#The Poignant Music Box

[beevean]

I feel in a very generous mood, and after I talked about how much Lenore fails as a character, I wanted to for once praise the few times when she was pretty well written for who she was meant to be, a professional abuser, liar and manipulator with excellent strategies to make Hector lower his guard. All of these scenes happen in S3E6, for some reason: before and after, she's actually rather sloppy and in your face, and only succeeds because Hector was lobotomized by the writer lol. But this episde is what I mean when I say she had potential.

First, the part where Lenore "offers" the leash:

Lenore: Now then, would you like to go for a walk? Bit of fresh air in the starlight? Hector: I think I would, yes. Lenore: Good. Sadly, there's a condition. *shows leash* Hector: Oh. Lenore: Not my idea. Striga insisted. It should be quite comfortable. She just wanted a little extra security. Hector: You're ten times stronger than I am, Lenore. Lenore: Striga pointed out that you're a magician. And you do want to go for a walk, so… would you mind?

So.

Lenore kickstarts the episode with some fresh humiliation, because she has no time to waste. She jokes that Hector is now walking "on his hind legs" and looks "almost human", jokes again that she dressed up Hector so that his dick won't be stolen by birds, and asks him to smile in the face of his embarrassment like a creepy old man harassing a woman on the street.

This is the prelude to her downright falling into sexual abuse, which is this entire part.

The request is obviously unfair. Hector has been cooped up in his stagnant cell for what could be weeks, so it's only natural that he would enjoy some fresh air. But in order to get that basic comfort, Hector has to accept being treated like a literal dog for no good reason. And his braincell does activate for a moment, as he points out that yes, there is no good reason to force a leash on him, because Lenore sure showed him how strong and fast she is:

There is no way Hector would even attempt to run away, not when he has no tools at his disposal, he's starved and weakened, the castle is full of other vampires, and Lenore could snap his ankles in a second Annie Wilkes style.

But Lenore is undeterred. First, she says that it was Striga's idea. It's still ambiguous if she was sincere or not: Striga couldn't give less of a fuck about Hector and shows no reaction when, later in the episode, she sees the two on the balcony. That being said, the fact that she is the one complaining, in E8, that Lenore is taking Hector "on fucking walkies" implies that yes, Lenore lied and mentioned the queen who was less likely to bother Hector. As a bonus, she doesn't blame Carmilla, despite her being the first one who put Hector on a leash as he himself points out later on, therefore creating a precedent, because Hector already has beef with Carmilla, and Lenore is aiming to make him get over his resentment. Hence, the name of a vampire he does not care about. (although, logically, Morana would have been better because Striga will have to work closer to Hector once he becomes their Forgemaster, but eh, I guess even Lenore forgot about her lol)

But whoever had the idea doesn't matter, actually. What matters is that Lenore is shifting the blame on someone else. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I wouldn't do this to you, but I'm a poor little girl and I had no choice 🥺 blame her, not me, I'm just the cute princess obeying superior orders 🥺". And since Hector doesn't know Striga at all, and she has no intention of talking to him, he can believe that. She also subtly blames Hector, because well, he wanted to go on a walk, and she's just giving him what he wanted! He should be grateful, really!

Naturally, this excuse falls flat on its face because even if Striga was the one who suggested the leash for "extra security", it's Lenore who decided to make a sexual game out of it. She is the one who has expressed multiple times her attraction to Hector, first by kissing him after beating him to a pulp, and then by playing some more "genuine" compliments during the interrogation - as genuine as they can be after she spent the entire interrogation making him realize how much of a dumbass he was. She didn't need to do any of this. She's having fun for her own amusement, lording her power over Hector.

(mhh, Lenore using sexual abuse for no reason? It's almost like it's a pattern :) it's almost like being a rapist is in her character :) )

But she's not done! Because at Hector's "You're ten times stronger than I am", Lenore retorts (again blaming Striga, because she has to look blameless) that he's a magician. This is a profoundly stupid excuse because Hector is not a magician, he's a Devil Forgemaster who can't do shit without a forging tool: if he were a "magician" like, say, Sypha or the one who brainwashed an entire village, Lenore would already be a pile of ashes. But again, logic doesn't matter: what matters is that Hector is painted like the real threat to Lenore, the one who has the power to hurt her and not the other way around. See, she's just trying to protect herself from the mean Forgemaster, poor thing! This comes into play later.

Now, were Hector a stubborn person who valued his own dignity, this would be the moment where he'd show Lenore the middle finger and resign himself to staying in the stagnant cell. But Hector is not stubborn. Hector doesn't care about his own dignity and honor: he wants to feel safe and cared for. Plus, Lenore has already beaten him at the first sign of defiance: how does he know that she wouldn't punish him again if he refused her proposal? Even just by taking away the few "gifts" she had given him. So, powerless and too weakened to put up a mental fight, he caves in, because he's willing to give away his humanity for a few minutes of comfort and pretending Lenore is taking care of him.

Before I move on, I need to point out the half-clever, half-frustrating ironic echo the "magician" line gets in S4E6 that almost redeems it:

This is what in a vacuum I would call a big dick move lol. How delightfully sassy it is for Hector, after getting his heart broken and biding his time by coddling his abuser's feelings, to throw Lenore's excuses back in her face to put her in a position of helplessness! Oh, he can't be trusted because of his powers, and that was the reason he was treated like a dog and had a slave ring brute forced onto his hand when he would have willingly agreed to becoming Lenore's pet? Well, then Lenore was a giant idiot for trusting him after raping him into slavery and believing he would be harmless and happy with her, right? :)

(it would have been better if they used the exact word again, but whatever, nitpick)

Sadly I can't be fully happy with this scene because, despite his satisfied smirk shown here, Hector isn't really getting back at Lenore for the disgusting way she treated him, but he's instead trying his best to protect her with no malice in his heart, as shown when Isaac arrives and as shown by how he apologizes before trapping her. The parallel between Lenore "protecting" Hector by ruining his life because of her selfishness and Hector returning the favor is obvious, but it's as unsatisfying as possible, because by now the story wants us to feel sorry for Lenore, and Hector's gesture is meant to be tragic, not the rightful comeuppance. Also, due to how wishy-washy the worldbuilding is, I really can't tell if Hector deliberately used the wrong word as a reference to make Lenore really feel bad for her past actions (unlikely, given how he forgave her of everything, but a girl can dream), or if he's seriously calling himself a wizard, which even in the context of the show is very wrong and would be yet another way the animated franchise has watered down the concept of Devil Forging.

That being said, I can ignore the rest of the episode and pretend Hector was being snarky against his abuser 💖 I don't care if it's OOC and it's not like Hector to be this spiteful 💖 go king 💖

After this digression, back to S3E6, before Lenore became a woobie love interest and was still a vile manipulator.

I talked about this scene here, and mostly said that it was wasted potential for Lenore's final act in S4 for multiple reasons. But, for the purpose of this post, it is another nice attempt at manipulation, even if it's a basic "look how nice this place is! You'll enjoy it every night if you'll work for us!". Symbolically, it could be seen as Lenore dragging Hector away from humanity and towards the world of vampires... which would be poignant if Hector didn't start already as someone who turned his back against mankind in favor of vampires and hasn't budged from his beliefs. But eh, I get the idea, and it can be seen as foreshadowing to Lenore allowing Hector free roam of the castle once he becomes her pet. It sure is a nice gilded cage, isn't it?

Then, we have the scene on the balcony:

Lenore: Does it hurt? Hector: No. It just reminds me of the last time someone put a collar on me. Lenore: In Braila? Hector: When Carmilla almost killed me. Lenore: Well, she does have a temper. But she would never have meant to kill you. Hector: No. Because she needs me to be her forgemaster slave. Lenore: No, because if she'd meant to kill you, you would quite simply be dead. Hector: Hmph. Lenore: And if she'd meant to torture you, you would have arrived here carrying your guts in both hands with a spike up your arse. Hector: I suppose that's true. I mean, I can see her doing it. In nightmares and such. Lenore: She does have a temper, but she's logical. She never lets it run away with her to the point of, oh, I don't know, condemning the entire human race to death? Just a recent example of what being genuinely insane with murderous rage looks like. Hector: All right. Lenore: You may not have been treated like a boy king on your way here, but you did show up alive. Hector: Might have been nice, though. Lenore: Have you considered that you're only alive because you listened to Carmilla back in Dracula's castle? Hector: I hadn't. She tricked me. Lenore: I don't think she did. I think she made complete sense to you, and you felt guilty, understandably, about how it all played out. Hector: She made me betray Dracula. Lenore: No, she didn't. She showed you the old man was insane, and she saved you from the consequences. Nobody here wants to harm you. We just don't quite trust you yet. Hector: Trust me? Lenore: You did try to hurt me, Hector.

