#also some guy who was in a short lived sitcom

[marsixm]

fun fact matt bomer and lee pace both went to my high school

[slime-sandwhich-nom]

Don’t suppose you have any headcanons for Cosmo’s parents are their dynamics? I saw your post earlier and felt kinda bad for Mama Cosma (until she got toxic with Cosmo lol)

Also, I don’t mean to make u uncomfortable but I keep thinking about Cosmo blowing up half of Fairy World when he was born so I imagine how rough the pregnancy was.

ALRIGHT SO!

let's see ...

To be honest, in my head Cosmo parents were like those super sappy couples, kind of like Cosmo and Wanda are right now. Or like parents in a sitcom during the 90s.

Then schnozmo came in, and everything was still super great. No toxicity nor abuse, nothing.

Just a family of three in fairy world ( + personally I don't think any of them had any thoughts on godparenting.)

Then Cosmo came in.

I haven't really thought of it but it's kind of like this

happy family + new member of the family + somehow inherited powerful powers from jorgen side of the family and this is where shit goes downhill.

it's a whole series of events where they wanted to take Cosmo away because he was too dangerous (and strong), then the abolition of new babies, then assuming papa cosmo died (in my head it was because of a failing organ after getting turned into a fly, the same cosmo had a surgery on in the og series or something like that) then schnozmo went off and it was just mama Cosma all alone with this power baby she ended up attached on in a very unhealthy way.

it's like if the entire family slowly, very slowly crumbled and she held onto the first and only thing that was left of it, becoming clingy, toxic and neglective of cosmo actual needs.

also I do imagine her being sort of a boy mom in general.

for the pregnancy part I assume it was easier than Cosmo's only because they at least knew what to do.

Cosmo struggled so much because it's been thousand of years since the last baby, and he didn't even know what to do when he went to labor.

also by the baby flashback he seems pretty big for a normal sized fairy (taking poof as a comparison.) so..that was something !

I guess that was because of the jorgan genes.

(it can always be that poof was just odd shaped, though.)

But back to the dynamics (and headcanons)

- papa cosmo was generally a very calm guy, he's the true malewife staying at home taking care of the kids while mama Cosma goes to work.

- always cold for some reason (thank God mama Cosma is a living furnace, much like Cosmo.)

- he always had health problems, which lead inevitably to his death. (Organ failure.)

- there's a tiny bit of size difference between him and mama Cosma, she's taller and bulkier while he is more shorter and skinny.

(if you have seen the design post, you'll get a better idea of the size difference.)

- he gets extremely flustered and very easily too with mama cosma

- he died kind of..WHILE he was a fly because he was kind of already dealing with his organ failing.

To put it short, the organ fairies have that makes them shapeshift (which I don't remember the name for the life of me) was already failing, and when he got turned into a fly he..got stuck like that. leading to him to die because of it.

This means Cosmo failing organ that he replaced with surgery is inherited!

- it's clear Cosmo took the majority of his traits from his father, and this meant mama Cosma was always more attached to Cosmo than to schnozmo (who was also pretty similar but because of his big nose it didn't do the same effect) because she just..saw her husband in Cosmo.

- papa cosmo liked to knit and cook :]

- he probably had those nerd jobs like scientist or something. I remember seeing somewhere someone saying that papa Cosmo's job had to do with researching about humans which would help for the future god parents (assuming they need to learn how a human works, talks and behaves for future disguises and to make sure your god child doesn't die immediately) and its really cool so I took it. So whoever had this idea, credit to them.

- mama Cosma job was probably pretty simple, like a maid.

- in my head, despite mama Cosma putting all of her attention on Cosmo, she was still super clingy to schnozmo too just not as much and this lead to schnozmo desperately looking for a way to get away (since we saw in the show cosmo was like trapped in his own house at that point, assuming schnozmo had the same treatment.) and that's how he ended up in the crime world.

^^^ always assuming that she was starting to get too clingy with her own kids because of papa cosmo dying

- super straight thin hair papa cosmo x super thick curly hair mama Cosma (which lead to wavy hair Cosmo and schnozmo)

- this is a general headcanon for fairies, but I enjoy a lot how in the tinkle bell movie (1953) whenever she gets mad she turns all red, so now all fairies in FOP do.

- also, another headcanon but it's more Cosmo centered.

As much as I enjoy Cosmo, the og show brutally butchered him and since I can't go against canon that he's now an idiot and has a high pitched voice, I present to you these two headcanons.

(more theories than anything but I embrace them as my headcanons.)

vvv for context they're talking about pilot Cosmo and specifically the line "I gotta get this thing (wand) fixed."

And! The scene where Timmy eats part of Cosmo brain, which is also a reason why later on he gets slow and more incompetent.

+ after Timmy they retired and got their very earned vacation, which helped Cosmo a TON as we can see how in a new wish he's back being an actual decent person and competent again, but still has some side effects like the high pitched voice and being rather slow to get things.

Credit to the original commenter of course.

And yes, this doesn't change that he sucked in school. Cosmo was never academic smart, he was always street smart, I can see him sucking ass in school still.

Also with this hc we can have the trope that Cosmo went from awkward shy guy > smug happily married man because I love that trope.

I think that's it, from what I remember at least.

[stizzysupremacy]

okay. Okay so. This is ridiculous but. The idea won’t get out of my brain ever since I started rewatching an old sitcom:

Izzy Hands as The Nanny

no no hear me out.

Izzy works in his bf Ed’s tailor shop (vs a bridal shop cuz even in an au I can’t stretch to see Izzy doing anything bridal for a living) until Ed wants to give Jack Rackham Izzy’s job and oh also he wants to start dating Jack too. So Izzy is out of a job and a relationship that’s been in the pre-engagement state for years. Izzy gets a part time job selling fine chef’s knives door-to-door (instead of makeup. Because it’s a good excuse to slip Steak Knife into the story and also because my bestie used to sell knives and I love him)

Izzy happens to show up at the Bonnet mansion household around the time they were expecting their newest nanny to come for an interview. Izzy thinks he is being invited in to give his sales pitch. In classic sitcom misunderstanding it takes a while for Stede to realize that Short Dark and Handsome here is not actually a manny with a resting rage face.

But by then Izzy has had a chance to interact with Stede’s kids and his household staff. Stede has fondness for anyone who is kind to his kids and has a secret awe for anyone who seems to get along with less awkwardness than he himself does. Izzy just talks to the kids like they are adults because he doesn’t know how else to deal with tiny people except to treat them like big people. Alma appreciates it.

The rest of the household (Buttons as the butler? Lucius as a PA? Roach as chef, Jim as driver, etc you get the idea) are surprisingly on board with hiring the guy who came to the door with a briefcase full of knives to provide daily childcare. He’s got no experience or qualifications but Izzy clearly does not take shit from anyone and won’t get scared off in under two months like the last nanny.

and look, the pay is really good. Even if Mr Bonnet is supremely annoying, he pays well and the kids seem fine, old enough to entertain themselves most of the time and not be very interested in interacting with some greying old man. He can get them to school and home from school, and deal with the occasional snotty cold or scraped knee for such a huge salary, with room and board on top! plus staying in the rich part of town cuts down on the chances of running into Ed and/or Jack.

