#absolutely fire dynamics plot and pacing

[mustelidsinlove]

The Fountain of Fair Fortune by wofwolwos on AO3

Draco Malfoy spied Hermione Granger bathing in a fairy pool. It’s a vision he’ll never forget. In the summer before sixth year, Draco Malfoy, newly branded Death Eater, encountered Hermione Granger in a fairy pool. Now, eight years later, Harry Potter is dead, and with him Voldemort’s Horcruxes. But Voldemort's reign continues on. Draco Malfoy, with recent success in Voldemort’s army, is given a mission — to find a book that Voldemort desires. A hermit for the past six years, Hermione Granger finds the newly promoted lieutenant half-dead in a marsh. “And why is Draco Malfoy, lieutenant of Death Eaters, a guest in my house?” Hermione mused in a sing-song voice. He flicked his eyes to her and back to the ceiling. He coughed and cleared his throat. “Taken on the role of swamp witch, Granger?” he sneered. “It’s a marsh. Swamps are primarily forest, this is mostly herbaceous plants,” she clarified with great deliberation. Her voice was rough, as if it hadn’t been used in a long time. “What a vulgar display of knowledge. Quite on form, swot. I always thought Muggles lived in hovels. The apple doesn’t fall far —” “I suppose that’s why I found you in the mud, then?”

"A raven. Coincidence? No, there were no coincidences in the wizarding world, magic loved itself too much."

//

"'I'm a monster.' Her voice had grown calm, detached, removed. 'They say weeping willows need a pool to cry into. I needed a whole marsh.'

The scream of the gulls and the thump of his heart held her. Everything felt sharp and brittle.

Draco handed her his handkerchief.

'No Granger. You're human.'"

Art: detail, The Hunters in the Snow, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1565

[template]

[witchthewriter]

is GoT or HotD good?

First and foremost - everyone has their own opinion on these series and books and it can get very heated in the fandom.

Do not let that deter you from anything! I think you should definitely watch both shows and form your own opinion! Nothing has to be so black and white.

However, for me, it's very nuanced ˚⊱🪷⊰˚

𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒍 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒕𝒘!

Okay my friend let us begin 🌸˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧🩷˚⋆

George RR Martin, the author of the Song of Ice and Fire world, is a brilliant writer. Amazing at worldbuilding, at expressing so many different points of view and so on. It was no wonder why/how the GoT show became so popular (George was apart of its creation on screen until the showrunners went a different way and ... 👎)

With the Game of Thrones show, I think the first 3 seasons are peak and then it just goes down hill from there. The dialogue was amazing, the physical camera work, the way you never know who could die next.

Dany, THE DRAGONS, Sansa, Margaery, the Hound, the magical aspects - that's what carried the show for me.

So then with House of the Dragon - we get to see SO MANY dragons and ... oh god, that was the best part for me. I'm sorry that I'm being predictable and a lil repetitive but I just love them! Also, watching Emma's face, they are just so gorgeous and I could watch them all day. Seriously.

Character-wise my favourites are Rhaenyra (both young and older), Helaena, Harwin Strong, Baela & Rhaena, Rhaenys, and Alys Rivers.

Plot-wise my favourite is that at times it feels Shakespearean. Especially in season two. I think season 2 is better; the pace feels better, I like a lot of the new characters but some parts are ... disappointing?

I do love the dynamic Rhaenyra has with so many ... people - that's something very interesting that I do not want to spoil.

And the costumes! Oh my god, I do think they're absolutely divine. Especially Rhaenyra's one in the first episode in the ending scene.

Also, the one thing I LOVE is the bond between dragon and their bonded rider. I could talk about it for DAYS.

If you ever need someone to talk to about this stuff, I would love to! Also, I would be so happy to be your ... guide through the shows per-say, if you didn't understand anything or maybe you want to vent etc. This goes for everyone!

[weirdmageddon]

aspects and platonic realism in homestuck

i was thinking about this video again and man. i dont think people consider the aspects enough in terms of the fact that they are fundamental building blocks of the homestuck reality in the way that periodic elements and physics are to us. or even closer to what classical elements were to ancient greeks (hero of fire / hero of water / hero of aether). we see aspects not directly. we see objects directly but these objects are created from the influence of aspects.

some tangible things are closer to the “essence” of what falls into an aspect’s domain to define it. like a gust of wind or a breeze is a physical analogy for the aspect of breath. in homestuck’s reality, how breath manifests itself in a metanarrative sense is representing a functional plot-driven story. john’s liking for fast-paced action movies and worldbuilding with very little emphasis on relationships and characters. the beginning of homestuck in itself embodies much of the breath aspect in a narrative sense. the trolls are influenced by the blood aspect since their plot is moved by relationships, dramas, interpersonal dynamics rather than a primarily detached functional-driven plot like acts 1-4. from a metanarrative take, along with blood, breath represents how the author intends to tell or convey the story, if they choose elements that emphasize the detached (breath) or elements emphasizing connection (blood). the perpendicular axis to breath-blood is space-time, which metanarratively represents the setting and the events in the story. but these metanarrative manifestations of the aspects are just another imperfect angle to view their platonic essence in. each aspect dichotomy is like a different lens of thinking about reality through.

media tends to have some aspect dichotomy focus it thematically revolves around above all else. of course every media contains elements of all aspects. for example every narrative must have setting and events, which is why space and time are absolutely necessary.

the legend of zelda: breath of the wild and tears of the kingdom pull a lot of themes from the breath/blood dichotomy overall, and secondarily space and time. botw has story, gameplay, and themes drawing heavily from breath and space. totk in contrast has story, gameplay, and themes drawing heavily from blood and time.

gravity falls focuses heavily through the light/void dichotomy lens. with plot points all focusing heavily around knowledge and secrets, relevance and irrelevance. shining a light in a dark space, symbolism, clarity, and meaninglessness, confusion, obscuring truth (bill, society of the blind eye). even though all aspect dichotomies show up in all media recursively at metaphysical levels, breath and blood aren’t as dominant overall in gravity falls as it is for the latter i mentioned

“in the furthest ring, platonic forms are real. they are the base classes that paradox space builds reality out of. whereas modern physics breaks down reality into the physically irreducible, homestuck breaks down reality into what rose calls the “notionally irreducible”. and just as fundamental particles are to the periodic table of elements, aspects are to this system’s irreducible forms. the 12 aspects are the building blocks of thought, and where we, in our universe, might make a distinction between thought and reality, paradox space doesn’t seem very concerned. as we’ll see, homestuck wants us to convince us that our thoughts create the world around us, and the aspect system is just another way to work towards that goal.

in a traditional rpg, classes are about specialization and tools at your disposal. in zelda games, titles/classes such as “hero of time” or “hero of wind” is less as a specialization but more of a prophecy. it has no bearing on any quality of the game’s mechanics but instead is being used as a tool for the narrative. and it works; there’s a reason that cryptic prophecies are so widely used in storytelling. they foreshadow the rest of the story without giving it away and they give the reader/viewer/player a framework from which they can continuously place the story and its unfolding into perspective. in a zelda game, it’s even more effective because it is framing the player’s own actions making them feel like they’re a part of something bigger than themselves. in addition, it can be interpreted by the player as a challenge to them personally so that, in overcoming the challenge presented to them, they feel a sense of personal satisfaction at living up to the role. it’s one of many, many qualities that make zelda games feel epic and timeless.

homestuck, being a traditional narrative which involves a multiplayer game is able to take the best qualities of both the class system in an rpg and the titles of a zelda game and use those to create the class and aspect system.

characters playing the game are seemingly assigned a title just like in zelda. in fact, they sound identical to zelda. one might find themselves refered to as the “hero of doom” or a “hero of void”. like a zelda game, these describe the tools that the players will use to live up to their prophecized roles, except the tools in this sense are aspects.”