I still don't know why I can't find a clip of this part. With how crucial it is to their development (and you know, shippers would get a kick out of seeing the peggable boy leashed by the dommy mommy having a cute bonding moment), you'd think there'd be plenty of videos.

Nevertheless, this is the only time Lenore disgusted me in an intentional way, which I appreciate. His character development on stall, Hector has no moral qualms about working for vampires who want to turn humans into livestock, but he is still angry at Carmilla for tricking, beating and imprisoning him, understandably so. She is the only reason Hector still hasn't accepted Lenore's proposal: he doesn't want to work for her out of spite. So what does Lenore do with her amazing diplomacy skills? Launch herself into some pristine abuse apologism, the likes of which are only paralleled by Lenore stans themselves, using every excuse in the book to downplay Carmilla's brutal, sadistic beatdown of Hector, because oh, she just has a temper! Oh, it was just a one time thing! Oh, she saved your life nonetheless, even if you were treated less than royally! Oh, but Dracula was even more insane, so you can't be mad at Carmilla, she was just trying to help!

She's hitting every point possible to make Hector give up his grudge, because who cares about how he was treated, he's alive now, right? He should be grateful that he was "rescued" from Dracula's insanity, shouldn't he? Which is very similar to Lenore's overall attitude, like when she lowkey implied that she was the only one in the castle willing to treat Hector nicely after brutally beating him into submission :)

And as the cherry on top, she is blaming him for that, too! Hector tried to hurt her, the meanie, so really, no wonder he's being treated like a dog! No one wants to hurt him, she swears, it's just that these four super strong vampires are scared of this human prisoner! And if Lenore beat him to a pulp the other day (not that she is directly mentioning it, of course, the accent is on how he tried to hurt her), well, it's all his fault, so he can't complain. Mhh, reminds me of another scene where Lenore downplays her disgusting actions by shaming Hector...

Goodness, but Lenore must have gotten a degree in abuse apologism with flying colors! Look at that flawless DARVO! She would be a brilliant portrayal of a self-centered piece of shit who refuses to take responsibility, if I knew it was all intentional!

I also like that, near the end, when she's rebuking Hector's protests, for once she doesn't sound insufferably smug, but like she is patiently correcting a stubborn child making him reason. This is much better than her usual tone of voice that can only be described as "I get wet at seeing you humiliated", and not just because it's less grating on the ears: she is supposed to sound trustworthy and well-meaning, emotionally comforting Hector and not making fun of him. This is the tone she should have had from day one. It also would have helped distinguishing her and not making her sound like Carmilla 2.0, BDSM patch included.

The rest of the sequence speaks for itself. Lenore gives Hector a bigger cell (with added symbolism of her tugging his leash to lead him to it, showing that she is forcing all these comforts on him), complete with a book about vampires that he might find interesting, and engages in yet some more sexual play by removing the collar in the most erotic way possible for the joy of the shippers and the thirsty fans. But I want to focus on two things.

One, the book.

When it came to convincing Hector that nighttime is better than daytime, thus the vampire world is better than the human world, I said it was redundant because Hector already feels closer to the former than the latter. This, however, is a much better way to lure him in: Lenore is welcoming Hector even further in their world - or rather, her world. She is sharing their knowledge, the secret knowledge lost by humans and preserved by vampires, much like when during their walk she flaunted the castle's hypocaust that keeps the cells warm ignore that it's normally kept lit by slaves, giving us some unintentionally clever foreshadowing. In E8, Hector is genuinely fascinated by it:

Lenore's strategy of "humanizing" her race, and thus herself and the council so that Hector won't be scared, is pretty obvious but efficient. It's a shame that it's redundant because Hector has no prejudices, nor has he shown any, against vampires (because that would have created conflict between him and Lenore's plan): but hey, better be safe than sorry, right? In a way, it's a continuation of Lenore's abuse apologism, when she tried her best to paint Carmilla as a logical person "with a temper", and not as a violent beast to be scared of. "I keep telling you, we're not monsters."

Most importantly, this really hits one of Hector's weakest spots: feeling appreciated for his talents. It's all but said that the reason he feels more comfortable around vampires is because they mostly value him for his Devil Forging and necromancy, unlike humans who chased him away for that. For a human being who feels no connection to mankind, being offered a peek into vampire culture must have felt a honor.

Lenore giving him that book "given his profession" shows that she's meeting him on his level, and she doesn't simply see him as a tool like Carmilla, but someone whose blasphemous knowledge is respectable and worth nurturing. She didn't need to do that: Hector is already a genius in Devil Forging, so it's not for him to study to become more efficient. But it's basically a kind gift based on his interests.

But the really brilliant line is this one:

The levels of mindfuckery here!

Lenore coerced Hector into wearing a dog collar and leash for the simple purpose of walking around, making him feel like it was his fault he had to be treated that way, and all for the purpose of gaslighting him into forgiving Carmilla for hurting him. And after that gratuituous display of power over him, she is acting like they just went on a date and she is sheepishly asking permission for another one. (There is no clip, but the tone sounds soft and honestly grateful, too, like he's really doing her a favor.)

This is the exact same strategy of blaming Striga for the leash. She's passing the responsibility onto someone else: Hector, in this case. Lenore is pretending Hector has any power over their encounters. She's just a poor girl who wants to spend quality time with him, but she would never intrude upon his space without permission 🥺 even thought she just literally did by nearly kissing him while taking away the collar before he could ever express any interest in her 🥺 no, really, she leaves the choice up to him 🥺 (so that everything that follows will be his fault, obviously)

But Lenore doesn't just delude Hector into feeling like he has control right after stripping it from him: the point is, naturally, making him feel wanted. Not just as a thing to play with, because otherwise Lenore can just visit him whenever she pleases, but as a person worthy of respect. She likes spending time with him, and she demurely asks if he too wants to see her - and after popping a boner after her little stunt being lovebombed like that, of course Hector can't say no. Not after feeling genuinely cared for as a person, his biggest weak point.

How nice, after their rough start, they're finally developing a relationship of equality and respect despite their circumstances!

This is what Lenore should have been since the beginning. Wearing the mask of the demure little girl whom others make fun of, who is completely harmless (unless the other person deserves it), really, her hands are tied but she always tries her best, look at her gifts made from her pure kindness of heart! And subtly but constantly snipering at Hector's heart, sensing the chinks in his armor and pouncing on them like only a consummate liar and inherent predator can do. Not smugness, not humiliation, not sexual molestation: the believable lie of love and affection, targeted to someone who would sell his soul to taste those crumbs.

Or worse, the other interpretation is that this isn't even malicious lying at all. Now sure, Lenore can't spend one second in S3 without that obnoxious smirk on her face because she's just enjoying so much taking advantage of the power she has over her prisoner, and sure, I have proof that the ring was a pointless act of cruelty that nullifies all her hard work... but who says every word out of her mouth is a lie meant to harm and psychologically break Hector? Maybe it's just 90% of them! Maybe she's genuine when she shows attraction to Hector, and compliments him, and is happy when gets "permission" to see her again because it also makes her feel wanted (after all, Lenore's priority is feeling good about herself). Maybe she does care about him and she was earnest when she tried to "comfort" Hector after raping him into slavery - oh, my bad, into a position of pet... problem is that she is still a vampire, who cannot conceptualize love as humans do, and sees relationships as inherently unbalanced where she is the one where she has to have all the power. And she's willing to do whatever it takes to gain it, say every lie that comes to her fangs, twist every word, shift every ounce of blame, as long as it's for her pet's own good. Because that's what vampires do.

