#and probably some people out there who genuinely shipped it despite the low screen time

[lucaswarmhotchocolate]

Theo/Stiles is so fucking underrated though, theyre not personally my otp but i think that they have some amazing interactions on-screen

[bloodynosesarejustlikeroses]

𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞... 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐭

✦; ꒰M’gann M’orzz ✗ Reader꒱ ;;✦ ↴

01. Summary. M'gann doesn't like you, and you don't like M'gann. The mutual hatred between you grows with each day, but Martian Manhunter's failed training exercise seems to change things a little bit.

02. Word count. 4,883 words.

03. Warnings. Young Justice Season 1 Spoilers (Specifically episodes 16 and 17.) and cursing.

04. Notes. Dialogues with hyphens and quotes are telepathic conversations.

(English is my second language, so if something sounds out of place or is misspelled, please let me know).

You were standing with the rest of the team watching the transmission sent by Batman from space, your eyes were fixed on the two lanterns that had approached the alien ship and ordered it to retreat. Not even two seconds passed before both lanterns were disintegrated by one of the ship’s weapons; “Shit…”, you thought when you saw how Hal Jordan, your mentor was disintegrated without any effort even when the shield of his ring was active, however, the “loss” did not affect you at all, not to mention that he was not the only one to perish, the other members who were there suffered the same fate in a matter of seconds, and the worst was yet to come.

Chaos broke out a few minutes after the ship landed, thousands of innocent civilians had been disintegrated along with the entire Justice League, you were all that was left.

— We are Earth’s heroes now. — You heard Kaldur say, your eyes still fixed on the screens in front of you showing all the chaos around the world.

— So, what are we waiting for, a theme song? — An imperceptible bitter chuckle escaped your lips at Superboy’s comment.

— A strategy. — This time, your attention was fully focused on Aqualad. — Earth’s weapons are ineffective. And it has been made tragically clear a direct attack will not succeed.

— Checking satellite imagery. Here’s where the aliens are now. — The attention of the entire team moved to the map that was displayed in front of you.

— This one get lost? — Superboy asked, pointing to a specific location.

— Oh, that’s Superman’s fortress of solitude — You said as you saw the location previously pointed out by the black-haired boy.

— Superman has a Fortress of solitude? — Superboy seemed genuinely troubled by that revelation, yet no one beyond M'gann seemed to pay any attention to him.

— Yeah, it’s pretty cool, I was there with Green Lantern and Superman last week, you really should go some time. — It was obvious that your words were simply a bad joke directed at Superboy, and it seemed to have an effect as you saw a small glint of misgiving in his eyes. A sly smile appeared on your lips, but it quickly faded as you were interrupted by M'gann.

— This isn’t a moment for your stupid jokes. — You knew perfectly well that she wasn’t upset because of the circumstances in which you were joking, but because your teasing was directed towards Superboy, you simply rolled your eyes in annoyance and let out a small “Whatever…”.

It was no secret to anyone that you and M'gann were far from being friends, from the first moment you worked together you knew it would be difficult for the two of you to get along, and it wasn’t hard to see why, M'gann was cheerful, exceptionally sweet and even childish at times and had this desire to be accepted by the people on earth; you, you were the opposite, being sweet and childish definitely didn’t go with you.

The conflicts between your points of view were constant, it was simply impossible for you two to agree on anything, but there was no denying that you had done your best to avoid this from being a problem in the missions.

— We will target this lone ship. — Aqualad said, completely ignoring you and Miss Martian.

The whole team seemed to be in agreement with the plan, despite the low probability of being victorious all left Mount Justice prepared for the worst, or at least that’s what you thought.

[•••]

No more than an hour later everyone had arrived at the destination. As you stepped off the ship you felt the cold wind whipping against the exposed skin of your face, everyone took up their respective positions ready to subdue the alien ship. Miss Martian was the first to attack, disabling the ship's communications and propulsion, followed by Artemis who made sure to keep inside whatever was inside the ship, Kaldur jumped from the water causing the ship to point directly at him.

— Got it. — You said deflecting the ship's weapon using your ring, Superboy didn't miss the opportunity and held the weapon keeping it under control, yet you kept your grip to prevent it from doing anything.

— Identifying the weapon’s structural stress points and links to the ship. — You watched as Robin performed a quick scan giving M'gann concise instructions on where to strike.

Finally, you released your grip on the machine letting Superboy take care of pulling it out of its place, however, something seemed to go wrong and before anyone could do anything Wolf was disintegrated in an attempt to save Conner, who ignored this completely focusing on the mission.

— Rerouting systems to integrate weapon into ship’s bio-matrix. We need to de-camouflage for a few minutes. — Even though the job was almost finished, you kept your eyes open having a bad feeling.

— We may not have a few minutes. — You saw how two more ships were approaching you.

Kaldur ordered Miss Martian to open fire, however, she couldn't do so while the ship was integrating the weapon.

— Got you covered! Get inside! I’m almost there. — Artemis shot down one of the ships while you from a distance shot down the other using one of the projections of your ring, despite the impact one of the ships was still active and in a few seconds Artemis had been disintegrated.

— Artemis! — You heard M'gann's scream, your eyes remained fixed on the place where Artemis had been just a few seconds ago. And unlike when you saw Hal disintegrate, this time you felt pain, fear, and anguish. You were in shock for a few seconds until Kaldur's order reached your ears and made you react.

A few seconds passed in silence, no one moved from their place except for Kaldur who returned to the ship repeating the instruction he had given before, this time, no one wanted to make him repeat the same thing for the third time, one by one they went up the ship, Miss Martian and you stayed until the end waiting for the others to board, she was in front of you, you could hear the sobs she was trying to hide; when it was time to board M'gann seemed to hesitate as if she didn't want to go up. You didn't know what you were thinking when you did it, you didn't even think you were thinking, but one of your hands gently rested on her lower back giving her a little friendly push and a caring look.

— Come on, we have to keep going… — The words came out of your mouth as a soft whisper. M'gann quickly wiped away her tears and climbed into the ship without looking at you, taking her seat as the pilot, you did the same but this time you made your way to the only empty seat left.

[•••]

The way back was silent, everyone was immersed in their own world, but at a certain point of the trip you could hear again M'gann’s sobs, you turned your head slyly only to see the redhead totally devastated, despite your stoic expression your heart sank a little when you saw her like that.

— “M’gann?” — You called her telepathically, though you didn’t expect her to answer.

— “What do you want…?” — Maybe it wasn’t the nicest answer in the world, but you were satisfied with the fact that she replied.

— “Are… You okay?” — For a second you regretted it, thinking to yourself that it was a stupid question.

— “Of course not! I swear if this is another one of your stupid jokes I’m going to….” — Even in your head you could hear the anger in her voice, which surprised you, you hadn’t even thought of a response when you interrupted her.

— “It’s not! Look, I… I just wanted to see how you were doing, I didn’t… Never mind… “—For a moment you felt your cheeks burn, an inaudible sigh escaped your lips. Your mind remained silent for a couple of seconds, you assumed that your conversation with M'gann was over, but it wasn’t…

— “I’m sorry, I just can’t believe Artemis is gone…” — Hearing her voice again in your head took you by surprise, but you didn’t hesitate to answer.

— “Me neither. Everything happened so fast.” — You admitted again remembering the exact moment when Artemis was disintegrated in front of your eyes.

Your mind went silent again for another couple of seconds, but her voice echoed in your head again.

— “I’m afraid. “ — The tone of her voice suggested that she was close to tears again. You stood silently not knowing exactly what to say, but decided to tell the truth...

— “Me too…” — It was the first time in a long time that you admitted you were scared. — “But we have to keep going, if there is a small chance of stopping what happened to Artemis from happening to someone else then we have to try, thousands of people are depending on us. We have to do it for them, for Artemis, and….” — You paused for a moment remembering the image of Hal and the rest of the league being disintegrated. — “For all those who were lost.” — For some reason, the image of Hal disintegrating felt more painful now than when all this started, maybe it was because now you realized that he was really dead.

— “Thank you…”— M'gann’s voice sounded calmer than at the beginning of your telepathic conversation. You turned your head slightly to look at her, only to realize that she was already looking at you, a small sad smile formed on her lips to which you responded with a smile, then turned again and disappeared into your thoughts.

That was the first decent conversation you ever had with her.

[•••]

Arriving at the hall of justice you and Conner were deployed in the air to take out the ships attacking the soldiers.

The rest of the team quickly joined you on the ground, Aqualad started a conversation with who seemed to be the colonel of the platoon, you didn’t really pay attention to his words, you were too busy in your thoughts, but a small touch on your hand was enough to startle you, you turned your gaze to your hand only to see that it was M'gann who lightly held your fingers between hers; her grip was not strong, you could pull it away if you wanted to, and you would have but…. You didn’t want to… You looked up trying to meet her eyes but her face was lowered as if she didn’t want you to look at her, no one on the team seemed to notice the contact between you, which somehow relieved you.

Finally, after a few seconds, you entered the hall of justice, you guided M'gann through the rubble still with your hands gently clasped, you looked at the statues of each of the members of the league, finally stopping at the statue of Green Lantern, a huge feeling of guilt and sadness came over you, despite all that Hal had done for you, you never bothered to thank him.

You were so focused on the statue of your deceased mentor that you didn’t notice that M'gann had broken her grip to walk towards his uncle’s statue.

— Uncle J’onn! — M'gann’s cheerful voice brought you out of your little trance, you approached the rest of the team and saw Martian Manhunter being helped by the redhead to incorporate again.

— But we saw you get disintegrated. You and Superman. And Everyone.

— Yes, I remember. But… I cannot remember how I survived. Or how I arrived here. — The concern for her uncle was evident in M'gann’s eyes, and though you would never admit it, deep down you were happy that at least she had her uncle.

— Maybe you were density shifting and the beam passed right through you. — Although it didn’t sound like a bad theory, there was something that didn’t quite convince you, but you decided to remain silent.

— My mind is clouded. I feel certain I had something important to tell you. — You opened your lips and were about to say something, but Wally’s voice in your head stopped you from doing so.

— “Hello Wally! Come on!” — Wally seemed to have something to say, so you followed him and Robin back to the ship, Robin quickly scanned the ship proving Wally’s hypothesis, the beam used Z energy, which opened up the possibility that it was not a disintegrator beam but a teleporter beam.

— That must have been what you wanted to tell us! — M'gann said to her uncle who still seemed out of his mind.

Before anyone could do or say anything else the sound of approaching ships alerted everyone, without a second of time you all took cover behind a military vehicle, there were too many ships there would be no way to take them all down and you weren’t the only one who thought that way.

— Miss Martian, camo the bioship. — Before M'gann could comply with the order one of the beams imparted with the ship, your eyes widened in surprise knowing that given the Martian’s connection to the ship the impact would most likely hit her as well.

— M'gann...— You whispered to yourself floating quickly to the inside of the hall of justice, and you were right the redhead was lying on the floor due to the impact; you rushed over to her and took her sweetly in your arms, you could feel Conner’s gaze burning the back of your neck but that didn’t matter to you now. You helped her to stand up and both of you hurried to follow the team towards the zeta tubes as your way of escape.

— I can only authorize one at a time. — “Great,” you thought to yourself.

— Send the soldiers first. — Aqualad ordered.

— Belay that! You six are assets we cannot afford to lose. — All eyes turned to Kaldur for instructions, a nod was more than enough for everyone to prepare to get out of there.

— Override. Martian Manhunter 07. — Your eyes remained focused on the Martian Manhunter, but again a small touch on your hand stole your attention, it was M'gann, she seemed to be scared, you took her hand in yours and gave it a small affectionate squeeze accompanied by an almost imperceptible smile.

— Recognized. Access granted. — Your attention returned to the portal that was now active.

— Come on, I’m right behind you — You said to M'gann, wanting her to get to safety as soon as possible. She approached the portal being the first to cross, and even though you said you were right behind her you let Robin and Kid Flash cross next, however just before Kid Flash managed to cross they were reached by more alien ships, without hesitation Conner ran to the aid of one of the soldiers and Kaldur forced Wally to cross the portal not wanting to waste any more time.

Like your teammates, you were quick to react covering some of the attacks with a shield produced by your ring, but you were interrupted as someone pulled strongly on the back of your suit forcing you to move, when you turned you realized that it was Kaldur who had pulled you intending to make you cross the portal that scanned you quickly giving you access.

— Wait, Kaldur! — Before you could protest you were thrown into the portal leaving your teammates behind. — Agh!! — A growl of anger escaped your lips, you knew Kaldur had done it to save you, but you didn’t want to be saved, you wanted to help.

You were ready to go back through the portal and fight, but M'gann’s arms wrapped around your torso preventing you from moving forward.

— “I’m glad you made it.” — You gave no response to her words, instead you moved one of your hands positioning it over hers. Wally and Dick seemed to notice the sudden closeness between you, but said nothing about it, after all, they had better things to worry about.

The zeta tube activated again revealing one of the soldiers, you gently separated from M'gann to offer your help to the soldier who was injured; a couple of seconds later Conner joined you, but Kaldur didn’t…

[•••]

The mother ship was only a few meters away from you, the mission was clear, enter, rescue the hostages (If there really were any), destroy as many ships as possible, and leave. While it was a simple mission to understand, it was not simple to execute, but this was probably your last chance. You, along with Superboy would be the distractions that would clear the way for the others, which M'gann didn’t quite agree with, but it’s not like you could refuse anyway.

— First team, deploy. — You watched as M'gann lifted into the air and moved away to reach the ship, yet she gave you a sad look as if she knew something bad was going to happen to you.

— Ready. In position. — Miss Martian’s voice echoed inside everyone’s head indicating that she and J'onn had arrived safely inside the ship. — “Please, be careful.” — You heard her again, but this time the voice was only in your head, you didn’t respond, you simply nodded even though you knew she couldn’t see you.

You and Conner turned to Robin, he simply gave you a nod indicating it was your turn. You took off from the ground approaching the ship making as much noise and commotion as possible. You destroyed as many weapons as you could, but still more kept appearing, luckily your distraction was enough for Robin and Kid Flash to enter safely, which relieved you in a way getting you to lower your guard a little, as a result, one of the ships disintegrated Conner.

— Conner! — Without leaving you time to get yourself together the ships approached you, you dodged as many attacks as possible and attacked as much as you could before you were totally surrounded.

You closed your eyes in defeat letting out a small sigh when one of the ships positioned itself in front of you. — “Forgive me M'gann.” — Was the last thing you thought hoping she would listen, you didn't even know why you were apologizing to her, but you felt you had to. You opened your eyes to meet your fate only to have to close them again due to the blinding yellow light.

But then, there was no more light, there was nothing….

[•••]

Your eyes suddenly opened, your chest was rising and falling frantically, you straightened up as fast as you could causing strong dizziness in you, your trembling hand held your head for a moment, you could feel the icy sweat falling from your forehead. You slowly turned around only to see the rest of the team in a similar condition to you, except for M'gann who was still sleeping. You could see Batman in the room, you were about to speak up to demand answers, but a loud gasp interrupted you, M'gann had woken up, she slowly sat up and your gazes met for a few seconds before you broke eye contact with her.

— You’re all alive! — Her voice was as energetic as usual.

— What happened in there? — Batman asked.

— The exercise, it all went wrong. — Martian Manhunter replied.

— Exercise? What damn exercise? — Despite the shock you were experiencing inside, you couldn’t help but raise your voice in search of answers.

— Try to remember. What you experienced was a training exercise. Manhunter psychically linked the seven of you within an artificial reality. You all knew this going in. What you didn’t know was that it was a training for failure exercise. No matter what the team accomplished the scenario was designed to grow worse. Still, you were aware nothing was real including the deaths of the entire Justice League. — Your stomach churned for a moment as you remembered the image of Hal being disintegrated in front of your eyes.

— That is why you hardly grieved even when Wolf was disintegrated before your eyes. But all that changed when Artemis died. Though consciously, Miss Matian knew it was not real, her subconscious mind could not make that distinction. She forgot it was only an exercise and her subconscious took control making all of you forget, too. — Everyone’s eyes fell on M'gann, for a moment you remembered how unpleasant you found her person and how little you liked her, but for some reason you no longer felt that way towards her, which was strange, after all, you were sure that if the circumstances were different you would be right now blaming her for the trauma you had to live through in that psychic reality, but you knew it wasn’t her fault.

— Uh, I’m, I’m so sorry. — You could hear the sadness and regret in her voice as she looked at each of you.

