#and I hope we'll get more scenes like this in the remaining episodes???

[misspoetree]

"Lue": has the most tender and heartbreaking fantasy/dream about his reunion with Ken, being fully accepted, being fully embraced and loved as the person he had to become, even with all of his scares and physical changes.

Meanwhile Ken: dreams about beating up a dude in a sexy shower fight

[madlori]

Here's where I am with Buddie.

[CW: I am using the Buddie tag on this post, even though the gist of it is that I'm increasingly doubtful that it'll ever happen. This is NOT an anti-Buddie essay. If you'd rather not read about this topic, please keep scrolling. The bulk of the essay is behind the cut.]

-------

I've thought a lot about this over the weeks since 7x04 aired. It's not a secret that I'm wildly enthusiastic about the BuckTommy pairing (as are many fans) but what does that mean for my thoughts and opinions about Buddie, a pairing I still love and for which I am still writing fic (slowly but surely…)?

It's become increasingly difficult to reconcile hopes for Buddie with dread for a BuckTommy breakup, but if the show managed to pull off a breakup that did not destroy me, I would still be all in for a Buddie endgame.

But more and more, I don't think it's in the cards, and I'm increasingly okay with that.

First off, I know it's a common assumption that Buck and Tommy have an expiration date, and that it cannot last. That may very well be the case, but…the show is not acting like it, nor are they presenting this arc as if it's short-lived. Episodes 4-6, while also being about other things (especially the amazing Madney wedding plot in 6) were also a bit of a trilogy about Buck discovering his sexuality and taking tentative steps into a relationship with another man. It didn't go…particularly smoothly, but the events of 7x06 where they were concerned had a completely different tone. They had a much more settled vibe in the karaoke club scenes, from Tommy's very boyfriendly "check-in" look before he had to leave, to Buck's casual/distracted "Be safe" (as if he's said this before) and just how they spoke to each other and touched each other was much more comfortable than in the coffee meetup. Which makes me think it's been a few weeks and they've seen each other a few times in the interim.

And then that kiss. Putting aside that it was juxtaposed with a literal wedding kiss, there was nothing uncertain or hesitant about it. It felt like a very arc-capping kiss, coupled with the reveal to the rest of Buck's friends and family, and the clear message was "Okay, they're done 'getting together' now, they are together and will be together going forward, even if we don't see Tommy every episode (much as we don't see Karen every episode)." We know Tommy will be around through the end of S8, if not in every remaining episode. After that, we'll see.

A lot of fans have viewed one of the guys coming out as queer to be a first step towards a Buddie future, but I have to say I've never been super comfortable with that logic. I've always thought that if they were going to get together, or both be revealed to be queer, it would have to be at the same time, with each other, via them getting together. The minute they pulled the trigger on Bisexual Buck, I immediately thought that this made Buddie far less likely. Why?

Because it would mean that the writers/showrunners would be making BOTH their "hot younger firefighter" characters queer…separately. In separate storylines. Distinct from each other. And I just don't see that happening. I'm not saying it SHOULDN'T happen. I'd be over the moon. I'm saying I think that's unlikely.

As much as it pains me to say it, I think Eddie will be written as straight and will continue to be written as straight. I don't disagree with the many examples of queer coding we've all seen - the problem is all of them can be just as easily interpreted as arising from a different trauma. Almost everything we've seen from him that could very legitimately be read as breadcrumbs for a queer identity for him could also be rooted in his trauma over Shannon's death, his family trauma, his PTSD, or his general anxiety over being enough for people. He can be read as having sexuality crises. But he can also be read as having other crises with the same results.

I'm not seeing a sexuality crisis for Eddie in the future. I just don't feel like that's where they're taking him. They're taking him somewhere -- he's got storylines coming up -- but I think they're going to have to do with his family, possibly his friendship with Buck, maybe his relationship (I think we can all agree Marisol isn't going to last, she's like the anti-Tommy in that she's been around way longer but has infinitely less of a presence), and Christopher. That's a lot to deal with just right there. If I'm wrong, I will be delighted to be wrong.

But.

I think the show will continue to prioritize and showcase Buck and Eddie's very deep and emotional friendship, which is revolutionary in its own quiet way. Another thing that makes me think they're setting Tommy up to be a long term love interest is that one of the first things they did with him was affirm that he will not come between Buck and Eddie, give him his own relationship with Eddie and Chris, and have him show that he understands and respects the depth of their bond. Not to mention they've integrated him with the firefam. No other of Buck's love interests have gotten this treatment (Taylor had the most contact with the firefam, but I don't think anyone would say she was integrated, LOL). And it shows how committed they are to maintaining Buck and Eddie's friendship as a key emotional element of the show. Tim has also said this, repeatedly.

People often say that there's no explanation for how Buck and Eddie are with each other if it's not romantic - I read a fantastic essay that pointed out that this statement is the reason their platonic friendship IS so important. Men should be able to be vulnerable and loving with each other without it being romantic, as women can be. If we're unable to see a loving friendship without interpreting it as romantic or sexual, what does that say about the kind of male friendships we see everywhere, that makes this one so different?

I know this is an old anti-Buddie argument and I'm not anti-Buddie nor do I mean it's wrong to see it as romantic. I still do. I'm saying if it's not, if it never is, what it is, is already valuable and special, especially when one of them is now openly queer and dating a man.

Anyway. That's where I am with it, and my interpretation of where the show is with it.

[very-straight-blog]

This might sound funny and cringey, but I feel like I lost something I cared about and now it's just sadness and depression. Like it's a TV show, I get it, but we waited 2 years and for what? To get the two worst episodes imaginable. I'm really starting to believe that Sapochnik was responsible for everything good in s1, bcz Condal and Hess ruined this show. S1 wasn't perfect and I didn't like a lot of things in it, but it still managed to keep me invested so I hoped that in s2 everything would be improved. And yet, I'm so terribly disappointed. Alicent's characterization makes no sense anymore, like they want so badly to show her as a bad mother and a hypocrite and really - after ruining bnc with Alicole sex now it had to follow with her not being able to console her son but hoping on Criston is a must do?? What sort of degenerates write this??

Aemond is also ruined for me and I would love to erase that crappy brothel scene from my memory. What was it for? To show his mommy issues, vulnerability... Idc. The dialogue was bad and they did him dirty with the angles and the pose. And now he's apparently going to be there *again* in e3 and we'll get full frontal nudity. Idk why the actor agreed to this since they are obviously making a joke and meme material of his character. Not to mention that he straight up lied in the promos about being loyal (if the RR leaks are true and I'm almost 100% sure they are). I get that they are told what to say, but a more general answer would have been much better than a lie. In brief, one of my favourite s1 characters is also destroyed.

Then Cole. My god, I only waithig for him to look at the camera and say "do you hate me enough already hahah?" He's the writers punching bag atp.

Helaena barely exists.

Otto is Viserys' fanboy and ofc, appalled by his grandson. It's not as he just has lost a son and was forced to take the crown in the first place by him and his mother, no less.

Aegon got more screentime and I love Tom's performance, but I'm not fooled. He is still depicted as weak, politically inept and rash. And he'll still be a bully, apparently. Just to justify his brother's treason. F*ck you Condal, Hess and whoever else is responsible for this mess.

Anyway, sorry for the rant. I just don't get how anyone can seriously praise this shitshow anymore. It could have been great, but the creators are obviously not up to the task which is now painfully obvious. I wouldn't mind the greens as villains, but don't write them as a walking joke. I'm quitting the show and would like just to forget about it. This adaptation of the Dance was a huge mistake.

I feel you! By the way, I haven't participated in any fandom life, I think, for 10 years or more, but thanks to HOTD, I started this blog, I write some critical (well, kinda) reviews, and English isn't even my native language. I've been waiting for the second season for two years and now I just feel tired and empty. So far, the only thing I've liked about these two episodes is Aegon's storyline, that's all. Everything else is bad, very bad, and judging by the leaks, it'll be even worse.

Firstly, the series has a very strange pace of the narrative. We didn't get a bunch of important plot scenes, and even those that remained were shown in a hurry, but at the same time we have many scenes like "Rhaenyra stares at the dust for three minutes", unnecessary dialogues and PAUSES between lines.

Secondly, again, an insane amount of important plot details are left behind the scenes and this is absolutely wrong. Aemond's return home, the family's reaction to what he did. Aegon's reaction when he learned of his son's death. Aemond's reaction when he finds out what his actions have led to. And so on and so forth. Many of the characters' actions are shown without context. Alicent fucks with Criston - cool, but can I have some additional information? How long has this been going on, what feelings do they have for each other, how have they developed, like, anything? The same can be said about the scene in the brothel - no context.

Thirdly, it's unclear what's going on with the characters, as if the screenwriters decided to make the greens the most unpleasant people in the world. So far, I only like Aegon and Helaena. I can't even say anything about Aemond, because his only dialogue scene is built around Daemon and Luke, damn them. I just can't.

Everything annoys me except Aegon lol. So yes, I understand you.