(Aspects and Platonic Realism in Homestuck)

that is, the tools in this sense are the fundamental building blocks of reality.

when a player is assigned an aspect, one even as abstract as “rage”, they are being assigned to be a servant of a fundamental property, force, or matter of reality. maid of rage (serving the platonic fundamental property of rage) would in our world be like, equivalent to a servant of electromagnetism. except with homestuck these are platonic forces

[thecountesstribe]

HOTD 2X5 THOUGHTS.

I knew after coming off an action packed episode, the pace would've slowed down and I'm not mad at it.

BAELA AND JACE WERE THE MVP'S OF THIS EPISODE. THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!!!! AFTER THE DROUGHT THAT THEY HAD IN SEASON 1 AND THE BEGINNING OF SEASON 2, WE'RE FINALLY BEING FED.

The Targtowers parading around Meleys head this episode has got to be one of the dumbest shit besides putting bbq Aegon on the throne they've ever done. Yes let's galavant the one thing that keeps us in power and the realm in order for a petty show of arrogance. That makes sense. The small folk immediately being “nah this ain't it” is so funny and a sign of all the things to come for them. They're idiots! Meleys wasn't no traitor you bums, you were. Get all the greens off my screen.

Aegon's suffering, I used to pray for times like this. It's highly unlikely Sunfyre is dead. Alicent and Crybaby Cole aren't together anymore..... Fuckin yes. I told you guys Alicent is delusional as hell, she really thought the same council that she helped usurped Rhaenyra's birthright because she's a WOMAN, would've let her, a woman rule them? Criston, Larys and Aemond not backing her had to taste like gravel going down. It's deserved. She had the opportunity to do the right thing and she forfeited it again and again and again. Fuck Almond today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, the next day after that and the day after forevermore. If I was him I would take Haelena's words as an ill omen.

I felt for Corlys man. Like he pisses me off don't get me wrong but that's still my guy and he's lost a lot. Rhaenys was Corlys practical to his idealistic delusional. That man never listened to his wife until it was too late. Him trying to name Baela his heir, when Rhaenys wanted Rhaena to be his heir at first, can't do that now anyway, Rhaena's not around right now and Baela absolutely refusing and gagging tf outta him in the same breath , I cheered. Baela is upholding her grandmother's last wishes. No more but “BaElA hAD MoRe ClaIm to Driftmark” discourse, she's “FIRE AND BLOOD!”, Driftmark should be passed to “SALT AND SEA”. She said it herself. Now a certain demographic could stop equating her being a poc to her Velaryon roots. She every bit a Targaryen. Don't start with the Rhaena discourse either because she's the same as well. The only reason Rhaenys wanted her to have Driftmark is because it would've gone to Rhaena either way had she married Lucerys and Corlys had no intention to claim those boys atp in time. Corlys is trying to honor Rhaenys wishes, I could respect that but do it in the way she wanted it in her final moments Corlys. He's still my guy though.

I am sick of this Harrenhal plot. That scene with Daemon and his mom....... Just why? He never even met his mother either. I am so sorry Mama Alyssa. Even for the incest in the Targaryen lineage, did the writers have to take it that far? That shit was egregious. The only good part was seeing Laena again. Answer the question though Daemon. “Are you taking care of her girls?!” Get Daemon out of there now. Alys has that man gone off his rockers. I'm over it. I love how Simon is sick of Daemon's shenanigans though, he's real asf for that 🤣😭. Caraxes sighting 🥺. I miss my chaos noodle boy.

Rhaenyra comforting Baela. We won. Look she mightn't have had the best relationship with the girls in the show and it's not developed on screen properly, thanks for that HBO, but she does love and care for them. Her telling Baela about her Grandma (I still refuse to believe Rhaenys is gone💔😭) and we got an explanation for why Rhaena didn't try to claim a dragon on Dragonstone (she almost died and Rhaenyra wouldn't allow her to do it again), that was for me. In the books those girls were close to her and Rhaena was her “Realm's delight” namesake, I'll never forgive them for taking that and the team black family dynamics away from me. We got a Luke mention 😭. Her and Jace working out their issues and she knowing he snuck away to be a diplomat, more of that please. She's finally acknowledging her strengths and weaknesses and starting to move and think like a leader. I love it here.

Jace finally got a chance to do more than just mew, tweak and brood. I understand why Rhaenyra wasn't sending him out, that boy is out for blood, as he should be and he's inherently going to be reckless if he did go out to scout instead of Baela. Just listen to him last episode and tell me if he sounded like he had a clear head on his shoulders. I wish we saw more than that shot of Vermax and him actually riding his dragon but a win is a win. Him subtly threatening the Freys with Vermax, he's a diplomat alright. His mother needs “bent knees” and that is exactly what he got her. Proud of him. Baela going about her duties and whacking the men that are being annoying as she goes. Proud of them. Diplomat husband and battle wife is just *chef's kiss*. I'll say it again I absolutely adore his relationship with Baela. It's so healthy and I don't get into fandoms to “ship” but I love them your honor. Their soft way of speaking to one another, even when they're disagreeing. Him confiding in her about how humiliating it is that he thinks he's being coddled because of his standing as prince and her getting to go out and scout and fight but her still understanding and trusting him on his secret mission (that's what it was, he snuck out to go treat with the Freys), him being considerate of her at all times, “Rhaenys is dead and Baela can't face the burden alone” yeah I love them. Plus she has him trained 😩🤣. One look, then she grabbed him and he stopped immediately in his tracks and he backed up and started paying attention. Whew. The greatest King and Queen that could've come out of the 7 realms.

We had a Rhaena sighting. Look I love Jeyne but I'll need her to watch her tone with Rhaena please and thank you. Rhaena you're not powerless love. She's been through enough, I just need everybody to get out of her way and give her everything that she wants, it's what she deserves. I didn't like how she found out about Rhaenys though💔. I think they're really scrapping Nettles though 🙃. Wtf Sara and Ryan. I'll not get into that, it's literally grinding my gears though.

Next week we'll see Silverwing and Vermithor!!! I'm excited. Until then guys.

[prpfz]

⚰️ 21 y/o Queer mun seeking 18+ Fandomless Dead Dove Oc x Oc Rp! M x M or Masc x Masc! Very trans friendly as my characters are trans as well! Looking to include maybe some power dynamics, mutual toxicity/abuse, non con/dub con, age gaps, heavy violence/crime, gangs/mafia themes, dystopians, etc. All in all looking for heavy dark themes! Open to doing stuff with Omegaverse or Hybrids or even Monsters if you’d like! I have 3 characters I’d like to use, all within the same gang/mafia unit, they’re originally from a dystopian universe filled with chaos, crime, violence, etc; but I don’t require to write them in that dystopian world. Crime, gangs/mafia, and heavy violence as the main themes are a MUST. Looking to do a main ship or have main characters with the other two characters on the sidelines but still involved with the plot ofc.

