#and it’s s1 ep 6. like the first 10 seconds

[glasskey]

Nick & June's Mix tape Vol. 3

With volume 3 comes the battle for Holly, separation and the unveiling of painful secrets. Season 3 was notoriously poor to our 2 lovers with June becoming seriously twitchy without Nick, Hannah or Holly. Gilead is Hell.

What Are You Good For?

Love in Gilead is less than ideal. One day you’re dreaming about a beautiful beach with your beloved and the next he’s been promoted to Top Boy at the local horror show. Granted he looks great in the suit but Nick doesn’t seem to like the new tie, grabbing at it like the tightening noose that it actually is. Fred was obviously pissed about the baby snatching and his “reward” for Nick was to arrange a promotion complete with a quick trip to the front, undoubtedly to die.

I’ve often said that Nick sometimes DOES listen to his better angels and sometimes he takes the easy way out. Granted it’s difficult he’s stuck between a rock and a hard place, but when June asks him to take the high road, hightailing it with her and Hannah for the border, and he doesn’t, it earns him a brutal verbal slap.

“What are you good for?” she demands and I was instantly reminded of S1 when June confronted him with his lowly aspirations: “Is this it? You’re just gonna polish his car and once in a while get a Handmaid pregnant?” In both of these moments Blaine looks deeply shamed, June has shown him that while she loves him she’s also acutely aware of his shortcomings.

It’s a justified blow to his ego, particularly given his newly acquired power and his reluctance to use it for good. As she demonstrates her willingness to risk so much more for freedom, he’s left feeling like a small and suitably chided man, instead of the patriarchal Gilead’s new Big Commander. “You’ll get killed” June says with a cold finality as he tells her that he’s been sent to the front, confronting him with the reality that his unquestioning loyalty to Gilead will now surely cost him his life. It’s madness.

This is one of the only scenes where Nick and June are not depicted in a glowing light, it’s difficult to ignore that Nick is now almost swallowed by the shadows. Over the last 2 seasons, they’ve become one another’s beacon of joy and hope and there’s a palpable air of desolation and sorrow here, as these two bid each other goodbye, possibly forever. The camera reveals Nick and June divided by a wall, Nick unwilling to leave her, his back literally pinned to the wall by the heavy weight of Gilead.

June opens the door, gently reaches around, sensing him waiting, somehow their hands finding one another and she leads him out of the dark hallway and back into her room. Doors often represent entrances to other worlds and here we see June reach across the divide to return him to her side, once again. The lock snaps shut signalling an almost unheard of privacy. There’s a sense of finality in it too, as though it may be the last time these two see sanctuary for a long time, if ever again. It’s no more than 10 seconds of screen time and yet it encapsulates their relationship so perfectly. Nick constantly waiting in the shadows, bound by duty, and June always reaching across the divide to bring him in from the cold.

Nice Girl Like You in A Place Like This

The DC episode ranks right up there with the Boston Globe episode as one of the most important and insightful for this entire series. In Ep 6 June witnesses for the first time the absolute devastation this dictatorship has unleashed on her countries seat of power. Fittingly Fred has selected new wave DC as the location to construct his own personal piece of propaganda in an attempt to force the Canadians to hand Nicole back. June’s depicted glowering with vast angel wings, a monolith of power and holy vengeance. In the middle of Fred’s little directorial debut, Nick strolls in and June does the trademark jaw drop. Fred wants to know what he’s doing there, after all he had arranged for him to be shipped off to the front after the whole holding him at gun point / baby napping thing. Despite Fred’s best efforts though, it seems that not only does Blaine continue to breath, but he’s also shown up to visit his girlfriend.

Now if you thought Blaine looked good in a suit, wait till you see him draped in long, dark, tailor made, hotness. It’s obvious there’s a new kind of swagger to him and as he steps up next to June he brushes her hand and drops the line “Nice girl like you doing in a place like this?” It’s a line lifted from a Scorsese film of the same name and Blaine’s used it to flirtatiously lighten the intensely grim mood. He knows DC is Hell but he also knows June is anything but a “Nice Girl”, she blushes barely containing a smile and he smirks.

Fred and Serena can’t help but notice it and Fred’s seething with jealousy. There’s a close shot of Serena’s false finger clenching, a sign of the love lost between her and Fred, that contrasts directly against Nick and June’s hand brushing. Exchanges between Fred and Nick reek of power and control. Fred directs Nick to do his bidding, maneuvering him across the stage and verbally leashing him by calling him son, once again reducing him to a subordinate. Fred makes June kneel down for the camera, and Blaine looks away unable to watch. Unbeknownst to Fred, this will be the last time he ever exercises this type of control over Blaine.

This is Your One Chance

Here we got our epic movie moment for the series, It was like Gone with the Wind and Dr Zhivago all rolled up into one big romantic snow globe. June runs out to meet Nick her hair and cape fluttering behind her freely, a stark contrast to the DC handmaids brutally silenced. It demonstrates the freedom she feels he brings her. Nick, however seems to want nothing to do with June’s gamble on the Swiss that involves him laying his neck on the line and entwining himself in yet another Governments manoeuvrings for power. I, for one could hardly blame him; the last time he got involved with politics he ended up in the bottomless pit that is Gilead and he’s been unsuccessfully digging his way out ever since.

Add to this the fact that the last time he tried to help June, a multitude of people risked their lives and most certainly died, and you have one understandably reluctant Commander. But he’s helpless, she forces him to look in her eyes, tears streaming down her face and tells him that it’ll be his one opportunity to truly show his love and fealty for his daughter.

Now while some may doubt that Blaine ever showed up to speak with the Swiss, I can guarantee that this little exchange ensured that he did. The fact is, Blaine is a sucker for the loyalty card and once June played it, it was a done deal. Scenes are cut and included for a reason and as we know, in The Handmaid’s Tale, even the smallest scene is there for a reason. Show runners went to the effort of showing Blaine at the embassy being called to give information; he showed up, albeit reluctantly, and despite the fact that it all went sideways, writers still wanted you to know that. Unfortunately the reality is, he just couldn’t face her after it did all go to shit, and as a result he beat a hasty and somewhat cowardly exit to the front.

He knew the Swiss would soon tell her he’d been part of the Sons of Jacob who’d been integral to the inception of Gilead, something he’d kept hidden from her for some time now, and she’d be suitably mortified. June IS devastated, she looks out on the glowing playroom once filled with happy children that lies noticeably empty and silent. It reflects her isolation and sense of abandonment; perhaps the family she envisioned with Blaine was just a fantasy.

DC was an episode designed to illustrate the total destruction of all of our personal and societal freedoms under Gilead. To properly demonstrate this writers pulled the rip cord on any emotional support June may have previously had, this included breaking her and Serena up and having Nick leave her somewhat high and dry. It was essential to illustrate Nick was manipulated and part of the Gilead machine from the beginning. It was difficult to watch, given his devotion, but from the moment I saw him cloaked from head to foot in black, practically swallowed by his uniform, I knew it was inevitable that at least for now, Gilead pulled the strings.

In our next 2 Nick and June Mix tapes I’ll be covering Season 4, which was somewhat kinder to the Osblaine fans. Back soon.

[salisburyliam]

My WORST to BEST ranking for Desert Rose's LIs

NOTE: I've ONLY played Jack and Cindy's routes until getting their respective achievements in season 2, ep. 7 - and Adil's in ep. 10. I haven't played season 3 with either of them, maybe my list would be very different if I did, but I'm not a big fan of this book to begin with & I REFUSE to read it one more time lmao

7. Saeed - If he didn't look like he was 15 maybe, mayyybe, he would be higher on the list. But honestly, I'm not quite sure why he's an LI. He's cute I guess, but the "little brother vibe" kind of cute. Also, he has too few scenes for him to suddenly propose to Yasmin. As you can tell, not a fan. 3/10

6. Jaffar - The story of the bodyguard and his protégé would have been very interesting... had it been better executed. The fact that Jaffar literally calls her his "little sister" 🤢 and that there is no romantic interaction of any kind until s3 doesn't actually help. He's more of a background character. Really hot, though. 4/10

5. Cindy - I'd have preferred Caroline as LI, I find her waaay more interesting & with a more distinct personality. Nothing against Cindy, I just get the feeling that the author never really knew what to do with her?? Their romance feels pretty meh imo 6/10

4. Adil - I KNOW this is going to be an unpopular opinion... but I find Adil very boring. 🤷 When I first started this book I chose him as my initial LI not only because he is unquestionably one of the hottest LIs, but because it was obvious he was the rebel. It seemed like a promising dynamic. But then he literally disappears in the second season and when he comes back a thousand years later Zain has already hooked you (that's what happened to me at least lmao). He is the most beautiful man tho, and has the biggest 🍆 in the whole RC - change my mind. 7/10

3. Jack - I looove the flashbacks of when they were kids (the "woah" scene is so endearing) their friendship and how sweet & passionate he is with Yasmin. The dynamic between the two of them feels tender and warm throughout, and as a bonus I will say that they together have the most ADORABLE son ever. 7.5/10

i mean..... look at this little angel!!!!