— This isn’t her fault! — This was one of the few times you agreed with Conner. — Why didn’t you stop the exercise?.

— We tried, but M’gann had a death grip on the scenario. Even Artemis, who should have awakened upon her death was so convinced she had passed she slipped into a coma. I realized I would have to wrest control from Miss Martian’s subconscious from within. But upon entering the reality. I was overwhelmed by your collective emotion. There was too much… Noise, to think clearly, to remember why I was there. The deaths of Aqualad, Superboy, and Green Lantern helped. — A shiver ran through your whole body at the thought of your “death”, but you kept your stoic expression not wanting anyone to notice. — But only when the mothership exploded and Robin and Kid Flash were silenced did my mind clear enough to remember my true purpose… To shock M’gann out of the exercise before your comas became permanent. My apologies. I had no idea a training exercise could be so dangerous… So damaging…

Again everyone turned to Miss Martian who seemed even more shocked by everything, it looked like Conner was about to approach her, but before you could think clearly your body had already moved to place one of your hands on her shoulder, she didn’t move or speak, you opened your lips to try to give her verbal support, but before you could say anything she rushed towards you with her arms around you in search of comfort while tears were streaming down her face, you were in shock for a few seconds as well as the rest of the team, after all, you disliked each other; even the idea of pushing her away from you quickly crossed your mind, but, for some reason, you decided not to do it, and surprisingly, you returned her embrace. Maybe it was the shock of the moment, maybe you felt bad for her, or maybe it was something else, but you wanted her around, which was ironic considering how much you disliked her a few hours ago.

But now, all you wanted to do was give her the comfort she needed.

[•••]

— You know, compared to the rest of the team you seem very calm, which is strange considering everything that happened in the exercise. — Black Canary’s voice seemed calm, but deep down she was worried about you and the rest of the team.

— Well… — You just shrugged your shoulders, you didn’t know what to say, you knew it was best to say how you felt, but even you didn’t know what you felt.

— About Hal… He was the first to die, I imagine it must have been hard for you. — Canary invited you to talk about your mentor, which took you by surprise. Everyone knew that your relationship with Hal was complicated, you both awkwardly cared for each other, but neither of you would ever accept it.

— No… I mean, not at first, when I saw him die I didn’t feel anything, because I knew it couldn’t be real. But when things started to get distorted I realized that he was dead, and I felt a lot of guilt for not feeling anything when I saw him die, I also felt regret for never thanking him for everything he did for me. — Your eyes were stuck on your feet wanting to avoid Canary’s gaze, after all, it was embarrassing to admit that you felt affection for Hal, you could almost say that you saw him as a father. — The first thing I did after dealing with the shock was called him. I know everything was fake and it happened because of M’ gann, but still, I felt I had to talk to him, at least to say “Hi”.

A small smile appeared on Canary’s lips as she saw that you had at least admitted to caring about Hal, of all the times Black Canary had talked to you this was the only time she had managed to get you to open up to her.

— Now speaking of M'gann… From what I heard you both seemed pretty close during the exercise, M'gann actually seemed to find comfort in you and vice versa, which is interesting considering you two don’t get along. — Your eyes quickly raised from the ground to meet Canary’s inquisitive gaze, she seemed interested in what you would respond to her words.

— I don’t think it was that way…. I mean, we were in one of the worst-case scenarios, fighting among ourselves wouldn’t make anything better. — Your cheeks were red, even though you were trying to sound convincing with your words Canary looked at you with an unconvinced raised eyebrow. — Agh! Okay, okay! When Artemis died and M'gann was crying it hurt me to see her like that, so I talked to her telepathically and that was it, but when we got to the hall of justice, and she took my hand, even if everything looked bad, that made me feel good. And not only that, when she hugged me after crossing over the z-tube, I felt like everything was going to be okay when it clearly wasn’t. I felt like I was going to be okay. And… I liked that feeling…

— I think you should talk to her, she could use some support and company right now.

— I… I will try… — You really wanted to try to talk to her, but the thought of it made you feel strangely nervous.

She made you nervous.

[•••]

You stood static in front of the door to M'gann’s room, your knuckles were only millimeters from the wood to knock on, you didn’t even know if she was there. You tried to organize your thoughts, you weren’t even sure what you would say, what if she still hated you? what if she didn’t want you around?

A sigh escaped your lips, your hand moved away from the wood of the door, not a good idea, you moved one of your feet to leave but the door burst open leaving you to face to face with M'gann.

— Sorry I… I didn’t mean to bother you. — Your cheeks tinged slightly red, the nervousness was clear in your voice.

— You’re not bothering me. — A small shy smile formed on the redhead’s lips. — Do you want to come in? — She stepped aside, allowing you to pass if you wish.

— Sure. — You moved into her room, which was much cleaner than yours.

You saw how M'gann sat on the edge of her bed so you did the same, you both stood there awkwardly for a couple of seconds, neither of you knew what to say. You didn’t know if you should tell her how you felt, or if it was too soon, or sudden. Even though you had no idea what to say you felt you had to say something, after all, you had come to see her.

— I’m sorry… — M'gann’s voice startled you, but you were more surprised by the fact that she apologized. — For the training exercise, I didn’t mean for things to end up like that. — Her face was looking down, regret and guilt were evident in her voice.

— M’gann… — You gently took her face between your hands and made her look at you, a couple of tears slid down her cheeks that you gently wiped with your thumbs. — It wasn’t your fault, none of what happened was. — You both remained silent for a few seconds, staring into each other’s eyes, you had never realized how beautiful M'gann’s eyes were. Both of you were immersed in your thoughts until M'gann broke the moment by pressing her lips to your cheek. Your mouth opened slightly in surprise and your face turned as red as her hair.

— Thank you… I certainly didn’t expect to get so much support from you, not only now, even during the exercise and… I like it… I like you… — M'gann’s face was as red as yours, her eyes looked at you begging for you to say something.

A nervous smile formed on your lips, thinking how ironic it was to think that only a couple of hours ago you two totally hated each other, and now….

��� Maybe… I like you a little bit. — You watched as a small smile formed on M'gann’s lips. She jumped on you and wrapped her arms around your shoulders, in response, you wrapped your arms around her waist.

Well, that failed exercise hadn’t been so bad after all.

[nostalgicatsea]

Racism in the Marvel fandom as seen through the number of fanworks per M/M ship on AO3

I talked about this on Twitter, but I'm posting it here with tweaks and additions.

A couple of notes about the ship selection process:

I focused on M/M ships here as they're the biggest and most common on AO3 overall and, for the most part, the Marvel fandom

I put aside my personal feelings, so the following selection ranges from my OTP and ships I like to ships I dislike or am squicked by and NOTPs. The big ships and crack/niche ships are ones that have the most popular male characters or I’ve seen come up the most often, but I'm sure the pattern is consistent with more minor characters and subfandoms with fewer works

I focused on ships that exist in the MCU (film side only, no TV), only or in addition to other universes, just to simplify things. The MCU fandom is the biggest, and it gets complicated once you throw in other universes considering the vastness of the Marvel multiverse

I looked at the overall fanwork count for the ships rather than fanworks for that ship in the MCU tag as people tend to miscategorize their works

As of 6/19/20:

AO3 fanworks of big MCU/MCU-based ships: 

Steve/Bucky: 50,501 

Steve/Tony: 36,638 

Loki/Thor: 13,071

Clint/Coulson: 10,940

Loki/Tony: 9,880

Bucky/Tony: 7,504

Spideypool: 7,271

Starker: 6,073 

Ironstrange: 4,844 

Bruce/Tony: 4,734

Bucky/Clint: 3,841

Stuckony: 2,331

AO3 fanworks of MCU/MCU-based ships with 1 or more POC where the characters interact a few times, have meaningful relationships with each other, or have genuine or crack potential: 

Sam/Bucky: 3,023

Steve/Sam: 2,908

Rhodey/Tony: 1,434

Erik/T'Challa: 578 

Ned/Peter: 429

Coulson/Fury: 264

M'Baku/T'Challa: 155 

Rhodey/Sam: 149

Strange/Wong: 82 

Heimdall/Thor: 50

Scott/Jimmy Woo: 36

Scott/Luis: 24

Fury/Pierce: 16 (fandom is also ageist)

The disparity between the two lists is particularly egregious when you consider:

Clint and Coulson had 17 seconds of dialogue and 7 lines with each other and never interacted again after Thor. This is a generous estimate as I included pauses

Loki and Tony haven't interacted since The Avengers 

The only time Bucky and Tony as a duo and Steve, Bucky, Tony as a trio interact is in the bunker in Siberia

Spideypool includes a character who isn't even in the MCU

Ironstrange didn't exist or really exist in MCU fanworks before 2018, and Tony and Strange only communicate once in their second movie together, with Strange holding up his finger silently 

Bucky and Clint never interact with each other

I’ll be focusing on the Captain America, Avengers, and Iron Man subfandoms first as those are the three biggest in the MCU. Before I start, here's my thread from last year about some of the ships I’ll be mentioning. 

Okay. How does Bucky/Tony have 6,070 more fanworks than Rhodey/Tony and 4,481 more than Sam/Bucky and Bucky/Clint have 818 more than Sam/Bucky? How do Loki/Tony and Ironstrange have 8,446 and 3,410 more fanworks than Rhodey/Tony, respectively, and Stuckony almost as many as Steve/Sam?

The gap is especially glaring when you compare Steve/Bucky and Steve/Tony to Steve/Sam, Sam/Bucky, and Rhodey/Tony; however, though it's important to point out that wide gulf, I lose my mind more over the fact that ships with white characters who have never interacted or only exchanged a few lines (Clint/Coulson never even STAND IN THE SAME ROOM, and they're one of the top ships!) have more fanworks than ships with POC who do or have potential. 

I will point out that at least with the MCU Spider-Man and Black Panther fandoms, you do see some diversity with their big ships (I’m including some M/F ships here to make a point in the next paragraph). MJ/Peter has 3,518 fanworks, and in addition to the two T’Challa ships above, Nakia/T’Challa has 286, MJ/Shuri 220, Bucky/Shuri 210, and Peter/Shuri 140 (Black Panther is a much smaller fandom, but some ship numbers are higher if you put BP and non-BP characters together, e.g., Tony/T’Challa (405) and Bucky/T’Challa (345). 

It's important to note, however, that these two films are significantly more racially diverse than all other MCU films; in fact, they're very much the outliers. These ships and Ned/Peter are also heavy indicators of racism in this fandom. These numbers are very low compared to the big ships, and there are fewer works for these fandoms especially in BP’s case. Additionally, ships with white non-BP characters rank second, third, sixth, and eighth in the fandom (Bucky isn’t a BP character as he is only in the post-credits scene). Nakia/T’Challa is canon but outranked by Tony/T’Challa and Bucky/T’Challa, and all other ships with only BP characters, not listed here as the numbers are much lower other than M’Baku/T’Challa (second-lowest among the listed), are outranked by all the ships with white non-BP characters. 

To sum up everything I said above:

white M/M ships are extremely overrepresented by a huge margin, even if they have little to no canonical basis

interracial ships are poorly represented even if the characters have meaningful relationships or potential (and even if they clearly have all the traits that would ensure that they would be a big ship had the character of color been white)

the ships with the least representation by a longggggg mile are ones that involve only POC. Their fanwork count is, aside from Erik/T’Challa (578), in the low 100s and 200s. Countless ships are below the 100 mark. 

If you want to make this even more infuriating, here's a random selection of white (or in one case, AI) crack ships and ships that are more niche that I’ve seen to compare to the ships of color above: 

Clint/Tony: 1,423

Loki/Steve: 1,251 

Clint/Steve: 986 

Bucky/Rumlow: 984 

Clint/Pietro: 837 

Hydrahusbands: 770 

Grandmaster/Loki: 633 

Steve/Rumlow: 547 

Steve/Howard: 457 

JARVIS/Tony: 414

And just for the hell of it because Darcy, a minor character who appears in only two movies and last appeared in 2013, shows up all the time in MCU fanworks (17,004 (these include ones where she’s not paired with anyone)) and is probably one of the top three or four little black dresses/fandom bicycles: 

Darcy/Steve: 3,013

Darcy/Bucky: 2,640

Darcy/Loki: 1,558

Darcy/Clint: 1,107

Darcy/Steve/Bucky: 676

Darcy/Tony: 326

The Darcy situation is a post for another day (she has more fanworks than all other female characters except ~3 women), but in the context of this post, it’s absurd that nearly all of the non-canonical ships above which feature characters whom Darcy has never interacted with (I don’t even remember if Darcy interacted with Loki) have more fanworks than the listed ships of color.

That said, if you like the aforementioned white M/M ships, even if they have little to no canonical basis, that's okay. Anything goes in fandom. It IS a problem, though, if you have more than one ship, but ALL of them are white M/M ships or, if you like F/F and M/F, those are also all white. If you only create and consume works for a single ship, which a good number of people do (many people only get into a fandom because of an OTP!), it's fine if it's a white M/M ship. Honestly, it’s not that surprising either considering most of the screen time and meaty development is given to white characters because of racism (that's a post for another day). However, it IS a problem if most or all of your other ships across your current and previous fandoms are white—and if the only media you consume is predominantly or all white.

This post is longer than planned, but tl;dr, fandom has a racism problem which is nothing new, and we should all examine the following and see and remedy any implicit biases that we have:

our feelings about different characters and relationships, both platonic and romantic

our decision whether or not to seek or make content with characters of color. This includes content with your white ships that have POC in the work because sometimes every other white character in the MCU show up except them or all of them play bigger roles than the POC despite their relationship with the protagonist(s)

the way we interpret and write/draw those characters. For example, is Sam a yes-man? An unofficial or official therapist for white friends? The bro who cracks jokes and/or gives sage advice but seems to not have any flaws, struggles, or life of his own outside of his white friends? The BFF who thinks his white best friend is being dumb about another white guy and wants them to get their act together already?)

[pau-neko-chan]

Small details that make me ship karumana

Various fans have already contributed supplementary materials as fuel for the karumana ship but I’m here to talk about more minute details of their individual characters that make me believe in a supportive and refreshing relationship that can develop between these two. I plan to discuss details ranging from the start-up ship fuel from the main series to the supplementary material hints in order to  provide a more psychological perspective in their compatibility.

Anime: S1 Ep 8 - Karma expresses interest in Okuda when the boys in class asked him who he likes.

The foundations of this ship

Many may claim that their interactions in the series aren’t enough to support a ship but if you look into supplementary material and analyze their individual characters beyond the obvious spotlight ship in the series, you can see how much Matsui Yusei teases fans with karumana ship fuel. According to Okuda’s character profile, she’s someone that the ever-alert Karma has allowed to get close. While in Karma’s character profile, Okuda is said to be the girl he can talk to about anything and his cautious heart and distant nature faded away around her. They’re cited to be the most easy-going boy-girl relationship in the class. In a translated character relationship chart from the official fanbook, Matsui confirms that these two like each other for how comfortable they are with each other, Karma finds her to be the easiest person of the opposite sex to talk to, Okuda feels relaxed around Karma in general, and Karma thinks Okuda is cute.

With these foundational details in mind and by reading beyond what the series gives us, here are a few points that make me believe in Karma and Okuda’s chemistry.

Okuda is not spineless

While she appears to be helpless and shy, she can stand her ground on what she believes in. Much like others in 3-E, she is her own character and doesn’t exist to be that token straight ship for Karma. During the class civil war, she chose the “save” team because she believes that if science can destroy, it can also save.

Anime: S2 Ep 17; Manga: Ch 144 - Okuda chooses the Blue team to save Koro-sensei

They could have easily put her in Karma’s team because of friendship and loyalty but the choice to “kill” would simply be against Okuda’s caring and harmless nature, one of the main traits why Karma is so comfortable around her. Later into the game, Isogai and Maehara talk about who they think would win and Okuda yells out that she wants Karma to win, despite being in the “save” team. This shows her own resolve and ability to separate her personal principles from her relationship with Karma.

Manga: Ch 147 - Okuda states why she wants Karma to win

It’s not that she wants Koro-sensei to die, it's that she understood what killing Koro-sensei means for Karma. She, of all people, knew the hard work Karma put on behind the scenes. When others simply dismiss Karma’s achievements as “genius,” she (and Koro-sensei) knew that Karma works hard, no matter how much he tries to hide that side of him to the world. This comes with his resolve that he is not the best and he has to put in effort if he wants to be the most capable in reaching his goal. Okuda sees all that. Given the choice, Okuda would rather save Koro-sensei, yet if things don’t go her way, she trusts that Karma earned the chance to fulfill his goal. This duality illustrates that whether the class decides to save or kill, she can accept it wholeheartedly. She wouldn’t have regrets because she gave it her best shot from a decision she made herself.

