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demonkidpliz · 4 years ago

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Things I learned while re-watching Star Plus Mahabharata (Part 16/many):

1) As ever with Duryodhan, I cannot disagree with anything he says.

2) Oh god. This scene. Panchali’s curse. Her walking away as Arjun looks on. Gold.

3) Not sure I like this new version of Krishna seekh.

4) Also we have not seen Krishna fight once in this battle of Dwarka vs the King of Shalva.

5) I also don’t like crying Krishna. Not saying he can’t. But I can’t take him seriously when he cries. I need him to be infinitely more chill than SRJ is being right now.

6) Ah, Arjun swearing at the Kurus. A+ 10/10.

7) Oh my fucking god, Subhadra’s opening line to Arjun: how could you let this happen? I expect nothing less from her.

8) Madhav is back now, after chilling in his war. He’s still in a self-driven chariot.

9) Wow, he’s so pissed at the Pandavas and rightfully so.

10) Draupadi telling Krishna that she’s become impure. And anyone who comes near her would also become impure. No. NO. Every woman in the world knows this feeling.

11) Okay, first of all, Krishna, you moonlighting feminist, the first thing you should tell Draupadi is that she has not become malin because of what Duryodhana and Dushasan did. This is on them, not on her. I cannot but compare StarBharat with BR Chopra Mahabharat, the comparisons come very easily to me. And the truth is, they just did some things better.

12) Draupadi’s now fallen at his feet. Krishna is just like, Lord give me strength.

13) This scene is important because I feel like for once Krishna is putting his grand plans on hold for one second to give Draupadi back her peace of mind. Because first and foremost, the Lord is kind to those who follow him.

14) It’s so nice that StarBharat has shown this sort of sisterly solidarity between Draupadi and Subhadra, which is so important.

15) Draupadi is not even remotely impressed by Yudhishthira’s theatrics.

16) Draupadi’s pratigya makes her sound like Bhishma. Intentional or unintentional.

17) I cannot imagine Subhadra watching idly by as the Pandavas and Draupadi walk to the forest. I’m sure she put up a fight against her brothers to be allowed to go.

18) Speaking of, where is Balaram in all of this? His cousins are heading for vanvas and he is still chilling in Dwarka? Unrealistic.

19) Oh nice, Abhimanyu hasn’t even been born yet but somehow Krishna has managed to name him.

20) That scene where Arjun stops Subhadra from touching his feet. Some of StarBharat’s dialogueless scenes are just as touching.

21) Krishna’s glare as Shakuni enters the Indraprastha palace lmaoo.

22) A well executed scene but the watering hole scene happens only towards the end of the 12-year vanvas period.

23) This is hilarious. Yudhishthira is basically like Krishna is going to whoop my ass if I let something else happen to Panchali.

24) Oh god. Everyone loves Arjun the most. But I think Yudhishthira loves Bhim the most.

25) It’s time for Yudhishthira to meet his bio daddy!

26) Arjun doing tapasya for Shiv is my jam.

27) Bhim is such a cutie.

28) This Hanuman story is different though, right? Something to do with some lotus for Draupadi.

29) Is Hanuman a Yadav? He wears the same tilak. Or is this some Ram/Krishna connection we don’t quite know about.

30) I love Hanuman’s character! He’s so playful. And also the Hanuman Chalisa in the background score.

31) Oh so Hanuman knows that Krishna is Ram/Vishnu avatar and says he will chill on the chariot that’s being manned by God.

32) Oh no they never told us about the magic bowl Draupadi had that was gifted to her by Surya Dev which gave them unlimited food.

33) Also, do the Pandavas and Karna ever realise that they are all ‘gifts’ of Durvasa.

34) Krishna creeping in the background like some mega creep 😂

35) This is a conversation for another time but some day we need to talk about the incessant whitewashing of our gods such as Ram and Krishna in modern mythological serials. Also of Draupadi/Dhrishtadyumna/Arjun—basically anyone who’s described in canon as dark. There is some modern fetish for fair-skinned gods that just doesn’t sit right. I miss the dark-skinned Aruns and Nitishs.

36) Durvasa is still not impressed by Krishna. This man is literally god.

37) Arjun is fishing.

38) Oh nice, Indra is also here. Old gods and new.

39) Not sure whether I like this Shiv. Shiv in general I love.

40) Aaaand Jayadrath is here. Can’t wait for this guy to die in tomorrow’s BR Chopra Mahabharat episode.

41) Duryodhan low key throwing shade at Jayadrath is my jam.

42) Really, what does Dushala see in this man?

43) Kaun ho tum? Really? Draupadi doesn’t know her own brother-in-law? That seems highly unlikely.

44) Why is Arjun wasting time with all this trash talk?

45) Arjun is having a lot of second thoughts about keeping Jayadrath alive for Dushala’s sake but this is going to change very quickly during the war. Also Nakul rightfully points out that this man will give grief to Arjun later on.

46) This is by far the worst and most inaccurate map of Aryavarta to ever exist.

47) Oh no Jayadrath’s hair makeup is so not on point at this moment.

48) Mamashri Shakuni is literally fortune telling at this point and this is my jam.

49) So it’s canon that both Shakuni and Krishna are Slytherins, right? Yet they are the two most diametrically opposite Slytherins we have ever seen.

50) Also I want to see Dushala but these shows never give me what I want. When I make the Mahabharata I will make sure the women get equal and opposite screen time and character development as the men.

51) Yudhishthira is getting on my nerves.

52) This Draupadi is infinitely nicer than BR Chopra Mahabharat’s Roopa Ganguli who used to give it to her husbands every opportunity she got.

53) I also have lots of complaints. They didn’t show Dhrishtadyumna taking Draupadi’s sons home to Panchal to raise them.

54) They didn’t show Arjun chilling with his bio dad in heaven! They didn’t show Urvashi hitting on him and him rejecting her advances! Then she curses him, causing him to lose his manhood. And then she reverses the curse after Indra begs her and she limits it to lost manhood for one year of his choosing. That’s how Arjun uses the Brihannala guise for a year during agyaatvaas!

55) Shakuni training himself to think like Krishna. Looool.

56) Nakul bullying children is my jam.

57) Clearly this sattoo ke laddoo business is some sort of secret code amongst the Pandavas.

58) At least Uttar and Uttara are aptly shown as young teenagers.

59) My fav is back! Brihannala! 😍

60) Also what is this face covering nonsense by Sairindhri?! Women in the Later Vedic Age did not cover their faces or their heads behind purdah!!!

61) The Pandavas meeting together after a long time is giving me hope! This is what it’s going to be like when lockdown is over and I meet my friends 😭😭😭

62) This Keechak guy looks evil but I can’t take him seriously because his voice makes him sound like a prepubescent boy.

63) What is this casual classism from Keechak? Like Jesus, what a dirtbag.

64) Again there was no ghunghat back in those days?!?!

65) But iss Keechak ne toh consent ki maa behen kar di.

66) How happy the Pandavas are to see Panchali! Arjun the most, perhaps 😍

67) Virat making a dig at Dushasan. I’m here for this tea.

68) I can’t take Keechak seriously because of his voice.

69) This logic whereby if Draupadi has five husbands so she can have one more—like I will never understand this! She consented to five and no more???

70) Brihannala, my one true fav, is back!

71) Keechak vadh is my favourite episode, behind Shishupal vadh and Jayadrath vadh. Do you see the pattern?

72) Why is Draupadi here? I wanted to see Bhim’s giant form hidden as a lump under a blanket, enticing Keechak.

73) Bhim is here! 😍 Seriously, no one loves Panchali as much as Bhim does. Arjun toh is smitten by our Yadav homegirl.

74) Now Arjun is going to do his tandav dance. This should distract the others from the noise nicely.

75) Oh nice. Nakul and Sahadev are also participating.

76) Predictably, Jyesth Bhrata, Yudhishthira, is not invited to this Keechak vadh party.

77) King Virat is like oh no what a loss.

78) Yudhishthira looks pissed, as always, when his brothers have done something good.

79) Haha. Duryodhan has caught on to the fact that Bhishma is trying desperately to stall so that the Pandavas are not found out.

81) Now Duryodhan is now accusing Vidur of partiality. Again, he is not wrong. I’m so impressed by how well his character has been written. Not one word he says is incorrect.

82) Nice. Duryodhan has his father wrapped around his little finger. He knows exactly how to manipulate him so that Dhritarashtra rises to the bait.

83) After all these centuries Bhishma realises that Shakuni is after the destruction of Hastinapur.

84) Shakuni is admitting now that all of this is revenge for Gandhari. Oh man. Do you think Bhishma knew that the Mahabharat was the result of his poorly executed actions (intentional or otherwise)?

85) King Virat is so smart. I like him. I’m going to be so sad when he dies.

86) Brihannala is going to stay behind. Great. It’s so interesting to see this story in retrospect (which is how it’s told to Janamajeya and Vajra) in the first place.

87) I like Virat with open hair.

88) What the hell is this? I cannot be attracted to Pitamaha Bhishma and Mama Shakuni with their open hair and battle armour?! Adharm!

89) Oh what a cool sundial!

90) I’m glad they showed Uttar as nothing more than a teenager.

91) Mama Shakuni is so fit.

92) Do you think Bhishma recognises Arjun as Uttar’s chariot?

93) Poor Uttar is probably shitting his pants.

94) Arjun praying to Agni Dev to return his Gandiv. Old gods to the rescue.

95) This background score! It’s my absolute favourite! Parthasya Dhananjaya! My fav song on my fav, Arjun 😍

96) Bhishma looks thoroughly pleased. He recognises the sound of the Gandiv’s twang.

97) Now they will fight about the authenticity of the calendar. They should go to a calendar expert.

98) Bhishma looks proper chuffed at Arjun. How on earth will they fight against each other in the Great War?

99) Oh man, Karna is here. Ugh.

100) Karna is here to trash talk as per usual. Oh god both these men are useless. Fight no instead of talking so much.

101) Oh man, the charioteer’s son has been thrown from his chariot but not before taking a shot at Arjun.

102) Ah Karna’s divine armour makes an appearance!

103) Oh shit, this just got real! They’re calling on divine weapons!

104) Bhishma steps in. Of course.