So Izzy moves into the mansion and chases the Bonnet children around for a living. (Izzy quickly learns that the kids are still young enough to love playing pirates, something Stede started with them but has been too busy to do. Izzy, wearing an eye patch and brandishing a plastic sword, taunts Stede into joining their play by challenging him to duel (yes Stede smacks his ass with his sword))

obvious stede would never get full custody lol so there’s plenty of time when the kids are with their mother and Stede’s only company in the big empty house is Izzy Hands 😮😀

[wishjacked]

Happy #WebcomicDay!! :D

This year we're celebrating the process of making pages... so below the cut I've got a bunch of pictures sharing how I go about making pages of my evil post-apocalyptic workplace sitcom, Cargo!! :D

So! My process!!

Writing-> I think sometimes there's pressure to "write" your comic a certain way, I see people talking about script format and stuff a lot. That really doesn't work for me, though! I write my "first draft" script in short scenes on scrap paper, in whatever order they come to me. Sometimes a scene will just be one or two lines, and then a little description of what I want to happen in the rest of the scene.

Later I type the scene up, and write the "connective tissue" that fits between the disjointed scenes so they all flow together like they ought. I don't do page breaks or even character tag or action notes hahahaha I like it to be as BASIC as POSSIBLE so it's easy to edit. And since I'm the person drawing it I can almost always remember who's supposed to be saying what lmao

I edit a lot, but the most major editing is also probably the last bit... when I letter my pages usually I realize "they would never say that" and so I end up rephrasing everything. My art brain is sometimes waaaaay better at phrasing hahaha. Like you can see in the finished page for this script I rewrote like basically all of it, and actually went back to the original "sketch" script in a lot of places.

Thumbnailing-> my thumbs are really big, I draw them with markers on printer paper and keep them in a binder!! I like to thumb scenes in batches and I also usually write my dialogue on them, just so I can read through them before (and while) I draw to get a feel for how the pacing works. :)

Sketching-> OH sketching is also really hard for me! I don't have a good visual imagination so it's really important for me to make sure I have good references. Last year I was especially focusing on setting.

My comic is set in Florida. I'm lucky in that I used to live there and still go back to visit sometimes, so sometimes I can gather my own reference images! But more often I start on Google Maps or Zillow, trying to find buildings that have interesting features or the right kind of "look" for what I want. I'll also look up other interesting elements, my comic is set in a post-apocalypse and I'll research home gardening and things like that which people would probably have.

For example, in this set in chapter 7, I used Google Maps images, photo references of indoor hydroponic gardening, and like, 90's-00's hacker computer setups haha. Also my BFF Roomstyler.com, where you can make 3d house interiors haha!!

Lineart-> I LOVE lineart it is my favorite!!!! I sketch and ink two pages at a time, and it usually takes somewhere between 10-12 hours to do both steps.

I actually think my art looks best when it's just lineart... but I think my STORY is better with color, like it makes it clearer and easier to read and it has a better atmosphere HAHA.

Colors-> I think it usually takes me 4-6 hours to do 2 pages (I haven't timed myself as consistently as I time my lineart and sketching). I have a big file with small copies of my previous pages that I color drop from, and my characters are all flats only. The limited palette that I use is also really handy, it streamlines coloring a LOT.

Finishing Touches-> aka I steal mercilessly from my one true love, my internet home, the beautiful and blessed Wikimedia Commons

I put lots of overlay layers on my art! I like textures so having some strange little textures or pictures on things makes my art feel a lot more finished to me.

And finally my very most favorite ✨finishing touch✨ is the bright colored/patterned gutters that I use. Here are some of my favorites that I've made and used in the past!

And that's all!! I hope you guys have a very happy Webcomics Day and find lots and lots of wonderful new things to read!!!

[saltygilmores]

The Many Loves of Rory Gilmore (Yet Another Old Interview With Milo)

Stars Hollow may be a small town, but Rory Gilmore has managed to find two boys to tickle her fancy. There's Dean, Rory's sweet boyfriend. And this season a new boy has caught Rory's attention. Ever since Luke's nephew, Jess, sauntered into town, we knew there might be trouble.

This month, in our continuing look at the many loves of Rory Gilmore, we turn our eye to Milo Ventimiglia. The 24-year-old actor plays Jess, the troublemaker we just know has a heart of gold.

Fans may be unsure about whom they would like to see Rory end up with and the actor is equally uncertain. When asked why he thinks Jess is the better guy for Rory, he replied, "I'm hesitant to answer that. I bring things out of Rory that Dean can't. Dean has given her things that Jess can't offer Rory. Jess and Rory might work it out and just end up the best of friends."

Rory wasn't the only one who was quickly smitten with Ventimiglia's charm. When he first auditioned for the role, the character was slated to only be a guest star. But then he met series creator Amy Sherman-Palladino and she told him, "We want you for two years."

In fact, Ventimigilia was hired so quickly that "they didn't have a name for my character." "They didn't know where he was from," Ventimiglia said in a recent phone interview. "All they knew was that he was Luke's nephew and that he was a troublemaker. From March to September [of 2001] I really didn't know much. When I finally got my first script, I was giggling like a little girl. Everything coincided with what I created in my head."

The actor, who starred in the short-lived Fox comedy "Opposite Sex" and can currently be seen in a PT Cruiser commercial, wanted to act ever since he was young. "I knew when I was a kid that I wanted to be an actor. When my parents asked me if I wanted to try to break into the business, I always said no. I wanted to wait. I didn't want to leave school, leave sports." But that didn't stop him from performing. Every Friday night, he and his parents would act out plays.

Ventimigilia doesn't have too much in common with his television alter-ego. For one thing, he was a very good kid. "Teachers liked me, parents liked me," he explained. When his friends wanted to do something, all they had to say was "I'll be with Milo" and they were good to go. "The only thing I have in common with Jess is that we both always have a book in our back pocket. We both like to read. My best friend in high school, he was a troublemaker. I'm basing the character on his antics."

But Ventimiglia is still getting to know his character and understand what makes him tick. "I would love to figure out why this kid is so uneasy. He talked about his mom not having him come home for Christmas, but I feel like there's something more to that. He seems unaffected by it, but I'd like to dig a little deeper."

He's also starting to get recognized. The day after his first Gilmore Girls episode aired, a girl approached at his gym and asked "Are you on Gilmore Girls?" When he said "yes," she exclaimed, "Oh my God. I hate you." One time he and Alexis Bledel (Rory) went to the movies. "People really flocked to her and asked me what books I was reading," Ventimiglia said. "It's kind of bizarre, people equate your character with you as a person."

Recently Bledel, Ventimiglia and Liza Weil (Paris Geller) all went to see a taping of "Friends." He loved watching David Schwimmer direct an episode of the popular NBC sitcom. "I'm dying to get on the other side of production. There are lots of talented directors. Some are good with camera and not with actors. Some good with actors and not with camera. I would like to combine the two."

What was it like to join the critically acclaimed series in its second season? "I definitely felt like the new kid. They were all especially gracious and kind. But they had a history. It's like going to a new high school. It's really an incredible environment. They're great people on and off the set. I can only be as good as the people around me and people around me are amazing. Scott Patterson (Luke) is really funny. He makes things very comfortable for me and I feel free to explore this character. Alexis does the same thing."

One thing Ventimiglia is sure of is that he's keeping his lengthy last name. "I had a non-union agent when I was 16 years old. He wanted me to shorten my name to Venti." Ventimiglia was so outraged that he thought about adding his middle name (Anthony) to annoy his agent. "It's my name. I'm not changing it."