Anime: S2 Ep 1 - Karma hides evidence of him studying hard on the last day of summer break

In relationships, it’s important to have set boundaries for what you share with your partner and the things that make you, you. Okuda’s character exemplifies this well as she is not shown to be a side character that follows Karma around, she’s a friend whom Karma can share his vulnerabilities with while being able to keep her individuality intact. While she is known to be lacking in the ability to communicate, in the end, she’s able to say what’s on her mind when it matters—without any filters. She is brave and strong in her own way and has the capability to provide a new perspective—a trait that can stimulate Karma’s intellect. I believe this would blend well in their relationship because Karma seems to be the type who would get bored hanging out with someone who can’t keep up with him. This shows that their relationship can be an equal exchange of support and trust rather than one being subservient or wary of the other.

Additionally, her pure honesty and lack of fear for Karma is a perfect example of how she can stand up on her own. Everyone is afraid of Karma to some extent which makes them avoid him, possibly right according to how Karma likes to push people away with his behavior. Having someone whose basic nature is to not get swept away by the norm, to be able to choose for herself in how she views Karma, and to be overall honest with her intents really paves the way for a mutual trusting relationship.

Anime: S1 Ep 8 - The girls in class find Karma attractive but scary but Okuda disagrees.

What I find interesting in Okuda’s lack of fear for Karma is that she says this even after seeing him directly start a fight with delinquents the day before. This is episode 8, 3 episodes after her debut in episode 5. Assuming that Karma only started approaching her after learning about her poison-making skills, that’s quite a short period to get to know Karma—a known violent delinquent and the most skilled fighter in class—and to claim that he is “not that scary.” This implies that by this time, they have started to get to know each other better, Karma probably treats her well, and that they’ve interacted enough off-screen to arrive at the conclusion that he is not scary. Much like how Karma’s interest in her comes from her chemistry skills rather than her looks, this girl knows Karma is more than his external features and she can speak her mind even though it’s contrary to the public opinion.

Karma’s character development

Manga: Ch 19 - The boys ask Karma who he’s interested in among the girls in class

From the key scene that fueled this ship, many may claim that Karma is just using her for personal gain. I personally believe this argument is made by people who stopped understanding character growth at season 1 or simply cannot grasp at all that humans change over time. As with a lot of relationships, the interest in other people has to start somewhere. For Karma, the interest starts here with the maturity level of a 15 year-old prankster. Being one of the main characters, Karma goes through character development in the way he views the world, himself, and the people surrounding him. He changes a lot in a span of one year so it wouldn’t be impossible to believe that his interest in Okuda grows beyond having a convenient drug dealer.

One common trait that makes Karma comfortable around people like Nagisa and Okuda is that they are seemingly harmless to him. The statement and intent sounds problematic as a standalone but it’s important to point out how Karma uses this information in his relationships. A typical toxic psychopath would prey on their harmlessness to bully them into taking advantage of them. Karma’s comfort hanging around harmless friends stems more from their inability to hurt him rather than his capability to hurt them. Although Karma is labeled as a violent delinquent, he isn’t a low-level scum-type delinquent that starts a fight for the sake of fighting. As far as I can remember, all cases of Karma’s problematic delinquent behavior is fighting with strangers who provoked him first or he was actually trying to defend someone weaker. His friendship with Nagisa started with a common interest and he was comfortable until he felt threatened by Nagisa’s dormant skill for assassination. Not once did he try to take advantage of Nagisa’s pacifist nature for his personal gains. The same applies for his friendship with Okuda—she piqued his interests with her chemistry skills, he learns that she is harmless and comfortable to be with, and a genuine friendship evolves from there. His interest in her skills may be mischievous but he never showed any aggression or intent to take advantage of Okuda. Neither did he force or threaten her to do those for her. She even wrote that she was able to experience challenging experiments because of his requests in her yearbook message to Karma, something that sounds like she actually enjoyed the fruit of his mischievous intents.

Anime: S1 Ep 8 - Karma tells why he’s interested in Okuda

For those who believe that this scene is a weak foundation for liking someone, well, at that point, Karma hasn’t really developed a romantic type of interest in her. As mentioned, this is how his interest in her begins, not the sole reason for him to be attracted to her. Playing around, making mischief happen, sharing fun times is something that develops friendships. A good friendship is the solid foundation for a comfortable romantic relationship later on. Character development is a real thing and these two won’t have the brain of mischievous middle-schoolers for the rest of their lives.

Anime: S2 Ep 6 - The Witch and The Knight used chloroform to save the day

Karma can feel at ease with Okuda

During the Test of Courage, Karma and Okuda were paired up which gave them time alone to talk about something that’s been bothering Karma. As we all know, Karma never shows his vulnerabilities to anyone at this point in time, not even around classmates who are known to get along with him. Koro-sensei had to earn it by looking out for him and it took time for him to warm up yet even then, he wouldn’t be caught casually sharing something as personal as his fear. The exception is Okuda. The series never explicitly shows how Okuda earned that trust but this scene paints something unusual in Karma’s well-guarded nature. It’s not impossible that they’ve shared enough moments off-screen—moments valuable enough for Okuda to earn Karma’s trust halfway through the school year. To note, it appears that Okuda never even initiated asking Karma what’s bothering him and yet, Karma simply shared what’s on his mind to her.

Anime: S2 Ep 1 - Karma talks about his fear to Okuda during the Test of Courage

We don’t actually see this kind of vulnerability display around friends that Karma spent a lot of fun times with on-screen such as Nakamura and Terasaka. During the civil war, Nakamura notices something unusual in Karma, as if something is bothering him but Karma immediately brushes it off and shows his usual face excusing it as having just woken up. Karma and Nakamura have been shown to get along well as fellow pranksters, possibly with more lines in scenes together than Okuda and Karma ever had in the entire series, yet for some reason, this friendship hasn’t reached the point where Karma can at least give a hint of what’s bothering him when he’s alone with Nakamura even after she asks him about his thoughts.

Manga: Ch 144 - Nakamura notices something unusual about Karma at the start of the class civil war

As for Terasaka, he seems to have earned a teasingly trusting friendship with Karma. Terasaka gives his trust in being manipulated by Karma’s wits and Karma seems to show acknowledgement for how this pseudo-Takaoka has grown. Yet the most Karma would show around him is a vague suggestion that he would like to see him in the real world again someday as colleagues. Perhaps this is simply how men communicate with each other but I guess with everything they’ve experienced, Karma acknowledges some sort of friendship with Terasaka, but not enough for him to expound or eloquently communicate why he would like to see Terasaka as a politician when he himself becomes a bureaucrat. Karma’s unsolicited suggestion for Terasaka hints at his vision for his future and how he sees someone like Terasaka in it but his language doesn’t scratch the surface of intimate vulnerability as it did around Okuda in the test of courage.

Anime: S2 Ep 9 - Karma tells Terasaka to become a politician after career counseling with Koro-sensei

Throughout the series, we see Karma come out of his small world and slowly connecting and caring for his classmates. He gets along quite well with them and appreciates their company and how this class allows him to be himself. All this is temporary as they will go their separate ways once they graduate. In addition, Karma also appears to be the type to value the quality friendships he has built. This would imply that in order to maintain a bond with him after graduation, Karma would have to actively show an interest in connecting with them. In the case of Okuda, he seems to be interested in her enough to look forward to spending more time with her after graduation, as shown in his yearbook message to her stating that his year was made more fun with her around and that he’s looking forward for more.

It seems in each relationship he has, there exists an aspect that makes one distinct from the others. The existence of shared interests and getting along, a sense of comfort and security without fear of being betrayed, the willingness to extend effort in seeing them again, and the extent of being able to express in detail his vulnerabilities and deeper musings seem to be some distinct factors that make up Karma’s quality relationships. While each notable friendship satisfies at least one or two categories, none of them have all four except Okuda. The presence of all these qualities in his relationship with Okuda makes her stand out and have the potential to grow from good mischievous friends to lifetime supportive partners.

In the case of battle compatibility, Okuda may be far from giving Karma direct assistance in the battlefield. However, there’s an angle I wish to discuss that makes me think of how it translates to their compatibility. One scene that oddly stood out for me was during their encounter with delinquents in their Kyoto trip. The delinquents attacked, leaving the boys unconscious, subsequently kidnapping Kayano and Kanzaki. Okuda managed to slip away and hide leaving her to check on the boys when the environment became safe.

Anime: S1 Ep 7 - Okuda reappears apologizing for hiding when the delinquents attacked.

What made this scene interesting is that Okuda could have been kidnapped along with Kayano and Kanzaki and the result would have been the same. The boys could have read the trip manual and called Koro-sensei. Sure enough, Koro-sensei could single-handedly save them once they got to the hideout. It didn’t matter whether one, two, or three unarmed girls got kidnapped. So why paint this scene with her being able to slip away without the delinquents getting a chance to grab her?

My interpretation for this small detail is that Karma doesn’t always have to worry about Okuda. Karma gets into a lot of fights. Even in his future career as a bureaucrat, he will surely get into dangerous situations involving politicians. He has always been the type to be on guard 24/7. Even back when he was comfortable around Nagisa who he believed to be harmless and a good friend, he couldn’t let his guard down. Imagine the stress that burdens his shoulders having to keep his guard up for himself and having to extend that to another person. Wouldn’t that be too much for him to sustain in the long run?

Anime: S2 Ep 18 - The feeling Karma got when Nagisa sneakily poked his back while looking for him in WcDonalds

Anime: S2 Ep 18 - Karma and Nagisa hanging out in the middle of their second year

For someone without exemplary combat abilities like Okuda, slipping away to safety is a smart move. Even at that moment, Karma acknowledged that she did the right thing. Of course we know this is not the type of running away in order to abandon a comrade. I believe it’s safe to claim that nobody in 3-E would truly go that route. What Okuda did was wise and if the scenario were a little different, slipping away could have given her the chance to send support, prepare weapons, and an overall better fighting chance than just standing there frozen or getting herself kidnapped. She slipped away using quick thinking and if you think about it, it takes skill to sneak away unnoticed when both ends of a narrow ally are surrounded by big, menacing delinquents. Her ability to act wisely by herself can definitely be a load off Karma’s chest knowing that the people he cares for can take care of themselves should he be rendered unable to protect them.

Additionally, Okuda’s nature is the type that Karma can trust to be capable enough to protect herself without feeling that she’s a threat to him, something rare among his relationships with other friends. This detail is small and subtle but it hints her potential supportive and reassuring dynamic with Karma wherein Okuda can safely lend background assistance without worrying a combat-ready Karma. As Karma mentions back at her later in the series, running away is also a battle strategy. Whether he learned this technique from Okuda or not is a mystery but I like to think that towards the end of the series and almost a year of trust and friendship, some of Okuda’s traits and mindsets have rubbed off on Karma enough for him to adopt it in his strategies.

Anime: S2 Ep 23 - Karma grabs Okuda’s wrist to get away from danger

For someone as cocky as Karma, being able to pull off a humble-yet-wise move is something noteworthy. This humility could be the mixed influence of Koro-sensei’s care and Okuda’s nature. Not only does Okuda provide a load off his shoulders, she is also capable of bringing new perspectives in solving problems for Karma.

In a long-term relationship, Karma deserves to feel at ease. Whether as a friend or a life partner, he deserves someone he can trust not just in opening up, but also at times when he’s vulnerable. For me, this is something that his dynamic with Okuda can provide. She may not be the best to fight alongside others in the frontline but she can provide background support so Karma can be guaranteed that he is not alone in a fight and he will not be coming home to a lonely place after a fight.

From being an approachable friend that he gets along with to a partner he can trust and be vulnerable around, all these seem to point at a special connection Karma feels around Okuda—enough for her to be just the right support he needs while being able to treat her right. Okuda may not talk or stand out much but Karma seems to see traits in her that make him gravitate towards her with ease. She doesn’t stand out in the general crowd but she stands out for Karma, where her traits are appreciated. 

____________________

Notes: I have the tendency to lean towards the less popular ships in Anime (such as Yukihira Souma x Tadakoro Megumi in Shokugeki no Souma) over the obvious ships in the spotlight. I believe it has something to do with my inclination to more mature and supportive relationships that appeal to people in their 20s rather than hormone-induced pairings that sound like high school flings targeted for 14 year old girls. To note, I was at that age once but once you hit your 20s, you realize that some ships are more problematic than you remember. This is my second time watching AC (first time was in 2016) and I honestly don’t recall shipping them back then. I don’t even recall picking up on karumana hints before. But now after rewatching it in my 20s, I find it quite intriguing how I find this couple so cute, while knowing that I’ve grown out of my shoujo manga days. These days, I don’t have tolerance for shoujo-esque ships that are practically “it’s not sexual harassment if he’s hot.” Looking back, a lot of shoujo mangas/anime were like that in my teenage years. While Karma started out with high Marty Stu potential like shoujo main boys, AC developed its characters well such that their characters and future career paths were more realistic—something you come to appreciate as someone who has already gone through their own 7-year timeskip.

[kaypeace21]

I feel like you’re the right person to tell this to, but Mileven makes me REALLY uncomfortable. I’m an adult fan (I watch the show mostly for Winona Ryder) and I felt really gross watching the scenes of them making out, knowing that adults wrote those scenes and shot them, and how many people would’ve been there during shooting. Please tell me I’m not alone.

I agree that it makes me feel uncomfortable and gross, too. But, I actually think the Duffers wanted you to feel uncomfortable (and I think mileven was portrayed as ‘off’ and ‘too much’ for that reason).  Think about it, when it comes to almost all their other cannon couples- they use kisses sparingly. Jancy has only kissed, romantically 3x (2 of those times were simple kisses- not full blown make-outs), and their first kiss (and only make-out) was quickly obscured as they closed the door.

(x)

Jopper has never kissed, and lumax had an innocent kid-kiss once (and even when back together in s3, they never kissed).

The duffers are sparing with kiss- scenes, unless they are portraying a relationship that won’t work.Most of the relationships that are cannon (with the exception of mileven) focus almost completely on how they communicate with one another- and relationships that lack this (spend most of their time just making-out).  What’s the ship that has had the most kiss scenes in the whole series? In the bathroom, library, bedroom(s), garage, in a car, multiple places at school (and has probably had at least 6-7 kiss scenes or more - and  who even made out on a bed to corny romance music just like mileven (pre-s3?)- Stancy.  Heck, we even see Nancy lose her v**ginity to Steve- but didn’t see Jancy do-it. Because we aren’t supposed to focus on their physical relationship but their emotional one.

Stancy and mileven have had alot of parallels. The wheelers (Nancy and Karen) already made a habit of pretending they’re in love with people- because that relationship is what is deemed the most socially acceptable. Nancy rebelling with the cool-jock (Steve), trying to not be like her parents. And Karen with Ted. Nancy even says in s1 “I don’t think my parents ever loved each other. My mom was young. My dad was older… but he had a cushy job, money, came from a good family. So they bought a house at the end of the cul de sac and started their nuclear family”. Ted  & Steve were paralleled to each other, having them both eat chicken as their partners  (Karen/Nancy) stormed off upset (and they did nothing). And El was paralleled to Ted by sitting in Ted’s laz-boy chair. And Dustin even refers to mileven as “bullshit” just like Nancy described Stancy as “bullshit”.  

(x)

So to reiterate , Mike is doing the same thing as Nancy & Karen- being with someone they don’t love. And only staying with them becuause they are the more socially acceptable/’correct’ option…because El’s a girl (unlike Will). 

Also, the fact that Murray’s line to Nancy sounds more queer coded than applicable to Nancy - “ Afraid that if you’d accept yourself for who you really are (cough queer-subtext), and retreated back to… name, name? Steve. Steve! we like Steve (El) but we don’t love Steve (El).”

So, the over-top kisses were done as yet another parallel. And again s2 made fun of (kids who are) mileven shippers ( I’ll talk about that later). 

But , S3 was the Duffers criticizing the adult mileven shippers- who are obsessed with mileven kissing. 

Like don’t get me wrong there’s some weird byler shippers (but the majority of byler shippers focus on the emotional not physical part of their relationship).

Think about it. Look how they framed this scene of mileven kissing- making us the viewer feel like a peeping-tom, watching them through the crack in the door. Then El sees the viewer and subsequently gasps and slams the door in front of our faces. YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE! 

