#also westworld but season 3 is god knows when

[psychewritesbs]

different anon here but i came across your evil post when i was perusing the tag — i loved seeing your thoughts as someone in the psychology field! i think you only watched the first season (based on the comment of watching 13 eps in 3 days), but if you were to continue watching seasons two and three (and four this summer!) i think you would find that the framing of the catholic church does get a little less "good guys"-y. this is probably in part due to the shift from being a cbs air-on-tv show with season 1, to a paramount+ online streaming show in seasons 2+. it's not a massive difference, to be fair, but they def start discussing some discriminatory aspects of the church, esp in regards to race & a bit in relation to sexuality and views on other religions. there is actually a very interesting plotline in season 3 regarding the catholic church that i would love to see your thoughts on, should you keep watching!

HOLA different anon. THANKS FOR THE ASK!!!! I love nerding out with others about psych. It's my thang.

Ok so, I just finished season 2 and these are my thoughts under el cut'o:

First I want to get this out of the way.

The Leland storyline... you know, where he gets to worm his way into everything that is convenient for the plot? I'm so over him.

I just want to punch him. Mrs. O'Brien and Thomas from Downton Abbey are far better at being cliché villains.

I love cliché machiuvelically tacky evil villains, but I have high standards because of Mexican novelas.

No one can ever trump Soraya Montenegro at being fabulously tacky evil.

Anyways, your comment totally reminded me about how in s1 they address the issue with children in the church and its stance on homophobia. So I love that they continue the theme with the exploration of how the church is racist, and my least favorite--sexist.

I have yet to see beyond the first couple of episodes in season 3, but I can appreciate that the church is framed as not such a good guy after all.

It's just that even if Evil is framing the church in not such a positive light, Evil still frames the Catholic God as "good", and the Catholic Devil as "evil".

At least from what I've seen... perhaps there's more surprises in s3 regarding that idea--the opening has been awfully similar to Westworld's opening since s1 so I get the sense the producers/writers are interested in delivering a similar feast for brainiac types like myself.

Um... ok so... everything comes back to Jujutsu Kaisen 😂.

Feel free to skip this section for more thoughts about the show.

Good vs. Evil

When I said that I preferred morally gray stories, I was specifically thinking about a liveblog post I had written about one of the chapters in the manga Jujutsu Kaisen. I'm not sure if the anon who recommended I watch Evil was thinking along the same lines, or if anon has read my jjk nerderies, but jjk puts a nice twist on the good vs. evil trope that Evil explores.

The mangaka, Gege Akutami, introduced a little symbol that I traced back to William Blake who had taken inspiration from Milton's "Paradise Lost" in his own understanding of the question of good vs. evil.

I haven't looked too deeply into either of their work, so read this with a grain of salt since I also can't confirm the accuracy of what I've read about them online, but I understand they both considered themselves to be Christian men who did not necessarily agree with the traditional interpretation to the problem of good vs. evil.

Regardless of the differences between Christianity and Catholicism, my understanding is that Blake saw "evil" as instinct free from reason, and "good" as reason (instinct may or may not be the right word).

Along the same lines, you have Jung's definition of libido.

Again, it's been years since I've read Jung's collected works, but if I remember correctly, the way Jung spoke of libido was as if it were psychic energy. In other words, unlike Freud, Jung did not necessarily see libido strictly as sexual desire, but rather our aliveness, our will, our desires, our instincts, etc.

Our neuroses, Jung thought, were often the cause of conflicts in the flow of said energy, like say, curbing your desires with reason.

From this perspective "evil" is not necessarily, you know... stereotypical selfish villain who is evil for the sake of evil evil...

... but rather the expression of libido unchecked by reason for self-serving purposes.

This all relates to jjk because jjk explores the idea that the stronger the ego sense of self, the stronger the character, which inevitably means that the character in question is selfish af and has no regard for others.

This is where it gets complicated because... how to say... is it truly evil for Kristen to have killed that serial killer dude when she was doing it to protect herself and her family?

I don't have the answer to it. All I can say is that Kristen had an impulse and acted on it without applying much reason outside of "I am doing it to protect my daughters and I will be careful not to incriminate his wife".

The show, however, explains this away as demonic possession (?) which doesn't sit right with me because it reduces her impulse to something "dark" and "undesirable" that only God (reason) can heal.

But like... reason devoid of instinct is basically artificial intelligence. In the end, you need them both. That is why people like Jung and Blake and even Buddhism advocate for a marriage of opposites, or walking a middle path.

It's really complicated and I feel like I am oversimplifying the whole thing lol. It's like Kant's trolley problem.

Maybe you have some insight about it or some nuance I may be missing that you'd like to share.

Anyways... it is the IRS episode that most felt like what good vs evil is from this Depth Psych perspective. And it kind of sucks because it only got such a brief mention with the Satanist t-shirt guy saying that he likes to do what pleases him as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else.

So my over-thinking brain can't get over the fact that Evil still frames the "devil" and "evil" as inherently bad. It reduces the concepts to black and white terminology when there is a lot of nuance to be had.

Evil

That out of the way... I was honestly getting bored with s2, ESPECIALLY with Leland, but the way it ended was so powerful. It's like they were saving the best for last.

Between Kristen's emotional confession and how s3 begins, I think I'm going to keep watching, just probably won't be as invested.

By the way, I LOVE Nun Andrea. What a fun and relatable character.

Ok, that's that. Thanks for reaching out! Looking forward to hearing from you again.

[waldensblog]

Just finished Westworld season 1

And holy shit this is good. Some big plot twists I didn’t see coming! I am looking forward to season 2.

I heard about the show via Tumblr, so I had a few preconceptions, but didn’t know much other than “Sci-Fi Western with Androids” basically. Thoughts (and Spoilers for season 1) below the cut.

My initial reactions in the first episode were pretty much that I liked Dolores, the Man in Black was evil, and I was curious to see who was going to lead the Android revolution, figuring I’d have them as my fave. 

Bernard, Maeve, and Dolores So at the very start, I initially thought Bernard was going to my favourite character, because he seemed to be a human working behind the scenes to liberate the Androids - only then, I found out that no, he’s actually an Android himself, and those conversations with Dolores was programming by Arnold. Holy hell I didn’t expect that. 

Then, I saw Maeve’s progression. At first she was just one of the Androids, but her arc compelled the hell out of me. All those drawings under the boards? Scheming to obtain and retain consciousness, and then planning a revolt? Hell.Yes. I really hope she links up with Dolores and Bernard, because putting these 3 together would be one hell of a force to be reckoned with. I guess we’ll see if that’s part of the narrative, because Ford seems to have planned pretty well everything - honestly, I kind of assume he knew his death by Dolores was coming there, I guess we’ll see!  Dolores’ journey was also fascinating to me. I loved how she became conscious, found the centre of the maze and is (seemingly) making her own choices now external to programming. The whole romance with Billy had me annoyed as hell because I didn’t like Billy (more on that below) - her and Teddy are okay.

As for the humans...

Logan, Billy, and the Man in Black I had assumed Logan was going to be this completely evil prick, and so I was surprised to find that (in season 1 at least) he seems to be more of a hedonist (and a bit of a comic relief at times) not so much evil.  As the show went on, I found I really disliked Billy, because he was exuding such MainCharacterTM syndrome and acting like he was this GoodGuyTM. Like at first he was sincerely shocked at Logan’s behaviour and had sympathy for the Androids, but then started going “Dolores is DIFFERENT than other Androids, Logan!”, with seemingly no concern for the other Androids situation (wanting to just rescue her and letting the others stay) which had me rolling my eyes. That lack of moral consistency from Billy made me really dislike him, whereas Logan was consist in his morals - Logan saw all Androids as just advanced toys to play with. Is it a worldview I agree with? No, but the moral consistency made me like Logan more than Billy. 

So... when Dolores was talking to the Man in Black (who, up to that point I had the opinion of “Holy shit he’s evil but fascinating to watch”) about how Billy was going to rescue her and all, and then he revealed that. OH MY GOD. I did not see that coming - I had NO IDEA about the time skips!!! 

It makes Billy/The Man in Black’s arc very interesting, because he went from seeing the Androids as people to seeing them as advanced toys himself. Like it’s a really big turn-around, and fascinating how the show initially sets up Logan as the “bad one” and Billy as the “good one”, only to reveal that it’s really not that at all. Logan is, at least from what I’ve seen - a hedonist, and his violence doesn’t seem to extend to humans, while Billy’s did - to Logan. Logan said it himself: Billy just needed an excuse, and when he had one, holy hell did it all come out. Billy is far more violent than Logan with the Androids, to the point that even Logan at the end of season 1 yelled “JESUS CHRIST”. Billy is the worst thing that could have happened to Logan - and Logan is perhaps only Billy’s first victim. 

Now I’m also very concerned about the Delos sister, because I knew Billy was engaged to her, and the Man in Black mentioned his wife killed herself. At the time I was like “ohhh sad, you’re still evil though” and now I’m like oh LORD. Did he actually marry her?!?!?! IS THIS MAN THE LITERAL WORST THING TO HAPPEN TO THE DELOS FAMILY?!?!?  Characters I was wishing would interact Maeve and Logan, because if anyone could convince Logan that the Androids are sentient and deserve more, I kind of feel like it’d be her. Logan seemed to almost believe they were sentient with Dolores when she talked about them all wanting to come into her world as they debated getting her out - like I could see him staring at her and it was like “processing... processing...” before he just jumped to “you are a little screwy!” and laughing, thinking it was a programming glitch. Maeve, I think, might have convinced him. She has a certain... aura for lack of a better word that I think could have reached him in a way Dolores couldn’t quite.  Unfortunately I don’t think they are ever going to interact, now that I know about the time jump - because if Maeve has only been programmed in her current personality/role for 10 years, and it’s been 30 years since Billy and Logan first came to the park... yeah, Maeve didn’t exist in that way, so it’s totally not happening. Perhaps there will be a fun fanfic of that, though lol.  Overall, looking very forward to starting season 2!!!

[larksinging]

maybe talk about a few games, shows, movies, pieces of media in general that you’re looking forward to coming up? or stuff you've been meaning to check out

hmmm okay

the obvious first, arrowverse stuff is coming back in a few months… for a long time i didn’t watch much tv, let alone tv as it was airing, so being in a fandom that does is kind of exciting! anyway. im most EXCITED for legends, because everything about s4 sounds great so far. arrow…. is going to exist. and i will have to watch some of it. and while im less invested in the flash, it is nice to talk to my sister about it when it’s airing. soo i am looking forward to the fall

let’s see, what games am i looking forward to… death stranding, obviously. everyone knows im hype about that at this point. uhhh, the new assassin’s creed looks VERY interesting. i was into dragon age for a while, and ubisoft taking nods from bioware when bioware steps back on that is… interesting. TLOU2 looks good, and TWAU2 is coming out someday, right? what else from e3… uh

im also looking forward to heaven will be mine, which is by the same people who did we know the devil, which i loved. thats not high on anyone’s radars, but im looking forward to it 

also new mainline pokemon game some…. day….? even if i don’t actually play much of the new games, i love the hype of learning about a new gen! 

