disappearance and what dark story he was investigating.

Why You Should Watch – This is one of the best, found footage style horror films to see. Not only does the film follow some of the scare tactics seen in found footage, the film delves deeply into Japanese spiritualism and mythology. The movie is a slow burn but it will captivate you for every second.

  Memento Mori (Kim Tae-yong & Min Kyu-dong, South Korea, 1999)

Synopsis – High school students Yoo Shi-eun and Min Hyo-shin find love in one another. Sadly the other students find out and chastise the two for their ‘taboo’ love. To avoid further criticism, Shi-eun begins distancing herself from Hyo-shin. Hyo-shin reacts by throwing herself of the roof of the school. After her death, supernatural terrors befall the students that criticized the relationship between the two.

Why You Should Watch – This is technically the second installment in the Whispering Corridors series. Each film centers on supernatural events in an all girls’ school setting with multiple characters to follow and focusing on the relationships between characters. The films are sort of campy with lower budgets and fun special effects. This one stands out as it focuses on a touchy subject even now in some parts of the world. Be sure to check out the other installments in the series.

  A Tale of Two Sisters (Kim Jee-woon, South Korea, 2003)

Synopsis – Su-mi is returning home after some time in a mental institution. She returns to her family home to live with her younger sister Su-Yeon, their father, and their distant stepmother. Tensions are high between Su-mi and her stepmother, as she suspects abuse of her younger sister. With these tensions spreading amongst the family, hidden secrets come forth and the family’s tragic past begins to haunt the home.

Why You Should Watch – Family can be hell and returning home after time away can be worse. A Tale of Two Sisters explores this dark sensibility of a family’s past and does not give the viewer everything right up front. What make this film shine are the quiet moments. There are a lot of long periods of silence, making the audience focus in on the scene, searching along with Su-mi to find out more about what secrets hide in the walls.

  Kairo [Pulse] (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Japan, 2001)

Synopsis – Kudo Michi is searching for her friend after he went missing while working on a computer disk. While looking for him, she comes across strange sightings, black stains on the walls of other missing person’s homes, and a rising number of suicides happening across the city. At the same time, Ryosuke, an economics student, finds disturbing images of ghastly people alone in their rooms. Is it his new Internet service or is there something more supernatural at work?

Why You Should Watch – Technology helps us reach out to every corner of the earth, but what if it connected us to a complete other side of reality? A door can be opened as easily as typing in a URL. The film showcases that fear of an always-connected lifestyle. Kairo was another film to get the American adaptation but was easily forgotten amongst the slur of remakes. Luckily the original still stands out, giving us two diverging storylines that eventually intertwine by the film’s end.

  Re-Cycle (The Pang Brothers, Hong Kong, 2006)

Synopsis – Ting-yin is a successful novelist trying to write her big follow up. After a trilogy of romance novels, she hopes to break into new genres. Writer’s block comes and now she isn’t sure where to take her new novel. After one chapter she deletes what she has, but things begin getting strange. Now she’s finding that the paranormal experiences around her are straight from the pages she wrote.

Why You Should Watch – For those that love creative worlds where you can be engrossed in the film’s setting, this one is for you. Re-Cycle is gleaming with strange creatures and an imaginative world likened to that of Alice in Wonderland. Going to a much darker and horrific approach, the film will push your comfort zones to a new level.

  Thirst (Park Chan-wook, South Korea, 2009)

Synopsis – Father Sang-hyun is a devout religious man plagued by self doubt and a deep sadness for his life spent. With his desires to aide the ailing, he submits himself to research for a vaccine to a deadly virus that fails and leaves him to die. After a blood transfusion hoping to slow his death, he miraculously recovers. Changes begin to occur within the priest, while dealing with the title of a miracle healer and a captivating woman named Kang-woo, resulting in him to wonder why this dark hunger plagues him.

Why You Should Watch – This is a classic vampirism tale told from a more dramatic and conflicted state, while also dealing with the cultural expectations of the area. We watch as an already troubled man of faith deals with his own inner demons as well as the thirst now building in Sang-hyun. The film is moody and full of existential crisis within the main protagonist. A must watch for any vampire fan out there.

  I Saw the Devil (Kim Jee-woon, South Korea, 2011)

Synopsis – Kim Soo-hyun is a secret service agent for the National Intelligent Service. One cold, winter night his fiancée Joo-yun is brutally murdered and her body parts are scattered throughout the town. Grief stricken and vowing vengeance, Soo-hyun begins a hunt to find her killer. What ensues is a descent into a dark world where Soo-Hyun tracks down and torments killer Jang Kyung-chul, no matter the cost.

Why You Should Watch – The film is a fantastic example of a theme common in countries like Japan and South Korea, which are the revenge thrillers/horror. While the film at times seems to sway more in the style of thriller, the concepts at play make the film horror genre worthy. There is excessive gore and graphic violence that make even the most secure stomach squirm. The film makes you wonder, how do you know who is possibly a murderer and who isn’t?

  Audition (Takashi Miike, Japan, 1999)

Synopsis – Lonely widower Shigeharu Aoyama might be ready to move on and find love again. With the urgency from his son and the help of his close friend, Shigeharu hosts a phony audition to meet his next love. That’s when he meets the beautiful and reserved Asami. He is immediately infatuated with her. Despite being unable to confirm some of the contact on her resume, Shigeharu dates, beds, and proposes to Asami. The night of their engagement Asami disappears without a trace and he must search for her. During his search he begins to see that she may not be the woman of his dreams but of his nightmares.

Why You Should Watch – This is one of the earlier films from renowned auteur Takashi Miike. He is no novice to the horror genre and has specialized in some of the darkest and demented stories to see on the screen. The moment Asami enters the screen you can tell something is off. Audition will pull you in and lead you somewhere dark you will never forget.

  Three… Extremes (Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan 2002)

Synopsis – The film is broken into three different segments, written and directed by different people in different countries.

Dumplings (Fruit Chan): Mrs. Li is an aging actress who wishes to rejuvenate her youth. With her husband taking on a mistress behind her back, she hopes a secret dumpling recipe from Aunt Mei with help her. What would you do to stay young and beautiful?

Cut (Park Chan-wook): Watch a deadly game, as a successful film director must face off against a deranged extra from his films. The extra is upset that such a man can exist who is wealthy and also a good person, when he is poor and abusive to his family. With the director and his wife’s life in the balance, he must prove that he is not as good as he seem to be.

Box (Takashi Miike): Kyoko is a novelist who is stricken with nightmares of her youth in the circus. Her memories of her late twin sister Shoko, and their benefactor Higata, who she had left behind long ago, haunt her. Kyoko then one day receives an invitation to the old circus she was once a part of, leaving her to wonder if that part of her life is actually behind her.

Why You should Watch – This one of the best introductions to East Asian Horror, hands down. The film instead of having a singular director for all three segments gathers three of the biggest names in the genre from each country of origin. Park Chan-wook, Fruit Chan, and Takashii Miike are some of the biggest names in their countries. Each brings their own style and approach to the horror genre. The first segment Dumplings, was also adapted into a feature length film in Hong Kong. The film also spawned a sequel with three different segments from different regions.

The post Terror from the East: 12 Films From East Asia You Should Watch appeared first on Nightmare on Film Street.

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