It's a shame those are the only instances Lenore is well written as a villain, because man, the depths of the realistic, relatable horror displayed in one episode are staggering and well conveyed. And most of this behavior is still carried into S4! ... completely by accident, which ignites my fury like few things.

She could have been a great, viscerally repulsive villain and an accurate depiction of an abuser who truly thinks she's in the right, and not just mere masturbation fodder. Now, if only Hector was written with more spine than a beached jellyfish...

[abigailmoment]

A monster has its teeth in your companions.

It builds nightmares out of their worst memories and drinks their pain.

One of your companions has a particularly bad worst memory.

Play Here

----

Art by @cymk8

Character Specific Achievements:

Aldiirn - Dusksong Be a bard. Use music to make first contact. belongs to @mistercrowbar

Andar - Poor Man's Dancing Lights Be an arcane caster. Try to cast magic. belongs to Tatsunara

Ember - Ghosts Need Sleep Explain why you're sometimes absent. belongs to @catsharky

Finch - Get Safe And Cared For Idiot Successfully hug Astarion. belongs to @everchased

Francys - Priorities Ignore everyone else in the campsite. belongs to @ineadhyn

Greygold - Psspsspsspss Be a ranger. Help Astarion calm down after being frightened. belongs to @jeeaark

Nawen - You're Unbreakable Be a rogue. Give your vampire a pep-talk after a particularly difficult day. belongs to @ineed-to-sleep

Ria - Music Box Be a bard. Play the theme. belongs to @ladyofrosefire

Staeve - Don't Forget Me Say something memorable. belongs to @velnna

Temiter - This Is All A Bit Much Abandon the dream using the silver cord. belongs to @not-poignant

----

Another link to the game.

[sincerelyyycece]

to hell with other halves!

Approaching the Christmas holiday, Y/N endeavours to let go of her feelings for James Potter.

note: inspired by "chilly" by NIKI, mention of drinking, reader missing James Potter, December time setting

tags: @dearmy-diary @moonteaxw @xcinnamonmalfoyx @box-of-kinderjoy @hisparentsgallerryy @burningwitchprincess @alittlebirdswhisper @chi-ara (i can't tag the last two accounts.)

sincerelyyycece © ─ all rights reserved. please do not repost/translate/copy any of my work.

In the icy grip of December, amidst the vibrant pulse of the city, Y/N finds herself ensnared in a tempest of emotions, navigating the labyrinth of memories left behind by James Potter, her once cherished flame. Despite the jovial festivities adorning the streets, her heart remains ensconced in the frosty embrace of their shared past, unwilling to thaw from the warmth of their intimate moments.

The haunting melody of their memories reverberates within Y/N's mind, a symphony of joy and sorrow that she struggles to reconcile with the stark reality of their separation. Each flicker of the twinkling lights serves as a poignant reminder of the void James left behind, casting shadows over the mirthful ambience of the season.

With each hesitant step, Y/N confronts the spectres of their past, the echoes of laughter silenced by the deafening void of their parting. She finds herself torn between the yearning to cling to the remnants of what once was and the imperative to break free from the shackles of their fractured promises.

"To hell with other halves!" she murmurs to the wintry gusts, glass in hand, a rebellious proclamation against the notion that solace must be sought in the arms of another. Y/N understands that true healing resides not in external affections but in the depths of her own self-discovery.

In her journey to move on, she embarks on ventures into uncharted territories, seeking solace in novel experiences and distant horizons. Yet, amidst the allure of novelty, she finds herself adrift, her passion seemingly misplaced along the winding path of her journey.

As time unfurls its relentless march, Y/N begins to rekindle the flames of her enthusiasm, reclaiming her zest for life with a newfound fervour. She embraces the exhilaration of new friendships and the thrill of exploration, shedding the remnants of her past with each stride towards liberation.

In the culmination of her odyssey, Y/N emerges, resplendent and renewed, casting aside the shadows of her past to bask in the radiant glow of her newfound happiness. She has traversed the tumultuous terrain of heartache and emerged victorious, no longer defined by the ghosts of her history but empowered by the boundless possibilities of her future.

Through late-night conversations in cosy cafes and impromptu escapades beneath the starlit sky, Y/N finds solace in the shared experiences of kindred souls. Their laughter becomes a melody of healing, drowning out the echoes of her former pain with the harmonious notes of camaraderie and understanding.

With newfound companions by her side, Y/N delves deeper into the tapestry of her own desires, discovering hidden passions long dormant beneath the weight of her previous attachments. She immerses herself in art, music, and literature, embracing the creative spark within her with unabashed fervour.

Yet, amidst the euphoria of her newfound liberation, Y/N is confronted with moments of doubt and uncertainty. The spectre of James lingers in the recesses of her mind, a constant reminder of the love she once knew and the scars it left behind. But with each passing day, she learns to confront these ghosts with courage and resilience, refusing to be held captive by the shadows of her past.

As the frosty grip of December begins to thaw into the promise of spring, Y/N emerges from her cocoon of introspection, her spirit ablaze with the vibrant hues of possibility. She embraces the world with open arms, savouring each moment as a precious gift to be cherished and savoured.

In the end, Y/N's journey is not just one of self-discovery, but of profound transformation. She emerges from the crucible of her past not as a broken soul, but as a beacon of resilience and hope, illuminating the path for others who may find themselves lost in the darkness of their own hearts.

As the city lights twinkle in the distance, casting their warm glow upon the streets below, Y/N walks forward into the embrace of the unknown, her heart filled with the promise of endless possibilities and the unwavering certainty that she is, at last, free.

[desmon1995]

The Wonder Wheel of Nostalgia : How the Warriors navigate the past to point us to a better future.

In the realm of iconic, rough-and-tumble portrayals of New York’s late '70s and early '80s gang culture, The Warriors stands as a time capsule. Everything from its hyper-masculinity, intense action, and Marvel-comic-inspired costumes embodies the gritty, unfiltered spirit of an era. But as much as we celebrate its slick visuals and electrifying energy, it’s essential to remember where it all began—a book by Sol Yurick, a Marxist author and youth counselor. Yurick’s 1965 novel intended to deliver an unvarnished depiction of gang life, challenging the glamorized portrayals perpetuated by West Side Story. In his hands, the Warriors weren’t lovable antiheroes but violent, unsympathetic young men, shaped and shattered by the harsh reality of their world.

Where the film cut some of the grittier edges, trading raw brutality for pop-culture appeal, the concept album—helmed by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis—reclaims some of Yurick’s original urgency, but with a twist for our times. Here, The Warriors becomes more than a showcase of thrilling gang warfare; it’s a powerful commentary on how beginnings shape not only individuals but entire communities, especially those marginalized and boxed in by systemic forces. There’s a reason why the streets of New York and its gang-ridden alleys serve as an urgent backdrop, not just a setting: The Warriors were not born into violence by choice; they were molded by it.

In Yurick’s original novel, the Warriors were exclusively Latino and Black, a poignant decision that underscored the book’s social message. The novel’s Warriors are not romanticized; they are hard-edged, often cruel, shaped by a world that offers them no other outlet. Unlike in the film, they don't earn sympathy—they embody what it means to be caged by circumstance. Yurick was giving us a third-person view of life in the hood, drawing from his years as a counselor, highlighting how neglected environments breed neglected people. The film adaptation preserved much of this tone, though it softened the edges enough to allow mainstream audiences a measure of comfort, even admiration, for its characters. This Hollywood filtering gave the story a mythic, almost heroic quality that ignored the darker undercurrents and turned the Warriors into icons of cult cinema.

Enter the concept album. When Miranda and Davis announced a reimagining of The Warriors for the 2020s, responses were mixed. There was intrigue, nostalgia, and some backlash from purists who felt that a modern take would inevitably water down the harsh realities of the original. And sure enough, there was debate on social media about whether the adaptation would be “too sanitized”—some fans even wanted the album to keep the raw misogyny and homophobia to convey just how twisted these characters could be. But such demands misunderstand what this concept album achieves: The Warriors isn’t about mindlessly mirroring the past; it’s about examining what that era taught us, and how we can use those lessons to tell a new story that resonates with today’s audience.

