#a family by choice ep 7

[fake-married-my-dead-fiance]

Dal, you are so cute

[2-years-of-kp]

Happy two years of KinnPorsche The Series and welcome to this year's anniversary event!

In celebration of the show and us as a fandom, this event will host prompts and a rewatch, so we can enjoy the show once more, and to encourage creativity and new creations for its second anniversary. Starting from April 9th, the event will run across 28 days; dedicating two days to each episode and one prompt pair as listed below.

Any and all creations are welcome! You don't have to follow the prompts, they are just here to give you some inspiration if you'd like.

Make sure to use the tag #kpanniversary2024 on any anniversary-related posts so we can reblog them to this blog and feel free to add your writing to the Kinnporsche Two Year Anniversary collection on AO3 as well!

Got any questions? Feel free to send an ask!

REWATCH SCHEDULE

Apr 9-10: Episode 1

Apr 11-12: Episode 2

Apr 13-14: Episode 3

Apr 15-16: Episode 4

Apr 17-18: Episode 5

Apr 19-20: Episode 6

Apr 21-22: Episode 7

Apr 23-24: Episode 8

Apr 25-26: Episode 9

Apr 27-28: Episode 10

Apr 29-30: Episode 11

May 1-2: Episode 12

May 3-4: Episode 13

May 5-6: Episode 14

PROMPTS

List 1: Your Favourites

Ep 1 - Apr 9-10: Favourite Main Character

Ep 2 - Apr 11-12: Favourite Supporting Character

Ep 3 - Apr 13-14: Favourite Episode

Ep 4 - Apr 15-16: Favourite Location/Set

Ep 5 - Apr 17-18: Underrated Character

Ep 6 - Apr 19-20: Favourite Romantic Relationship

Ep 7 - Apr 21-22: Favourite Platonic/Familial Relationship

Ep 8 - Apr 23-24: Favourite Scene

Ep 9 - Apr 25-26: Favourite Outfit

Ep 10 - Apr 27-28: Underrated Ship

Ep 11 - Apr 29-30: Favourite Family

Ep 12 - May 1-2: Favourite Parallel

Ep 13 - May 3-4: Underrated Quote

Ep 14 - May 5-6: Your Choice!

List 2: Your Interpretation

Ep 1 - Apr 9-10: Fate

Ep 2 - Apr 11-12: Misfit

Ep 3 - Apr 13-14: Heroes

Ep 4 - Apr 15-16: Tension

Ep 5 - Apr 17-18: Regret

Ep 6 - Apr 19-20: Comfort

Ep 7 - Apr 21-22: Heist

Ep 8 - Apr 23-24: Haunting

Ep 9 - Apr 25-26: Trust

Ep 10 - Apr 27-28: Manipulate

Ep 11 - Apr 29-30: Villains

Ep 12 - May 1-2: Identity

Ep 13 - May 3-4: Secrets

Ep 14 - May 5-6: Legacy

RULES AND GUIDELINES

Any kind of creations (fics, drabbles, fanart, edits, gifs, videos, etc.) are welcome!

Use the tag #kpanniversary2024 so your creation can be reblogged to this blog.

Be respectful of other people; this event is no space for negativity.

Mature and NSFW content is welcome, but must be tagged properly - both on Tumblr and on AO3.

Feel free to skip days, only participate for one day, etc. however you like!

You can participate in the prompts, the rewatch or both - it is up to you!

Late submissions are allowed.

One prompt or a combination of both prompts can be used, and all prompts are open to personal interpretation.

Multiple creations per prompt/prompt pair are welcome!

You do not have to follow the prompts, any creations during the course of the event are welcome.

Since this event is meant to celebrate the show itself, no actor content or behind the scenes content will be reblogged.

DISCLAIMER

This event has drawn inspiration from the previous year's anniversary event, as well as Kinnporsche Week in 2022.

Happy creating!

[piratekane]

A post-ep piece from ep. 7 of Agatha All Along, Death's Hand In Mine (aired October 23, 2024) below the cut!

Death comes for Lilia, softened at the edges.

No, not Death. Rio. Rio, face rounded in sympathy, so unlike the vision in the tunnels. She smiles and it’s warm, caring. In all the dreams Lilia had about Death, it was never a face she recognized, never a face so open and kind. But as reality leaks away, she thinks: maybe this is a face I’ve seen before. Maybe I’ve been seeing this face my whole life.

“Did you take Alice?”

Alice. Her coven sister. Protector. The Knight of Wands. Lilia hopes she was held, helped. And Rio, that softness still etched across her face, nods silently. Lilia exhales, some of the pressure in her chest easing away.

“And Jen? Teen?” She pauses. “Agatha?”

She doesn’t imagine the slight flinch on Rio’s face. She can see now. Everything. All threads. All motes in the air. All flecks of want in Death’s eyes.

“They will face the road,” Rio finally says. “I will be there if they are ready.”

Lilia hopes—if, if they fail, if the road swallows them whole—that Death is kind to them. That Death comes in a soft green shawl like the one she’s wearing now, a flower in her hand and a warmth in her eyes. They deserve that. Jen. Teen. Even Agatha deserves a moment where the world stops pushing at her. If only she would stop pushing back.

But they are her coven. They are her family. She sacrificed for them, gave them a way forward and stayed behind to seal the path from the danger she could control. And she would do it again. It’s probably why Death comes to her as Rio, a kindness for a kindness. The choice she was always destined to make. All roads led to this Road, led to these people, and for the first time in centuries, she had something worth losing.

They are her coven. Death will not take that away from her.

“I’m ready.” She declares it with a strength that she thinks has always been there, just dampened for so long.

Rio smiles, a slight sharpness in the corners before it’s gone, and offers her hand. “Then let’s walk, witch.”

Witch. She loves the sound of that.

Lilia takes her hand and the world shifts into muted colors that stretch as far as she can see. At the end, something sparkles. She knows that place, the face at the end of the tunnel. Hope blooms in her chest as the picture takes shape. She feels herself running, body shifting as she goes, and it becomes easier. The air tastes sweeter. The sun is shining.

Rio’s hand slips from hers and she feels weightless, but tethered to a moment in time—a first in a long while.

She doesn’t hear the goodbye. Death whispers it still.

[blorbologist]

S3 eps 7-9 thoughts below the cut

This is all fresh after the episode and I gotta be up in a couple hours so it won't be fully thought out but...

I love a lot of the creative choices being made! But I think many weren't implemented well, or balanced nicely.

Just! as someone who has deconstructed Campaign 1 and made deviations to the timeline of events and etc (mind you, without the same goal of condensing things for television… but somehow the show has an equivalent perc'ahlia focus to a ship-centered fic?) I think… I can see several avenues of narrative choices that would strengthen the ideas they're going with instead of weakening them.

(My credentials here are 'almost 300k canon divergent AU that converged on a handful of similar plot points to TLOVM', but also the aims of an AU fanfic =/= that of a show. I understand and respect that challenge the team faced. But when a single amateur can point out issues that would be pretty easy to solve and detract from a very enjoyable experience... there might be a Problem)

Ripley doesn't need a sob story, she's getting a book anyways leave it there. Fully agree with @/aq2003. The whole point is that she's monstrous and evil and got her PhD out of a fucking cereal box. Percy is less like her than he thinks. But he dies and she just??? escapes??? IF Percy had to die without VM being present, having Ripley either die of her wounds right after or be unable to flee and get torn to shreds by them would have been excellent.