The Duffers and their crew (like good directors) were manipulating your emotions- without you realizing how or why. They were also calling-out the adult-mileven shippers (not all of them but the ones) who are obsessed with their kiss scenes - creepy AF. The duffers never even wrote for mileven to kiss in s2- but Millie said they “had to for the fans”. And so the Duffers conceded and put in a song about a bad-breakup during the mileven kiss - and their backup-song-choice was even about a divorce. XD

So the 2 mileven make-out scenes were supposed to make you uncomfortable- because not only are they kids (who are making out on a bed , but the way they were framed).

So that 3rd and last kiss. Was 100% supposed to make you uncomfortable (but just for a different reason).

Like it or not Mike either forgot that he said he “loved her”. Or just LIED to El (despite this being the reason they broke up in the first place)- and pretends he didn’t confess to her . He  has never said “ I love you’, once to her face! He even tries to take the words back (before the kiss) and says about the prior love confession “ Oh! Oh, yeah that.Man, that was so long ago. Um…”  and starts to scratch his head and says everything he said at the cabin was “in the heat of the moment stuff and we were arguing… I don’t really remember. What did I say exactly?”

  And , after that discussion, they frame El (before she says “I love you”), strangely. They make El look large and imposing, as she approaches the motionless Mike (who feels both physically & emotionally cornered) .You the viewer, subconsciously are feeling claustrophobic/trapped/and stuck along with Mike. Which is why you are so uncomfortable watching this scene, unfold.

(x)

When she says “I love you”, he looks genuinely confused- or just uncomfortable ( his eyebrows are still scrunched-up).

And then… cue the most awkward kiss in the history as Mike doesn’t kiss her back and keeps his eyes open the whole time… it’s just weird/awkward (sorry).

(x) 

We even see El’s reaction , after the kiss (happy, smiling and giddy). But then we blur the screen to see Mike’s opposing expression. He looks confused, bewildered and even furrows his brows again.

And In s2 they insulted the young-girls who are obsessed with mileven (since they can frankly,  be the most toxic of the milevens). 

In the Montauk pitch (later named Stranger things) they describe the Mike and El dynamic by saying “ If Mike is the Eliot of our show,Eleven is our Et.” (AKA they’re from different planets)

And In s2 , Erica  is forcing He-man and barbie to make out. Lucas angrily separates the two. And then this discussion happens.

Erica: “Hey , They’re in love!”

Lucas (livid- and standing right next to a rainbow): “No, actually, they’re not. They don’t even exist on the same planet.”

And again the Duffers have described El in multiple interviews as “similar to ET”, and “like an alien” (even after s3). And in s1, they alluded to El being like “an alien from another planet”  by comparing her to ET (with the Reese’s pieces vs eggos moments,  the bike-scene, and the makeover). 

S3 portrayed mileven as toxic in a myriad of ways. And these other examples, might be stretches, but Mike saying to Max in s2  “How can I hate you, I don’t know you.” could also be a ‘dig’ at mileven.(Because: he knew Max for a week, just as long as El- so how could he hate or love either of them?)

And Mike saying to Dustin incredulously “ You have a bond? Just cause he likes nougat (eggos)?” Could be another subtle jab.

Especially since it’s cannon Mike isn’t the biggest fan of eggos to begin with.

Don’t even get me started at how much the st writing staff- makes fun of mileven - more details about it here.  But just one example is when the ‘Stranger writers’ ( the official account of the ST writing staff ) got into a huge text-chain with ‘Stranger Things’ (the official account of the show) where they just low-key dragged mileven together.

Mileven was never meant to be end game-they planned for her to die in season 1 (which I’m glad didn’t happen). But, regardless, it was always supposed to be a simple fleeting crush … but the viewers decided to take it way too seriously. After s3, the Duffers reiterate that mileven is just that.

 And the Duffers are smart guys, I bet they’re are 100% aware of how toxic the milevens are to bylers (and how they can also be creepy and harass Finn). Not to mention, as writers, who put so much effort into the show- having people hyper-fixate on mileven (which they don’t even like), instead of the plot must drive them insane.Especially when those shippers can be toxic, homophobic, and entitled. The fact people don’t realize the Duffers hate mileven- is honestly hilarious XD.

[smalldez]

Personally, what made me ship Genyalina is the fact that while reading the books, it was clear that the author definitely put romantic undertones in their relationship. It was clear that it was not just friendship. And i'm not saying they're in love with each other exactly. I'm just saying that the chemistry and tension they have makes them move in between a scale where on the one hand is the purely platonic and on the other is the purely romantic. pt1

Totally! And honestly - I don’t think Leigh put those undertone in there :/ not to undermine the fact that it does very much read as romantic - it doesn’t necessarily matter what she intentioned, death of the author and all that - but I think a lot of the (now obvious) homoeroticism was a combination of a) Leigh trying to emphasize other characters’ beauty to highlight Alina’s Not Like Other Girls syndrome, and even more apparent for Genya in which beauty (and making oneself beautiful) is actually very important to her character and b) sometimes authors write best friends and end up with the gayest stuff ever. There’s a line in the trilogy where Alina threatens people with physical violence if they insult Genya, and there’s a line in the King of Scars duology (post-trilogy. Also I haven’t read this one I saw it in the Genya tag lmao) where David, her canonical love interest, does the same thing. Leigh I’m begging you to follow through.

ANYWAYS I totally agree with you like for me the fact that we’re “supposed” to read them as friends is a huge reason of why I like their dynamic so much. A lot of it does very much feel like - girl best friends, if you will. This idea that you can find an instant connection to bond over, the way in which friendships ARE expected to go through these hurtles, these periods of highs and lows, but in the end returning to that bond and finding so much love in the other. Also, though it is like marred by betrayal. I think there’s a lot to be said about women supporting each other that exists as best it can within the Little Palace, and how there’s much more hope for them when they are further from those specific constraints.

ANYWAYS I wrote a whole post about my favorite scene though so I’m sharing that even though it’s a little beyond the point now LOL. I can’t really pinpoint the exact moment I started shipping Alina - my memory is terrible so I don’t actually know how I felt about them during my read through, but honestly with how I absolutely will ship two girls who even breathe next to each other there’s a good chance I did lol. I probably also saw some gifsets that really set me off lol, I was making a Genyalina playlist before I even got a chance to watch the show… BUT ANYWAYS this scene kind of captures WHY I like them so much.

It’s at the beginning of episode 5, after Nadia and Marie leave and before David comes in - Of course a lot of this is because it’s the make up scene… eyes and lips…. hands on face….. so close to each other……. It does make me lose my mind like I know I said Leigh was largely unintentional but the Daisy Head and Jessie Mei Li really popped off in this respect. Like. How Alina looks up at her? The light shining in her eyes making an already caring expression even more,,,,, gay. AND ALSO, what really hits about this scene is that it essentially starts with a lie! Genya tells Alina that there are no letters from Mal, when she plays a direct role in intercepting them (as well as later on putting the special tracking ring on Alina. I’m not sure if she knew it’s exact properties, but still). A really important part of contextualizing Genyalina’s relationship in-show is that despite how close they get, and so quickly, Genya is still very much an agent of the Darkling and constantly betraying Alina, even in the smallest of ways. And yet! Despite how this has to be a facade, Genya still finds herself genuinely caring and trying to help in the ways that she can. The “be careful of powerful men” line is in this scene (with that gentle face stroke and happy “I like seeing you this way” like okay… okay) and it’s like moments like these are the most Genya can do without revealing and thus endangering her (seemingly) one chance at escape. It’s these smaller suggestions about getting away from the General, finding ways to protect yourself, that REALLY get me. But it’s still not enough. God they’re SO tragic it kills me. Going out of order, but this scene also contains a) the only real description we get of the extremely messed up circumstances of Genya’s situation, which non-book readers really don’t get as much knowledge about and b) Alina’s pure excitement for the future!!! For what she might do and explore once the Fold is gone - maybe a farm with Mal but maybe not (*cough* maybe you settle down with Genya huh is that what you’re thinking I know that’s what I’M thinking). ALSO the line from Genya “perhaps after, you could return to blue” HOPING that after these charades Alina could find herself again and get that happy ending - and absolute sucker punch of a line “I think I’m going to stick with the black, moving forward.” Like to know all these tactics the General is using are paying off? Obviously this is a sign of Alina growing in confidence in her abilities and how she wants to present that to the world but it’s also…. :(

Rant over ok but listen when the ship has no screen time what else are you supposed to do but pick apart their rare scenes… Genyalina is just sooooo good just in a vacuum, and then adding all the show events that are happening around them and how their friendship becomes so much more impactful? And then to see that as romantic? It’s just such a good dynamic!

[professorspork]

fic prompt + daily queenly duties

Well, this one definitely got away from me a little bit…

—-

The day starts at dawn. Not with an alarm, but nevertheless, like clockwork–

“Ouch! Ah, jeez–”

Kristoff opens an eye to watch Anna hop around on one foot, holding her stubbed toe in both hands as she inhales sharply and tries to keep from crying out any further.

“Did you kick the chair again?”

Realizing she has an audience, Anna puts her foot down and attempts to look regal and put-together. It’s a losing battle; her hair is all over the place and there’s still a bit of drool on her chin. It’s adorable.

“…No? Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“I keep telling you to move it.”

She shakes her head. He watches as she brushes out her tangles and ties her hair in a bun–as his wife fades to the background and the queen emerges in her stead. “If I move it Olaf can’t climb up to read us a bedtime story, and you know how much he loves that. It’s too heavy for him to move by himself.”

“We could always move it after he’s done.”

“Well then I’m comfy and I don’t want to leave bed.”

“I could move it.”

She smiles at him, winsome. “The bed’s comfy because you’re in it.”

He sees his chance and gives it his best shot–lifts up the covers to show his bare chest; the inviting spot on her side of the bed she’s just vacated. “I’m still in it now, y'know.”

Her nose scrunches as her face can’t decide whether to be playfully disapproving or to flirt right back. “You’re a terrible influence, Kristoff Bjorgman.”

“Yes, but I’m your terrible influence.”

Unable to suppress her grin at him any longer, she leans over the aforementioned chair just long enough to peck him on the lips, then disappears behind her privacy screen to change.

“What’s on the docket today?” he asks. On the other side of the divider, the vague outline of her silhouette disappears under layers of fabric.

“Oh, um. Open petitions this morning, and then a sit-down with the Stonecutter’s Guild. I guess some of the young apprentices are freaked out ever since meeting the Earth Giants because they’re worried all rocks have feelings? Which: they might, honestly. I’m going to have to ask Elsa–remind me to send her a note before breakfast, okay? Oh, and then tonight is the solstice pageant.”

“Can’t forget that.”

“Don’t be mean!”

“I’m not,” he laughs. “I’m genuinely looking forward to it.”

Queen Anna emerges from the other side of the wardrobe. “Well, good. Alright, I’ve got to check in with the castle staff and get my day going. I’ll see you downstairs?”

“Of course.”

-

Only she doesn’t, because by the time he actually makes it to the dining room he learns she’s long gone–she’s skipped breakfast to go deal with some issue at the fjord, two ships double-booked for the same dock and each refusing to yield to the other.

Sounds about par for the course.

Shaking his head, he wanders down to the kitchens for a sandwich or two, scribbles out a note for Elsa, and heads out to the dell where Gale likes to gambol and play most mornings. Anna’s better at finding Gale than Kristoff is; more than once he’s caught her laughing at him for talking to a stiff breeze that was simply that, and nothing more. It takes up more of his morning than he’d like, but eventually he feels the telltale tickle under his chin that he’s in the presence of the wind spirit.

“Hey. I know Elsa’s coming down tonight, but Anna’s got a question that can’t wait until then. Do you mind?”

Gale blows his hat right off his head, which he takes to mean don’t be silly. Or possibly how dare you, I’m very insulted, but hopefully not. Like he said: he’s not as good at this as Anna.

“Thanks,” he says, and he opens his palm to let the gusts carry his note away. He watches until it’s disappeared past the treeline, just in case.

He heads back to the castle, arriving just as the sun hits its zenith. Anna hates these short winter days, he knows–doesn’t like the idea of the dark outweighing the light. The solstice will be good for her; every day from here on out a little brighter than the last.

Open petitions are in full swing in the front hall–he lingers in the back for a bit to watch Anna work. Long gone is the single throne and long queue of Agnarr’s day. Elsa rethought the space about three times during her reign, and Anna’s made further changes, since. Now the dais contains a few overstuffed armchairs, and a side table for tea. Anyone who comes to speak to Queen Anna does so in comfort, and on her level. They… chat. Like friends; like equals.

When she wraps up the inquiry she was working on–some sort of misunderstanding about a dowry, and a young couple pretty desperate to give back what sounds like the world’s most ornery goat to the bride’s father–Kristoff strides to the front of the room.

“Sorry folks, just gonna call a quick recess, okay? Ice Master privilege, sorry, I’ll give the Queen back in just a minute.”

Before Anna has a chance to protest, he escorts her out the room and into a side hall.

“What are you doing?” she asks, unable to quite keep the laughter at his antics out of her voice. “I still have like a half-dozen people to see.”

“Yeah, I noticed. Which is why I figured you could probably use a pick-me-up.” With that, he takes the wrapped sandwiches from this morning from his satchel.

Her shoulders drop in relief at the smell of the fresh-baked bread; she immediately snatches one from his hands and starts scarfing it down. “Oh my gosh, I’m starving. How did you know?”

He knows because it’s his job to know. Anna takes care of Arendelle. Kristoff takes care of Anna. It’s as simple as that.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have skipped breakfast, feistypants.”

“Duty called,” she shrugs, unapologetically talking with her mouth full. “And hey, that’s ‘Queen Feistypants’ to you.”

“Apologies, your Majesty,” he teases, dropping into a low, ostentatious bow. His hat falls off with the movement, but when he goes to pick it up, it dances away from his hand.

“Wait, what? Oh, for–Gale!” he groans, and snatches at the air as the wind plays keep-away with him. “C'mon, give it back.”

Anna slaps her forehead. “Oh no, I was supposed to ask–oh,” she blinks as Kristoff’s parchment falls daintily into her hand, Elsa’s reply scribbled on the back. “Thanks.” She scans the note quickly. “Well, apparently there’s some sort of knocking test you can do to see if a rock has the spirit or not; Ryder can come down and teach it to the guild members. That’s easy enough.”

Kristoff raises an eyebrow. “Ryder has to tell these kids 'only dead rocks don’t knock back?’”

“They’re not dead rocks, they’re never-been-alive rocks. Totally different.” She polishes off the last of her sandwich and–when she gives him a plaintive, puppydog look–the last few bites of his, as well. “Okay, I’d better get back to work. Catch up with you tonight; thanks again, love you!”

And then there’s a quick kiss and she’s gone, like the whirling dervish she is. Or maybe that’s just Gale, chasing along behind her.

-

He’s at loose ends for the rest of his day–an ice harvester doesn’t tend to have as much to do, in the winter–and decides to ride out and meet Elsa halfway. Sven brays happily at the opportunity to go full speed, and before long they’re racing through fresh powdery snow. Just for the thrill, just for the fun of it. It is in these moments–bitter wind stinging at his face, the world whooshing past him in a rush–that Kristoff thinks he best understands the two women who make up his family. The freedom of speed and cold air and ground under your feet. The joy of going as fast as you can, because you trust your own legs to carry you. Or, y'know. Sven’s legs, as the case may be.

Anna’s the one who’s good at metaphors. He’s just along for the ride.

He hears them approach before he sees them–Ryder shouting out a Northuldra call-and-response song, a children’s rhyme about reindeer. Elsa’s voice chimes in on the refrains–hesitant, tremulous, happy. Like she’s still not quite certain she remembers all the words, but she’s so pleased to be included she can’t help but try anyway. It brings a full-toothed grin to Kristoff’s face, unbidden; he dismounts as they crest the ridge ahead and come into view.

“Kristoff!” the two shout in messy union, then immediately engage in a race to get to him first. The Nokk leaves Ryder in the dust; in moments, Kristoff’s got an armful of ex-Queen as Elsa jumps down into his arms.

“Hey,” he laughs, “I missed you, too.”

“What about my Kristoff hugs?” Ryder pouts as he catches up. Elsa squeezes Kristoff just a little bit tighter.

“Get your own. This one’s a family heirloom.”