In this reimagined musical landscape, we are invited to consider the complexities of systemic oppression in a way that respects the story’s roots yet speaks to the present. Here, the American government and social elites are the true obstacles—the forces that keep the Warriors and others like them trapped in cycles of poverty and violence. Through their collective songs, we hear how the Warriors are more than just a gang; they’re a family, navigating a world that’s rigged against them, offering each other the love and support the system denies them. Found family isn’t just a theme—it’s a survival tactic, a way of enduring when traditional structures fail. Cleon’s leadership and Swan’s resolve aren’t just virtues; they’re necessary, traits honed through hardship, proving that even amidst brokenness, there’s room for loyalty and connection.

This choice is significant. Unlike the book’s purely third-person brutality, the concept album allows the listener a chance to root for the Warriors, not because they’re morally untouchable but because they’re trying to survive and carve out meaning in a society that gives them none. In reworking the story, Miranda and Davis don’t ignore the Warriors’ flaws; they amplify them within a framework that shows how the Warriors’ lives are a reaction to oppression, not just innate lawlessness.

One standout is the reimagined character of Cyrus, who becomes a revolutionary. Her call for gang unity isn’t a misguided attempt to “own the city” but an idealistic stand against the power structures that have confined the Warriors and everyone like them. Her assassination is a symbolic echo of history, a reminder that every leader who dares to challenge the system is met with the same tragic end. It’s an allusion to the untimely deaths of revolutionary figures, from Elijah Parish Lovejoy to Fred Hampton ., grounding The Warriors in the rich yet tragic lineage of resistance. Even without the visuals, the stakes feel visceral; the cops aren’t there to “keep the peace” but to maintain the status quo, allowing the powerful to exploit the disenfranchised. And though the Warriors are flawed and sometimes brutal, they are humanized through each other—an echo of community in the face of unrelenting hardship.

Interestingly, the album doesn’t downplay the violence. It doesn’t gloss over the fact that the Warriors are engaged in brutal battles with both rival gangs and a hostile police force. The danger is real, palpable. For every moment of hope, there’s a reality check, a reminder that survival isn’t guaranteed. The album explores a grimmer, more complicated version of optimism, one rooted in a will to endure rather than naive hope. After all, cynicism is a luxury these characters can’t afford.

And while some may argue that Miranda and Davis’s interpretation is “liberal idealism,” it’s worth noting that revolutionary spirits rarely fade; they adapt, especially in times of political division and systemic failure. In today’s world, where socioeconomic divides and racial profiling still dominate headlines, The Warriors holds a mirror to the past and present. It asks us to consider the cumulative impact of systemic neglect and discrimination, reminding us that what society normalizes shapes public perception.

This retelling of The Warriors also raises another question: how do we balance nostalgia with progress? How do we celebrate iconic works of the past while acknowledging the problematic undertones they might carry? Media analysis is more intense now, partly because we’ve come to understand that popular culture doesn’t exist in a vacuum—it shapes, reinforces, and sometimes even distorts public opinion. By exploring the lives of female and queer characters in the Warriors’ ranks, Miranda and Davis tap into perspectives that the original iterations ignored. Their take isn’t an erasure; it’s an addition—a recognition that marginalized communities deserve the full spectrum of representation, from hardship to humanity.

There’s no denying that the concept album will challenge some fans, especially those who are attached to the original for its raw energy. But change isn’t inherently a loss. Instead, it’s an opportunity to rediscover something meaningful. Like a sleeper hit that finds its audience slowly, the album may build momentum over the years, perhaps reaching listeners who weren’t even born when the film came out. And maybe that’s the point: allowing this story to evolve naturally, allowing new generations to find their own meanings within its timeless yet timely themes.

By giving The Warriors new voices, this concept album doesn’t rewrite history; it contextualizes it, bringing new life to a story that speaks volumes about who we are, where we’ve been, and where we still have to go. And in a world where representation is power, this story feels like a necessary continuation, rather than a nostalgic return.

[refrigeratorsong]

watched (almost) 200 movies in 2024. these were my favorites, in order of when i watched them.

some quick thoughts about each film down below-

Haru (1996): a beautiful, slow-burn romance that has the most positive outlook that i've ever seen on the window that is the internet. has made the ^_^ emoticon into something that makes me very emotional every time i see it.

La Cienaga (2001): examining a culture of bourgeois colonizers, as the corpse of a system they continue to puppet festers and rots around them. a sweaty and miserable film that i wasn't sure about until the credits hit, but once the swamp water sunk into my clothes and skin, i was devastated.

Mysterious Skin (2004): one of the best movies i've ever seen but also one i could never recommend to anyone. Gregg Araki is always so good at synthesizing queer rage and sadness into something poignant, and this one might be his most emotionally devastating. i had to take a shower afterwards. don't watch it, watch The Living End, or maybe Nowhere instead.

Poor Things (2023): i figured that i'd love this one going in but i couldn't imagine that i'd love it THAT much. this is a special one. the Yorgos for everybody. there's plenty to say about its politics and maybe even some stuff we should be critical of, but i think i love it most because of how much it begs the viewer to make conversation - with other viewers, and with the film itself. and, i haven't seen weirdo cgi skies that wondrous since Speed fucking Racer.

Fucking Amal [or Show Me Love, if you're boring] (1998): the very best lesbian coming of age story i have ever seen. no competition. this one filled my heart with so much love. the fact that it was directed by a cis straight man is mind boggling.

Air Doll (2009): look, i have too much to say about Air Doll. a back of the box synopsis is, a blow up sex doll comes to life and experiences the joys and pains of being a human. that feels so shallow, though. there's so much going on in there about gender, objectification, consumerism, loneliness, life and death and so on. if you watch a single movie from this list, make it this one. i cried through the entire fucking thing.

Love Lies Bleeding (2024): the kinda movie that makes you point at the screen every five minutes and yell 'HELL YEAH'. this is a queer romance on steroids, literally. it's as messy as the relationship it portrays but is better for it. there's so much here about how difficult it is to shed our blood-spattered upbringing, and does it all in the sexiest, gayest way possible. i want to be Kristen Stewart and i want Katy O'Brian to carry me off into the sunset in her big beautiful arms.

The People's Joker (2022): that this movie exists at all is a miracle in itself. Vera Drew, trans clown of crime, is a genius. how this managed to be everything that it is (a parody of comic book movies, a take down of comedian culture, an absurdist collage of every kind of artform, a heartfelt and sincere trans coming of age film) is beyond me. this is true communal filmmaking. the trans new wave is here and i don't believe it is going anywhere any time soon.

Trust (1990): if i had seen this in high school it would have been my favorite movie of all time. as is, seeing it in my 30s, it's still pretty high up there. dripping with early 90s apathy and angst, with dialogue that has a sense of musicality to its cadence. honestly, Trust reminds me a bit of Fooly Cooly in its writing.

Peep "TV" Show (2004): another film that i could never recommend. this is the closest a film has gotten to what it felt like to be in the dark corners of the internet in the 2000s. true freak cinema, a slimy, trashy, 4chan-ass movie, but i mean that as a compliment. i don't know how else to describe it, but i felt it in my bones.

I Saw the TV Glow (2024): i've watched this film five times this year. i still don't know how to write about it. there's plenty to analyze, but this is, mostly, a visceral experience. never have i seen myself so clearly on a movie screen before. you can always become something new. it hurts a lot, but the alternative is to die for the rest of your life.

Where is the Friends House? (1987): a gentle, tiny film about childhood. this is the kind of story that reminds me why movies are made, the empathy machine all gassed up and chugging along at full power. the ending is so, so, so sweet and you know i cried really hard.

Kamikaze Girls (2004): as funny as it is moving, with a completely unique personality that shines so bright. this is a manic, heartfelt masterpiece about identity, and a movie that anyone can love. and, not explicitly, but this movie is totally gay and you cannot take that away from me.

Woman in the Dunes (1964): i put this one off for a good while due to its longer runtime, but it fucking flew by when i finally put it on. one of the best critiques of work and hierarchy, through clear but complex analogies that build upon each other throughout. a true classic.