My writing ranges from lazy lit to novella — anywhere from 600 to 1,200+ words; possibly slow replies at times but I can absolutely be fast paced too. I’m down for any smut to plot ratio, but I would definitely like to include smut at least a little bit. And even if we do a smut heavy rp I want it to have a lot of plot based lore to it. I’m open to all ideas you may have for plot, just ask! I only write on discord but I prefer to see if we match in DMs. I’m CST timezone wise. I write 3rd person and past and present tense ( can switch to one if you have a preference. )

Character One, and my main, is the young loyal attack/guard dog to the groups leader. He’s small but deadly, skilled in fighting, and refuses to give up even if he’s beat. He’d a spitfire with a bad attitude, always lashing out. He’s untrusting & jumpy like a cornered animal. He’s reserved in the sense he doesn’t like or trust people. He’s best with weapons but that doesn’t stop him from fist fights. He’s 20 default, transmasc and gay, 5’0” and a pierced up little punk. He’s loyal to the leader… for now. ( Verse Bottom for smut. Can be an eager to please top, a brat or be obedient. )

Character Two is the other right hand man and loyal attack/guard dog for the leader. He’s a known charmer, but he’s a crude and perverse manwhore with a sadistic streak to him. They love to fuck and fight and party. He can’t commit to any relationship. They’re very sociable. He’s tank when it comes to fighting. He’s often paired up with Character One because they’re opposites and compliment each other but also because they’re most trusted by their boss. They’re 25 default, masc queer, 5’8” and plenty pierced and tatted up, but not as much as Character One. ( Verse Switch for smut. He can be anything you need him to be. )

Character Three is the gang/mafia leader. He’s cold, callous, sadistic, and violent. Very short tempered and very paranoid and distrusting. He’s not afraid to use or sacrifice anyone around him to climb to the top. He’s blood thirsty and power hungry. Only his loyal dogs can calm him down along with an ex who won’t be in the picture. While he’s cruel, he is fair in how he runs things. He’s 30 default, 6’2”, transmale and gay. ( Strict top for smut but always down for forced bottoming or eventually him trusting enough to bottom. )

Looking for characters who are also heavily involved in crime/gangs or mafia. Love assholes, scumbags, sadists, toxic, short tempers, fire and ice energy, etc. Rival gang members or leaders would be fun and honestly preferred to characters within the same pack. Also down for cops whether clean or dirty. Would love detailed plots, even if we happen to do a smut heavy Rp. Fine with slow burn or jumping straight into relationships. Really interested in toxic/abusive relationships, non/dub con, substance (ab)use, detailed fight scenes, etc etc. We can talk more plot ideas when I hear about your characters so this isn’t too long because it’s long as is.

If any of that sounds up your alley or still has your attention, please leave a like and I’ll get back to you asap!

give a like and anon will get back to you

[findroleplay]

20+, looking for 20+ partners | hey all! i’m looking for some fandomless oc x oc plots. i’m open to all gender pairings and trans/nb-inclusive.

i would love to find someone interested in writing against my pirate captain (best for low fantasy, think a touch of magic and the supernatural) orrr my prince charming (i can squeeze him into just about any setting as long as there’s royalty involved.) both are men, and i’m happy to write them against any gender -- but if those two aren’t really calling to you, i have a ton of ocs that are begging to be fleshed out, so just ask and i’ll provide! i use art and descriptions for all of my characters btw, so keep that in mind before interacting.

if you couldn’t already tell, i love anything supernatural or fantasy-flavored. worldbuilding is my bread and butter, and i’m an absolute SUCKER for omegaverse, arranged marriage, and soulmates / fated pairs. the more drama, the more angst, the more self-indulgence, the better. i adore partners who are just as over the top as me, so don’t hold back! hit me with your best shot because i definitely want to hear it.

i’d prefer to take things at a medium pace with no pressure to reply asap. my muse is spontaneous, and i have a pretty busy schedule, so please don’t expect rapid-fire replies from me. i’m usually around to chat and plot and gush about brainrot, but sometimes my ic replies can take awhile. weekly replies are my goal, and you’re always welcome to nudge me! my usual replies are anywhere from 200-1k+ words, depending on my partner, the scene, etc.

open to nsfw and dark / mature themes. just know my heart is set on story with the potential for some spice. i write all roles, but i’m not into letting that dictate dynamics between characters and their personalities.

if you’re interested, just shoot me a dm and i’ll get back to you! 💜

_

[readingtoinfinity]

DNF: Pizza Tower (Project NoBa24)

When I started this project, I knew there would almost certainly be a game I wouldn't finish. Completion I would almost always skip over, but finishing? I thought I'd be able to do that. Alas.

Pizza Tower was released almost two years ago to almost-instantaneous acclaim, or at least it was nowhere on my radar before everyone was talking about it and also making thirst art of Peppino. I heard a lot of claims of Wario Land similarity thrown around, but as I've not played those games I can't say if the comparison is justified; I'm also not likely to check those out at this time.

Like Cuphead this game has a distinctive art style, though using simple high-contrast digital art rather than Fleischer-style cartoons. I was reminded fondly of my days editing sprites on Smackjeeves (before that site went away) and examining the color work was a fun nostalgia trip. But like Cuphead, Pizza Tower is willing to lock all the art behind a difficulty gate, a choice I find artistically commendable but frustrating in this specific context.

There's a lot to love about this game: the plot is absolutely simple (Peppino's restaurant needs money and so he ascends a magical tower to seek its fortune) so that you can focus on the gameplay and sprite work. Peppino is an astonishingly-dynamic and fleshed-out character for a guy who barely speaks, having poses and animations for many specific and varied contexts. He's an anxious mess, giving Luigi a run for his money as the most fearful Italian video game character, but also capable of locking in and getting things done, though no less fearfully than before. There's a sense he's hanging on by a thread but determined enough for that to be all he needs. And as for the gameplay, the moves you can do are incredibly varied, starting with jump and grab and from there to dash, climb, long jump, dive, rush, uppercut and, later, fire a shotgun. There are so many options for you to blitz your way through the levels and arrive at your goal.

And that's where my problems start. Pizza Tower is a different beast than something like Cuphead or Super Mario Bros. Wonder, both games I 100% completed, where you have much reduced controls in what you can do. Cuphead is just shooting, jumping and dashing, and Wonder reduces that to sprinting and jumping. There are further complexities in both, of course, but Pizza Tower starts from a complicated base and expands from there. I'm reminded of Pseudoregalia in a lot of ways, which also boasts a complicated moveset, but Pizza Tower is completely comfortable leaving you in the dark and having to train in the tutorial until you figure something out.

For indeed Pizza Tower is uncompromising in its design. The game is busy and brightly-colored, fast-paced and busy in a way that makes playing exhausting. I had finished the first four floors before I realized that I wasn't having fun playing them, which completely dispelled the illusion that the stress it was giving me was something I enjoyed. I also beat two of the three levels on the final floor, but only stopped at WAR! because I found it too stressful. From there I just watched a playthrough and considered myself content, for even if I had enjoyed the gameplay there was one thing I resolutely didn't enjoy.

I do not enjoy the boss battles in this game. The complicated control scheme is finicky and hard to use in the constrained space of the boss arenas, and the boss battles are memorable and unforgiving. They get more health than you, they can't be hurt except at key moments and they will recover their health for a second wind that annoys the hell out of me even in writing. I didn't enjoy any of the boss battles I beat, and when I looked up the final boss I decided it wasn't something I was going to be invested in beating.

I want to remind anyone reading this that the game is still fantastic. All the mechanics I talked about are definitely someone's cup of tea, and the game is rated Overwhelmingly Positive on Steam for a damned good reason. But someone is not everyone, and for every rule there's an exception. I wanted to like this game, and I tried my best to enjoy the experience, but at the end of the day I just have to understand it's not for me. Maybe I'll pick it up in the future, but not today.

Time played: 7.1 hours

Next game: Balatro

[thepixarau]

My little review of “Elemental” (spoilers!)