On that note - only Vex and Cass seem to show strong emotion about his death. Keyleth's supposed to be his best friend, and he and Grog were close this season, but. Well, not like we have any platonic relationships. Everyone's just Kinda Sad.

MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE OF THE MUSIC OVER PERCY'S DEATH HUH. Flashbacks to watching Vampire Diaries as a teenager and pop songs coming on over the end-of-episode drama.

Again just. All the platonic, non-familial (Pike n Grog count. to me. buddies <3) relationships are so scant, which is especially hard on characters who lean on that so hard! Grog and Keyleth especially are hurt by this. Does Keyleth have a single conversation (not quip, conversation) that isn't with Vax? And in group contexts she only loudly brings up her distrust of Raishan without any of the solid backbone it has in fact. (Also her going from Raishan was right last time we should trust her now / She betrayed us! Knew it! / oh maybe she didn't and I should apologize. girl. come on. please)

I have Concerns about 'late Game of Thrones teleportation' syndrome happening here. Scanlan goes from Wildemount back to Whitestone (which are completely different continents) with no explanation. Kash and Zahra make it to Emon (again, different continent to Issylra) just in the nick of time. Which, sure, would take a couple of days to carve Percy a nice likeness (but you have a druid who can manipulate stone right there), and if Kash and Zahra changed their minds and set out as soon as Vax talked to them they might make it! But uh. There's a lot of transport that's omitted, while the scenes give the impression everything is happening within a short period of time. And a lot of these conversations are one-on-ones with the relevant characters without acknowledging they couldn't be there without magical transport. Where is Allura or Gilmore or Keyleth in the back of these shots twiddling their thumbs 'hey can we teleport to the next person on our HELP US list'?

IDK what's going on with Kash. He's likely gonna be used as a lead-in to Something to rez Percy (and him?) but. That quick buildup of him being too carefree to getting smushed was very transparent and Zahra's grief didn't feel earned (though it WAS baller. yes they made them bleed girl <3).

The fact Vax didn't ask him At All about the resurrection ritual in the Tomb stuns me tho. You think Vax remembered the offhand comment Kash made about the body needing to be warm while his sister was dead? We as an audience could have used a reminder, and Vax too. Because anyone who Doesn't remember this one line from S2 is Extra frustrated at everyone for being stupid.

Raishan or Ripley being moved to be the 'Vox Machina, united, with all their Vestiges' fight is... hmn. You could argue Raishan has solid buildup (what with the cameo in Brimscythe's lair), and it does follow campaign canon. She lacks the devastating power to justify the use of all the Vestiges (tbh given Thordak it might feel like a curbstomp unless her necromantic plans are successful)... but I could see it working. But why the fuck has Ripley escaped A THIRD TIME. Percy even duped her twice! How many times are we gonna do that song and dance?

If anything, I'd have moved some Ripley stuff here. If she escapes so be it but VM putting the fate of the world on hold to avenge their friend, THEN have Percy be back for Thordak, would be tasty.

... wait does this mean Percy might not have Cabal's Ruin by the final dragon fight of the season? ffs-

DID NO ONE LOOT CABAL'S RUIN FROM THE FACTORY.

Thordak fight was baller, having all our NPCs there to worry about? a bit much. Cass why are you here. Go home before Whitestone loses its last de Rolo.

Also. Thordak my dude I know you're insane. mad even. but uh... you sent your children into battle. A TON have already died by the time you sadly nuzzle the hatchlings. This was kinda your fault. There's a reason animals don't send their babies into combat. then again you're a large reptile who talks about milk so what do I, a reptile researcher, know -

(Don't give me that crap about reptiles being bad parents we have several snakes who require maternal attendance after birth or they're Asocial Weirdos, crocodilians are VERY goo parents, and there are social lizards too.)

'fix him - FIX HIM' being gutted fucking killed me :c

I sure hope Pike's 'IT'S ME' was uh. about faith in herself. Not abandoning the god she spent all of S1 figuring out how to devote herself to. While wearing the Vestige associated with another god. the vestige that explicitly made this possible and not a nuke fire falls u all die tpk. haha. ha. (@/burr-ell)

Yes yes yes I know the voiceover and visuals fill in for 'I hear my mother in the morning. Fuck you'. but. idk. Felt like the grief of that moment was taken out of it? Also it's a banger line

Raishan's little killsteal attempt being bumped from Vorugal to Thordak was tasty! Go green girl go! ... except it did nothing but set up a few quiet moments before she turned on everyone again.

The amount of times I'm seeing things happen Again in this is... not great.

Glintshore is Not Glinting. Where is my broken glass difficult terrain?

Perc'ahlia arc fuckin impeccable tho. Delicious

And Pike got lots of fun and stunning moments so far! And Grog takin down the lair!

I love a lot of this though. The hallucination gas. Percy vs Ripley in the factory was so cool. Percy downright being Put in a Box for a while. VEX'S CONVERSATION WITH SYLDOR!!! SO MUCH!! Her being the leader and feeling so responsible for all this, and seeing herself become her father! ELAINA BACKSTORY! Scanlan leaving the party only to miss Kaylie too! Thordak being A Dad! Percy's death/Vex's grief being the catalyst for Vaxleth! The animation was fucking stellar - Vax killing Thordak, Percy's death, Pike mastering the Plate.

I don't have concrete thoughts on how I'd restructure the episodes/season (seasons?) to better balance platonic and romantic relationships, and utilize the changes to their fullest potential. But damn if the temptation to do ANOTHER canon divergence rewrite / exploration of cause and effect to make things hit a bit more nicely... make myself a challenge to only use X amount of scenes per episode/chapter, to try and match the difficulty of adapting this to television... idk

[thesunfyre4446]

84 years ago i've promised an alicent and rhaenyra post, and i've finally got around into making it.

so book!rhaenyra and alicent is not that complicated. alicent was fine with rhaenyra when she thought that viserys will name their firstborn son heir, and when that wasn't the case they started beefing & despised each other.

the show's decision of making them former friends is actually a good choice. it adds depth and tragedy into their relationship & makes the entire conflict more personal. instead of the stepmother x stepdaughter dynamic we get 2 childhood friends, destined to become enemies.

young!rhaenyra and alicent arc was actually really good. alicent got married to viserys and tried to mend her relationship with an angry rhaenyra. and just when things were getting better the realization that things can never go back to the way they were & they were destined to become enemies = alicent becoming the green queen & the rivalry truly begins.

and that's where... thing got... messy

because in ep 6 we see alicent and rhaenyra fighting. they seem to hate each other & constantly trying to undermine each other. then we get to ep 7 & driftmark, and we all expected that from that moment on we will get book!alicent and rhaenyra rivalry and hatred. but no? all of the sudden, one dinner and they're friends again?

i'm sorry... what?

and then alicent refuses to hurt rhaenyra and her family, rhaenyra's crying over a piece of paper (i was with daemon going "the fuck is this") rhaenyra shocked over alicent's betrayal & both women do not want to hurt each other.

so, you're telling me that after driftmark - after rhaenyra wanted to have alicent's maimed son tortured & tried to get alicent accused of high treason and after alicent demanded luke's eye these women feel anything but hatred towards each other?