What Time is it There? (2001): i've seen a decent number of Tsai Ming-liang's films, and this is my favorite. ultra slow cinema, full of piss and loneliness and clocks and a ghost and a big weird fish. the exploration of boundaries is so deeply inspiring. time is a border, distance is a border, money and capitalism and work are borders, the body is a border that we will someday all cross.

They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969): completely heart rending. this is a movie about a dance marathon that lasts over a month, and there's a scene where one of the characters stretches his body as high as he can to catch the tiniest sliver of sunlight, and as it moves slowly out of reach his expression falls to pure exhausted defeat. and yeah, that's pretty much what it's like.

The Black Tower (1987): an incredible short film that plays with editing in fascinating ways. there can be many reads with this one, most obviously on depression, but there's also something here about the objects or structures that are most often within our view. what we see through a window can shape how we view the entire world, it can shape our emotions. it reminds me of an interview with Phil Elverum about his project's name change to Mount Eerie, saying something along the lines of 'everyone has that landmark that anchors them to where they live', and to him it was that mountain. to the narrator of the Black Tower, that landmark wants to swallow him whole.

Red Rooms (2023): this movie ruined my goddamn day. i've never been so stressed out while watching a film. this is another evil internet movie, and it made me feel very unpleasant. i never would have thought a series of google searches would have frightened me like that. Red Rooms understands the horror of modern tech, and manages to completely deconstruct the most disgusting aspects of true crime enthusiasts.

Knife + Heart (2018): full of joy and rage in equal amounts. follows a gay porn director and her actors, as a giallo-esque slasher haunts their studio. plays with giallo tropes, especially the othering of queerness, and transcends them in fascinating ways, eventually finding its way into a vibe entirely its own.

Janet Planet (2024): a gentle and slow slice of a very specific childhood, which somehow is exactly my wife's childhood, though i relate to the broader strokes as well. this one sneaks up on you, quietly, thoughtfully. "what are we saying when we talk about mothers?"

[moutheyes]

2025 QL Anticipations, Wishes, and Resolutions

After wrapping up my top 10 list for 2024, it's time to look ahead to next year with my most-anticipated upcoming series, series I'm planning to catch up on, and some resolutions.

Top 5 anticipated series in 2025

Us (pilot trailer) / dir. Fon Kanittha (GMMTV) / adaptation / rumored for January: Emi Thasorn had her Mark Pakin moment last year—she was literally everywhere (Last Twilight, Beauty Newbie, Wandee Goodday, The Rebound, The Trainee, and currently in Perfect 10 Liners), and that has built up my anticipation for her first leading role. I don’t actually have super high expectations for the storytelling, as this is an adaptation of an author with certain weaknesses, but I’m hoping the simplicity of the plot allows the acting to shine, and I’m enticed by the potential of two fresh GL pairings in EmiBonnie and ViewMim (if they do end up as a side couple).

Khemjira (pilot trailer) / dir. Ron Patarapon + Aoftion Kittipat (Mandee Works) / adaptation / currently filming: I am not the biggest fan of Domundi/Mandee projects, but this feels a little different in scope and flavor, with the supernatural horror elements and a largely rural setting. Also, I can’t lie, I'm excited for the combo of KengNamping and TleFirstone. I have a weird little fascination with the entire [vague handwaving] of DMD The Friendship and TleFirstone are my third-gen blorbos; I suffered through the entirety of Secret Love just to see if they kissed good (they did). Also, with the musical talent here, if we don’t at least get a banger OST out of this show I’m going to be so mad.

Knock Out (pilot trailer) / dir. Tee Bundit (Deehup/WeTV) / adaptation / recently did fitting: Boxing/martial arts settings are gonna be everywhere in 2025 (there are at least two more QLs that I can think of), but the combination of Deehup production quality, WeTV je ne sais quoi, and a promising new acting pair in GunNice is just delicious, especially after seeing that pilot trailer. Tee Bundit excels in not only drawing out excellent physical intimacy but also making show settings feel lived-in, and the action scenes in Jack & Joker were pretty decent, so I'm excited to see how he brings a boxing gym with ties to the mafia underworld to life.

Love You Teacher (pilot trailer) / dir. Dome Jarupat (Parbdee/GMMTV) / original / script being written: Boy, was this ever the most willfully misinterpreted pilot trailer from the entire GMMTV25 event. This post beautifully sums up most of my thoughts on that matter, but I want to add that after two episodes of watching PerthSanta elevate the milquetoast Perfect 10 Liners with impeccable chemistry, my excitement for them in these specific roles has grown exponentially. Give me the sunshine/grumpy dynamics with a poignant exploration of devotion and care! And we know p'Dome will bring the poignancy.

Girl Rules (pilot trailer) / dir. Jojo Tichakorn (Moongdoo/GMMTV) / original script / most likely late 2025?: p'Jojo is bringing the gospel of messy gays to the sapphics this year, and I will be seated front-row for it. I already know that Milk Pansa playing a stone cold casanova bitch is going to be A Problem for me, and I am on my knees begging for some honest-to-god hatesex or spite-fucking, just give me a truckload of whatever they have going on:

(I didn't include series like Cranium, Ticket to Heaven, and Love of Silom, which have either already been slated for 2026 or could go either way. Or series that simply don't have enough info, like 8 Hours. Ggurhggh I'm hoping the last two I listed above make the cut...)

5 series to catch up on

Pluto: I watched the first ep and definitely wanted to continue, but the series ended up on the back burner due to time. I also thought it would be a good one to binge due to the melodrama of the storyline. From the gifsets I've seen, I'm in for some good fucking food.

Century of Love: Honestly, I'm kind of looking forward to DaouOffroad's next project a little more (I think they are going to thrive in the bodyguard dynamic), but I know I'll want to watch something lakorn-ish at some point, and CoL will scratch that itch.

Reverse 4 You: This seemed to fly under the radar in fandom circles, but the concept sounded interesting (it has speculative elements like time manipulation and precognition) and by all accounts the acting was really solid. I also have Apple My Love (Kongthup + Ormsin lead = winning combo in my world) on the list but this one is just a little more compelling so it will take precedence.

Blueming + Where Your Eyes Linger (movie version probably): After losing my mind over LFCT, I promised myself to finally finish off the Hwang Daseul cinematic universe this year. 🫡

The On1y One: I prefer to binge Taiwanese series, so it's nice to have this in the back pocket for a slow weekend or whatever. See Your Love is making me remember how much the pacing of TWBLs drives me nuts sometimes, so we'll see when I'm in the mood again...

2025 resolutions

Prioritize GL! This might be obvious from the series I mentioned above lol. I did such a bad job of this last year, but luckily GL seems to be a growing slice of the pie. The things I'm looking forward to: new pairings, messier dynamics (GIRL RULES), and hopefully more original scripts (GIRL RULES!!!!) as well. Pipe dream: CAN I GET ONE (1) NON-FEMME SAPPHIC CHARACTER PLEASE...

Watch a series outside of the big four markets (Thailand, Japan, Korea, Taiwan). There are a couple of completed Filipino series on my watch list, so it's just about making time for it.

Write more consistently about QL. I did participate in Tumblr discussions this year, albeit spottily, and I'd like to do it more! I tend to put my thoughts in tags rather than adding onto a reblog or commenting on a post, so let's see if I can break that habit and contribute more directly.

[none-of-these-days]

Ask Game: List 5 things that make you happy, then put this in the ask box for the last few people who liked or reblogged something from you! Get to know your mutuals and followers :) (can't remember if i already sent this back to ya yet lol, ignore if so)

Thank you for the ask! (:

Sharing 5 more things that make me happy:

Watching anything from Yes Theory. (I highly recommend checking them out on YouTube!)

Listening to 80s/90s music. There is just something special about music from that era. :D

Rewatching Gronkh's Deponia let's plays. This game series has a special place in my heart. Still hoping for a contuniation despite knowing that the creator stopped making video games years ago. (A girl can dream, right?)

Whenever @not-poignant updates the Underline the Rainbow series. (Most chapters make me wail like a baby but the world building and character development is chefs kiss. Also shout out to @utb-art-dumpfor providing us with some super awsome fanarts!)