105) Duryodhan’s hah! 😂😂

106) Arjun crying that if he is responsible for Bhishma’s death, it will be hell on earth for him. Oh, Arjun. You must still suffer, a lot.

107) Arjun’s threat, that all the Pandavas will come to avenge Draupadi’s insult. Yes. 100%. I hope in this yug even if men are not punished for their crimes against women on earth, they will suffer forever in hell for their misdeeds.

108) The Pandavas and Draupadi are ready. It’s time for the Great War. It’s time for Mahabharat.

#mahabharata #mahbharat #starbharat #siwt #starbharat recap

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ngame989 · 6 years ago

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SVTFOE 4A Prediction/Analysis Master Post

So we just had the first two episodes come out, and overall I enjoyed them. There’s been a lot of mixed reactions to the details, from myself included, so let’s dive in a bit. Apologies for when this becomes a giant wall of text in the back half, I'm not digging through promos for images.

Butterfly Follies

In the first episode, 98% of it is focused on Star feeling like shit because Moon is missing and nothing she does to try and find her works, and other people keep telling her she is screwing it up. Yeah, many of us thought this theme of “Star screwing up” would extend a bit more concretely to stuff with Marco and Tom, and it was present but only a tiny bit as a reminder. Her interaction with Tom was basically just a reminder that the situation from after Booth Buddies hadn’t budged - Star still was barely paying attention to him, Tom was still not really a companion to her at all, it just isn’t working, but they haven’t talked about it yet.

Tomstar has always had the candy coating of a romantic relationship (nicknames, handholding, occasional smooching, gossip and drama, etc) with virtually nothing underneath. We see this over and over - Demoncism has a genuine emotional connection between them in that moment, but once their relationship starts up again, it takes until Is Another Mystery for even a hint of true, genuine support between them, and it still doesn’t extend to either of them considering the other as a life companion at all. Most of it is going through the motions for both of them. When everyone’s lives were on the line, Tom stepped up, but this doesn’t immediately make him Marco 2 - the issues that existed before, the lack of commitment and drive between them (still candy-coated by nicknames and whatnot) is as present as ever, and arguably more so, now that Star has the events of the end of S3 dwelling somewhere in the recesses of her mind. Plus we get a moment of Tom checking in with Marco about Star’s comment, showing once again that Marco is the one Tom actually turns to for genuine support.

Contrast that with Starco in these episodes. Yes, it’s not magically perfect, there’s still lots of stuff to resolve and many people (myself included) have felt that it was a bit “off” (more on that soon). But there’s still a genuine sense of progression, where Marco is comfortable being close with Star again, being emotional support, even if he doesn’t always know how to help.

As predicted, Eclipsa’s style of ruling has mostly been “make disliking monsters entirely illegal because that’s Equality™” and it’s not working out so well for true social change. I expect this to be a major plot point moving forward.

Honestly, I dunno what all to make of the details of Glossy’s lines here. Considering the situation with Toffee was pretty explicitly Glossaryck’s intentional method of teaching Star how to do things her own way, this definitely isn’t literal. Maybe he’s playing 4D chess, and Star questioning whether Glossaryck was misleading her is all part of how he leads her. There’s a... nonzero chance, I suppose, that there is some more direct connection here and trying to fix past mistakes (since time travel is brought up very shortly) but I’d be incredibly shocked and largely appalled if that’s where things actually head.

(Skipping around on photos a bit here to just get the point across)

So let’s talk about this for a moment, shall we? I’ve seen a lot of talk about this photo and how it’s really sketchy that Star apparently knew it was from the future the whole time, given its past importance in Starcrushed. Granted, we don’t know exactly how it’s going to pay off yet, but I’ll take a strong educated guess - it’s basically a gag because the writers thought it would be fun. A relevant gag and kind of an asspull, yes, but still just a gag. Yes, the photo is now factually from the future and will be relevant again in that capacity, but I’m entirely convinced that the point of it wasn’t to intentionally retcon something about Starcrushed or anything like that - a meaningful photo of Star and Marco was used in Season 2 to generically remind her of their “good times” and their relationship as a whole, and that same photo was used here as a promise of happiness to come, and the primary purpose of the photo in each case is how it was written for that case.

I know it’s not a satisfying explanation, but it is entirely consistent with this show to have details occur that are largely arbitrary and inconsistent, and there’s a consistency to that inconsistency. Adult Marco is another example, Janna implying Kelly maybe had feelings for Marco in Stump Day is another, any time Star yeeted a high school student into some pit of horrors is another. All of these are situations where, if you examine them thoroughly as a whole and consider all the possible implications, they get kind of sketchy really fast. Yes, it is frustrating at times, but I think you just have to roll with it - Marco has memories of a 30 year old when the boarders want to make a cool reference before Marco does a bunch of fancy weapon tricks, but it never affects his normal existence unless it’s needed for a joke/reference. Janna says something that implies complicated romance drama incoming when the boarders want girly banter to accompany dudes fighting, but it doesn’t go anywhere beyond that. Star has a body count on Earth but she’s not a wanted criminal, probably. The consistency here is that if the show kind of glosses over some sort of possible implication and plays it off for a gag, then that’s what you should take it as.

Again, I don’t know exactly how this will pay itself off, but I have an incredibly strong suspicion that the answer to “what were the boarders thinking when they did this??? It screws up a core moment in Starcrushed!!!” is that they weren’t thinking about that. COULD they actually do something more in-depth with the time travel aspect? I guess, but “throwing organic core moments of character/relationship growth under the bus for the sake of wacky over-the-top plot” sounds like the opposite of this show. I’ll cover more about how I think this might actually work later.

A lot of people said Star and Marco felt like acquaintances this episode, and not best friends. I understand where they’re coming from - there weren’t all kinds of hugs and affection flying around, their talks were awkward. But this honestly makes a lot of sense for where we’re at now. We’re completely over the hump where they they're hesitant to even think of themselves as best buddies, where they’re struggling with their feelings just to spend time with the other. Marco is back to making all attempts to be her close friend and companion and support, Star is comfortable around him... but, there’s still some lingering “OK we moved forward from here, what now?” We saw in Divide that a simple hug between them brought out strong feelings for both of them. I think a lot of the awkwardness remaining could be attributed to the strong sour mood of the situation overall, but part of it could also be a subconscious “OK, Marco confessing his feelings made things better, and we’re OK being close, but...” lingering, waiting to be addressed. And given pancake and cereal clips, it will be soon.

Escape from the Pie Folk

I have less to say about this episode, it was fairly straightforward, honestly. It was 22 minutes of adventure and fights while trying to find and steal away Moon - lot of really fun and well-executed humor, it definitely was a strong showing for pretty much all the parts of the show besides “focus on the relationship growth of Star and Marco”.

More Marco trying to be constantly supportive, but still maybe having a bit of lingering tension in the how.

And sweet family moments.

Overall, a very isolated situation, honestly. The actions and interactions of the characters were put in a very specific, very focused situation where “finding Moon” overrode anything else, and didn’t allow for much other special elements to shine through. I liked the episodes, but some part of me was disappointed that most developments besides Moon were put on pause for the premiere. Still, resolving this in its entirety straight away sets up for some pretty strong coverage of the rest...

INTERMISSION

Let’s take a moment to talk about compartmentalization and the rules of TV pacing. I love Star vs the Forces of Evil, and I’m sure many of you do, even if its infuriating and painful at times. A lot of times. But I definitely think the show is special and does things differently than many others, to an extent. And that extent is key - I like to think of it as content vs structure. Content-wise, it is rather different from what you might expect (especially with character/relationship development). Characters come first, always, and there isn’t a sense of outside drama pushing characters around like ragdolls, changing their relationships and emotions in ways that they aren’t already naturally primed to at that moment. Romance isn’t handled as a drama-fest love triangle, with Star and Jackie or Tom and Marco directly vying for the affection of their love interest, nor do those love triangles ever damage the development of the main dynamic, Starco. Basically every shift in Star and Marco’s relationship, the ebbs and flows of it, can be entirely explained by just the two of them. Yes, seeing the other be romantic with someone else was a partial catalyst to individual moments of growth, but by and large Star and Marco themselves have been their own biggest obstacles, their own insecurities and missteps guiding the path of Starco 1000x more than Jarco or Tomstar or plot.

However, this doesn’t mean the show is magically free of the confines of episodic story pacing, and that’s where people often find faults in it. Many, including myself, went into the premiere thinking/hoping that it would include some relationship payoff, or skip some steps and just have Tom and Star break it off right away. And while anyone is free to disagree with the general concept of the premiere being entirely focused on Moon and plot setup, it’s completely logical for the show to take its development in concrete, compartmentalized chunks. An episode dedicating itself to a theme, to a concrete piece of plot, is likely going to focus on that. And this can be nuanced - I don’t think it was wrong of people to think that Follies could have had a theme of “Star confronted with her screwups” in a broader way that included multiple aspects of that, but it doubled down on Moon and it’s totally understandable that she didn’t take time during her hunt to figure out her feelings, etc. Still, it included reminders of the current situation, and we’ll see those pay off very soon. It’s not so reasonable to expect the show to bend over backwards to steamroll through Starco development right away, but it’s also unreasonable to expect no chunks of development at all, or for them to stop randomly.

More specifically, the way the episodic structure handles these chunks is to follow up underlying buildup with inevitable realizations. It’s very, very rare for an episode that confronts a character with a specific question (e.g. “How do I feel about my Earth life” - Marco in Sophomore Slump, or “How do I feel about Marco” - Star in Starcrushed) to actually have the emotional development required to understand it occur within that episode. Star isn’t confronted with her crush on Marco until it’s developed enough to be ready to burst out. Marco isn’t confronted with his priorities in life until he’s experience enough of a bold, adventurous life with Star that his heart has already decided, and in both cases it’s a matter of a climactic wake-up call to what’s already there. On that note, onto predictions.

Moon Remembers

Well, I dunno much specific to say about this. Seems like this will be the episode dedicated to trying to get Moon her memory back - we have scenes from the promos of them riding warnicorns and Eclipsa playing guitar with her, maybe just trying to jog it. Could lead to some type of plot revelation (”I remember something big I saw in the Realm of Magic!” etc) but who knows. Seems likely that it’s entirely plot/Moon-focused, maybe with some more tie-ins to magic lore.