you're telling me that alicent - who has spent the entire show believing that her children's lives will be in danger if rhaenyra became queen suddenly goes "you'll make a good queen" (again, i was with otto giving her the side-eye because GURL) one dinner is apparently all it takes to fix 20 years of rivalry and hatred?

and that's the problem. the show doesn't seem to be able to tell the difference between "friendship" and "relationship". rhaenyra and alicent's relationship can still be the center of the show even if they are enemies. even if they're no longer friends. look at magnificent century, hurrem and mahidevran's rivalry is the center of the show & it's very clear that these two women were forced into becoming enemies and that the real villain is the sultan.

hotd wants to force the "friendship" narrative on the show, but they still have to stick to certain book canon events, so it comes off very forced and unnatural. they're unwilling to let these 2 women become enemies, so they take their agency and give it to otto and daemon. otto and daemon are the ones who want war, rhaenyra and alicent just want to go back into being friends :( look at this page from ep 1 that you've prob forgotten all about!

they literally have to sacrifice their agency. because alicent being the leader of the green council & rhaenyra being the one wanting to go to war against the people who took away the crown she was promised doesn't fit the "friendship" narrative. so let's make alicent unaware of everything & rhaenyra doesn't even want to go to war :( it's all daemon and otto and the eViL mEn. it's honestly such a disservice to their characters. they're stripped of their ambition and agency for the sake of forcing their "friendship".

and the thing that truly made me lose hope is ryan saying that "there's still hope".

my dude.

from the first moment we see the girl. from that first scene where they're sitting under the tree - there was no hope. there was never hope. they're doomed.

[mikuni14]

Century of Love - Ep 7

Wow, what an episode, WOW! I'll be honest, I was actually pretty worried about this episode for one reason and one reason only: that San would be confused, lost, and worst of all: torn between Vee and New Wat. You have no idea how relieved I am that San was 100% with Vee the whole time. Even the scene of him comforting Wat at the beginning, I took it as his natural protective and comforting instincts kicking in, rather than him "connecting" with New Wat.

San was of course confused and worried about this whole mess, which is absolutely understandable, but not enough to overshadow his feelings - he was sure of them. That's the best thing ever 💯

Why I love this episode:

I cried for about 80% of the time

Neither San nor Vee did anything stupid, weird, unpleasant that would affect how much I like them (and I was really afraid of it ngl)

San didn't give in to pressure from Vee, family, Wat, the stone or FATE. I really liked the scene at the beginning when Vee runs away, begs him to let him go, pulls away, and San holds him tight, doesn't let go, doesn't give up. Likewise, after Vee's confession, he still goes to him, he's still open to Vee and if it weren't for his weakness and fainting, he would definitely go after him again

I really liked how he treats Juu, how he apologized to her for causing her problems and stress

I like that San quickly gets his shit together, makes decisions quickly without wallowing in self-pity, constant pondering, questioning and indecisiveness

I like the portrayal of Vee's absolute despair and frenzy related to his grandmother's condition. That's actually rare. Also, how he makes bad decisions under the influence of that despair. I like that he repeats the actions of the equally desperate, scared and mourning San from 100 years ago

I like the classic juxtaposition from fairy tales: true love is sincere, noble, ready to make sacrifices "I'd rather leave/die, as long as my beloved lives", juxtaposed with fake love that slanders, undermines trust, ingratiates itself, fights dirty. It's also interesting that San paid so much attention to Wat's nobility and kindness and how he judged Vee when he met him, and yet his heart chooses a noble person again - Vee, even if his eyes see someone with Wat's face. Classic 🤩

of course I love that San does what I've been saying from the beginning: he chooses Vee as Vee and even said it himself! San chose Vee even when put in front of someone who looks like Wat and has her memories. San makes a free choice, he falls in love with a specific person. Once it was Wat, now it's Vee.

I also love the protectiveness shown in this episode: San is protective of Vee and his family, Vee is protective of San and his grandmother, San's family is protective of him and Vee (that's why his "betrayal" hurt them so much), Ton and Trai are protective of Vee…

The whole truth about San's feelings was shown in his reaction when the stone lit up for Vee, and when it lit up for New/Fake Wat. And how he reacts physically to Vee and Wat, sometimes even in the same scene (like pushing her away and being gentle with Vee). You can't fake that. Also, after seeing Wat after 100 years of waiting, the first thing San did was go to Vee and hug him 🥺 He kept asking him to stay, he held him in his sleep, as if he was afraid he would leave..

I just... I love them so much. For all the emotions they give me, for how wonderful and human they are. For how much they love each other and how much they are willing to do for each other.

"I don't want San to die as well. Even though I won't be with him. But I will see him live his life. Be happy with the person he loves. This is enough?" "So a person like me would love him? A bad person like me?" 💔 "I LOVE VEE FOR VEE"

[valkerieccfinds]

The Paranormal Paths Legacy Challenge

By SilverPhoenix42 aka me & @streetrabbit42

Needed Packs: EP: Life & Death, Island Living, Discover University, Lovestruck, Seasons, Eco Lifestyle, City Living (OPTIONAL) GP: Realm of Magic, Werewolves, Vampires, Outdoor Retreat SP: Paranormal Optional Mods: MC Command Center, Spinning Plumbob’s Expanded Plantsims, Spinning Plumbob’s Expanded Mermaids

Generation 1: Human

As an average hopeless romantic, you are searching for that one special person. The one who will make the relationship feel magical. As it turns out, that person is not human. 

Aspiration: Soulmate OR Romantic Explorer

Traits: Romantic, Outgoing, [Your Choice]

Max Skills: Romance, Charisma

Career: Romance Consultant

Rules:

Marry a spellcaster

Have at least 1 child

Generation 2: Spellcaster

Your parents met and fell in love, and with how perfect they seem together, you thought you’d never find that for yourself. Well, you didn’t. But you found someone truly out-of-this-world.

Aspiration: Spellcraft & Sorcery OR Purveyor of Potions

Traits: Bookworm, Goofball, [Your Choice]

Max Skills: Herbalism, Logic

Career: Gardener - Botanist Branch OR Education - Professor Branch

Rules:

Must meet and have a baby with an alien

Must have 1 at least somewhat-alien child

Generation 3: Alien

Your parents weren’t quite the picture-perfect romance, but you had your dog. Your new partner gets along great with your furry friend!

Aspiration: Renaissance Sim OR Academic

Traits: Clumsy, Geek, [Your Choice]

Max Skills: Handiness, Logic

Career: Freelance Programmer OR Business - Either Branch

Rules:

Must marry a werewolf

Must have at least 1 werewolf child

Must adopt a dog and have one when they meet their spouse

Generation 4: Werewolf

Growing up you always loved bathtime, and it seems your partner does, too. For different reasons.

Aspiration: Emissary of the Collective OR Wildfang Renegade

Traits: Self-Assured, Outgoing, [Your Choice]

Max Skills: Charisma, Fitness

Career: Politician - Either Branch OR Criminal - Either Branch (Respectively depending on the aspiration you choose)

Rules:

Date or Marry a Mermaid

Have at least 1 mermaid child

Generation 5: Mermaid

Your romance isn’t as fantastical as your parents’ are, but it’s good enough. You were more like best friends than lovers. That’s why it didn’t quite work out.

