#also i know this is a kara centric post but guess what it's sUPPOSED

[randomthingsthatilike1]

me @ supergirl writers at least let this be an episode where kara reveals that her entire world died to maggie and have maggie reveal to kara that she was kicked out as a kid and have that be what turns the fucking pissing contest into a place of understanding because it’s different but both of them were in a way just “sent on their way” by their parents, possibly with nothing but the clothes on their backs and alex may have lost her father but she didn’t lose her mother, didn’t lose her home and she helped both of them heal so much, she’s their touchstone when everything is just too much

Especially since they had Maggie figure out Kara was Supergirl and never showed us Kara’s reaction to that either. And Kara’s not Clark--I’ve written before that Kara’s secret isn’t that she’s Supergirl. It’s that she’s not human, that when she was 13 years old she was strapped into a spaceship and jettison’d across the universe and spent over twenty years in a dream-like state, that she isn’t half human, or raised on Earth--any kind of human.

She has a completely different way of thinking, a different culture, that she is Kryptonian a survivor and a refugee, and there isn’t a day that goes by that she has to choose not to let her grief consume everything and swallow her whole and make sure everyone she’s ever met on earth even realize that she is anything but a “normal” human, that it even exists, even her friends--this is the secret she shares when she actually gets the choice to tell people she’s Supergirl.

Because at this point? I’m not sure Maggie really knows, or understands that--and that’s not Maggie’s fault. She can’t be expected to know if she’s never told.

Sure, she knows that Kara is Alex’s adopted sister, but does she know that Clark just left Kara at the Danver’s door, that Kara was supposed to take care of baby him at just 13 years but she got caught in the phantom zone and instead he had very little contact with her and abandoned her and made Alex, a teenager, do his job, even after Jeremiah died because they would not let them have Kara, how much Alex has spent of her life keeping Kara safe, that she lied to Kara for years about being in the DEO

How Kara was not born on Earth, that her parents didn’t escape and have her on Earth she was born and raised on Krypton, a completely different culture and religion and technology and mindset, how English isn’t Kara’s first language (hell it’s probably not even her first ten languages), that Kara was practically royalty on Krypton, that she was considered a genius among Kryptonians and the amount of effort and calculations she constantly goes through so that she doesn’t hurt anyone, or inflict any more property than absolutely necessary as Supergirl and how she doesn’t just go off willy-nilly doing whatever she wants without consequences--she calculates the speed which she can land without destroying everything, the proper angle and speed to catch someone without causing whiplash, how much Kara thinks, always, about what she is doing because she’s not clark, this isn’t something she’s dealt with her entire life, something that is just instinctive--it’s constant work for her.

Does Maggie Know Kara watched her world be consumed by flames and that Kara knows dozens of languages but there are no words to describe the sound of a planet as it dies, that Kara lost literally everything she’s ever known except for the clothes on her back and she will do anything to protect Alex , because for 10 years she hid her powers, because that was what she was told to do, that’s what would keep both herself and the Danvers safe, but losing Alex is above all unacceptable

Does she know that the reason Kara revealed herself to the world was because Alex was on that flight?

Does she know that the crest on Kara’s chest is not an S--that it is the crest of her house and means “el mayarah” --stronger together?

Does she know anything about Red Kryptonite? Maggie’s a cop--she definitely saw the aftermath but does she know that this wasn’t just Kara having a bad day this was Kara forcibly drugged, without literally any kind of control of her actions. Or what about Alura’s AI, how Kara is confronted by the phantom of her mother constantly but she just can’t seem to keep away (oh, Kara introducing Maggie to Alura’s AI) or hell, that the virus that killed so many of her friends at the bar was created by Kara’s father?

Does she know about the Black Mercy (both what Kara went through, and “I come back with my sister, or not at all“)?

Does she know about Rao?

Does she know about Non, and how Kara put the last of her people in stasis and sent them out to space?

Does she know that Kara hasn’t heard Kryptonian music since she was a child? (and if anyone could get a copy of such music, it’s probably maggie “i have alien friends and work in the ncpd science division” sawyer)

Does she know about Astra?

Or what the government did to her, and how she died (just reminder that they tortured her on US soil, in front of Kara’s eyes as she begged them not to, Alex having to pull her out of the room. Which yes, is very much against the Geneva Convention and anything that Maggie believes in as an honest cop)?