Swim Suit

This is a big one. So from the synopsis, we know that this is when Star and Marco attempt to have their beach day (which we now know is a celebration of things being “back to normal”, with Moon being back) but get interrupted by Eclipsa. I don’t know specifics of it, but in general, I think this is going to be the episode where Star truly settles in to an understanding of how she feels.

Quick tangent about the photo and how I think it’ll be used: in Follies, it was primarily encouragement for finding her mom. It’s still definitely interesting, and intentional, that the particular reminder of future happiness is a time with Marco, but it wasn’t relevant immediately - I think it will be used that way moving forward. Basically like this - “I kept this photo as encouragement to think positively and know I’d find my Mom. We found Mom, so now I can be happy like in the photo. It feels really good being happy with Marco like I am in the photo. Huh, I wonder why it is that my ideal of happiness is having fun with Marco...” Clearly the underlying feelings are already there, this is just bringing them to the forefront, actually giving Star a chance to reflect on how her heart feels after recent weeks/months and big events. As for specifics, I think they won’t actually take the photo here. They’ll try to have a beach day, get interrupted, and throughout the course of Eclipsa shenanigans, the episodic plot will tie in towards thinking about her feelings, with the end result being a “well, we didn’t achieve Beach Happiness™, but it was still nice.” We already know that an Earth beach is in episode 16, so maybe the photo comes full circle then (and at that point, they’re completely together already, and the photo is spontaneous). Or maybe I’m wrong, but who knows, this is a level of specificity I can’t predict with any confidence.

Also note here that, provided animation studio order stays consistent as expected, the cereal/pancake/babysitting Meteora scenes aren’t actually from Swim Suit, so who knows where those end up.

Overall, my general expectations for this episode are to set the stage for Starco developments, to start the ball rolling on payoff from last season and to start characters recognizing those changes and truly moving forward. Of course Tomstar is likely not going away officially until Lake House Fever, so I don’t exactly expect Star and Marco to talk about their feelings in depth here, but it’ll still be an important episode for Starco regardless.

Ransomgram

Alright, let’s just make something clear here. Yes, we already know Star is going to be fawning over adult Marco’s hot bod here, and very likely before breaking up with Tom. I know a lot of people are gonna find that sketchy, and I don’t entirely disagree, but adult Marco (and Star thirsting after hot dudes in general) has always been a gag never treated with any real serious weight. Both Jarco and Tomstar overall, but especially Tomstar, never really ever are treated with any true weight in the story. Like, yes, it’s acknowledged that Marco and Star kissing while she’s dating Tom are bad, but none of the moments of Marco abandoning Jackie to be with Star, or Star ignoring Tom to be with Marco, or Tom being a really unhelpful/unsupportive boyfriend, are ever treated with any real gravity. In the real world, perhaps these would be frowned upon much more even in weaker relationships, but in the show, “Star and Tom are dating” is taken as a given in the background, and none of the actions that characters take are really ever truly treated seriously as hurtful. So yes, on some level it’s weird and questionable that Star will be drooling over Marco (again) while STILL not talking to Tom, but Compartmentalization™ and the general lack of concern for treating the possible implications of situations like this seriously add up to explain it. Feel however you want about it, but this is how I expect it to work, because it’s how it’s worked in the past.

MHC is gonna come back here, and there might be a connection to the monster side of the plot, figuring out where the old guard fits in with the new regime and how politics are moving forward. Also, as far as Starco goes, I think this will be a sort of emotional payoff to Swim Suit. Not that anything tangible will result within the episode, but showing the differences in how Star acts around Marco when she’s actually admitting to herself that she loves him. Just like how Marco Jr., for instance, showed a very clear and different Starco interaction than 3A episodes, as a result of the concrete development moments in Deep Dive. Or how their interactions in Divide were very clearly the result of changes in Booth Buddies. So on and so forth.

All of this, then, leads into...

Lake House Fever

So this is where Tomstar finally rots. We have all-but-confirmation from animation studios, hints in the title, and background/SFX “leaks” that this is where the Tom and Star clips in the promos are from. So how exactly might this work? I can’t even say for sure, but I think it’s going to follow the usual trend of Tomstar episodes and basically be a vehicle for Tom development. Let’s face it, Star basically got nothing out of Tomstar besides a general passive armor against having to contemplate heartbreak/feelings since Tom filled the checkbox of “romance” in her life. She initially at least did truly fulfill the role of “normal teenage girlfriend” by spending time with him, dates, etc, but that started to wane after Lava Lake Beach and kept doing so more and more, and it’s now basically at the point of Tomstar being a couple in name only, with 0 effort between either of them put into actually... being anything.

Let’s compare to Sophomore Slump for a minute, shall we? So in that episode, we had Marco who had undergone a ton of previous developments in how much he cared about adventure and a greater purpose in life and Star, and his heart had already basically made up its mind (Scent of a Hoodie’s ending and wearing the cape in Rest in Pudding, as clear signs of this). Sophomore Slump was the direct reality check, the final piece of the puzzle slotting into place, at least with regards to specifically “where he’d rather be” (even if the why still needed a bit more). So we could say, in effect, that Marco had fully developed everything underneath to answer the question of what mattered more to him, the old safe kid Marco’s ideal Earth life, or the new Marco’s life, and the breakup was simply everything that was already there clicking into place - he moves to Mewni immediately afterwards.

So how does this fit into Lake House Fever? I think the positioning of the episode is going to revolve around Star’s “growth” from it to work like Marco’s. In the Jarco case, the breakup wasn’t about Starco specifically, but Marco’s overall goals and focuses in life (Star was a part of that too, of course). It’s fairly clear that the Tomstar breakup will be different - the tension in their relationship is FAR more directly related to Starco itself (and also a much greater overall dysfunction within Tomstar compared to Jarco). It’s not a case of “this is a perfectly working relationship but it’ll eventually have issues, so let’s end it before we both become miserable”, it’s “this relationship isn’t working at all right now, for multiple reasons, among which are that Star prioritizes/loves someone else, but also general incompatibilities between them for committed companionship”.

I think on Star’s end of things, we’re going to enter the episode with her knowing, very close to the surface if not on the surface already, that she has feelings for Marco and they need to talk, but will just have the one last hesitation holding her back. Not a “I genuinely don’t know who I like/whether I want to keep going longterm with Tom”, but a “this overall situation needs resolved and I just don’t know exactly how to handle it”. From the very limited info we have from the title/promo (no synopsis yet), it seems like Star might be helping Tom with something - he kind of looked ill in the promos. Regardless, I still sort of predict a semi-arbitrary episodic plot leads them to meet up in the episode. Give em a reason to interact that isn’t directly related to awkward and complex feelings, and let the handling of those naturally evolve from there.

So as for Tom, I think the bulk of the change in this episode will be on his end. I think he’s going to sort of have an attitude not too dissimilar to Star - knowing they should talk at some point, but not really knowing how. I think the bulk of the episode’s plot, whatever it may be, will lead up towards Tom getting the wakeup call that it 100% won’t work and that he needs to pull the trigger on it. It would give Tom a really solid moment to follow up on some of his initial moments in Season 3, would give him some critical agency when he honestly hasn’t had much of it for a while (Starco developments just kind of happen around him, although of course his general lack of presence in Star’s life contributes to this as well - Star’s a fairly absentee girlfriend, but Tom’s no angel either). Getting over that initial hump of awkwardness would still accomplish things for both of them, but Tom being the one to first make the leap of faith into starting the uncomfortable conversation would fit best imo.

As for afterwards, much like how I said Jarco was the final puzzle piece for Marco decisively figuring out his priorities, I think this will be the same for Star’s feelings. She’ll be aware, nearly-consciously, that she has feelings for Marco ahead of time, but will just be stuck on inaction, not being confident enough to take a bold step forward on her own. So I think the breakup for Star’s feelings will do what the breakup did for Marco’s sense of accomplishment - the final domino will not only help her realize that she has feelings for Marco, but prime her to actually act��on them.

Now if this breakup occurred earlier, I’d say it could have a major impact on Star’s own growth and understanding, and it still could, but I don’t think it’ll be so likely. There are certainly situations where the breakup would serve as a shakeup for her to consider her feelings, which would then take some more time afterwards to solidify, but I can’t help but assume that’s what the purpose of multiple Starco episodes beforehand is. The situation is too much of a powderkeg for Star to have any downtime with either of them that doesn’t start turning the gears in her brain. Anyway, that’s all for this.

Eps 5-7

Yada Yada Berries/Down by the River

The Ponyhead Show!/Surviving the Spiderbites

Out of Business/Kelly’s World

These, I have no clue on specifics, to be honest. There’s an RDK Ludo episode coming up, so that would be part of episode 5 most likely. Second half of that seems like a River episode contender, but who knows. The first half of episode 6 is some type of variety show involving Eclipsa in part - this may be part of the plot of Eclipsa trying to find her place as Queen. Spiderbites is a possible contender for the babysitting Meteora clip, the first half of episode 7 is Quest Buy with the Ocrams, and Kelly’s World is something with Marco and Kelly. We’ll circle back to these, but let’s look at broader strokes first.

Curse of the Blood Moon

I’m entirely confident that by the end of this episode (at the latest) Starco will be 100% canon, ready to move forward into Season 4 as a couple, romantic uncertainties behind them. It’s the only possible next “big” step in their development, one that was set up very directly in Booth Buddies with the idea that things were different now and they could no longer ignore their friendship meaning more than friendship. I’m sure it will be tied in to Starco relationship progress, but as I’ve said many times before, it’s entirely out of the realm of how this show handles development as a whole to actually prioritize plot over characters and obstruct character development with plot. The “Curse”, whatever it may be, could very well be activated by Starco itself, but it’s entirely out of line with everything the show has ever done with characterization to actually claim plot is “forcing” feelings, capisce?

Now how could this be accomplished? Well, given the pacing of the show in general, concrete chunks of development along the way seem most likely. And Star and Marco acknowledging the stronger nature of their relationship and stepping over the edge towards mutual romance, to me, seems like a different piece of the puzzle than something so strong as becoming 100% canon forever. After all, Bonbon for Jarco still had a Naysaya before it, a setup with clear and direct Jarco moments nudging it over the edge of romantic before going the whole way. Similarly, Tomstar had Demoncism before they officially confirmed they were a couple a few episodes later.