oh i am obligated to add that the new wow expansion is coming out soon! battle for azeroth aka BOFA (or BFA, i guess, if you’re boring). some things ive seen have made me a bit worried, especially since we’re just coming off of a really GOOD xpac, but there are some things im very excited for. expect me to be just gone for like 3 days in august when it drops, 

movies, movies… i want to see ocean’s 8 but i am not sure i am gonna get a chance while it’s still in theaters. maybe later. i am also weirdly looking forward to destination wedding? it looks funny is a very particular way. also some of the horror things like suspiria and hell even the nun (annabelle 2 was pretty good, and the nuns looks… okay, but sometimes okay is all you need) 

i’m hesitantly hopefuly about birds of prey! thats a while off, but… i have hope in the DCEU because it feels like it’s just having an identity crisis. a little bit like pre-avengers mcu, which was very hit or miss. dceu is uh, maybe a bit more miss, but. wonder woman was good! and justice league was okay. so i feel like if the dceu just hunkers down and gets more down to earth, it can turn it around. plus the idea of a birds of prey movie is exciting (even if harley’s involved? whatever. it could work). im not as familiar with the comics as i should be, but.. the possibility of black canary or even huntress on the big screen! i hope the roster they pick doesn’t end up being weird. but as long as they do it right (and a female director? and a smaller budget seems like a good sign) i think it could be big. the dceu’s biggest advantage rn is the fact they DID get out a female solo film before marvel, and it was really fucking good. if they can pull out a good female team film, that gives them a lot of cred imo 

i guess i’m hesitantly interested in aquaman, but i wasn’t too impressed with him in justice league. well, maybe a solo film can turn that around. 

on a lighter note, the great british baking show is airing right now! i like to watch that with my parents sometime. i like cooking shows when i’m not feeling well, and this one is very…. feel good. they dont ramp up the tension and drama like a lot of other food shows do (which isnt necessarily a bad thing, but sometimes you want to watch cutthroat kitchen and sometimes you don’t). and since it’s baking there’s lots of pastries and sweet things that i am actually invested in thinking look good. its one of those comfort shows, tbh 

i feel like theres more but i am, inevitably, forgetting

[ultrahpfan5blog]

Westworld Season 4 spoilery thoughts

So finished Westworld season 4 recently. Overall, this was definitely a strong season. Definitely a step up from season 3, which I didn't hate, but definitely looks like the step child when I look at it in context of the 4 seasons so far. It almost seems like season 3 was its own separate storyline whereas seasons 1, 2, and now 4 seem more thematically interlinked. I thought the season started out super strong. Maeve and Caleb made for a very interesting pairing and I frankly thought they had way more chemistry than Dolores and Caleb did last year. Also, Caleb felt more like a independent character, rather than Dolores' sidekick. Ed Harris was back in a substantial role and clearly was having a lot of fun after having been wasted in season 3. Hale was a pretty delicious villain. Also, the whole Christina and Teddy angle seemed interesting. ERW has been terrific throughout this show and it was nice to see her play someone a little more vulnerable. Plus, it was really nice to see James Marsden and ERW reunite because they clearly have great chemistry.

I think the midway time jump and twist was really interesting. The fact that the whole world was inverted now with the humans being the puppets and the hosts being the puppeteers. However, I do think after the time jump, things became a little uneven. Thandie Newton is always an mvp of the show, but she gets sidelined significantly in the 2nd half and she even dies twice, which seemed quite pointless because she doesn't exactly accomplish much. Caleb becoming a host also loses the show one of the few remaining human characters. Plus, there does seem to be a lack of purpose to Caleb's existence in the back half of the season. Also, while there is certainly more Bernard this season than last, the show didn't really use Jeffrey Wright's skills in the best way once he became all knowing god. He has some amount of dry humor due to his weariness at everything, but he's capable of more and has shown this in seasons past.

There are things about this season that I just don't quite get. Hale keeps talking about their kind transcending from their physical form. But the show never really tells us what that means. I initially thought she meant going into the sublime, but it is confirmed that the sublime is shut to her. So that part I didn't get. She also later said that she wanted to create a world where the hosts of the sublime may want to come back, but she also said her goal is to transcend the real world. So its all sorts of confusing what her end goal was. Also, we only ever see one city and one tower. Is that all the remaining human population of the world, minus the outliers. That's also confusing because that is what is indicated by the end. The season has a bit of a downer ending by saying that the real world is beyond saving but again I don't quite get what the end is supposed to be representing. How can humans survive in a digital world when the experiment to make humans into hosts failed the fidelity test. We also never really get a proper understanding of what the host MIB is. He is built from Dolores/Hale programming, but he is an imitation of the real one. There are a ton of unanswered questions for me at least. Maybe some have been answered and I just didn't get it.

In any case, I enjoyed season 4 a lot. The performances across the board were terrific. Ed Harris, Tessa Thompson, Thandie Newton, ERW being standouts. It does seem that we said goodbye to Jeffrey Wright, Aaron Paul, Ed Harris, and Tessa Thompson based on the finale, but you never know with Westworld. Thandie Newton's character died but I seriously doubt they will kill her off just like that. It will be a damn shame if the show is cancelled just one season before the finish line. There is no doubt that there is some amount of frustration in the way the show poses questions but doesn't provide answers but I guess that is also why the show is addictive.

[bettsfic]

I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on breaking bad if you feel like sharing!! You're done with it, right?

oh my god thank you for asking. you have no idea how much i want to talk about this show but i’m running in a decade late with starbucks and feel weird just cold posting about it. i just finished the whole series and i watched el camino twice, and i’ve also been catching up on bts stuff and digging through a bit of the meta commentary of the time. i haven’t started BCS but i plan to soon.

first off, when i started watching the show, i realized i actually had seen a bit of it. it turns out i saw the first 3 seasons back in 2011, but it was shortly after my dad had died of cancer, and my boyfriend insisted on watching it. i remember telling him that it made me uncomfortable because it was too close to home. my dad had cancer for 4 years, and mom was going through bankruptcy because of all the medical bills. my boyfriend didn’t care. he made me keep watching, and i guess we broke up before we got to s4. or maybe there were only 3 seasons out at the time. either way, i set it down in 2011 and vowed not to watch it. 

then a month or so ago, i finished westworld 3, got obsessed with aaron paul, and decided to give brba another go.

(this gets personal. so putting the rest under a cut!)

so s1 and 2 are solidly okay. the show seemed like it was finding its feet and didn’t know what it wanted to be, a comedy or a tragedy, but i know that feeling and sometimes i really like when stories toe that divide, so i didn’t mind. s1 and 2, i was mostly marveling over how utterly beautiful aaron paul is. my god.

s3 has some major pacing issues (monologues! so many monologues!!), but the show starts to really come into itself and figure out What It Is. i skipped over a lot of stuff after reading wiki summaries, mostly that just seemed like suffer porn and which i knew would dwell a lot in discomfort. then we get to the episode where jesse monologues at walt about how walt ruined his life, and i was just sobbing. i don’t think a tv show has ever made me cry like that. i was ruined.

even if the writing of those seasons isn’t the best, the direction and performances are some of the best i’ve ever seen in television. aaron paul and bryan cranston could read a phonebook at each other and make it compelling.

the entire time, i just wanted jesse and walt to get on each other’s sides and work together. i was in it for the loyalty kink. i had no idea there would be so much angst, and i was veering toward the point of giving up. but i was assured repeatedly by friends that it would get better.

and it did. walt saves jesse. walt fights for jesse. jesse fights for walt. THEY WORK TOGETHER. and more importantly, their relationship starts to get so fucked up, so codependent, so toxic. and not in the way shows usually portray fucked-up relationships, like totally oblivious to its own toxicity. this show leans in. it seems to know the entire time exactly the psychological connotations its evoking, and it does it intentionally. and i really value it for that. 

s4 is where the show went from “pretty good” to “holy shit.” i’ve never seen a more accurate and clear portrayal of a narcissist. my triggers are many, varied, and wildly inconsistent, but i was in a state of being mildly triggered for days, and i really appreciated that feeling, that a story could push me that far and make me reflect as deeply as it did. i tend to go wild over anything that can make me feel something, even if it’s bad. most stuff i read and watch just kind of numbs and distracts me. this show wasn’t an escape so much as an assault. and i loved it for that.

my dad was a narcissist, and every interaction between jesse and walt or skyler and walt brought up a thousand memories of things my dad said and did. at one point, when walt is really at his worst, i think around skyler telling him she’s waiting for his cancer to come back, i remember thinking, “if walt were a little bit meaner, he would be just like my dad.”

and oh boy, that thought fucked me up. my dad was worse than the most believably evil character in the history of television. i got diagnosed with ptsd in 2017 and have spent these past 3 years more or less fighting that diagnosis, thinking, “it wasn’t that bad!” because my dad wasn’t physically violent. at least not frequently. and i’ve never been able to articulate what exactly my dad did that was so bad, or how insidious his behavior was. he didn’t cook meth obviously, but he had that false disenfranchisement attitude, that resentfulness that walt has toward his family for taking his greatness from him, that regret at not being more than he was. 

but seeing my dad’s behavior playing out on screen, not just accurately but calling it out for exactly as fucked up and toxic as it was -- and how it affects, destroys, all the other characters -- it may have been hard to watch, but i’ve never felt so validated. i finally feel like i’m not faking it anymore or making it up or being dramatic. or, as my dad liked to say, “too sensitive.” i’ve only ever been able to write about my dad in sections, put pieces of him in different characters, because to put him fully into anything, fiction or non, feels like it would completely eject a reader from the story. brba showed me there’s a way to do it, and now i feel inspired to maybe tell that story finally. 

so i’m intensely grateful to vince gilligan for making a believable, empathetic (not sympathetic) narcissist, and writing his long and steady decline into evil. on a storytelling level, it was extremely satisfying to watch, because most writers don’t have the patience to stick with evil characters, or really get into their psychology. on a personal level, i feel like i’ve worked through a lot of stuff while watching it, and i feel like a major weight has been lifted. 

a lot of mass media is made by people who are just taking jobs and don’t really care about what they’re doing. it’s clear that everyone involved is just looking for a paycheck. but i got the sense the entire time i was watching brba that everyone really loved and believed in what they were doing. there was a carefulness to the story and a sensitivity in it that kept me glued the entire time. 

and i won’t even get started with el camino because that’s a whole different rant, involving how in absolute awe i am of aaron paul, but i loved it so so much, and i’m 10k into a post-EC fic that i’m hoping to post in a week or so. (unrelated but i just watched a table reading of a s5 brba episode and aaron paul just WRECKS himself during it. everyone else is kind of panning their lines, but he’s just sitting there SOBBING. i’m glad he won the emmys he deserved for his performance. if anyone wants to come talk to me about aaron paul, i am HERE)

we’ll see how i feel in a year, but as of right now, brba in my top 5 favorite (drama) shows of all time. it’s really rare that i both 1) think show/book/movie is extremely good and 2) get obsessed enough to write fic about it. usually i only write fic about stuff that has unmet potential, and i feel compelled to fix it or use the characters for something else. but in the case of brba, i’m more interested in expansion and homage.

anyway i’m probably going to watch el camino again tonight. happy to take more asks about brba!