Aspiration: Beach Life

Traits: Bro, Loves Outdoors, [Your Choice]

Max Skills: Mixology, Wellness

Career: Culinary - Mixology Branch OR Conservationist - Marine Biologist Branch

Rules:

Meet and have a child with a vampire

Break up with Vampire

Must have at least 1 vampire child

Generation 6: Vampire

You never had many relationships, but this one person was always special to you.

Aspiration: Vampire Family, Good Vampire, Master Vampire (Your Choice)

Traits: Genius, Perfectionist, [Your Choice]

Max Skills: Robotics, Programming

Career: Engineer - Mechanical Engineer Branch OR Self-Employed Inventor*

Rules:

*Build stuff and sell them off however you want

(HUMAN GEN)

You can’t have relationships higher than acquaintance expect for ONE romantic relationship that they marry

Must have at least ONE child

Either your child must be born human, or you must make a vampire antidote for the child

(OPTIONAL SERVO GEN)

You can’t have relationships higher than acquaintance

Must build a Servo as your heir

(OPTIONAL PLANTSIM GEN)

You can’t have relationships higher than acquaintance, OR you may only have one romantic relationship

Adopt a child or you must make a vampire antidote for your child

Generation 7: Servo (Optional - Requires Discover University)

You were your creator’s pride and joy. They loved you like their child, so you wanted to spread that love.

Aspiration: Serial Romantic OR Paragon Partner

Traits: Lovebug, Neat, [Your Choice]

Max Skills: Robotics, Programming AND/OR a musical skill

Career: Business - Either Branch OR Tech Guru - Either Branch

Rules:

Adopt a child or (if you have to partners of the opposite sex) those two can have a child

Depending on the  Aspiration: If Serial Romantic, they can only date. If Paragon Partner, You have to marry one of your partners, but have at least two partners live with you

(PLANTSIM GEN)

Max out the Gardening skill, obtain the magic beans, and get the Fruit of the Plantsim for your child

If you chose Paragon Partner aspiration, one of the partners can take on the gardening challenge

Or cheat, I do not care if you choose to make your life easier.

(HUMAN GEN)

No specific Rules

Generation 8: Plant Sim (Optional)

Your parent(s) always cared for you deeply, doing whatever they could to help you reach your dreams. You wanted to give a child as many opportunities as you had.

Aspiration: Eco Innovator

Traits: Vegetarian, Loyal, [Your Choice]

Max Skills: Gardening, Fishing

Career: Civil Designer - Either Branch OR Gardener - Botanist Branch

Rules:

Marry a Human

Have or Adopt a Human Child

Generation 9: Human

Your parent(s) were always very generous and attentive, but also quite lax, so you could do just about whatever you wanted. You made some interesting choices with your life, and look where it got you.

Aspiration: You Choose

Traits: Chased by Death, [Your Choice], [Your Choice]

Max Skills: Medium and Piano OR Pipe Organ OR Violin

Career: Achieve level 6 of any career

Rules:

Can NOT complete their bucket list

Can only complete up to 2 bucket list objectives before you die

Die as a Young Adult (you can choose how they die)

Either complete your aspiration before dying, or give up on it after death

Generation 10: Ghost

You got to do almost everything you wanted with your life. But there was plenty that was left unfinished. Now as a ghost, you can do more than you could in life, and want to use it to your full advantage.

Aspiration: Ghost Historian

Max Skills: Thanatology, Mischief

Career: Unemployed

Rules:

After dying, you must complete your bucket list (all 8 items)

Play your chosen instrument in the middle of the night

Choose a spirit route and lean into it. Go full on crazy with your choice

If you’re good, be a very helpful and nice ghost

If you’re evil, making their lives hell.

When done with this gen, feel free to Reincarnate and do what-the-fuck-ever you want

If you Reincarnate, feel free to re-play through these Gens and choose the other options!

[absolutebl]

Began Beginning - Myanmar's first BL 

Not So Quick Pitch (or is it a pitch?)

Cause I got a lot of thoughts

8 eps 25 min ea YouTube

Began Beginning feels very much like a first timers BL. Which it pretty much is. There’s a lot of explaining and info dumping and information that we really don’t need about the characters (or the family) especially in the first couple of episodes.

Here's your hlepful breakdown:

Mani = main boy workaholic, probably gay, acts ace 

Hlyan = cute flirty bestie, smoker, closeted gay (for good reason) in love with Mani (becomes main character about 3/4 way through) 

Walar = openly gay visitor recovering from a breakup who enters their codependent dynamic and things happen as a result

Thae = Mani & Hlyan’s other bestie, trans 

I was tempted to say this reminded me of early Vietnamese BL, but in actuality what it reminded me of most was the stuff we got from way back in the early 2000's out of Hong Kong, or more recently from the Philippines (I'm thinking about something like The Boy Foretold by the Stars).

There is a grungy sticky authenticity to these works, of which Began Beginning is now a part. They have their own tarnished charm. For all their hiccups in storytelling and absurdities, there is an almost documentary feel to them, partly as a result of the inferior quality of production and filming (which is entirely economic). But that itself also somehow adds to the appeal.

This kind of BL is entirely the opposite of something out of Korea or GMMTV. And if you like that BL best, you aren't gonna like this product. But as much as KBL wins top ranks from me pretty consistently these days, sometimes I enjoy this kind of BL too.

The range itself keeps the genre vibrant and healthy.

So what is Began Beginning about?

Childhood best friends must come to terms with their own identities and true feelings for each other when a new boy comes to town, putting them into conflict with their families and ultimately, each other.

For the first half of this show there’s a lot of sitting across from each other and talking about life choices over yummy food and then going to tourist spots (mildly boring and not particularly important to the plot). 

It changed tone about 2/3 in to be way more of a coming out family drama about forced marriages and homophobia.

And then at the very end it changed again, becoming a full on soap opera with kidnapping, crazy characterization shifts, and rescue missions.

All in all? It was a wild raw creature to consume as a binge. No kisses since this is Myanmar, but a very romantic end, so I think maybe actually worth your time? I'm certainly glad I watched it.

Recommended with lots of reservations but great respect. I’m going with a 7/10.

There is a particularly important part at the end when Hlyan talks about asking Thae to dress him as a girl to see if he was third gender because he had these feels for another boy. And how unpleasant that made him feel. I thought it was hugely impactful as a window into the boxes same sex loves in modern society forces upon us. No matter what options our culture provides for us, if the boxes are limited we feel limited too. Also, drawing a distinction between gender identity and sexual identity. Lovely bit of storytelling.

(see comments, turns out this is not the first one)

(source)

[sillypenguinwitch]

isaac's books in heartstopper s2

episode 1:

Tillie Walden: I Love This Part

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé: Ace of Spades

episode 2:

Nina LaCour: We Are Okay

Oscar Wilde: The Importance of Being Earnest

episode 3:

Ocean Vuong: Night Sky with Exit Wounds (the one he is carrying under his arm, I'm assuming that's his and not for the display?)

has read: Ritch C. Savin-Williams: Bi: Bisexual, Pansexual, Fluid, and Nonbinary Youth

Emily Henry: Book Lovers

episode 4:

Victor Hugo: Les Misérables

Antoine De Saint-Exupéry: The Little Prince

Kate Chopin: The Awakening

Nina LaCour: We Are Okay (again)

episode 5:

Albert Camus: The Outsider

episode 6:

Martin Handford: Where's Wally? The Great Picture Hunt

Meredith Russo: Birthday

Jules Verne: Around the World in Eighty Days

Sara Pennypacker: Pax Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan, Caroline de Maigret, Sophie Mas: How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are ? ? ? Damian Dibben: The Color Storm Alice Oseman: Loveless Susan Stokes-Chapman: Pandora Katy Hessel: The Story of Art Without Men ? Evelyn Waugh: Rossetti Arthur Conan Doyle: The Hound of the Baskervilles A.O. Scott: Better Living Through Criticism ?: Then We Came to an End (?) Ruth Millington: Muse Dr. Jaqui Lewis: Fierce Love Charlotte Van Den Broek: Bold Ventures - Thirteen Tales of Architectural Tragedy ?