Curse is definitely going to be a big episode, but I don’t see it being very likely that we entire the episode with the entire prospect of Star and Marco talking about their feelings still completely looming over them. Another major reason I have to believe this, which is in some ways related to the above point, is that the show doesn’t overly fetishize romance. It’s all-too-common in media, especially family-friendly/kid media with romance, to warp the whole concept and make the “confession + big kiss + happily ever after” one monolithic moment at the very end, as the pinnacle of romance, often going so far as to delay natural developments and put roadblocks of misunderstanding in the way to keep the pair apart until both could have this moment. SVTFOE, on the other hand, historically hasn’t done this. It has always, thus far, recognized the ebbs and flows and slower progression of natural relationships, with steps in between “I guess we might like each other” to “yup we’re 100% dating”. So I can’t guarantee anything about the specific pacing along the way, but I’d wager that Starco has already crossed the threshold into mutual romance before Curse begins.

I have genuinely no idea what the plot will be here overall. We have a shot from the promo which is a newly animated version of the Blood Moon Waltz... flashback? Recreating the event? Time travel? I hope not the last one, but I have no clue.

So circling back around, we have the cereal, pancake, and babysitting Meteora scenes which (as far as I can tell, assuming animation studio order holds) are unaccounted for. There’s... I suppose a nonzero chance for a huge curveball, with some of them being Lake House Fever? Star wears the new S4 outfit in cereal/pancake as well as then, and they’re all Sugarcube. Another option I’d been considering was for Surviving the Spiderbites to be their attempt to spend time together, either resulting in feelingstalk or being the result of feelingstalk and tiptoeing into romance, with the cereal/pancake scenes being about trying to have a good “date” but getting interrupted... which is now the plot of Swim Suit, so I don’t know. Quest Buy has always, historically, involved heavy Starco importance, so perhaps that episode is a leadin to Curse on that front. Note that either everyone actually thinking Kelly’s World (and their baking scene in Ponyhead Show) is actually implying more love triangles is wrong, or the writers officially gave up and we can all go home.

As a note, I’m of course not really making any bold claims of confidence in the minutiae of these predictions: there’s so many options for curveballs that I can’t say anything for sure! But I think, in a general sense, the path of Starco buildup towards and through Curse is a sure thing, one way or another, because there’s basically nothing else meaningful that could happen!

Hope you enjoyed the read, and stay tuned for any new updates we get on future episodes.

#svtfoe #star vs the forces of evil #svtfoe spoilers #starco #tomstar

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ninnetta153gaming · 5 years ago

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verdigrisprowl · 7 years ago

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Dec 15 Odothon Part 4 - DS9 S3E21 S3E22

At this point finding out what’s happening with the poor alien stuck in the same position as Prowl is basically the only thing that Prowl cares about. He comes over as soon as Soundwave invites him.

Prowl is nearly convinced that, at some point, said alien is going to have to accept that, for the greater good of the galaxy, he needs to fight for the destruction of his own home world. After all, at this point, the only arguments in favor of not doing so is “how might this allow other conquering empires to expand?” and “sentimentality.” And sentimentality is no argument at all.

Odo took his first life in this episode. It prompted a conversation on having to take lives in the line of duty; it didn’t end well, but it was truncated in the middle. Perhaps next meeting they can finish it properly.

ItsyBitsySpyers 10:37 pm *Soundwave's pretty sure all he has to do at this point is ping Prowl with an all-clear, so he does.* FakeProwl 10:38 pm *There isn't even a delay. One second after the ping, Prowl is there and taking his seat.* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:39 pm *Well! It pleases him to see that Prowl is taking an extremely active interest in this story. And the company's great.*

[[Shall we?]] FakeProwl 10:40 pm Let's. FakeProwl 10:43 pm ((bashir is clearly missing his boyfriend)) ItsyBitsySpyers 10:43 pm ((so very badly)) FakeProwl 10:43 pm ((... ARE they boyfriends at this point or is bashir still in the course of being wooed? I can't tell if his 😕 last episode was genuine annoyance or just being tsundere)) ItsyBitsySpyers 10:44 pm ((i will explain on skype)) FakeProwl 10:44 pm ((o7)) ItsyBitsySpyers 10:48 pm *What skill. Had a few good interrogations that way himself.* FakeProwl 10:48 pm *oh, look at that. spymaster and his spy.* FakeProwl 10:50 pm *prowl hasn't had an excellent interrogator since... hm. never mind him.* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:51 pm *Steeples his fingers.* FakeProwl 10:52 pm *... garak's just been told to interrogate odo.* *now. prowl does not believe that garak has switched sides.* *but he also does not believe that garak would stop short of doing the worst things at his disposal to odo in order to maintain his act.* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:54 pm [[Hm. Withdrawal. Painful way to go.]] FakeProwl 10:55 pm ... Garak's right, though. It /will/ improve the security of the universe to eliminate the Dominion. FakeProwl 10:56 pm Odo has to be intelligent enough to see that. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:58 pm [[Most people would not wish to see their entire species eradicated. Especially if it would leave them alone so soon after rediscovery.]] FakeProwl 11:00 pm I know. But even after his recent reunion, he still views them as the enemies of true order and justice in the universe, and a threat. FakeProwl 11:02 pm Odo is intelligent enough to recognize that the galaxy would be better without them—but there are more factors than that playing into this. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:03 pm [[Such as?]] ItsyBitsySpyers 11:05 pm *He dripped so much sarcasm they're lucky he's not already in a puddle.* FakeProwl 11:05 pm For instance, if he doesn't assist them, there's a chance that the Cardassian-Romulan union and the Founder world will cripple each other before one ultimately wins, rather than the Cardassian-Romulan union easily crushing the Founder world. Whichever one wins, it will take out two potential threats to the galaxy.

FakeProwl 11:08 pm But, on the other hand, if they DON'T quickly and easily crush each other, it might erupt into war—which, while ultimately taking out one or both threats, will also undoubtedly cause massive casualties, military and civilian both. FakeProwl 11:09 pm *... that looks like a mech flaking apart from a rust virus.* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:10 pm [[Given the might of both the Cardassian and Romulan empires, and the antagonistic histories with both, he is certain the Federation wouldn't mind if both sides did crush each other.]]

[[Still. If what Odo says is true - wanting to go home - he can't see Odo supporting it. As he said.]] [[Not yet, at least.]] FakeProwl 11:10 pm *hold on, Prowl's watching Odo suffer.* FakeProwl 11:12 pm ... I didn't finish listing the other factors playing into this. Odo's emotions are among them. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:12 pm [[Ah. Go on, if you have more.]] FakeProwl 11:13 pm Even if he knows that the universe would be better without them, that does not mean he does not still care about them. FakeProwl 11:15 pm At some point, he may reach the point he can put those emotions aside for the greater good. But for now, he's... /terribly/ emotion-driven. ((garak like "we're about to die, i'm gonna quote my boyfriend")) ItsyBitsySpyers 11:16 pm ((LOL)) ItsyBitsySpyers 11:17 pm [[Then you still stand on the side of eliminating them all?]] FakeProwl 11:20 pm ... Well, with Cardassia and the Romulans no longer threats. That leaves no one to battle them into a stalemate. FakeProwl 11:21 pm I'd need to know more about the other major political actors in this galaxy—any larger threats the /Dominion/ might be holding at bay, for instance. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:22 pm [[That would be his other concern. They have always said they were persecuted and hunted. He expects they've destroyed all such enemies since, but... one never knows.]] FakeProwl 11:24 pm ... The fact that they have been "persecuted and hunted" does not necessarily mean those people were /universal/ threats. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:25 pm [[This attack was rash. They know little of how the quadrant's dynamics would change, had not developed appropriate shields against potential infiltration, and have pushed the Founders somewhere they are now unlikely to be rediscovered.]]

[[It was also too egotistical. They brought twenty ships to counter a force that controls an entire quadrant. That was beyond stupid.]] FakeProwl 11:25 pm For one thing, it may have been exaggeration to give them an excuse to eliminate these enemies. For another, their own actions may have /invited/ that persecution and hunt. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:25 pm ((do you want one more before sleep or nah?)) FakeProwl 11:25 pm ((sure)) ItsyBitsySpyers 11:27 pm [[He doubts it's an exaggeration. The Rakharian said they were persecuted, and he would have no interest in protecting them.]]

[[As for your second point... it is a fair one. He cannot argue that without knowing what was done then, and he does not know.]]

[[Are you prepared to continue?]] FakeProwl 11:27 pm I am.

ItsyBitsySpyers 11:28 pm [[Good. First, a continuation of Kai Winn Adami's actions.]]

[[Following the death of a vital government figure, Kai Winn is temporarily appointed in his place. She attempts to permanently seize it to control both sides of Bajor and is foiled, forcing her to remain the spiritual leader only.]]

[[He trusts you are beginning to understand more of her flaws as he mentions her progress.]] FakeProwl 11:30 pm Power-lust, cruelty and ruthlessness toward political rivals, a willingness to make scapegoats of anyone necessary to consolidate her power. *mumbles* Megatron if he'd landed in a temple instead of a gladiatorial ring. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:32 pm [[And some of your Primes, from what he's heard. But... he is amused. Yes.]] FakeProwl 11:38 pm Mm... *thinks about that.* Nova, definitely. Zeta. I wasn't paying close enough attention to politics during Nominus's rule, but he wouldn't surprise me. Sentinel... don't think so, but I also think two WOULD have applied if he'd reigned long enough to apply them. I'll reserve judgment on Optimus and Rodimus until they're done reigning. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:40 pm [[Hm. He questions Optimus clinging to the title despite the presence of a successor. It is... worrisome.]] FakeProwl 11:40 pm ... That, personally, doesn't concern me. FakeProwl 11:43 pm Rodimus was never supposed to be a "successor." He accidentally bonded with the Matrix while trying to steal it back for Optimus. And there is no historical precedent of a Prime's title passing onto a successor outside of death, defeat in combat, or voluntary surrender of the title. Unless we choose to believe that a Matrix bonding to someone is indeed a declaration of a choice being made by a divinity, rather than a mechanical reaction made by a sophisticated machine in the presence of correct circumstances, the Matrix "choosing" someone doesn't mean the title MUST pass on. FakeProwl 11:45 pm However, what DOES concern me is the fact that he fully surrendered his title and rank voluntarily—then came back and immediately started behaving as though he still carries the same authority he always did. FakeProwl 11:48 pm *points at screen* That's a changeling. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:48 pm [[Mm. Why not place it in every mech's chest for a few minutes and have as many changed as possible, if simultaneous holding matters so little?]]