2. Mustafa - I've talked about this before. If the dynamic + connection between Yasmin and him in s1 had been the same throughout the book, he would have been inarguably in the first place. But from season 2 onwards he literally is sidelined and when he returns he seems like a completely different character. Yet he remains an 8/10 for his sense of humor, love of watermelons and goats.

1. Zain - You can tell it's the author's favorite route because of how well written and thought out it is. There's undeniable chemistry between the two characters, Zain's constant dilemma, Yasmin becoming more and more interested in him but not wanting to admit it out loud, THE TENSION... I didn't even look twice at him in the first season (to this day his sprite still looks like a Disney villain to me, lol) but the second season is undeniably his and I love that he's an official sugar daddy. 9/10

[lesbicosmos]

rewatching s1 of broadchurch even tho im halfway through my first watch of s3 because i have an obsession with rewatching things and DAMN there are way more hints at who ended up being the killer than i originally thought, and a bunch of moments that are really ironic in hindsight

spoilers under the cut (yes it came out like 10 years ago but im still putting a spoiler warning)

ep1 - joe and ellie talk in the kitchen after hardy makes the statement to the media

joe: do you know what happened? i mean should we be worried for other kids?

on first watch, his tone of voice and body language here just seem like confused and worried parent, but on second, there's definitely a hint of panic in his voice

ep2 - joe, tom and fred in the cafe

joe: this is a terrible, unspeakable thing thats happened. but nothing like it will ever happen again here

tom: you cant know that though can you? you cant be sure

then after this joe's facial expression looks SO guilty like he can't think how to respond

ep3 - hardy questioning tom with joe in the room

hardy: can you think of anyone who would want to hurt danny?

THEN THE CAMERA IMMEDIATELY CUTS TO JOE. ik near the end joe swears he never wanted to hurt him but this is still a rly clever piece of editing, i love when shows do this. also the fact that in every scene where he's questioning tom, joe's in the room and occasionally talks but he's never in the frame of the camera hardys using to record it. he was literally right under their noses the entire time and they never suspected because they were focused on other people too much

ep4 hardy goes to the millers" for dinner

this scene hits so much different on second viewing holy shit. at one point they're talking about marriage and work and how hardy's divorce was partially work-related and:

hardy: this job, it does it to you

ellie: well, not to us

ellie actually makes me sob she loves her life so much then it all just comes crashing down on her

joe: do you think you're gonna solve this case?

hardy: certain.

joe: good :)

joe's reply itself here makes sense but there's a few seconds before he says it where his face is just blank and mildly panicked. he's genuinely worrying about being caught at this point.

now this one isn't a direct hint or anything but just if you think about the dialogue in a different context...yeah it fits

hardy: you bloody liar

joe: ive said nothing

hardy: and yet-

joe said nothing to the police or ellie and yet was lying the WHOLE time.

ep5 - brian asks ellie out

ellie: sorry, im married

brian: and thats an issue is it?

ellie: happily married, brian

brian: oh. okay, fair enough. only lots of people aren't though, are they?

ellie: i am.

THE IRONY OH ELLIE LET ME GIVE YOU A HUG PLEASE

ep6 - jack's wake

ellie spends the whole scene looking around to see if anyone looks worried, at one point she looks into a room (seemingly at nige but joe is stood nearby having a different conversation) and she makes eye contact with joe RIGHT as the camera cuts away

ep 6 - joe takes tom to the skate park and ellie arrives

ellie: i was just looking round that bar at the wake thinking "its someone here, why cant i see it?" the longer this goes on, im starting to suspect everyone

joe: when you say everyone...

ellie: well, nearly everyone

this is probably the most obvious hint that i can't believe i didn't catch on to. of COURSE they're gonna make a point for the killer to be the ONE person ellie LITERALLY SAYS she isn't suspicious of.

ep7 - ellie lets susan leave the police station

ellie (about susan's past with her husband and daughters): in your own house, how could you not know?

just ow. the irony of it all. fucking ow.

[coolchevistianofficialsite]

What are your thoughts on Disney TVA's upcoming lineup (Primos, Zombies The Re-Animated Series, StuGo, Cookies & Milk, Rhona Who Lives By The River, Sam Witch, Dog & Frog, SuperStar, The Witchverse, InterCats, Fantasy Sports, Neon Galaxy, La Familia Avenunes, Journey and the Darkwing Duck and TaleSpin reboots by Seth Rogen?

1- Primos

Mira mijo para mí toda la polémica estuvo bien pendeja, ya que todo el crew del show fue puesto en el mismo saco de boxeo por las declaraciones de Myrna Velasco, como persona que conoce a Natasha Kline desde su trabajo en Big City Greens te puedo asegurar por Dieguito Maradona que no es un demonio como otras personas en el internet la están poniendo.

El show NO es sobre la cultura mexicana es sobre la cultura chicana en Los Angeles y como persona que se vio el piloto filtrado antes de que un chistosito lo subiera para crear bardo te digo que es lo mas harmless y inocentón del mundo, los que se están quejando son gente que solo lo hace para crear ragebait y farmear vistas.

2- Zombies The Re-Animated Series

Not really my thing since the movies where "eh" for me but those days i was sick, so i recall the songs, happy for Aliki and the team tho, probably will watch it when i rewatch the films.

3- StuGo

Really interested for this one specially since this one is slated to be Disney TVA's 100th Series, so im curious if Disney will have some kind of event planned besides that, the synopsis is interesting also this show had multiple people of Jellystone! and the crew from the axed CN movie Driftwood on board, so i think it will be interesting as the show saved this people from being jobless.

Just realized that is called "STUGO" beacuse they are STUdents stuck three months on a wild tropical island, so they need to "GO".

Heh. It's like a pun or something. Heheh.

4 - Cookies & Milk

Apparently this is the second project from the Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur EPs, i wonder how will they handle a down to earth slice of life series, imagine if they hire Flying Bark again becoming their first slice of life project with the Rise/LEGO/MGADD animation lol

5- Rhona Who Lives By The River

I like how the concept art has a Cartoon Saloon vibe and wondering how will translate to stop-motion which is interesting, i like Karen Gillian for her role as Nebula on GOTG trilogy, what i wonder is how Disney will handle the show with the Elfman scandal, will they quietly drop it without any mention of Elfman like MAX did with Fired on Mars EP or finding a new composer for Season 2.

6- The Witchverse

I played the VR short recently and OMG is so cute and adorable, the world they created has a big potential for multiple storylines, hoping S1 is more focused on Magda, Sasha (Yeah they have to change her name) and her mother, their relationship was so adorable, hope Daisy Ridley returns for the full series.

7- InterCats

Apparently this will be Disney's first workplace comedy series for YA audiences and it sounds cute, apparently is co-created by one of the Nimona screenwritters Pamela Ribon, so that's a plus.

8- Fantasy Sports

Super looking forward to this one, i loved the original novels and hoping Disney makes justice to Sam Bosma's world and characters, i can see Wiz and Mug becoming perfect additions to crosspromotion events at ESPN.

9- SuperStar

BTW just like to mention that i named it SuperStar as a placeholder title, the show dosn't have a name as of yet, based on the cast call we can see that Alejandra is latina so maybe it's a mixture between MGADD and Hannah Montana, wonder which person created the show.

10.- Journey

Since we don't know it's creator is very hard to tell what to expect BUT the synopsis is interesting kinda a awnser to LEGEND OF VOX MACHIMA but more family friendly, im wonder if this is the project created by Amy Hudkins, Ian Mutchler and Jonathon Wallach since they like Dungeons and Dragons, Legend Of Zelda and Magic The Gathering.

11- La Familia Avenúñez

It's a spin-off of The Proud Family Louder And Prouder with a latino cast pues suena chido la vdd, esperemos que cuando se anuncie no ocurra lo mismo que Primos.

12 - Dog And Frog, Neon Galaxy, Sam Witch

They don't have creator or synopsis as of yet besides a title revealed via a trademark, so it's hard to give overall thoughts

13- Darkwing Duck and TaleSpin Reboots

After TMNT Mutant Mayhem, The Boys, The Boys Diabolical and Invincible im confident that Rogen's team will do Darkwing Duck and TaleSpin justice and wishing good luck to the crew behind them.

[half-truths-and-hyperbole-louk]

Louk's Bad Batch rewatch part 6 !!!

Y'all it's getting super close omg we're in feb now 🙃 lets goooo

Bad Batch 1x02

Tech piloting +10 points

I'll never get tired of Wrecker and Omega napping together 🥺

Echo and Hunter mom and dad 💕

our lil bby Omega stepping into the sun !!! soaking up the fresh air and playing in the dirt !!! I am going to sob 😭😭😭

"That would be dirt" ~ Tech 🤣

Tech: "we're all deserters now" Echo: 😮

Hunter stopping Omega from walking into the booby trap

vs Wrecker 2 seconds later...