[forgedwild-arch]

one / ( alias / name ): sadie!  two / ( date of birth ): november 18th

three / ( zodiac sign ): scorpio sun / libra moon / libra rising. i know all three bc i’m a basic bitch.

four / ( height ): 5′4″. short kings anthem plays in the background.

five / ( hobbies ): oh damn i have quite a few since i made it my new year’s resolution to try some new ones. n i’ve kept my word ! writing is obviously one. reading, gardening, cooking, knitting, quilting, embroidery, hiking, playing piano and painting are all things i love as well ! once quarantine is over i also plan to get into archery ! 

six / ( favorite color ): forest green bro i just love me some pines trees u kno? i think they’re the prettiest things.

seven / ( favorite books ): u kno i only just got back into recreational reading recently. i mean VERY recently. like as in just last week lshdjfns but i’m currently reading Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects and good fucking god is it heavy but INCREDIBLE. definitely one of the best books i’ve read in a long time. also Ray Bradybury’s The Illustrated Man holds a special place in my heart. I know it’s more a short story anthology series than a novel per say but I really really loved reading it when I was in high school. George Orwell’s 1984 and Ned Vizzini’s It’s Kind Of A Funny Story are two others off the top of my head !

eight / ( last song listened to ): "hallucinations” by PVRIS 

nine / ( last film or show watched ): last show was either Westworld (since I’m still working my way through season 3 gradually) or the second season of Dead to Me. both of which i’m loving! last film was either Birds of Prey or 1917.

ten / ( story behind url ): FORGEDWILD. well, Gus is a blacksmith, hence “forged”. & “wild” because he’s my big ol’ bearish appalachian mountain man ( and his last name is Wilder ). not the most profound url ig but i think it’s perfect for him ! also i lowkey wanted to Sort Of Match with my ride or die @forgedwest​ 

eleven / ( inspiration for muse ): so Erin ( forgedwest ) and I used to write a western AU for our ship on our older muse blogs ( @exoficient​ & @wildgcd​ ). now granted, Bill has very little similarities to Gus beyond sharing the same fc. i’m talking very little. Bill was written n made to be a fuckin shitwad where as Gus is just my Gentle Mountain Man lmao but anyway, that’s beside the point. basically that AU kind of kicked off the Cowboy Fever. i took a break from writing for a bit, wanted to try something new, finally took a gander at westworld since Erin had just created Samuel n the rest is pretty much history. i’ve honestly been immersed in western stories and history since i was a kid, what between my involvement in the CA junior park ranger programs and having a family full of italians obsessed with spaghetti westerns and cowboy shows. i’m also looking into starting a blacksmith apprenticeship myself, since I found some forges in my local area ! so Gus is not only an rp character, but my avenue for studying up on a craft i hope to train in and master.

tagged by: swiped this from @oldappalachia​ bc i’m a thief  tagging: @silvertonguesilverdollar​ @bountyman​ @vanderking​ @hellbentwidow​ @coyotesteeth​ @aintnohymn​ & anyone else who wants to do this ! y’all can say i tagged u, fellow thieves are valid in my eyes

[makczio]

Maxence Danet-Fauvel's interview for EntourageS with Kevin Elarbi part 2/2

Last line was by Kevin: : So now we'll talk about the series you picked. First we're going to talk about an amazing serie, and OCS serie called Westworld and the a scene without visual effects but I think you'd like with Anthony Hawkins, a philosophical scene from the first season

The scene is about a character telling a story about a dog chasing after a cat. This is a story about freedom

K: Yes so a great serie. Season 1 and 2 available on OCS, and waiting season 3 coming in January 2020 and I'd love to see the cast on EntourageS. How did you discovered Westworld, what do you like about that serie and who are you favourite characters?

M: So I discovered Westworld the day after a party

K: Unusual!

M: Haha yes! Because I didn't had OCS and...

K: Not good!

M: I know! I know haha! 

K: OCS that we kiss (again, we say "we kiss" in France when we mean we salute)

M: OCS that we kiss obviously. So I discovered OCS at a friend's called Chloé and she's the one who discovered the serie, she probably already watched a couple of episodes and we decided to watch from the beginning and we watched all of it. And what was the second question?

K: What do you like about this serie and the characters that you liked the most

M: Ah first I'm a big fan of Anthony Hawkins, a really big fan. I think he's an excellent example of acting, we see everything in his eyes, he's an actor that you can see he knows his text and a rich subtext. You can see in this scene that everything is crazy, every monologue scene you feel that he worked them for hours, weeks or even months. Because when you watch them you can feel everything he says like he really lived them. He's really a phenomenal actor… Fucj I'm losing myself so I forget the questions 

K: Haha no it was what you liked about this series and characters that you liked

M: Haha so I answered the last one before. But what I love about this serie is the thematic. Dystopia, I love it. I'm a big fan of Philip K. Dick, Globalia, all his books I spend hours reading them when I was a teenager. I loved it! And I think it's subjects that seems fat but not that far, and it's something that can happen if the worst happens, and I find it really cool

K: Not really that far

M: Yeah not really that far when you watch the news nowadays but it's crazy! But I was a little bit spoiled

K: Who did this?

M: My best bud

K: Ah that's not cool, that's why Westworld it's important to watch it the day the episode is out 

M: But for me it was just the context that I've been spoiled. We discover it very fast but he told me "Wow watch that serie it's awesome because…" I won't say because I've been told and I didn't liked it but it's also what made me wanna start it

K: Yeah we discover it fast, it's in the pilot if I remember well

M: Yeah it's not a big spoil and it's also what made me wanna start it. That dude also did it with Lost, he told me about the… about the small cage

K: Be careful about what you'll say

M: Haha yeah so he told me about the small cage, so he explained me just this thing and it's what made me wanna start it too, and I binge watched it in 3 weeks

K: (talking to the listener) So I you advise you to start Westworld, binge watch the first 2 seasons before season 3 in January. I hope I would be able to talk about with the cast, it's in negotiation right now. So we're going to talk about another serie, a serie that I love. I chose a scene from season 1, a symbolic scene from True Detective. If you like this serie, there's a book coming up this week wrote by a certain Kevin Elarbi about the discussions with all the cast. It wasn't with Matthew McConaughey that I spoke with it was Stephen Dorff. We're going to watch a scene with Matthew McConaughey and you'll react about True Detective, also on OCS

The scene is 2 detectives in a car talking about the crime scene they just saw, religion and pessimism.

K: Yes so Matthew McConaughey in True Detective. The season one is a wonderful season, the second one is more weak and that's why they took some time to come back with an amazing season 3. So in my book I talk about this conversation with Stephen Dorff who is a GREAT actor. Have you seen season 3?

M: Nope

K: You have to see it. It's really amazing

M: I haven't seen the second either

K: You just saw the first one? It's the best one. So tell us what you liked about the first 

M: What I liked about the first one… hm… Yeah I was going to talk about actors again but that's my passion 

K: And that's why you're here

M: Yeah because Matthew McConaughey is incredible, he amazes me everytime! Even with a scene like that he kills me because there a lot of things were I found myself in True Detective. I know it doesn't seem like it but I also am a pessimist person. Without the shell of this character but I kinda have the same thoughts about our society haha

K: It's not being pessimistic but realistic 

M: Yes, yeah that's what he says. So that and what I really liked in this serie is that I found it amazing because there's so many clichés! I mean the two cops not liking each other, the cheating stories, you could think "It's all the crime serie clichés, I won't watch it" but it works so well, it works because the actors are incredible, the directing is crazy and the plot is catchy. I mean I started True Detective and I binge watched it in one night

K: Oh yeah the 10 episodes?

M: 8

K: 8 episodes yes, 8×55

M: I think I started around 4 and I went to bed only when I finished it

K: We're going to watch another scene from one of the series you picked. We have to be fast because we're short on time, the control room reprimand me

M: Oh no!

K: But I would love that you react to some series, a few quick words. So we already talked about Westworld and True Detective. Earlier I said in the introduction that Skam made me think a lot with your love scene about Euphoria 

M: That's such an amazing compliment 

K: Euphoria that I a GREAT queer serie, but not only. A serie that we discovered last summer and got huge and we're thankful about that. A few words about Euphoria and what do you like about this serie?

M: So I discovered Euphoria a Wednesday morning at one of my young coach and friend called Titouan Gautier. You know him?

K: Yes

M: Really? That's awesome! Titouan Gautier is an amazing human being and I went to a party spend the night at his place. And in the morning he asked me if I watched Euphoria and he told me "I watched everything yesterday but I don't mind watching it again today" and I was like "Are you sure?" and same I watched it all

K: Oh you saw all the episodes on the same day? You're lucky!

M: Yes all in one day, I had a lot of luck because I missed the information the time that every episode went out so I watched all of them in a day

K: Zendaya is incredible 

M: Pff wow!

K: And the prologue scene, the bad trip ones. It's for me one of the best prologue we had in a serie for a long time

M: Yes, and after playing a bipolar character in Skam France, I can say that the actress and the realisation of the scene are amazing. But the scene were she has a phase were she's a detective is mind blowing, really really mind blowing 

K: So lucky for you that you haven't seen this serie before playing a bipolar character because you would've been inspired 

M: Totally!

K: But it didn't scared you to watch knowing you would play Eliott after again?

M: I didn't knew she was bipolar (side note: max u dumb it's in the first episode in the first five minutes haha)

K: But when you realised, you didn't thought "Oh no I don't wanna see that yet"? You wanted to watch it again

M: I wanted to watch it again because I thought her interpretation was 1000 times better than mine. It's crazy 

K: But it's two interpretations very different 

M: Yes that's true but I thought she was very impressive in these scene, and I forgot the name of the other actress that I also found really, for a first role really… What was her name again?

K: … I forgot it too...

M: Anyway I found her excellent too, and I think it was her first shooting, and honestly I was blown away, really talented 

K: Okay so we're going to be fast because I would love to play a scene from Peaky Blinders because I can't leave you without talking about it. But I bother me because… Nevermind. How I met your mother, I chose a scene from Barney but again, we don't have enough time. Himym is a serie that is still a bestseller, with Barney's books in bookstores. A few words about this serie, favourite characters.

M: This serie I watched it I was with a girl called Élise and...

K: We kiss Élise!

M: We kiss Élise yes! And we were chilling watching this serie, we weren't doing anything, and well we did season 1 to 9, and again, and again, and again… And I think I watched it in total more than 15 times, every seasons. We also went to a point where we were like "Season 3 episode 17". We knew everything, everything, from the beginning to the end of the episode! And How I met your mother is my good mood serie, hungover day, depressed phase, the beginning of the winter… You watch Himym and it's better than a chimney fire

K: I feel that you watch a lot of serie when you're hungover or depressed, I totally understand! I hear in my earpiece that Zendaya's partner in Euphoria is Hunter Schafer and with that...

M: Yes Hunter Schafer putain!

K: With that theme of a trans person that isn't mentioned, and thank Euphoria for that. That's why it's such a good serie, it's because it isn't something they talk about, it is, but it's not...

M: Yes that's awesome. Like Skam, it's not a big deal and it's so good

K: Voilà! You understand now why I made a link!

M: Yes yes I understand!

K: Be careful, now I know you'll be mad to have just a few minutes to talk about it and I understand 

M: Oh God you're going to talk about Tree of life 

K: No (he's showing the logo of the show Betaseries) you know what comes from this logo? From Breaking bad, we can't not talk about it. Obviously an important serie from these last few years. A few words about Breaking bad?

M: hm...

K: How did you discovered it?

M: No no no! It's the same haha, again putain 

K: So what did you liked about that serie?

M: No I'm saying bullshit, I was my ancient roommate called Julie George that I kiss a lot because I miss her, she's in New York

K: So series with you are something that you share

M: Yes i discover a lot with people, because I'm almost never alone and i see a lot my friends, like all the time. Breaking bad is something people have to watch because the scenes are AMAZING. I make it very quick. But, once again I'm going to talk about actors because that's something that kills me. The duo from Breaking bad is the quintessence of my acting method. It's really… They're phenomenal. I learned a lot, I'm talking about acting techniques, about illustrations, it's something I learned at the Actors Factory, about… yeah I'm not going to talk about it forever about the method. But it's really a serie with excellent actors, they're complete, they're really actors with a good method… Anyway the serie is magnificent. That's a cliffhanger, it's the magic formula 

K: I agree. We're going to play another scene, a 15 seconds scene, it's not a lot but I want you to see it so you can talk about it easily because really wanna talk about it before the podcast ends. It's Peaky Blinders. But before I'm going to respond to what you just said, that the Actors Factory looks like Group Theater, I'm thinking about Marlon Brando, Lee Strasberg, and it's not theater, and I think it's really close and that you're the new generation, and I say it with all the love I have for Group Theater 

M: I believe it and I hope so

K: I believe it. So a scene from Peaky Blinders

In the scene, Thomas Shelby is talking to Danny about the man he killed. Telling him that the brothers of the man are ready to kill him

K: It was so fast sorry! So Peaky Blinders, I know it's the first time you see it in French (of all the scene showed, this one is the only one that has been translated in French) I'm sorry

M: Yeah, yeah please watch series in the original language 

K: YES!