Re-reading Diana W. Jones Howl's moving castle series. I re-read those books at least once a year and they never miss to give me this warm feeling of happiness.

[agumonger]

Yume Nikki but it's a trailer for a Hollywood live-action adaptation

[Shot of a door. Someone is knocking from the other side.] MADO: Hello? Is anyone there? I'm gonna open the door, okay?

[The door is open, and we see a girl in a pink vest, with pigtails. She seems surprised by us.] MADO: Whoa. Oh. My. God…

[Reverse, sweeping shot reveals the Nexus. Some faint ""nondescriptly-tribal-sounding"" drums can be heard. A faint, poignant, echoing note is played, and the screen cuts to black. It's the first note to the flute theme.]

IN A WORLD… [Shot of the Neon World NPCs making funny faces]

…WHERE YOUR MIND IS KING… [Shot of Madotsuki looking confused in the Wilderness, with a weirdly broad angle, making her face look strange up close] MADO: I don't know why I started dreaming.

YOUR WILDEST DREAMS… [Scene in Forest World where one of the NPCS starts drooling all over her] MADO: But one thing is for sure… I'm never leaving home!

…CAN BECOME NIGHTMARES [Flute theme ends with another echoing note, and a thud.]

[Cut to the Mall. Mado turns towards the Toriningen cashier.] TORI: annoying squawk that takes a bit too long for comfort Hi little girl! I'm Tori, but you can call me Tori. Do you need drinks, eggs, bicycles, eggs, scrambled eggs, a ticket to hell…? Why do we even have those? MADO: Um, actually, I just want to know why I'm here. TORI: Oh, of course, me too, girl! Especially with these [beep] [beep] managers! Y'ALL DON'T PAY ME SINCE LAST SUMMER, YA BUNCH OF DINGDONGS!

[Basic electronic remix of the Toriningen Party, with 8-bit-ish soundfont. A Minion is running from the Dark World Ghost] ILLUMINATION STUDIOS PRESENTS

[Mado explores the FC Caverns with a lantern, and a cheap pixelated effect on top] PONIKO: I don't think you quite understand how anything works here.

BASED ON THE CULT CLASSIC BY KIKIYAMA [Mado going up the stairs to the Garden. The lighting seems weirdly off] PONIKO: And I can excuse that…

TAYLOR SWIFT as PONYTAIL GIRL [POV shot of Poniko checking Madotsuki out inside her house] PONIKO: But what are thooose!? The knee socks. They're, like, so passayyyyy! MADO: What's that even mean?

JOSH GAD as UBOA [Shot of Uboa and Mado trying to walk through the white sludge next to Akumu] UBOA: Well, you can look at the bright side! At least we're not inside THAT guy! MADO: Wait, what? [Akumu roars and goes after them, vomiting green instead of red. They both scream]

[Record scratch, someone clearing their throat]

JACK BLACK as MASADA [Masada is doing piano improv in a white spaceship with LED mood lighting that looks like a gamer bedroom, while Mado just stares blankly] MASADA: Space… you're so cool… and- oh, never mind, someone already did that one. Darn it! MADO: Um, okay.

and JENNA ORTEGA as MADOTSUKI [Poignant cinematic rendition of the saving theme] [Sweeping match shots of Mado biking through several worlds] MADO: I'm not scared! You're scared!

[Shot of Mado handling the knife like it was a nuclear weapon, and breathing heavily] MADO: Plus…

[Shot of Big Red waking up inside the Sewers. He looks like Prismo from Adventure Time but with human teeth, and he's drooling on himself] MADO: Maybe I could get used to this.

[Music abruptly stops before the last note] [Mado approaches the Rave Box. The Aztec Rave Monkey, eyes bulging in different directions, pops out of it and screams at her until she falls on the floor.] MADO: Alright, I guess this is my life now.

[Last note plays triumphantly.] YUME NIKKI (MY DREAM DIARY): THE MOVIE

[Kyuu-kyuu-kun is rubbing the pole. Mado approaches him.] MADO: So what, are you like "stimming" or something? [Kyuu stretches himself over her with a derpy grin.] MADO: Okay, okay, I was just saying!

[Last note plays again, with a resounding thud] COMING TO DREAM THEATERS NEAR YOU JUNE 26, 2025 RATED PG

[hourglassfish]

On Season 1, Episode 7 : Part Two : I Know You’ll Be Listening: Marcus, McDonalds and Freedom

Gonna talk about my fave episode! Sheridan. It’s got some of my favourite music in it – and there’s a catching of breath after lots and lots of change, which gives you time to see characters relax, and have them show you who they are when not in a crisis, to hear them reflect a little, and to get sense of who they might want to be, and where they’ve come from.

It also develops the triangle of Marcus / Sydney / Carmy. Now when I say triangle here, I’m not talking about a love corner! This is a sydcarmy safe space, but I am interested in their work dynamics! Some of the most beautiful moments of the entire season happen when these three are in flow together, and they are united by food as artistic expression.

They are unique in this.  Tina is more skill focused and analytic – Science Baby! – she likes upskilling, her game improving, doing things the right way. Sweeps is about his money, when they budget for the restaurant he immediately backs Tina up about their pay ‘she’s right about that Jefferson’, and he sits with Nat and Richie post apology, doubling down on the fact the restaurant needs to work, that all the workers are invested in that. Ebra’s relationship with food is a tangible connection to home – he cooks Suqaar, his memories of Somalia are never far from his dialogue. It roots him in two places at the same time, a delicate dance that all immigrants are constantly learning, re learning and revising the steps to. Richie’s relationship with food is concerned with people, place and tradition – beef has been cooked here like this since before you were born, people loved the spaghetti and you can’t get the recipe, a very clear sense of hot dogs NOT coming with ketchup (which is very Chicago, if I recall correctly).

But for these three? It’s a practice of freedom. At it's best, that's what creative expression is, it's freedom, and its why we fight for it so very hard. Let's get into it.

The episode starts with the building literally falling down around their ears – gas, electricity, plumbing – it’s all out. Look at Syd and Marcus's faces when the toilet blows up, I love it when these two react to something together -

Even within that, we see pops of joy for all of them – Marcus enthusiastically enthusing about his book, Sydney gently pitching a new dish, Carmy teaching – tape, roasted onions, his mom’s chicken.

When the fuse blows, Carmy is in the middle of dealing with the ghosts of the Beef – drug deals and the spectre of financial ruin, Covid and his own absence, addiction and Michael, Michael, Michael. Marcus is frantically trying to catch up with work, having gotten a little lost in his donuts (Carmy warns him about this repeatedly, he’s permissive, but he can see it’s becoming a problem). Sydney is my perfect daughter who never does anything wrong (HAH) so she is innocuously cooking a risotto which will lead to big problems later.

But it dictates where they all go in this next episode – Carmy is back enmeshed with his family, and in problem solving mode, so off he goes to Nat’s with Richie to be called a soft shitty bitch (😭 he does get a hug for going Al anon though). Marcus messes up, sulks a little, then is pulled back in (he’s deeply sensitive, and as we learn from season 2 and all he is carrying with his mum, vulnerable. He’s maybe the youngest team member?). But Sydney stays in her flow state, and it enhances her work, opens her creativity, and keeps her focused.

Sheridan clearly meant so much to her. She lost everything, and still lives surrounded by the boxes of it. One of the most poignant moments of her season comes when she stokes the fire for their makeshift post-gas, post-electricity BBQ and for a moment flashes back to some gorgeous prawns, cooking on a similar fire. She looks like she’s about to cry. When she serves food to people who she can see eat and enjoy it later that episode, we see her biggest grin – we won’t see her grin that big again until Sugar calls her a genius in Omelette. So much of being a line cook is being in a kitchen, alienated from your labour separated from the joy that what you’recooking brings to those who are eating it. The praise and enjoyment of what she’s created is a big motivator for her, as it would be for anyone, and this  goes someway to explaining why she doesn’t want a dish she thinks is delicious (should have given Carm the one with the ribbon of brine babes) to not be eaten by someone.