[sporco-filth]

media with slob stuff

there are lots of tv shows and so on that have slob-related stuff and sometimes you see them once and can never find them again

anyway this is a list of a few i remember:

Joe's Apartment: a movie about a guy who moves to New york and he's (to quote one of the characters) "the dirtiest freakin' slob on the planet". His apartment is infested with talking cockroaches and developers want to tear down the apartment block so the cockroaches (who love him bc he's a slob) help him save his apartment. the cockroaches also sing. it is all-around pretty gross and i'm here for that

Him & Her: a series about a couple who are slobs and kinda gross in a domestic-cute sort of way. i don't think you can find many eps of it online and the very first ep which had some scenes i really liked i haven't seen anywhere. i only really watched ep 1 all the way through tho so i can't really vouch for the rest of the show

Portlandia: one episode has the gay brother of a character (and his boyfriend) coming to stay and she and her husband are disappointed that they're not the stereotypically neat and stylish gays. the gay guys make a mess of the house. there's not much more than that but it was hot to me when i first saw it

Pigsty: an old sitcom that didn't last very long centred around a bunch of guys sharing an apartment. ive never watched a full episode but the opening sequence is slob-related enough for me to include it

Buzzfeed stuff: 'Weird things guys do when they're alone', 'Lazy things all guys have done' and 'You at home alone vs. with people': all of these involve a range of gross habits and behaviours.

The Simpsons: there's a lot in the simpsons because homer is a fat lazy slob to a t, but special attention must be paid to Bart after dark for its trash angels scene and Bart's dental hygiene. Also the opening of Bart gets an elephant. there are too many episodes that have aspects of slob in them so i'll stop here

Parks and Rec: Andy and April's house. To quote Andy "it's a mess!" Sadly Ben cleans it up (boo...)

The Office: I never got this far but at some point Jim moves in with Darryl and then they have an odd couple dynamic going on. nothing really exciting but i remembered it so eh why not add it

Futurama: Fry is a total slob and i love him for it. sorry if this is too much information but the first time i ever came i was thinking about him being a slob. like the Simpsons there are too many good moments but a stand out is 'How Hermes Requisitioned His Groove Back' where an inspector has an affair with Fry because she has a fetish for slobs. what can i say, she has good taste in men

The Heron's Cry: a book, it has one character who is a slob, but he only appears in one scene which i'll quote excerpts of because it's short (there's more i didn't quote but this is the best bit):

...there was a kitchen littered with pizza boxes and foil containers from takeaway restaurants. Empty beer cans. A smell that would set alarms ringing with environmental health. [Steve] expert was wearing a filthy fleece dressing gown. Nothing else as far as Ross could tell. He stood, blinking. "Fuck, man, what do you want? This feels like the middle of the night." "It's mid-morning…"

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole and its sequel The Growing pains of Adrian Mole: Adrian helps an elderly man called Bert who is a total slob. They clean out his house and it is an endeavour. Favourite part of this scene though is this line: "Bert has been sitting in a deckchair criticising and complaining. He can’t see what’s wrong with living in a dirty house. What is wrong with living in a dirty house?" Nothing, in my opinion. There are other scenes too. Adrian's mother is a slob and there's even a bit where she chides him on being so fussy and not messy like a 'normal' teenager. I know there's more but my memory fails me right now

Friends: there's two main ones that come to mind: the one with the dirty girl (obvious reasons) and the one where ross and rachel you know (which to me is known as the one where joey and chandler get recliners).

Kotaro Lives Alone: Karino is a lazy manga artist whose apartment is a mess. The part that got me was when he wondered if he should take a shower and then he goes 'nah, i'm good'. He gets more on top of things after he meets Kotaro, but he's still pretty lazy after ep 1

Very random thing, but this ad for JBS underwear. It's a woman dressed in male underwear behaving like a stereotypical man and it covers a lot of categories for me

Stardew Valley: Shane. that's all i really have to say but in particular his spouse room and his comments about his weight

Spiritfarer: a video game. one of the spirits you can get on your boat is Jackie and he starts out with a messy, trash-filled room. he also dislikes healthy food. he ends up cleaning up his act though.

[buckevantommy]

totally completely fine

ok. i'm not a fan of australian tv or movies bc they're always overdramatised or too darkly themed or comedic in a way i don't gel with bc i'd rather watch american comedies (not sitcoms, they need to die a firey death). plus i've never really liked the aussie accent, i've found it weirdly unsettling hearing characters speak with aussie voices and maybe that's bc being an aussie myself and wanting to use tv and movies as an escape so having that stark reminder of my own reality means it's harder to suspend and enjoy a different one for a spell. or maybe it's the fact that i, like a great deal of non-americans, have grown up watching american tv so now any non-american accent just sits weird in my brain. 

but that's why i need to express my love for this show. 

everything from the casting (diverse faces and bodies) and the actors chemistry to the setting and set design, cinematography and soundtrack, and of course the plot and characters themselves. It's so well done. It's a heartfelt dramedy that makes you care keeps you interested in wanting to know how things progress and ultimately turn out. the various relationship dynamics are full of ups and downs and it feels real in that messy way life is. 

the premise: vivian is a young mess of an adult who lost her parents in a car crash that she was also in when she was a kid. she's the youngest of 3 siblings who were raised by their grandfather who dies and leaves viv his cliffside beach house. the twist: the house backs onto a picturesque ocean cliff where people go to commit suicide. the grandfather used to try and stop them, and now it's up to viv to try and do the same. 

intense stuff so far. but this show is hopeful, it's not super dark even though it does deal with strained relationships and mental health and suicide attempts/ideation. the characters are distinct and the way their lives entwine don't distract from their individual journeys; viv is the main character but enough screentime is given to every supporting character that they all feel like main characters in their own right which is how it should be because that's how life is. 

more good news is it's short: only 6 episodes at just under an hour each (it doesn't mince screentime) so i binged it all yesterday when i wasn't feeling great and just. wow. i haven't found anything mentioning a second season but if they did more i'd watch it - but the thing is it ends with both closure and the potential for more exploration of the characters, so it feels like a realistic open ending and works as a single season story. 

i don't know if it's available overseas because it was created by and aired here by Stan (which is like our homemade Netflix) but i hope if you guys are interested you'll find a way to watch. 

bonus thing for me: seeing this story play out in my home (settings and details) was actually grounding in a way i didn't expect. like i mentioned above, most of us grow up on american tv and maybe some uk stuff and while that's good for an escape it can actually be jarring to get back into our real world. but (with good quality programming like this show) i realise aussie productions can make it a lot easier to connect with the physical world around me (not the digital world), to not feel so alone, and to know that it's worth finding productions from your homeland and they don't hinder the escape of fiction in fact they can aid in grounding it in a believable way. 

anyway. just one aussie who doesn't really like aussie-made stuff telling folks to give this show a go because i was pleasantly surprised. 

(note: if anyone has any questions or concerns about triggering content please message me or reply to this post and i'll fill you in on stuff it does or doesn't feature)

[obscureother]

secret f/o unlocked: ✈

this is it. here he is. the secret f/o who's only been known as ✈ for posts since mid-june or something. you guys voted photo/gif dump so here you go:

🇬🇧 Corporal Peter Newkirk ✈

f/o est. June 8, 2024 (but I've actually known about his existence for years before i did f/o things)

from Hogan's Heroes 🌑 played by Richard Dawson (*Family Feud sound effects.*)

Romantic f/o. (what's new.)