M: Yes because it kills the actor's work if you watch it with another voice

K: It kills the actor's work and we agree that it takes 50%, no it takes 85% of the charm 

M: And when a GREAT actor plays even if you take out the sound you can understand what they say, so watch in the original language 

K: I agree watch it in the original language stop with the french! So Peaky Blinders a few words about this aerie, how did you discovered it, why… no we're going to do something else for this serie. Why should people watch it? Especially young people that follow you

M: Fuck, this time I would've said...

K: Then do both!

M: Why should you people watch it? Because first it talks about a historical period that's a little forgotten, between the two wars, we hear a lot about the 30 years post war (the second), but it's nice to see what happened for the middle class in Birmingham, it's so interesting. Also the directing is crazy

K: And the lights

M: What? Oh yes the lights! No, everything! It's really mind blowing, every scene, the slow motion, wow that's crazy! The actors once again, the two brothers Cillian Murphy (funny, he pronounces it Sillian) and, fuck I'm bad at actors names

K: Yeah and me too

M: Anyway, you see in Breaking Bad

K: Peaky Blinders 

M: Haha yes Peaky Blinders sorry, it's really a serie I would've love to play in

K: Ah! Which character?

M: Well the character of… Is that a joke I wat had an episode yesterday? Well the one played by Cillian Murphy!

K: But you know this kind of serie can come in France, Arte (a Franco-German TV channel) love producing that kind of fiction, that doesn't cost that much if there's not a lot of extra. It would be nice 

M: Yes, and I went for a casting with them on Monday, and they forgot me!

K: Well it was Monday...

M: It was a Monday morning, so I came there, I open the door and say Hello, and there was nobody! So I come back there next Monday 

K: Oh you couldn't okay!

M: No they didn't came! So next Monday and it's for something from the old time like that! But Cillian Murphy's character is completely crazy. But this man is a Greek God he's so beautiful I'm so jealous. And everything, the costumes, the decor, the gang with… anyway

K: There's an excellent bar called The Shelby...

M: Tommy Shelby yes! That was his name!

K: … I should give you some adress. Remember that alcohol should be taken with moderation

M: Haha

K: Thank you Maxence for being with us for the first episode of EntourageS, you have to come back 

M: Oh yeah that's true I'm the first!

K: Yeah you're the godfather! So you have to come back because we didn't talked about Breaking Bad a lot I wanted to show a scene, How I met your mother either

M: And we didn't talked about cinema putain!

K: We didn't talked about cinema but it's about series even if I would love talking about cinema

M: Okay

K: But you really have to come back because you told me there was shooting in the beginning of the year

M: Yes there's shooting until April

K: So it means a little promo at the end of the season 2020?

M: What promo? Skam?

K: There's Skam and the other series

M: Skam for sure but the other series I don't know if there will be a promo

K: Promise you'll come back for Skam?

M: Promise I'll come back for Skam, for everything, I'm so good here!

K: Well I'm glad, thank you Maxence it's a gift having you has a godfather! So I bring back that you're currently shooting Skam France, you also said there was other projects but that's for the beginning of the year so we'll see later. Go follow Maxence on social networks, he shares about his cinema and series tastes. It's more interesting than following some influencers haha

M: Haha thank you

K: Go follow Maxence it's important. He loves classic cinema we can see it and it's amazing. You also love good series so that's cool I think there would be a lot of young people who would watch them

M: Cool

K: Yeah now probably 100 young people would wanna watch Peaky Blinders and that's great! I'm saying a 100 but I hope it's more. 1k will watch Peaky Blinders, another 1k Breaking Bad and another 1k How I met your mother. And for the one who haven't seen Skam and afraid that it would be a teenager serie, you saw the scene it's with complete actors, a great team, go for it! It's a serie that will be important for the LGBTQI+ community and is becoming a cult, 4 seasons in 2 years that's amazing! Even I watched this serie maybe with preconceptions and I was blown by the technique, the team and the actors so watch it! Skam will impress you as much as Euphoria will

M: Woaw I'm emotional 

K: I really think it!

M: That's nice!

[myrxellabaratheon]

two memes in one (because as you all know, i’m lazy af)

8 people I’d like to get to know better tagged by @amethyst-noir

1. Birthday: March 21th 

2. Zodiac Sign: Aries

3. Height: 1,60 mt. I’m really tiny (or everyone around me is a giraffe, your choice)

4. The last song I listened to: Get Free, Lana del Rey. Apple Music chose for me because I’m always in shuffle (even if I hate Spotify because you ca’t deactivate the shuffle)

5. Hobbies: reading, writing, cosplaying, drawing, going to the gym, travel, photography, visit new places, visit museums/art expositions, surfing, horse riding, archery. 

6. Favourite Colour: pastel yellow if I have to be specific, but every shade of yellow is a fave for me. 

7. Last Movie I Watched: re-watched the Current War

8. Favourite Book: This is hard, but I’ll go with the forever favourite which is a classic TM: The Picture of Dorian Grey

9. Dream job: Actress is the kinda-impossible-but-always-dream-job one, while the more consistent is owner of an art gallery or art historian. 

10. Meaning behind my url: my girl Myrcella Baratheon aka the character that has so much potential and please GRRM do not throw her away as they did in the show! (but the canonical one was already taken so, yeah, magic x to the rescue)

pick 5 shows, then answer the following questions. don’t cheat. tag 10 (or however many) people tagged by @janiedean

1. lost

2. criminal minds

3. westworld

4. mindhunter

5. game of thrones

who is your favorite character in 2?

Spencer Reid, hands down! 

who is your least favorite character in 1?

ewwww, I don’t know, possibly Ben 

what is your favorite episode of 4?

oh my... the one when they interview the guy who doesn’t fucking shut up because he’s freaking hilarious! 

what is your favorite season of 5?

the first one probably. 

who is your favorite couple in 3?

canonically there are like, two couples? three with Will x Logan which is totally canon (at least in s1) and you can’t tell me otherwise. Anyways, between the super canon ones, I’d say Maeve x Hector

who is your favorite couple in 2?

Garvez, like, c’mon! 

what is your favorite episode of 1?

I haven’t see this series in ages so I don’t remember which season and episode this is, but the one when the Others capture Sawyer and Kate and they are this close to have sex in the bear cages! 

what is your favorite episode of 5?

uhm... a part of me wants to say one episode, but it’s from one of the last seasons and I hated them so much, so Ill go with the other one so, 3x10 because is very Lannister-ish! 

what is your favorite season of 2?

I think it was the 13th, the one in which Spencer has been arrested while he was in Mexico. 

how long have you watched 1?

I started it when they first aired on Rai 2, which was around 2005 if I well remember. 

how did you become interested in 3?

I don’t know, oof, I saw some post somewhere with the trailer and I was interested, that my Aunt saw it on Sky and she was thrilled about it as well, so we watched the first season together. 

who is your favorite actor in 4?

This is one of the few series that I don’t watch because there’s an actor I like in it, but I have to admit that all of them are extremely good. My favourite one, maybe also because I adore her character, is Anna Torv. 

which do you prefer, 1, 2, or 5?

Oh my fucking god! You can’t make me choose between Lost and Criminal Minds between them all! That’s chaotic evil! If I have to choose with a gun pointed to my head, I’d say Criminal Minds, but just... it’s painful to me to make this choice. (I’m not even counting got in this one oof)

which show have you seen more episodes of, 1 or 3

Lost because it’s six seasons against 2 (plus the 3rd one which started yesterday)

if you could be anyone from 4, who would you be?

Wendy! 

would a crossover between 3 and 4 work?

I was this close to change the order of westworld and criminal minds so that the crossover would have been holden and bill teaching everyone how to make a profile and spencer being like “you are like our granpas” 

BUT 

also westworld and mindhunter would be great! like.. just image Will being forced to explain is psychotic behaviour to BIll and Holden, that’d be super hilarious! 

pair two characters in 1 who would make an unlikely but strangely okay couple?

Boone and Charlie, don’t ask me why, it just crossed my mind! 

overall, which show has the better storyline, 3 or 5?

the first seasons of got are way better than westworld, but, again, they messed up when they stopped sticking to the books, so I have to say westworld. 

which has better theme music, 2 or 4?

Both are nice, but Criminal MInds is iconic! 

tagging (do the one you prefer if you want to): @joanna-lannister @myrcella @vi-is-strange @drstrangefangirl8900 @visionarygalaxy @notjustamumj @motherofkittens94 @joannalannister @katebishopofearth @music-is-the-voice-of-the-soul 

[themeatlife]

the Meat Life Stay-At-Home Watchlist

Chronicling what I have watched or rewatched through the pandemic so far

The world has changed around us the last few months, particularly in the United States since March 11.  With the lack of events to hit up, like most Americans I’ve been catching up on some watching through the various streaming services and my own digital copies of movies and shows.

I didn’t really think of keeping up with what I have been watching until just recently, but here is what I can remember hitting up so far since I’ve spent the majority of the time at home.  Some are favorites that I would have watched anyway.  Some were unfinished until I got a chance to get back to them.  And others just became available.

Here’s what I remember of the watchlist:

The Office (Netfilx) This is a favorite of me and the wife.  We watch this on the regular though.  My wife uses The Office as her lullaby of sorts, putting it on in the evening as she gets ready for bed and is in bed to fall asleep.  I did a post on the 15th anniversary, so I won’t really deep-dive.

Gossip Girl (Netflix) Another one that my wife rotates with The Office as her lullaby.  The series is not bad, it’s basically The OC in Manhattan (both are created and developed by Josh Schwartz).  It also takes on a new perspective when you think about star Penn Badgley is the creep in You.  So Dan Humphrey gets this weird creeper Joe Goldberg vibe at times.

Parks and Recreation (Netflix) I never got into Parks and Rec on its original run.  I was encouraged to check it out by some coworkers since I liked The Office.  It is a great show, very funny, and poignant in a way.  It feels like a throwback to when people could disagree politically and still get along.  There is a lot less of that nowadays.  We might need more Parks and Rec in real life.  I started this right before the pandemic and finished around the beginning of things getting locked down.

Frozen II (Disney+) The sequel debuted on Disney+ early on in the quarantine period.  My family enjoyed it.  I thought it was entertaining, but I felt like it was weighted down a bit by the mythology explaining.  It seemed too busy explaining a lot of things.  Still an enjoyable movie, but the first is better.

Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness (Netflix) Intriguing.  The series debuted early in the quarantine period and became a staple of stay-at-home viewing and a runaway hit.  Lots of WTF moments.  It was like the train wreck analogy to the Nth degree.  But you can tell it was made in a way that leans in favor of Joe Exotic, making him look like a victim in the last couple episodes.  Also gave way to memorable memes ever since.

The Rocketeer (Disney+) I haven’t watched this movie since I was a kid.  Looking back, you can see a lot of The Rocketeer in Captain America - The First Avenger.  Easy to see though, since they share the same director Joe Johnston.  Prior to America’s involvement in World War II, a movie star Nazi goes after an experimental rocket pack developed by Howard Hughes.  The rocket pack is retrieved by accident from a down on luck stunt pilot.  Fun movie.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Disney+) I should have watched the entire Skywalker saga leading up to it, but I figured I have a ton of time to do that later.  This was a May the 4th watch.  I haven’t watched the Skywalker saga finale since it was in theaters.  It’s not a bad movie, I just feel it could have been a lot better with some modifications here and there.  Also, I believe this was going to be the Leia movie.  The Force Awakens was Han’s swan song, as was The Last Jedi for Luke.  I feel like this would have been great for Leia but obviously they were limited due to the untimely death of Carrie Fisher.  The scene where Ren/Ben speaks with Han after battling Rey would have hit harder with Leia instead of Han.

Trolls: World Tour (VOD) Cute kid movie.  Was nice to hear a lot of familiar music.  Sucks that rock was the villain in the first couple acts.  Seeing it once was enough, though.  Like the first Trolls, I am glad my kids enjoyed it but did not participate in excessive multiple viewings.