[[That concerns him, too. It does not surprise him, however. He has observed too many timelines.]] *Soundwave taps his fingers against his thigh.* [[There are extended continuations of our own where he delivers leadership to Bumblebee, only to fight and undermine at every turn.]] FakeProwl 11:50 pm For one thing, the symbolism of it. Religion holds no /official/ legal power, but it holds enough popular power that there would be an outrage. For another... we're not entirely sure yet what... hold on. *there's FORENSIC INVESTIGATION going on.* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:51 pm *Soundwave nods, equally interested in this changeling hunt.* FakeProwl 11:52 pm *what are tetryon particles? Prowl wants to know about this test. can he use it on people* FakeProwl 11:53 pm ... Okay, well, i thought the device instead of the person was the changeling, but I get partial credit. And the Bashir in the vents was my top suspect, so. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:55 pm [[The credit is granted.]] FakeProwl 11:55 pm Thank you. FakeProwl 11:56 pm Right. So. We're not entirely sure yet what exactly triggers the Matrix to upgrade someone. FakeProwl 11:58 pm *... in all Odo's time as security, he's never fired a weapon or taken a life; and Prowl respects him a little bit more.* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:59 pm [[He doubts it has anything to do with patience and calm temperaments.]] Yesterday FakeProwl 11:59 pm By their own reports, both Orion and Hot Rod were near-fatally damaged when the Matrix upgraded them; and in fact Hot Rod had been running around with the Matrix a bit BEFORE his damage and it didn't upgrade him then. FakeProwl 12:01 am Thunderclash, whose Matrix affinity levels are off the charts, has carried the Matrix for extended periods of time. It liked him so much that it welded itself into his chest at least once. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:03 am *Shudder. Parasitic little bauble.* FakeProwl 12:03 am And yet it never upgraded him. Maybe it's because he didn't nearly die while carrying it. Or, for all we know, maybe it's because he's already wearing the very apex of what his body has the potential to be, and so there's nothing to upgrade. We just don't know. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:04 am [[He doesn't suppose Thunderclash would volunteer to be brought near death by skilled doctors to find out.]] FakeProwl 12:04 am We can't risk that with him. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:05 am [[Why?]] ItsyBitsySpyers 12:08 am [[Good timing.]] FakeProwl 12:08 am He's too important to risk losing to a failed experiment and a doctor who pressed slightly too hard. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:09 am [[He hears sentiments like that a lot. One day, when we have more time, he will ask you to explain that to him.]] FakeProwl 12:10 am ... Think of all the things that Optimus's most fervent worshippers say about him. About Thunderclash, they're true. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:10 am [[...You exaggerate.]] FakeProwl 12:11 am Well. His behavior is still bound by the laws of what's physically possible. ... Usually. But, aside from that, it's all true. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:11 am *He has heard Some Things, Prowl. Smokescreen's book repeatedly claims Optimus was one of the original 13, for Pit's sake. You can't convince him THAT'S true about Thunderclash. He can't be convinced of that about anyone except Alpha Trion.* [[Hm. He'll want stories, when we discuss this mech. Be sure to have your best ready by then.]] FakeProwl 12:13 am I don't need to share stories. After all—HE adequately fills out his paperwork. He writes thorough reports. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:14 am [[Thorough reports he doubts he will be allowed to read.]]

*Soundwave abruptly points at the screen.* FakeProwl 12:14 am *he's watching.* *The first time Odo's had to harm someone in the line of duty. The first changeling to ever harm another changeling.* FakeProwl 12:18 am *and after that, he's very quiet.* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:19 am *...Isn't quite sure why. He has ideas, but he's not going to voice them. That'll be up to Prowl to do, if he wants.*

*Instead, he'll just offer a hand and tilt his helm to the side.* FakeProwl 12:19 am *he'll take it.* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:20 am *Soundwave will squeeze it in those skinny fingers of his and wait for Prowl to work out what he wants to do now.* FakeProwl 12:22 am *he's still putting words together. and still deciding if he actually wants to share any of them.* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:24 am *Then there they'll sit for the moment, Soundwave twisting to lightly bump Prowl's shoulder with his forehead before resting his chin on the highest part of its armor.* FakeProwl 12:26 am ... That's the worst day of any law enforcer's career. FakeProwl 12:27 am The ones who are driven to protect, anyway. The ones who are driven by the fear of a gun turned against them and the thrill of the thought of turning a gun against someone else—I'm sure they looked forward to that day. And there were too many of those, I know. But... for most—that's the worst day. ... Or the second worst day, if it takes a while for the shock to blow over and the horror to set in. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:30 am [[...You sound like you still remember yours.]] FakeProwl 12:31 am His name. His city. His taxonomy. His entire police file. Even his batch number. FakeProwl 12:34 am ... Until your first one, it's so easy to—to believe you're some kind of supercop. If you've never killed someone when so many other enforcers have, then it's because they're all failing at their job; and you're more wise, more just, more skilled, more merciful. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:36 am [[That is an expensive dose of humility.]] FakeProwl 12:36 am Until the day comes when someone is pointing a gun at someone who doesn't deserve it and the only way to stop him from pulling the trigger is by pulling yours. FakeProwl 12:37 am And you're not a supercop anymore. You're just—another enforcer who killed someone. You aren't better than the others, you were just never pushed to the same point as them. So does that mean sometimes it IS necessary? Or does it mean you're failing at your job, too. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:39 am [[Which do you yourself think?]] FakeProwl 12:41 am ... It's a question I've asked myself. Would the /perfect/ cop never have to take a life, no matter the situation? FakeProwl 12:42 am I've run simulations in my sleep. Made up unwinnable scenarios for this hypothetical perfect cop, where he'd be forced to pull a trigger. FakeProwl 12:44 am Given a week or two of scenario time, he always manages to squeeze out a nonfatal solution. The longest I kept rerunning a scenario was five months. But he succeeded. Four million years—and I still don't have an answer. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:47 am *Long, slow vent.* [[May he speak plainly?]] FakeProwl 12:48 am Of course. ItsyBitsySpyers 1:03 am [[You look too far for what is obvious.]]

[[You - *you* - required five months to find a solution for your toughest scenario. Five months of sleep simulations. Hundreds of them. Thousands of them. Perhaps more.]]

[[So, then. One mech in many thousands will find the perfect solution. Expecting that same mech to manage it over and over, every time, forever...]]

[[Perfection is an unattainable state. No mech can reach it. No existence can uphold it. The scientists, the police, the artists, the construction mechs... all will stumble. Those who strive for it anyway - who fight for it and grieve for their failures - are the ones to be admired.]]

[[You spoke of enforcers driven by fear and the thrill of murdering others. They are not to be permitted. He would strike them down.]]

[[One who worries as much as you have and do, and who fights for true protection? They would likely be worthy. Imperfect. But worthy.]] FakeProwl 1:05 am When a law enforcer stumbles, someone dies who shouldn't have and didn't have to. That's /never/ acceptable. FakeProwl 1:06 am Anyway, that's not the point of my thought exercise. It's to invent the worst-worst ever possible scenarios and see if they can be defeated anyway, not to explore hypothetical normal situations that actual officers actually face. I'm throwing unstoppable swords at unbreakable shields to see which one cracks. It's—a mathematical problem I'm trying to solve. Not a practical one. No. Normal situations, like the one I faced? It took me seven seconds to figure out how I could have avoided killing him. I didn't need to be perfect. I just needed to be seven seconds better. ItsyBitsySpyers 1:21 am [[That IS the point of it. It is mathematical AND practical. You will not always be seven seconds better. Six seconds. Three seconds. Zero. And that may eventually make it a necessity and a failure, but that eventuality exists because existence itself cannot be perfected. Not without turning to projects like your Shockwave created, and those do not protect others either.]]

[[Being unable to change that doesn't mean giving up on getting as close as one can to perfect anyway. It doesn't mean leaving it to the willing murderers. Life and work can't stop at imperfection. That is death. Dwelling without doing is nothing.]] FakeProwl 1:22 am ... I didn't say it does mean giving up, much less leaving it to the murderers. I think you're confusing this discussion for a different one you'd rather be having. And I ought to be preparing for work. ItsyBitsySpyers 1:23 am [[No. Not entirely.]]

[[But you should.]] FakeProwl 1:25 am *in the end, maybe he shouldn't have said something.* *a farewell ping, and he disappears.* ItsyBitsySpyers 1:34 am *Soundwave rubs his temples, frustrated, and heads upstairs to rest.*

#slenderwave #chat

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kristablogs · 5 years ago

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Titanium femurs are real, but so are their risks

This total femur from Stryker is made from titanium, cobalt chrome, and polyethylene. (Stryker/)

For February, we’re focusing on the body parts that shape us, oxygenate us, and power us as we take long walks on the beach. Bony bonafide bones. These skeletal building blocks inspire curiosity and spark fear in different folks—we hope our stories, covering everything from surgeries and supplements to good old-fashioned boning, will only do the first. Once you’ve thoroughly blasted your mind with bone facts, check out our previous themed months: muscle and fat.

In a 2017 episode of ABC’s medical drama, The Good Doctor, a patient’s thigh bone is so shattered following an accident that, instead of amputating the leg, the physicians in the show 3D-print a titanium femur and insert it into the man’s leg. Presto: The limb is saved. The episode is called “Not Fake”—a reference to the fact that the artificial bone is real. It’s just not biological.

The plot resonated with me because I have a real artificial hip, a prosthesis made of titanium, ceramic, and polyethylene plastic. And I’m happy about it; it’s done a better job at getting me out of pain than previous hip surgeries, which didn’t involve replacing the joint, did. And while I expected the idea of a giant artificial femur to be TV fiction, they’re actually real, too. They’re rare, and not without the possibility of major complications, but they could allow a surgeon to save a limb—just not in the way that The Good Doctor presents.