LOOK AT HIM BHBRHGBR.

so this is corporal newkirk, ye. he's the secret f/o for the ✈ emoji this whole time. He's from Hogan's Heroes and look guys, he's NOT a villain or terrible person :D no he's a good guy. <3

. 🌑 .

For those of you who don't know Hogan's Heroes, it was a tv show that ran in the 60s and 70s (with reruns of course). I don't know what sitcom means but that's what google and bing call it. It's about Colonel Hogan and his fellow prisoners at Stalag 13 who do things for the Allies that make the Nazis look stupid (this is set during wwii.) I've loved the show for a long time and Newkirk was one of my favorites along with Hogan himself, Klink, and the short little angry man, Hochstetter. He's English, I couldn't stop him from forming. Forgive me.

Corporal Newkirk is one of Hogan's fellow soldiers who works with him at the prison camp. They have tunnels, smuggled goods, whole operations they run from the inside and he's often the one who helps with impersonations, magic tricks, safe cracking, pickpocketing, etc. those kinds of things. He and LeBeau are the ones who get most excited about girls, it looks like kind of a friendly competition for if they ever get to see one come through before Hogan steals the kisses or there's more than one for each to take to before they go back to being POWs. Newkirk also teases LeBeau a lot for being French, but he and the others all care a lot about each other. They're good friends, the lot of them.

f/o-wise, he's most often company or comfort for me. he follows me around or comes along to watch things with me, does little tricks n things, or talks me through things to get going along. He does card games and hosts their gambling sessions. He tells stories from the episodes of Hogan's Heroes or tells me about certain things to do with them or what they're doing or getting. He is Cockney too, so he does some of the things ⛓ does where they let me figure out their Cockney slang or talk me to sleep cos cockney talk go brr. . He goes "ruddy" instead of "bloody" bfbfdf-

there was actually a habit i picked up mentally that came from newkirk when i first saw hogan's heroes. though i dont remember the exact instance(s) that he did this, he was explaining something and said "that's why," but he said it more like "that's rhy," with an R, so every time i hear something explained or think of why something is happening to myself, it always automatically sounds like "that's rhy" instead from how newkirk would pronounce the word. that's been there since i was little, mom says ive been watching it since i was roughly 8 or so. there was a long while where i couldnt watch it, i got too busy or couldnt get to the MeTV channel for some reason. i eventually found the boxset for the whole series and got to take it home. a few years later, i was able to bring it to college with me where ive finally been binging the whole thing between homework + other responsibilities for comfort. as of the blog, im on season 3. from that, he formed into my brain blob again, now he lives there forever.

(i forgot i had actually put his name on the f/o list sometime ago without mentioning it so i forgot you could have found out who he was before, but you didnt look at the f/o list, so he was still low-key secret lolol.)

[popculturebuffet]

The Jeffersons: The First Store MLK Day Special (Comissioned by WeirdKev27)

Happy Martin Luther King Day! IT's time for a special review courtsey of WeirdKev27 for a very special man. Activist, preacher, hero, there's really not much I can say about the man that hasn't been said and it's a deep shame I haven't done something for his day on this blog, but thanks to Kev i'm rectifying that with this review of the Jeffersons "The First Store" which despite the title.. deeply ties into the last, and most tragic, day of the man's life and it's effect on people in the moment.

This isn't my first visit that deluxe apartment in the sky, as last year I covered "Sorry, Wrong Meeting", where George and friends dealt with the Klan. When that happened the series wasn't avaliable on streaming but that has changed and i'm curious to check out more now I can, and did. And while "Lionel the Playboy" wasn't perfect, it was a solid episode that gave me a better idea of what the show is on a normal day: dealing with issues of class, race and our heroes change of fourtune. But when it went it's hardest, it did, and this episode proved it as towards the end of season 6, we go back a bit to when opinanted drycleaner magnate George opened his first store, the hurdles he jumped through.. and how said events just so happened to concide with one of the worst days in history: Martin Luther King JR's assination. JOin me under the cut for one hell of an episode.

We open in that deluxe apartment in the sky, where George and Wheezy are going through a scrapbook, and after some sex banter get into a flashback.

It's 1968 and Wheezie is home from work and trying to get the tv to work. I like that they put in the effort ot make a whole new set, or at least redress another for the Jeffersons old apartment in harlem. It shows just how far they've come and instantlly sells this is before George hit it rich or even upper middle class. George has the idea that will get him that deluxe apartment eventually though: Handy Dandy Cleaners.. eventually Jefferson Cleaners but for now he shoots down the name as not working, though he'd later sell the Handy Dandy name to an interprising young detective living with a small dog a few decades later for a line of notebooks.

What I really like is this ep shows that while George can be bigoted, an assshole and short sighted at the best of times… he does have a head for buisness. It's likely not the first time, this was near the end of 6 seasons, but it shows that for all his failings he's really good at what he does even just starting out: His idea is to get a minority buisness loan, and doing a dry cleaners is because he's had about a decade working under someone else, so he knows how to do everything and figures he can have Wheezie work with him. Granted she's not remotely happy about working without a salary and shuts down that nonsense, but Wheezie is a maid, has been around his buisness and is a smart fast learner who can also talk george out of his stupider impulses, so it shows George had this thought out soundly. Sure this is a risky proposition as Wheezie points out.. but it's better than working under some white asshole the rest of his life. If there's a shot to be his own man and make his own fortune, he's going to take it and for all the bad I can say about george, and that's baked into the series… he's a hard worker and one of the few who manages to make his american dream actually manifest. IT's one of the things Norman Leer excels at: he can make a character an asshole.. but still has the sense to give him layers.

It also shows he has to jump through hoops of the racisim of the time. The guy he has come visit for the loan.. is one of the most punchable men i've seen in a sitcom. Inetionally so of course, but the way he casually says things like how he's suprised george only has one kid or his house is suprisingly nice just oozes with casual racisim the man knows he can get away with. He also calls Dr. King, who the jeffersons have a portrait of, a communist, though it shows George's character that while he's willing to let other shit slide to get this loan, as he knows he has to play a system stacked against him till he can overcome it, he notably sidesteps shit talking dr king. There are some levels he won't sink to.

The loan is threatned though when LIonel comes in having been at a police protest, having become radicallized as things seem to be getting worse. It's also sad that a FLASHBACK to 1968 from a late 70's sitcom.. has someone protesting the police and getting brutalized, and barely anything has changed since. It was likely the point then.. and sadly is the point now: Progress can be achingly slow and often seems like it isn't moving forward at all. Thankfully Lionel ducks to the kitchen and George is able to get it, but it's clear Lionel is getting more and more disenchanted, and openly mocks his father's dream. The system isn't built to help black people, somethign I say as a white person.. and that's 100% true. It's not, it still isn't, but I also see george's point: that to stop fighting and to stop trying to make that system better to fight within it , to stop dreaming would be terrible. You have to keep struggling if you want to make change even if ti seems like none happens.

George takes Wheezie to see the shop, and while he talks her into working there and into his dream, a fixer uper in harlem but still something grand… a brick goes through the window and when the guyw ho did it is questioned he proclaims "Brother king is dead man! They killed him!". Dr. King's assasination has just happened.