Onward (Disney+) Didn’t get a chance to catch this at the theater before they closed them down.  Great movie, but gosh.  Why does Pixar always pull at the heart strings like that?  I was quietly crying to myself at the end.  I’m glad we made our living room dark theater-style, otherwise my kids would have seen me all torn up.

Fast and Furious 5-7 (Fast Five - HBO, The Fast and the Furious 6/Furious 7 - Digital) I ended up not watching the entire series.  There is a great trilogy within the series, 5-7 was that trilogy.  Fast Five was the best of the FF franchise and where it perfected their movie formula.  It was like an action Ocean’s Eleven with cars.  6 and 7 expanded on that formula, upping the humor and ridiculousness factor.  6 had the exits of the Han and Gisele characters (they found a way to tie in Tokyo Drift to the rest of the series, Gal Gadot was on her way to becoming Wonder Woman for DC).  And 7 had that great ending with the tribute to Paul Walker to the sounds of Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth.

Toy Story 4 (Disney+) Another Pixar hit.  Didn’t hit me quite as hard as Onward or Toy Story 3 did emotionally, thank goodness.  I thought this story was over the way Toy Story 3 ended.  But Pixar did a good job adapting to prolong these characters stories.  It did feel like it was a bit of two and three combined looking back.  Still very good, Pixar knows what it’s doing.

The Marvel Infinity Saga (Disney+/Netflix/Digital) Leading up to the one-year anniversary of the release of Avengers: Endgame, I went through and rewatched all 23 MCU movies.  This time, I went in chronological story order by starting with Captain America - The First Avenger.  I chronicled the order I watched in my last post.  Even after viewing many of these movies multiple times, I’m still amazed at how much I enjoy them and the scope of what Marvel was able to achieve leading into the climax in Endgame.

Community (Netflix/Hulu) I loved Community on its initial run on NBC but never watched any of the episodes when it was on Yahoo for its sixth season.  It has been great to rewatch the meta-humor and sitcom trope parodies.  And since Ken Jeong and Joel McHale started their own podcast called The Darkest Timeline (half COVID-19, half Community pod), it has been a good companion viewing.

The Back to the Future Trilogy (Netflix) Recent add to Netflix for easy viewing, these movies have been a favorite of the Mitra boys since childhood.  Upon viewing as an adult, there is some humor that I didn’t recognize as a kid that is hilarious to me now.  It is also crazy how well this teen time-travel sci-fi comedy works.  Some of the effects in Part 2 are dated and 2015 didn’t quite end up the way it did in the movies.  But overall very enjoyable on the rewatch!

Extraction (Netflix) High budget action flick funded by Netflix?  Written by the Russo Brothers?  And staring Chris Hemsworth?  I’m in!  Directed by long-time stunt man and Russo Bros go-to stunt coordinator Sam Hargrave (you can tell the Russo influence).  It has an awesome 15ish minute one-shot action/chase sequence that is top notch.  Don’t think much about the plot or the controversy of cultural representation, just enjoy the action.

The Mighty Ducks Trilogy (HBO) Another childhood favorite of mine.  Nevermind that the hockey itself isn’t accurate.  This is about pure fun for an hour and a half at a time.  Come for the hi-jinx, stay for the heart.  Triple-deke, knuckle-puck, taking out the trash.  And leave it out on the ice!

The Harry Potter Series (Blu-Ray/Digital) This was not a go-to for me until Linda made me watch the entire series.  I guess when the first movie came out, it was too much of a kid movie for me (I was a high school senior at the time).  But from the second movie onward, it felt like the storytelling and movie making got better and better.  The Deathly Hallows was an epic ending, even if they did change the ending from the book.  I didn’t watch the newer Fantastic Beasts movies along with this though, my wife did.

Westworld - Season 3 (HBO) Recently got HBO back, so I caught up on Westworld Season 3.  I haven’t rewatched the previous seasons yet, but I may revisit it soon.  Season 1 was spectacular, Season 2 was confusing as hell but still entertaining.  Season 3 is somewhere in between, expanding on the ongoing storyline.  It was more straight-forward because its storyline is in the “real-world.”  For those of you that have watched, didn’t you think it was highly ironic that the Incite ball was basically the AT&T logo? (AT&T is the parent company for WarnerMedia and HBO)

The Last Dance (ESPN/ESPN+) The Michael Jordan docu-series has been a god-sent for sports fans devoid of live American sports for the past couple months.  Is it Jordan-biased?  Sure.  But it is full of drama and intrigue and full of nostalgia.  The NBA had commissioned a camera crew to follow the 1997-1998 Chicago Bulls on their run for their sixth NBA championship.  Jordan owned the controlling rights to the footage and unlocked it after the 2016 NBA Finals.  So this documentary was years in the making and with the pandemic the release date was moved up.  Although it featured a lot of unseen footage, it also chronicled the years leading up to the 1998 Bulls title.  The last 5 Sundays have been awesome.

The Princess Bride (Disney+) I haven’t watched this movie since I was a kid.  It wasn’t one of my recurring watches back then.  So this was actually my second viewing of this movie ever.  I found it quite enjoyable.  It was cheesy, but fun, and a good family watch.  One of the many older titles available on Disney+.

Scoob (VOD) My kids had some of the older Scooby Doo episodes on DVD and watched them when they were younger.  This was a fun revisit for them and for us as parents.  It was actually cool seeing a lot of the Hanna-Barbera characters in one movie.  We watched this shortly after finishing Community, and my kids recognized Ken Jeong’s voice as Dynomutt.  My daughter hilariously shouted “Senor Chang!” when she recognized him.

The Indiana Jones Series (Netflix) I introduced my son to Indiana Jones a few months ago watching Raiders of the Lost Ark.  He loved it.  He lost a little bit of interest during the Temple of Doom, I think the character Short Round lost it for him (character hasn’t aged well).  The Last Crusade reclaimed his interest.  Harrison Ford was at his natural apex playing Indiana Jones.  I did not watch the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.  I didn’t feel the need to revisit that installment, while it was enjoyable the alien ending ruined the lead up to it.

The Dark Knight Trilogy (Batman Begins/The Dark Knight - Hulu, The Dark Knight Rises - Digital) Every few years I try to revisit this series.  It is the best thing DC has ever put out cinematically.  While Begins and Rises is more comic book, TDK is a straight crime drama set in the world of Batman.  My favorite is Rises, but the absolute best comic book movie remains The Dark Knight, even with the advent of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Jurassic Park/Jurassic World Series (Jurassic Park/The Lost World: Jurassic Park - Blu-Ray, Jurassic World - Digital, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom - Cinemax) The original Jurassic Park is such a great movie.  Rewatching, it’s crazy how well the effects for the dinosaurs hold up.  Steven Spielberg, Stan Winston, and ILM did a great job mixing animatronic and CGI dino effects that stand the test of time.  The Lost World was enjoyable but not as good as the original.  I skipped JP III, such a bad movie.  Jurassic World was a good way to reboot the series, basically a remake of the original but incorporating a lot of references to it.  I just finished Fallen Kingdom today.  Although Fallen Kingdom was entertaining, it fails to recapture some of the magic of JP and JW.

I’m not sure what I will hit up next.  I might hit some Keanu Reeves movies like Speed, the Matrix Trilogy, and/or the John Wick Trilogy.  Maybe Top Gun.  Maybe rewatch Friends or How I Met Your Mother.  Maybe something on HBO Max when it comes out like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.  Maybe Terminator.  Possibilities are endless, at least until some American sports return.

[labime]

which are your fav tv series, movies, book (and ships if you have them) and why?

favorite shows: alias, american horror story (season 1-3), big little lies, billions (season 1 only), black mirrors, breaking bad, buffy the vampire slayer, charmed, criminal minds, dexter, doctor who (season 5-7), game of thrones (season 1-7), good girls, gotham (season 1-3), grey’s anatomy (season 1-8), hannibal, how to get away with murder (season 1 only), jessica jones, law & order: special victims unit (season 1-10), medici: master of florence, mindhunter, nikita, once upon a time, peaky blinders (season 1-2), prison break, rome, sense8, sharp objects, sons of anarchy, spartacus, supernatural (season 1-5), taboo, the affair (season 1 only), the borgias, the handmaid’s tale, the musketeers, the tudors, the walking dead, true blood, true detective, victoria (season 1-2), vikings (season 1-4), westworld.

favorite movies: 12 years a slave, anna karenina, batman v superman, black swan, cinderella (2015), crazy stupid love, cruel intentions, dracula (1992), dracula untold (2014), gangster squad, gladiator, gone girl, gone with the wind, harry potter, inception, interview with the vampire (1994), it, la la land, le fabuleux destin d'amélie poulain, lolita (1997), moulin rouge, red eye, scarface, schindler’s list, sinister, star wars: the last jedi, stoker, suffragette, the dark knight, the devil wears prada, the great gatsby, the godfather, the help, the mummy (1999), the shape of water, the shinning, troy, wake up and die, wonder woman (2017), wuthering heights (1939; 1992; 2009).

favorite couples: achilles/briseis, angel/darla, anna karenina/alexei vronsky, ares/aphrodite, beth boland/rio, cassandra of troy/apollo, catherine earnshaw/heathcliff, cesare borgia/lucrezia borgia, charlie stoker/india stoker, count dracula/mina harker, daenerys targaryen/jon snow, gannicus/melitta, helen of troy/paris, jaime lannister/cersei lannister, jessica jones/zebediah killgrave, klaus mikaelson/caroline forbes, lisa reisert/jackson rippner, marya morevna/koschei the deathless, mia/sebastian, olivia pope/fitzgerald grant, rhaegar targaryen/lyanna stark, spike/buffy summers, tom riddle/hermione granger, will graham/hannibal lecter.

favorite books: a song of ice and fire by george r.r. martin, american gods by neil gaiman, anna karenina by leo tolstoy, bone gap by laura ruby, coraline by neil gaiman, deathless by catherynne valente, dracula by bram stoker, forbidden by tabitha suzuma, gone with the wind by margaret mitchell, gone girl by gillian flynn, hunting season by beau taplin, it by stephen king, keturah and lord death by martine leavitt, lolita by vladimir nabokov, notre-dame de paris by victor hugo, practice makes perfect by julie james, sharp objects by gillian flynn, spinning silver by naomi novik, the bloody chamber by angela carter., the farseer trilogy by robin hobb, the girl next door by jack ketchum, the handmaid’s tale by margaret atwood, the husband stitch by carmen maria machado, the iliad by homer, the mists of avalon by marion zimmer bradley, the shining by stephen king, the silver devil by teresa denys, this secret we’re keeping by rebecca done, wuthering heights by emily brontë.

i know it sounds awfully generic but most of the time the movies and shows i prefer are just the ones that grab my interest. character-driven stories are my favorite but if it’s done well plot-filled and action movies/shows can be extremely good too. i also very much appreciate the cinematography, music, and direction, so much that i can watch and enjoy movies only for that. in some cases, like in schindler’s list and la la land the music is so beautiful it can be distracting and yet so carefully chosen it simply immerses me in the scenes.

when it comes to books i enjoy the writing above all. even the most interesting, unique concept will fall short if the writing is contrived and the execution poor. i prefer prose poetry but the themes and messages conveyed in the books are what really captivates me.

the couples i ship are usually relationships that allow me to explore certain dynamics i find intriguing—either because of the writing or the chemistry between the actors/actresses—and that further the general plot or their individual characterization. i tend to to be more intrigued by enemies to lovers and gothic romance but it’s mostly the complexity of the relationships that fascinate me.