“They do exist,” says Michael Alexiades, an orthopedic surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, “and they don’t necessarily need to be 3D-printed.” Instead, medical-device companies like Zimmer or Stryker manufacture full replacements or sections of a femur, and surgeons can adjust the size of the implant to fit the patient. An artificial humerus, the big bone in the upper arm, also exists.

These “megaprostheses” are only used as an extreme option. One of the main reasons a patient might need an artificial femur—called a “total femur” in the medical industry—isn’t a traumatic accident: It’s cancer. “There are specific tumors that have a predilection for the femur itself,” says Neil Sheth, the chief of orthopedic surgery at Pennsylvania Hospital. Most of a femur’s growth happens in the area down by the knee, and as that growth is happening, a tumor can develop there. In those events a surgeon may need to replace part of the femur, or the entire bone, with a megaprosthesis.

Another is because of complications that can stem from having an artificial joint. Surgeons install hundreds of thousands of artificial hips and knees into patients each year in the US. Experts have fine-tuned the procedure and devices over the decades so that a patient can receive a new hip and go home the same day, as I did; the new part can last for an estimated 25 years or more. But some artificial joints become infected or develop other problems, forcing surgeons to revise earlier work and replace them. That can lead to bone loss in the areas that the artificial joint attaches to.

In those cases—a tumor on the bone, or severe problems resulting from artificial joints—the surgeon may install a total femur, connecting an artificial hip with an artificial knee. Having one is a sign that a patient has been through some serious medical trauma: “Something went very wrong somewhere along the way,” Sheth says.

Using these kinds of big prosthetics is a last resort before amputation, and surgeons always prefer to preserve as much of the body’s natural biological material. Once it’s out, it’s not going back in, and the replacement hardware can cause further complications. For instance, if a total femur becomes infected, Sheth says a patient may potentially lose the entire leg.

While artificial hips are typically a successful procedure, total femurs are dicier. One small study from Munich, Germany of 22 cases pegs the failure rate at nearly 60 percent. Failure in that context means that the patient needed another surgery because of serious complications, like a deep infection or the hardware mechanically breaking. (The study’s first author is aware of at least two individuals who ended up having their leg amputated anyway after the study period ended.) Meanwhile, Nicolas Piuzzi, an orthopedic surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, puts the risk of needing a subsequent surgery slightly lower, from 20 to 50 percent at five years following a megaprosthesis’s implantation. In short, it’s risky.

It’s reasons like these that surgeons say the main goal is to avoid having to put a big prosthesis in patients in the first place: Their aim is to keep or even regenerate the body’s natural tissue if they can. After all, bones are made of living cells. “The frontier is really in trying to restore native things,” says Geoffrey Marecek, an orthopedic trauma surgeon at Keck Medicine of the University of Southern California.

Instead of 3D printing a titanium femur like in The Good Doctor, a better use of synthetic materials would be to employ it to guide new bone growth. Marecek envisions a scenario where practitioners 3D print scaffolding in the shape of a patient’s bone, and then add stem cells, or perhaps bone from elsewhere in the patient’s body. “With that we’re able to actually generate a new femur, rather than having to resort to using a metal and plastic new femur,” he says.

“That’s where we’re all trying to get,” he adds. It’s a push-pull between using artificial materials where they work well—like in prosthetic hips—and looking for new ways to not have to use synthetic substitutes.

At NYU Langone Health, Timothy Rapp, a surgeon who focuses on removing tumors from bones, does something in between the two ideas. In some rare cases, like removing a tumor from a patient’s pelvis, he’ll use a 3D printed-plastic component that’s been custom-created based on CT scans of the patient’s anatomy. The part (which he says resembles a dog toy) then becomes a template for cutting. “We can use these custom-made jigs that you can screw into somebody’s bone, and then accurately cut out the bone that you want and reconstruct it,” Rapp says.

Other 3D-printed plastic can then help them carefully excise healthy bone from another part of the patient’s anatomy, like the fibula, to fill the space where they’ve cut out the tumor. Rapp credits the technique with speeding up his work in the operating room.

When the situation calls for it, however, Rapp will implant a megaprosthesis like a total or partial femur. The goal in those cases, as usual, is to prevent amputation. “It’s not going to make them a robot,” he says. “It’s not going to make them perfect.”

In other words, artificial femurs are imperfect but serve a crucial purpose. “Patients that come in that need a total femur replacement—their expectations are on the ground,” says Sheth of Pennsylvania Hospital. “If I can put this in, get them out of pain, and save their limb, their expectation has been so superseded compared to what they thought was going to happen.” That’s in stark contrast to someone receiving a hip replacement, who expects the new joint to be better than the natural one they had before.

Like Marecek, however, Sheth hopes for something beyond artificial components. “I truly believe that in the next half century-plus, people will probably think that we were barbarians, replacing joints with metal and plastic,” he says. “They’ll come up with a biologic solution at some point.”

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scootoaster · 5 years ago

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Titanium femurs are real, but so are their risks

This total femur from Stryker is made from titanium, cobalt chrome, and polyethylene. (Stryker/)

It’s reasons like these that surgeons say the main goal is to avoid having to put big prosthesis in patients in the first place: Their aim is to keep or even regenerate the body’s natural tissue if they can. After all, bones are made of living cells. “The frontier is really in trying to restore native things,” says Geoffrey Marecek, an orthopedic trauma surgeon at Keck Medicine of the University of Southern California.

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nextgennews-blog1 · 7 years ago

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Why you should be watching Babylon 5

With all the streaming services that are out and about today, it can sometimes be hard to find which ones are slinging the best ‘tent around (that’s content to you plebs). There’s the big players in the game: Netflix, Hulu and Amazon, but lets not forget the mini-bosses in this game of views. Services like: Vue, Sling, Crackle, Twitch, Vevo, Shimmy, Wrangle and Flurp. There are so many out there that I bet you didn’t even realize the last three I mentioned aren’t even real services.

I mean, Yahoo! Screen? Who you trying to kid with that fake news?

Recently while clicking ‘round the wonderful world of Reddit, I noticed I kept seeing an ad at the top of my screen saying that I could stream all of Babylon 5 for free. I shrugged it off as nonsense, some click bait-y type website that would make me read and click through 35 images smothered with ads talking about “What do the People of B5 look like Now?!”

#4 will shock you!

But then, thanks to Big Brother and his tasty cookies, I started seeing the ad more and more on different pages I went to: Reddit, Yahoo! (sorry Screen), Latino-Review, PornHub, xHamster, FistMeisters and Club Penguin. So I decided to take a peek at what this was. Thus I was introduced to a new player in the game: go90.com

I love you.

Sure enough, for free, I could sign up for an account and watch the entirety of Babylon 5 (five seasons) and only have to deal with one 15 second ad before every episode. I couldn’t believe it. ‘Why is this important?’ you ask. Well I will tell you make believe reader.

Babylon 5 is the fucking best sci-fi show of all time.

Come at me Farscape! (but for realzies Farscape is awesome too...)

‘What is Babylon 5?’ you ask again voice in my head. Here’s the Wiki: “Set between the years 2257 and 2262, it depicts a future where Earth has sovereign states, and a unifying Earth government. Colonies within the solar system, and beyond, make up the Earth Alliance, and contact has been made with other spacefaring species. The ensemble cast portray alien ambassadorial staff and humans assigned to the 5-mile-long Babylon 5 space station, a center for trade and diplomacy.”

Sounds complicated and convoluted? You bet your sweet ass it is. J Michael Straczynski (further to be known as JMS because I do NOT feel like typing his last name out 300 times), created this show because he wanted to take an adult approach to science fiction story telling. He has been quoted as saying that he wanted “to take an adult approach to SF, and attempt to do for television SF what Hill Street Blues did for cop shows."

If you think that sentence doesn’t sounds old, then I have a Blockbuster franchise I wanna sell you.

The show mainly focuses around five dominant races/species/civilizations: the Humans, the Minbari, the Narn, the Centuri and the Vorlons). Through the wonders of makeup, costuming and practical effects, these races look, act and feel VASTLY different from each other, despite the fact they are all bi-pedal humanoid type creatures. During the series Babylon 5 goes through many plot lines, all interweaving and intersecting at critical and crucial points that make you slap your head and wonder how the hell they pulled it off. Well the answer is simple, and point number one on my multiple bullet breakdown on why this show rocks.

Who’s ready for bullets and notes, you nerds?!

1) JMS, the creator, wrote 92 of the 110 episodes of the series

Think about that for a second. Almost 84% of the entirety of the series was written by one man, which includes the entirety of the 3rd and 4th seasons (the 3rd being arguably one of the best seasons). A feat, JMS would tout, that had never before accomplished in American Television. Why is this a big deal? Well when you have one singular vision you can expect the unexpected and plan for contingencies you never saw coming. What do you mean by that? Well…

2) Every Character was written with a “trap-door”

Pulled directly from Wiki (because I’m hungover and being a lazy writer for the moment): “Though conceived as a whole, it was necessary to adjust the plot line to accommodate external influences. Each of the characters in the series was written with a ‘trap door’ into their background so that, in the event of an actor's unexpected departure from the series, the character could be written out with minimal impact on the storyline.”

In the words of Straczynski, “As a writer, doing a long-term story, it'd be dangerous and short-sighted for me to construct the story without trap doors for every single character. ... That was one of the big risks going into a long-term storyline which I considered long in advance…” I can’t think of another series that has done this. Contract disputes? Check. Actors dying? Check. Budgetary constraints. Check. All bases covered by this one simple act of having the entire story thought out, conceived, shepherded and written by one man.

Getting rid of unwanted minions? Check.