Does she know that Kara was fully willing to die to save everyone, and that she flew into space and that the only reason she didn’t is because alex went in a broken tin can and flew into space to get her back

because Kara being Supergirl isn’t her secret, not really--it’s that she’s Kryptonian. This is what Maggie won’t be able to guess on her own. This is what Kara would have to tell her, the conversations that they would need to have.

Basically, sure Maggie knows Kara is Supergirl, but does she know anything else? Does Maggie have any kind of idea they extent of Kara’s pain, her grief?

and maybe in season 1 I’d be able to see at least some of this, hell maybe even in early season 2, when we had conversations between kara and alex like how Clark abandoned her, or with Kara and J’onn about how alura and zor-el’s legacy is Kara, or Kara telling J’onn about the first time she let Eliza hug her (and god i miss them actually remembering that J’onn is a)a season regular and b) integral to Supergirl--both the show and the person we’ve talked about racism with James lmao what about J’onn)

but l o l that would require the writers have a better sense of object permanence of a baby and that’s not Supergirl anymore, and I’m in agony

[mashitandsmashit]

America’s Got Talent: Season 14 - Auditions 6

First of all, Ra’ed was Ra’obbed! They will NEVER have a brilliant singer/songwriter like him on this show again! M. Bison never looked so FABULOOOOUUUUSSSS!!!

Kidding aside, let’s talk about our final audition, and then we’ll reflect on these auditions in general and discuss what to expect moving ahead...

So here goes!

10: The Sentimentalists. I know these two! They were some of the caretakers of the Baudelaire orphans! Boy did Count Olaf have to jump through hoops to trick THESE folks! But seriously, I find them both very entertaining, especially quirky/creepy bellhop lady...But as the judges pointed out, the tricks were lacking, and we’ve seen pretty much everything they had to offer before...They really did feel like the bargain bin Clairvoyants...I hope they improve, because I like THEM...I just don’t like the act yet...

9: Gonzo. He’s come a long way since his Muppet days...And he never looked so good! (Though I do wonder how things are going with him and Camilla...) I guess he’s dropped the usual daredevil stunts to...play the tambourine! Anyway, this was amusing, but I’ve seen other acts this season that had a little more of that silly charm...Still, that stone face and sexy outfit added a lot!

8: Matthew Richardson. Probably the best Cyr wheel acrobat we’ve seen so far...But it’s not like it was such a high bar in the first place! Don’t get me wrong, a LOT of practice must go into all this...It’s just nothing that’s gonna stick with me...This was impressive, just not super-memorable...Though I’m sure plenty of ladies are already getting their phones ready to vote for the good-looking underwear model in the glittery paint!

7: Olivia Calderon. Howie says this isn’t his cup of tea...even though back in Season 7, he gave the Wildcard to that mariachi kid who ALSO sang “My Way”! Whatever, the judges are inconsistent, what else is new? Regardless, while she didn’t hit every note perfectly, I still really enjoyed her singing and look forward to seeing *insert “Coco” reference here*!

6: Luke Islam. Surprise, surprise, Julie’s Golden Buzzer is another singer...I would have liked a LITTLE more variety, just one more non-singer outside the violin kid (and maybe a girl...Kinda interesting that this year’s GBs are proving to be a bit of a sausage fest, seeing that the majority of them are usually female, preferably of the preadolescent variety...) But despite all that, I’ll let Julie have this one, as this kid is both very likable and very talented! He may need some coaching before he’s ready for Broadway, but he’s on his way...Until then, he’s ready for AGT!

5: Kara with a K. Oh look, it’s the Southern Melissa McCarthy! I guess when in doubt, keep talking and sooner or later a joke or two will hit...Also helps if you pack some fast food in your cleavage! Anyway, while this lady could potentially become annoying, for now I would say she gave me the most chuckles as well as entertainment out of all of the stand-up comedians in this round! And she sure knows how to split...as well as fall down!

4: Duo MainTenanT. NOW these acrobatic acts are gettin’ steamy! I bet couples everywhere are watching this and whipping out their notebooks! Only from France, mon cheri! I see a lot of potential with these two, though whether or not they reach that potential is yet to be seen...