Richard Siken: Crush

episode 7:

Garrard Conley: Boy Erased

George Matthew Johnson: All Boys Aren't Blue

Samra Habib: We Have Always Been Here

episode 8:

Akemi Dawn Bowman: Summer Bird Blue

Angela Chen: Ace

bonus:

Truham school library pride display (seen in ep. 3 and 8):

top to bottom, left to right: Angela Chen: Ace Andrew Holleran: The Kingdom of Sand Mary Jean Chan and Andrew McMillan: 100 Queer Poems Scott Stuart: My Shadow Is Pink Lotte Jeffs: My Magic Family Tucker Shaw: When You Call My Name Ritch C. Savin-Williams: Bi - Pansexual, Fluid, Nonbinary and Fluid Youth Alok Vaid-Menon: Beyond the Gender Binary George M. Johnson: All Boys Aren’t Blue Mason Deaver: I Wish You All the Best Alex Gino: George Melissa

on top of shelves (left to right): Kevin Van Whye: Nate Plus One Xixi Tian: This Place is Still Beautiful Becky Albertalli: Leah on the Offbeat Mya-Rose Craig: Birdgirl Bernardine Evaristo: Girl, Woman, Other Connie Glynn: Princess Ever After Saundra Mitchell: The Prom

Charlie's choice at Shakespeare and Co (ep. 6): Allan Hollinghurst: The Swimming Pool Library

That's it for now.

Sorry about the ones i couldn't identify and sorry if i missed any! Might try and do some of the ones in Isaac's room later but that'll take a minute

[majorhortonisonleaveinlondon]

An updated (December 20, 2024 9:02pm pst) list of WW2 movies and TV shows in chronological order

thought out WW2 -(Imitation Game 2014) -(The Book Thief 2013) -(The Zookeeper’s Wife 2017) -(The Pianist 2002)

1937

October 26, 1937 Defence of Sihang Warehouse (The Eight Hundred 2020)

December 13, 1937 Nanjing Massacre - (John Rabe 2009) - (The Flowers of War 2011)

1938

Fall of 1938 (Munich – The Edge of War 2022)

1939

Summer 1939 (Six Minutes to Midnight 2020)

September 3, 1939 King George VI first wartime speech (King’s Speech 2010)

September 17, 1939, Soviet Union Invitation of Poland (The Way Back 2010)

November 30, 1939 Soviet Union invades Finland (The Winter War 1989)

1940

April 9, 1940 Operation Weserübung -(April 9th [movie] 2015) -(King’s Choice 2016) -(Narvik 2022) -(War Sailors 2023)

April 27, 1940 (Into the White 2011)

June 4, 1940 -Churchill gives “We Shall Fight on the Beaches” speech (Darkest Hour 2017) -Dunkirk Evaluation (Dunkirk 2017)

July 10-October 31, 1940 Battle of Britain (Battle of Britain 1969)

1941

May 1941 (Call to Spy 2019)

June 22, 1941 Operation Barbarossa -(Fortress of War [The Brest Fortres 2010) -(Defiance 2008)

September 8, 1941, Siege of Leningrad begins. -(Battle of Leningrad [Saving Leningrad] 2019) -(Leningrad 2009)

October 1941 Battle of Moscow (The Last Frontier [The Final Stand] 2020)

October 1941 Battle of Sevastopol (Battle for Sevastopol 2015)

December 7, 1941, the Empire of Japan attacks Pearl Harbor (Tora! Tora! Tora! 1970)

December 8, 1941 Japan invades Shanghai International Settlement (Empire of the Sun 1987)

1942

January 20, 1942, Wannsee Conference (Conspiracy 2001)

February 1942 Battle of the Atlantic (Greyhound 2020)

February 1942 (The Railway Man 2013)

February 19, 1942, Bombing of Darwin (Australia 2008)

Spring 1942 (U-571 2000)

April 18, 1942 The Doolittle Raid (In Harm’s Way 2018)

June 4, 1942 Battle of Midway (Midway 2019)

1942 Summer Occupation of Jersey Island (Another Mother’s Son 2017 Prime)

July, 10 1942 Easy Company Trains in Camp Tocca (Band of Brothers 01x10 Currahee 2001)

July 21, 1942, Kokoda Track Campaign (Kokoda: 39th Battalion 2006)

August 7, 1942, 1st Marine Division land on Guadalcanal (The Pacific Ep. 1 Guadalcanal/Leckie 2010)

August 19, 1942, Dieppe Raid (Dieppe 1993)

August 23, 1942 Battle of Stalingrad begins (Stalingrad 1993)

September 1942 Formation of Troop 30 (Age of Heroes 2011)

September 18, 1942, 7th Marines Land on Guadalcanal (The Pacific Ep. 2 Basilone 2010)

Autumn of 1942 Battle of the Atlantic (Das Boot 1981)

October 18, 1942, Operation Grouse (Heavy Water War Ep. 2 2015)

November 8, 1942, Operation Torch (The Big Red One 1980)

November 10-17 1942 Vasily Zaytsev kills 225 German Soldiers during the Battle of Stalingrad (Enemy at the Gates 2001)

December 1942 The 1st Marine Division on Guadalcanal is relieved (The Pacific Ep. 3 Melbourne 2010)

December 15, 1942, Battle of Mount Austen (Thin Red Line 1998)

1943

March 13-14 1943, liquidation of the Kraków Ghetto -(Schindler’s List 1993)

April 17, 1943 Operation Mincemeat (Operation Mincemeat 2021)

April 19, 1943, beginning of the Warsaw Uprising (Uprising 2001)

May 4, 1943, Final Mission of The Memphis Bell (Memphis Bell 1990)

May 15, 1943, Salamo Arouch and his family arrive in Auschwitz Concentration Camp (Triumph of the Spirit 1989)

May 27, 1943 Louis Zamperini plane crashes on a search and rescue mission (Unbroken 2014)

May 30, 1943 first All-American Girls Professional Baseball League game played (A League of Their Own 1992)

June 25, 1943, 100th Bomb Group flew its first 8th Air Force combat mission (Master of the Air: Part One 2024)

July 1943 -(The Tuskegee Airmen 1995) -(The Liberator Ep. 1 2020) -(Heavy Water War Ep. 5 2015)

July 16, 1943, The 100th Bomb Group bombed U-Boats in Tronbhdim (Masters of the Air: Part Two 2024)

August 17, 1943 the 4th Bomb Wing of the 100th Bomb Group bombed Regenberg (Masters of the Air: Part Three 2024)

September 16, 1943, William Quinn and Charles Bailey leave Belgium (Masters of the Air: Part Four 2024)