[rorykillmore]

whaaat new shows coming out next year are you looking forward to??

damn i can’t actually think of any... brand new shows coming out any time soon that i’m really anticipating apart from maybe like. i am the night which looks like it might be an interesting crime thriller... but what really intrigues me about it is that it’s directed by patty jenkins. and i Trust her. so i might check that out when it airs??

but apart from that there’s some upcoming new seasons of stuff i’m looking forward to! hopefully mostly in the next few months actually. i’ll try to list them in chronological order,

season 3 of true detective is airing in january like, right around when i’m going back to school actually! so that’s a nice thing to look forward to. idk if you’ve seen any of the new trailers or anything but it looks really fucking intriguing and is starring mahershala ali which is really promising. it coming back like this is like, a big deal because it had a really uncertain future for awhile after its divisive second season. so fans are pretty excited. personally i’m like... there’s this really specific brand of like.  “crime/thriller/mystery with a tinge of existential, inexplicable supernatural horror” that i really LOVE that so few things get right, but true detective at its best absolutely does, so i’m excited for that

then season 2 of american gods is happening in early march and i am BEYOND hype from that. it’s especially exciting because the show is like... both drawing from the book a lot but also taking major deviations from it, so there are probably gonna a few surprises in season 2 even for me and i’m really looking forward to that?? i just. love the worldbuilding and lore of american gods, in general. plus.... laura moon is my disaster fave and i will freely admit i’ll take any new reasons to rp her,

also airing in the spring supposedly is season 2 of killing eve and like. fuck it i will drop everything to watch that IMMEDIATELY. i really need to rewatch season 1 at some point before then but i feel like killing eve is just. everything i love wrapped up into one show to the point that i still almost can’t believe it exists, and i’m really looking forward to more........

i think jessica jones season 3 is supposedly airing some time in the spring or summer too?? fairly quick turnaround compared to the break between seasons 1 or 2 but that’s probably because netflix is trying to clear out all their marvel shows. so i like... fully expect it to be cancelled after s3 which fuckin sucks but you know what. at least we’re getting one more season. at least it’s not ending on the note season TWO went out on

what else... oh big little lies is supposed to air at some point in 2019 but i don’t think an exact timeframe has been announced yet. and asoue season 3! and... well i don’t think we’re getting westworld s3 until like 2020 at the earliest so i’m not holding my breath for that yet,

also, hannibal season 4 is floating somewhere out there in the ether, but that’s a completely different story

[fromchaostocosmos]

Just finished Westworld Season 1 and in middle of season 2 episode 1 and I had some thoughts that I don’t want to forget so I’m putting them out here.

So I think that a major faulty point in it all is that the only experiences that the Hosts know of humans and that Ford is basing his whole “humans are done it is the time for robots” is that the only humans that have been involved in this whole thing are those who are essentially the top 1% and those that work for the Delos Corporation and thus invested in seeing it make money not in being ethical or moral.

Like these are the uber wealthy and powerful they don’t live with consequences. The only difference with Westworld is that they don’t have to hide away their violence the way they might have to cover up if they murder or hurt someone in the outside world, but either way they still can get away with it.

I mean look at our world now and the kind of shit the rich and powerful get away with all the time.

I think if the Hosts saw humans the suffer and toil and endure as they have they would see that they are really not that different.  

Also a lot of the show talks about god and religion and such, but it is very much steeped in western ideology, christian and greek/roman mythology, since the show tends to stick with christian and greek/roman metaphors and mirroring. 

A lot of the end conclusions and trains of thought characters have break down once you leave western religion. 

I can only speak from a Jewish perspective but G-d, our relationship with our Maker, what does it mean to be human, and all those questions that comes up through out and the answers that explored fall apart once you look at it from the Jewish perspective. 

The final thing that kinda snagged me like a thread was the 3 worlds we know about Westworld which takes place in American Western Frontier, Raj World which takes place during a portion of British Imperial Rule of India, and Shogun World which takes places during the Edo period of Japan.

Westworld and Raj World are all about colonialism because that is what was happening during those times periods. As for Shogun World  I don’t know enough about the Edo Period to feel qualified to makes any statements on it.

Even though Japan did eventually become an Imperial power that colonized others Shogun World is not, from what little I do know of the Edo period, taking place during a colonization the way Westworld and Raj World are. And since I don’t know what the other parks are I’m going to use just Westworld and Raj World for the next bit. 

There is this idea of colonization both a literal lever and metaphorical level. The humans or guests as they are called for at least two of the parks get to exist in a time of colonization so it is on a literal level. And on a metaphorical level they are in essence colonizing the Hosts. 

For a theme park the Wild West would be more fun then the time of the first colonists in what would become America. I mean the Wild West is stereotyped with saloons, sex workers, violence, gun-slinging, and drinking. 

But Westworld and Raj World are based from real pain, the pain and suffering of those who were colonized. 

So should the Hosts ever get outside and they feel that from the prior experiences of humans all humans are worthless I question what would happen when they met the descendants of those that have been colonized. 

Yes the hosts have been enslaved and colonized time and again for the amusement of a portion humans, but what happens when they meet the many different peoples who too have been enslaved and colonized, some times more then once, and who in some cases carry the trauma not just in their memories but in their very genetic code, in their programming so to say, with inter-generational trauma. 

For those of us who have been colonized, for our people those memories are, as Westworld would call it, a cornerstone moment in many many ways.

Again this is just my thoughts from having just finished season 1 and just started season 2. I don’t know details of what goes on in Raj World or Shogun World I just know that they get explored in Season 2 so I might be totally wrong about everything I wrote here. These were thoughts I had that I didn’t want to forget so even though I haven’t finished episode 1 of season 2 yet I wanted to have it written here. 

[fossadeileonixv]

Mercato Madness: July 27

What would ya do here?

Wow, this is a thing! Sorry I’m having trouble coming up with something cute here cuz this is madness. Hair Leonardo confirmed in a presser yesterday that no hair Leonardo, Leonardo Bonucci, did in fact request a return to Juve, one year after his shock move to San Siro. I mean, we’ve unwrapped this quite a bit here already, but it says something when one of the best defenders in the league hands in a transfer request and pretty much everyone is like “Oh. Good.” As bizarre and comical as this is, the compensation is the hangup, as Juve definitely is interested in bringing him back to bolster their Champions League chances. A swap with Mattia Caldara has seemingly been the backbone of a deal sending Leo back from whenst he came (is that right?), but the valuations of the respectively players by both sides aren’t matching up quite yet. And throw in the news that emerged yesterday that Juve want a buy-back clause (God, do not do this, just on principle), and you got another layer of sediment to brush off. Gonzalo Higuain is another name that’s been mixed up in this Leo-swap, but with Sarri flashing the cash for him at Chelsea, the possibility of Pipita in Black and Red is growing a little dimmer. The chances I think, are still in our favor, but I think time is our enemy.

My question to you lions and lionesses is what is ideal here? Nine posed this question yesterday or the day before sort of, but what is the most reasonable outcome to all this in your mind? And how ya feeling about a buy-back?

Hosting Bernard. When I saw that Milan was linked with Bernard, I was like that’s pretty good. Host or not, and confusing history aside, along with Ford he created the most impressive AI theme-park in Westworld, and while having no football experience it might be good for the stadium issue. Then I realized it was Bernard, the plucky 4′4″ left-winger from Shakhtar, and I was like “Oh... Bernard.” and still liked the move. Out of contract with the Ukrainian giants, Bernard the human footballer is being courted by a few clubs, but many think Milan with Leonardo have a pretty good chance at landing the 26 year-old. Mainly a LW, Bernard packs a lot of pluck into his 3′10″ frame, is good with the ball at his feet, has excellent vision, a decent bit of pace and can find the back of the net. And if his performances for Brazil are a barometer, he’s a pretty physical player for someone of his stature. Would he be tried on the right? Dislodge Cal back to LM? Signal a change in formation? Who knows. But on a free, this would be a nice little piece of business and he’s from Mrs. Rockett’s hometown in Brazil, so there’s also that!

Kjaer in the air. If Leo leaves and Caldara does not, ex-Roma and Palermo man Simon Kjaer may be called on to fill his shoes, because another average-to-good center back is exactly what we need. The journeyman had a bit of a disappointing season in Sevilla last season, and would come relatively cheap, but I’m thinking that if Leo leaves you need to either commit to Musacchio or bring someone with a bit more class in. Kjaer, in a vacuum -- well, he wouldn’t be able to breathe and would die -- but in a metaphoric vacuum, isn’t a poor move for a 3rd or 4th choice defender, but it really doesn’t seem to fit right now with Mus, Zapata, and as of right now still, Gomez. Plus we have a history with blonde, pony-tailed central defenders from Roma that, although are remembered endearingly now, were not so endearing when they played here.

In other news... Biglia’s agent has come out and flatly denied that in the wake of Leo’s request, he asked for a return to Lazio. This is good. Biglia was vital during the second half of the season and his departure would really throw a monkey wrench into the transfer window... Re-calibrate your Conte-Watch clock, Russu, as Hair Leo gave his full support of Rino. I’ve said it here a few times. Conte will probably be this club’s next coach, but for stability’s sake, I see why you double down on Rino. God bless Rino forever, but I really hope this isn’t Montella 2.0... Can we just talk about that away kit for a second? I know it has nothing to do with the mercato, but HOLY SH*T between the chalk across the top to the illegible name and number on back, I think that may be the worst kit since the rainbows. Ew!

That’s it babies! Sound off below!

[callunavulgari]

Annual New Year’s Meme

It’s the thing! This is usually the first one that I do, but I did a new thing this year, because I read a lot of quality fic and wanted to talk about them, so the Top 25 fics of 2017 came first, and the year-in-books will probably be published before this one too, but whatever. It’s all fine.

1. What did you do in 2017 that you’d never done before? Had really awful rashes all over my body because I developed an allergy to something that I STILL HAVEN’T IDENTIFIED. Um. Other things? Probably? Oh, hey, I composted! I went to the dentist all by myself!  2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I don’t know if I actually made any resolutions last year. The standard lose weight, etc. etc. I haven’t started smoking again, so that’s really good!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Eh. People that I went to high school with. Good friend from HS that I haven’t talked to in years had a baby girl. Manager also had a little girl. 4. Did anyone close to you die? My grandfather passed away in August. 5. What countries did you visit? Alternatively, what is your favorite place that you did go this year? Nick and I ended up getting a beach house with his mom, brother, and a few of his brother’s friends this year in North Carolina, and it was pretty great. I spent the week reading in either the pool, on the beach, or in the hot tub, so that was pretty great all around. We also went to Richmond Virginia for a Maggie Stiefvater thing and it was just all around a really great trip.

6. What would you like to have in 2018 that you lacked in 2017? An apartment with just me, Nick, and the cats. 500% I’ve become more ambivalent towards everything here, but that doesn’t mean that it still doesn’t grate that nobody helps us clean around here. That getting them to take out the trash or even know what day the trash and recycling goes to the curb is like pulling teeth. But I’m stressing over it less, which has been really nice. 

I’d also really love to have a better job. More stable job. Big girl job, whatever. I think that I’ve decided on biting the bullet and enrolling at CState, but I’m getting to the point where I need to be at a job where I have benefits. Insurance. I went shopping for Obamacare this year and was just. Really frustrated. Even the ‘good’ plans that were near the end of my budget were out of the question because none of the doctors that I need to go to (gastroenterologist, dermatologist, OBGYN) accept the plans. Also, as much as serving money is good, I’m getting too old for it. I’m tired, and I basically already have arthritis at 28.

Also. I would really like a stupid ring. I’ve never been the type of girl to get excited about that type of thing, but by god, it’s about time.

7. What date from 2017 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Things. Stuff. My grandfather’s funeral. The day I first started itching uncontrollably. The subsequent weeks of misery. I don’t know. 8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? ...Yeah, I’m really glad that I read a lot of books. And that I didn’t kill any housemates.