3: Revolution Queens. It’s like Malevo, but female and with more screaming! I think Malevo even used that same song in one of their performances...(So is Marilyn Manson, like, a thing in Argentina?) I still hold to my opinion that nothing beats just letting the drums, shoes and whips make the music, no backing-track involved, which Malevo spoiled us with for their first performance...So with that, they peaked too early...As for these ladies, while I’ve mostly seen this all before from Male-vo (Get it?), it is new seeing women do it...And I don’t think I’ve seen any of the men swing a whip with their mouths! Either way, I’m willing to give them a chance!

2: Chris Klafford. Who knew the Amazing Atheist had such a beautiful voice! This man has effectively dethroned Charlotte Summers as the best overall singer of the auditions. “Imagine” is a difficult song to both display one’s voice and make unique, but he pulled it off! I can now officially root for Lamont Landers to get knocked out by this guy (both figuratively AND literally! I mean look at the guy! He’s almost as big as Terry! I’m sure he’s sweet and gentle most of the time, but I would not want to get on his bad side, much less a nerd like Lamont! I wonder what it would be like if he, Terry, Ra’ed and the guy from Bir Khalsa joined into one group! All I gotta say is beware, right? I mean it would make for one hell of a wrestling troupe and-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEtm_Q2LK9g Okay, okay!)

1: Robert Finley. Looks like the Masqueraders left a man behind...While the previous entry has a more unique and polished voice, this cool cat also has an impressive voice for his age, plus the bonus of having written the song (and it was a pretty damn good song, if I do say so myself!) And as it turns out, this man is no joke: https://www.amazon.com/Goin-Platinum-Robert-Finley/dp/B076188VCZ Not only is he dropping albums, he’s even been working with the guy from the Black Keys, which is yet more automatic cool points! It’s hard to say how far he’ll make it in this competition despite how awesome he is, because the competition is STACKED! But for now, he took the stage, wrapped it up in bacon, and SIZZLED!!!

This last audition was pretty singer-centric, but I overall really liked all of the singers, and there were some pretty solid variety acts as well! Not quite the best audition, but not the weakest either!

And that about wraps it up (in bacon) for this season’s auditions, and I gotta say, it was quite solid! Everyone who made it (and were concentrated on) felt justified in some way or another...Even the stupid acts were all amusing, and even the singers who I wasn’t big on were at least in some way interesting or special...And what’s more, Simon did a pretty good job weeding out the trite! I guess he’s good for something after all...He just needed a little time to get into the swing of it...

And while the Golden Buzzers weren’t QUITE as varied as I would have liked, they do all have some kind of star quality to them, and I can see all of them earning a place in the finals, assuming they don’t cancel each other out...

But as it is, Kodi Lee IS the would-be winner of the season...While I knew he would go far, I didn’t think of him as the potential winner at first...And then something happened: Everyone kept talking about him! It’s just like what happened with artists like Kevin Skinner and Grace VanderWaal; They won by the power of their influence!

That said, after last season, I wouldn’t rule out the chances of an upset...But for that to happen, there would have to be a sizable backlash against Kodi, like with Courtney Hadwin last season...Again, I’m convinced that Shin Lim was NOT supposed to win...He was probably always meant to be the runner-up or something...But because Courtney got such a backlash by the end, he was simply the next one down...But all the better for him, right?

Anyway, we’ll worry about all of that later...For now, we have Judge Cuts to look forward to...I guess stay tuned for a list of predictions...It seems like all of the acts that appeared in the “Best of Auditions” episode are candidates for Golden Buzzers (especially the ones who already have one)! But that doesn’t necessarily mean anything.

Right now, my best guess for next week is that Brad Paisley will give it to Sophie Pecora, but we’ll wait for the other acts to be announced and see if there is anyone else who would appeal to him...Or he could just pick something unexpected like the dog act or something; I WAS wrong about the other country singer guest judges in the past...

Until then, I’ll keep you all posted on other candidates as the list continues to be updated...

Edit: Okay, the full line-up has been announced! Naturally, there’s no point in predicting any of the acts that were skimmed or skipped over in the auditions making it; Probably the only one who has even a SLIGHT shot is Jecko, but only because we saw a bit more of his act than the others...

Otherwise, I’ve counted eleven acts that HAVE been properly focused on in the auditions, which means that four of them will be eliminated (or more if they actually DO decide to put through some lesser-knowns...)