SUU MY QUEEN 👑💕

Wrecker is eating a meiloorun 👀 watch out buddy Hera's coming for u

Hello yes who do I talk to about getting a Cut Suu & the batch history/flashback/how they met story time anything pretty please

Rex mention 👀

Tech 🤝 Omega casually dropping the biggest plot points like it's nbd

Omega meeting other kids that don't share her dna 🥲

"Uncle Wrecker!" I am totally normal about this

HER CHECKING BACK WITH HUNTER FOR PERMISSION 😭

ok but are we just gonna ignore the fact that Shaeeah looks completely different to tcw ??

Cut knows what's up with the Kaminoans 👀

Cut also knows what's up putting Hunter in his civvie clothes don't come @ me

Rampart 🤢

"Omega went out past the fence!" *bad batch enters dad batch mode* 🏃‍♂️💨

Cut is the daddest of the batch tho 🥺 he's parenting all of them

THEIR FACES WATCHING CUT WITH OMEGA I CANT 😭

For some reason Hunter is the same height as Wrecker in this scene ??? lmao

Omega taking her lil charm out of her hair 🥲

"Almost forgot how good of a shot you are" ~ Hunter @ Suu !! okay backstory PLEASE

Echo complaing about the imperial chaincode database vs Tech "it's ingenious" lmaooo

Hunter has the braincell rn

bro Hunter is literally growling at Tech for putting Omega in danger 👀 are we ready for his completely unhinged s3 arc??

Tech, Echo: 😳😬 Omega: 👋😁

Echo peeking from the roof !!

Tech's flip !!!

Tech catching Omega !!!!!!!

Echo mom put Omega in time out 😞

Echo's scomp skills have grown sm 🥲

the way he balances the chain codes on his scomp hand 🥺

Y'ALL I FORGOT! I'm also doing a 'Wrecker hits his head count' for the first part of s1 and a different count for s2 later 👀 but we'll get to that hehe I hate it! anyway!!

Wrecker hits his head count: 2

(he bonked it on a pole this ep go watch)

Cut and Hunter wearing the same clothes is giving when ur mum dresses you and your siblings in matching outfits

Tech: "we can't get caught with these chain codes" 🤔 Echo: "we can't get caught at all" 💀 being mom is hard

HUNTER GIVING ORDERS WITHOUT WORDS AGAIN bfkwbxhabckw my fav

Tech to the rescueeee

If I had a dollar for every time Omega was in danger bc of a random imperial droid but is saved at the last second by Wrecker smashing it, I'd have 2 dollars... which isn't a lot but it's weird that it happened twice

Omega's hand is so tiny in Wrecker's 😭🤲

Cut and Wrecker are wearing matching hats 💕

"but I want to stay with you" thanks I didn't need my heart anyway 💔

Suu owns my heart fr

"It responded to that" ~ Wrecker 💀

OMEGA SWEETHEART 😭😭😭 someone needs to hug her so bad she's just a baby can ppl stop upsetting her!! This is ep 2 plssss

Where is the Lawquane family? Are they safe? Are they alright?

Thanks y'all for joining again <3 I'm gonna have to keep it up bc feb is already going so fast?

Anywayyy ilysm 💕

[iamadequate1717]

Some thoughts nearly a month later: OFMD S2 flows together nicely after the first watch. Yes, I would like more room between certain milestones, but I also remember that Ed and Stede were besties about 20 minutes after meeting and were going to run away to China together like 3-4 weeks after meeting. I also remember the first time I watched this show and the style of it.

I first watched it the second week it was out, and I watched 1x1-6 in one go, knowing nothing of it. Like I do with fanfic, I then waited for it to finish before going back in (and was in no fanspace to see the speculation), so I watched 1x7-10 two weeks later. Let me tell you, I did NOT see the romance coming! First watch, I tried to get a feel for the humor and "voice" of the show while lazily trying to figure out the overarching story and what they were building toward; I thought it was going to a bigger emphasis on the English threat (and Spanish Jackie coming back in for a larger role!). Eps 4-6, Ed had the whole "I'm gonna burn off Stede's face and steal his identity" thing going on which made every action a bit sinister and Ed/Stede interaction seemingly tied to how that was going to resolve.

Now, 7-10... ep 7 is nice. Not sure how I didn't connect Lucius' "die alone" comment to a story romance, but I'm aroace and didn't have time to think about it much as I barreled into 8-10! Ed was a fratbro in 8, but he renounced his ways, and 20 audience minutes later, he's kissing Stede and starting this whole go to China thing! Whaaaa? It is absolute whiplash on first viewing if you came in not hearing this called "the gay pirate show." (Don't get me wrong! I liked it!) They just met, they got over that whole face burning thing, and ep 7 was the only breathing room on first run to see their relationship as one more as equals, and they're just immediately going off on a gay wedding honeymoon together?

However, if you go back and watch it, you can see all the details they put into the show and how they were setting up the season payoff. It was brilliant. The show was always breakneck and had things happen offscreen (ex: how hard Ed fell, the early early flirtation of Lucius and Pete), I think. If you need reflection time for S2 events, that is what the pause button (and S3) is for.

S2, the audience really had to adjust to the more "real pirate" tone and jettison the fanon (you know, in theory!) while also absorbing the story direction and payoffs. It is a lot to take in on first watch, like S1 was. Like S1, S2 improves on rewatch, and pacing and whiplash aren't so bad.

[sarucane]

OFMD Meta Series Master Thread

My brain works in meta series for some reason, and a couple of my individual metas have been really popular! So in case you're looking for more of my stuff, or to read a meta related to one you already liked, here're my series. I'll update them as I go.

Metas about Stories and Storytelling in OFMD

Do we just keep telling the same story forever? Meta on OFMD S1E7 "This is Happening"

(Note: writing this while on a holiday, there'll be more metas in this series once I get home and go through drafts ;) )

The Fuckery's the Thing: Finding truth through lies in "The Art of Fuckery"

True Stories, False Stories: "The Best Revenge is Dressing Well"

Stories within Stories (within more stories!): OFMD Meta Analysis of Ep 1 E4

Stede Bonnet's Stories (S2)

Ed Teach's Stories

Stede Bonnet's Stories (S1)

Storytelling in Our Flag Means Death

Character Analysis Question Metas

Why was finding Stede's letter so important for Ed?

Why did Ed think becoming a fisherman made any sense at all?

Why did Ed throw away his leathers?

Why did Ed want to "take it slow"?

Why didn't Izzy shoot Ed (then)?

Why did Ed headbutt Stede?

Why didn't Ed always protect Stede?

How did Stede leave pirating so easily?

Did Ed really want to die?

How did Stede know that Ed wanted to "watch the world burn"?

Why did Ed shoot Izzy then?

Spiral Parallels: The second season of OFMD references the first a lot, generally in ways that add a lot to the emotional depth of an original scene. Here's a heap of metas about that because I think it's cool.

53: Ed's Suicidal Spiral (S1E10, S2E1-3)

52: Weddings (S1E4/10, S1E1/2/8)

51: Pinocchio (S1E1, S2E1/8)

50: Beards and Unconditional Love

49: Whims, Self-Knowledge, and Commitment

48: Lessons of Episodes 5 (S1E4/5 & S2E5)

47: What would Jeff do? (S1E5 & S2E3/6/8)

46: Izzy Being Wrong Part 4--Izzy's redemption (in which he learns to be right) (S1E10-S2)

45: Izzy Being Wrong 3 (S1E6-9)

44: Izzy Being Wrong 2 (S1E5)

43: Stede's Fantasies Creating Reality (S1E1/3/8, S2E1/3/4/8)

42: Sandy Beards and Self-Hatred (S1E8 & S2E3)

41: Izzy and the Queer Community of the Revenge (S1E5 & S2E6)

40: Izzy Being Wrong Part 1 (S1E2-4 & S02E8)

39: Wearing Fine Things Well (S01E05 & S02E05)

38: Mad Devil Blackbeard (S01E04/10, S02E01/02)

37: Ed and Izzy in Those Scenes 2 (S01E10 & S02E08)

36: Ed and Izzy in Those Scenes 1 (S01E10 & S02E08)

35: Lighthouses (S01E04/10 &S02E06/08)

34: Manipulative Pirate Buddies 5 (S01E08 & S02E04)

33: Manipulative Pirate Buddies 4 (S01E08 & S02E04)

32: Manipulative Pirate Buddies 3 (S01E08 & S02E04)

31: Manipulative Pirate Buddies 2 (S01E08 & S02E04)

30: Manipulative Pirate Buddies 1 (S01E08 & S02E04)

29: Silk Robes and Ed's Self-Identity (S01E10 & S02E07

28: Izzy and Stede Talk Blackbeard (S01E06 & S02E03)

27: Ed's Despair (S01E10 & S02E02)

26: A Fall into Dark Water (S01E10 & S02E03)

25: Mary and Stede, Stede and Ed (S01E10 & S02E08)

24: The Character Development of a Belly Flop (S01E01 & S02E03)

23: Stede's Duels (S01E06 & S02E07)