If we hop back across to Marcus in this episode, we get some of Carmy being an excellent boss (that’s my boy!!!) – his conversation with Marcus (who appears to just be moping outside while the others work… young man get it together) is really beautiful. He’s curious. Not only does he ask him how he is, he really listens when Marcus talks about McDonalds, gets down on his level, does his very intense staring thing: he wants to understand where Marcus is coming from. He resists narratives of blame and fault – the job’s insane and  fuck ups happen. But he is also clear about the bottom line (you gotta stay ahead of your work, that’s just that). He doubles down on the moment of empathy and connection by sharing a story of his own failures after a huge success. Marcus goes back to work with a huge grin on his face. For me, it’s as beautiful and important a conversation as the talk between Syd and Carmy in Brigade, another affirmation that The Beef can be different from all the other places they’ve been at.

This episode has a really beautiful symmetry to its narrative structure, so we later return to the three of them in the kitchen – Marcus quietly labelling up his eggs, with the neat lines Carmy favours (Wilco sings ‘I know you’ll be listening’), and Carmy and Syd cooking together (that prawn stock business looked wild delicious) and really talking and listening.

I used to work at a purveyor of moderately priced soaps. And the soaps are quite hippyish, but their business model is not, and it always felt like a contradiction, until I met their owners, who spoke about their business going bust in the 90s. They’re a huge global brand now, but losing that small, postal based service was clearly something that they carried with them, decades later. It is, like any grief, something that informs many of their decisions, for better or worse, especially because they parted ways with another brand where they felt stifled, to set up their own thing, centring their values. I think about them a lot when I think about Syd, and my own business.

It is not lost on me that Syd talks here about money – getting too big too fast, fucked credit,  bad decisions. The bad credit especially sticks with me, because that shit traps you. Makes renting, or making significant purchases hard, makes starting another business impossible – a bunch of doors shut and they don’t reopen for years, and you are reminded of it constantly. It puts all her creativity in a box – the same way that the mechanical efficiency of Mc Donald’s inhibits what we are to learn is a prodigious talent in Marcus, out of sight. That failure is always there for her, and I think it’s why she is so quick to look at where the Bear is haemorrhaging money and want to find solutions. There is a chance here. She grabs it. She will give all her learning in exchange for that outlet.

PAUSE

The moment when Syd says ‘it was the first time I didn’t have a complete and utter psychopath behind me screaming and pushing and yelling’ and then they cut to Carm stood behind her is SO MEAN, it makes me CHORTLE every time, girl he’s RIGHT THERE! I know they were laughing in the edit when they put this bit together.

When she speaks about her failure, his response is ‘Heard’ – I don’t think he really knows how to respond – like… has  Carmy ever failed? Syd’s face does a weird little thing when he says that. Heard. Listened? Does he really get the depth of loss for her? Has he ever experienced that kind of freedom in a kitchen? Cus if he hasn’t maybe he can’t really understand what it is to lose it. Maybe you can’t know that loss util you experience it. Carmy always knew The Beef was there. Was always trying to get back to it, had it as a north star. But Sydney built her own and then lost it, and it was her own fault*.

That being said, she does still ask him for help in this scene. It’s a clear progression in her letting her walls down after the veal stock fiasco of Brigade. Wilco comes in again –

This is what love is for To be out of place Gorgeous and alone Face to face With no larger problems That need to be erased Nothing more important Than to know someone's listening Now, I know you'll be listening

– these three have connected here, and are starting to build the bonds that are going to send Marcus on Carmy’s pilgrimage to Copenhagen. The Michael starts in this quiet moment.

But listening - hearing, retaining, actioning, bearing it all in mind - is the centre of this bond, and it fractures quickly when they stop doing that. They're still getting to know each other. Relationships in their infancy.

I think these moments – this episode – are important when we think about what happens in Episode 7, who quits and why. Not only are these the two newest recruits to the Bear, they’re also the two with the least connection to Michael, and emotional relationships with Carmy that are not haunted by his ghost. They’ve been Carmy’s quickest and most loyal supporters up until this point, and there is a clear sense of betrayal communicated during Review from all three. It feels like there was a shared understanding that Marcus’s creativity would be appreciated (that’s why he puts so very much into it) - that it would be different. But when he achieves his goal, one he has slept on the floor of The Beef for, it is met with aggression and destruction. There was an understanding that Syd walked away from kitchens because of the shouting pyscho, and Carmy is the only reason she has walked back. But it's a hard boundary for her, and Carmy regresses to that in a crisis. Carm has invested a lot of trust in these two, and feels betrayed, personally (why are you fucking with me x 4) by Marcus’s perceived lack of focus (he warned him) during said crisis and by risotto gate, as well as Syd’s leaving (what are you doing x4).

The Beef is not just a job for any of the characters, they all really care about it – but there is something specific about creative expression – the way in which it is the movement of the universe through you as a vessel, its uniquely human quality, the way it leaves shards of your soul littered throughout the world that is very specific, and I think Syd and Marcus both feel punished for their creativity here, but, more importantly, they both know it’s worth – and that’s a huge part of why they leave. They are giving more than labour, and they value it accordingly. As they should. I will keep saying it, again and again - I am glad they both leave, that they reject dysfunction and abuse. More importantly, I am glad that the show supports their decision - we don't see them apologise to Carmen because the writers frame his behaviour as not OK, in numerous ways. This framing is a part of the optimism The Bear, this belief that things can - and should - be better for it's workers.

It is not lost on me that the same people that wrote this episode are now on strike, and come from another industry that we know to be riddled with abuses. Some of us (me) know this from experience.

We should talk about risotto next.

This is part of a five part series! You can find the rest here:

Expect More: Syd and Carmy's relationship,

I know you'll be listening: Marcus, McDonald's and Freedom

Risottogate

Hiring New Fucking Broads: Syd, Richie and conflict;

"That's Not You" The Moment Syd Walks Out

*in hindsight, this scene is a paralell to the moment in Pasta when they speak about the Michelin star call at Carmy's place. I think Sydney hears Carmy's dread, but I'm not convinced she's really listening, or connecting that with his 'trapped' from the previous episode's business pitch to Jimmy. These two, eh? It's not their fault they're in a TV show, but I wish they'd ask more follow up questions.

[untamedeventuality]

hey, it’s me again with another dose of heartbreak for the class

y’know this room from little nightmares?

of course you do

wanna feel pain about it?

it’s hard to see in this lighting (sorry) but there is a chair with a hat that looks like the thin man’s, and music box sitting on the tv

this is the only tv we see in the main game of little nightmares

and it just so happens to have two poignant reminders of what six has gone through accompanying it

:)

[wilfriede]

💗 Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. spread the self-love! 💗

I'm not really a writer, so I'll go ahead and talk about my podfics instead :)

First off, my favorite projects tend to be the ones that have extensive music (or sound effects). One reason for that is that it feels very satisfying when all that work pays off and I manage to realize my ideas in a way that I'm happy with. But also, the stories of these projects tend to be special and meaningful to me. I have to have that one idea of what I want to achieve with music or effects, and that always comes from the story itself, whether it's a certain mood, writing style, structure or just one specific scene or image.

I'm collecting these types of podfics in two series on AO3: Adventures in Soundtracking for music and Adventures in Soundscaping for effects.

As for specific podfics, confining myself to 5 favorites is hard, haha, but here goes:

For music:

The Forever War: (Fandom: Original Work, Length: 7:02) @mangacat201 had introcuded me to the soundtrack of "Penny Dreadful" score shortly before I began working on the podfic and at some point it just hit me how well it would fit the atmosphere of the story. With her amazing help I gave the podfic a complete underscoring of music and I am so, so happy with how it turned out.

For Soundeffects:

Unmade: (Fandom: The Murderbot Diaries, Length: 37:57) This is a murderbot fic, so it has ample opportunity for voice effects for bot entities and feed communication. Moreover, the plot and writing style lends itself to moody, creepy horror vibes and I had a lot of fun with that. I had incredible help from midnightlover01 on that one, who set up all the filters/effects for the different voices and who created (!) some of the moody ambience and soundeffects herself.