September 18, 1943 John ‘Bucky’ Egan returns from leave to join the mission to bomb Munster (Master of the Air: Part Five 2024

October 14, 1943, John ‘Bucky’ Egan interrogated at Dulag Lut, Frankfurt Germany (Masters of the Air: Part Six 2024)

December 26, 1943, 1st Marine Division lands on Cape Gloucester (The Pacific Ep. 4 Gloucester/Pavuvu/Banika 2010)

1944

January 22, 1944, Battle of Anzio -(The Liberator Ep. 2 2020) -(Red Tails 2012) -(Anzio 1968)

February 20, 1944, Hydro Ferry bombing (Heavy Water War Ep. 6 2015)

March 7, 1944, Stalag Luft III Sagan, Germany, Germans find the concealed radio Bucky was using to learn news of the War (Master of the Air: Part Seven 2024)

March 24/25, 1944 Allied Mass Escape of Stalag Luft III (The Great Escape 1963)

June 1944 (Cross of Iron 1977)

June 6, 1944, 00:48 & 01:40 First airborne troops begin to land on Normandy (Band of Brothers 02x10 Day of Days 2001)

June 6, 1944, 06:30 D-Day landings -(Storming Juno 2010)

-(Saving Private Ryan 1998)

June 10, 1944, Easy Company Takes Carentan (Band of Brothers 03x10 Carentan 2001)

June 15-July 9, 1944 Battle of Saipan

-(Windtalkers 2002)

-(Oba: The Last Samurai 2011)

July, 1944 The Monuments Men land in Normandy (The Monuments Men 2014)

July 20, 1944 Operation Valkyrie (Valkyrie 2008)

August 12, 1944, The 332nd Fighter Group attack Radar stations in Southern France (Masters of the Air: Part Eight 2024)

September 15, 1944, U.S. Marines landed on Peleliu at 08:32 (the Pacific Ep. 5 2010)

September 16, 1944, U.S Marines take Peleliu Airfield (the Pacific Ep. 5 2010)

September 17, 1944, Operation Market Garden

-(Band of Brothers 04x10 Replacements 2001)

-(A Bridge Too Far 1977)

October 2, 1944 Battle of Scheldt (Forgotten Battle 2021)

October 12, 1944, Battle of Peleliu, Assault on Bloody Nose Ridge (the Pacific Ep. 7 Peleliu Hills 2010)

October 13, 1944, Rovaniemi public buildings were destroyed (Sisu 2022)

October 14, 1944, Erwin Rommel is arrested (Rommel 2012 Prime)

October 22/23, 1944, 2100 – 0200 Operation Pegasus (Band of Brothers 05x10 Crossroads 2001)

November 1944 middle of the Battle of Hürtgen Forest (When Trumpets Fade 1998)

December 16, 1944, Battle of the Bulge (Band of Brothers 06x10 Bastogne 2001)

December 1944 (Hart’s War 2002)

1945

January 2, 1945 (The Liberator Ep 3 2020)

January 10, 1945 (Attack Force Z)

January 13, 1945, Battle of Foy (Band of Brothers 07x10 The Breaking Point 2001)

January 30, 1945 The Raid at Cabanatuan (The Great Raid 2002)

February 14, 1945, David Webb rejoins the 506th in Haguenau (Band of Brothers 08x10 The Last Patrol 2001)

February 19, 1945, Battle of Iwo Jima starts. - (Letters from Iwo Jima 2006) - (The Pacific Ep. 8 Iwo Jima 2010) - (Flags of our Fathers 2006)

February 15, 1945, 6888 Battalion was inspected and marched in review before Major General John C. H. Lee (Six Triple Eight 2024)

March 21, 1945, Operation Carthage (The Bombardment 2021)

April, 1945 (Fury 2014)

April 5, 1945, 506th Finds abandoned Concentration Camp (Band of Brothers 09x10 Why We Fight 2001)

April 17, 1945 Lee Miller arrives at Concentration Camp Buchenwald (Lee 2023)

April 26, 1945, near the end of the war in Europe (A Woman in Berlin 2008)

April 29, 1945, 45th Infantry Division liberated Dachau Concentration camp (The Liberator Ep. 4 2020)

May 2, 1945, Fall of Berlin -(Downfall 2004) -(Jojo Rabbit 2019)

May 1945 Battle of Okinawa -(Hacksaw Ridge 2016) -(The Pacific Ep. 9 Okinawa 2010)

May 7, 1945, Germany Surrenders V-E Day - (Master of the Air: Part Nine 2024) - (Band of Brothers 10x10 Points 2001)

July 30, 1945, USS Indianapolis sank. (USS Indianapolis 2016)

August 15, 1945, The Empire of Japan surrenders end of the War. -(Oppenheimer 2023) -(The Pacific Part Ten: Home 2010)

September 11, 1945 US Military search and Arrest Japanese Leaders for war crimes (Emperor 2012)

1946 April 29, 1946 Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal (Tokyo Trial 2016)

[miss0atae]

Meet You At the Blossom: Betrayal and Misunderstanding to create conflict (EP 7 – 8)

It was really hard to watch these two episodes. I know that characters need to experience hardships so they can growth and make a choice.Only in this way it will drive the story forward. However, knowing it doesn't make it easy to watch. I became attached to these characters, especially Xiao Bao so it was sad to see him so down, lost and sad. At the beginning of the story, I said that Xiao Bao was the archetype of the Fool. I felt he was The Fool because he was freer and happier than those who have the wisdom of what is going in the world. However, after episode 6, Xiao Bao couldn't keep wearing blinders. Until this moment, he truly believed in Huai En and their love. He even promised him he would forgive him for anything (except cheating) but Xiao Bao is young. Before this event, he never experienced betrayal. Huai En and his father's enemies are more clever than what they seem to be. They easily understood how using Xiao Bao and making him believe to be betrayed would be their best weapon against them.

At first, there was the disbelief of such a betrayal. Then, Xiao Bao felt the shock and sadness. After that, there was a layer of self-doubt “Was it always a lie?”. It's not only the betrayal that hurts, but it's also the harm to his own self-perception and self-confidence. Xiao Bao doubts of everything he thought was true: his love, his family history, his social status and beliefs. He admitted to Su Yin, these last events and being poisoned as a consequence of his foolishness, made him feel stupid for the first time in his life. Xiao Bao knew he was acting life a little fool, but he never believed he was a real fool. It was just what he thought he should do as a young rich lad. Now he is blaming himself for everything he did.

However, Xiao Bao is not the only one who has to experience of form of betrayal. While Xiao Bao never had to be careful of others before, Huai En has always known he was not free to do or have what he wants. His father always considered him as a weapon he can use to get revenge for his mother. Huai En has always known his father never really considered him as anything else, but he tried to compromise with him to be with his lover. When Xiao Bao's sister was crying because she wanted to be with her brother and she refused to be considered as Xue Lianqing, she only stopped when Huai En told her she had no other choice. However, I believe what really convinced her was when he told her, he was going to bring her brother and her parents so they could be a family. Huai En also desperately wants to have this “family” with Xiao Bao. Love makes everyone a bit crazy. Huai En knew you couldn't trust his father, but because of his love for Xiao Bao he still believed he would be able to be with him. He craftily prepared his plan and never thought he would not be able to get it. I believe Huai En never really failed when it came to make sure to reach his goal.