[lemotmo]

Well despite as much as we all might have secretly wished, looks like no off screen break up 😂

But I do have to chuckle at Tim saying they are still getting to know each other ( which to me shows there has been no real progress in their relationship at this point)

And while the “they are still going strong” is from whoever wrote the article rather then anyone from the show, I have to again chuckle because you know who else was “are still going strong”

https://x.com/diazdulac/status/1833159774529028223

And we all saw how that turned out 💀🤭🤭

This is only a fraction of the similar asks I've received about this article. So I'm going to answer all of these in one post. 😄

All of the following are opinions, but I did discuss all of this with Ali and we definitely see this in the same light and we agree on these points:

First, it doesn't sound very promising for BT at this point. The words and phrases used in this article are the exact same as the ones used in the season 7 blurb, only replace Marisol with Tommy and Eddie with Buck. That's it. There's not a lot to it. We all know how Eddie and Marisol ended up.

The article basically says that they are still in that stage of 'getting to know each other a little bit better' just like Tommy said in that deleted scene. He said something about 'taking things slow'. I have a feeling this is exactly why that deleted scene was released in the first place. To show us that things aren't going all that well.

The words 'They are going strong' are the journalist's words. They are still getting to know each other a little bit better' are Tim's words. That's a big difference.

They might just be stuck in that phase of figuring things out and the more they learn from each other, the more they realise they aren't right for each other. Or maybe some of the other theories about Gerrard bringing a conflict between BT are right. Buck is mad with Gerrard and maybe Tommy will just tell him to go along with it? We really don't know. It'll be interesting to see how all of this plays out on our screen. I'm sat.

All I can say is that I'm not at all worried about BT at this point. The way they talk about him in this article? He is still that plot device to further Buck's story. Just like Marisol was a plot device to further Eddie's story. It's just rinse and repeat at this point.

The far more interesting part for me right now is the part about Eddie. Ali and I have been breaking our brains about what else all of this could be about, outside of queer Eddie? We didn't come up with anything valid. We both feel very strongly that queer Eddie could be happening. Whether or not we're right remains to be seen. Let's hope we are. 🤞🤞🤞 Because as soon as queer Eddie happens? Buddie is 100% happening.

We both think that episode 4 will be an important one for Eddie. The first three are about the bee-nado and we'll see moustached Eddie in action. That short trailer has certainly given us a close-up of Eddie as he tries to flee the bees. I wonder what he'll go through to bring him some extra insight into his life?

In the 4th episode (Ryan's one hundredth episode) we both expect something more Eddie centric. That might just be the moment when he'll shave the moustache... at which point I will personally burst out into tears because I have gotten insanely attached to that little patch of hair. 😭

Anyway, that's about it. I'm also highly interested in the Madney and Henren storyline and I wonder who is coming back into Athena's life. 👀

Questions questions questions... and no answers.

Every season we find ourselves in the same place.

What else is new? 😂😂😂

[lemonhemlock]

Really not looking to start ship wars in your asks so please don’t take this a certain way or anything, you are one of the only helaemond friendly team green blogs I know! I like all the Greencest ships but am particular to helaemond and it’s been so weird to see how TG fandom has turned on these shippers. I get having problems with how Aemond has been written this season, but even before season 2 came out people were making fun of them, there’s a whole dumb Helaemond vs Helaegon ship argument that in all honesty seems fairly one sided, and now it’s a popular discourse about how hoping they (helaemond) have some scenes together in what remains of the 3 episodes we have left 😭 is treating her character poorly. Nevermind there is also no chance for us to explore her and Aegon meaningful either (I actually loved their first scene this season but anyway it is clear that is not happening) and we all want to see more of her? I don’t know it’s all very frustrating, I get people have preferences for one ship over another, it just comes across so mean spirited when we all obviously like the same characters. I also don’t remember it being this way for a very long time, I was lurking in season 1 and over hiatus. This is all so recent 🥲

It's all right, anon, I don't mind the occasional ship discourse. It's been a while, hasn't it? :)) I haven't been on twitter in ages, but is it really that different now than it's been during the hiatus? Because I remember people being very anti-helaemond all the time, I don't even think there was a time where this ship wasn't being called into question over every little thing. Not to mention generally nasty behaviour towards shippers.

It's no secret I've been unimpressed with Aemond's development this season. I am still looking forward to the Phia-Ewan scenes, especially since they revealed they were playing them with a helaemond twist in mind, even though it will remain subtext. But the compounding problem is that they haven't done anything with Helaena this season either. Her big event was minimized as much as possible and her descent into madness wasn't even removed because they wanted her to be less incapacitated. They're not giving her anything to do now post-B&C either! She is simply sitting in rooms or walking down corridors, not having much of an opinion on anything and completely uninvolved in the lives of her family or in the conflict. She is being written without much agency at all: she is the queen, yet she doesn't even seek out anyone or initiate a conversation by herself - everything simply happens to her.

The helaemond vs helaegon argument remains dumb, because they're both equally underdeveloped on screen (the first is subtext, the second is..... criminally absent). Basically the pot calling the kettle black. In both ships and, unfortunately, in all her relationships seemingly, Helaena is just a projection for the other person to react to. She makes Alicent feel sad, Aegon feel awkward and Aemond covetous. Will we ever get a scene that's about Helaena? Forget the Bechdel test, we'll have to resort to the Helaena Targaryen test

So, in that regard, IDEK what kind of interaction she could possibly have with Aemond at this point. Will her story yet again be subordinated to her interlocutor? I hope I'm wrong, but at this point, I expect the scenes between them will actually end up being about Aemond and his characterisation. Will he be the one who figures out her gift of prophecy while she simply exists alongside him in a room? Remember that she never even received one scene next to Dreamfyre - but Aemond did!

It's just so unbalanced and it goes beyond any shipping wars - Helaena doesn't have an arc. She never received one in the first place. In the last episode, she acted the same way she did in S01E08. There's no emotional progression to her character: so far, she's been threatened by Meleys, become queen, had one child brutally murdered in front of her, witnessed her mother's affair and now her brother lies on his deathbed, with an incapacitated dragon, effectively leaving them with only Vhagar operational in a full-blown war. She was a little sad and now she's over it and back to her baseline melancholia. Come on.

It's not the concept of helaemond that's treating her character poorly. It's the fact that they have no idea what to do with her apart from having her glide throughout the castle like a ghost.

[caramelpenguin]

S3 EP6 (thoughts + theories)

I want to get all the insane predictions out so I can look back on how much I clowned.🤡

These are ideas based on the moments that were in the trailer/teasers/stills. Or things that I feel might be addressed before the end...

Hillerska closing down🏫

We aren't directly told what Felice said in her interview. It's left ambiguous. So why wouldn't they tell us? Sure, there's a chance that she just praised the school but....

we got that very small snippet of the forest ridge boys yelling at each other. Could this be because they heard that Hillerska was going to shut down?

Simon (and his family) might move away 👋

they have the money now ig. this could be a reason why the ending, as ive seen around, has occasionally been described as 'open'.

this could be the context behind the shot of Linda's head on Simon's shoulder.

or maybe the 3 of them are doing smthn related to micke?

Abdication or King Wille? And August...👑

I think one of the reasons for August's storyline this season was for us to understand him more as a character so that if he becomes King, we know that he'll actually try or that he may not have been as bad as we thought. (my opinion of August isn't necessary here).

we really see how much the monarchy consumes Wille this season. Though I don't know how we'd approach the topic of abdication in just one episode.

wille has said that one of the reasons he wants to remain Crown Prince is bcos of Erik. Knowing what we now know, i'm intrigued as to what will happen.

will they acknowledge more of August's eating disorder?

August and Sara🤔

I think felice will (eventually) be fine with it. I don't know about Simon.

Things will work out, i'm sure.

Frederika and Stella💵

....they'll kiss in ep6. something will happen between them, anyway.

Shot of the 4 girls hugging

frederika has realises she likes stella by this point??

Roussea?🐎

maybe Roussea will get a slight mention in a conversation with August. Or maybe not. Who knowwwss

Wilmon screaming in the car🚗

is this Sara's car? things need to be okay by this point, right? is it after the lake scene??

Wilmon stare down👀

how? will ? this? fit? in?

is it after the graduation ceremony but before the neon party and the lake scene? does the shot of wille (with simon's hands around his neck) come after this?

is the lake scene not the final scene? is this scene actually the next day during the graduation?

does simon tell wille he's going to move away?

The Neon Party + Lake Scene 💧

the neon party is where they reconcile.

BUT i dont think it'll be a full reconcile. Simon's line 'Can't we just forget everything that's happened? Just for tonight?' makes sense to be here.

the lake scene with the swimming could happen because they both leave the party early, i dunno.

is this the last time they're able to hang out (bcos simon is moving away and bcos Hillerska will shut down)?

but we've all SEEN that it looks sad, which doesnt look all that great for endgame, and we've also been told that this is (most likely) the final scene. so. get tissues ready.