Imma be honest my expectations weren’t insanely high. I wasn’t expecting it to be fantastic but I didn’t think it would be bad (Pixar movies almost never are) so I just went in neutral. I saw it with my friends and before we went in they kept bashing it solely bc of how bad the promos are—and honestly they’re right. The marketing for this movie sucks. Do not let any of it fool you, please watch this film. I guarantee you will end up enjoying it.

Now I know everyone was making fun of the character designs since the first teaser was released. I’ll admit some of the background characters are a little lazy and while the designs could’ve been better, the animation made up for it because holy shit is it beautiful. The visuals are absolutely stunning, and I just love the way the characters move and interact with each other and their environment. I can’t imagine how tough it was to animate all of that, especially when your main protagonist is made of fire and therefore is always moving in some way.

I won’t go too much into the whole interracial relationship/struggles of multicultural families aspect because I feel like other people reviewing this movie can explain it so much better than me, but I gotta say really appreciate the fact Elemental had a romance plot but still focuses on the values and importance of family, especially because in most kids films they choose to solely focus on one or the other. I’m glad media is showcasing familial love but not completely abandoning romantic love either.

I’ve seen a lot of people try and compare this to Zootopia, I guess cuz it takes place in a metropolis city and features a mixed ‘race’ main duo and racism/oppression allegories. Honestly tho a lot of movies do this, it’s not a “rip off” of Zootopia cuz it takes place in a city. In Zootopia the city is a prime focus, it’s almost like it’s own character. The whole point is that it’s a place special to mammals because it’s where dreams can come true, where all animals live in harmony together. It’s a dream home for its main character who has to come to terms with the fact it’s not a perfect place. Elemental isn’t as focused on its location and that’s ok. It’s a sanctuary for Ember’s parents when they first arrive, but overall the story isn’t about the city.

Ok now I’ll get to the part you’re here for; Ember and Wade’s story. Wholehearted truth; I love their dynamic and development so much. I definitely felt like they needed more screentime at first (to me the pacing in general was a little rushed in the beginning, then slowed down towards the middle). Call me a hopeless romantic but I’m just sucker for that forbidden love type shit. I’ve seen people try and call this a Romeo and Juliet romcom but I didn’t personally get that from them. I can see why some might interpret it that way cuz they were hiding it from Ember’s dad, Bernie. But really, I wish we’d stop comparing every forbidden relationship to Romeo & Juliet cuz A. that play is so fucked up and is barely a love story and B. there are a million tales of forbidden love out there, it’s intriguing. It sells well for a reason and if you do it right it makes an amazing story!

Anyway, I really adore their dynamic. It’s so refreshing to see a non-married couple say “I love you” in a Disney movie. It’s a simple yet deep, beautiful expression of one’s feelings, I was not expecting them to go that route but I’m so happy they did. I’m even more happy they kissed (I was trying so hard not to squeal at that part, you don’t even know)

I’ll be going on and on about how cute Ember and Wade are on this blog. I’m super excited to add them to the Pixar AU, can’t WAIT to write all kinds of one shots about them tehe.

Sorry if you were expecting a more deep and profound review, I’m just here expressing my thoughts five hours after leaving the theater. I plan on going to see it again sometime so maybe I’ll have more to say after that.

Overall I definitely recommend giving this one a chance. Don’t listen to critics or dumbasses on tik tok, go see it! For me this movie already has a special place in my heart and I hope you guys will enjoy it as much as I did!

[27dragons]

Since I'm trying to get back into the second draft of the Safe Harbor sequel, I'm going to take you at your word and ask about the Sandbridge series. Do you have a favourite moment from the series? And are there anything you can tell us about that happened but we didn't see onscreen? ❤️❤️❤️

First, let me say that I am utterly delighted that you're continuing the Safe Harber story; I loved it so much!

Favorite moment? Oh, holy heck, that's a difficult one. I'll just stream-of-consciousness a handful of them, shall I? :D

Tony and Bucky's dance and first kiss in Safe and (the) Sound, the one that gets interrupted by the fire. I'm a little weird about sex scenes; they're really intense for me the first time I write (or read) them but they lose most of their punch on subsequent re-reads. But that kiss never fails to make my heart beat a little faster.

In Lord of the Swings, Bucky standing in line for beer and dealing with a bunch of homophobic asshats. Tisfan wrote that scene pretty much in its entirety (I only edited it) and it is for me a perfect encapsulation of how queer people experience that sort of aggression.

In Howard's End, the moment where Tony thinks Howard is actually going to apologize, but then realizes that Howard still doesn't get it, and his line there: "You regret driving me away because of what I might have become. It still doesn't occur to you to regret hurting me because I was a child." This is the heartbreak at the core of Tony and Howard - that Howard can never really see Tony as anything but his heir, even when they're on good terms.

The bachelor parties in Zen and the Art of Family Maintenance. Because they're so delightful and absolutely perfect for them both.

The scene in From the Ukraine with Love where Steve gets a call from Bucky and has to go collect his sad drunk ass. That's the beating heart of their friendship, right there. Also, Natasha fretting over her sundress when Steve introduces her to Winifred is utterly adorable, because we don't get many chances to see Natasha as anything but supremely self-confident.

Tony dealing with Billie's tantrums in High Noon in Sandbridge, because so many kidfics have the new parents struggling comically or barely struggling at all, and Tony starts out as, frankly, a really TERRIBLE parent. He has NO idea what he's doing, and it shows very clearly in those scenes.

In That Someone Special, I have 2 moments: When Scott first shows up and Steve is chasing him to try to punch him and Tony steps between them until he finds out exactly who Scott is, and then steps back and says "oh, carry on" -- that was, to me, a perfect moment of almost gallows humor. And then the turnaround scene, when Tony, Steve, and Sam show up at Luis' apartment to help Scott after he's been beaten up. That scene is a special kind of funny and touching.

In My Three Dads, the scene where Billie is in the hospital with a broken leg. Loki being jealous over Tony's rapport with Billie and then proud that she picks him to stay with her for the x-rays; and Bucky stepping in to make Tony leave when he can't handle seeing Billie in pain. Family dynamics at their best. <3

And finally, in Stem the Tide, which is not technically a Sandbridge 'verse story at all, but a "What If" side novel, I really like the scene where Bucky stands up to Alex and tells him to fuck off.

Stuff that happens that you didn't see onscreen... I have a couple of chapters that we cut out of My Three Dads, including Tony meeting with Grant Ward that we rejected because it steered the plot wrong, and one with Tony and Bucky going to Ty's apartment to pick up his stuff, which we allude to and consider as having actually happened, but didn't include because it screwed up our pacing for the story. I actually sometimes forget that we never posted the scene at Ty's apartment, because I really liked it. I might someday clean it up and throw it into the Jetsam and Flotsam bits-and-pieces collection.

But if there's something specific you were wondering about in the background, feel free to shoot me a DM and ask; I'm always happy to talk about my Sandbridge boys. <3

[dcrankamateur]

Dawn of DC Comics – 3rd October – Fire and Ice, Blue Beetle and Birds of Prey #2s

My focus this week is on the second issues of Fire and Ice, Birds of Prey and Blue Beetle. After strong starts for all three series, the second issues varied drastically in terms of tone and pace to somewhat mixed results.

Fire and Ice: Welcome to Smallville #2

On a two axis scale of tragedy – comedy and deliberative – frenetic on tone and pace respectively, the frenetic comedy of Fire and Ice worked best for me this week. Joanne Starer and Natacha Bustos’ sitcom-style storytelling suits the diametrically opposite personalities of Fire and Ice well. Where the last issue ended on somewhat of a downbeat, with Tora announcing to Bea that she no longer wanted to be a superhero, the mere fact that these two women with such a rich history but with wildly differing aspirations and motivations have to live under one roof lends itself brilliantly to comedy.