This time he made two mistakes: firstly, he trusted his father's word and secondly he forgot to be trustful to Xiao Bao. He tried to prevent the second mistake by making Xiao Bao promising him to forgive anything he would do, but it only works if Xiao Bao still believes in his love. Huai En is a victim of all the lies he had to make to protect Xiao Bao (the less he knew, the best it was). As Huai En wasn't truthful enough Xiao Bao escaped with Su Yin and this news will create some misunderstanding. While Xiao Bao is experiencing a drop of self-perception and self-confidence because of the betrayal, Huai En might lead him into irrational behavior (mostly to Su Yin, maybe to Xiao Bao, but we already saw it could be tamed with intense sex so I wouldn't worry to much for our little fool).

They are all kind of forms of betrayal and they all depends on the characters. They create a strong emotional reaction for the viewers, but also the characters. It started with a small thing at the beginning for Xiao Bao. It was just not telling him the whole truth (with more or less good reasons), but it will have long-lasting repercussions, not only for Xiao Bao and Huai En's romance, but also for the other characters. It already started. Xiao Bao's family was hurt, they lost their privileges and they now depend on the help of others. Xiao Bao as a result also got poisoned by Xiao Bin who found here a way of getting revenge for what he considered was an unfairness he had to deal with because of Xiao Bao. The poison is making Xiao Bao suffers any time it gets cold. The cure is of course super hard to find. Xiao Bao can only rely on Su Yin's help to find it which of course will lead to more problems as Huai En has no idea about the poison. He just was led to believe Xiao Bao refused to be with him and preferred to be with another person. Misunderstanding will also play a huge part in the coming episodes. Mixed with betrayal it will be the perfect cocktail to create more hardships for Huai En and Xiao Bao. The problem is that Xiao Bao didn’t fulfill his part of the oath he made to Huai En. Also, he was known to be a flirt and Huai En already saw how Su Yin was close to Xiao Bao. I don’t doubt it’s going to be a real problem and will delay the time where they will be able to really talk about what happened and what they want.

I would say the betrayals they both experienced will be a conflict that will spread, like ripples on a pond. It’s hard to forget even when forgiveness is sought and it will give us the drama will all need to watch.

[fake-married-my-dead-fiance]

I love the three of them together so much!

[bluemoss06]

So, VeroHu nation, one thing I've been thinking about is how they both appear to have complete opposite reactions to seeing the worst aspects of others.

When Arturo was having his crash out early in the trial, Veronika's reaction wasn't to try and change everyone's point of view on him but to become fascinated with that "twisted" part of him.

She didn't try to point out how there's probably nuances to his secret or how his reaction might have been a trigger from whatever trauma related to his family/sister. All she did was fully embrace his worst qualities.

Meanwhile, compared to Hu, we all know how fervent she was about Nico's defense/innocence.

As opposed to Veronika, who solely obsessed over Arturo's worst traits, Hu is desperate to deny any maliciousness on Nico's part. Even as it's pointed out that she would be victim to that as well. And guess who pointed that out?

Veronika is, of course, the perfect person to deliver this here, for a multitude of reasons but we already know she thinks of herself as selfish (see: the ep.7 Teruko conversation). Knowing that, she's the clearest choice to criticize Hu's actions here and how she's disregarding all morality to defend Nico's murder attempt. Sort of like...

Extra: Going further with this, but I also find it interesting how well Arturo and Nico line up narratively in this instance as well.

Obviously, we don't know the full context of Nico's secret quote nor how much agency Arturo had in regards to Felicity's suicide. Nonetheless, I do think it significant that they overlap in this one aspect. A denial of fault. Especially if Nico's quote is about their hand in Ace's motive, since then Hu's defense would exactly line up with Arturo and Veronika.

Anways, VeroHu "recognition of the self in the other (derogatory)" Toxic Yuri real.

[cantsayidont]

The thing I find most perplexing about the PICARD show — and I am going to say upfront here that I have not made any attempt to investigate any of the behind-the-scenes stuff or even paid any particular attention to the writing credits — is that judging by the end product, it really looks like there were significant differences between what was pitched, what was originally written, and what actually ended up on the screen. In fact, it seems like there were at least two, possibly three big changes in direction along the way.

@procrastinatorproject remarked (and I'm going to quote rather than reblog the reblog, to avoid making an unreadably long chain):

They spend a lot of time in the early episodes deconstructing Picard, the Great Captain. They make it abundantly clear that his typical MO of Giving A Great Speech and centering himself and his morality and his worth and self-sacrifice isn't a sustainable, useful way to solve problems. (See: threatening to resign in protest, tearing down the "No Humans" sign on Vashti and acting like he knows how to combat entranched racial divisions in a place he hasn't been to in almost 20 years, etc.) This is made clear repeatedly and I thought it was a really interesting and brave deconstruction of this Great Captain Narrative that we got especially in TNG (with the occasional nuance, yes, but still this at its core). And then they drop the ball on that when in the final episode, Picard saves the day by Making A Great Speech and cerntering himself by offering to sacrifice his life.

I'll go a step further than this: The strong impression I got from the first seven or eight episodes of PICARD S1 is that the first season was likely intended as a miniseries, and that it was originally pitched not simply as a deconstruction of the character, but as "The Death of Jean-Luc Picard." PICARD-era Picard is not a particularly young man even for the 24th century (he's 94 years old), and we're told early on that he's dying of a rare degenerative disease for which there is no cure. His choices have had serious consequences: He's burned bridges with most of his friends and colleagues, his last Grand Gesture was a disaster that cost him the last of his credibility with Starfleet (and destroyed Raffi's career, something the show never really has Picard even acknowledge), and he's isolated himself in bitter disillusionment. His former shipmates are no longer around to help him, and the people he recruits are not nearly so tolerant of his bullshit. The entire premise of the show suggests that this is Picard's last chance and his last ride — and I think probably the final curtain for the TNG cast as well. (The fact that the first season is set in the last year of the 24th century also seems significant in this respect.)

I also suspect that this was what lured Patrick Stewart back to the role; I think they probably told him, "Look, this is going to be Picard's King Lear — it's not going to be just another sci-fi action potboiler, it'll be a big Shakespearean tragedy that will really let you go out with some gravitas." (What actor would say no to that?)

The problem, of course, is that while this is interesting, it makes for a pretty bitter pill for the audience. I've never particularly liked TNG, and my emotional attachment to the characters is limited, but I can't see that this is what most fans would have hoped to see for Picard: He's all alone, sulking on his family estate with his Romulan servants (another pseudo-Shakespearean gesture, I thought, though incongruous for STAR TREK's alleged post-scarcity socialist utopia); Beverly is ominously MIA; he hasn't talked to Will and Deanna in so long he doesn't know they have a 12-year-old daughter (and when he finally goes to see them in Ep. 7, by far the best of the series, Deanna very justifiably reads him for filth); and his relationship with Geordi and Worf is apparently cordial but distant. He's a sour, unhappy old man whom Starfleet Command sees as a self-righteous crank who's outlived any usefulness or relevance. Even without getting into the other ways the story takes Picard apart, that's pretty grim, and when he sets out with the other new characters on what's clearly suggested as his final quest, it's plain that he's probably not going home again.