22: Ed Leaves Stede (S01E08 & S2E07)

21: Executions of Stede Bonnet and Ned Lowe (S01E09 & S02E06)

20: Lucius and Pete (S01E6 & S02E05)

19: Ed and Izzy Sing (S01E10 & S02E06)

18: Izzy's Interventions (S01E06 & S02E01)

17: Stages of Intimacy (S01E06 & S02E06)

16: Poison and Positivity (S01E06 & S02E06)

15: The Kraken (S01E06 & S02E08)

14: Party Time 4 (S01E05 & S02E07)

13: Party Time Part 3 (S01E05 & S02E07)

12: Party Time 2 (S01E05 & S02E07)

11: Party Time Part 1 (S01E05 & S02E07)

10: Attention Crew of the Revenge, may I present… (S01E04 & S02E05)

9: Breakroom Chats (S01E04 & S02E06)

8: Ed, Izzy, and the Death of Blackbeard (S01E04 & S02E02)

7: Blackbeard and his First Mate (S01E03 & S02E01)

6: Cowards (S01E04 & S02E07)

5: The Unicorn (S01E04, S01E08, S02E04, S02E08)

4: Stede's Letters (S01E04 & S02E08)

3: Rise and Shine, Pirate (S01E04 & S02E04)

2: Stede's Grand Entrance (S01E03 & S02E08)

On the Spiral Narrative of OFMD 1: Pirates and Mermen (S01E03 & S02E03)

[disventure-rewrite-takes]

The one thing that rlly annoys me about this series that I’d change is Actually following through on character arcs. ONC doesn’t seem to realize that sort of hinting at a character feeling a certain way and then not bringing it up at all until 10 episodes later is not really development!

For example, Riya. The AS intro and a few scenes in the earlier episodes leads you to think she’s gonna have a redemption arc, and that how she’s acting isn’t her being her true self. But now we haven’t seen her look even remotely guilty about anything since Connor was voted off in ep 6.

And it’s the same with Jake in AS, they’re constantly trying to make him be better and then just. Devolve him again. I felt really bad for him in episode 6 and 7 bc of Tom, and then they make him argue with Aiden and Ally and make him completely unlikeable again.. great. That 1 scene with Fiore is basically how he’s been acting the entire season. “Stop trying to make me paranoid, it’s not gonna work!” 3 seconds later, “… do you really think she would replace me?” Be SO FOR REAL!! I know he’s probably finally gonna step up now that Tom is gone, but tbh, I don’t care. 12 episodes of him going back and forth is exhausting enough even if he somehow becomes the Best character ever in the second half of the season.

riya and jake ... phew. this new episode did riya even dirtier and jake somewhat better but they’re still like. eh. i like jake but i have the memory of a fish so if i am reminded of how much he pissed me off he’s just gonna suck again, but i want to like him so bad, he was at his peak in the first few S1 episodes and i miss him so badly.

riya’s “i still feel bad about connor” bitch when. when did you ever show that? you’ve treated him like shit everytime and we haven’t seen you be guilty about it privately like ... ever.

ONC can you like. learn to write pretty please that’d be great for everyone involved

[originallypoki]

Our Flag Means Death S2 Spoilers!

Something people doesn't seem to realize, is that pacing has a key impact to a story. Yes, the tale you want to tell can be the best someone has ever come up with, but if your pacing of it is awful, it pulls the whole story down with it. To rushed pacing? It loses meaning and impact, because there's no time to become attached. To slow paced? It becomes boring and uninteresting, finishing the book, show or movie feels more like a task than actual fun.

The first 4 episodes of season 2 of OFMD were awesome. The pacing was perfect, we had enough time to register what was happening and to sort out our emotions. I was a bit thrown off by ep 5. Because, while still good paced, you can start the see the problems because of the missing 2 eps ( for example the skipped fight, instead choosing to tell, not show. )-

Then episode 6 and 7 happened. And oh boi, I wanted to drop the show, only my love for it keeping me going.

I know that it isn't David Jenkins and the production team's fault, since the 2 episodes got cut, giving us the total of 8. But I can't excuse the decision to cram the plot of 10 eps into 8. If you have so little time left, why don't just cut some 'unimportant' storypoints?

Like Ned Lowe, he was introduced and died in the same episode. His purpose was to give GentleBeard development I know, that still doesn't give him enough importance to let him stay in the shortened version. Just like the second break-up from GentleBeard we got in ep 7.

Instead we got very out-of-character characters, Stede for example. I can see why he acts the way he does in ep 7. It would make sense, had he more time to have proper character development! Instead he feels weird, plus the very very uncomfortable second-hand embarrassment scenes (like the fight with Zheng). And sadly after ep 3, I couldn't feel the same chemistry GentleBeard had in S1. While there were cute scenes, like the end of ep5, I felt like something was missing to make me actually care. It's just my feelings, so not very important, but it was a bit disappointing.

The end of ep 7 gave me hope. Because it was a perfect way to introduce a villain, who's a genuine threat to our heros. And I maybe like Prince Ricky a bit to much. Then ep 8 came crushing down while drowing my love for OFMD, that made me ignore everything wrong with the second half of S2.

I like ep 8, well the first few minutes. It felt like I finally had time to see what's happening and David Jenkins didn't leave us completely clueless. ( Let's ignore the logic holes since it was is a comedy show and they were always there. ) And I was way to busy squieking like a pig of happiness to think critical.

I have many criticism points, but will only focus on one;

Izzy's death. And by god, I. Am. Pissed. Killing a character that is beloved by the fandom isn't the problem. While I love him, he's my favorite, I also love a good ol' angst. But he was in the middle of his redemption arc, and ending this with death is just such weak writing. I have nothing against killing a character off for development. Iron man for example, his whole story is about becoming a better person and jumping over his ego. And it ends just like Izzy in death. But Tony was through his arc, his death was the final, showing he has changed, showing he would do everything to save the universe and more important, the people he loves.

If Izzy died at the start of or before S2 I wouldn't complain, because it would've been perfect for him. Maybe if he died a more impactful death I wouldn't write this. But you can't make a character finally change and then destroy the meaning of it by killing him off in the fucking middle of the change. It would've had so much more impact seeing how he becomes a part of the crew he loathed not even a few weeks ago. Episode 5 did that great, while a bit fast. I like how he and Stede get along. Growing closer. It was a bit too fast paced, and I hoped for them to finally communicate, not talk. The same with Ed, I wanted him and Izzy to finally talk to eachother and not through eachother. However, giving us acutally communication while Izzy's fucking dying is not how you give impact. (And credit where credit's due; I really like that dialog, it was beautiful and the right words choosen to explain how Izzy feels)

Not to forget what a meaning it conveys. Izzy always did what he thought was right, even when it was completely wrong. But when he finally grows and begins to do actually what is right and let's go of Ed, he dies?

Still, I wouldn't say that they shouldn't have done a season 2 at all. It has great potential and I can see what they were going for. So, while it has it's problem's, it's nothing what a good fanfic can't fix. So I look forward to the amazing works that will build up on this hot mess and / or 'correct' it.

So bye, I'll go cry and give the last three episodes of S2 of OFMD, the last 20 minutes of S2 Go treatment T^T (except that GO S2 was fucking fantastic through the whole season)

[gifmourningu]

Yes! Precure 5 Gogo! Episode Guide

In case you want to watch Otona Precure but completely forgot what happened in the Yes! 5 series, here's a refresher on the eps that are actually important. Season 1's list has also been updated.

Plot is bolded. Recommended filler (character development oriented) is italicized. Skippable episodes grouped in block quote. For insight into how I decided what was what, look at the read more.

1 — Start

2 — So what even is going on, anyway?

3 — Syrup & Mailpo (+Komachi highlights, Emerald Saucer)

4 — Urara’s audition pt 1... +1 Monarch, get! (+ Syrup focus, Prism Chain)

5 — JK the Monarch’s snoozing. Here’s Karen’s student council duties (Sapphire Arrow, some Syrup focus)

6 — Donut King wakes up (Rin + Syrup focus, Fire Strike)

7 — Visit to Palmier Kingdom (Milk focus; Nozo x Coco, Koma/Nuts bait) Main thing that’s important (blue seed) is flashbacked to later. 

8 — Letter from an unlikely sender (Syrup focus) Anything important is covered again in ep 13 

9 — Detective Komachi (comedic)

10 — Milky Rose

11 — First Henchman defeated

12 — Kurumi joins school 

13 — Syrup lore

14 — Kurumi’s identity 

15 — Childhood Best Friends Refresher #1: Rin & Nozomi (+1 Monarch, get!) More of Rin protecting Nozomi (like her first Cure episode in S1) 16 — Childhood Best Friends Refresher #2: Komachi & Karen Basically S1 Ep28, which they directly reference. 