I guess I’ll start with the singers: There are three legitimate contenders in the category, who are all legitimate contenders for the game in general, each in different ways...We have Sophie Pecora, the soulful songwriter, Chris Klafford, arguably the best overall singer of the season, and Ndlovu Youth Choir, who could potentially go down as the best choir in the history of the show. I’m feeling pretty confident that all three will advance, and for one of them by means of Paisley’s Golden Buzzer...As predictable as it would be for yet another choir to get a GB, I’d say Ndlovu deserves it the most, though I guess I wouldn’t mind either of the other two (that said, Sophie will REALLY have to up her game to justify it over the high bar that the others have set).

Berywam falls under the “If they don’t make it, I’ll be pissed” category, and I’m feeling pretty confident for Lukas & Falco.

And then we have the ones who are in a slightly tougher position...Let’s start with the acrobats: There are three of them in this show, and they all involve shirtless dudes (that’s important!) One of them is sure to make it! That said, Duo Togni is out since we only concentrated on them in the auditions for a second...So that just leaves Matthew Richardson and the Messoudi Brothers. Simon did tell the former that there needs to be more in the next round, which puts some pressure on him. But at the end of the day, I think it all comes down to which of them puts on the best performance...

The Sentimentalists also have pressure placed on them from the criticism they got from both Howie AND Simon...But since they’re competing against one or two other magic acts, and they’re fairly interesting characters, they’ll probably make it regardless...

The same cannot be said for the Emerald Belles who are probably already on Howie’s chopping block...It could go either way for them...

I WOULD consider Kevin Schwartz to be a contender, but I can’t help but compare this season’s comedians to last year’s...This year’s main comedians to consider are him, Ryan Niemiller, Jackie Fabulous and Kara with a K. I guess it’s debatable whether Kara or Jackie is this year’s Vicki Barbolak, and which one’s Carmen Lynch, but Ryan definitely feels like Samuel J. Comroe...and Kevin...feels like Oliver Graves...Maybe they won’t do it COMPLETELY like last season, but I still wonder...

And finally, we have Andy Rowell, who as I said before is at a serious risk of getting pigeonholed...Maybe he’ll find a way out of it, but I’m not holding my breath...

So with all that said, here’s my most educated guess on who will make it next week:

1: Berywam

2: Chris Klafford

3: Lukas & Falco

4: Matthew Richardson/Messoudi Brothers

5: Ndlovu Youth Choir (Golden Buzzer)

6: Sophie Pecora

7: The Sentimentalists

We’ll see how accurate my guess is...next week!

[justanotheraveragelesbian]

My Thoughts on Supergirl 2x13

Here are my thoughts on Supergirl Episode 13 of Season 2, the Valentine’s Day episode (”Mr. and Mrs. Mxyzptlk”). Spoiler warning if you need it.

As usual this is going to be a long post, and possibly longer than usual.

I want to start by talking about the positives of this episode, which just so you know I don’t think there were many, because this is going to turn into a rant very quickly.  

I was very excited about the valentine’s day episode, because it was supposed to be Sanvers centric. Which of course it wasn’t, because they got very little screen time, but what we got of them was pretty good.  I liked the storyline that we got, because while most of it was predictable, the surprise that Maggie had lied to Alex about her coming out experience was good.  I’ve seen some negative comments about this, because people feel like Maggie shouldn’t have lied, but the thing is that many people who come out have bad experiences.  Some get to be like Alex and have a nice easy coming out where they tell everybody and everybody is happy for them, but many have to experience something closer to Maggie. Kids get kicked out of their house for being gay or trans or any other non-cisgender heterosexual.  Maggie had that experience, and is a strong, independent, woman because of it.  She overcame what happened to her and it is important for kids who experience that to know that they can overcome it too.  So many of them feel like their life ends after they come out and because of that they take their own life.  This is an important role model for them to have.  It is also important for them to see Alex have a good experience, because increasingly kids are getting to have those positive reactions too.  I also really like the idea that Maggie wanted Alex to feel confident and not be scared to come out, because ultimately self-doubt and self-hatred are a person’s worst enemies when they are coming out of the closet.  She obviously cared about Alex, even then, and wanted her experience to be better. I was surprised by that turn, but I really enjoyed it.  I also really liked that Maggie tried to make Valentine’s day special for Alex at the end, although there is a part of me that wishes Alex would have respected Maggie’s wishes.  It is good to see the two of them communicating well and working through issues. The fact that Alex stopped Maggie when she tried to walk away when they were arguing was great.  