In her conceptions of both characters, Starer is blatantly as sticking to type to accentuate the awkwardness of the pairing. Tora is the bookish hipster with a desire to expand her interests and cooling on the superhero game whereas for Bea the need to prove herself burns brighter than ever. The plot ratchets up to pure absurdity as their Smallville Barber Shop becomes inundated with the minnows of the supervillain world before becoming a low budget reality TV show with Big Brother style diary rooms held in the toilets, much to a queuing and increasingly desperate Tam’s chagrin. Bustos’ art is quite classically cartoonish in this issue, with over the top reactions from background characters in particular emphasising the farcical nature of Bea’s plan and its effect on Tora. The jokes really landed and I found myself laughing throughout. But the fun does stop eventually as Bea’s social media experiment begins to verge on dangerous, and tensions fray between her and Tora once again. However, in classic sitcom fashion, the arrival of Jimmy Olsen at the end of the issue ensures that Bea and Tora live to fight another die.

Blue Beetle #2

That said, Bea and Tora are certainly better off in their own series than they are during their appearance in the tragic and frenetic Blue Beetle #2. After an initial moment of contemplation as Ted Kord lies injured in hospital, in which Tora comforts Jaime, the issue moves at a million miles an hour as the Blood Scarab rips through the supporting cast of the issue one by one before getting to Jaime and declaring that that’s enough for one issue, thanks. Be back soon.

The action scenes are so dynamic and fast moving without being overwhelming largely because writer Josh Trujillo trusts Adrian Gutierrez to convey the chaos during these scenes. Occasional dialogue, typically reserved for characters remarking upon how screwed they are, serves as framing for Gutierrez’s creative use of panelling, which evokes the feeling of the Blood Scarab closing in on its victim, leaving them nowhere to run.

As a new reader my biggest issue with this series so far is that I actually don’t know much about Jaime Reyes himself so I’ve found it harder to connect with him than with the characters I’ve been introduced to in other Dawn of DC stories. This is not the writer’s fault, and I’m certainly not advocating a return to Shooter’s Marvel of the 80s where the first page gives you the entire character’s history all over again. I may be getting into background reading and research time which I believe is absolutely fine to expect of a reader, although not within the scope of this project initially.

Birds of Prey #2

In stark contrast to Blue Beetle, Birds of Prey #2 was rather more introspective and dialogue focussed. The team dynamics, by design, continue to be comedically awkward with each team members’ motivations being tested by a mission they signed up to without full possession of the facts. The pop art style doesn’t quite work as well as it did in Issue 1, with the lengthy conversations between team members feeling quite stiff. Bellaire’s colours feel slightly washed out because of the darkness of the setting (a dimly lit basement room), which contributes to this lack of momentum in the scene. The tension between Harley Quinn and Black Canary drive provide the scenes with the most comedic energy, but the other team feels peripheral. This means that when characters like Zealot and Barda receive a bit of focus, they are brief and less compelling. The series in its early stage are an intentional pivot away from the warmth and friendship of Gail Simone’s conception of the team, which can make it feel unrecognisable as a Birds of Prey series at times. That said, friendships aren’t forged overnight, and there are already signs of promise between Barda and Cassandra Cain for example, so I’m not writing this off as a destination point for the series.

Where the issue does excel is in the fight scenes, where Romero’s style becomes much more kinetic, with the setting lending itself far more to pops of pastel colours. This issue serves as a bridge between the opening salvo of the team come together for the first time and their mission in Themyscira. With the team leaving the darkened basement and taking to the sea, King Shark in tow, the comedic tone to the series should come into its own.

[yutamayo]

Solo Leveling first impression (episode 1 & 2) - (NO content spoilers involved!)

So I actually went in with ZERO knowledge of the plot or anything at all. All I knew was the promo poster. Given that, the very beginning threw me off a little with what I was expecting from the genre/vibe, but it brought me back very quickly. I will say it started a little slow for me, by that I mean episode 1 was amazing but it wasn't until episode 2 that I got that "ohhhh shiiiit" feeling, you know the one

I will note that despite the very first few minutes not drawing me in plot wise, the animation is so fucking fire like INSTANT noticeably amazing. Like on God I thought it was MAPPA (it's not, it's A-1 Pictures). My brother and I both literally stated outloud that the animation was beautiful as soon as it started playing. The cinematography is dope as shit, a reason I assumed it was MAPPA was bc they animated the fight scenes' movement & style so interactively and dynamically.

The next thing I'll say is that episode 2 made every negative point I just expressed irrelevant. A fucking trip, well paced and perfect intro to the dark, gritty, and badass insanity that is sure to come.

The OP and ED were dope and I've heard they reference the manga very well. I like the outro song but not super obsessed with the actual outro video, and the intro video I love but not a fan of the intro song. To be fair, I didn't love SPECIALZ in the beginning, and now hearing it gives me visceral chills. Things change.

I love the main character and don't have even a single thing to note about him that I haven't enjoyed. Also a character that's been introduced... Iykyk but I saw her and genuinely wanted to compliment her as a character but I literally sat there next to my brother and mother with my mouth slightly open and jaw clenched bc I knew the moment I tried to say something about her it would sound so fucking lesbian. Like so fucking lesbian. I genuinely couldn't trust myself to speak when I saw her. So.

All in all, I absolutely recommend. It's so amazing I'm sad I have to wait every week for it to come out, but it'll only stay amazing if the animators are given more time.

100000% check out Solo Leveling if you get the chance! (@chiarrara 👀💖)

[euphorial-docx]

the idol episode 1 review

ok so… i watched it. it’s definitely a show, at least.

i will briefly talk first about my opinions on everyone else’s opinions:

i do not believe in the censorship of media. i think people can make whatever they want, even if i don’t personally enjoy or agree with it. maybe that’s a chronically online ao3 mentality shifting over to other arts, but i don’t think it’s a bad thing.

i think enforcing what can and cannot be made, and who can and cannot make certain things, is bullshit. i don’t agree with with that. i think sam levinson can make this type of show if he wants to, no matter my feelings on it (and oh boy do i have a lot of them.)

and i do not think a “boycott” will work at all. maybe this show will be cancelled, or get a production overhaul for season 2, but y’all… i know 70% of the people trying to boycott the idol also watch euphoria. and jesus christ stop saying people are demons if they watch the idol— guilting people over what they consume is stupid and does nothing to change conditions.

additionally, i want to talk about the drama behind the scenes:

i know all the drama. i think it was shitty to fire amy seimetz after she finished 80% of it, and it was shitty to scrap everything, and shitty to turn it into what it is now. not arguing that. it was a huge waste of the money, time, and effort of hundreds of people to bring sam levinson in and boot amy out.

sam levinson is also known to be a dick when directing. his sets on euphoria were hectic, his sets on the idol were hectic— the man needs to let more people help him in every step of filmmaking instead of hoarding everything to himself and believing he’s above collaboration.

and now for the actual review:

i’ll start with the highlights.

i think lily-rose depp did well. she wasn’t outstanding, but i think people are too harsh to say she’s this horrible actress. is she giving an emmy worthy performance? no, not really. but she wasn’t bad by any means.

the best actor there, however, is rachel sennott. she’s great in everything she’s in, so i’m not surprised at all. she plays the anxious assistant and concerned best friend very well. she’s as much as stand-out as she can be with such a bland script to go off of.

i will get into what i didn’t like about the main relationship later, but the scenes of jocelyn and tedeos dancing at the club was (mostly) pretty good. like i thought it was cute to start out, and then them talking at the bar at jocelyn’s house was pretty good. their dynamic is best when they’re having understated moments that aren’t rushing head-first into the plot too soon, if that makes sense.