Why is this “trap-door” thing important? Take the case of Michael O’Hare who played Commander Jeffery Sinclair in the first Season of B5. During the first season O’Hare started having paranoid delusions and hallucinations. As the show continued they worsened, causing him to be difficult to work with O’Hare lashing out at fellow colleagues. JMS offered to suspend the show for several months while he helped him seek treatment, but O’Hare declined because he didn’t want to jeopardize the series or other people’s jobs. He agreed to finish the first season and be written off the show so he could seek treatment. The treatments were only partially successful, but it allowed Sinclair to make a few cameo appearances in Seasons 2 and 3 to finish out his arc properly. After all was said and done, JMS swore to keep O’Hare’s secret to the grave, to which O’Hare replied "keep the secret to my grave", pointing out that fans deserved to eventually learn the real reason for his departure, and that his experience could raise awareness and understanding for people suffering from mental illness. O’Hare suffered a heart attack in NYC in September of 2012, and true to his word, eight months later at Phoenix ComicCon JMS told the story of his late friend and colleague.

My good…dear friend JMS

3) Visual Pioneer

Most Sci fi shows (and movies for that matter) at the time relied HEAVILY on practical effects. B5 did not when it came to space-time-fun. In order to make the budget stretch, JMS and other producers developed their own in house effects company. This show came out in 1993, the same time Jurassic Park did.

I mean, look at how realistic Goldbulm looks.

Now, while the graphics haven’t aged as gracefully as Jurassic Park did, they also had $100,000 workstations and several years to work on those dino-fects (which total about 6 minutes of the movie) where B5 had $5,000 stations to work on each week, with space scenes taking up a good 33% of the episodes. On top of that, B5 was not filmed in 4:3 aspect ratio like a majority of TV was. It was shot in 16:9 and cropped to fit, which is why today some of the effects haven’t aged really well, but I forgive them.

ZOMG LAZERS PEW PEW

B5 and the effects house Foundation Imaging, also heavily influenced sci-fi TV shows to come after. Star Trek, most notably, were reluctant to use CGI in their TV shows, until B5 showed them that it could be done, and done well. This change happened when the series premiered on television in January 1993, conclusively proving that computer animation, most notably CGI, could be employed in creating spectacular believable VFX on a tight budget. And despite themselves, this was not entirely lost at the time on the Star Trek producers.

David Livingston commented on the use of early CGI in creating the Bajoran lightship for Deep Space Nine: "We were reluctant to do computer graphics, but Peter Lauritson finally came around. He recognized how valuable it is. You can do more stuff with the ship, but you have to do it right.”

Speaking of Deep Space 9, there is a little bit of controversy there. You see, Paramount Television was aware of JMS’ show B5 as early as 1989. JMS attempted to sell the show to Paramount and provided them the series bible, pilot script, artwork, character backgrounds and histories and plot synopsis for the first season or 22 episodes. Paramount declined to produce B5, but then announced Deep Space 9 would be in development two months after Warner Bros. announced that they were produced B5. For those of you not in the know, Star Trek: Deep Space 9 was a notable Star Trek show for one very important reason: it doesn’t take place on a starship…but on a space station. Controlled by the United Federation of Planets (or as B5 had it…the League of Non-Aligned Worlds). There are more “coincidental similarities” but I’ll let JMS say it better than I can in his response to a DS9 fan who took JMS and Warner Bros’ lack of legal action as proof they had no case:

"If there is any (to use your term) winking and nudging going on, it's on the level of 'Okay, YOU (Paramount) know what happened, and *I* know what happened, but let's try to be grownup about it for now,' though I must say that the shapechanging thing nearly tipped me back over the edge again. If there are no more major similarities that crop up in the next few weeks or months, with luck we can continue that way."

Suck it you Ferengei Bastard

4) The Characters

The characters have SO MUCH depth. Without giving up any spoilys, the two biggest arcs in the show belong to G’Kar of the Narn and Londo Mollari of the Centauri. Played with ferocity and earnest by Andreas Katsulas (the one armed man from President Ford’s version of The Fugitive) and Peter Juraik respectively, these two characters go through some of the biggest, hardest and thickest most emotional arcs in the whole show. The Narn and the Centuri have been at war for over 100 years, and they well…hate each other. But every time you think things can come to a peaceful resolution, something happens to reset things back to zero. Both characters (thanks to the wonderful acting by their um…actors) make you feel their despair, pain, struggle, anger and anguish with every line spoken. Every character had a deep backstory and makes you feel for them. Ivanova and her hatred for Psi-Corp. Girabaldi and his alcoholism. Dr. Franklin’s addiction to stims. So on, and so forth.

Something about bad hair and awful decisions...

5) Awards

The show was nominated for eight Emmy Awards, and winning two, including Outstanding Cinematography, Makeup and Hairstyling for a series. It also won two Hugo Awards (basically the Emmys/Oscars of science fiction and fantasy); two Space Frontier Foundation Awards; an E Pluribus Unum Award presented by the American Cinema Association and a Saturn award for Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series. That’s a lot of ceremonies to attend.

So that’s my pitch. I have owned all 5 seasons of Babylon 5 on DVD for quite some time, but it’s always been a hassle to have to break out the Blu-Ray player, find the right HDMI input, etc., when you can just stream almost anything anywhere. So now that I have this option, I have been binging it, much to my delight. So much so that I have been missing out on current seasons of shows I’ve watched for years like House of Cards & Orange is the New Black, and also not even bothering to start shows like The Expanse or The OA.

There is so much to love with this series. There are even multiple movie spinoffs that, while not necessary to view when watching the show, just add even more depth and stories to the universe.

I can’t wait to finish this series for the umpteenth time so I can just start it over again.

—written by Tony Patryn | @patrynize on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook | www.patrynize.com

#babylon 5 #narn #minbari #centauri #vorlon #babylon5 #tv #scifi #sci-fi & fantasy #review #gifs #tv reviews #my good dear friend girabaldi

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movietvtechgeeks · 7 years ago

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Latest story from https://movietvtechgeeks.com/disneys-fox-merger-will-reunite-superheroes-fan-boys-girls/

How Disney's Fox merger will reunite superheroes for fanboys and fangirls

Disney's deal to take over nearly all of 21 Century Fox for $52.4 billion will be a major change in Hollywood's Big Six studios and fanboys and fangirls could be the biggest winners. The coming union of the Disney and Fox media empires is set to create a new nirvana for fanboys and -girls, one that reunites superheroes and sci-fi characters long separated by an energy barrier of corporate legalism. Take, for instance, the fractured world of Marvel superheroes. For years, the X-Men (Wolverine, Storm, Professor X, and the crew) and the Fantastic Four (Thing, Invisible Woman, et al.) have battled bad dudes from the studios of 20th Century Fox. Meanwhile, Iron Man, Black Widow, and other Avengers vanquished villains in another corner of the galaxy run by Disney. Almost ne’er the twain did meet — though that could soon change. Relatedly, rights to the various “Star Wars” films have been scattered all over a galaxy far, far away; those will soon be unified under a powerful Galactic Emp-- er, well, Magic Kingdom. THE MOUSE THAT ATE THE FOX Disney’s announcement Thursday that it’s buying most of movie goliath Fox for $52.4 billion in stock brings these once disparate franchises together, possibly for as-yet unplanned intergalactic dust-ups. Add the “Avatar” franchise to the blockbuster mix, and the company that launched Mickey Mouse will be an unavoidable presence at the box office and online if the deal goes through. The combined company will account for more than a third of theatrical revenues in the U.S. and Canada, an $11 billion business last year, not to mention a huge chunk of the global theater-going pie, according to Daniel Ives, chief strategy officer at market research firm GBH Insights. That would make the Disney juggernaut a more powerful theatrical force to be reckoned with than ever before. Online, Disney has announced plans to launch its own streaming service in 2019, after pulling titles like “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and Disney’s “Moana” from Netflix’s streaming platform to move onto its own. After Fox’s deal to send its movies to HBO ends reportedly in 2022, its films will also move to the Disney streaming platforms. “Creating a direct-to-consumer relationship is vital to the future of our media businesses, and it’s our highest priority,” Disney CEO Bob Iger told investors in a Thursday conference call detailing the Fox deal. ONE BIG HAPPY DEATH STAR Those old enough to remember the blaring 20th Century Fox opening to the original “Star Wars” (Episode IV) may no longer have to search far, far, away to find the other titles. The original was made and distributed by Fox, but it was a quirk of the series. Episodes V, VI, I, II, and III were owned by Lucasfilm (bought by Disney in 2012) and distributed by Fox. You can only stream those first six movies endlessly if you buy them and register them through the not-terribly-popular UltraViolet system backed by several studios. (You can also rent them digitally.) “The Force Awakens” — Episode VII — is available to streaming subscribers, though only if you have Starz. The Force may finally put these titles in one place. Buying Fox will also give Disney a majority stake in streaming platform Hulu. The addition of Fox’s regional sports TV networks and National Geographic video programming in the deal could let the new service bundle hugely popular movie and TV franchises, local sports broadcast rights, and distribution platforms into one live online video empire. That would recreate online what the U.S. Supreme Court broke apart in the 1940s. That’s when the court forced Hollywood studios to divest ownership of theater chains to keep content producers from controlling every step along the way to the consumer. “This moves Disney from an afterthought in streaming to a legitimate contender,” Ives said. SCRAPPY REBELS At the same time, tech companies — particularly Netflix, Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Apple — are making big investments in video streaming. Hollywood-centered entertainment companies have struggled as people drop traditional TV packages, shifting the nexus of power in entertainment from the Hollywood Hills toward Silicon Valley and Seattle. That marketplace dynamic could help pave the way for regulators to clear the deal, aimed to close within the next 12 to 18 months. “These guys are up against Facebook and Google, not Warner Bros. and MGM,” said Mike Kelly, the former Weather Channel CEO who is now CEO of investment and advisory firm Kelly Newman Ventures. “If you look at it that way, I don’t think the government would have that big of an issue with it.” Iger said he anticipates a “significant amount of regulatory scrutiny both in the United States and internationally” because of the deal’s size, but he said authorities should quickly approve it because it makes sense for consumers. He said Disney’s current thinking is to split its streaming services into three different brands, such as a Disney-labeled family service that would fold in NatGeo, Marvel, Pixar and Lucasfilm; an ESPN-led sports service; and an adult-oriented service that would incorporate Hulu and some of Fox’s TV shows. Disney also aims to expand the global audience of its cast of characters as it pulls in Fox’s London-based pay-TV broadcaster Sky, which has a pan-European audience, and Mumbai-based Star India. OH, THAT LONELY WEB-SLINGER But there’s one part of the comic book world that will escape Disney’s sizable web: Spider-Man, whose rights Marvel partially farmed out to Sony. Although Sony and Disney cut a deal to include Spidey in Avengers tales starting with “Captain America: Civil War” last year, Sony continues to develop its own alternate reality with movies like the animated “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse” as well as spin-offs “Venom” and “Silver & Black” starting in 2018. Will It Go Through Without A Hitch? Variety reported that to Democrats have voiced concern about this massive merger as they feel it could potentially violate antitrust laws. “I’m concerned about the impact of this transaction on American consumers,” said Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary antitrust committee. She also commented that this merger was “another industry-changing merger, which would have major implications in television, film, and media.” Klobuchar has reportedly asked Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who chair the antitrust subcommittee and the Judiciary Committee, respectively, to schedule a hearing on the matter. Representative David Cicilline (D-R.I.) called for his committee, the House Judiciary’s antitrust subcommittee, to take a closer look at the deal as well. “Disney’s proposed purchase of 21st Century Fox threatens to put control of TV, movie, and news content into the hands of a single media giant,” he said. “If it’s approved,” he continued, “this merger could allow Disney to limit what consumers can watch and increase their cable bills. Disney will gain more than 300 channels, 22 regional sports networks, control over Hulu, and a significant portion of Roku.” Since Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012, the company has already emerged as a leading, monolithic force in American entertainment. While that can be exciting—it’s thrilling to see so many compelling characters and worlds rubbing shoulders with each other—it can also be stifling. It’s hard to compete in the genre movie sphere if you’re not the MCU or Star Wars, and if this merger goes through that problem could get much worse.