17 — IRL comedian propaganda (not really funny)

18 — Urara trying at her job pt 2 (Urara + Syrup focus)

19 — Karen writes a letter to her parents (Karen & Kurumi focus)

20 — Komachi & Madoka

21 — Group cooking (Rin & Nozomi focus)

22 — Nozomi teaches Rin’s siblings (Nozomi, Syrup, Coco focus)

23 — Midseason Crisis

24 — New Finisher

25 — New henchmen, Syrup moves in 

26 — The Precure save a city

27 — Komachi conducts exposure therapy on Rin

28 — Monarch #3...and she’s really annoying...and in love with Coco. And doesn’t say anything new lore wise.  29 — Yet another new henchman who plays tennis. (Rin & Karen focus) 30 — A wonky Kaguyahime (Nozomi & Kurumi focus)

31 — New powerup for Milky Rose (Kurumi & Nuts focus)

32 — Ant-sized Precure  33 — A friend's curry shop needs to curry favor with the public! (Urara focus)

34 — Goodbye annoying Monarch (Nozomi x Coco) Honestly, I feel like this is skippable too but if you don’t watch this you won’t have any episodes with this Monarch according to this guide.

35 — Bunbee Cringe Reel

36 — Rigged Quiz Show Part 1 (Karen & Kurumi focus)

37 — Rigged Quiz Show Part 2 (Karen & Kurumi focus)

38 — Red & Blue Rose Powerup that is never seen again (Kurumi & Nozomi focus, henchmen defeated)

39 — Last Monarch (Karen focus)

40 — Urara’s audition part 3 (Urara + Syrup focus)

41 — Tennis/Magician henchman finally reveals his identity to them (Rin focus)

42 — Goodbye Evil Granny (Komachi focus)

43 — A visit from the Director (Nozomi focus)

44 — The Precure act as Santa (Syrup focus) The fight with the henchman is basically all that’s relevant, since it alerts him to the existence of a letter

45-48 — Finale

Long explanation of methodology below:

When I make these guides, I generally aim for the least amount of required episodes to follow major developments. If an important fact is introduced in one episode and then is flashed back to in a subsequent episode, I'll just mark the second as plot instead of the first because the necessary information is repeated. As such, I may mark the introduction (and sometimes death) of a villain as non plot if they don't actually introduce any new mechanic or real threat and are just showing that they exist or don't exist anymore. This is also because most villains in Precure don't actually get a development arc.

In this season, plot refers to Syrup's storyline, the rose garden, and any new major Precure powers. I also bothered to mark villain defeats for this one since they seemed to be trying a little more than normal to show us villain relations (primarily in Anacondy's cruel desperation). And the ones that had nothing to do with anyone's character development got vaporized in new powerups which would have been marked as plot anyway.

As for the monarchs, well. They're technically plot since they need 4 of them to open the road to the rose garden, but they also don't add much to the show in terms of character development (besides the first one, Donut King). At some point when it feels like a "gotta catch 'em all" situation like in S1, I really didn't feel like people would be missing out on much by not seeing all their introduction episodes.

Recommended filler indicates one or more of the following:

There is some form of character exploration here, whether that's development, talking about their past, or showcasing a new relationship dynamic between multiple characters. Basically, if I feel like it's somewhat new to them and not just reaffirming the status quo at the end of it, I mark it as recommended.

They get some small new attack that didn't have a ton of buildup to it. (If it really feels like it's pulled out of nowhere I may just mark it as filler, though that didn't happen in this season.)

The episode is particularly comedic (these are always marked in case you still want to skip them.)

The episode is strangely well directed and yet it isn't a plot episode, or it generally stands out in setup

They had some plot information that is sort of repeated in the future but not completely flashed back to. In which case it's a gray area and I just threw it in here and probably left a note.

And filler is everything else. Maybe it's really boring or annoying to watch, maybe it's just an okay episode that would be enjoyable for someone who isn't looking for much character development. Maybe it's a character learning the same lesson over again and was marked as filler for repetition. You can always watch the previews from previous episodes to see if the content piques your interest.

[khaleesiofalicante]

Hello I'm the annie who asked about watching hotd without having watched got. And guess what? I did! I watched s1 and ep 1 of s2 and I loved it so muchhhh. I cannot believe a show like this exists. I'm sure I'm missing some context because I haven't seen got but it's still so good. I could die for alicent and rhaenyra. Their relationship is so beautiful and complex and I'm completely in love. Here are some scenes I really enjoyed and some people i loved and hated:

1) the whole dinner scene in ep8. R and A toasting to eachother and then A being disappointed when R was leaving. That was probably one of my favorite episodes.

2) I loved kind viserys.

3) aemond chasing luke scene. I actually gasped at the end. I was heartbroken but that was some good shit

4) I hate the hand. And I hate christon cole. And I hate that foot fetish guy. I hate most of the men on the show tbh.

5) I love R's kids. Especially luke. I wanted to kill aemond so badly.

6) why is there so much childbirth in this show? Like in the first episode of the time jump when R is giving birth I could literally hear her vagina sounds. And the second was also very horrifying. And when Aemma gave birth- that shit scarred me. I'm never having kids after this.

7) I had no idea I'd love politics so much. But I really do. It's so fucking interesting. I'm obviously team black but I also feel very attached to alicient.

8) at first I was wierded out but at this point I've even stopped to think about the incest. Like they just marry their brother or sister and call them husband and wife? Okay cool.

9) what did you think about 'a son for a son'? I wish it had been aemond instead because I hate that asshole. Fuck aemond.

10) what do you think about R and daemon? I honestly don't completely understand his character. So much shit has happened.

11) it's crazy how much history A and R have and that THAT one night is still something that governs their relationship (atleast for A). I just. I love them. I love their love. I love that I get to see and feel it. When A touched R's hand in that dinner party episode- I felt SO MUCH. I love it when shows/stories make me FEEL. Does that make sense? I just love them so much.

12) A lighting a candle for Luke :'(

I cannot wait to watch the rest of it. It's so good. I don't know if I'll watch GOT or not because it's too long and I'm worried it won't match up to hotd and this style that I've gotten used to.

OMG YOU WATCHED. I AM SO HAPPY.

for those of you who don't know, before coercing people into watching f1, I was coercing people to watch GoT/HoTD. So, this makes me so happy hehe.

Watching this story and hating all the men is such an experience, trust me.

Or not you like Luke the most. My deepest sympathies 😔 the baby deserved so much better.

The show is very graphic about childbirth. I was watching all the murders unblinking and then hid under the blanket during the childbirth scenes lmao.

The whole marrying the brother thing is extremely common among the targaryens because that's how they keep their bloodline pure (which is a tradition that actually existed among many royalities before...)

A son for a son in the show was fucked up. I WANT TO HURL DAEMON FROM A MOUNTAIN. Also, it happens differently in the book. Do read up on it if you're interested!

I loooooved Matt Smith a lot so I was super into Daemon earlier on in season 1 but then he got really annoying really fast. LIKE BRO STOP MAKING THINGS WORSE.

I like Alicent a lot too. But I do not like this new arrangement with Cr*ston Cole. I HATE HIM.

I hope you watched the next episode today! The funeral procession scene was >>>> Also I don't support team green but the way their grief was portrayed, each one so different, was so well done.

BUT. BUTTTTTT. If you liked this and if you loved the politics, you will LOVE game of thrones. I promise. HoTD is good. But it doesn't even come close to GoT. GoT doesn't have as many dragons, BUT YOU WILL LOVE THE PLOT AND THE CHARACTERS I PROMISE.

[feuqueerfire]

April 2024 Movies/Shows Wrap-Up

A little monthly (spoilery!) wrap-up of all the shows, movies, and shorts I’ve watched or am watching in April 2024, general thoughts, and ranking of them all.

Recommendation of the month(s): idk, had a bunch of shows that I rated pretty well but they each have big caveats lol.

Ranking

The Good Bad Mother (2023) = Utsukushii Kare S2 (2023) = 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) = The Warp Effect (2023)

I Hear Your Voice (2013) = Rewatch: ? Utsukushii Kare S1 (2021) 

Jazz for Two (2024) =  Utsukushii Kare: Eternal (2023)

Some More (2018)

Watching: 23.5

I managed to watch some shows that I’d been really anticipating for quite a while and were released early last year: Utsukushii Kare S2 + movie and The Warp Effect

Average Rating: 6.5/10

MDL Updates - Added to Watchlist: 

A section because I’m curious about how many shows I decide to add to my Watch List a month and also the ratio of watching them:adding them.

Title MDL (year) - (date added to Considering or finalized to Watchlist): initial reaction

Jazz for Two - 240411: New kBL that seems fine

Love is Better the Second Time Around - 240417: i'm fond of the second chance/post-breakup romance trope, hopefully I’ll like this one

Blank - 240417: Only season 1 is out for now and apparently it ends on a cliffhanger, so idk if I should be adding it to the watchlist quite yet but I want age gap GL (w dubious morality? idk what the discourse is about tbh), so I’ll add it and hope S2 is released in May as expected and turns out well

My Beautiful Man: Eternal (2023)

Unknown: I’d been keeping an eye on it since it started releasing and it got pretty high praise all throughout. I think I can get into the we’re-not-biological-brothers-but-we-grew-up-together-as-brothers dynamic 

Deep Night: I’ve enjoyed First Piyangkul in shows before and am curious about the host club setting in this. This show is such an interesting case because on reddit and on Tumblr, everybody seems to love it and MDL has some mixed comments but mostly positive there too and yet the MDL rating is 7.5, I wonder why the discrepancy.