(am i crazy or is there a tiny smile on simons face in this scene? from that edmar promo we got? )

swimming happens after the sadness right? bcos (apart from the tears) they dont look wet.

if its the final scene idk what the hopes r for wilmon endgame icl

MUSIC (+Wille's birthday present)🎶

we know that 'Alice' by Rhys will play at some point. Doesn't mean it'll be a wilmon scene. it could be sara and august OR frederika and stella (?)

normally, there's a song in ep4 that's repeated in the final moments of the season. ep 4 in s3 doesn't end with a song and (from the one check I've done), i can't really hear any of the other songs used in that episode as the final song of the season. then again, i could be wrong

ELIAS SONG?? they could play 'revolution' again to make it a full circle (dont think this will happen tho). they might use a new song. i just rlly hope we'll hear an Elias song and...i feel like we will.

THE TRAILER SONG? I really pray this will be in the episode. I pray i pray i pray i-

we'll hear Simon's new song. I don't know how or when (especially if this is simon's gift to wille) but...c'mon

initially, i didn't think Redlight would appear in YR. Omar has a career outside of the show, but i do agree that the lyrics fit wilmon quite well. also, if we're gonna hear Simon's new song then I don't know how the script would work around Simon singing another song. He told Wille that his present isn't yet finished (which im sure is the song simon is currently working on), tho ig we could argue that he may sing a brand new song.

BUT then i realised that simon doesn't have to sing this song. redlight could just be part of the soundtrack ( it seems that everyone got to that conclusion before me). and the way that it's being promoted this week has me suspicious. I don't wanna get my hopes up, and maybe Omar is just being clever and promoting it during the week of YR hype, so i dont think redlight will be in s3. BUT I WILL BE VERY HAPPY IF IM WRONG❤️

ig we'll find out when the playlist gets updated

Football Field Scene

to my knowledge, we haven't got proof that they filmed there apart from that pic from Lisa (and are we sure this pic is from s3 filming?)

it would be AMAZING if they returned to this setting. ICONIC.

but idk how why they'd return here and how it would fit

it might not be a wilmon scene (could be simon + rosh + ayub, but i think theres a higher chance of it being a wilmon scene than the trio)

question- lisa said it was a wrap with a pic from the football field. which COULD mean that the last scene they filmed was there (tho it might not be the actual final scene) - was this where edmar couldn't stop crying?

💜WILMON ENDGAME?💜

they better or im going to riot

no but srsly, i dont think we'll go down a 'la la land' route. worst comes to worst, it'll be a positive open ending e.g. 'you were amazing. you'll be wonderful. we'll meet again with more freedom.' it'll be even better if there's a time skip here hahahha

like the end of ep5 gave me no hope cos idk how they're gonna get back together in one episode. but anything is possible.

arguably, the promo we've got since then leans towards endgame (?), but i dont think they'd reveal they're gonna be endgame if there wwen't gonna be more issues.

EXTRA

theres so much to cover in the final episode!! so i dont think everything will be acknowledged/addressed. things will be left ambiguous to keep the viewers thinking.

imagine if the break up at the end of ep5 wasnt that huge. that theyre still together (with tension) at the start of ep6, then they kidna ignore their disagreement. this culminates until the end, where they break up ( but very unlikely)

the future letters were there to show august's past. but could there be more to it? could we get a time skip? (again, unlikely imo. but would be sweet if done well)

a reference to the heart simon drew? maybe? probably not...

will simon give wille his orange jumper back? id love to see this on our screens but im sure we wont.

will sara's necklace make a comeback?

where does wille's 'what if I don't want to?' line come in? and the queen's line...

the shot of wille in the library (with that book in clear sight) hasn't yet appeared, right?

simon talking to sara by micke's house....hmmm. i would love a simon and micke interaction

volleyball scene + running into the lake happen as a connection to graduation?

wille with those sunglasses is a moment with felice?

do we hear anything more abt wille's birthday wish?

EXTRA .2

there are plenty of moments that happen that we don't see as viewers. so that jumper simon wears at the start of ep 2 looks like wille's. and if it is, then we didnt see the moment simon stole it wille gave it to him.

and when simon mentioned a mental health foundation, it implied that they may have had a discussion abt wille's anxiety before.

the piano scene in ep2 could have been a piano lesson that wille was giving simon, which probably means a lot more of these happened without us knowing

this makes me wonder how much wille knows about micke??

simon told august that sara's with her dad and all that- so does wille also know?

WHEN I FIRST WATCHED AND FINISHED S1 AND S2 OF YOUNG ROYALS, i knew wilmon would be together by the end of s3. like i was 100% convinced the show would end with them happy bcos that's what it had leaned towards the entire time. the vibe of it just screamed wilmon endgame to me.

i really hope past me was right, bcos the s3 promo really had me wondering. and then ep5 had me proper questioning. but netflix (and lisa) will have to pay for so much therapy if they arent endgame sooo🤷‍♀️

livelovelaugh wilmon ig

edit: ive just listened to omar's interview and now im qquuiiitteee sure redlight wont be in ep6🤷‍♀️

edit 2: will anyone else find out that it was august who posted the video?? will this prevent him from taking the throne??

[butterflydm]

speculation for wot 2x6-2x8

Okay, I talked about this briefly during my last book spoilers rewatch for 2x5, but I wanted to take another look over the imdb listings for the last three episodes and take a guess at the storylines we'll be tracing. disclaimer: it's imdb, so grain of salt about the accuracy.

2x6: Eyes Without Pity

For the Cairhien storylines:

Siuan is listed in this episode, so I suspect that this may be the episode when she arrives in Cairhien (either that or she's in flashbacks in this episode and then shows up in person in ep7 if the royal wedding happens then)

Lanfear is listed for all the remaining episodes, so we're going to get our continuation of the Rand & Lanfear scene. Logain is also listed, so we may see Logain training Rand, or attempting to train him.

Min is listed, so this is likely the episode when Mat and Min arrive in Cairhien.

Both Anvaere and Barthanes are listed to appear as well.

For the White Tower plotlines:

We have Verin, Yacissa, and Tomas all appearing, likely continuing the Black Ajah Hunt thread.

We also have Liandrin, Alurdan (her son), and Joiya. Speculation: this may be when Liandrin's son dies, which would free her to leave Tar Valon with Joiya to do Black Ajah Hijinks in 2x7.

For Lan:

We've seen in the trailer that he's going to have a confrontation with Alanna and her Warders. Don't know exactly how it's going to turn out, except that Lan will likely end up in Cairhien either at the end of this episode or in episode 7.

For our big stuff in Falme:

In Egwene's part of the plotline, Renna, Miri (the blonde damane), and Maigan are all listed. I'm putting Maigan here because I suspect that she might already be damane at this point (having another Aes Sedai in hiding in Falme seems redundant since we already have Ryma).

We have Loial & Ingtar listed, but we don't have Masema or the other Shienarans, so they may still be in their seafoam-green slave clothes in this episode while they try to figure out a way to save Egwene. Suroth is listed and may interact with them -- Turak, however, is not listed for this episode.

And in Nynaeve & Egwene's part of the plotline, we have Ryma and Basan (her Warder).

Aviendha is not listed, so this will likely be an episode without Perrin, which would make sense, as they are traveling towards Falme.

For 2x7: Daes Da'Mar

For Cairhien storylines:

We have Siuan again! I was braced for only one Siuan episode so I'm glad to see her name again and hope it is accurate. We have all the Damodreds, we have Logain, we have a "Sun Palace Servant", and we have Hayley Mills playing an unknown role. Is Siuan in Cairhien for the wedding and Hayley Mills is playing the Queen? Is this the flashback episode and Hayley Mills is Gitara Sedai?

Min is not listed for this episode (or the next), so if imdb is accurate, then she is going to split off from everyone else in episode 2x6 and will not be going to Falme.

Rand is going to be doing some more training and maybe attend a royal wedding and leave in the middle through a Waygate with his group.

The note of 'Natti Cauthon' being listed for this episode is particularly interesting. Might be Ishamael messing with Mat in TAR?

For the White Tower:

Alanna & her two Warders might end up here after their conversation with Lan in 2x6. If so, she can talk with Verin (who is listed along with Yacissa again), which might lead into the two of them collaborating next season. Maybe in a nice… mountainous region.

It looks like we'll see Liandrin and Joiya as well, but Liandrin's son is not listed for this episode.

For Falme:

I think this is the episode Perrin & Aviendha arrive in/near Falme and it looks like they meet up with Bain and Chiad at this point. Interestingly, Loial is listed for this episode but Ingtar is not.

In Egwene's part of the storyline, we have Maigan, Renna, Seta, and a character named Mulean (in the books, she's another of the sul'dam, the one who runs the damane quarters).

Ryma is not listed.

For 2x8: What Was Meant To Be

I think this is going to be pretty much entirely a Falme episode, with Rand & co having left Cairhien at the end of 2x7. None of the Cairhiein-related characters are listed. None of the White Tower-related characters are listed.

Of note: Bayle Doman is listed; Amaresu (one of the Heroes of the Horn) is listed; Uno is listed; Maigan is still there. Everyone else is basically who we would have expected, with the addition of maybe getting another of those Age of Legends cold opens, as LTT is listed.

Once again, we do not have Ryma, and we do not have Min.