Sherman Hemsley gives one hell of a performance as a response, full of dispair, anger, and pain as he throws a chair through the window and lets out one hell of a "God Damn!". It shows just how hopless it had to feel, and given HImsley's age it's doubtless he felt similar pain and grief in the moment. Just a swarm of rage anger and pain.

The next day isn't any easier: The TV Finally gives out, and tensions in the Jeffersons house are sky high. Things don't get easier as Wheezie tries to call in only for her boss to not care what just happened

And George rightly chews the woman out.. and wrongly quits for wheezie. While he's right she shoudln't work for an ass like that, he's wrong to get her out of a job, especially since while he has the place he sold their car without asking for it… which granted for George is par for the course but still.

The interview for the loan goes equally poorly: Standard Racist Asshole rejects the location, as theres' been crime ignoring .. you know… that one of the biggest figures in history just got assainated and the people are rightly angry. And when he has the fucking gall to call them animals.. george predictably throws him out on his ass, rejects the loan despite badly needing it and only dosen't pummel the guy because he can't legally do it. It shows more of George's character: that even with how hard it'll be, how many mountains he has to climb in addition to the 40 or 50 a black man in the late 60's early 70's trying to make a go in buisness would already be scalling barehanded…. he can't take money from someone who disrepsects his race, his people and what happened. He'll find his own way and as time bears out.. he does. It'll be harder but he's used to it.

Still George is close to the breaking point and when Lionel plans to go a looting, fed up with everything, George encourages him, tired of playing it "Their way". How Wheezie snaps him out of it is also brilliant as she plans to just casually throw their king portrait away, and mockingly saying Dr. King would enroucage them to "Get theirs". It makes George realize what he was doinga nd while still mad, it get shim to help her stop lionel. Lionel's response.. is heartbreaking as it is right: it feels like things haven't changed. ANd as I said… this is a world where the same kind of police response to protests is still going on, where as i've seen far too often on john oliver, the deck is stacked against people of color even after all we've done… where it can feel like nothing's changed. But things had then and have now… and that giving into your anger.. wont' solve it. It's channeling that anger, finding something worth fighting for that helps. And even then.. the future is uncertain, as the jeffersons can only watch as they hear King's climb every mountain speech and cry.

This episode is excellent. If you have amazon prime check it out. It's a must see and I hope, if I can get it into my schedule to see more jeffersons after this. Truly powerful television. Thanks for reading.

[adultswim2022]

Clerks #1: "Leonardo Leonardo Returns and Dante Has an Important Decision to Make" | ‎February 20, 2001 (DVD) | Unaired Premiered on Adult Swim November 14, 2008 @ 11:00PM

Clerks began airing on Adult Swim in late 2008. I don't recall it lasting a very long time, but it lasted longer than I remember; they showed it pretty frequently in 2009, taking it on and off the schedule here and there, and then they also aired it in 2010 for one last hurrah.

Clerks was retroactively retitled Clerks: The Animated Series, which makes sense. I still like calling it Clerks for some reason. The show was supposed to air on ABC. Some of it did air on ABC, but most of the episodes made their debut on DVD. They also aired on Comedy Central in 2002. I always remembered this as a Comedy Central acquisition more than an Adult Swim one, personally.

In 2000, I was solidly a Kevin Smith fan. I'm still sheepishly a Kevin Smith fan; It's not that I think he's making good movies, it's just that I feel compelled enough to watch them, which I think is a bare-minimum definition of what a fan is. I was very excited for this show, and I even taped the Super Bowl just to record the one Super Bowl commercial it had. I also made the show appointment viewing for it's two episodes. I was kept abreast of the show's production via various View Askew fan sites and forums I checked regularly. Goddamn, I was a fucking loser.

My Kevin Smith journey was this: was intrigued by Clerks after seeing trailers for it on various non-R-rated movies I rented as a boy. I also recall seeing Siskel and Ebert review it. Was way too young to see it, and I was tad too young for Mallrats, too. But those movies left an impression as I looked up to the Gen-X definition of cool, and aspired to be that thing one day. At the height of my MTV watching, I saw the hour-long Jay & Silent Bob's Secret Video Stash special, where Kevin Smith and company watched goofy 80s videos and made fun of them with his friends, and they played the newly commissioned Jay & Silent Bob MTV promo spots throughout the show. This was the first View Askew production I ever saw. The idea that these guys made movies together and they were all somehow interconnected with one another finally sunk in.

I got my hands on the Jersey trilogy. Beholden to what the handful of video stores had on hand, I remember renting Mallrats first, then Clerks, then Chasing Amy. I spoiled Dogma by reading the screenplay online. Then there was this: A fucking prime time cartoon! Kevin's march towards mainstream legitimacy was progressing nicely. Maybe my mom will become a fan?

As the story goes, the show was considered a disaster by ABC. They only aired two of the six episodes. They didn't air this episode, but they did air the second episode, which heavily references this episode. According to the DVD commentary, the plan was to air this one fifth, which is why there's a text crawl that explains that it's the lost pilot to Clerks, and that there will be a much better episode next week.

This episode isn't all that great; it's one of two that I consider especially weak. The plot is: Leonardo Leonardo (voiced by Alec Baldwin) arrives in town and opens up a new "Quicker Stop" across the street from the Quick Stop. This one does have some funny stuff in it; my favorite gag is Dante and Randal's dedication to The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer, a short-lived (in the real world) sitcom that in the world of Clerks is appointment television and a monster success.

Notable things in this episode include the defanging of Jay and Silent Bob, who now sell fire-crackers. There's also obviously no swearing, but there's some coarse language that wouldn't fly today. Not only do they say "re-re" but they also say "retarded", and "queer" (as a pejorative; one of the weirder instances of a show showing it's age because "that word is actually good now"). There's also one of my favorite gags; the end of the episode has a tacked-on, "Safety tips" segment featuring Jay & Silent Bob. Jay dashes off the line "if Silent Bob could talk, he'd tell you--" right after Silent Bob speaks normally. I loved shit like that.

In general, the sense of humor this show had was very indicative of the sense of humor I had in 2000, and still mostly have today. A lot of the jokes are deconstructive of sitcom humor. The resolution to this episode is vague and absurd, and comes because Dante and Randal copy it from Desmond Pfeiffer. The episode they watch is about a rival opening up a bigger and better "White House of the future" across the street from the white house. I still love that joke!

[kob131]

Soooo have you finished off Umineko? IIRC there's still some extra content and a short story that also includes details on some development trivia.

What did you think overall?

Uh...not in my version. Story's over after the 8th Hidden Tea Party.

My thoughts?

It's a very effective story.

I know that sounds like a thinly veiled insult or faint praise but Umineko has such a variety in tones, emotions, themes and general pacing that it's hard to define it in one way. What I mean is you'll have this very dark, gorey and horrifying moments like with the end of Episode 2 with everyone being eaten alive and then you have Episode 4 which begins with Beatrice busting into the room like a sitcom character. Or the despair of Episode 5's ending coming after this almost knight-like scene of Piece-Battler taking and dashing off with Beatrice in tow. Or the fact that we have a character whose parent is currently with Ragyo as 'worst anime parent' (complete with the incestous rape) in the same game as Battler making grabby motions at Shannon's tits and thanking Jessica for hitting him.