23.5: FINALLY

I Became the Main Role of a BL Drama - 240417: The Conversation podcast mentioned in their 2024 Winter Lagniappe and seems like it's a celeb-related show? they’re actors?

To Watch List At Start Of Month: 64

To Watch List At End Of Month: 64

Removed from To Watch List:

Title (Year) - (date removed): reason

Nothing this month

Completely Watched

The Good Bad Mother (2023)

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Apr 26, 2023 - Jun 8, 2023

Watch Via: iQiyi (so, ;>) 

Watch Dates: Apr 1 - 3, 2024

Rating: 7/10

Overall Impression: Lee Dohyun <3 My reason for watching but the show is bigger than just him. It was so addictive and entertaining, watched the whole show in like 2 days and 2 hours. Impressed by the acting of Lee Dohyun and the mother and Mijoo's actors. The show was mostly about the mother and son relationship, with the revenge plot + the Mijoo/Kangho romance arcs in the background. I deeply wish that Kangho hadn't apparently forever loved and understood his mother and did everything for her and sang her favourite song while studying for the Bar or whatever. He went low-contact with her in Seoul even before he discovered the stuff that made him break up with Mijoo, so I think the reasons behind that and the hurt and betrayal that caused him to take such an action should have been focused on more. We got fleeting moments of him being angry or her saying she's bad but it was all explained away or he understood or whatever. Anyway, idk, I think if that relationship was more clear + the ending of the revenge arc was more solid, I would've rated it higher because I did enjoy this but some things bothered me significantly.

Also Appears In: The Good Bad Mother Live Blogging

I Hear Your Voice (2013)

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Jun 5, 2013 - Aug 1, 2013

Watch Via: Viki (paid, so ;>)

Watch Dates: Apr 3 - 11, 2024

Rating: 6.5/10 [May 12, 2024 Update: Decreased by 0.5 stars when rerating shows I've watched in 2024: 7 -> 6.5]

Overall: Noona romance + mystery + courtroom + sliiight supernatural with mind-reading, it has a bunch of things I liked. It's from over a decade ago but enjoyable nonetheless. I liked it, though Hyeseong and Sooha were quite cute but I wish 1) the episodes were a bit more condensed to be 14-16 episodes and 2) the fucking love triangle wasn't so prominent (though I get that they probably did it because Sooha was underage at first). Not life-changing and kind of overstayed its welcome for me, esp because I was barely watching 1 ep a day in the middle there.

Also Appears In: I Hear Your Voice Live Blogging

Jazz for Two (2024)

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Mar 26, 2024 - Mar 29, 2024

Watch Via: iQiyi (paid, so ;>)

Watch Dates: Apr 11 - 12, 2024

Rating: 6/10

Overall: Nobody in this drama asks before kissing lol not Doyoon, not Seheon, not the little kiss that Seheon's brother gave to sleeping Taejoon, and the other two, Juha and Taeyi, are experts in being creeps and having internalized homophobia that they direct outwardly to the guys they like as well (Seheon's brother fits here too lol). Yet, I enjoyed it a fair amount, the story was coherent, the acting was fine, I was endeared by Doyoon (is he the Omega X kid?), and the dynamics were enjoyable, if iffy on certain counts. Not super attached though.

tags: jazz for two

Also Appears In: Jazz For Two Live Blogging

Some More (2018)

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Nov 7, 2018

Watch Via: Gagaoolala (paid, so ;>)

Watch Dates: Apr 13, 2024

Rating: 5/10

Overall: It was fine ig but I did skim through the latter half. 

Ah, my exams are done (for this semester or forever? who knows), so I can finally start some new shows. Dunno whether I want yaoi with Utsukishii Kare rewatch + S2 and movie or to watch The Warp Effect. They’re both early 2023 shows that I’ve been meaning to watch but it’s been so long of me anticipating them before their release + wanting to watch while releasing + meaning to binge them after release that the expectations are a little high and I keep putting off watching them oof.

And then I got a bunch of Love for Love’s Sake tiktoks on my FYP and the edits for that show are really good, so I’m tempted a bit to rewatch that because it’s on my To Rewatch list anyway but I’ve decided no.

Rewatch: Utsukushii Kare (2021)

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Nov 18, 2021 - Dec 23, 2021

Watch Via: Viki

Watch Dates: Mar 23, Apr 17 - 18, 2024

Rating: 7?/10

Overall: Ahh, idek why I wasn't Gripped by this rewatch, like I like the characters and dynamics but it wasn't keeping my attention as much, maybe because it's a rewatch? Maybe my original rating of 6.5 was correct and I shouldn't have bumped it up to 7 but who knows, maybe I'll be reintroduced to the brainworms after watching Season 2 because I found ep 6 really engaging and was into it and S2 + movie will have new, unfamiliar stories for me.

tags: utsukushii kare

Also Appears In: Utsukushii Kare, Utsukushii Kare (S1, S2, Movie) Live Blogging

Utsukushii Kare Season 2 (2023)

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Feb 8, 2023 - Mar 1, 2023

Watch Via: Viki

Watch Dates: Apr 18 - 19, 2024

Rating: 7/10

Overall: This season is about Hira and Kiyoi's relationship. They didn't become boring after getting together, they didn't magically end up being a perfect happy well-adjusted couple after getting together, nor were there random issues thrown just because; the struggles and hurdles are true to their characters and dynamics. I liked the themes and dynamics it explored and their character + relationship development and progression. I also smiled a lot and lost my mind a little at certain moments. Strong writing, strong characters, strong acting, what a relief.

tags: utsukushii kare

Also Appears In: Utsukushii Kare (S1, S2, Movie) Live Blogging

My Beautiful Man: Eternal (2023)

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Apr 7, 2023

Watch Via: Viki

Watch Dates: Apr 19, 2024

Rating: 6/10

Overall: Great, fun, though not as emotionally invested as Season 2 because they're in a better place in their relationship in this movie (even if it's not necessarily Perfect). It was interesting to have new people in their lives like Anna and Noguchi and how their stories influenced them. I'm happy with where we're leaving off the characters after ~6h of show/movie but lowest rating so far because it felt like we spent too much time on stuff like Anna’s story or the random kidnapping.

tags: utsukushii kare

Also Appears In: Utsukushii Kare (S1, S2, Movie) Live Blogging

The Warp Effect (2023)

Country: Thailand

Release Dates: Dec 12, 2022 - Feb 27, 2023

Watch Via: Youtube

Watch Dates: Apr 20 - 26, 2024

Rating: 7/10

Overall: A unique and enjoyable show, it was so fun to see all these characters in their specific situations and how they deal with them. The characters were all compelling, it's wild how I was into all their storylines. how charming each character/their story was, and how the story juggled them. It also made me see a bunch of actors in new lights, New most of all, as they acted in a role outside of their usual wheelhouse. I think the most frustrating part for me was how it seemed like although they were getting at it, they never quite acknowledged that what Alex did to Jean that night was rape. It made me quite angry actually, especially how Alex's actions didn't feel like it actually took Jean's feelings and trauma and requests into account. I was at least glad that in that timeline, Jean doesn't get back with Alex. 

tags: the warp effect

Also Appears In: The Warp Effect Live Blogging

GMMTV 2024 Part 2 Showcase happened and it was very intriguing, I’m excited! 

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

Country: USA

Release Dates: March 31, 1999

Watch Via: TV

Watch Dates: Apr 23 , 2024

Rating: 7/10

Overall: Watched it with my sister impulsively because apparently Heart Breakers is loosely inspired by Taming of the Shrew/10 Things I Hate About You and I wanted to understand all the stuff that referenced that movie. It’s a fun one, I thought Kat and whatever the guy’s name is were cute, even though I thought the resolution was much too easy. 

Change2561 Changing Project Lineup 2024 happened and oooh, it had some gems, I’m sooo excited for Goddess Bless You From Death now! 

Also last night I created a list on MDL for Upcoming shows without release dates (mostly BLs, some GLs, a non-QL here and there) and it now has 33 shows. I hope most of them are released by this year please

Currently Watching

23.5 

Country: Thailand

Release Dates: Mar 8, 2024 - May 24, 2024

Watch Via: Youtube

Watch Dates: Apr 27 - ONGOING, 2024

Rating: -/10

Overall: Started it when 8 episodes were released.

tags: 23.5 degrees

Also Appears In: 23.5 Degrees Live Blogging 

I think I'm just in more of a mood to watch intense/thriller stuff and would binge if I was watching that was more that route because I've been watching one ep of 23.5 a day and while it's fun, I'm not dying to watch the next part or next ep. The Warp Effect was kinda like that too, I was watching 1-2 eps a day for a while. Been a while since I binged stuff quickly (The Good Bad Mother in 3 days at the start of the month). Hopefully I can make sure I keep up with the rest of the episodes as they release and don’t get distracted with other shows.