So, some speculation overall:

We're going to see more Black Ajah cat-and-mouse in the White Tower in episodes 6 & 7, but by the end of episode 7, I think it's likely that Liandrin and Joiya are preparing or have left the White Tower for future Black Ajah Hijinks elsewhere (we might get a stinger at the end of the season of one of the other Forsaken being released: likely Moghedien but maybe Rahvin or his equivalent).

Yacissa might get killed by the Black Ajah, which would be heartbreaking. I like her!

I think Alanna & her Warders are going to end up in the White Tower as well, and we may get indicators of her plotline joining up with Verin's, and it might be more weighted towards Black Ajah investigation as opposed to "let's seek out strong channelers" but would still lead them towards the Two Rivers for s3.

Leane will continue to be the de factor leader of the Tower during this time.

Rand is going to get some training -- in the waking world by Logain (and I think he'll realize the limits of the training that Logain can give him in his current state) and potentially in TAR by Lanfear, if he tries to create a wedge between Ishamael and Lanfear and imply that maybe he's open to his old relationship if she helps him out.

Moiraine's focus in these episodes will be on trying to guide Rand (teaching him politics? Rand getting lessons in three different fields at the same time… maybe even four once Lan shows up)

I think Lan will arrive in Cairhien either at the end of 2x6 or the start of 2x7, after he has his confrontation with Alanna's Warders.

During these two episodes is when we will see Siuan in Cairhien -- reuniting with Moiraine, speaking with Rand, and at least one flashback with Moiraine at the White Tower.

Min and Mat are going to arrive in Cairhien in 2x6 (the promo shot of Min in the Foregate) and then something will happen that makes them split up -- if Min confesses to Mat about Liandrin to try to warn him about Ishamael or the viewing, Mat might decide that he can't trust her. Mat and Rand will end up running into each other and Mat will go with Rand to Falme.

I do think that the stabbing viewing is going to 'come true' this season, so that the audience isn't left hanging on it, and I'm very curious about the approach that they're going to be taking with Mat and Rand as a whole, because there are some key differences about their relationships with the concept of the Dragon Reborn as opposed to the books.

At the royal wedding during 2x7, Rand, Mat, Moiraine, and Lan all leave through a Waygate. Logain either stays in Cairhien or Siuan takes him back to the White Tower with her in 2x7. We may or may not see the consequences of the wedding in Cairhien on-screen this season, but Cairhien will probably be in chaos the next time we see it in the show.

So that's the thread of four of our main characters on their road to Falme.

In Falme itself, next episode looks like it's going to focus on damane training and on Elayne & Nynaeve learning about the situation in Falme from Ryma. This is the first time we'll see Nynaeve spending any significant amount of time with a Yellow Sister.

That Maigan is listed for the final three episodes and Ryma is only listed for 5 & 6 does make me wonder if we'll be introduced to Maigan as 'Pura' and Ryma leaves the show with more of a bang. Obviously, she can still be captured and then just not shown for the last two episodes (or imdb could be incorrect), but the cast listings do make me wonder.

Egwene is… it's gonna be rough. I suspect that Loial is going to take the place of Min in being the friend who visits Egwene and sees how terrible her situation is - I think that may take place in 2x7, as Loial but not Ingtar is listed for that episode.

Perrin and Aviendha are scheduled to arrive in Falme in 2x7, it looks like, and we'll get to see Aviendha reunite with Bain & Chiad and we may get more explanations about the Car'a'carn, or the show might choose to leave it a mystery for now. Ingtar isn't listed for 2x7, so I don't think we'll get Egwene's jailbreak until 2x8. Given the cast lists, 2x7 is probably going to focus on Cairhien and getting them through their plots there and then yeeting them to Falme, with slightly less focus on Falme and with the White Tower plotline being wrapped up for the season (I worry that Yacissa is going to get murdered by the Black Ajah, aka Liandrin and Joiya).

It looks like we may get an LTT cold open for 2x8; probably either with Ishamael or with Lanfear. I'm leaning towards Ishamael, since I think 2x8 will… be an Ishamael-focused episode in a way (I think it's his expectations that are going to get violated rather than Our Heroes, in a reversal of 1x8). Last season, it was Moiraine on behalf of Team Light making big promises that they were going to win it all, but as of 2x5, Ishamael is the one who currently believes that he's on track to win the whole board game by 2x8.

In 1x8, Rand mistakenly believes that he's facing the Last Battle but his enemy has hidden cards up his sleeve that destroy Rand's victory; will 2x8 be that in reverse, where Ishy thinks he has everything all sewn up and then his plans fall to pieces?

I suspect that Perrin might actually kill Daddy Bornhald in this version, thus marrying the two plotlines of him actually killing Whitecloaks and being suspected of killing Daddy Bornhald. And I think it might happen because Daddy Bornhald kills Hopper when Hopper leaps in to protect Perrin at some point during 2x8. I don't want Hopper to die, so I hope this speculation is wrong! (I mean, we'll keep seeing him even if he dies, but I will be sad!)

I think Elayne and Nynaeve rescuing Egwene is likely to be fairly similar to the books overall.

I'm really curious how the Horn is going to end up in Mat's hands and how much overlap we'll get between the plot threads as they converge on Falme. And if we believe imdb, then Uno might reappear again as one of the Heroes of the Horn.

Since it's implied that we're going to get the sky battle between Ishamael and Rand (it's been mentioned twice, once by Verin and once by Ishy), that also implies that Rand will face Turak early in the episode, maybe that is what kicks off the rest of the fighting?

One of the big things I'm hoping for is that we'll get some downtime with the group after the big events all go down or some strong reunion moments and meetings during the big events, because there will probably be another time skip between s2 & s3, and it might be easier for the show if at least some people are already in their new locations by the s3 premiere. (I am hoping that Avirandlayne all get introduced to each other, for example)

[divinequo]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH I WATCHED THE SEASON 2 EPISODE 6 TRAILER AND IM SO FUCKING PSYCHED I HAVE YO RANT ONG OMG OMG OMG OMG IT LOOS INCREDIBLE

⁉️⁉️‼️‼️‼️WARNING THIS HAS SPOILERS PLUS SCREENSHOTS FROM THE TRAILER SO LIKE UH SCROLL AND GO AWAY IF YOU WANNA REMAIN UNSPOILED YES YES MM MM YES⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️

OK FIRST OFF HOLY FUCKING SHIT.

I GOTTA RANT ABOUT THIS FIRST SINCE IT'LL PROBABLY TAKE THE LONGEST BUT WE HAVE BEEN THEORIZING ABOUT THIS GUY FOR YEARS.

YEAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRSSSSS!!! AND NOW ITS BEEN CONFIRMED HE'S SOME SORT OF ANTAGONIST IT LOOKS LIKE? WHICH HOLY SHIT OMG IM SO SIKED I LOVE HIM ALREADY HES THE BEST VILLAIN EVER ONG (I know the episode isn't even out yet let alone a English version but let me be delusional I'm happy and excited) but anyway AAAAAH HE LOOKS SO ORDINARY YET SO MENACING???!? from blending in with the background characters in episodes and appearing to be spying on Dee in his qna, as well as his wanted posters, we will FINALLY GET SOME SORT OF INFORMATION AND CHARACTER INTRODUCTION!!! (May I add he strikes a strange resemblance to Gustav? No? Just my opinion? Ok) OMG AND I JUST REALIZED HIM FLIPPING THE KEYS?? WAIT WAIT HEAVY SAID TO VICTORIA IN SEASON ONE HIW HE LOST HIS KEYS AGAIN, AND THATS ABSOLUTELY THEIR HOUSE KEYS YOU CANT CONVINCE ME OTHER WISE, IT LITERALLY COMES FULL CIRCLE, NOT MENTION LIKE, BRO WHY DOES HE WANT THEM TO NOT GO HOME? DOES HE WANT THEM AWAY FROM THEIR PARENTS? IS HE FORCING THEM TO TALK TO HIM? OR DID THEY FIND HIM AND NOW HES MONOLUAGING???? OMFG IDK, ONE THINGS FOR SURE IS HE IS DOING SOMETHING NEFARIOUS TO THIS ABANDONED AMUSEMENT PARK, TBATS WHY HES ON THE WANTED POSTERS INNLIFS INTRODUCTIONNEPISODE HOLYYY FUUUUCKKKKK GUYS I LOVE HIM, HES MY NEW FAVORITE VILLAIN, I really hope this doesn't age like milk me saying I love his little character *sweats nervously*

And can we just TALK and take a moment to ADMIRE the artwork of the backgrounds and main surrounding pieces?? LOOK AT THIS!!

And yk the metal families profile picture on YouTube? Yk... The clunky old sign no one cares about?