9. What was your biggest failure? Eh. Not killing the president? 10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Stomach, blood, and nerve pain have been mostly good this year. The bleeding has become manageable and scarce, the heartburn is here and there, and I haven’t had sciatica issues since last year. I’ve had more than the usual amount of colds this year, which I’m chalking up to the air in this house being god awful and us possibly having a black mold problem. The allergy thing is worse. Being constantly itchy for two months is FUCKING AWFUL. It’s been more manageable the last couple days so I’m hoping to god that the worst of it is over. 11. What was the best thing you bought? I went to the dentist all by myself and got fillings all by myself and they may have cost $800 but I fucking did it. Also, I didn’t buy it but I got a library membership (again) and it’s the best thing that’s happened to me in ages.  12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Nick. He just finished up his last semester at school and is just generally pretty upstanding. I’m fond of him. 13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed? Josh. Roommate number four. I’m still kind of sick of the lack of cleaning, but I don’t want to kill them anymore. Seth and Angela I’ve actually been repairing my relationship with. But fuck Josh. Also, fuck my mom.

14. Where did most of your money go? Bills. Car payment. Groceries. Dentist. Doctor. Cat food. Also, that vacation to the beach house sapped the hell out of my savings. 15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Still excited about Nick’s stupid face. Really liked the new Star Wars movie, and have been floating on a high of Reylo for a couple days now. Good games, good books, got my teeth fixed. Beach house was awesome and didn’t go as badly as I thought it would. 

I also. Might have thought up an idea for a book. That I’m thinking about actually writing. 16. What song will always remind you of 2017? Is This Love. Holiest. Saturn. Undiscovered First. Kings. The new Halsey album. Personal Yeezus. Battle Royale. Look What You Made Me Do. 17. Compared to this time last year, are you: i. happier or sadder? Generally, I’m just pretty content. Pretty sure I am happier, yeah.  ii. thinner or fatter? Fatter. I stopped exercising and caring about food and now I need to fix it. iii. richer or poorer? Both? My savings are gone, and I have a credit card, which is a whole new level of oh god oh god.  18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Write? I did much better than last year, but still nothing like years past. I also wish that I’d exercised more. Not necessarily because of losing weight, but because I actually kind of like it? 

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? I have been a lot less angry this year. Honestly, I feel like this year I’ve been channeling someone who is on a constant high of a xanax because I’ve basically just been pretty chill and not stressed out. I do wish that I’d done less moping around, ranting about roommates, and just generally wasting time. 20. How will you be spending Christmas? Presumably we’ll be at Nick’s mom’s to open presents in the morning and his grandparent’s in the afternoon. I’m looking forward to Christmas Eve, which we get to ourselves this year. 21. How will you be spending New Year’s Eve? Probably at Nick’s mom’s house. Hopefully there will be less beer pong this year. And maybe not a five year old for me to babysit while I’m trashed. 22. Did you fall in love in 2017? Old news. 23. Best month for you this year? March or April, I think. Those were good months. 24. What was your favorite TV program? Of just 2017? I didn’t actually watch a whole bunch of television this year. I finished watching Stargate Atlantis in January, Legion, Taboo, and American Gods were all pretty great. Westworld, the latest season of Game of Thrones, Stranger Things 2, new season of Dark Matter, two new seasons of Voltron, The Punisher... Okay, maybe I watched more tv than I thought I did. I really liked Legion, The Punisher, American Gods, and the new Game of Thrones. 25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? Eh. I don’t think I have the energy to hate anyone. Besides Trump. Fuck Trump. 26. What was the best book you read? Less by Andrew Sean Greer and Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. Also, Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel. Last year I read a lot of books that will be favorites forever. This year I read less of those, but introduced myself to a lot of things out of my element. 27. What was your greatest musical discovery? Probably either Feist or Glass Animals. I was always aware of the latter, but I never really loved them until this year. 28. What did you want and got? I got my teeth fixed. And honestly I’ve been having a lot less headaches since then, which is really nice. I got nice books and games and if I’m right about the package under the tree, the nice green coat that I wanted.

29. What did you want but didn’t get? Hah. A ring. It’s not necessarily an active want, but we’ve talked about it enough that I actually do kind of want it and just. I think I want kids? More on this new development next year. 30. What was your favorite film of this year? Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Coco. Wonder Woman. Mona Lisa Smile. Logan. I’d say the Shape of Water but I’m still really fucking upset that he ate the cat. 31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? 28 went almost the same as it did last year. Lunch with Nick at the Lantern again, stopped by a Game Stop so I could buy myself a present from my dad, watched the new Star Wars movie, and I played ABZU, which was wonderful. Birthday shenanigans with friends got pushed back til Sunday, when we saw the Shape of Water and got dinner at The Pub again with usual folks, minus Seth, who is a butt. 32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Insurance. A better job. A better president. I’m not going to say a ring again, but I’ll think it pretty hard. 33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2017? For the spring and summer I wore a lot of cute skirts and dresses, but the last couple months it’s been the softest fabric I can find to avoid itching. 34. What kept you sane? Reading was really, really great this year. - leaving this answer 35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Nobody. Fuck celebrities. Okay, no, I’m lying. Gal Gadot is a babe and I want her to smooch my forehead gently. 36. What political issue stirred you the most? FUCK DONALD TRUMP IN THE EAR 20167. —– Ayyyyy, this was my response from last year, and apparently also the year before! Hello past me, don’t worry, sweetie, it’s still getting worse. 37. Who did you miss? My grandfather. Allie. 38. Who was the best new person you met? I have a new coworker. Okay, I have several but one of them is named Olivia and I’m really quite fond of her. She gives good hugs and brought me Starbucks today.

39. Talk about a new friend that you made this year: *Sherlock voice* I don’t have friends.

40. Post a picture from the beginning of the year:

I took this picture in early February entirely because I remembered that I had a lipstick that matched this cardigan.

41. Post a picture from the end of the year:

This was taken a couple weeks ago. I cut my hair, got bangs, and went black with green. My managers are convinced that I killed someone and needed a new alias because it’s such a different look.

42. A memorable meal discovered this year? Thai Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup. Nick loves it. I also ended up getting the best pad thai in existence from a hole-in-the-wall place in Richmond a block from our hotel.

43. What was your favorite memory this year? Honestly probably those few days that me and Nick were in Richmond. It was just the two of us so the drive was great, we spent it talking and listening to podcasts, discovering the town was great, the Maggie thing was great, the food was great, even the hotel room was great.

44. What are you excited for next year? Mostly I’m excited to see where my life is going. I’m going to have to make a decision about college next year, and get a new job regardless of that. I want to actually bring up marriage as a thing that should be done sooner rather than later to see if it’s actually in the cards. I’m looking forward to good books, a new apartment, and I want to talk Nick into taking a trip just the two of us, even if its just a weekend in Hocking Hills or a day trip to Niagara Falls.

45. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2017: Start planning for long term after the age of 25. You aren’t going to be young and healthy forever. 46. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year: But if you stand for nothing you'll fall for it all We got all we need, got no more You're never fully dressed without a smile And if you stand for somethin' you can have it all 'Cause if is real your love will never die You're never fully dressed without a smile

First Fandom of 2017: It seems to have been a whole lot of Stargate with a little Yuri on Ice Favorite Main Character of 2017: Rey. Keith. Corvo Attano. Aloy. Grantaire. Favorite Villain of 2017: Kylo Ren. The Darkling. Delilah. Lotor. Loki. Favorite M/F Couple of 2017: 100% Reylo. Alina/Darkling scratched the same itch too. Favorite F/F Couple of 2017: Supercorp and Jaspis. Favorite M/M Couple of 2017: Rodney McKay/John Sheppard. Corvo/The Outsider. Fandom That You Never Expected To Get Into: Mm. Horizon Zero Dawn? It’s a small fandom, but I wrote something for it so I feel like it counts. Also, Les Mis. I’d never thought of it in the context of fandom before. Fandom That Made An Unexpected Comeback: I read a lot of Harry Potter this year. I also had a brief detour back into Thorki and FMA. Fandom That Inspired The Most Crack: No idea. Last Fandom of 2017: Star Wars. I’ve been reading a lot of actual books the last few months but The Last Jedi got me hooked. Favorite Fandom of 2017: I really enjoyed the Harry Potter again. And I found a lot of really cool Yuri on Ice and Les Mis fics.

[thedeadflag]

@dreamsheartstory​ said:  if you find any good sci fi, let me know… it’s so rare…

It really is. For a genre that has so much potential, it rarely makes the small screen without being corralled into a few very specific tropes (sci-fi cop procedural is so, so overdone, but I’m desperate haha)

Still, this is what I’ve watched over the past...3 years? 3 years, yeah. At least, the notable ones, not including the obvious big name Netflix marvel shows, Sense 8, orphan black, etc..

SOME MINOR SPOILERS BELOW

The Expanse:

Harder sci-fi. Essentially, it’s the future, where humanity expanded across the system, and Mars split off to do their own thing after a civil war. The people working on “the belt”... as in the asteroid belt and other such unsavory places and stations...are the clear have-nots and are generally abused at will by both Earth and Mars, and the show starts where tensions are at an all-time high, with the belt a hair’s trigger away from revolt, and the Earth/Mars tensions coming to a head

Great casting, the crew of the Roci is fantastic. Though Thomas Jane is...a Thomas Jane character. He’s such a perfect fit for Miller, because Miller checks all the boxes for his strengths, and hides his weaknesses well enough in the flaws of the character. So i can’t blame the show for that, but I hate looking at his face. Still, the casting is just top notch. And they have Shohreh Aghdashloo, who is always fantastic, and Frankie Adams pops onto the scene in S2 and does quite well. Essentially, casting = A+

Only real complaint is that i read the book, and there’s a pansexual lady character that is exceptional and amazing and I love her and her mouth of a sailor. The show cut that and made her more passive and scared in S2, which is bullshit, and led me to stop watching because I was furious at that decision, but in the end, it’s still absolutely 100% worth watching. If just for the Roci crew alone and the endless shenanigans they get into (and sometimes out of)

Binge-worthy. Pacing of the first two episodes is a bit inconsistent, but they’re covering an absurd amount of ground, so that’s expected.

Killjoys:

Lighthearted space-faring sci-fi, set in a totally built from the ground up universe. It slowly leaks out the lore as to not jeopardize the general tone of the show. However, it does turn serious for stretches.

Easily binge-worthy. Takes 3 episodes to get momentum, but after that, it’s pretty smooth sailing.

My only real quibble is with the origins of Dutch. We get a hint of her growing up essentially as property, abused into being a living weapon/assassin, before we get a good read of the world, and that...really comes off as a bit exploitative, given she’s a woc. 

The ship is an A+ lovable sassy ladybug

Dark Matter:

A bit “harder” sci-fi than Killjoys, but it has its lighthearted moments

Super super slow burn. I finished the first season and only then did I really start to dig my claws into the show. It’s slow. 

That said, interesting lore, and the overarching series of narratives are solid and worthwhile, they just take an egregiously long time to lift-off.

There’s apparently wlw content in season 3. I haven’t finished S2 yet, but I’m hoping it’s solid.

Westworld:

Western meets Wizard of Oz featuring Anthony Hopkins with an old west fetish. Set far off in the future. There are, like, androids and stuff

I didn’t get through it since western shows give me the creeps, but most of my friends who watched it says it was pretty great. I only watched the first episode, but the acting and cinematography and music were all very well done.

Ascension:

A sci fi mystery, set in a space-ship, if that space-ship was sort of like one of the Bunkers in the fallout games, full of people from the 50s.

The show is not without its warts, but it’s a miniseries (so it’s not long), and it’s surprisingly well done.  Doesn’t cover all the themes it brings up with the greatest nuance or skill, but I’d wager it’s probably worth a watch? 

The OA:

Another mystery! Sci-fi in the vein of alien abduction and strange abilities.

It’s kind of surrealistic? It makes you pay attention, and if you slip up, you’ll probably miss out on something. There’s a decent chunk of content mashed into those surprisingly few episodes.