Posts Created This Month:

GMMTV 2024 Part 2 Showcase

Change2561 Changing Project Lineup 2024

[voidify333]

Got a lot of OFMD vibes from Good Omens s2???

BIG spoilers for both GO S2 and OFMD S1 under the cut

Like, this isn’t a situation for the copied homework meme format, I believe it’s just same braincell on a really juicy story beat to create drama in a high concept romance, but I find the similarities fascinating so I’m gonna post about them. (What’s funny is that the thing that actually got me to watch OFMD in the first place is the promise of Stede being like aziraphale and blackbonnet being like A/C…)

The main thing is how the ending of ep 6 reminded me of OFMD ep 9.

The central pair kiss for the first time— letting any remaining oblivious audience members know this isn’t just a bromance, and alienating any homophobes in the audience who weren’t already alienated by the queer supporting characters. (That last bit is actually the biggest other “ofmd vibes” thing I picked up— how the very queer supporting roster served both to let homophobes know the show isn’t for them, and to reassure the queer audience that they’re allowed to hope for the main pair being Outright Canon)

But they also enter their divorce era— specifically, what happens is this:

The sunshine bookworm has a scene with a character the audience recognises as antagonistic (completely different scenes though— Stede’s traumatic experience with the bully in the woods vs Az being emotionally manipulated by metatron into thinking coming back to heaven is a good idea)

This scene, combined with his existing insecurities, causes him to return to a life that he won’t even find fulfilling (we know this bc he stepped away from it in the first place!) but he’s been convinced that it’s The Thing He Has To Do

In the process, he abandons his black-clad true love and breaks his heart

But here (in addition to all the obvious differences in context and execution), the season cliffhanger cuts away BEFORE “episode 10” as it were.

And… I don’t think “episode 10” is going to happen immediately for Aziraphale when lights go up on s3. Like, the “love epiphany” part may come in an early episode (we saw the way he touched his lip), but he’s certainly not getting the “plan to leave” part until some time further into s3, because the life he’s mistakenly gone back to isn’t with a Mary figure who cares about him but wants him elsewhere as much as he secretly wants to be elsewhere— instead, it’s with Heaven, an abusive cult that is planning to use him to destroy Earth, and has the power to destroy him on a whim.

Aziraphale’s key insecurity is his need for authoritative reassurance that he is Doing The Right Thing. This is what allowed metatron to use the offer of heaven to manipulate Az into hurting Crowley’s feelings and then abandoning Crowley. The tone demands an eventual happy ending (my faith in this is why the ending of e6 didn’t even make me mad), but Az is going to have to work through those issues before the happy ending can take place— Nina basically spelled this out.

The next place this comparison led me was to the thought “can I connect a red string on my cork board between post s2 crowley and ep10 Ed?”

There is an important difference between them, and it’s in kind of the opposite direction as the difference between Az-when-we-cut-away and Stede-when-we-cut-away

Ed has closed himself off to vulnerability completely after his heartbreak, and lashes out horribly, and we all know the reunion in s2e1 is not going to go smoothly

Meanwhile, although Crowley is heartbroken and mad… he is ultimately like Maggie on the “I hope she’ll be there when I’m ready but there’s no guarantee—” “there is” front. Aziraphale needs to work through his issues, and the plot needs to get to a place where The Real Big One is foiled and neither of them are in imminent danger of destruction, and once Az stops being an idiot he will need to do a great many “you were wrong” dances, but once all those prerequisites are fulfilled, we’re getting our second kiss (and I’m fanning myself just thinking about that hypothetical scene hoooooboy)

Maybe there will be a period of “angel I can’t forgive you. not yet”, that would be juicy drama, but the tone of the story demands that any such moment will be temporary

However, I do have a vivid mental image now, inspired by e10 Ed, of post s2 crowley standing in the bookshop and saying to himself out loud “oh, nothing lasts forever, is that right, angel?” and then going on a bender of destroying or giving away books (I lean towards giving away as it would leave less permanent fallout for later, and also be funnier, while still being just as potent a gesture of spite in the moment)

Anyway when OFMD S2 comes out and we get a better look at the blackbonnet divorce arc I’m going to try to use it as a divination tool to predict the events of the A/C divorce arc

[passanima]

tag from foot2rue is gay, here’s the receipt, season 3

1/ gabriel spend time with his girlfriend and guess who’s mad about it? the whole team is upset because he has less time to train now; but the first to react and who feel the strongest about it is still tag

2/ BEN IS BACK (dude tag had a visible crush on in s1) and he’s the only one that looks happy about it and they break away from the rest of the group to talk one on one, ben listening to tag’s problems and offering advices. bonus points because tag doesn’t ask any of his teammates for advices (not his bestie or his girlfriend)

3/ they bond over them both being the captain of their teams, the difficulties in the responsability... and tag reacts a bit too strongly when ben says he has to go home now, asking (sounding way too desperate, boy, come on) him to stay a bit longer. the WHOLE vibe when they were talking alone felt incredibly soft from tag’s side and you could explain it as just nostalgia and being happy to see a friend after a long time... expect they weren’t friends but rivals! and ben clearly doesn’t feel the same way i’m so embarrassed for tag

4/ his BEST FRIEND notice how sullen he’s been in the 2 hours since ben left... this boy is yearning for real

5/ ben replace one of their players in a match but because the rest of the team hates him it goes poorly (hmmm sounds familiar) then they hear a rumor that he’s the one behind tag’s accident and they all get mad at him, not giving him time to explain... expect tag. who refuse to believe it and puts his faith in ben. he was, of course, right about that, but in this situation he had no reason to believe ben (the guy has a really bad reputation) yet didn’t hesitate A SECOND wow... that sure is something

6/ the trutst at least is reciprocal because when tag, in the middle of the match, orders ben to do something, he just nods and do so without the need for an explanation or getting annoyed (like some of the other players) and i didn’t expect it as they’re both captains and so could butthead about who’s in charge and ben having a strong personality... it was nice. THEN ben gives advice on how to play and this time it’s tag who decide to put his pride aside as captain and follow him. you see slight hesitation on his face but he does it anyway. IT’S HUGE idk what to tell you, tag can be really stubborn in his bad decisions and gets mad really fast when things don’t go his way so wow again!

7/ listen... i can’t even explain this one cause you need the visuals but. tag trust ben with an insane move, where ben could easily let go at the worst time and hurt him. and he does so while SMILING. not a once of doubt for this boy in his mind. HIS EX-NEMESIS. there would be no story without weirdly earnest 13 y/o gay boys, i’m emotional over this (and laughing cause it was an incredible visual; it’s at the end of ep 4 ig you’re curious about it)

8/ someone is rude to tag’s gf and he doesn’t react to it, even when she’s visibly upset and leave the room because of this, he just ignores her

9/ gabriel gets an opportunity, education wise, that means he will leave the team at the start of next year. and tag is not doing well. the rest of the team is cheering on gab, while tag exit the scene looking all sad... and emotional music starts playing while he looks on the horizon... next a flashback of their moments together the two of them... and tag cries all alone

it makes sense because they’ve known each other their whole life(?)(or most) and are very close but damn. in comparizon gabriel isn’t at all bothered, due to being more rational (this does not mean they won’t see each other again) and riding the high of such big news. really makes you feel for tag

anyway, back on gay reading; it gives tag another reason to be more heartborken over this compared to gab

10/ HE FEELS SO BAD that he has no motivation to play the tournament and even SAYS SO openly to his teammates, i quote “without gabriel there’s no point”. there have been times when other players were at ricks of leaving the team and while annoyed, tag never reacted this badly to it before

holy shit he’s crying in front of everyone this time... they were trying to comfort him with “people leave sometimes, then they come back” and “you should be happy for him as his bestie” but it had the opposite effect on making tag feel like he’s being a shitty friend and he cannot hold back his tears... everyone is shocked of seeing him like this

11/ wasn’t gonna note this one cause it’s not that serious but then shit kept happening. this ep has tag being sick and he elects jeremy as his replacement (as team captain) which makes everyone go “uuuh” cause jeremy is so not made for the post. he fucks it up, of course, and ends up all alone until tag gets better. the team complains about him and tag is the only one who stays behind him the whole time (a bit like with ben... hmm)(tag sure easily relate to the type of guys who are in constant danger of being rejected). the “not serious” part is that at some point jeremy come to tag about the whole situation and they stare at each other smiling while using language that, in french, sounds very romantic (even if the context isn’t)(jeremy “t’es pas mal” tag “t’es pas mal non plus”)(literal “you’re not bad” context being the sport + social thing BUT the very common use of this phrase means finding someone attractive, and i laughed because... a second later tag is on his knees in front of jeremy, his hands on the boy legs. the body language and double meaning is really intense for a scene that should be just “i got your back” like what am i supposed to do with this?)