FUCKING LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOK

IT WAS PLANNED ALL ALONG GGGG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMGGGGEXDCRFVFY UGC YFDXYREXYRDXTDDXTD STD FDFH THEIR PROFILE PICTURE IS LITERALLY, GENUINELY FROM THIS EPISODE, it is NOT coincidental, THIS MADE ME LOVE IT ALL THE MORE!! it feels so special now knowing this knowledge and though this part isn't THAT important i still had to mention the shock I got from seeing it in the trailer :))

Last thing I wanted to mention is these two lovely little gumdrops!!!!!!!

ommmgggg THE SHIPPING BAIT ABOUT TO HIT HAAARRRDDD i paused on like a smear frame, basically their hiding from the security guard because it's night time and they snuck in!! Omggg do you guys even realize what this MEANS????!!!!?!?!?! this means we'll also get maybe a few scenes if our and Dee together ALONE, idk what is up with my brain but I never really shipped them that much or cared to ship for them until seeing THIS, maybe I'm just really pathetic in my own love life but the way lif is holding onto Dee (for protection and to hide yk) is SENDING me, it is cute, so special and precious, and I need them to start dating, I am officially their number one shipper now (omfg if they become canon in this I will cry myself to sleep istg I'll be so happy knowing I can rest over these cartoon lovers getting together XP)

Oh oh and what do y'all think heavy could be doing while we get some life and Dee scenes? Or while this scene specifically is happening?? My guess is they caught sight of the "glasses kid" and heavy volunteered to go follow after him in suspicion, omg I can't even fathom getting so much new heavy screen time, he's only my all time favorite character, aaaaAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!

That's pretty much it, I give my upmost respect and admiration to DiMA, Alina, and every single voice actor, artist, animator, inspirations, etc of this entire show, they all deserve the world and a medal for giving us this spectacular series, that upon now seeing this trailer has made my metal family hyperfixation AWOKE deeply and fiercely

I couldn't find a truly perfect reaction image to seeing this new metal family trailer, so here's this one I drew, have a lovely day/night everyone♡

[mobius-m-mobius]

Thank you so much for replying to my anon ask! And please don't apologize for your long reply. I LOVE IT!

Sylvie has every right to build and explore the kind of love she wants, but I think she lacks self-awareness in her "call-out" of Mobius, which is why Loki calls /her/ out in the next scene, reminding her that the only reason she's at the TVA is because she couldn't kill Victor, not because she actually wanted to /help/.

I sent an ask to @bebx that I hope you don't mind that I copy/paste here, because that blow up about pie sets up Mobius narratively in the next 2 episodes.

Let's talk about the TVA seal. If Loki was the original founder of the TVA before HWR takes over and performs a memory-wipe, the dagger represents Loki, the hourglass/Mobius strip represents Mobius, the shield looks like it might actually be a mask, which can represent Sylvie, who has a gift for enchantments. All 3 of them need to be on the same page to succeed.

Speaking of Sylvie, a word on the pie scene: from a plot perspective, this was Mobius's lowest point. He must feel worthless and good for nothing. This is actually critical for c when Loki finds him: I think Mobius might decline going back, not necessarily because his life before TVA was any better, but because he will likely think he will cause more harm then good, and that the only thing he's good at is selling jet skis, which can't possibly harm anyone.

Loki, because he didn't say anything during the confrontation with Sylvie, will be compelled to tell him that's absolutely not true. Loki will tell Mobius that his kindness and his believing in him changed everything. Perhaps, if we're lucky, we'll get some kind of love confession. Loki might say he can't save the timeline alone and he /wants/ Mobius at his side. Thus, Loki believing in Mobius causes Mobius to believe in Loki. When his memories get wiped in the future by HWR, his love Loki (romantic or platonic) will be an echo of his love for jet skis. He won't remember why he loves Loki, he just knows he dies because he did before. Thus closing the loop and fulfilling the snake eating its own tail. Who saved who?

Lastly, For All Time, Always had been presented as an ominous slogan. I believe this is actually a pact Loki, Mobius and Sylvie make among themselves to protect all timelines and free will. When HWR invades the TVA and perfoms the memory wipe, the slogan becomes perverse. I bet the pruning sticks, magic dampeners, collars, and torture devices were brought into the TVA by him. He is an inventor, after all.

Also, in rebuilding the TVA's facilities (which will take some powerful magic, magic that would create a place that would impress a post-NY Loki), Mobius might request Loki and Sylvie for a pie automat and hot chocolate dispenser. Because stress. Sylvie might use her magic to grant his wish as a peace offering.

Oh hi! Lovely to meet you and of course, such a pleasure to read and reply to 😊

Really wish there was more thought put into Sylvie's direction this season because at this rate there hasn't been any depth into the time she's been spending at the McDonald's branch which she seemed to be enjoying building a routine at, in comparison to suddenly going back to trying to chase He Who Remains variants while constantly telling everyone at the TVA they're dragging her back in while *she's* following them around?

Her not knowing what to do with herself makes sense considering her life had been dedicated to revenge until now but I just can't connect in any way when her one firm goal has been protecting all timelines enough to give the people there chances to live full lives and no matter the terrible history she has with the TVA, they're the only entity capable of ensuring that. Would never expect her to like the place or anyone there but they've already proven they're now working to preserve and she has no other plan to offer than burning everything to the ground which isn't an option while the loom's at such a critical level so her repeatedly ignoring what's right in front of her is feeling more than a little pointless.

(here we go again haha, adding a read more for everyone's sake!)

Don't mind at all and completely agree about the narrative being set specifically to explore the mindset Mobius has been in all season as well as his perspective on finding out his past. Still debating on whether he has any awareness of the TVA when we see him again and am leaning heavily toward him being the original version of himself with no knowledge of Loki or anything else that's happened so I'd love to see how Loki convinces him or if there's any kind of inherent connection or understanding lingering between them anyway?? But if he does have access to his memories I really do think he'd want to take a step back after watching Loki go after Sylvie after the pie situation.

Which would therefore lead to Loki going into detail about the conversation he had with Sylvie defending Mobius and all he's done for not just everyone on the branches but himself as well and I really do think there's going to be a mutual confession regarding how they've changed each other for the better whether it's during the process of Loki getting Mobius' memories back or afterwards when they're (hopefully) fully back to the versions we've gotten to know and love.

I noticed the detail of the TVA seal when it got cracked and couldn't believe it didn't hit me earlier, lol! A dagger and a Möbius strip, how poetic 🥺 As for the third member making up the timekeepers I'm open to however it goes but can't help rooting for B-15 to have the position simply because she's such a strong person with true faith in what the TVA and be and accomplish and I think she's earned the spot but I could see Sylvie reluctantly coming around to the goals of a reformed TVA enough to lend her magic to certain elements of the design and do like to think every Loki can't help but have a soft spot for every Mobius so you may very well be right as to how so many sweets ended up in the TVA 😂

Still confusing me is how and when exactly HWR eventually enters the picture and takes control, and where Loki or Sylvie are at that point since Mobius, B-15, and Casey have clearly still been working there but think you're absolutely right about HWR having invented and introduced the more dangerous and controlling elements of the place.

Finally I just have to say I think we'll absolutely get a "For All Time, Always" exchanged between Loki and Mobius right before the series ends and you have no idea how here for it I am, really just want the two of them accepting how much good they can do at the TVA and when they're together so can't wait to see where the series eventually takes us!

[animehouse-moe]

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 3: Hidden Inventory 3

I'll be the first to say it, this episode is markedly better than the prior two. It's better in quite a few different ways, though is still peppered with quite a few complaints. Would I say that things are looking up? Probably not, no. Would I say there's a chance at this adaptation getting better as we go on? Quite possibly, yes. It's a very weird spot, but this episode does well almost because it doesn't try to be Jujutsu Kaisen, rather it tries to move as far away from it as it can, and it's in the pieces that are central to JJK that you understand something is wrong. Confusing yes, but hopefully I can break down my thoughts into more detail with this post.

I like to call what I've just described the "Tanya The Evil Effect". It's an aspect where the depiction of a story and its events ends up so far deviated in tone and experience, that when under good direction and work you can still value and appreciate it as something disparate from the source material.

The episode director isn't in over their head this episode, Gosso isn't hamfisting excessive and incoherent direction into the content at large, there's just a lot of stuff that greatly divorces this episode from Gosso's vision at large, and is part of why it remains successful.

I still think there's things that are silly and pointless changes for the sake of cutting corners, like this sequence of Kuroi and Geto talking where they're static in the anime vs in motion in the manga. It's just one of those simple things that provides context and agency to the situation. Why would Geto and Kuroi be standing still if Amanai is in danger?

If you take a closer look at the episode, it's actually quite odd. There's a lot of direction that's bog standard, just characters in frame standing still. But then you get random bursts of direction that are surprisingly solid, like this piece of Amanai behind the fence/bars, symbolizing her isolation and feeling of being prisoner to her role as the Star Plasma Vessel. Arguably one of the only scenes that makes proper use of the change of scenery from the rooftop rendezvous of the manga.

Anyways, onto Okinawa. I'm disappointed, but also surprised. Incredibly sad to not see Gojo's summer hairstyle on display, but I also feel like with a lot of these scenes, this is the closest we'll manage to S1/manga humor parity.

Alright, back into disappointment mode. Very sad that they didn't include this pose/panel for Haibara and Nanami. Why don't we just continue to strip the characterization and style of this cast more, MAPPA? Also, poor Haibara man. Nanami's already a lost cause sadly, but I at least had a bit of hope for Haibara in spite of the early showings of their character design. Even worse than I was expecting to be honest. The energy and slightly goofy nature just does not exist within him in the anime.