i think that’s it.

now it’s time for the negatives… and there are a lot.

jocelyn’s music is boring. i feel they could’ve vocally trained lily-rose a bit more to make her singing more believable for a so-called pop star. the sound and production itself was very bland like her singing, and i can’t quite tell if that’s intentional or not.

the dance choreography had its good moments, but was mostly odd. they also kept in random shots of lily’s dancing looking very much Not Great despite the plot praising her dancing. they could’ve had her practice more too (i’m sorry if i’m being harsh, but it’s the truth! she’s not a singer or a dancer, so they should’ve trained her better to sell the story.)

the costumes, hair, and makeup was fine, but some of the outfits were strange and needlessly… sexy? like jocelyn wearing a thong and tiny bra that covers nothing during dance rehearsals is a bit extreme. it was a pretty outfit i guess, but absolutely not practical and clearly there to just be like Hey! Look How Hot Lily-Rose Depp Is!

the cinematography was… meh. i was underwhelmed. it wasn’t ugly, but i know sam can at least make visually beautiful shows, and he just didn’t do that here. he missed an opportunity to be praised for something.

i think the first half of the episode was marginally better than the second half, but generally it had pacing issues. it was TOO SLOW and then would also throw you into new scenes with no padding to soften the landing. i had no sense of what the timeframe was throughout this entire episode.

the editing didn’t help with the confusion. multiple shots were repeated. they would cut back and forth between scenes in different times in some weird montage sort of thing, which confused me a little as to what was happening, where they were going, and which timeline we were supposed to be following. but maybe that’s just me. i don’t know. i’m still confused.

plot wise, TOO FAST. the scenes were slow, but the plot was somehow advancing too fast. i didn’t have time to really invest in jocelyn as a character, let alone jocelyn and tedros’s relationship before they were pushed together like a child forcing their barbie dolls to kiss. i didn’t buy their dynamic of “romance.” as i said, there were 2 decent scenes, but those scenes didn’t last long enough and both ended with them making out instead of actually setting up the groundwork for their relationship.

i don’t think the weeknd did bad, but he wasn’t necessarily good either. a handful of his line deliveries were… questionable at best. i don’t know if this is purposeful, but he gave me creep vibes. other characters said he also weirded them out, so maybe that’s the point? i’m hoping that’s the point. please be the point.

and now about sex.

a very hot topic for this show, apparently.

i am not a prude by any means. i watch euphoria, and i watch game of thrones, and etc etc. i can handle sex and nudity, and i do think it can be a useful tool in storytelling. as i said before, i also do not believe in censorship, so put sex in your show or whatever. i don’t care.

but.

big but.

i will critique this because i don’t believe in censorship :) freedom goes both ways

the sex scenes here felt out of place and unnecessary. they did not serve the story at all. they didn’t tell me anything about the characters. i honestly skimmed the sex scenes entirely because they were too long and not integrals

it’s not even that they were too graphic or anything, they were just confusing. like oh jocelyn and tedros are dancing— oh, now they’re making out? jocelyn got home for the club and oh! she’s suddenly masturbating. jocelyn and tedros are talking about music and wow! oh wow. now there’s temperature play and suffocation happening. point being: the sex scenes are too sudden with no real build up or purpose.

i feel with a story like this, explicit sex could work. but not like this. i feel the extreme nature of jocelyn and tedros’s intimacy should progress as the story goes on, and get more and more wild and dangerous as it becomes more obvious that jocelyn is being manipulated and preyed upon by the music industry. that would be a good use for sex scenes, but the way they’re used here— just sporadically thrown in for shock value and Edgy Points— is not only unsatisfying and uncomfortable, but also confusing and ultimately meaningless.

as for the nudity, i don’t think it was anywhere as bad as twitter made it seem. i’m chill with casual nudity, so her waking up without a shirt wasn’t really gratuitous to me, neither was her rarely wearing bras. i don’t care about that.

what i do care about when it comes to nudity is how the story portrays intimacy coordinators.

the characters get annoyed with the coordinator and lock him in a closet just because he wanted them to stop the photoshoot because there was undiscussed nudity that wasn’t in contracts. like the intimacy coordinator was right and the story treated him as if he was just annoying. i think that was strange for a story that’s supposedly about how women are taken advantage of and mistreated in the music industry.

also too much smoking!!! a pretentious amount of smoking!!! nearly every scenes, jocelyn was lighting up a cigarette. sometimes multiple within the span of one location and time. like girl put them down. i don’t need 12 shots of her lighting a cigarette.

final thoughts

the idol has undeniable potential, but all that potential was discarded and replaced with whatever this is. i can see the bones of what amy seimetz intended, but i can also see how sam levinson and the weeknd weakened the integrity of that.

it was quite frankly severely underwhelming and messy. it’s difficult to pinpoint what the story is and what we’re supposed to think about certain points of it, and it’s even harder to get a grip of who characters are and their motivations. it did a poor job of setting up the story, and instead chose to throw us in the deep end and hope we understand whatever the fuck is going on.

i’ll give the second episode a try just to see if i can comprehend what this show is trying to tell me, but i do not have high hopes at all. i believe it will be an unintelligible mess with a few rare gems thrown in (those gems courtesy of amy seimetz, of course), and will hopefully prove that sam levinson and the weeknd both need a fucking writers room and their egos checked.

i give it a 2.5/10. a 3/10 if i’m being nice.

it deserved the bare minimum 5 minute ovation at cannes.

[sirdust]

i need your thoughts on the new episode/s bc i genuinely don't wanna watch it myself

i am not going to rewatch the episodes if i can help it so i'm going off memory here but. sure thing anon <3

ep5: i've said it before but i forgot around 80% of what was happening in this episode as i was watching it. lucifer is a nothing character. at best, he is stolas but even less interesting. he does not serve any purpose but to repeat the doubts that have already been expressed around charlie's project. his reconciliation with charlie comes out of nowhere and there's no reason for them to have fallen out in the first place since he is clearly loving and wants to compromise with her. he's boring and so was the episode.

i feel like it was also trying to be an alastor episode but doing a very bad job at it. alastor has had no character development occur on screen at all. there's a bit with husk thag doesn't work because it needed to be established earlier; as-is it feels like a way to try and show that alastor IS on a similar level of abusive to valentino, but that 100% should've happened before ep4. more to the point, he implies to mimzy that he cares about the hotel project, but this (again) does not make sense because we have not seen him grow to care at all. the dad/daughter angle they try to push with him and charlie also has zero setup. they've spoken maybe two sentences to each other in the season proper.

ep6: dumpster fire. the exorcist vaggie reveal is poorly handled and there is no reason charlie shouldn't know about it, let alone have it be this big liar revealed moment. the scene of vaggie being demoted is extremely fast and difficult to follow because there is no time to sit with the drama at all; the reason she defects is so cliche there's no point in commenting on it.

"nobody knows how people get into heaven" when it was angels who created heaven is a confusing plot point and a bad way of saying the criteria to get into heaven is arbitrary. it fails at being morally gray because there is nothing about heaven worth protecting, and the only reason sinners are killed is to prevent an uprising. emily realizing heaven is wrong over the course of one song is terribly rushed, and the reveal of vaggie's former angel status to charlie, as a moment, is silly. the b-plot with cherri at the club is bad all the way through. cherri's character is assassinated and treated like an after-school special villain, the rivalry between her and pentious is dissolved in favor of a crush that was not properly established at all (and which retcons their dynamic from the pilot), the SA joke with pentious is conceptually awful, and angel's character development is badly handled in every way. he's rejecting drugs and standing up to valentino out of absolutely nowhere, and it's presented as if husk is the primary reason for his progress, which is bad for all sorts of reasons. i've talked about why the b-plot is so bad already, i think, so i don't want to ramble on about it too long.

the overall pacing of the season (ep1-3 taking place over 2 weeks, ep4 taking place somewhere between 2 weeks-almost 5 months later, and ep5-6 taking place 5 months later) is also the worst i've ever seen.

idk what happened with the writing but it's bad.