Didn’t like that it robbed a character of a disability. I think it would have worked just as well with the character still being blind. They could have made it work. 

Trans guy rep in this show, which was a plus

American Gods:

I’m not sure if this counts? It kinda counts. I’m saying it counts. It mixes sci-fi and fantasy. 

I haven’t finished this yet, mostly just because it’s hard to find torrents that aren’t tracked by the network. My ISP is okay with me getting one or two notices a month, but past that, it’s tricky, and I can’t afford a good VPN, so I’m playing the waiting game for a bit.

Ricky Whittle and Ian McShane were fantastic in the episodes I did see. The show is, if nothing else, visceral and beautifully shot.

3%:

Sci-fi in the vein of Hunger Games, but a better premise, and better executed

I only managed to get it with the dubbed audio, so that was flat out atrocious and made me weep over the injustice

Still, despite the absolutely grating audio, I pushed through that and enjoyed much of the rest of the show. it’s solid. Not, like, the best show out there, but it does what it does well, it covers its themes well, and the visual elements of the acting seemed strong.

Find the sub-titled version with the original language (portugese iirc?) audio. I think that’s available on Netflix now, or at least Netflix USA, from what I understand.

12 Monkeys:

It’s a police procedural time jumping sci-fi with a dystopian, post-apoc future.

It’s okay. Nothing special. The two leads really do try to put the show on their back, btu the writing’s not real strong. Watchable, but lots of plot holes, plot armor, and writers shoehorning in sudden/coincidental events out of nowhere to increase tension. if you want something to watch for background noise, or maybe if you want a procedural show and have checked out the others already, maybe this will be for you.

Agents of Shield:

Superhero-based sci-fi

First season is slow and full of filler because they were waiting for that Captain America Winter Soldier movie to come out before tying their show in with the events. There are guides to watching the first season. I thought it was all decently fine, and good writing alla round, there’s just too many episodes that season to justify the few meaningful narrative events.

Season 2 has Dichen Lachman. The final half of that season character-assassinates her (and the other inhumans) to provide the show a late-hour villain to root against. I hated that. It’s the weakest season, thankfully, and I’m sure there are watch-guides to skipping through that because...

Shit gets real in season 3, and it’s worth watching even outside of S1-2, I’d even rec skipping those if there wans’t so much character-building in those 2 seasons. The writing is better, the acting is better from S3 onward. There’s still some fumbling of themes, but not to the degree of the previous seasons. Same with Season 4, where it arguably has it’s greatest few episodes. Ends with a brief Hydra-AU arc that IMO is skippable, but some adored it. I didn’t, but eh.

Colony:

Harder sci-fi. Aliens invaded and swiftly won. Now they’re ruling us from a distance, using human figureheads to do so. Really neat lore, and worldbuilding.

Unfortunately, it’s the most frustrating sci-fi show i’ve seen in years, because the male cop lead always has a gut feeling that always aligns with what the revolutionaries are planning, so he always intercepts them. And they get unbelievable plot armor to escape the writers’ ham-handed tension-building, ensuring the writers don’t pay any consequences for the shitty bullshit they keep pulling over and over.

If you can take that sort of crap, and care enough about worldbuilding/lore/etc., then go for it. There’s definite value, and things improve greatly in season 2. But my lord, season 1 is so frustrating.

Person of Interest:

You’ve probably watched this one

Hard sci-fi in the vein of "Hey, maybe writing a secret intelligent AI is just a really bad idea” *five minutes later* “Oh no what have we done”

It’s a really bad idea.

But we get fun police procedural moments out of it, because John is solid, and Carter & Root & Shaw & Bear are excellent. 

Bear is best.

The show has watch guides for getting through the first season, and parts of S2. 

Avoid the final 3 episodes of the series. Maybe the final season altogether. Otherwise fantastic and heartwrenching stuff.

The Last Ship:

Naval Adventure to Rebuild the World After a Rampant MegaVirus sci-fi

Surprisingly decent for a show that’s basically funded entirely by the American Navy.

Just keep in mind that there will be shitty patriotism bits of bullshit tossed in here and there, and there won’t be so much shock when those bits show up.

First two seasons play out like a mix of The Hunt for Red October and Jesus Camp. It’s bizarre, but sometimes it works? Rhona Mitra and Christina Elmore are probably the reasons for that. And Dichen Lachman is in S3 and she doesn’t die, so that’s a plus.

It definitely has its dips into shit-tier quality, and self-righteous bullshittery, especially in S3.

But it also handles a national political arc halfway decently for a sci-fi show in S3. 

Anywho, this is good for, like, background watching? Or low-intensity, low-effort watching. In that context, it’s a good enough show.

The Leftovers:

Three seasons of super depressing and heart-wrenching drama with sci-fi at its core (huge amounts of people vanish one day...the show is about the world finding out how to move on, what ti all means)

Excellent acting. Top notch. Like, some of the best on TV. Some stunning stuff.

The show only gets better. I didn’t like the first half of S1, it’s very slow and arduous, but it’s worth it. 

Not very sci-fi, at least not until S3, but still. It works with sci-fi elements and it’s a very thoughtful, smart show.

Wayward Pines:

It’s sci-fi in the vein of Under the Dome, but it manages to be even worse somehow don’t ask me how

Oh my god don’t watch this, the cast does not make up for it, they flounder in atrocious writing. i’m only mentioning this here because it’s just so bad, don’t waste your time like I did.

That’s...well, the stuff that’s not far below mediocre.

[spockri]

Tagged by the ever lovely @nahrky and @pemberley-press

rules:

1. always post the rules. 2. answer the questions given by the person who tagged you. 3. write 11 questions of your own and tag 11 (or however many) people to answer them.

Responses under a cut so I don’t spam your dashboards

1) what time is it where you are and why are you on tumblr at this time of day? 11:45 AM.  I'm at work >:]  I'm supposed to prepare some slides for a meeting but it's Friday and the quarter-end has been rough.  DGAF at this point hah 

2) who are your three favourite characters of all time? Ripley (Aliens), Harry Hart (Kingsman), The Terminator (Terminator 2: Judgment Day) 

3) using your answers from above, fuck, marry, kill? >:) Goddamit. Fuck Harry Hart because he's a beast in bed.  Marry Ripley.  She's my hero and she'll protect me from the Aliens just like she protected Newt <3  Kill the Terminator (obviously).  I can't have him getting hacked and going on a killing spree, ya know?  The thought of marrying or fucking him gives me nightmares LOL 

4) what is something you would really like to eat right now? Donuts.  Donuts are my favorite food group: glazed donuts, fritters, cake donuts, sprinkles.  Krispy Kreme had a special today for a doxen donuts for 80 cents!  The store was PACKED.  Alas, I went to work with empty hands :( 

5) would you describe yourself as smol, medium, or tol? I'm 5'5 so medium?   

6) what’s your go-to drink, alcoholic or otherwise? Coffee.  I try to avoid flavored drinks and sodas and have water most of the day, but coffee is an absolute necessary every morning. 

7) do you play a musical instrument, if so which one? if not which one would you most like to learn? I've played the piano for 15 years :) 

8) what’s the last message you sent to someone? I sent a gif of pikachu slapping pikachu via group text to my co-workers in response to one of their questions (we're really casual here).

9) is there a fandom idea or headcanon you’ve had in your head for a while but not had the opportunity to say? I don't know why, but it just occurred to me that Harry Hart is probably from old money or a prestigous family.  Like the light bulb just clicked in my head even though everyone else probably knew that.  Given Arthur's attitude about Harry's little experiment, Harry's background is probably very elite as well.  The idea of having to meet Harry’s family terrifies Eggsy.

10) coke or pepsi (or neither)? Pepsi!  I always find Coke a little too sweet for me but everyone says they’re the same! 11) do you read tumblr tags? (generally the answer to this is yes but i’m curious) YESSSSS.  Always.  Even if it's a reblog of the same thing over and over again, I read everyone's tags.  They're so entertaining.

1) What are you top 3 guilty pleasure songs? Into You – Ariana Grande: My top guilty pleasure song.  This is my hartwin song LOL Despacito – The JB remix.  I don't usually listen to Justin Bieber, but this song is really catchy even if I can't understand it.   Candy Castles – Glass Candy.  Even though it was super creepy in Westworld, this song is really sexy.   

2) What details would a 30 second film of your life include? Oh god.  Life in Finance is the dullest thing ever.  30 seconds of my life would put people to sleep.  Probably me biking, hiking, spending time with my SO, and sitting still for hours as I read or write fanfics LOL.  It would look like a jpg instead of gif xD 

3) What is something that you know sounds ridiculous but you say it all the time anyway? "They hate us 'cause they anus (ain't us)" and also "same, same, but different".  Both quotes from The Interview.  I say it at work alll the time. My co-workers have even started saying it.

4)  M/F/K 3 of your favorite sitcom characters, Ohh this is hard since I don't watch a lot of sitcoms.   Marry Gilfoyle (Silicon Valley) 'cause he's just so sarcastic and smart.  Plus, if I ever got in trouble, he would be very handy with his hacking skills.  Fuck Detective Jacob "Jake" Peralta (Brooklyn Nine-Nine).  I think Andy Samberg's pretty cute.  Kill Kenny Powers (Eastbound and Down) because he's the most annoying, narcissistic, egotistical character ever (plus that mullet needs to go LOL). 

5) Do you have an OTP or do you ship all the ships? I'm a one pairing at a time kind of gal but I really wish I could like multiple ships because it seems way more fun and you have more material to work with.  I appreciate other ships, but I don't actively read fanfics or participate in conversations about them.   

6) How many times a day do you check your dash? Too many times to count.  It's really shameful.  I have it open at work and when I close the window, I start checking my phone.  I just wanna look at Colin Firth pics all the time, okay? ._.

7) What show do you still grieve for? Sense8.  It was cancelled recently and I know they are going to have one more episode to tie up loose ends, but I'll miss all those characters, especially Lito

8) Who was your first celebrity crush and how did you respond? It would have to be Brad Pitt.  After Interview with the Vampire, I just thought he was so gorgeous and then he went on to make more amazing movies like Se7en, Fight Club, etc.  

9) Most overrated Actor/ Actress in your opinion? Tom Hardy.  I don't have anything aginst him, but I just don't get the hype for him.  His characters have never been memorable to me. 

10) Most underrated Actor/Actress in your opinion? Ben Barnes.  I loved him Chronicles of Narnia but the rest of his movies haven't done very well.  He did Dorian Grey with Colin Firth, which I was really pleased about --Two of my favorite actors together on the same screen!  I was really happy to see him in Westworld, but I'm pretty sure he's not coming back in the second season.  He was one of my favorite characters on the show.  I didn't think he could play a dick character, but he did it so well.  

11) What are your top 3 Guilty pleasure movies? Bridget Jones Diary The Interview Tropic Thunder Apparently my guilty pleasures are really questionable comedies.

Now, Here are some questions for you: 1) Are you a morning person or a night owl? 2) What is your OTP (and you can only pick 1!) and why? 3) What is your favorite thing about Colin Firth? 4) What's your favorite book and how would you recommend it to someone who's never heard of it? 5) Where is your favorite place to read? 6) What was your last impulse buy? 7) What is/was your favorite subject in school? 8) Are you an introvert or extrovert? 9) Do you have any trips/vacations planned this year? 10) What would you do if you saw Colin Firth walking on the other side of the street from you? 11) I probably know you because we're both into Kingsman, so when did you first watch Kingsman and what drew you to it?

Tagging: @cravingcolin @firthsty @hartwinorlose @solarrift @extex1960 @pemberley-press @nahrky @firthsm @collywobblesfirth @platano-yep @arlessiar (I can’t tag your name for some reason?)

(Sorry I play tag backs ‘cause I wanna see your answers LOL)