Have to shout out my boy Asta/Tadano though. Love seeing Gakuto Kajiawara getting more and more VA roles.

Where was I? Oh yeah, Okinawa. This is now a drama anime, plain and simple. The framing/layouts/etc are all very much drama leaning, and it's well done. It's just that compared to what the manga offers.... it's, well, decidedly not it. Also, unsure why, but random scenes in the episode are very low-res? I know Tumblr compression does not help at all, but this scene in particular is incredibly grainy and odd. There's also something wrong here in how dull Gojo and Geto's colors are in the shade compared to how vibrant the scene is in the light. I wouldn't call it bad compositing, but the color design doesn't feel quite right. I mean, the second image is of them in the exact same spot under the shade, but it looks so much better? The environment art is sharper in their vicinity, the character designs are more detailed, there's proper shading, and the colors seem way more accurate/realistic.

Maybe I've just gotten used to the poor compositing/coloring of the series to be honest, because at first glance I didn't actually think it was as inconsistent as I'm finding it to be.

Also, shoutout MAPPA hating on Geto again man. This dude is just stepped all over through these episodes and it hurts me so much. His expressiveness is totally stripped away from him and replaced with some hollow smile that I'm sure anime onlies can even tell carries no weight. Like please tell me, who are these two people in the anime??? It just hurts, and it's the tip of the iceberg for the issues with faces and expressions.

Personally speaking, I think this one is the biggest failure from MAPPA. They literally did this exact defeated smile Geto loves to wear in JJK 0, and they can't repeat it for S2? It's just so painful to see them totally mismanage the characters despite having simpler designs so they can "be more expressive".

That's enough bemoaning what's happened to poor Geto, allow me to return to why this episode is actually better (though it only really borders on good) than the prior ones: that drama feel. They extend what's displayed in the manga of Amanai and co's Okinawa trip, and it's pretty well done. I'd say as a manga reader though? I don't really care, and I don't think it adds a great deal to the experience in the first place with how they chose to add things. The scenes are pretty and some of the best displayed in the episode though, of course. The good old MAPPA special of placing insane effort into original pieces while giving the source material the cold shoulder.

Okay, one little piece of criticism (though it's actually sorta big). MAPPA just can't keep their little paws off of messing up characters for some reason. It's a simple thing, I know, but it's also why I'm complaining about it. There was no need. No need to have Amanai place her hands behind her back, to do something that her character never did even once in the manga. But they do, and it changes the tone of Amanai simply walking through an aquarium, to Amanai placing more thought in the experience. A very frustrating and needless change that weighs down the actual potential displayed in the sequence at large.

Anyways, what makes this piece of the original adaptation good? Well, the use of the symbolism of fish was already strong in the manga thanks to Gege, as its used to further show Amanai's isolation and the lack of a group that she can exist alongside/be with. That part remains clear in the anime thankfully. The piece that adds to it though is the parallel between the aquarium and its customers. They place the idea of Amanai's isolation compared to the fish on top of the people visiting the aquarium. Sounds a little odd maybe but I'm bad at explaining, but the point is to show the isolation Amanai feels from seeing the fish (and whales) in the aquarium as a palpable and noticeable thing that she actively experiences.

Of course, I'm not without complaints, but I feel like it's easier to let it slide if you don't look deeply at this sequence. If you see it as something untethered to Amanai's character, the weird extra cuts of the fish swimming freely in the aquarium is fine, but putting it alongside the context of Amanai's character it's pretty confusing and excessive. Why spend all that time fixating on the movements of the fish trapped in an aquarium, relegated to their current fate? Feels like a tone deaf movement for some odd pursuit of artistry that neglects the function of the sequence.

Alright, on to the next butchered character/sequence! Toji and Gojo. Man, I knew what to expect considering they showed viewers as much of the "good" stuff as they could, but I didn't think it was going to get this weak.

I knew Toji was going to suffer, but I mean, how different can you really get and still call it the same character? What a weird shit-eating grin in the anime versus the far more creepy and naturally twisted smirk that rests on Toji's face. It's just incredibly bothersome to see them fail so miserably with reactions that are so important to characters.

And I mean, they do it again, and again, and again. The whole flashback sequence is meant to be played off like horror, and up until the reveal is well done. It's got tension, a cheesy horror soundtrack. It's got the potential to actually do something with the appeal it's aiming for, but it ultimately fails because what is Toji's reaction here? It's supposed to be the thing that he fears/despises/disgusts, but all that shows on his face is plain surprise? Compare that to the manga, and you see how flat and lifeless this reaction is.

Okay okay last one before I move on. What kind of pose is this? He's so relaxed and standing like he's already superior to Gojo, like he knows he could win effortlessly. It is absolutely not the pose and expression of a man set to go up against arguably the most feared sorcerer of his time.

Anyways, action and stuff. I don't think it's terrible. As I'd already established though it's not JJK action. It takes well done choreography and layouts, and reduces it to flashy cuts that viewers can barely piece together in time. What's more worth talking about is how dim and over processed the sequences are. They just end up looking so out of place no matter what MAPPA tries to do. Also man, the S2 OST really does stink. Even in a tense action sequence there's just zero heart in it. Such a massive flop compared to the electric work on S1 and 0.

Okay, yes, Keiichirou Watanabe's animation for Gojo's Blue is well done. But, if the camera wasn't having a seizure I'm sure it would be better received. Of course, same issues in regards to the prior statement about action with the dimming and over processing too. Wastes a lot of potential that the cut had to be a genuinely great piece of animation in the context of JJK. It still undeniably is, beneath all of the additional oddities that bury it, but it's pretty far removed from JJK.

If you want to understand what I'm saying, take a look at Hanami vs Yuji and Todo (Watanabe did the cut of Hanami's massive branch attack). Yes, the compositing is better for Gojo's blue, but take a look at the camera work. How much effort it places into keeping the duo in frame, how hard it tries to keep things cohesive and easy to follow. It's a night and day difference that shows the importance of a director in delivering the best version of someone's animation.

Anyways, here's Gojo's Blue sequence, as a video. Too long to make into a reasonable quality gif, and also insanely flashy and all over the place so nicer than having seizure material auto-play in two places at once.

Alright, so uh, Gojo dies, Toji pulls up with the gat and domes Amanai right in front of Geto, following it up by announcing that he killed Gojo. And then the episode ends. Honestly? I loved the ending just cause I know it'll cause so much chaos for viewers.

The episode overall though? It's weird that I think it noticeably better than the prior two when I've complained about so much, but maybe it's one of those things where the closer you get to being correct, the more faults you find in the thing being examined. Regardless, it feels like Toji's been incredibly nerfed from a viewer's perspective compared to the manga (alongside Geto and plenty of others), and honestly I had next to no hype for their actual sequence because it all felt so disjointed. The pacing of it felt off, and the action just didn't grab me with it's super flashy, highly processed, up close and personal so you can't quite tell what's going on combat. I'd say it's still a flop compared to what S1 would offer in comparison for big moments, but it's also done better on average when compared to the prior two episodes.

Pacing is of massive concern now though. We're three episodes in, with a total of five. It took us three episodes to make 8 chapters total, and we've got 6 though more likely 7 chapters of content left to cover for this arc, with only 2 episodes remaining. "Oh that's not too bad", except for the fact that there's the massive upcoming fight alongside us still having to get through Toji vs Geto. Even with the 6 instead of 7 chapters, even if they don't add any original content, they're speed-running at a minimum of 3 chapters for the last two episodes, which is pretty damn bold.

Is Hidden Inventory/Gojo's Past going to hold on and make it to the end in its current state, or will it rush itself to an early grave? Next episode will certainly be the deciding factor, but whatever it is, I'm not exactly hopeful of where we're going to be left.

[aceofnace]

Nace is truly my biggest ship loss. I was baited into watching this show for them and they have only 1 real kiss and might not even get together until the last minute. 0/10 would not recommend.

Hey, Anon, I feel your pain! I'm not counting it as a total loss just yet, because who knows what the remaining 4 episodes have in store for us, but I do understand the urge to consider them a loss. Why? Because think of all the things we could've had with them and most likely never will:

-Slow dances. Nancy's had them with two love interests, Park and Tristan. Ace had one with Laura. Slow dances are a staple for any good ship. They can be romantic. They can be angsty. They can be tension-filled. They can just be sweet and cute. And Nancy and Ace have danced together zero times in the four years we've known them (about only 7 or 8 months for them). Now, am I hoping there will be a flash-forward epilogue scene in the finale of Nace on their wedding day slow dancing with each other as newlyweds? Or maybe dancing together on their first trip to Paris during a sunset? Absolutely! Do I think we will get either one of those? Of course not!

-Dates. Could you imagine how AMAZING Nace dates would've been? Just the two of them out to dinner. Or having a nighttime picnic under the stars like Carson and Kate. Or hell, even just them sitting in the front seat of Florence while on a midnight stakeout trying to catch Chunky Velez. Nace dating era would have SERVED.