Just a side note, J’onn was so cute sending a valentine’s message to M’gann.  I was grinning ear to ear.

I also liked Mxy (I don’t want to type his full name every time I need to, so we’ll just stick with that). He was a fun and dynamic villain of the week, and the way that Kara dispatched him at the end of the episode was fantastic.  I love it when she gets to use her intelligence to defeat a villain, just as much as I love to see her kick some butt.  The effects were also fantastic on this episode.  All of his powers were done really well, but also the fight between the giant, ice sculpture of Jor-El and Supergirl was fantastic.  It is amazing what they are able to do on this show.

Having said all that, now it is time for the rant, because despite all the times in the episode that I smiled or laughed, by the end of it I was angry.  It is obviously no secret at this point that I dislike Mon-El. Chris Wood has been doing a good job with him and I think he and Melissa Benoist have great chemistry.  The two of them play off each other well, but the way that Mon-El is written is horrible.  The message that this relationship sends to young girls is not positive.  On a personal note, I have two teenage sons, and I have tried to teach them to treat women with respect.  I have been in relationships with women before where when you treat them like crap they really like you and when you treat them well they walk all over you. I did not want that for my boys, but I also didn’t want to see them be jerks to the girls they were dating. Recently I noticed that my oldest son, who has been in a relationship for about a year, was being very mean to his girlfriend and I called him out on it.  His response was that she likes it when he talks like that.  I didn’t know what to say, but to groan, because that is not how I raised him, but that is the message that he is getting.  That is the message that this relationship sends. Kara is well aware of Mon-El’s faults. She calls him out on it in the episode, in some of my favorite scenes.  I loved that he admitted to being misogynistic.  The writers are aware of these faults.  He even called her a “nasty woman” for goodness sake.  The two of them fight and argue all the time. This is not a healthy relationship. A man calling a woman names and being treated like he is the best possible love interest for the heroine is not the message that needs to be sent to young girls.  

I feel like there is a natural comparison that can be made on the show between the three major relationships that we have gotten over the course of the two seasons.  Maggie and Alex have a strong, loving relationship where they communicate well.  They may have gotten into a fight this episode, but they were still able to see things from each other’s perspectives and move forward as a couple.  That relationship is written so well, it is scary, because it is so often the case that well written lesbian storylines don’t last.  In the first season, James and Kara may not have gotten together until the very end of the season, but they were the romantic pair from the beginning of the season. They fought on occasion and had differences of opinion.  Kara actively tried to protect James, because he is only human, but James also tried to protect Kara.  They argued about issues, but never called each other names or ended a fight without understanding where the other person was coming from.  By contrast we have Mon-El and Kara.  They fight.  They argue. They do not see eye-to-eye on practically anything.  He tries to protect her, because he sees her as a damsel in distress who needs a big strong man to come in and help.  He talks over her and interrupts her.  He calls her names.  Yes, he has grown as a person a little bit, and I would say a very little bit, since the beginning of the season.  Yes, I can see why Kara would want to be with an alien.  Yes, I can see why Kara would want to be with a guy who looks like Chris Wood (I will admit he is attractive), but love is not about treating someone like an object. Love is not about treating someone like a prize. Love is not about treating someone like they are less than you.  This show is supposed to be about Kara/Supergirl.  A female hero who is strong, smart, and capable.  This season has turned it into the Mon-El show, and sidelined Supergirl in her own show.  

I feel like it is telling that James and Lena were not in this episode, because both of them respect Kara and Supergirl for who they are.  Mon-El is a stark contrast to that.  I am really hoping that by the end of the season the message is clear that this is not the kind of relationship that Kara deserves to have, but I am losing faith in the Supergirl writers to be able to write a good romance for her, not that she needs one.  I was disappointed in this episode and have been disappointed in the season as a whole. This is still my favorite show on tv right now, but it is losing me (something I never thought would happen).

I am looking forward to Jeremiah coming back next episode, although it looked to me like Alex and Kara were fighting over it (possibly because Kara doesn’t think Jeremiah is really him?).  This will probably be a hard one to watch.  I’m hoping for less Mon-El and more focus on the Danvers family.  I guess all I can do is keep my fingers crossed.