Like- Between the really sad factual events like how Sayo fucking kills herself which likely contributed to the long separation of Ange and Battler due to both brain damage from drowning and the immense tramua of the whole situation; the really sweet moments of Battler trying his best to help Ange live as happy of a life as she can and the sheer horror behind characters like Lambdadelta and Featherine- I don't know what to say to really sum it all up other than 'effective'.

The mystery element goes without saying considering the sheer number of times I humiliated myself trying to solve the mystery: it's obvious well hidden without being a sucker punch because many things in the story make logical sense with the knowledge that Shannon, Kanon and Beatrice being the same person.

The sad elements were enough to make me cry at the end as Sayo killed herself or when Battler returns to everyone in the new 'Golden Land' which also implies the new Gospel House will improve the lives of many orphaned kids, likely preventing the tragedy of Sayo's life from repeating.

The horror elements obviously worked- scaring me is not something easily done. I'm a guy who shrugs off horror pretty easily given my mom's love of Nightmare on Elm Street. But I legitimately find Lambdadelta's insanity and juxitposition unnerving and the concept of Featherine's abilities do legitimately come across as almost 'eldritch' in how they're presented between the font change, the sheer lack of malice or effort in her CG and the complete violation of cause and effect. There's also how Battler just...breaks at times, like how he refuses to suspect his family which eventually made him just go mad.

The jokes don't really feel out of place given that they happen in the time before the murders and do get a laugh out of me. Not to mention that some of them, like Battler's fondness for big boobs and Beatrice getting sloshed in Episode 4, actually provide hints to figuring out the core mystery.

The music is really fucking good. Standouts to me include Mirage Coordinator for the sense of hopeless and powerlessness before fickle and cruel beings. Patchwork Chimera for setting up the feeling of a climatic show. Thanks For Being Born for delivering the idea of a deep, throbbing sadness and pain that plagues the scenes it's in. And Endless Nine for that feeling of unstoppable determination.

And, to really emphasize how effective it all was- my general journey throughout the game reflected Battler's own journey. From being ignorant of the events to defiantly fighting against Beatrice to raging against her to feeling uncertain and uncomfortable about ending her to hoping for her return.

That's a sign of a good story.

[gatalentan]

Hi Scottie, same anon here. Actually, a recent follower. Your gifs are marvelous, i'm ever so jealous. Thanks for letting me know. I live in Canada, so I have a few options, but one day, maybe i'll buy them. I'm sure my hype for LAW won't stop, but money is tight.

Anyways, thank you for gracing us for your hardwork, dedication and love towards LAW, Abbott and so forth. I'd love to see more Life's Work gifsets if you plan on making more. How would you describe Lisa Hunter? There is an episode I felt so bad for her for (cause I only found three on the Internet Archive), about a third baby. Her humor always makes me feel better, even in another sitcom with an audience for it.

As a new gif/gifset maker myself, though someone with slow stamina to work on projects, I fiddle in photoshop all the time. For the RPC, I've been considering making some more to use of LAW, it's just the resources I need to get aside from AElem. and PTrap. You should try your hand at it, maybe? it's gifs, a certain size all in one post. I just asked what your secret was cause I love how even tho the show was in 96/97, we know it's not HQ like now. Anyways, enough about me. I'm happy they turned out so well for you. Lastly, through trial and error-- do you know if there have a way to sharpen every layer at the same time? Thanks again - CW.

Hi again! Yeah, I fully get that. I really wish there was a more accessible option. Maybe with such awards interest in Abbott more of the stuff from her back catalog will get brought to streaming services? It was on the same network as Abbott after all! We can only hope.

Thanks so much for your kind words! I absolutely do intend on doing the whole series, at least one set per episode (that I have access to) along with some of the funnier lines.

If I was gonna surface level describe Lisa Hunter to an alien? I think you can tell she's is probably more LAW than probably anything she's ever done and very in-line with her stand-up persona. She's streetwise and dry-humoured and crass and a total hard-ass and is quick to anger and stand up for herself, but she isn't one-dimensionally a big tough-guy, she has huge depths of softness for her family, is emotionally available and open about her feelings, is demonstrative to her family in a way that doesn't feel like just going through the motions, they hug and kiss, they have stupid in-jokes, and she makes out with her damn husband! And it doesn't just feel like it's for the viewer! They feel like a real couple who are actually crazy about each other, not just people who put up with each other. She talks openly about her interest in sex in a way that centres herself in it instead of trying to please her guy which is something that a lot of sitcoms of the era lacked (and still do really, in the bad ones) but also what it's like trying to have a sexual relationship while you have a busy life. She's candid about the realities of motherhood - not just in terms of how it effects her relationships and her work-life balance but how it literally changed her relationship with her body, which is also something you don't hear a lot of in comedy, at least in a way that isn't at a woman's expense but rather a commiseration instead. More than anything she feels like a real young adult (I can't believe she's nearly the same age as me!! terrifying!!) dealing with a young family, and a stressful job and financial difficulties, rather than a cartoon character. I really love her a lot. This show had so much potential that was cut WAY short. I could go on about it a lot more than this but this got way too long already! Re: sharpening gifs - what you wanna learn how to use is Smart Objects! They make an absolute world of difference, because you can edit the whole gif all at once, including sharpness, contrast, colours etc. I found a good beginners tutorial for you here - I hope it helps! (Link Here)

[analogskullerosis]

Here’s what I think, for whatever it may be worth. I think your videos on Nickelodeon shows are meandering drivel that take forever to form any kind of meaningful analysis or thesis statement. I think there are way too many unnecessary tangents and a better writer would’ve been able to condense a good 1/3rd of your newest video’s runtime into something more meaningful and more easily digestible. I can respect the hustle and the work and the niche you’ve found with the Nick videos, but I personally didn’t enjoy it. Those feelings aside, I’d love nothing more than to see where you go AFTER this.

As for the “ruining video essay culture” complaint, I agree with you that a claim like that is really dumb and doesn’t mean anything. I wouldn’t lose sleep over that if I were you. I don’t know what the proper classification for your video would be, but my mind wouldn’t immediately think “video essay.” “Overly long analysis/review” or “the ramblings of an insane man who fell down a very odd rabbit hole” are probably better classifications.

In response to the length complaint, I do think your videos are way too long, but that’s more of a systemic problem with YouTube itself rather than anything specifically on your part. The current YouTube atmosphere and it’s algorithm basically force creators to have to produce really really long videos about niche topics in order to boost Minutes Watched and engagement in order to survive on the platform and actually make a living off of it. You’re not the first guy to make a super long video off of something like a Nickelodeon sitcom people only kinda remember, and you probably won’t be the last. It’s the current nature of the beast and while I might complain that 9.5 hours is needless and way too long, I at least have enough sense to understand why a video on the topic would stretch to that length, whether I like it or not.

Honestly, I’ve personally never enjoyed your videos about Nickelodeon shows, but I’ve enjoyed a good number of others that you’ve made in the past. When you’re good, you’re really good. You say you’re hoping to be able to move on and I really hope you get to as well. I think there are a lot more interesting topics you could cover and I think breaking away and doing something new could possibly help combat any of the negative feedback you’ve received from the Twitter/X crowd. I think it would also help you to be able to take on something that doesn’t ask as much of you.