“Imagine if I played that card every time you hugged Honeymaren,” Ryder teases slyly, and Kristoff bites back a laugh at the way Elsa turns bright, bright red. She lets him go and draws herself up to her full height, clearing her throat and squaring her shoulders. All he sees is Anna pulling the same maneuver that morning, and he can’t help it–the giggles escape, despite his best efforts.

“That’s quite enough of that,” she grumbles, re-mounting her horse. “We should get going or we’ll be late.”

Ryder settles for a fist-bump, in the meantime, and the three of them turn and make their way back towards Arendelle.

-

It seems like the whole town has turned out for the solstice pageant, the amphitheater down by the fjord filled with the buzz of proud families waiting for the kids to begin. Anna’s saved a whole passel of seats toward the front–piled high with cloaks to stop other people from sitting there. As though people might edge in on the Queen’s saved seats.

Kristoff feels his heart melt for her that much more.

Elsa and Anna do their usual song and dance at being reunited, prompting good-natured eye-rolls from everyone around them, and then the lights go down and the curtains come up. They hurriedly fall into their chairs as the schoolmaster comes out on stage.

“Hello parents, friends, and families! As you know, the children have been working hard on our little revue these past few weeks, and they’re very eager to share it with all of you. Enjoy!”

All the students shuffle out, holding hands. And there, standing among them, is Olaf–clearly scanning the crowd for their friendly faces. Anna lets out a whoop, and he positively beams at them.

Kristoff crosses his fingers. “Here we go,” he murmurs under his breath.

Olaf had been begging for the chance to go to school for ages now–but after he learned to read, they kind of ran out of excuses not to let him. The other children are more than used to his presence, and he loves coming home every day with new facts to share with all of them. Honestly, he’s thriving–though he had been heartbroken not to get the part of the Spirit of Summer to Come in the solstice pageant, cast instead as, perhaps predictably enough, a snowman.

Olaf nails every single one of his lines; at one point, Anna elbows Kristoff in the ribs, eyes mirthful, and he realizes he’s been mouthing along with them the whole time. After the final song, they all jump to their feet and cheer. Elsa puts her fingers to her lips and whistles loud, just the way Kristoff taught her.

-

The rest of the evening is a blur–Olaf dangling between Anna and Kristoff’s hands as they all walk home; Elsa and Ryder talking over each other at dinner in their eagerness to share all they’re learning about Ahtohallan; a lively game of Twister that Anna wins easily (Olaf being disqualified after detaching his arm to reach left hand blue). Ryder and Anna make plans to meet back up with the stonecutters first thing the next day, as Anna will be swamped the whole of the afternoon with trade delegation meetings. Kristoff has to all but drag her away before she can promise away what little free time she has left to making final adjustments on plans for the New Year’s ball in the coming days–“that’s tomorrow-you’s problem,” he reminds her, and she lets herself be led away by the hand.

And then finally, at long last, it’s just the two of them. 

This, perhaps, is Kristoff’s favorite moment of the day: when Anna takes off her crown, lets down her hair, and curls up against him. Just Anna, no more, no less.

“I’m e-e-exhausted,” she yawns, burying her face in his shoulder, and he drops a kiss onto her forehead.

“Just one more queenly duty for the day,” he chuckles, before calling out “Okay buddy, we’re ready!” towards the door.

The quiet sound that had served as background noise throughout their nightly routine, of Olaf counting to one thousand on the other side of the door, goes quiet. “Are you sure?” he asks. “I’m only at eight hundred and thirty four.”

“Come on in, Olaf,” Anna laughs, and he does–dragging the book they’ve been reading behind him. On little snowball feet, he makes his way to the bed and, as Anna knows he likes to, clambers up onto the bedside chair before perching on the armrest.

“Are you ready?” Olaf asks, his eager smile pulling a little to one side, just like Elsa’s does. At their nods he begins: “Chapter Eight: The Enigma Becomes Doubly Mysterious. The child had laid her head on a stone and fallen asleep…” They gasp in all the right places as Jean Valjean realizes Cosette’s gone icy cold in the snow and cannot be roused; when the chapter ends on a cliffhanger, they even let him read on, until they know Cosette is safe. “One more?” he asks hopefully when he reaches the end of chapter nine, but he takes it with grace when Anna shakes her head–finishing their ritual by giving each of them a hug and lugging off his book, closing the door soundly behind him.

“I still feel like giving him that book was probably a mistake,” Kristoff chuckles.

“The schoolmaster says his vocabulary is improving too fast for us to hold him back.”

“Yeah, but Les Miserables?”

“He’s tough; he can handle it,” she says with certainty, and, well: the Queen has spoken. Who is Kristoff to argue?

Out of habit, his hand drifts up; he traces a delicate line with his pinky from the top of Anna’s forehead to the tip of her nose, once, and then again. Her gaze goes dreamy and disoriented, her blinks growing longer–and then her eyes narrow and she frowns, shaking him off. “Hey, quit it.”

“Quit what?” he teases, but she’s sitting up now, climbing into his lap to straddle him, and–oh.

“One more thing to check off my to-do list before bed,” she murmurs into his mouth, and oh, that’s awful, but–

Somehow, he just doesn’t have it in him to complain.

[space-malex]

Some of the queer rep truly confused me this season. Between no Kylex, no Maria/Rosa and making Maribel related, it almost feels like Carina tried to kill the queer ships she accidentally created last season. On the other hand, they put Kyle firmly into queerbaiting territory, despite cutting down on Kylex screen time. What's up with that?

Okay I’m going to level with you and I don’t know if this is going to be an unpopular opinion or not. So...there’s nothing wrong with a straight man, comfortable in his sexuality, hanging out at a gay bar. But. This is a television show, and this is a written narrative, and something like that written purposefully into the plot is going to make people wonder, because it’s completely unnecessary. It’s added for seemingly no reason. It’s just there to be a “fun fact” about Kyle I guess. But of course it’s going to make people think it might be leading somewhere. Especially when he goes to the bar alone. Especially when we know that he wasn’t just there that one night. That he frequents the bar. That he frequents the bar on Taylor Swift drag night. Look, I absolutely hate when queerness is turned into humor or a joke, and I feel like that’s what’s happening with Kyle right now and that really bothers me. I genuinely don’t feel that there is any intention to make Kyle into a queer man. I genuinely feel that the intention is that he is a straight man who doesn’t subscribe to toxic masculinity. But it feels like oh haha isn’t it funny that this straight man hangs in a gay bar for no reason and talks about it but he’s totally straight but he wears glitter on his face and goes to drag nights and puts makeup on his girlfriend and was a homophobic bully in high school but all of that is not going anywhere he’s just super comfortable with how hetero he is. Also that Carina said she won’t declare a character straight. In some ways, that’s great because that means there’s room to play with an assumed straight character and they are not going to be stuck in a certain label if she decides she wants to explore their sexuality. However, the likelihood of this happening with Kyle is pretty low given the fact that two out of the four main male characters are already queer. I’m somebody that is all for more queer characters, the more the better. Just make everyone queer, why not? Plenty of shows make everyone straight. But, kylex is a pretty popular ship. I would say it’s the most popular after malex and echo. And I feel like it’s almost cruel to hint that there’s possibly more going on with Kyle if it’s not actually going to go anywhere and it’s just going to be turned into a joke. Especially when we have Michael in another mc relationship but for Alex the only main that is an option for him is Michael. 

They plan for Isobel’s next relationship to be with a woman which is great. Alex will likely have something with Forrest which is great as well. But yeah. I thought Maria had a thing for Rosa in hs, but apparently they’re like sisters. Maribel is dead now. Kyle and Alex had literally one conversation all season and it was in the very beginning of it. I think the show has set up malex to be the only mc same gender ship. I don’t think we will realistically see kylex and probably not rosabel either and really those are the only other possibilities besides malex. Michael and Alex are really it for the show. Anything else will be with a recurring guest star.

[lightsburnbrite]

Things We Do for Love: Part 2

(Third part to Such a Thrill and The Devil is in the Details)

As the months passed, Leon slowly started to form normalcy. His apartment resembled more of a bachelor’s pad as Karina’s personal items were removed. In an effort to get his mind off of things, it wasn’t uncommon for two or three of Leon’s friends to come and stay for weeks at a time and he genuinely appreciated the company but it didn’t replace the fact that Karina was gone. Mathea, never one to miss an opportunity, soon moved herself in and resumed her role as the doting girlfriend.

“Ha! I’ve found her.”

Leon let the basketball rebound off the floor before holding it still. Putting the net up in the living room seemed like both his best and worst idea to date. “What? Found who?”

“Karina.” Sebastian called back out. He wasn’t Leon’s official agent, but he acted in a managerial capacity in addition to being Leon’s close friend. “She’s listed on the website as the Associate Curator of European Art.”

Leon put the ball down and walked over to the sofa where Sebastian was lounging. He stopped short, trying to decide if he would feel better knowing where Karina was or if he would feel worse. “What website?”

“AGO.” Sebastian looked up from the screen at Leon. “Does Marius really not know where she is?”

Leon shook his head. “No. Their parents haven’t come out and said it but he figured they’d cut him off too if he tried to get in touch with her. What does AGO stand for?”

“Art Gallery of Ontario.” He turned his laptop towards Leon. “As in Ca-na-da, eh?”

Leon smirked at Sebastian’s over pronunciation but he couldn’t help but smile at Karina’s picture placed alongside her bio. She looked essentially the same, her hair might have been a bit longer and she had it straightened in this picture, but she looked genuinely happy. Leon knew that Karina had a “professional smile” that she used to counteract her natural inclination to frown but the smile she wore in her picture proved her to be happy and proud of this new position.

“Oh damn,”

Leon turned back to Sebastian who was on his phone now. “What now?”

“Looks like she’s got a new…” Sebastian hesitated. “Well, have a look.”

Sebastian had pulled facebook up on his phone but he didn’t know the person who’s profile it was. It was a picture of a group of six people at what looked to be an outdoor wedding reception, the bride and groom were placed in the middle with two people on either side. Karina stood to the very right, tucked neatly against the side of man who looked to be about the same age, her hand resting on his chest while his was placed low on her hip. Again, Karina smiled brightly while the man had more of a smirk and that instantly put Leon off him. He had been hoping maybe she was just the man’s plus one as a favor but then he read the caption and his heart sank.

Happy Siblings Day to these two weirdos. Loved having everyone together again at my wedding. Loved it even more that we finally got to meet baby brother’s new girlfriend who is the sweetest!

“What’s his name?” Leon looked over to Sebastian again. “Can you tell?”

Sebastian took his phone back and shrugged. “Look at the tagged names. Obviously we know Karina’s and if they are siblings then look for last names that are the same. Here we go…Cosmo is your guy. Or, I guess it’s more like her guy. Heh. What the fuck kind of name is Cosmo.”

Leon groaned but curiosity eventually got the better of him. At various points throughout the day, he was looking through multiple forms of social media belonging to a floppy haired hipster that had somehow caught Karina’s eye. He was mainly active on instagram, posting random landscapes and other seemingly artistic compositions. Leon was relieved that he didn’t see any pictures of Karina on there but when he came across a few pictures of Elsa, that was somehow worse. It had now become a serious relationship in his mind because Karina had allowed her beloved dog around this man.

Karina had effectively vanished from the face of the Earth in the 14 months since she left Leon. At first, Leon thought she had just blocked him but when she ‘liked’ one of his posts about a charity endeavor he and Joshua were working on, Leon realized she had just been silent. That initial ‘like’ broke the seal, it seemed, and just like that, she became active again. There were a few selfies and a few more pictures of Elsa but then came the pictures of Elsa and the new boyfriend. It wasn’t a blatantly obvious picture of the two of them, but he recognized the fragment of a roman numeral tattoo he had on his arm from other pictures.

While laying in bed one night, Leon was scrolling through pictures. Mathea moved closer and rested her head on his shoulder. “Who’s that?”

“Oh, um..” Leon cleared his throat and thought of how he could explain that he was essentially stalking the new love interest of his estranged wife. “Karina has a new boyfriend.”

Mathea took his phone and looked at pictures of the two of them and sneered. “He’s got a big nose. Whatever, you’re hotter.”

It made Leon feel at least a bit better to hear her say that, but there was now way Mathea could be objective. He had decided to give Karina a call and see if she would actually answer. Karina had donated a sizable amount to his charity and calling to say thank you seemed to be a good reason. To his surprise, she answered.

“Hi Leon, what’s up?”

He instantly smiled. “Hey, Maus. I, uh, wanted to say thank you for your donation. That was really generous of you.”

“Of course.” She held the phone away and coughed. “You and Joshua are doing great things, I’m happy to help.”

“Right…” He nodded even though she wouldn’t be able to see him. He wanted to say it was good to hear her voice, that he was happy she was ok and hoped she was doing well but all of a sudden, the words came before he had the chance to stop himself. “Mathea found your wedding dress the other day. I guess I could ship it to you?”

“Oh, um, honestly, I don’t want it back. You can do what you want with it.” She hesitated. “Listen, Leon, I was thinking it’s time that we finalize things. We’re kinda in limbo right now and I think we both just need to move on. I’m going to be in Munich next week, would you be able to meet with our lawyers?”

Leon let out a sigh. She was right, but it still hurt him to hear it. “Um, yeah. We can do that.”

They sat in a meeting room around a circular table and had an unsurprisingly civil conversation.

“I see that you maintained separate accounts so that makes the division of assets somewhat more straightforward.” Leon’s lawyer shuffled some papers before addressing Karina specifically. “Will you be petitioning for spousal support, Ms. Müller?”

Karina shook her head. “No. I’m not asking for anything, I just want this to be finalized so we can move on.”

His lawyer nodded. “And you are fine with returning the ring and vacating the residence?”

“My client has already returned the ring and has maintained a residence in Toronto for the past year.” Karina’s lawyer interjected now. “We are mainly concerned with making sure that your client will not be trying to get anything from Ms. Müller.”

“I see there is a dog, was the animal obtained together-”

“Elsa belongs to Karina. I’m not contesting that.” Leon spoke up. “Any piece of artwork too, it’s all hers.”

“Ok,” Karina’s lawyer responded. “Both parties agree to part with what they entered the marriage with. Is this correct?”

“I don’t know…I guess i just feel like…” Leon sighed heavily as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I feel like we’re rushing things along.”

Karina sat perfectly still in the chair next to him, straight as a pin. “Leon, we’ve been separated for over a year, it’s time for us to move on.”

Leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, Leon sighed again and tried to wrap his mind around how their relationship had progressed to this point. “Alright. What do you need me to sign?”

Once the papers were signed and notarized, their lawyers shook hands and departed leaving Leon and Karina to sit in silence.

“Do, um…” Leon was getting frustrated with how hesitant he was feeling. “Would you want to get dinner tonight?”

Karina opened her mouth before frowning slightly. “Leon, that sounds very nice but I’m not sure if that’s the best idea.”

“Yeah, I get that. It’s just this feels like a shitty way to close things.” He shrugged. “I thought this would be an ok way to make it up to you.”

She started to say that there was no need to make anything up to her, she held no ill will towards him but ultimately she thought better of it and simply nodded. Karina would have rather done anything else than to sit down to dinner with him but considered it one last good faith effort before moving on completely.

Leon set the reservations at the restaurant of the Charles hotel where Karina was staying. He had done so out of convenience for Karina, she knew that, but she also knew he had probably forgotten the time when they sat in the same restaurant and she confessed that she was hopelessly in love with him.

With a sigh, she pulled a simple black shirt dress from the closet and made sure it hadn’t gotten too wrinkled in travel. After deciding that her hair and makeup were fine, Karina checked at the front desk but was shown to the table despite Leon having not arrived yet.

She glanced over the menu but didn’t see anything that really jumped out at her so she let her eyes wander around the restaurant. Karina looked up towards the entrance just in time to see Leon holding the door open for Mathea who was wearing the same dress Karina wore to their wedding. Seeing the two of them walk in together caused Karina’s stomach to plummet to the floor. She saw a server pass and she held up one finger to flag him down. “I’m sorry, could I get a double vodka soda with a slice of lemon, please? Thanks.”

She stood as they were ushered to the table, avoiding any sort of eye contact as they sat down.

Leon smiled and placed a hand on her forearm. “You look great, Mausi.”

Karina smiled but more out of a desire to be polite. Mathea being there to begin with put her on edge, but the display of affection from Leon only made it worse.

Mathea didn’t pass up the opportunity to look her over from head to toe, ending her gaze with a smirk. “Do you ever wear anything with color?”

“Rarely.” Leon had to stop himself from laughing as Karina delivered the line deadpan.