Movie TV Tech Geeks News

#Disney #Fantastic Four 20th Century Fox #Featured #FOX #Netflix #X-Men

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seanandrewthomas-blog · 8 years ago

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My Favourite Game Every Year Since 1995

I still remember the day my Dad brought home a PlayStation One. It’s my earliest memory, and one of my most nostalgic. Ever since then, I’ve fallen in love with video games - so much so that I’ve also taken to making a few throughout the years.

Nonetheless, I’ve decided to compile a list of my favourite game each year, since the year I was born. It’s important to note that this list is not my 22 favourite games of all time - just my favourite game of each year. It’s also important to note that I did not play all of these games during the year that they were released, quite a few of them are games that I’ve played for the first time in the past few years. Either way, here goes.

1995 - Rayman

Rayman is a really significant game for me. It’s the first game I ever played, and one that I haven’t touched in years. I’m looking forward to downloading and replaying it on the Vita sometime in the future.

1996 - Crash Bandicoot

Crash Bandicoot is the game that reminds me most of my childhood. I’ll never forget the countless hours I spent playing it in front of the TV. Funnily enough, it wasn’t until recently that I actually replayed it with a cousin and beat it for the first time. I’m really excited to play the remastered trilogy when it releases later this year.

1997 - Crash Bandicoot 2

Crash Bandicoot 2 was a step up from the original game in almost every way. I remember the day I saw it on display in the store. Back in those days it was hard to keep up to date on all of the latest releases without the internet, so it completely caught me off guard. I didn’t even know the sequel existed until I saw it in the store. I’ve still not beaten it to this day, partially because I didn’t have a memory card at the time and couldn’t save my progress. I got close a few times though.

1998 - Half-Life

This is one of the games on my list that I didn’t play the year it came out. For me, this was the game I played during my first year of college after moving away from home. It’s easily one of the best shooters I’ve ever played and I can’t wait to play it again.

1999 - Spyro 2: Gateway to Glimmer

I remember playing this game at a relative's house for the first time. It’s a fantastic platformer that’s still fun to go back and play today. If you’ve never played a Spyro game, this is definitely the place to start.

2000 - Wario Land 3

Wario Land 3 isn’t just one of my most nostalgic games of all time. I honestly think it’s the most underappreciated game ever made. I rarely meet people who have played it and those who have can only say positive things about it. It’s easily got to be the best game that was available on GameBoy Color.

2001 - Metal Gear Solid 2

Metal Gear Solid 2 changed up so much from the original game. If you were invested in games culture back in the day, you’ve probably heard that this was incredibly way ahead of its time. Everything from the gameplay to the social and political commentary that this game provided was unlike anything people had ever seen before in a game. It wasn’t afraid to step outside the box and it very much deserves its place on this list.

2002 - James Bond 007: Nightfire

Nightfire wasn’t just a great Bond game, it was arguably the best multiplayer game on the PlayStation 2. I’ve spent hundreds upon hundreds of hours playing the multiplayer mode in this game with friends and bots. It also packed a pretty good story mode - but the big reason it’s made the list is the incredible multiplayer.

2003 - The Simpsons: Hit & Run

As a child, I was definitely never allowed play Grand Theft Auto games. The closest I ever got to an open world crime game was Hit & Run, which also had the benefit of being a great Simpsons game.

2004 - Metal Gear Solid 3

Damn, Hideo Kojima knocked it out of the park with this game. I played Metal Gear Solid 3 for the first time last year and it’s easily one of the best action games I’ve ever played. Not only does it have a thrilling story set during the Cold War, but its gameplay is beyond anything I could have ever expected to see on the PlayStation 2. The ending even made me shed a tear.

2005 - Resident Evil 4

Resident Evil 4 is one of my favourite horror games. Its world is so engaging and its gameplay is unbelievably tense. If you know anything about this game, you probably know that its controls are very clunky - but the game uses them to its advantage to make encounters with enemies more terrifying. I’m not a fan of some of the boss fights but the game totally makes up for it with its gameplay, level design and upgrade systems.

2006 - New Super Mario Bros

Although I never owned a Nintendo DS, I got the chance to play this game years later on my brother’s system. I fell in love with this game instantly - it’s graphics may be extremely ugly by today’s standards, but the gameplay and level design are near-flawless.

2007 - Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

This was my first modern-FPS game and the story experience completely blew me away. Modern Warfare’s campaign has moments that are totally unforgettable. Even though the story is short, it packs in a variety of set pieces that combine great gameplay with huge cinematic moments.

2008 - Fallout 3

When I first played Fallout 3, I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into. The game spends the first hour telling a contained story inside a Vault - in which the people living there have never seen the outside world. I still remember the moment I left the Vault for the first time - it was so unexpected and it completely blew my mind.

2009 - Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

The first Uncharted was a game-changer, and the first game I had ever played with cutscenes edited and pieced together so flawlessly like a film. When Uncharted 2 came out, it blew the first game out of the water. It upped the stakes, the set pieces, the character development and everything else in such an unexpected way that it became an instant favourite of mine. Plus, the entire train sequence was way beyond its time - literally unlike anything I had ever seen in a game before.

2010 - Heavy Rain

Heavy Rain was my first choice and consequence game. I was fascinated by the idea of making decisions that could completely change the course of the game. Admittedly, when replaying this game years later it really shows its age - but at the time it was such a fresh idea for a game that all of its problems didn’t seem significant at all.

2011 - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Skyrim was my first Elder Scrolls game, and it won’t be my last. It took a lot of the elements that I adored from Fallout and painted them all over a ‘Lord of the Rings’-esque world. I spent countless hours in this game and have replayed large portions, and I still discover something new each time.

2012 - The Walking Dead

Telltale’s The Walking Dead wasn’t my first Telltale game (that would be The Wolf Among Us), but it’s definitely my most memorable. It’s another choice and consequence game, but it’s divided into five ‘episodes’ which last around two to three hours each. The story is so engaging, and the characters are all very interesting - but what stood out the most was the tension. No character felt invincible, and in some cases you have to make major decisions within seconds that would probably take hours to fully contemplate. Plus, the impacts of your decisions carry over to the sequel.

2013 - The Last of Us

The Last of Us is, without a single doubt in my mind, my favourite game of all time. I have far too much to say about the game to condense to a few sentences - but it has the most tense gameplay and best story I have ever experienced in a game. I still remember heading out on my 18th birthday to buy it, and coming home to play it with friends and cousins who were up for my birthday. We all sat there and played through the opening chapter - and were all choked up afterwards. No game has ever made me well up as much as The Last of Us, and no game has ever given me so many goosebumps when shocking things happened.

2014 - The Last of Us: Left Behind

Although 2014 was a pretty quiet year for gaming, my favourite game regardless was the Standalone DLC to my favourite game. Left Behind tells a prologue story to The Last of Us that gives a lot of background context to events referenced in the main game. Because it’s so short, there’s not much to say without spoiling it - but if you’ve played The Last of Us (and you should), then this is definitely worth playing afterwards.

2015 - Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain

I had a really tough time picking a favourite from this year (Fallout 4 nearly took the spot), but ultimately, my pick for 2015 has to go to the final Metal Gear game by Hideo Kojima. Not only does The Phantom Pain have the most complex gameplay systems I’ve ever played with, but what really stands out is how it expects the player to be patient, intelligent and creative. I never felt like there were limits to what this game would allow me to do. In every single mission, the game expected me to use intuition to figure out solutions to the problems it presented. After playing The Phantom Pain, I found it difficult to go back to games that held my hand.

2016 - Uncharted 4

The last Uncharted game was one of my most anticipated games of all time - and it did not disappoint. Uncharted 4 pays homage to the original Uncharted trilogy while also raising the bar to a level that was practically unheard of beforehand. It’s story is fantastic, and does a great job at fleshing out the characters in ways that differ from the previous games. The attention to small details is also phenomenal - leaving the player with an experience that is totally immersive.

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movietvtechgeeks · 7 years ago

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Latest story from https://movietvtechgeeks.com/disneys-fox-merger-will-reunite-superheroes-fan-boys-girls/

How Disney's Fox merger will reunite superheroes for fanboys and fangirls

Movie TV Tech Geeks News

#Disney #Fantastic Four 20th Century Fox #Featured #FOX #Netflix #X-Men

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movietvtechgeeks · 7 years ago

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Latest story from https://movietvtechgeeks.com/disneys-fox-merger-will-reunite-superheroes-fan-boys-girls/

How Disney's Fox merger will reunite superheroes for fanboys and fangirls

Movie TV Tech Geeks News

#Disney #Fantastic Four 20th Century Fox #Featured #FOX #Netflix #X-Men

0 notes