-Fun, flirty moments. Quick—name the last time Nancy and Ace flirted with each other. Or, rather, name any time Nancy and Ace flirted with each other. They never have. But had we gotten to see them in a relationship, they would've been flirting all the time. I could just picture Nancy sitting on Ace's lap while he's hacking. Or her lovingly teasing him over every little thing he does. Or the two of them acting so over-the-top in love with each other in front of George to annoy the hell out of her. I would've loved to see flirty Nace, because it would've involved lots of smiling and them being HAPPY.

-Kissing. Lots of kissing. I can see why Nancy referred to her kiss with Ace in 4x03 as the best kiss of her life. It was EPIC. When Nancy and Ace's lips meet in a kiss, they are both ALL IN, whether it be in a dream or real life. Those two certainly know how to kiss, but mainly just each other. After observing them kissing their other LIs throughout the seasons, you can see a major difference in how they kiss others vs how they kiss each other. And while I'm certain they will have one more kiss, maybe even two, before the end, it won't be enough. Because as much as I love epic kisses (and I think their last ones will be that), I also love the simpler ones. The forehead kiss. The "see you later" peck on the lips kiss. The kiss on the cheek. The kiss on the chest before getting out of bed to go get breakfast. I would've given anything for a whole season of Nace kisses as they tried out every single kind. How sweet would that have been?

I could keep going, but I won't because I'm making myself sad. We could've had it all, but instead we'll be left with next to nothing in the end. And it breaks my heart. Now, whoever "baited" you into the watching the show I'm sure had no idea things would end up this way, so definitely don't blame them! I've been with this ship since the day the show premiered in 2019. And personally? I don't regret loving them, no matter how their story ends. I do think you should wait 4 more episodes before giving it your final "recommend" rating, but sadly it probably won't make much of a difference. Nace will most likely be rushed at the very end. We'll collect our endgame but have very little to show for it. I'll still always love them, though, and they will continue on after the finale to live a long, happy life together in my head, and that's gonna have to be good enough for me.

[televinita]

I am halfway through A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, and the way somebody might want to murder Pipsqueak just to get her to knock it off and stop annoying people has been apparent since episode 2.

(also I know media has warped my perception of teenage appearance but seriously she looks 14?? she looks like the little sister of her friend group) (edit: what do you MEAN she was twenty (21?) when filming this. ???????)

+ One more rant about Pippa: I didn't SUPER love her but I don't remember finding her this bad in the books until at least the second one. However, her obnoxiousness plus the fact I've never seen this actress in anything else has put said actress immediately on the I Don't Like Her Face, Stop Casting Her In Stuff list.

+ The rest of her friend group, however, is very charming and charismatic! Love them. Her two female friends were my least favorite book characters but I love and possibly ship them already here. Also the white guy (I truly cannot remember names) is charming and funny and needs more screentime.

+ I also love her stepfather & brother, just as in the book, and cherish every scene with them. (Her mother is roughly as colorless and forgettable as I remember in the book; I'm not sure if that's good or bad)

+ The sleaze dripping off Max Hastings - while also somehow still retaining enough magnetism that I can understand how he's popular - is incredible; superb casting.

+ A+ casting on the Singh brothers, they are both as charming and different-yet-similar-looking as I imagined them to be in the book.

+ I feel absolute zero romantic chemistry between Pip & Ravi, mostly on account of her being 12 (age downgraded since she's just fully cosplaying Harriet the Spy at this point), but I like them as friends/investigative partners and am really enjoying their scenes.

+ I'm sorry, the sisters' English-teacher dad is THOMAS FROM "GHOSTS"????????? INCREDIBLE.

+ The music is trash.

+ I don't have any specific standout scenes yet but I do wanna say the silver-star cater-waiter costumes were incredible, lmao.

+ So far I feel like it's sticking pretty closely to the book's arc? I haven't looked up for certain, and I definitely wouldn't mind at least one thing being changed** but also, familiarity good so I kind of hope that's true. I love looking at certain characters like, "I know what you are." (rapist. murderer. all that good stuff)

**i swear to god if this show doesn't fix the one book mistake it absolutely MUST improve upon... (leave her dog alone!!)

+ I also feel, so far, that if I wasn't having so much fun watching the book come to life (not least because I read the dumb Americanized version and it's nice seeing how it is actually supposed to play out, school-and-law-enforcement-wise), I don't know if I'd find this the most scintillating show. Despite the shock opening scene, it's kinda slow? While I did give the book series a solid 4 stars, half the book's appeal is its mixed media formatting, I'm sure of that now.

+ However, I remain very pumped that for ONCE, television has adapted a book I not only know but have read and really liked, and with the power of that knowledge I do think this is a solid adaptation overall. We'll see how the second half plays out!

[backjustforberena]

i love your posts about rhaenys clothes/hairstyles/ etc and how they detail the place she is mentally! just based on the trailer for s2, what are you expecting from her based on how she looks?

Hi, nonnie! Thank you for sending this in and I hope that you're well. So, from the trailer, we only get one look. I think it's the same look and the same hairstyle in both shots we get of her (one at the Painted Table, one close-up with Rhaenyra). And we can't really see much of the detail yet, nor do we have a promotional still, so we're still working with pretty limited information and I am fully prepared to be proven wrong as we get more content.

Also, we don't yet know how much her hair and costume is meant to represent a new part of her character journey - it's a new costume designer, a new team. Jany (who did Series 1) spoke a lot about it, which made me confident enough to draw a fairly detailed theory on her Series 1 outfits and hair.

But my overall feeling is... Targaryen. She looks fully and fabulously Targaryen. There's not a hint of Velaryon on her. In this war, she is a Targaryen and there will not be any mistaking that.

Her braids are far more Targaryen, in that they hold a lot more similarities with Daenerys and Rhaenyra (and Helaena and Aemma) than Rhaenys's hair ever did in Series 1. Her hair was far more unique to her last series - whether you liked it or not - and incorporated lots of different styles of braids and gold accessories that mirrored her husband a little. Here we have a softer look, though still with regality and still with height to it, still with it pulled back from her face and totally loose down the back.

Moving onto her clothes, I am ridiculously pleased that she is still in black. She's in full black, so we're continuing on with the colour journey she went on in Series 1 and, I think, we'll remain with black. I don't think we'll see her in blue again.

Her clothes are verging on the masculine (she's a pretty good opposite to Daemon across the Painted Table, more than ever), and they've also got the Valyrian style that seems to be across a number of costumes in the teaser.

Rhaenys has worn the Valyrian style before. It's a similar neckline and layering to her outfit in 1X05, where we assume she came from riding Meleys and had her fingerless gloves on (a preference she seems to have passed to Baela). But this look was interpreted through her Velaryon fabrics and wealth, so it's less overt than what Rhaenyra and Daemon wore at their wedding and what the Dragonkeepers wear - she was Targaryen when with her dragon but not unleashed as she is now, and whatever flights she will take are not for pleasure, but for war.

In short: we've gone from blue silk Velaryon dresses, to jet black, Targaryen tunics. It's plausible she still matches with her husband, as he wears black in his promotional shot, but it may also be that they diverge, as in his shot in the teaser, he's wearing blue - though he was also on Driftmark, so fair enough. There's no reason for them to match now. She's not hiding. To deny her parentage is now no longer a survival mechanism (to draw attention away from her claim i.e her intrinsic threat to Viserys or else her weakness from losing the Throne). But to embrace it is to wield power now.

The outfit that Rhaenys is wearing is built not only for political presentation at the Painted Table (how does she still look like such a Queen??), but also for dragon riding. Both of these are key facets of Rhaenys's character that will be built on this series, in my opinion. This is how she will identify herself - as a political advisor, and as a dragon-riding warrior.

I hope it means we'll have scenes of her interacting with Meleys and really showing that bond. Though, it's worth noting that the outfit as it is, unlike her black velvet from Episodes 8-10, will not support having armour put over it.

I do hope that she retains her femininity. I'll be interested to see if it's a totally masculine silhouette, when we get the full length, and is just a short tunic and trousers, or if it'll look more like a dress or a skirt on her. We always just leant into the feminine with her most masculine looks (her gold riding outfit and black velvet look), with the shaping and the softness and the fabric and ornamentation. This outfit does have different fabrics and details, but it's far more plain than we're used to with her and the shoulders are far sharper.

[joshhhhhhhhhhhhhhh]

so I was fucking TIRED of being inconsistent and generally behind on this, such that I sat down and made myself watch 5 episodes in a row, which isn't a lot of episodes but also like man, you know? Also as a sidenote earlier in the year when the friend I'm watching all KyoAni shows with mentioned how long he expected it to take if we never missed a day he came up with August 22nd - now this date assumed we'd only ever watch one episode a day and that that'd apply for specials as well, which would have been pretty stupid and added on like a month, so it's not like the actual formal "we have to finish by this date" date. But also, it's kind of a fun goal, isn't it? Like we're so close to it that it has to be possible, I want to have it done, you know? To that end I'm hoping I can watch Second Raid at a faster pace than I've been doing before, but we'll see.