[wondereads]

Weekly Reading Update (06/12/23)

Reviews and thoughts under the cut

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White (9/10)

This book was amazing. There are very few bad things I could say about it, and most of those are personal preference. Now, it isn't for everyone, as it's basically gothic horror to the extreme with some very sensitive topics. However, as long as you can stomach this sort of thing, I highly recommend this book. It's dark, tense, and not without some hope. My one technical gripe is how perfect Daphne seems, but that can be easily brushed past. I really liked the writing, especially with how the author played with the style and actual look of it.

The Raven King by Nora Sakavic (8/10)

There truly must be something wrong with me to willingly continue the All for the Game series. I am being so deadly serious when I say these books are horrendously written. It's based on a sport that's basically fancy lacrosse that is given the bare minimum explanation, the pacing is all over the place, and the plot is poorly connected if not outright nonsensical. And yet here I am. I think this series, thanks to strangely evocative characters and its absurdist plotlines, evokes the same feelings as fanfiction. As an actual published novel, this is a garbage fire. As something fun and quick to read, it hits every button. The absolute misery Neil goes through only to be put back together by his team and his not-boyfriend just works. I immensely enjoyed myself, but also 0/10 never read these books.

The King's Men by Nora Sakavic (7/10)

This book being the longest of the series makes sense, but I still don't think it was enough. Everything I said about The Raven King applies to this book, and I'm incredibly feral about Neil and Andrew. However, the ending is rushed to the extreme. The resolution is pretty unsatisfying, and I feel like there's still a lot of character stuff to be sorted out, particularly concerning Andrew. The ending was just way too abrupt, and I wish the epilogue had been a proper chapter with a different epilogue set in the weeks/months after the finals. Well, that's what fanfiction is for, and it will probably be better written than these books.

Lioness Rampant by Tamora Pierce (9/10)

This concludes my reread of Song of the Lioness! I'll be continuing with The Immortals Quartet soon, but for now, I really like the ending to this series. This is likely the saddest book in the series with two major deaths, and no, Liam is not included in that, good riddance. Honestly, my retching whenever he started talking is what brought this down from a 10 for me. Alanna has grown so much since the beginning of the series, coming to a place where she can accept love and femininity without letting it affect her own goals. One thing I really like is how close she, Jon, and George are despite their complicated romantic pasts with each other. The fact that their friendship takes precedence over anything else means so much to me.

Fire and Ice by Erin Hunter (CR, 53%)

I've been working very slowly through these books since I'm doing a project with them on the side, but they're pretty good. I will say that I'm not a huge fan of this one in the context of the series. Both Fireheart and Graystripe consistently make pretty bad decisions all throughout which just makes more and more problems. I will say that I love Fireheart's relationship with the apprentices, Cinderpaw and Brackenpaw. Their mentor/mentee but still playful dynamic is great, and it's admirable how Fireheart steps up for Brackenpaw in Graystripes, ahem, absence.

Exile by Shannon Messenger (CR, 1%)

I've barely started this one, but I'm excited!

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (CR, 5%)

I'm a weak, weak woman. It's been around three years since I read Folk of the Air, and I miss it so much. I have a very unhealthy attachment to Jude, which means Cardan and I have something in common. I'm just rereading a lot of stuff right now, and I feel like reading something I know I'll love will help me catch up on my reading goal (I'm eight books behind).

[rebelsofshield]

Star Wars The Mandalorian: “Chapter Twenty: The Foundling” - Review

The Mandalorian’s third season reaches its halfway point in an awkward and meandering chapter.

Now officially Children of the Watch, Din Djarin and Bo-Katan Kryze settle into their new roles in the fundamentalist Mandalorian faction. However, when a giant predator snatches up a Mandalorian foundling, the two must lead a rescue party across a hostile landscape.

Seasonal pacing is a pretty consistent issue with Star Wars television. For every standout episode or story arc, there seem to be several that do little but spin their wheels or tread water. The Mandalorian absolutely isn’t immune to this, but “The Foundling” may be the most aimless episode of the series ever produced.

This isn’t to say that the episode penned by both Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni doesn’t feature a plot. There is an episodic story that involves a giant dragon like predator snatching up young Mandalorians to feed to its young, but it’s the most literal of monster of the week plots. As wonderful as the effects and design of this creature may be and how solid Carl Weathers’s direction comes off, it’s just hard to find much of note about this entire adventure outside of its spectacle. Sure, we learn that the foundling we met in the season premiere is Paz Vizsla’s son, but considering that Paz is barely a character to begin with, the revelation doesn’t really mean much emotionally or thematically.

If “The Foundling” is trying to tell us a story, it’s about two people being welcomed into The Children of the Watch and how they adjust to this new place in their lives. The first, and arguably the foundling that the title refers to, is Grogu. Now committed to joining Din as a Mandalorian, his surrogate father begins to train him in the ways of the Mandalore, which at this point concerns dueling other children with paintball firing gauntlets. It’s a cute little moment and it’s fun to see Din acting the teacher again, but Grogu as a character is still hard to access. The puppetry work is phenomenal, but I’m never quite sure if I’m supposed to read him as a literal infant/toddler of if he’s at a more developed space mentally/emotionally. The show seems to want it both ways, reveling in the cuteness while hinting that he’s secretly more mature than we might assume, but it ends up confusing the issue.

This also ends up being a big episode for Grogu as we finally get a flashback that reveals how he escaped the purge of the Jedi Temple. However, like Obi-Wan Kenobi before it, the operatic tragedy of this moment that has been portrayed in Revenge of the Sith and even other media like The Clone Wars or Jedi: Fallen Order has been replaced with chaotic, CG heavy action. If last week’s Coruscant segments pushed the limits of The Mandalorian’s budget, the frayed edges are rapidly tearing in “The Foundling” with several shots feeling not unlike the horrendously dated green screen environments Attack of the Clones.

The big, buzzy reveal from this episode though is that Grogu was rescued by a relatively obscure Jedi named Kelleran Beq, who is played by former Jar Jar Binks actor Ahmed Best. As a fan, it’s genuinely nice to see Best, who suffered well over a decade of targeted abuse for his role in The Phantom Menace, get to play an action hero who rescues a new fan favorite character, but it’s a storytelling move though that only makes sense if you understand the real life drama outside of it. In terms of actual narrative, it’s a flat decision that doesn’t add much in the way of drama or emotional depth to Grogu’s escape. This is not to say it would’ve been better if some recognizable Jedi smuggled our little green hero to safety, but Beq being such an enigma to us as viewers makes the entire sequence feel even more lifeless. This could have easily been solved if we had gotten to know Beq and Grogu’s dynamic even a little bit before the lightsaber tricks and speederchases, but that’s not the case here.

“The Foundling” does manage to mine some intrigue out of Bo-Katan’s inclusion in The Children of the Watch. Unlike Din, it’s unclear where exactly she stands in her relationship to this cultish enclave of Mandalorians. Part of this comes from the still overly murky history surrounding the Purge and the groups founding, but Filoni, Favreau, and Katee Sackhoff paint Bo-Katan as a conflicted woman who is unsure about her loyalties as we are. Even as she holds the Children of the Watch in contempt, she has the chance to interact with other Mandalorians in a way she hasn’t been for quite some time. But, in the episode’s best moment, The Armorer remains dismissive of Bo-Katan’s revelation that she personally witnessed a living mythosaur dwelling beneath the Mandalorian surface. Even as she begins to trust the Watch, its leader may not be willing to do the same to her. It sets up a complicated dynamic going forward and the meatiest interpersonal drama that the series currently has on the table.