12/ jeremy complains about his relationship with samira for 2 seconds and tag first reaction is to shut him up with “that’s none of my buisness” which is weird for him as he’s usually there for his friends and chill about romance talk... well, when he’s not interested in the dude talking about it, that is

[lollo-sw-br]

Bad Memory of Grand Albert: It's a plot hole.

Outburst of a Winger

I was reading a Chinese page that featured the Super Wings characters and I noticed something wrong in the part that talked about Grand Albert:

The website said that Grand Albert has a bad memory, but before making that claim, the website itself said that he was proud of his adventuring days as a young man, which goes against the grain. what was said earlier what made me realize something: this is a plot hole and a pretty big one.

In episode 04 of season 6, Grand Albert forgets his Telephoto Transformer in Egypt if he only realized that it was not there already in World Aircraft, already in episode 20 (special episode of S6) Grand Albert has difficulties finding the teahouse in Beijing, becoming disoriented even with Jett by his side, emphasizing the plot hole.

Now answer me: How does he have a bad memory being that he is always seen telling his stories with names and details about each one, in addition to knowing the whole world so clearly? Isn't that weird for you?

That's what leaves it with an air of: no sense at all. Grand Albert, in my view, and from what I analyzed about the series, has a great memory, even being like a photographic memory, but the Alpha Group that has been spoiling the series since the third season, in addition to diminishing his abilities and the poor use of the other stories told by Grand Albert in both the first and second seasons, leaving him with no space to be more developed, giving only his worth when it comes to his Telephoto Transformer (Introduced in Season 2 EP 12) and his cowboy lasso (introduced in season 1 EP 10).

I wish Alpha Group would explore more of the stories that were told in season 1 and 2, it would be cool to have another episode of him with the iconic Mountie hat (S1 EP 13), Another showing his skills as a Zebra Scout (S1 EP 30), shown his Kung Fu blows (S2 EP 11), One more episode with the time portal (S2 EP 15 and 16) and playing baseball like (S2 EP 19).

Unfortunately this is far from happening, I just have to vent, as a Winger and a fan of the Grand Albert, I am upset with what the Alpha Group has done with him and I also fear that Ellie will have the same fate, since we haven't seen her doing anything other than her "climbing rope" which is similar to Dizzy, I hope the company doesn't ruin her like she did with her grandfather and the characters that were discarded in seasons 3 and 5 (Worst seasons in my opinion)

[allyriadayne]

If you were in charge of HOTD how would you have structured the show? Would you have done 2 seasons - one with the younger and one with the older versions of the characters? Or would you have added episodes to season 1 and where? What were the problem areas that needed fixing. And yeah I know season 1 ended up like it did for reasons, this is just for fun!

hi! well you've given me a lot to think about. let's see. to me the biggest problems in regards to structure in s1 were mostly about pacing.

the first part of the season felt better than the second one because it covered relatively less time than episodes 6-10 with its two time jumps. it did a better job to present the characters and the dynamics between them (crucially because the second part depends so much on this when the characters are apart) and the reason the story is happening at all. i agree with not having a full season for the younger cast like emily and milly because to me it makes much more difficult to get used to olivia and emma, essentially new characters. it's v difficult for many people already only after five episodes! and i think it has to do more with the force of the story and the cohesiveness of the first part than being the older actor's fault.

HOTDMV (hotd mariana's version) under the cut

structurally, i would leave this first part as it is. perhaps i would add extra scenes of alicent's children as babies, more of aemma and her family before her death and maybe set up a little bit better characters like harwin, laena, larys and laenor for their more prominent roles in the second part of the season. but it's not really a dealbreaker for me because the main job of this part is to tell rhaenyra's story, how she sees the world and why she will do what she does later. it's normal that her siblings are not there much because she doesn't want them to be in her life as she doesn't want to see alicent either; beginning at aemma's death makes sense because this is where rhaenyra's story begins, her before and after; and as for the supporting characters, well, they are in the background until they matter to her lol she's the protagonist after all.

it's in the second part where the most changes would need to be done. a time jump is inevitable. you want to introduce your older cast quickly and painlessly, these are actually the protagonists of your show. but it comes with difficulties too. flashbacks? montages? exposition dump? i'm no tv expert so i don't know the best method or if it's feasibly but i would do smaller time jumps like in part 1 to establish: 1) the new dynamics 2) the new characters 3) the ongoing political situation. to solve this i'd add one more ep or maybe two BEFORE the events of ep 6 which is mostly one huge set up for the events of the driftmark ep:

the new dynamics

because i have boundless imagination and a penchant for headcanons, i can imagine how alicent goes from ep 5 (burned, sad, furious) to ep 6 (hateful, mocking, irritated) in those ten years. the kings continuous support of rhaenyra churning perfect child after perfect child with the "common look" while alicent rots with her imperfect targ looking children (from her pov), the lack of otto's guidance, her isolation and surrounding herself with people like criston cole and larys, etc.

BUT i don't think imagination is enough for most viewers. the rhaenicent dynamic would benefit immensely from showing the evolving relationship as rhaenyra's children are born. not showing birth after birth because it gets tedious but showing some kind of marker that rhaenyra just gave birth or something (AND what happened with rhaenyra's fear of giving birth???? this bugs me to hellllll). this will also help develop the children's' relationship to the adults in the RK (to viserys, to criston, to their parents). or maybe not show the children so much because it presents the problem of changing the actor esp when they are small children which is more noticeable unlike 22 yo milly alcock doing 14-19 yo rhaenyra than say laena's child actress portraying diff ages (rip ty tennant you would've been amazing).

new characters

let's say """new""" alright because only the children are truly new in the story by episode 6. i'd say harwin is not that big of a problem bc i'd extend the mystery of the father longer and "reveal" it like they do in the show. he'd be in the bg, too close to the family, bc it's how he's meant to be in the story. only coming up when the children are older and he can sort of bond with them as prospect warriors, leaving the audience with incomplete feelings about him when he dies (just like it happens to the velaryon boys!).

the critics regarding laena and harwin's death not having enough weight or coming out of nowhere are valid. esp about laena when she's portrayed by three diff actresses in what, four episodes? i would have the same actress play teenage laena and adult laena (same with laenor!). i just saw nanna blondell is 37 yo in real life, way too old for laena during the pentos years, savannah steyn is 28 lol i would let her do both parts and let makeup do the rest. it's fine bc it's to make the visual bond stronger when she's again seen in pentos w daemon. the transition between KL and pentos was kinda clunky to me but what they show was pretty good in setting the dynamics. so maybe i'd separate daemon's plot in two: laena and daemon carefree in essos vs laena and daemon family time, constrained by new responsibilities and homesickness. this would give laena's character to be more solid and set her motivations better. i'd even let them visit driftmark when the twins are born. no rhaneyra and laenor tho, it takes away from the daemyra reunion in ep 7.

the ongoing political situation

this speaks for itself. one council session in ep 6 was not enough. i'm glad rhaenyra and alicent seat in the council but there needed to be more precedent for it. it's clear alicent demanded otto's old seat maybe after rhaenyra was let into the council, but why? why after several times of viserys dismissing her and belittling her? oh you respect her now? of course, it has to do with viserys' decline but it's too many implicit parts. the princess and queen's party made explicit, rhaenyra and dragonstone (she hasn't set foot on it all those ten years?), a family dinner a la ep 8 with the younger children, the alliances with the other lords, etc. in summary, showing the tensions grew since ep 5.

eps 7 & 8 are near perfect to me so i would leave them as they are. the 6 year time jump works for me here though i wished they had done a little explainer as to why rhaenyra and daemon didn't come sooner to the capital. it's obvious they were half exiled or something and not wanting to aggravate viserys they stayed away from the public eye. the introduction to the older kids works better because we have in dept knowledge of them as children. we know why aemond throws himself to near physical perfection, why jace is so intense in his studies, luke's aversion to take action/confrontation, and aegon's decline.

this doesn't work much with the girls though! i feel like i don't know helaena enough and the twins are severely sidelined. why was baela fostered at driftmark? how did this affect them? how does helaena relate to her children? anyway. i have a sort of theory that rhaenys asked laena to foster her oldest in driftmark in hopes of changing corlys' mind (and as sort of foreshadowing to baela as lady of driftmark after the dance). this would be one of the extra scenes i would add, maybe in the driftmark ep?

ep 9 is weird. i like what they are showing, i don't like the execution or paper thin plot. oh so you caught aegon now what?

ep 10 is rushed? idk too many things happening.

i would do a mix of them. not separate by faction. i understand this is to make the viewer used to the individual plots that for sure is happening s2 onwards but it was clunky to me. the timeline was also insanely tight: dinner, fight, rhaenicent, viserys dying, crowning aegon. why didn't rhaenyra come back?!? was it a lie? imagine if she did come back and got imprisoned like rhaenys. it's too tight. i might make her come back and bond again with alicent for a few days > she leaves > viserys dies > coronation race.

in any case, i agree the season had to end where it did. it was very cinematic and the perfect ending and beginning.