Her expression turning to a sneer, Mathea would not let Karina get away with besting her. “You look like a nun only there’s the problem of your devil worship-”

“Mathea, enough.” Leon cut in now, attempting to keep a somewhat civil conversation.

“It’s nice to see you as well, Mathea.” Karina offered a kind but entirely forced smile. “A bit unexpected if I do say so, especially in that dress.”

Mathea grinned. “It’s lovely, isn’t it? I needed to have it taken in, I was practically swimming in it before!”

Leon immediately ducked his head. “Sorry, I thought you’d be bringing…sorry.”

“Bringing who?” She pressed him, curious as to who Leon would have had in mind.

He inhaled deeply. “I thought your boyfriend would have come with you.”

“Nope. Just me.” Karina forced a smile. “No boyfriend.”

“Hmm.” Mathea smiled more smugly now. “That’s a shame. Leon and I just got back from Ibiza, we had a great time together with Marius.”

“Lovely.” Karina nodded slightly, attempting not to bristle at the mention of her brother. “Glad you had fun.”

Leon went on about various events and goings on, seemingly oblivious to Mathea’s desire to agitate Karina and Karina’s subsequent distress.

“You know,” Mathea looked over to Leon and smiled fondly. “I’ve always wanted to see what you call ‘the big house’. I’ve always wondered of it really was that big.”

Leon hesitated, knowing that would be a sore spot. “No, that’s not really-”

“It's being rented, actually,” Karina hadn’t intended it to be a jab but the shocked look plastered on Mathea’s face was incredible satisfying. “About eight months ago.”

Mathea shook her head. “No, you had no right to do that without consulting us. What if we wanted to use it? I thought it would make a nice setting for a wedding.”

“A wedding…” She spoke softly and did her best not to show her irritation that Mathea was even part of this discussion. “It's my house, my estate. I discussed my thoughts with Olga and she was ready to move on as well. Apparently Marwin told her that he didn’t want me to feel weighed down by the house and should sell it if I wanted to. I thought about that but I didn't want to part with it because of my memories with Marwin there.”

It wasn't intentional, but Karina enjoyed watching Leon flinch when she mentioned wanting to hold on to her memories of Strohmann.    

“But you were married. Leon should have gotten half.” Mathea was practically scowling now. “Or spousal support.”

Leon held his hands up. “No. There is no reason for me to ask anything of Karina just because she’s worth more than I am. I’m not going to be petty or vindictive because you want a bigger place to live.”

The waiter had arrived with Karina’s drink and prepared to take their orders as well when she stopped him. “Thank you, but I think I’m actually just going to take this to my room. If you could charge their meal to my room as well?”

Slightly dumbfounded, the waiter nodded as Karina stood and raised her glass to Mathea and Leon. “Enjoy.”

Back in her room, Karina drained her glass quickly. The alcohol hit her hard on an empty stomach but it wasn’t enough to numb her yet. She grabbed the room service menu and ordered a dinner she would appreciate much more than anything at Sofia’s and a bottle of Prosecco to wash it down with.

Leon was visibly sullen for the rest of the evening which only frustrated Mathea.

“What are you so pissed about?” Mathea sat in the passenger seat and sulked.

It took Leon a minute to respond. “You could have pretended to be nice.”

“Sorry? I just figured we’re never going to like each other and we’re never going to see her again so why bother?” She reached over and rested her hand on his thigh. “Besides, we can actually talk about getting married now.”

Leon didn’t respond. He figured it would be better to wait to tell her that he wasn’t sure he ever wanted to get married again.

[ks-caster]

It’s Like Watching Fanfiction – An (Un)Necessarily Long Critique of The 100 Seasons 6 and 7

Ah, the familiar cry of the content-starved fan, particularly as our favorite shows descend into the depths of mischaracterization, unexpected ships, hiatus, abrupt cancellation and shock-value death endings. I’ve said it myself about so many of my shows, while wanting to spend some time watching the characters but not wanting to re-hash episodes I’ve nearly memorized: “I wish I could just watch fanfiction!”

But the further into seasons 6 and 7 I’ve gotten, the more I’ve come to realize that my dream of having new and exciting possibilities for the characters come miraculously to a screen near me wouldn’t be the pleasant experience I’d imagined.

Now, depending on the type of ending you like – hopeful but with a lot of lose ends left to your imagination, or bittersweet but more definite, you could consider either seasons 1-4 or 1-5 their own complete stories.

Both seasons 4 and 5 ended in a way that suggested an unknown but likely positive future. They could have been considered conclusions for the main characters’ developmental arcs, and while season 5 went a little off the rails in terms of offscreen character development and sudden new characters, they both stayed fairly close to the original concept: survivors living in the ruins of the apocalypse. All four (or five) seasons emphasized the importance of the found family dynamic (although those dynamics shifted radically in season 5 due to the time-skip, they remained an important source of character motivation).

But seasons 6 and 7? Those feel like I’m watching fanfiction. And I don’t love it.

A story told on a whole new planet with a new environment, culture and cast of original characters was always going to feel like an AU – it sort of is, no matter how you swing it. If that was all that had changed, then I think the story would still feel cohesive.

If it weren’t for the timey whimey bullshit.

Now, fun fact: when reading fanfiction, I love time travel stories. I haven’t posted any myself but I’ve sought out and read them voraciously, for every fandom I’m in. I love the idea of characters meeting themselves or their friends at radically different ages, plot points and levels of experience and the way that changes things for both groups. (Yes, I’m also a Whovian if that wasn’t blatantly obvious). I also love a good amnesia arc. And I DID think that the Josephine/Clarke body possession thing was pretty cool.

So why did season 6 and most* of season 7 fall as flat for me as they did?

The simple fact is that some things – and characters’ emotional dynamics are one of those things – are so much easier to get across in writing than on screen. A good actor can make us feel the character’s emotions, but unless the film goes full-on Clarke’s mind space, we can’t really know what they’re thinking in individual moments. For the most part film as a genre has ways around this, but if it’s mishandled, then the emotional beats come off all wrong. (See for reference Tony Stark’s funeral where half the actors didn’t know what was going on due to Disney’s spoiler fears.)

If you’re going to include time skips in which things have happened and character dynamics have changed, you cannot handle it wrong.

Which brings us back to seasons 6 and (so far) 7 of The 100. So far to date we’ve had all of this occur either offscreen or asynchronously enough to be confusing to an audience watching the episodes in real time:

Jordan’s entire life prior to meeting Napkru in the waking world

Octavia’s character development while living on Skyring with the Diyozas

Hope’s first 22 years of life, on Skyring and (I presume) Bardo

Echo, Hope and Gabriel living on Skyring for 5 years with Orlando

Going back a little further, we also have the season 5 timeskip, which brought us Spacekru as found family, Clarke adopting tiny!heda, and Octavia building Wonkru. Now season 5 took care to show us Wonkru flashbacks and dedicate time to show Spacekru and the Griffin family loving on each other, making inside jokes etc. But it was still incredibly jarring for the audience in a lot of ways, because at the end of the day, we’ve spent four years with the character dynamics and development doing one thing, and no amount of telling us that they’ve had 6 years to do another thing while our time with them only lasted about one year in comparison is ever going to undo the importance of “show don’t tell.”

Let’s take Bellarkers’ beef with Becho for example. (Disclaimer: Since I don’t really have a strong opinion either way on the popular Bellamy ships, I hope that I’m representing what I’ve read from other people accurately.)

I understand cognitively that Bellamy and Clarke knew each other for one year (during which they were in a lot of intense situations that really didn’t leave them the emotional space to figure out how they felt about each other outside of “I don’t want to lose this person”) and Bellamy and Echo knew each other for seven years (six of which they had plenty of low-stress time to get to know each other, grow and mature side-by-side, etc.).

But that doesn’t compute on an emotional level when I as a watcher went straight from watching Bellamy and Raven tearfully eulogizing Clarke on the ring, to him turning up with a coffee mug and a plucky attitude to rescue her the second he finds out she’s alive and in trouble. I don’t think that could compute emotionally for me without having spent the last few years watching the dynamics shift and Becho happen. And that was with the writers giving me as a watcher an episode at the end of season 4 where Bellamy stops Echo from killing herself and connects with her on an emotional level, and then one at the beginning of season 5 where we got to see the spacekru dynamics, including them being together.

So we’re watching this show, many of us for the found family character relationships (god knows it’s not for all the positive happy feeling I get from watching *checks notes* ah, yes, characters having to constantly choose who to kill off in a string of increasingly huge and horrible genocides. *Side-eyes my life choices for getting into this fandom in the first place.*) Okay, we’re watching this show for the characters, and between seasons 4 and 5, many of those dynamics radically shift offscreen. Becho is the easiest and probably most talked-about example (well, and the Blake siblings, but the radical change shown in Octavia’s character between 4 and 5 makes that at least a little easier to choke down) but there are plenty of others, take your pick.

Although it makes perfect sense for a lot to change between separated groups of people in a half dozen years, it makes a lot less sense to an audience watching week to week, particularly when the show’s limited amount of screen time was too focused on plot to really delve into those changes and let us see and understand them. That was what made me think that the show was headed into jump the shark territory in season 5, but I really wanted to know what happened to my faves (Octavia, Raven and Memori, to be specific) so I kept watching.

Our fandom’s excellent writers spent the hiatus crafting mid-time-skip vignettes and missing character moments, and I spent the hiatus reading them. And I remember thinking that it would have been great if even a quarter of this content could have been put into the show to ease the audience into the dynamic shifts – but of course they’d never have the screen time to do all of that.

Especially, coming back to the main point, since written fiction allows the audience to see inside the characters’ heads, while television (usually) does not. It’s much easier to write a scene in which, say, two characters who have known each other for 7 years show that they’ve gotten into a relationship some time before the scene, and convince the audience that their relationship is good and healthy and genuine, than it would be to produce one for TV.  

And then we come to seasons 6 and 7 – the 2-part AU longfic, stuffed full of OCs, loosely connected to the “science” of the original show, and heavily reliant on memory-bending time travel as a plot device.

As season 6 airs, the audience hasn’t really had a chance to process all the radical changes from season 5, and already we have a Marper child running around furthering the plot, and Octavia walks into the Green Flash from Pirates of the Caribbean and walks back out with a personality transplant.

Meanwhile, Clarke gets an actual personality transplant, and it takes even the people closest to her a concerningly long time to notice. Now, if I’d read that in a fic, the writer might’ve taken care to remind me as a reader – particularly after a long hiatus between seasons – that with the exception of Madi none of Clarke’s friends have seen her for more than a couple of weeks in 6 years, so them not noticing for a while that she’s behaving strangely isn’t really all that strange. But on TV, I don’t get to see Gaia’s thoughts when Clarke lets Madi go to school despite the danger – Tati Gabrielle’s facial expressions can only do so much to make up the difference. Because the time spent apart was not (and really could not be, based on the structure of the show) properly acknowledged on screen, scenes like that one leave audiences floundering and pointing out bad writing.

Having watched 7x02 The Garden, I think if I went back and watched season 6 after Octavia returns from the Anomaly, her conduct – especially around Bellamy – would make a lot more sense. (That was the plan for this weekend actually – but my damn Wi-Fi conked out…) However at the time it just seemed weird and unnatural. Had it been the only example of off-screen or asynchronous character development, it would have been a lot easier to swallow. However, season 5 happened, meaning both that I was still getting used to all of the new dynamics and that I had a higher standard for Octavia’s off-screen development, because we got enough bunker flashbacks that I felt like I at least understood Blodreina.

What would have made the whole thing make a lot more sense a year ago would have been if the hair and makeup department had made an effort to make her look older, so that we could see time had passed for her. Now, Marie is 33 in real life, and so was the Octavia who figured out that up is down and got Davy Jones Locker to send her back ran out of the Anomaly, so yes, that is what an actual 33-year-old looks like, and the media has distorted my perception of age. But from an audience perspective, I saw an actress playing a 23-year-old go in, and the same actress playing the same 23-year-old come out.

Gabriel pointed out that her hair was longer, but that only accounted for a few months of time. Since she went in looking dirty, wounded and exhausted, and came out clean, healthy and energetic, she could have passed for younger before I would have thought she was older. (In fact, I want to say there was a theory circulating at that time that the Octavia who came out of the Anomaly was actually a younger version of herself, and she was missing memories because she’d never formed them. I don’t remember whose theory this was though. If you know or if it’s your content I’m referencing please feel free to let me know and I’ll edit!)

In addition, the shifting loyalties in Wonkru near the end of season 5 complicated the character situation – in season 6, the majority of Wonkru peeps (lookin’ at you, Miller and Indra) switched over to the commander’s side. While Indra didn’t really have enough screen time to express an opinion about Octavia, Miller was very clear in season 6 that she was anathema now – which although that was probably a semi-reasonable step for his character, it just felt like someone took his Bellamy-and-or-Clarke-following season 1-4 character and popped it into his season 6 costume without taking the time to address the road he took to get there.

Post-lockerAnomaly Octavia had to face and slay her demons. (Grumbles and links the interested reader to this POST from @osleyakomwonkru regarding that horseshit.) Afterwards, she shows a major shift in personality, particularly towards her brother. Because we as the audience wouldn’t see her time on skyring for about year in real time (or learn that she was ten years older and therefore a lot more mature, the chemical changes of which would account for at least some of the difference even if she couldn’t remember anything else) we had no choice but to associate her change with the slaying of Blodreina, which seemed like a ham-fisted way of forcing her a quick and slick redemption arc and prepping The Blake Siblings to go back to being ride-or-die for each other in season 7.

Raven’s season 6 personality was also radically different from her 1-5 development – while I understand her having a remaining beef with Clarke and being emotional due to Shaw’s death (RIP!) the fact that the writing in season 6 reduced her to the nagging shrew trope until they needed her to do a coding deus ex machina just added to the feeling that I was watching someone take the characters around, change them to their own preferences (even if that preference was to push some into the background and make them tools for the B-plot) and toss them into an AU story. Which I could have enjoyed more if I had been reading it and therefore seeing inside the characters’ heads – and if I hadn’t paid for the privilege with ad revenue instead of voluntary clicks of the kudos/like/reblog/comment buttons.

Another issue with time skip relationship is exposition for the lesser known characters’ backstories. Both seasons 6 and 7 have so far had dramatic character mother death reveals that were conveniently not told to their most important people specifically because the appropriate time to tell those stories would have been during the offscreen time skips. I will (grudgingly) accept Echo, an adult making a conscious (and familiar) decision to change up her personality to fit into and survive within her environment, choosing not to tell a traumatic story that reminds her of her past. (She’s my next meta – stay tuned!)

I will not in a million years, however, believe that the Clarke Griffin who I watched for four seasons be set up as the blatantly obvious ���compassionate mom-friend protagonist” adopted a traumatized 6-year-old, moved into said child’s village, burned or buried the bodies of everyone who lived there, and never ever brought up the child’s dead birth parents.

No way. The ONLY reason that could have possibly been scripted in that way was because that conversation needed to be there for plot reasons and the appropriate time for it to have been had was during the 6 years they spent off screen. Similarly, while (again) I’ll buy that Echo chose not to talk about her mom’s death with Bellamy before he decided to be a dick about it, I fully believe that the timing of that conversation was only there because if it had occurred on the ring where it would have been more appropriate, the audience would have missed it.

Now, picture this: if the scene with Madi had been in a written fanfic, Clarke could have said “you didn’t lose me,” Madi could have said “I didn’t mean you,” and Clarke could have remembered Madi telling her the story of her birth mom dying in her arms. Then Clarke could have mentally made the decision that she didn’t want Madi to relive that in an attempt to empathize with her, and she makes an effort to convince her that she’s fine. In just 2 or 3 paragraphs a written story could have effectively conveyed both the exposition and the emotional beats of the scene, concluding with Clarke making a (maybe misguided but still sweet) attempt to be a good mom by not dredging that up for Madi (or something – I’m not defending the crappy and inconsistent writing of Clarke’s parenting we’ve on screen so far).

Moving right along, we had a lovely flashback montage of Hope and Dev, which was sufficient to make me (and several of the tumblrs I follow) care about Dev at least enough to be saddened by his death. However, what we didn’t get was a damn crumb of flashback showing Orlando and Anomalykru developing any kind of familial relationship between him agreeing to train them, and whatever dynamic we were supposed to pick up on at the end of that episode. I got a little protective big sister vibe from Echo and Hope but that’s it. They apparently expended their allotment of emotion-inducing flashbacks on the dead guy, and failed entirely to make me give a shit about (as it turned out) the next dead guy.