In short, I think a lot of the replies and reblogs you’ve gotten on this post have shown that people are finding positives in your work and you should focus on those voices rather than the more negative ones. It’s a tall order, but I think you could really benefit from trying to not caring so much what other people think of your work (and hell, you can even start by disregarding this now overly long reply, if you so choose). It’s not always easy to block out the negative feedback. Some nasty comments can really stick around and haunt a fella (I’ve been there). Creative people are always terrified about how others will perceive and take their work, so I understand your need to ask how people are feeling about it. Lucky for you, it seems that a lot of people are enjoying it and treating it as a great End of the Year Event™️.

If you take the time to read this, I hope this reply comes across as constructive.

Take some time to sit back and enjoy the end of the year, Quinton. Interested to see where 2024 takes you. ♥️

Hey tumblr

Well, as per usual, "X's" response to my latest video has been a bunch of viral tweets about how I'm ruining "video essay culture" (whatever the fuck that is) by making content that's too long or something. The people of X seem to think that I only do plot recaps, and also that too much of my videos are intermission analysis segments.

How are you guys liking the new video? I know Sam & Cat part 2 was controversial even here. I'm hoping part 3 has gone over a little better. I spent about a year on it, and I've been eagerly anticipating the ability to move on.

[castlebyersafterdark]

'It's interesting to think, maybe that was an awakening for some young gay boy who didn't quite know themselves yet, like they like the show and they like that character a lot and didn't get why. But they see him in his underwear and it's just...'

oh wow yes! re; the first underwear post. i love the idea of young gay people watching the show and having their own awakenings. that's so lovely!

it was definitely a comedic scene with mike, and it was so quick as well. but i always wonder because it was spring, not high summer. so why no pjs or even shorts? it was costume design working very very hard to tell us something about mike in as short as time as possible, showing his mindset about prioritising el's letter (for whatever reason 👀) instead of school - everything heightened to the point of sitcom almost, to the point of theatre. it shocked me, which i loved, so subconsciously by the time the byler hints started rolling in thick and fast during s4, this little scene of mike had already been planted to let us know that hey, things are gonna be bolder than you expect in all ways from now on. its almost like theyre making the viewing of the show itself, for the audience, into a coming of age experience.

i also agree with what you said about standard bras being goofy (lmao such a good word), they are, and it's linked to what i said about women being nonplussed by their own bodies and finding male attraction amusing. we also find boobs hilarious and fun to play with (as well as a pain in the ass haha), and i cant tell you the amount of guys at high school who couldnt believe that girls play with their boobs for comfort rather than to get horny. do guys ever just touch their dicks because it's comforting and feels nice rather than to actually jerk off lol?

also totally agree that underwear is hot because it's about the mystery of what's hidden. a pair of briefs IS hot on a man! but it depends on the man. for example, a body type i wouldnt look twice at when unidentified becomes so attractive when it's attached to someone i am already emotionally attracted to. likewise, my first exposure to the male body as a young teen through underwear stores/porno mags was intimidating because all i saw was this detached body part, purely sexual, no identity, and that was scary af lol

thanks for your answer! :)

I think it was definitely a scene, while primarily comedic, framed to set up in the audience's mind - Mike is growing up? He's a high schooler now, he's not a little kid. I genuinely think the underwear scene was meant to kick start his identity arc. He's older, he's reading a love letter from this girlfriend - one full of lies. He is living a lie. Even if we aren't learning that just yet. If you believe in the one-way sign/closet set decor, it was all such an interesting staging. He's exposed and it's a little bit of a shock, like the scene wasn't exactly necessary to dress him like that. Everything is a choice. We didn't have to see Mike in that state of undress, but we got it. Maybe it's because it's coming from a gay male perspective, but the scene did seem framed more towards that gaze rather than the typical female viewer (compare to Max staring at Steve shirtless through the binoculars. Stereotyping a little here, but Stranger Things does fall into cliches at times. I could be wrong! I only know what I know!). I just know for me now, these are observations I made looking back, and I didn't watch that scene and really feel any sort of way, I wasn't into Finn/Mike in that scene. BUT. Throw me back into my awkward early awakening years? Might have paused and rewound and been mad I did it, knowing why. But all in all - very very coming of age coded. Signaled a shift. Mike is our leader after all, and his growing up arc of course would also lead us.

And hahahahaha to your boobs vs. dicks point - yeahhh. Functionally dissimilar in so many ways, and both with comedic potential, but interestingly similar in solidarity with what you said. So. You bet 🤣 Bodies are goofy, humans are so weird. Thanks for a laugh haha

[jcmarchi]

Knuckles Show Review – A Low-Stakes Climb

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/knuckles-show-review-a-low-stakes-climb/

Knuckles Show Review – A Low-Stakes Climb

The live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie series that started in 2020 has delivered entertaining adventures starring everybody’s favorite Blue Blur and his ever-growing stable of friends. One of the highlights of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was Knuckles, voiced by Idris Elba. The fish-out-of-water gags and his strict adherence to the echidna warrior code, which is in stark contrast to Sonic’s fun-loving personality, made for an enjoyable dynamic within the cast of characters. Knuckles, the new six-episode streaming show on Paramount Plus, tries to carry forward that dynamic. However, thanks to low stakes, a palpable disconnect from the larger Sonic story, and too much emphasis on the human characters in the world, it falls short of the heights reached by the two theatrical films.

Warning: While I try to remain as spoiler-free as possible, some aspects of the narrative and characters are mentioned throughout this article.

This spin-off series follows Knuckles as he trains Wade Whipple (Adam Pally), the goofy police officer from the first two Sonic films, in the way of the echidna warrior. Though Wade is fine as comic relief in the films, I often struggled with placing so many of the emotional stakes at the feet of this character. This becomes particularly true once his family joins the show. The weakest parts of the Sonic movies are the scenes featuring the human characters. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 appeared to learn that lesson, as it sent many of the main humans away on a trip, but the inverse is true in Knuckles; on multiple occasions, I wondered why we were focusing so much on the family drama of Wade instead of what Knuckles was up to off-screen.

The family storyline that consumes much of the latter portions of the show can be compelling in bursts, but it almost feels like an entirely different show altogether. The show does very little to inform viewers why we should care about these characters aside from the fact that they’re related to Wade. The mother character (Stockard Channing) is the most likable of the bunch, particularly when the other major players feel like cartoonish caricatures of sitcom archetypes – even more so than in the movies. Thankfully, when the titular character is on screen, it’s another strong performance by Elba. I’m also happy that much of the CGI of the Knuckles character looks great, particularly when in fights.

The action sequences of Knuckles are the highlight. One scene, in particular, takes place in a kitchen and benefits from crafty camera work and a simulated single-take effect. The action scenes are well-paced throughout the six-episode season, but they do shine a light on one of the most significant shortcomings the Sonic franchise must overcome if it hopes to expand out in spin-off series such as this: Sonic’s gallery of enemies just isn’t that deep. Having the main antagonists of Knuckles be two rogue agents of GUN and a guy who used to work for Dr. Robotnik demonstrates this in irreconcilable ways. Sure, we’re promised Shadow in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and we could still get the introduction of characters like Metal Sonic or Chaos in future media, but this series shows that the pool is pretty shallow.