Anyway, as for the episodes I watched today:

Episodes 8 and 9 are a two-parter in which Tessa briefly joins the school and later they go on a hot springs trip. I didn't really like these episodes at all - Tessa's kind of just annoying, her rivalry with Kaname is obnoxious, and the hot springs episode is an excuse to watch Kurz and some of the NPCs try to peep on the girls, which I just literally did not enjoy a single second of.

Episode 10 sees Bonta-kun Sousuke train a group of yakuza members so they can more effectively take on a different group of yakuza members, with an action climax involving rescuing Kaname and her friend. Felt kinda lame. Every element that composes this conflict was done better earlier - Bonta-kun in his introductory episode as well as Ponytail, rescuing Kaname literally everytime that's ever happened, and Sousuke training a bunch of incompetents in the rugby episode. So just wasn't really it.

Episode 11 is a flirting competition so there's a lot of early 2000s haha women dialogue that was pretty annoying, and moreover it was boring for a lot of the runtime, but there's a pretty sweet scene at the end of a disguised Kaname rescuing Sousuke from a bad dare punishment, it was quite nice.

Episode 12 sees a biohazard released into the classroom such that Sousuke detains everyone so they can all safely die together, hilarity ensues. Pretty entertaining actually. The get-out-of-jail card at the end is that actually, it just dissolves clothes. Frankly these last couple episodes have really upped the sheer amount of fanservice scenes compared to just earlier in Fumoffu. No strong feelings on that.

And thus, the show is finished. I was kind of between 4 and 5 for my score, honestly I think the main thing I felt about the show for the bulk of its runtime is that it's kinda boring, but there's generally enough there to where I felt a 5 worked, certainly the first episode made me laugh out loud and there are enough like single-line gags that would get to me. Sousuke overhears high-school boys trading photos of the girls using vague terminology the entire time and saying out loud "I understand. They're trading narcotics" or something, that's funny. More broadly after hating every single character in the original series it was nice to watch this and straight up enjoy Sousuke as well as be able to tolerate Kaname. Not hating this is such a huge upgrade over the first season anyway, so.

Next step in FMP groupwatch is I'll watch Second Raid episode 0 since it's 5 minutes long, and then starting tomorrow I'm gonna have to make pretty good time knocking out the proper 13 episodes remaining and then the OVA as well. We'll see if I can't hold myself to that August 22nd deadline. Gaming.

[quipxotic]

Spoilers for Campaign 3, in particular Episode 68, below...

Who could Bell's Hells call on for help at the Malleus Key? Here's a running list of some of the options, although how likely any of the people are to give aid is still up in the air.

Planerider Ryn - If she's alive and no longer a statue you know she'd be there.

Any remaining members of the Grim Verity - They're mostly academics, not fighters, which is why both the Ruby Vanguard and the Judicators/forces of Vasselheim so easily whittled them down. Still, there may be more out there if BH could figure out how to contact them.

"D" - Seems like they're going to find them anyway, so we'll see what they have to offer.

Jiana Hexum - Always a dicey proposition, first of all because Hexum (while a wonderful villain who I hope we see again) is a terrible person who enjoys holding power over others and making them do things they otherwise wouldn't. I'd hate to see what she'd ask of BH, more specifically Ashton and FCG, if they do go to her for help. Plus they don't know if Hexum was just hired to do work for Paragon's Call/Ruby Vanguard or if she believes in their cause.

The Green Seekers - Gus and Olly are more detectives than soldiers but it's all hands on deck right now.

House Lumas and Oshad Breshio - I'm sure Ela would love to bring some justice to the people who murdered her sons and the Anger would probably like another shot at them too.

Orlana Seshadri - One of the things I most wish BH had done while back in Jrusar was talk to Madame Seshadri. I'm not sure how much power the Chandei Quorum could bring to the fight, but they at least ought to know what's going on practically on their doorstep.

Ira Wendagoth - Like Hexum, this one is tricky. Ira's powerful and can be an ally, but he's fundamentally untrustworthy and will betray them one day. But if BH can survive this event without that or a TPK, they can worry about that eventual betrayal later.

The Verdict - Yeah maybe they still have beef with BH, but the team did heal them before they eventually beat them to the prize they were all after. Maybe that little bit of kindness counts for something?

The Calloways - I'm not sure how much help Ollie would be, but Birdy is no slouch in a fight and they've both got multiple reasons for trying to stop what's going on at the key.

Imahara Joe - I'll admit part of my reason for putting him on this list is just because I want more of Joe, who is a delight. He wouldn't be able to help them fight, but if they need tech he's the guy.

All-Minds-Burn - I'm not sure how much help Justi Pross and the gang could be outside of Bassuras or if they'd even want to pick a side in what's going on, but they'd be able to take it to whatever is left of the Paragon's Call, so maybe?

Grandma Morri - She would probably be helping already if travel and communication between the planes weren't part of the magic that got borked due to the solstice. Still, if there is a way, always count on Nana.

Delilah Briarwood - I mean, what could go wrong? I really hope it doesn't come to this, because if it does and they survive the battle on the moon or at the key, then they'll eventually have to fight her and possibly Vox Machina...and nothing good can come from any of that.

The Gorgynei - They'd probably be reluctant to leave the Gloomed Jungles and expose both their existence and their number, but this is a desperate situation. Bonus! Matt might have to voice Manad and Teven Klask in a scene with Fearne, Ashton, and Chetney and wouldn't that be an awkward delight?!

FRIDA, Deanna, and Prism - Get the Lore-sonists on the case! (This is HIGHLY unlikely, but we can dream.)

The Diarchy of Uthodurn - Team Wildemount promised to report back and never did. And while the rulers and the city may be a long, LONG way from the fight, they should have some sort of force to send and quite a few reasons to fight Ludinus.

[itsclydebitches]

Am I the only RWBY hater legitimately happy they're addressing Ruby's trauma and her constant shoving it under the 'i'm a happy dappy shounen protag! you can lean on me!' rug. If it fucks it up I don't think I'll even be too mad - The Owl House fucked theirs up and that's one of the best new shows out. The fact they actually had Ruby faint as her literally shutting down to the new information was neat to me. So tbh despite the rest of the episode being, lmao, bad, I kind of want to be happy and expectant based off that alone. If the focus of the volume really is zeroing in on Ruby's mental health (which it definitely is squaring up to be) I'm kind of interested what they'll do.

You're far from the only one, anon! I'm cautiously hopeful, based primarily on that opening. The fact that we've got Ruby lagging behind the group alongside, our trailer with her past doppelganger seemingly judging her, tells me that yeah, we are squaring up to tackle this. Which is great!

It's also, honestly, kinda frustrating. I was saying years ago that if RWBY finally gets its act together it'll be too little too late in many respects and now we're bumping up against that very problem. I have trouble taking Ruby's trauma seriously when it was nearly nonexistent post-Penny's first death and actually nonexistent after her resurrection. I especially have a hard time taking it seriously when it's book-ended by cutsey mice and vine gags. I'd argue that on one level RWBY already has fucked up Ruby's mental health arc, simply by letting it languish for eight years and introducing the core of it in that mess of a premiere... but that's not to say that there won't still be worthwhile aspects this season, even if the arc isn't all that it could have been.

I'm also just so, so wary after Volume 8. Because Volume 7 had so much going for it. We had the same basic setup of, "This is nowhere near perfect because we had too many problems going into the season, but damn if what they're doing with Ironwood and the team isn't interesting!" And then that crashed and burned so very hard. Obviously that's not to say RWBY will fail again to follow up on what they've introduced, but history hasn't made me particularly optimistic.

Tomorrow is going to be pretty crucial imo. Because Ruby's faint - while yes, emphasizing her shock and tendency to, in this case, literally shut down - is also an easy way to dodge her having a more complex, nuanced reaction. The premiere dodged that further by going, "Ruby says she's fine and conveniently the girls aren't gonna push her about that. Oh look! The episode needs to end now." So tomorrow's 15-20 minute chunk is when the story has to start actually doing something with this revelation - whatever that looks like. If Ruby begins to deal with his somehow (because remember, we only have 9 episodes left), fantastic, we're on our way through a potentially satisfying arc. But if we continue to waste time on silly jokes while Ruby just remains perpetually in this state of, "I'm fine, no need to grapple with what I'm dealing with" - which, notably, has basically been her default state since Volume 3 - then I'm worried we'll get another one-episode "fix it" towards the end of the season, rather than an emotionally fulfilling arc. There's a big difference between actually taking Ruby through this journey of coming to terms with her grief and (fingers crossed) her mistakes vs. introducing us to the fact that She Is Sad and then giving us a scene later in the Volume when she inexplicably, completely Overcomes It. Think Oscar accepting his role as Ozpin's host off screen. Qrow suddenly deciding he's done with drink and look, there are no problems with quitting. Or Ruby's lie never amounting to anything, Ren deciding he's just a bad teammate somewhere out in the snow, even leaving half our characters for a Volume with a potential time-skip on the horizon.

RWBY is very good at saying, "Here's a big problem" and also "It's fixed now," but it's grown terrible at providing the in between; how we got from the staggeringly difficult problem to its resolution. I'm really hoping Ruby's arc doesn't go the same route.