The way the final episodes of S1 try to dial this back is SO jarring and so unsatisfying that it really doesn't seem like it was the way it was intended to end at all. What it feels like is like someone higher up at CBS came in after the show was already well along in production and said, "Wait, what are you doing? You can't kill off Picard! How are we supposed to have a Season 2? And where are all the other iconic STAR TREK characters?" There's every indication that the finale was hastily rewritten very late in the game, after much of the shooting was either underway or already completed.

So, rather than bringing the tragedy to an organic conclusion, we get an incredibly stupid cop-out finale that's still a downer without even offering a satisfying resolution. It's hard to say which part is more frustrating: Picard's big death scene surrounded by people who barely know him (and who up to that point didn't even like him that much); the incongruous arrival of the Starfleet "cavalry," riding to the rescue in a way we were previously shown (repeatedly!) wasn't going to happen; immediately undoing Picard's death in a very uneasy way (making him a synth, something the rest of the series then has to tiptoe around); or attempting to contrive an emotional climax with Data arguing for his right to die — despite the fact that the character had in fact been dead for 20 years. While we're keeping score, I was also irritated by the way the finale vilified the Romulans; the Romulans' response to the situation was a little heavy-handed, but the thing they were afraid of was very real, and the only reason it was averted was that the synths at least temporarily decided to table the impending "intergalactic robot genocide" they were preparing to kick off.

How the season — and, perhaps, the show — was originally supposed to end, or whether whatever was originally planned would have been any better, I don't claim to know, but I really suspect it was supposed to be different. (To @procrastinatorproject's other point, I don't know that the critiques the earlier episodes made of Starfleet and the Federation necessarily had any resolution or direction in mind; if PICARD was really intended to bring down the curtain on the TNG era, a lot of it might well have been left unresolved with the expectation that subsequent projects were going to move on to later eras, like the "post-Burn" future of DISCOVERY, where what happened with the late 24th century Federation could either be shrugged off as no longer relevant or used to set up other plot developments, as seemed most useful.)

I actually liked S2 much better overall: The stuff with Picard's mother is extremely clunky and never lands emotionally, the attempt to suggest a Picard-Laris romance is just uncomfortable (poor Orla Brady!), and there are aspects of the plot that aren't very satisfying, but there's also a lot that's fun. It has some nice moments for Jeri Ryan ("I am NOT the worst driver here!"), the scenes with Seven and Raffi are great, Agnes' ill-fated hookup with the Borg Queen actually breaks some new ground with STAR TREK's dullest villains (which S3 then walked back), tying up Picard's friendship with Guinan was nice, and I didn't even mind the unexpected Wesley Crusher cameo. Its biggest problems are that it doesn't really fit: The tonal shifts from S1 are jarring; it doesn't bother to resolve any of the critiques or dangling story threads from the first season; and for all its attempts to tie in more STAR TREK lore, the obvious question, from viewers as well as probably CBS, remains, "Why is Picard still hanging around with these (mostly) new characters he barely knows rather than the other beloved TNG characters?"

So, S3 changes course again, finally doing the "getting the gang back together" nostalgia plot that the network and a lot of fans expected in the first place. That by itself might have been fine, but it has to go out of its way to reverse a lot of the major developments of the first two seasons (resurrecting Data to kill him off and then having to contrive a way to resurrect him again really beggars the word "clumsy"), and the plot rambles and wanders in the middle in incoherent ways that left me unsure if it's just badly written or there was ANOTHER word-from-on-high change in direction during production. The hilariously stupid Big Rock Finish isn't even much of a finale, since they obviously decided they didn't want to completely close the door on Picard and company after all.

There's evidence of this kind of thing in the other shows as well. LOWER DECKS, for instance, sets up several new characters at the end of S2, but then basically abandons all of its ongoing character threads for the entirety of the very weak S3, which is full of pointless guest appearances and cameos that don't amount to anything even on a sitcom level, before trying to pick up the abandoned story threads in S4. DISCOVERY, of course, then does its big and rather jarring era shift after setting up STRANGE NEW WORLDS as a spinoff. The idea of establishing a new era chronologically later than TNG makes sense, and would have been a natural step if PICARD had really been the finale of the TNG era, but going from "It's a TOS prequel!" to "It's set 900 years after TNG!" in midstream is weird, and I have to wonder if that's what they originally intended.

Obviously, one doesn't have to strain too hard to see why CBS has decided that it's safer to lean on nostalgia, but the disjointed progression of it makes me think that there were more creatively ambitious (not to say necessarily better) plans that have repeatedly changed, and how each of these shows has wrapped up seems to be materially different from how they began, in ways that are often very odd as well as unsatisfying.

[comet-soda-lite]

Final actual thoughts on the Agatha All Along finale:

Good:

- Everything with Nicky. That flashback was really well done and the climatic building song at the end was just fantastic

- I had heard the "Billy is making the road" theory and am well aware it would make perfect sense with his character, but I never actually seriously believed it for some reason until the twist was happening and I was like "wait" lmao. So yeah, that was good and it fit a lot of things into place about Agatha's behaviour I should've honestly put together way sooner

- "Am I killing this boy so my brother can live!?" "Oh Billy, sometimes boys just die" bitch, I'm sobbing

Bad (personal opinion alert!!!!)

- Why is Agatha Billy's ghost sidekick now? Did they just wanna get rid of the threat she posed but keep Kathryn Hahn around?

- The emotional core of the show is the coven and their ties to each other, Rio included. This leads into a couple points:

1) I feel Rio could've been a bit softer to Alice. Even if she started off the interaction as cold, she could've had some warmness for her for even just a moment. More "like greeting an old friend" death than "cold unforgiving cruelty" death. Though Alice's death was supposed to represent the latter, so it works I guess (I am just in denial)

2) Agatha not caring about the rest of the coven members other than Billy right up to the end kind of breaks the illusion that the coven ever formed any real familial bond at all, which shits on the weight of Alice's and Lillia's deaths (and Lillia's whole arc), since they were about sacrificing themselves for the others. The road being a fabrication by Billy just made this feeling worse

- Rio and Agatha should've had some resolution, like??? The tension, as it's introduced to us, is that they both still love each other and are even good for each other. Rio had to fulfill her purpose even though she didn't want to, knowing she'd hurt Agatha. And Agatha hates her for it, despite knowing Rio had no say in the matter and even did her a great kindness letting Nicky stay for as long as he did. They have no reason to hate each other logically, only emotionally. Agatha was seemingly set up from the start to have to work through that grief, by the end of which the two could reconcile, and at that point Agatha could go to death willingly or whatever. But the show ended up not exploring this at all, portraying Rio as a kind of toxic ex out of nowhere in ep. 8, and Agatha's eventual kiss with Rio and subsequent death was fueled by an ultimatum rather than a fully free and intentional choice. And then Agatha dies and Rio doesn't even get to talk to her properly now that the tension is (maybe???) resolved (or maybe not considering it seems like ghost Agatha is still avoiding Rio). This was not a great character arc. And I can't help but feel a proper resolution wasn't reached—not because it was the best writing decision—but because she has to stick around as a ghost for a future show/movie and needs something to do

- Not enough Jen.

Neutral (aka Misc. Thoughts)

- I guess this kinda confirms Billy is both Billy and William? Like, I think it's sorta maybe implied Rio can't reap William's soul while Billy is in there, so he's sorta preventing both of them from dying? Or not? Idk?

-[If not, recall that Billy is technically only three years old in MCU canon, which is very weird]

- Episode 7 still the best episode, fight me