Installing low-profile villains for the franchise’s first streaming series could be forgiven if they made their mark, but they feel like retreads of what Dr. Robotnik was trying to accomplish in the first movie; their entire motivation is to capture Knuckles to steal his power. Ellie Taylor and Kid Cudi deliver fine performances as the rogue GUN agents, but the characters rarely serve as anything more than plot devices for the characters to progress on their personal journeys and foils in fight scenes. We do learn of their motivation later in the show, but at that point, I only cared about them because when they showed up, it usually meant an action scene was coming.

When you aren’t watching a fight sequence play out, you’re usually enduring a joke shotgun blast with a relatively low hit rate. The seasoned comedic delivery of actors like Adam Pally, Paul Scheer, and Cary Elwes do wonders for some of the jokes on offer in Knuckles, but it’s often not enough to keep the momentum up and running. Instead, in the times when Knuckles wasn’t on screen, I was more enthralled by the heartfelt moments, which, much like the humor, have a relatively low success ratio. Much of the family dynamics are framed around an absurd bowling tournament that apes the vibe and storyline of Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story a little too closely, making it difficult to connect to the characters or the overarching narrative. Knuckles feels noncommittal when it comes to the tone it’s going for. While it’s not impossible to be an action-comedy series with sentimental moments, it’s a trickier line to walk than Knuckles can accomplish.

And it would all be forgiven if the story felt essential – or even consequential – to the world of the Sonic series. But instead, having not yet seen Sonic the Hedgehog 3, I can’t help but feel that Knuckles has that sitcom quality where everything ends up right where it started. Sure, there’s a journey with some sentimentality, minor character development, funny gags, small Easter eggs, and enjoyable action scenes, but if someone asked if they needed to watch Knuckles before going to see Sonic the Hedgehog 3 when it arrives in theaters this December, I’d be hard pressed to find a narrative reason to answer them in the affirmative.

That’s perhaps Knuckles‘ biggest flaw: Despite its sometimes fun and heartfelt moments, it feels entirely inessential. Video game adaptations have an outdated reputation for being bad. Knuckles isn’t outright bad, but when compared to its contemporaries like Fallout, The Last of Us, Twisted Metal, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and even Sonic the Hedgehog 2, it feels like a video game adaptation from a bygone era.

About Game Informer’s review system

[girldigital]

more on yankeeism

Here is a more concrete reason why New York is superior to London, even though my data is very limited: Dating.

Every single date I’ve had in New York has been sitcom-worthy. Sex and the City is truth!

Here’s a quick sample of my own experiences:

A – Lower East Side furniture designer. Tall Mexican cutie that looks like he took a page straight out of Fabrizio Moretti’s handbook: fluffy curly hair, motorcycle leather jacket, skinny-ish jeans, oxford boots (I think?). He also had lovely pouty lips to top off. He invited me to the New Museum. After our little tour, he brought me to the top floor, which was nothing but a balcony overlooking the city. We were the only ones there, standing on top of the world. I started filming, as I do, and he told me about this polaroid camera he had home and had never used. He suggested I take a picture of him to keep and that he does the same, like the good old days. This being music to my ears, we went to his, took photos, he showed me his VHS collection and brought me to an 80’s themed bar nearby. We then went back to his, had perfectly serviceable sex and got brought back to reality by my ringing phone after what was seemingly 3 missed calls. V was already at the venue of the event I had gotten tickets for: Kerri Chandler B2B Chez Damier at the Knockdown Center, no less. So, A and I got dressed and went on our way. I spent the night listening to some of the greatest house music, making out with my pretty boyfriend of the night, discussing leftism and immortalizing on tape one of my favorite house music events to date. At around 3, we left. There was a couple sitting in front of us on the train, embracing after what seemed to have been a long night as well. Perhaps out of envy, I proceeded to rest my head on my temp boyfriend as well, as his eyes were losing their fight against sleep. We got back to his and I slept like a star.

M - Lower East Side jewellery/clothing designer. Short-ish (sorry!), twitter crush. Jewish Italian, how New Yowrk! Also has big tousled hair and nice lips, maybe that’s the Manhattan look. We initially met in Montreal while he was touring with this DJ I’d been following for a while. Funny how I used to be a fan. He invited me to an event his friend was playing at Mi Sabor Cafe. I didn’t have american cash, nor Zelle, nor Cashapp, nor Venmo in order to get in (you’d think I’d be guestlist but whatever). This guy in line volunteers to pay for me, I thank him and go inside the venue. Shortly after, I join my boyfriend of the night and the guy who paid for my entry comes up to us. I thank him again, and he starts saying words of flattery to M, wearing merch the latter has designed. I can’t even begin to imagine how great M must’ve felt. A fan wearing his clothes, buying his pretty girl's entry. He’s winning across the board, and so am I in a way. I’m the trophy of the night. I see the DJ, he says nice to see me in a different city. We drink and dance and go back to his for the night, which despite clearly not being what I think he wanted, was fine by me. How could I forget to mention that calling him a minuteman would be complimentary; I honestly think it might be 30 seconds at best most times.

R – Originally from Los Angeles, this massive hunk was living in Williamsburg when we met. I’ve never met someone that fit more the description of a himbo, both inside and out. He had the deepest voice and the most limited vocabulary. Soho house member, “photographer” (if you can call barely pointing a camera at pretty girls that), podcaster and potential ex-sex addict. He was 6’3, had a buzzcut and was covered in American traditional tattoos. He, too, was Latino I think. We grabbed coffee and sat in this park - a quick Google search makes me believe it was McCarren park. I don’t remember much besides him calling me sexy every few minutes. As we were walking to his place, he was grabbing me tightly from under my shirt, complimenting my body and saying how It makes sense that I’m into action leading ladies as I look like one (slay). He was one of those men with a deeply carnivorous gaze, whose lust you could taste. Once we got to his very nice building, he took me to his rooftop. We started making out, and very quickly, I found myself on display in my underwear, in broad daylight, kissing this man like I wanted him. When he told me he couldn’t actually take me to his room, all I felt was relief. I was a bit bewildered as well, because how do you get me semi-naked after all these advances, knowing I’m leaving your city the day after, only to tell me “actually….. no sex”? As a guilt-riddled, potential lesbian though, that was great. I walked back to the Bed-Stuy place G had invited me to stay over at, with the best deal I could’ve hoped for: a sitcom-worthy date and no bad sex.

Meanwhile my dates in London have been:

Exchanged a few cocktails for head with this Australian guy that reminded me a lot of that one demon that was once in my life (except hotter, obviously). Good looks, and lots in common, just didn’t care. Attraction level -100. I was in bed next to him thinking about the message I’d send Big later that day.

Got drinks with this guy from Manchester. After a bit of uninteresting blabber, I told him I had to leave soon because of work, without realizing it was actually still quite early as we barely had been together for 2 hours. I felt bad when I realized, but also, my God does time go by slow when you’re spending it with someone you don’t have chemistry with. I stopped feeling guilty when I remembered just how much I would’ve rather have stayed in bed that evening. Didn’t have to pay back the cocktails with head this time though, so that was nice.

And that’s it. 3 months in and no sight of my one true love. Not even that, but not even an episode worthy date. Just…boring, uneventful heterosexuality. What a bore. I feel like I’m back in Canada. Anyway, I do know I’m supposed to be a lesbian, it’s just much harder to get a hold on girls… And I feel qualified to say this, as a hard to get a hold of girl myself. Then there’s the fact that I’m corresponding with Big also fucking up the entire system, but that’s besides the point. Or maybe that’s the whole point. Ah