For Soundscaping:

The best damn books in the galaxy: (Fandom: The Locked Tomb, Length: 4:23) This is a tongue-in-cheek introduction to The Locked Tomb bookseries. @lady-harrowhark wrote this specifically for me to record, and it was so funny and poignant and cleverly written… To really convey what's going on in there, I went all in on the soundscaping. I couldn't be prouder of the result :D

For Recording Experience:

Illusion: (Fandom: The Devil Wears Prada, Length: 21:46) It's always such a joy when an author's writing style fits me and the way I read. I had the most fun recording @chilly-flame's Illusion for that reason. And because Miranda is a lustful vampire in this one and I could go to town on the breathy voiceacting for her. It was one of my most fun recording experiences. (This one was particularly hard to choose, because I've also recorded stories by @kellychambliss and @gveret-fic where I could feel right as I was recording that this was going to turn out good. It's always such a cool experience.)

For Editing:

Gummy Cooks Ramen: A Dramatic Reading (Length: 2:33) Do you know this video of a Discord chat about cooking ramen, set to The Hall of the Mountain King? Well, during Voiceteam Mystery Box a couple of podficcers decided to record it and I had the absolute joy of editing it and fitting it to the music. Did I spend several days on not even 3 minutes of audio? Yes, yes I did. Was it worth it? Most emphatically YES. It's my proudest editing achievement :D

[coulsonlives]

Finished all eight episodes and well, that was underwhelming. Here are my main impressions.

Clothing was too clean and looked like it came out of a cosplayer's closet instead of being actual, lived-in clothes (if there's one thing the failed movie did right, it was the clothes)

Zuko was decent

Sokka had an a+ personality but was missing some nuance

The Sokka and Suki meeting was boring and had typical teen romance cliches galore

Appa and Momo were cute

Not sure how I felt about them starting with 100 years ago, and the cut between that time and the present day was jarring, I feel like the title card should've been there instead to break it up. And just the title card, none of that weirdly glowly, oddly-colored narrative with the bending examples and stuff, it looked so odd

If Katara were a spice, she'd be flour, if she were a book, she'd be two books, where the heck was her fire and spunk and generally just. differentiating traits because I didn't see any and it was so boring to watch her

Like honestly! She didn't have her motherly/parental role thing going on, even in a toned-down way, and she was missing her passion, I just. What else is left

Bumi was scary af man

Lots of the compositing was blurry as shit and it was distracting, probably a lot of newbie, abused comp artists with pay cuts given dneg was working on it

Aang revealing himself all mystically with the intense music, then two seconds later the music stops and he slides down on the ice with a thump made me lol, and I don't think that was the intended reaction

They're in the arctic and you can't see anyone's breath, why is that, tell me

Suki removes her makeup in like 2.4 seconds without missing a single bit of it, teach me your ways gurll

Momo is actually cute and not a demon, praise raava

The fire nation armor is pretty brutal, the shoulder pads are like obvious cardboard that isn't even trying to look like metal (I still can't really tell if it's supposed to be metal? That's not a good thing fam)

Way too much exposition and 'telling, not showing', some of the convos dragged on for wayyy too long

The fox thing was unnecessary, but I liked Yue's added motivation to help Aang as well as her people

What the f did they do to Azula, the foundations of her character are totally different from the og show and she barely even feels like a villain. Some of her lines about being inadequate or 'not good enough' felt really contrived too

Lots of strange cuts and camera work, more than a few times there was a person talking and the camera was looking at their waist or something else for no reason lol, and there wasn't an establishing shot when there needed to be, so things were just disorientating a lot of the time

Lots of things happened but the show just. didn't give any time for them to marinate. Sokka telling Aang he abandoned his people, he knew it, blah blah in one of the early episodes? It's poignant but it lasts like five seconds before the scene totally changes, I got major whiplash, fam

The lion roaring sound effect every time someone firebent, please stop I beg

Azula being defiant was interesting and the lightning scene was cool but I still miss Daddy's Pet Azula

Sokka screaming on Appa was funny

My favourite scene was probably the dude going 'but we're the forty-first!' and Iroh telling them, 'and you're all alive because of his sacrifice'. Like dang that hit hard and I loved it. I liked how they added that

Avatar Roku was like ?? um. I know he and Sozin were goofballs but cmon man

The shots with Koh capturing Sokka and Katara were cheesy as shit especially with the sound effects lmao, it looked like horror movie jumpscares from a b-movie

Some of the acting was hammier than a ham sandwich. Even Zhao gave me that impression at times especially with the dang spirit fish scene

Pippinpaddleopsicopolis the third

I know they had to condense a crap ton of episodes, but it really felt like the show was just checking off boxes at times instead of (like I said earlier) letting anything marinate

The opening scene with the earthbending and firebending was cool, it's a shame the rest of the show didn't live up to that

The bending vfx looked good. The choreography did feel a bit disconnected though, and not as martial arty as I would've liked

I felt like I could blatantly see some of the reasons the og creators left the show

Grumps tbh I'd give it like 4/10.

[koffeewithkxyupid]

Wicked Review

Wicked has arrived and it’s nothing short of a sweet oz spellbinding masterpiece. Directed by John M Chu with precision and heart, the film delivers on every front, leaving audiences enchanted, entertained, and eagerly awaiting Part 2, set to release next year. The storyline delves into the origins of Glinda (or Galinda) the Good and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, exploring their complex relationship and the events that shaped their destinies. With humor, drama, and poignant moments, Wicked manages to weave a narrative that’s both familiar and fresh. The direction masterfully balances epic musical sequences with intimate character-driven scenes, giving fans a deeper understanding of Oz’s beloved and feared witches. The casting is a stroke of genius. Ariana Grande shines as Glinda, infusing the character with charm, wit, and her iconic vocals. She truly embodies the "good witch" while adding her own unique flair. Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba is nothing short of magnificent—her powerful presence and emotional depth make her character both heartbreaking and triumphant.

Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero is a standout, bringing charisma and complexity to the role. Fans of Bridgerton will be delighted to see him excel yet again in a different genre. The chemistry between the leads is electric, enhancing every scene they share. The music is the beating heart of Wicked, and it delivers goosebumps at every turn. From Dancing Through Life to Defying Gravity, the performances are pitch-perfect. The choreography is dynamic and visually captivating, seamlessly blending with the stunning set designs and vibrant costumes.

Speaking of visuals, the production design is a feast for the eyes. The world of Oz comes alive with breathtaking sets, intricate costumes, and dazzling effects that transport viewers to a magical realm. Every detail, from Glinda’s shimmering pink gowns to the dark and moody aesthetics surrounding Elphaba, feels thoughtfully crafted. Wicked lives up to its legacy as a beloved musical, delivering a cinematic experience that’s both grand and intimate. With its talented cast, stunning visuals, and unforgettable music, it’s a 10/10 for me. Fans of the stage production and newcomers alike will find themselves captivated by the magic of Wicked. Spoiler Alert : I screamed when Indina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth made a cameo and blessed us with their vocals. Be sure to take a box of tissues! That's all for now * toss toss *

[bollywoodirect]

Celebrating 58 Years of Teesri Manzil: A Timeless Bollywood Classic (21/10/1966).

Teesri Manzil (1966), directed by Vijay Anand and produced by Nasir Hussain, is a classic Bollywood musical mystery. Released on 21 October 1966, it stars Shammi Kapoor and Asha Parekh, with Helen and Prem Chopra in supporting roles. The film became a huge box office success, especially for its unforgettable music by R.D. Burman, marking his first major breakthrough in Hindi cinema.

Known for its thrilling mystery, tight storytelling, and superb performances, Teesri Manzil is ranked among the top 25 must-watch Bollywood films by Indiatimes Movies. Its soundtrack, featuring Mohammed Rafi’s voice and hit songs like "Aaja Aaja" and "Oh Haseena Zulfon Waali," was a major highlight. The film’s musical brilliance and dance sequences, especially with Helen, set new trends.

The film’s emotional depth is reflected in the song "Tumne Mujhe Dekha," which was shot while Shammi Kapoor was mourning the death of his wife, Geeta Bali. His poignant performance in this scene added a layer of realism to the film.

Despite the DVD versions running for 145 minutes, compared to the original 175-minute theater cut, Teesri Manzil continues to be a fan favorite, now available uncut on YouTube and streaming on ZEE5.