Now we’re going into an episode with Octavia on (presumably) Bardo in the promo, so I’m guessing we get to see her skyring-self link up with her return-to-Gabriel-with-clean-hair self. As least with Octavia’s jumping storyline it seems like the writers have consistently made some kind of effort to fill in the blanks.

But we’re also looking at the rest of the season where Echo, Gabriel, Hope, oh hi Jordan I forgot about you again, Diyoza, Octavia, and probably Bellamy and Hoth!Kru (AKA team let’s follow Raven onto a strange planet without putting on suits or having an exit strategy, yay!) have all experienced asynchronous development over periods of multiple years. Given the show’s track record from seasons 5 and 6, I strongly suspect that this won’t be handled any better, meaning that the final season of this show is going to try not only to resolve all the plot points, but to toss in a bunch MORE offscreen character development and hope we catch on.

Beyond character development jumps, we also have Raven and Murphy losing their seasons 1-5 development in season 6 only to have to re-learn and re-change back to who they already were in seasons 4 and 5. Murphy learned to value his spacekru family and stop putting himself first 100% of the time, and yet his arc in season 6 happened. Raven has always been involved in the big life-or-death decisions, and had her being-the-bad-guy moment in season 4 with the rationing, but as we saw in 7x03 the writers really wanted to… redo all of that for her? The girl blew up a bridge full of guys and flash-fried a 300-person army when she was 18; blood on her hands may not be fun but what’s with seasons 6 and 7 acting like it’s something new?

While I’m aware that Jason said his seasons are individual movies (don’t admit that you’re bad at continuity buddy ‘cause that’s what it sounds like) seasons 1-5 and 6&7 are clearly telling separate stories (or 1-4, 5, 6-7 if you prefer). The trouble with 6&7 is that unlike seasons 1-4 (and sort-of 5) we no longer know the characters. Every time someone sits still too long, character-development wise, plot comes along and hits the reset button, tosses them into a wormhole for a couple of years and they come back with the same face but no continuity. It was difficult enough to deal with in season 5 – between 6 and 7 I just can’t keep up. (Even writing this meta, I have to keep going back because I remembered another character who fell into this trap.)

Now if a fanfic writer had done the exact same thing – same plot, same time skips, same organization – it would have played out completely different to the readers. We could have gotten to see inside the character’s minds when they arrived back on screen, seeing things with new, older eyes. We could have had minimally invasive flashbacks to show important exposition (like the disaster that was the conversation about Madi’s mom) and verbal descriptions to point out differences like Octavia’s ten-years-older body. Additionally, the plots of seasons 6 and 7 are so different yet full of overdone callbacks to the earlier seasons – if a fan was writing their own AU story but still wanted some of the trappings of the original plot I’d get it, but on a TV show written by the same people it just feels like they ran out of ideas.

Watching seasons 6 and 7 is exactly like watching fanfiction would be – but without the written and fan-made advantages of fanfiction, they fall flat.

*I do like season 7 better than season 6 because the content of the individual episodes containing Murphy/Emori/Raven and Octavia/Diyoza/bbyHope was still enjoyable content, so 2 out of 4 I have liked so far, despite this very very long rant I’ve just written explaining why as a whole I rather hate the season overall.

[bmaxwell]

Best Games I Don’t Want to Play

I play many games. I prefer to think of myself as a connoisseur, not just another pasty white neckbeard who has gained 50lb in the past year. But when I’m not working, or parenting, or doing other adult-type things, I’m usually playing a game of some sort. 

                                            Me playing Bloodborne

My job allows me to listen to podcasts while working, so between gaming podcasts and my Twitter feed, I end up hearing about approximately all of the games. And I’ve played enough diamonds in the rough and been delighted by enough things outside my comfort zone to cast a pretty wide net. 

Once in awhile, I find a game that I deeply want to connect with, but cannot. Like a defective moth to a digital flame, I keep coming back every year or two to try, try again. I’ll scroll through my library and think “Damn, Iconoclasts seems so cool! Why didn’t I get into that one? I need to try it again.” and repeat. It’s The Alan Wake Sbarro Experience.*

                                              Me playing Bloodborne

I spend a lot of time gaming. I spend a lot of time thinking. I think about thinking and I think about gaming. I like trying to find patterns, or to understand why certain games, or songs, or movies resonate with me while others fall flat. And so, dear reader, if you woke up today hoping against all odds you’d have the chance to read about some random gamer dude’s disappointing games on his blog - WELL...today is your lucky day! 

In no particular order:

Outer Wilds

Why it’s great:

Outer Wilds is about the majesty of space, exploration, and accepting that dying is a natural part of the cycle. At least I think it is. I really like the look of it, and I really like the idea of it. It has a low-tech charm; you start off on a planet where people are playing banjos and roasting marshmallows, and everyone seems laid back. The launch pad is made of rickety wood. Your ship might be, too. There’s a major mystery at hand that needs solving, and you’re just the being to do it.

Why I can’t get into it:

I’m not entirely sure. But I think it has something to do with how directionless and open the game is. Apart from some basic “Here’s how to control stuff” on your home planet, the rest is up to you. You can fly anywhere and check out anything. The universe somehow feels huge and scary and vast but not overwhelming. I have a problem with this kind of freedom. I once heard Patrick Klepek say that there are two kinds of kids: the kind who takes a block of Legos, tosses the instructions out, and has a blast making whatever, and the kid that HAS to have those directions. I’m the latter.

The Return of the Obra Dinn

Why it’s great:

It’s not often I play something that feels wholly unique. That’s Obra Dinn. It’s a weird Where’s Waldo whodunnit logic and deduction puzzle. You’re an insurance claims adjuster, tasked with finding out what happened to everyone aboard an abandoned ship. You do this by way of hearing audio clips and walking around memories frozen like dioramas. Sound design, visuals, concept, execution - Obra Dinn is just a success in every way.

Why I can’t get into it:

Logic and deduction puzzles feel like work, no matter how much I wish they didn’t. There are so many details to weigh against each other, I find the game exhausting and not fun to play. Playing it always made me feel tired and stupid.

Hyper Light Drifter

Why it’s great:

The main developer behind Hyper Light Drifter has congenital heart disease, and uses art to deal with his condition. He made this game where the protagonist suffers from a terminal disease. It’s a project made by someone with a passion for the subject matter. Diablo and A Link to the Past were among his inspirations. It has cool pixel art. The title is tits as fuck.

Why I can’t get into it:

I fired the game up and its opening cut scene worked for me. And I just do not know what happened. The movement and combat feels crisp, and yet I just can’t get into it. The world has no dialogue and has lots of puzzles to sort out. Maybe that’s it? There’s no real direction. Is that it?

                                      Me playing Hyper Light Drifter

Control

Why it’s great:

Before I talk about Control, I have to talk about Alan Wake from the same developer. Actually, just nevermind. Fuck Alan Wake.

Control’s writing, visuals, and worldbuilding are top notch. The game has a good central mystery, intriguing and well-written characters, and it’s often genuinely funny. It stars a redhead. 

Alan Wake was such a neat premise for a video game - a Stephen King-like story of a novelist who heads to a remote location to combat his writer’s block, only to have mysterious, supernatural shit happen to him. A cool, atmospheric mystery - great! I DON’T NEED OR WANT TO FIGHT RANDOM HITCHHIKER MONSTER MANS CONSTANTLY. I CAN ENJOY YOUR STORY I WON’T GET BORED WITHOUT ZOMBIES AND GUNS I PROMISE YOU

Why I can’t get into it:

I hate the combat. 3rd person cover shooting is not my jam. I figured once they added the option to turn the difficulty down I’d be all about it, but no. The map may be the worst I’ve encountered, it’s multilayered slightly varying shades of grey all spaghetti’d on top of one another. There’s supposed to be a door here...I guess it must be up or down a level? The checkpointing system sucks. Combine these two complaints with too many random battles, and this game is a real slog for me to try to get through, despite its good qualities.

Baba is You

Why it’s great:

See Obra Dinn. It’s a brilliant, unique puzzle game that is a bad fit for my brain. Visually, it’s dead simple. Each stage consists of a sheep named Baba, with some crude walls, water, rocks, grass, etc and a flag. There are also words on the screen that you can push around to make phrases which govern the game rules. So, if it says “Flag is Win” then you win the stage by getting Baba to the flag. Or you could push the word Baba into the space where Flag was and spell “Baba is Win.” Instant win. And so on.

Why I can’t get into it:

That “and so on” contains multitudes. Baba is hard. Bryan is dumb. Bryan is hard. Baba is Bryan. Baba is dumb. Hard is dumb.  I can’t do this.

Disgaea (just all of them)

Why its great:

It’s a long-running strategy RPG series, and I love those. Right? It’s anime and, if I don’t always love it, at least it’s not a deal-breaker. Right?

Why I can’t get into it: Wrong, apparently. First up, the anime is the kind of loud, shrill, in-your-face anime that put me off the stuff for most of my life. The gameplay is...a lot. It’s deep, and that’s a good thing. Right? I feel like if I hunker down and put real work into learning all of the game’s systems I’d probably love it! Maybe!

Hitman 2016

Why it’s great:

The game gives you a ton of creative freedom in how you go about carrying out your hits. You’re changing outfits to get access to different parts of the area, and using whichever makeshift weapons you can to get the job done. A can of pasta sauce is just as deadly as a pistol, and a lot more fun. The ridiculousness of the game’s clockwork world ends up being a positive because of how serious and straight-laced your protagonist is. 

Why I can’t get into it:

It’s the Lego problem again. Too much freedom, not enough direction. Every time something goes wrong, my lizard brain says YOU’RE SO BAD AT THIS WHY ARE YOU SO STUPID YOU CAN’T DO THIS AT ALL FOOL and my rational brain quietly says Uh, it’s just a game, bud. No one cares. No one’s scoring you on this. Just learn from your mistakes and have fun. Which is apparently not a convincing argument.

*The name of my new ska band

[chubbydino]

Hi! I finally gathered the courage to read concatenation (normally I don’t really read fics with unhappy endings) and I LOVED IT. I mean, it tore my heart out, threw it on the ground and stepped on it, but still. It made me feel so much, which is not something that a lot of stories are able to do. Just a question, I remember reading somewhere that you would maybe write a fix-it but I can’t find it anywhere, so was it just an idea or something you plan to do? Thanks!

hello! there was talk about a fix-it for it a few years ago, and i did start one, but i’ve since deleted it after only writing a few paragraphs. i couldn’t write a fix-it that did any justice to the story. 

i did write an epilogue, tony’s letter, that you probably already read if you just read the series, just to kind of tie up tony’s thoughts on everything for people who wanted that. it was part of marvel trumps hate for 2016 i believe. 

but yeah, no fix-it fi planned or published. i’m so happy you read the series though, and that it was worth it for you to have waited so long to read. :) it always makes me smile when i see someone new has left a comment or kudos or something. <3

i did find a little section of a fic i never published while i was looking for the epilogue i had started, so though it’s not a fix-it, it isn’t angsty (at least, not to me lol)! just some stony pining sass and quips. 

below the cut!

Grey streaks of sunlight filtered through the missile-proof glass of the of an empty bedroom in the Avengers compound. Despite being unoccupied, the room was meticulously clean—the most unkempt part about it being the memory foam mattress on the floor, still wrapped in plastic. A low crackle of thunder echoed against the barren, muted-grey walls, and as the winds changed, the patter of rain against the glass could be heard from the doorway as Steve stood there, surveying.

The compound was much smaller than it appeared upon first glance. The living area was one of the biggest rooms, excluding the training facility that wasn’t attached to the compound itself. Steve was starting to see it as home, but it would take time. New faces were appearing faster than he could remember names, and he had a bit of trouble with that. So many of them were just kids. So many of them would be barely functioning human beings without powers, but here? It was impossible to expect them to meld perfectly. But they tried. Tony and Bruce spent hours designing things to be comfortable and accepting.

Steve just never anticipated himself being the one to feel out of place here. It wasn’t like it was that big of a surprise, but he’d just been so comfortable living at the SHIELD compound, then in the Tower. Upstate New York was a big jump from that.

“Captain,” Friday said, her voice coming in crystal clear as though she was standing right beside him. “Mr. Stark is able to see you now. Please make your way to the conference room, Sector Alpha.”

Despite being small on the first two floors, the compound had an extensive underground network that was large enough to warrant its own zip code.

“Thank you,” Steve said, glancing around the empty room once more. It would be filled within the month, he was sure. It was either a new superhuman, or a visiting one. The guest manifest was something of a joke nowadays.

Steve made his way down the hallways, eyes running over the photos hung on the walls. Various teammates with their arms slung around each other, laughing. Triumphant newspaper articles showing zero casualties and major victories. Graduations, awards—all kinds of things that made the compound feel more like a college campus than a house.

But the further along he went from the living quarters, the sleeker and more professional things became. Steve was more comfortable here, surrounded by expansive glass windows and minimalist metalwork. No photos, no art on the walls. Everything became sterile and transparent.

The windows to the conference room had already been tinted, effectively sealing the room from wandering eyes. Not that Steve had seen a soul since arriving, but it was barely five in the morning, so everyone was either asleep or training already.

The doors opened for him as he entered the conference room. An enormous oak table took up most of it, and several windows were actually seamless TV screens to watch something upwards of fifty channels at a time.

Tony sat with his back facing the main screens, sprawled in his chair, turning back and forth, back and forth. He fiddled at a tablet screen, two fingers curled at his mouth. He was working, but it was busywork. Steve knew the difference between a Tony in crisis and a Tony trying to distract himself. Either way, he didn’t acknowledge Steve’s arrival.

Steve took it all in stride, and rounded the table to take a seat beside Tony. He scooted back a bit, putting a healthy amount of space between them.

The sound of the rain didn’t reach them here. Natural light didn’t even reach them here. Everything was artificial and cold. A war room.

Steve leaned back in his chair, propping his head up with one hand. Silence ticked by, broken only by the quiet taps of Tony’s fingers on the glass of his tablet.

“You’re late,” Tony finally muttered, not looking up.

“Yeah,” Steve said, lifting his head from his hand in a casual motion. “I was looking around.”

Tony let out a snort. “I ought to clear out your room and give it to someone else, with how often you show up.”

“I’ve been busy,” Steve said quietly.

“Busy,” Tony repeated.

“Yeah.”

“Busy,” Tony said again.

With a final tap to his tablet, Tony tossed the piece of glass like a discarded magazine. It skittered across the table and settled a few inches from Steve. Steve glanced at it, expecting to see some sort of article or video, but it was blank.

“I wasn’t aware—“

“You can’t just leave me like that,” Tony growled. “In charge. You can’t just do that without warning me first.”

“Remind me to tell the mass murderers of the world to give me a heads up before they start killing people,” Steve replied easily, unfazed.

“That’s bullshit,” Tony shot back. Steve couldn’t see true anger in his eyes yet, though. “You’ve been stateside for three weeks. You can’t possibly think I didn’t know you’ve been stateside for three weeks—did you think I didn’t know?”

Steve blinked once. “I didn’t think you cared.”

Tony scowled at him, leaning forward in his chair. “What were you doing on your little vacation?”

Steve shrugged. “I had to clean my place out in Brooklyn. My lease was up a month ago and they held everything out of courtesy. I had to arrange to get it all shipped here.”

“Your storage unit,” Tony said tartly.

Steve frowned. “It arrived, didn’t it?”

“Of course it arrived. It arrived weeks ago.”

A shrug was all he could really muster in response. “Then I helped with cleanup for that Queens disaster—which I’m sure you saw on the news. After that I visited Bucky in Brooklyn for a few days, saw Sam on his leave weekend and helped out at the VA.”

Tony worked his jaw, and Steve cocked a brow at the flicker of anger he saw in his eyes now.

“You’re a real class act, Rogers,” Tony finally forced out. He stood abruptly, and Steve reflexively stood too.

“Hey, what’s going on? I didn’t warn you, I get it. I’m sorry. But I don’t always get a warning, Tony.”

He didn’t realize he’d reached out until Tony shrugged him off.

“Don’t,” Tony hissed. “Don’t start with that shit.”

Now Steve was genuinely confused. “Okay. Let’s—we can talk about this. Let’s talk about this. That’s what we’re here for, right?”