“The Foundling” is not without its merits, but it’s just as often confused and lifeless. It represents a continuous backslide for The Mandalorian’s third season after its lively, if silly, premiere. Let’s hope the second half of this season starts to find itself.

Score: C+

[stranger-who-writes-fiction]

Brief (?), Rapid-Fire (??) Musings on the Current State of the Monthly Superman Titles

Challenging myself to NOT go on a bunch of different long-winded tangents...we'll see how it goes. XD

Gonna start with the bad so that the post ends on a positive note. XD

The twelve part weekly Waid Action Comics just wrapped, and I gotta admit, it was kind of a huge letdown, at least in my opinion.

Lots of talented folks working on it, but ultimately the whole thing felt pretty boring/boilerplate. I guess 'filler' might be the easiest way to describe the whole thing.

And that's kind of been the vibe of this 'Action Comics Superstars' initiative. The rotating roster of creators means that the book feels like it's in a constant state of shuffle and has very little connective tissue between storylines.

Like. Is John Ridley gonna build on this recent Mon-El/Phantom Zone arc stuff? Probably not! So unless I'm a big fan of the writer or artist involved, why should I remain subscribed to this book on a monthly basis?

DC has essentially made one of the two ongoing, monthly Superman titles skippable. Which sucks.

Also, NGL, the Tamaki/Patridge Supergirl backup story was a whole lotta nothing. XD

I've seen complaints re: Tamaki's characterization of Kara, but honestly that wasn't even my issue with this story. The pacing was really bad and the new character they introduced was needlessly cryptic for entirely too long.

Also, Power Girl did not need to be here. XD

Supposedly the whole secret mission is like. Tied into her Krypton trauma and I really wasn't getting that from the writing or art.

Anyways. I bring this all up because we get a promise that Supergirl's adventures 'will continue in 2025!'

No indication if this means a miniseries, an ongoing, or another backup feature, nor if this creative team will be returning.

...Put a pin in this, we'll get back to it at the end. XD

I'm not reading the Power Girl series. I'm sure it's fine. XD

Saw that Jon Kent will be appearing in a new Secret Six title, which...uh...okay.

(My personal opinion on Jon currently is that he's annoying in the same way that Dick Grayson is annoying; T*m T*ylor has turned the both of them into unproblematic soft bois, too affably bland to really care about anymore.)

Absolute Superman is fine. I'm personally not nearly as enamored as everyone else is with the Absolute line --it feels like a glorified Elseworlds title to me.

Also, Jason Aaron's 'new take' on Superman is that he grew up on Krypton, and his family was part of the labor guide as opposed to the science guild.

(You put Kara in glasses and people won't shut up about how she's a Clark clone, meanwhile Absolute Clark is just New-52 Supergirl and the book gets critical acclaim.)

*insert eyeroll here*

(I'm halfway convinced that if they ever deign to introduce an 'Absolute Supergirl', she'll be part of the snobby, scientific elite and her character arc will be learning that 'classism is bad, actually'.)

*insert eyeroll here*

(Who am I kidding, if they do announce new Absolute titles starring women, they will almost certainly be either Harley Quinn or Catwoman.)

Art's cool, though!

Okay, time to get to positive stuff.

I genuinely enjoyed Superman #21. Like. Full stop.

Am I a sucker for any book drawn by Dan Mora? YES. But also, this might be the first time in nearly two years that the book slowed down and focused on the internal lives of Lois and Clark.

Finally, FINALLY, we see how the plot stuff is affecting these characters on an emotional level.

Also, the fan-servicey cameo serves the plot instead of being there for the sake of being referential.

(Helps that Mora is a modern master who can balance the dynamic action stuff with genuine character acting. His panel pacing is also a nice mix of big, flashy set-pieces, and quieter, character focused beats.)

I still think 'Time-Trapper-Is-Doomsday' feels really stupid...and I live in mortal fear of this:

But generally, I dig the cliffhanger introduced at the end of the issue, and I'm actually engaged with the title for the first time since Campbell left the book.

Okay, so. This next one is kinda weird.

In the recent issue of DC Connect that contained the March 2025 solicits, it was revealed that PKJ has a new Superman book coming out, and the blurb says that it'll follow up on the threads introduced in his Action Comics run as well as his Future State stuff.

So like. EXCITING. Right???

But PKJ himself has not shared the news, and, weirdly, all the sites running the DC solicits left it out.

I wonder if this means it'll be pushed back or resolicited? But it's currently slated for release in March, so...?

I guess we might get more insight/info in the next round of solicits, maybe? Like, if we see that the second issue is there with a release date, or if it's absent, etc.

Either way, PRAISE BE.

Even if it does get pushed back, just knowing that we'll be getting more PKJ Superman is wonderful, and frankly? Is why I'm not going into the 2025 DC titles completely demoralized. XD

So by now we've done the bad and the good, time to get into the speculate-y. XD

As mentioned, we got the little tease that Supergirl will have some sort of presence in 2025. Time to ruminate on what that could look like.

Worst case scenario, and entirely too possible for my liking: Either another backup feature or oneshot with the same creative team of Tamaki and Patridge. This would be easy, from a scheduling and money standpoint, and is in line with the scattering of appearances Kara has had since Woman of Tomorrow.

Slightly better scenario, and still arguably likely: mini series with this same creative team. DC's current go-to with characters outside of the trinity/classic JL lineup is like. Six issues with their non A-List (read: not the same five or so white guys) creators. We saw it with Steel and Superboy; I'm halfway convinced the only reason Power Girl is an ongoing is because they were really banking on Geoff Johns' JSA being more of a Thing...and if they canned their only other ongoing Superman title, starring a woman, it'd be a bad look, so here we are. XD

Now, WILD CARD ELEMENT: Kris Anka recently posted THIS

With the accompanying text: 'first little cover tease on this site'

Now. Some Thoughts.

Obviously, it's a super character. It's got the 'S'

I've seen folks speculate like, 'NEW SUPERGIRL SUIT???' I don't think that's the case; important to keep in mind that Anka has largely been working in animation for the past several years, out of the monthly comics game, so this is *most likely* a variant cover.

Variant covers are the Wild West of canon content; does it even match what's inside the comic? POSSIBLY, NO. XD

(Also it would be wild to tease a big new costume change for their current in-continuity stuff in a random Bluesky post.)

ALSO. Let us not forget that some of that aforementioned animation work that Anka did involved designs for My Adventures with Superman.

And I don't know about y'all, but that sure looks like a cape scarf to me...sort of similar to the look MAWS Kara was sporting at the end of season two.

HmMMmmMmmmMMMm.

My best guess: We're getting more MAWS tie-in comics. That are unrelated to whatever they were teasing at the end of Action Comics.

As a reminder: this is all just speculation, it's entirely possible that I am WAY off (heck, Anka didn't even really specify if this was a comic cover, it could be ANYTHING) so you know. Grain of salt, etc. XD

But anyways, thus concludes this lengthy list! I think I did a pretty good job of keeping it focused, though. XD (I deleted so many tangents. So. So many.)

TL;DR: I'm looking forward to PKJ's return, whenever that will be, and I suppose I'm...morbidly curious about the future of Supergirl comics??? XD I guess we'll see!