That response only served to piss Tony off all the more. “Oh please. Enough with that feelings crap, Steve. I’m done with all of that—I’ve been done since you—“

Steve hand came to rest on Tony’s cheek, effectively silencing whatever he’d been about to say. A warm understanding came to Steve’s eyes, and he moved closer, enough to feel Tony’s breath on his collarbone.

“You think I wasn’t thinking about you,” Steve said.

Tony jerked back, but Steve followed him, keeping close.

“Shut up,” Tony cut. “That’s not what this is about.”

“Sure. You’re just here to chastise me about my leadership.”

Tony slapped his hand away. Hard. Hard enough that Steve had to blink a few times to process, and that was enough time for Tony to snatch up his tablet and start toward the door.

“Welcome back, Cap. I’m getting some coffee, then you’re going to meet Vision, Natasha and I to bring you up to speed.”

He stormed toward the closer exit, and Steve thought momentarily to let him leave.

Of course, Steve Rogers never let anyone get the last word.

He jumped forward, cutting Tony off at the door and yanking him into a kiss.

He tasted like bourbon. Just a faint taste, like he’d sipped on some hours ago and hadn’t eaten anything since. Tony certainly hadn’t slept--judging by the bags under his eyes--so Steve knew better than to assume he’d fallen asleep with that taste in his mouth.

“You didn’t say anything,” Tony hissed when they broke apart. He gave Steve a frustrated shove.

“You said no favoritism.”

“Fuck you,” Tony spat. “That doesn’t mean you don’t show me some fucking decency.”

“Let me get coffee with you,” Steve murmured, hands settling at Tony’s waist.

Tony was quick to remove them.  “No.”

“Tony,” he began, “Tones. Let me get you coffee.”

Tony just scowled at him. “I don’t know what I expected from you, if I’m being honest. I genuinely don’t. I don’t know what I expected. But I definitely didn’t expect you to treat me like a dick.”

A little flare of anger nibbled at Steve’s gut. “You laid the groundwork very clearly. You specifically told me you wanted no special treatment. You specifically told me you wanted this to be a working relationship. Professional—that was the word you used.”

“Because that’s what I want,” Tony cut. “But that doesn’t mean you ignore me!”

“I didn’t ignore you—“

“You didn’t so much as text me when you came back. I got a mission report five days later after two weeks of nothing.”

“If you were worried about me, you’re allowed to say it. Nobody’s here.”

“Fuck you.”

Tony tried to leave again, but Steve hooked him around the middle with one arm, blocking his path.

“We talk here or we talk over coffee,” Steve said evenly. “Those are the options. I don’t care which.”

“You don’t get to make those decisions. I’m heading the compound right now.” Tony chopped his arm with an elbow, and Steve relented. He slid away, and Tony shot him a glare. “I’ll see you when we meet with Nat and Vision. You know, our teammates? Red guy, weird looking? Girl, red hair? Short? Likes leather and spandex?”

“Tony—“

He didn’t get another word out before the door was closing and Tony was walking briskly toward the in-house coffee shop.

Steve watched him go, unsure of the sudden strain in his chest. What he and Tony did behind closed doors was nobody’s business, but apparently that special treatment he’d been so adamant about not receiving was something he’d actually wanted all along. This was something Bucky would laugh at him for, had Steve dared to break his promise not to tell. But he was pretty sure Bucky already knew anyway. The whole team knew, at least in some fashion.

With a heavy sigh, Steve stepped out and headed in the opposite direction, chewing the last of the bourbon taste from his bottom lip.

************

“There really isn’t much to report,” Natasha said, thumbing through digital pages of activity logs. “A few issues with telepathic powers, but Wanda and Vision handled that area. Combat training schedules are consistent, as is improvement.”

“T’Challa visited for several days and imparted some wisdom in a sort of ‘master class,’ if you will,” Vision added. “We saw a slight spike in improvement with several female students after his visit.”

Natasha rolled her eyes, but Vision continued, oblivious to his innuendo.

“All in all, very few issues to report that concern you, Captain Rogers. A few technical malfunctions with our security system, an attempted trespass by a belligerent ‘fan’ of ours, and two incidents of misconduct—all of which were handled appropriately.”

Tony was staring at him through a stylish pair of glasses, but Steve ignored him. “Sounds like everything went smoothly.”

Natasha leaned back, only briefly glancing between him and Tony. “So, you’re back to stay with us for a little while?”

“For now, yes,” Steve said with a nod. “I figure I ought to help out since I left so abruptly.”

Tony let out an indignant snort.

“Really, we need to get our advanced hand-to-hand classes back on track,” Natasha said. “I’ve been able to handle it, but I can only teach so many classes before fatigue sets in. If I’m called on mission, I don’t want to be worn down.”

“I don’t need the explanation,” Steve chuckled. “I’ll handle those, and I’ll start back in with the combat strategy too, if that’s okay.”

“You’re the best one for it,” Natasha replied with a shrug. She stood, gently tapping Vision on the shoulder. “Well, we’ll leave the two masterminds to discuss. As far as I’m concerned, this meeting is over.”

“Thank you for the update,” Steve said with a dip of his head. “I appreciate it.”

Natasha grabbed her bag and left, nearly closing the door in Vision’s face, but he passed right through it amyway. There was light music playing in the background, coming from the wet bar over in the far corner. Steve thought to ask if Tony wanted a drink, but he knew better.

“I wanted to apologize,” Steve said after an unsteady silence had lengthened between them.

Tony said nothing. He turned his face away, chewing the inside of his cheek.

“I should have contacted you. The reason I didn’t was because I didn’t know where we stood. Last time we talked, you made it very clear that you didn’t want any special treatment—hell, that you didn’t even want me to talk to you outside of ‘business hours.’ So how was I supposed to guess that you wanted me to text you?”

Tony pinched the bridge of his nose, but still wouldn’t look at him.

Steve had to fight every urge to keep pressing, but he held his tongue and leaned back instead, at a loss. Their relationship was complicated at best, and moments like theses made it even worse for them.

“Pick one word and tell me how you would describe what I mean to you,” Tony said, eyes still closed. “I want you to pick one word.”

Steve frowned, but began to rake his brain for the proper word. Surprisingly enough, a blank nothing came to mind. He could think of no word to describe Tony Stark. None that would accurately fit. Friend, confidant, partner. He trusted Tony more than anyone on Earth. More than Bucky at this point. Bucky was still too unpredictable in some instances.

“Everything,” Steve said decidedly.

Tony finally looked up at him, momentarily shocked. It quickly faded to anger, though.

“Well. Some way to show it,” he snorted.

“What do I mean to you?” Steve pressed, unaffected by Tony’s quip.

Tony’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if he’d just discovered he’d been tricked

“Well?”

For a moment Steve thought that Tony wouldn’t respond. Instead, Tony let out a sigh. “I think we need to discuss what happens when one of us goes off on mission.”

Steve’s lips pursed, not allowing himself to show the hurt sucking a hole in his chest. That was how it went with Tony Stark. One minute he was snapping about being too public, the next he was chastising Steve for not showing him enough affection.

If he hadn’t been to infuriatingly handsome, Steve might’ve had a chance. 

[between-the-pages-ofa-book]

There’s been a lot of talk about series finales lately with so many shows having already ended, and quite a few shows ending soon, so of course there have been several memorable finales on my mind lately, so I decided to make a post about my thoughts on the most memorable ones.

I’m planning on tagging everything with proper anti tags, character names, and show names. If there’s something that I forget to tag, let me know and I’ll tag it correctly.

It gets lengthy so I’m putting it under a read more.

1. Game of Thrones

This will have probably the most polarizing of opinions, but I actually felt satisfied overall by what happened in this final season and series finale. I felt that there were things that could have been written better and things that I would have done differently, but overall, I enjoyed what happened.

Not everything that happened in this final season is what I would have chosen for the characters’ ends, and there are a few endings that I’m not satisfied with. Jaime Lannister being one of those. I felt that his storyline was going in a much different direction than dying with Cersei, and I’m still of the opinion that his ending should have been different. I’m not upset that he died because i expected him to, but I did expect a different death.

Sansa’s ending is my favorite ending and what I expected for her all along. Her becoming Queen in the North and outliving all of her abusers was so satisfying. Watching her being crowned queen brought a tear to my eye. Her story and character development from start to finish is one of my favorite character arcs to watch.

2. Teen Wolf

I’m not sure how much of an popular or unpopular opinion that this is, but I genuinely think that Teen Wolf’s series finale and the 2nd half of the final season is one of the most well written finales that I’ve seen in a long time.

The first half of the season was really leaving me with low expectations, and I didn’t like it at all, with there being so much focus on Stiles, a character who wasn’t even present for more than 2 episodes of the season. It’s not that I dislike Stiles; it’s that I wish that there was more focus on Scott.

The second half of the season really did focus on most of the characters in the way that I wanted it to. I really liked the emphasis put on Scott’s strength and leadership status. One of the most memorable scenes to me is Scott fighting the monster alone and literally gouging out his eyes so that he is able to defeat the monster.

My favorite moment of the finale was Derek’s return and his hug with Scott. It was such a sweet moment that really defined what Derek and Scott meant to one another.

I even liked the Scott and Malia ship. Although I hated how they wrote Kira out of the show and do still prefer Scott and Kira as a ship, Scott and Malia was well-written, and I did enjoy that they were endgame.

3. The Originals

I’m actually on a rewatch of this show now, so it’s been on my mind a lot. Overall, I didn’t hate this finale season. It wasn’t my favorite. This show is one of my favorite shows of all time. I enjoyed Klaus’s arc, and his desperation to save Hayley and to help his daughter. I liked watching Elijah become himself again after he was freed from the compulsion. I was happy that Davina and Kol were married and became endgame, that Rebekah and Marcel were going to get their happy ending.

I didn’t like that both Klaus and Elijah had to die. I didn’t like Hayley had to die. It’s not even the deaths of all three characters that bothered me about the final season; it’s the fact that I didn’t see that all three of them needed to happen. I can understand actors not wanting to be a part of the spinoff, but I feel that there were better ways to write these characters out than the endings that they were given. I do think that killing off both Klaus and Hayley was written so that Hope would have the challenge of being an orphan and having most of her family die be something that she has to overcome in Legacies. Afterall, I can’t think of a single main teenage character in The Vampire Diaries or The Originals that has either of their parents in their lives: Elena’s parents had died before the beginning of the show, Caroline’s parents were killed, Davina’s parents were killed before the beginning of the show, etc.

The sacrifices that were made by both Klaus and Hayley were absolutely beautiful. The scene that Hope meets Hayley in the afterlife made me cry and I wish that we would have gotten a scene of Jackson interacting with Hope.

I’m going to be a bit biased here and show that I don’t like the inclusion of Caroline in the final season. I’ve never liked Klaroline as a ship and didn’t particularly enjoy Caroline’s character in the final season of The Vampire Diaries. I felt that there were much better people for Klaus to have spent his final moments with and didn’t like that there was so much emphasis placed on Caroline during the episode that Hayley, the leading female of the show, dies.

Overall, I liked this show and its ending but have never felt truly satisfied by its ending. However, I do recognize that The Originals finale was meant to be the set up for Legacies and that it’s going to need to be critiqued on a different standard than a show that was meant to be a definitive ending for all of the characters.

4. Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time is one of my all-time favorite shows, even though there are several things throughout the show that I strong dislike. I’ll be honest, I’m going to be very petty about the actual final episode of the show because I really didn’t like it, despite enjoying the final season overall.

This is a show that I like to consider as having two series finales. The season 6 finale being the overall show’s finale. This was a perfect ending for the characters, in my opinion. Emma and Killian starting their life together. Regina and Emma co-parenting Henry. Snow White and Charming moving to their farmhouse. Even Belle and Rumple getting their happy ending. I do view season 7 as a spinoff rather than a continuation of the first six seasons; however, I’m going to talk about season 7 here.

I really enjoyed this season. I loved so many of the characters, and Henry’s arc was very well-written. Wish!Hook/Detective Rogers was my favorite part of the season, along with his relationship with Alice.

The series finale was a 2-part finale, and the first half was very strong. Seeing Charming and Snow again really made me happy. I had high hopes for the 2nd part of the finale that just weren’t met. This is where I get petty and like to pretend that part 2 doesn’t actually exist and was somehow erased because I disagree with a lot about it. This is where I start talking about what I wish would have happened as if it actually did.

I do dislike Regina, so of course this is biased against her. It’s also been a while since I watched the finale so some details may be muddled with part 1 details, so forgive me for that.

I really disliked that Regina is the one who inevitably turned Wish Henry to their side; she’s the one who he watched murder his grandparents and has blamed for his mother’s disappearance and destroying his life. I really think that it should have been Emma who was able to turn Henry to their side, and if not Emma, then adult Henry himself, as Henry knows what it’s like to feel hopeless and as if he has no family left.

I wished that baby Robin Hood would have been able to have the dream where she talks to Robin, her father, rather than Regina getting this moment. Robin, who has continued her father’s legacy and was never able to know her father, should have been given the moment of closure with her father that she never had before.

I also very much disliked the joining of all the realms. I would have been okay with it if it was just Storybrooke and the two Enchanted Forests or if there were doorways created so that travel between realms was made easier like the mermaids. I didn’t like joining all the realms because there were a lot of characters who I know wouldn’t have wanted this to happen. It took away titles of Queen and King from several characters: Elsa and Jasmine to be exact. It also invalidated Tiana’s arc from mere episodes before. Tiana had worked to feel as if she was worthy of Queen, and all the hardwork was nullified by crowing Regina the “Good Queen.” I didn’t only dislike this choice because of Regina but because of how many storylines were invalidated because of that choice.

Also, if we were going to crown someone “The Good Queen,” it’s not Regina. First of all, I really don’t like that title. Second of all, it should have been Snow White that was crowned Queen in the end, as she is the rightful queen of the Enchanted Forest.

5. Shadowhunters

Now, for the final noteable finale that I want to talk about, let’s talk about Shadowhunters. This list wasn’t made to be nice about these shows, and this is one that I always look back at and feel mad. Shadowhunters is a show that I have actually defended as a book to screen adaptation, but I can’t defend this final season or this finale.

Now, I do want to talk about what I enjoyed of this final season. I enjoyed Simon and Izzy’s relationship finally happening, even though it was rushed due to limited time because of the cancellation. Clary asking Isabelle to be her parabatai, which is something that I even wanted in the books, made me really happy. Clary continuing to be selfless and put everyone first was such a beautiful arc, even if I dislike how it ended for her.

And on to the things that I disliked--

Am I the only one who hated that they made Luke into a Shadowhunter again? Of course, being a werewolf doesn’t seem as if it was as important in the show as it was in the books, but it didn’t even feel as if Luke had any sort of feelings about being forced to be a shadowhunter against his consent.

I felt like this whole season was meant to be fanservice for Malec. It took a ship that I actually liked in the books, despite the issues that the relationship had, and liked in the beginning of the show and turned it into something that I strongly disliked. I felt like Alec didn’t understand a lot of what Magnus was feeling and didn’t understand what he needed. I’ve always felt like Alec was prioritized in this relationship to be honest. The wedding felt like it came too quickly and felt inorganic to me. Spoilers for the books: The wedding in the books is one of my favorite weddings in any type of media, and yes, I do compare the book wedding to the show wedding all the time, even if that is unfair of me. I still find it hard to believe that Alec would stay in New York when a crisis with Johnathan was happening at the LA Institute, where his father and younger brother were at the time. I can’t believe that the wedding was prioritized over every single thing that happened in that finale, and I will always dislike the wedding being prioritized so heavily.

The thing that I really hate about this finale is Clary’s ending. She spent the entire season battling between keeping her brother alive and doing what was right for the rest of the world. She ended up killing her own brother for the good of the world. Clary never put herself first once throughout this season, and there were still a lot of fans that heavily criticized her for everything that she did. In the end, her mother appearing to her to warn her not to use her powers that The Angels gave her solidified how much I hated this arc for her. She knew what using her powers to kill Johnathan would do and she did it anyway. She was punished for doing the right thing. Even worse, she suffered in silence while it was happening. She knew that she was losing her memories and her connection to the Shadow world but she didn’t want to ruin the wedding for her friends and walked out of the Institute without a word to anyone, to the love of her life, to her best friend, to her future Parabatai, to her father figure. She left Jace feeling like she left him, after he’s felt this way his entire life.

Worst of all, in the end, it seemed like no one other than Jace actually cared what she sacrificed. Her own father, Luke, didn’t seem to care and was happy with Maryse. Isabelle, who Clary chose to be her Parabatia, and Simon, her lifetime best friend, seemed to be more than happy. Magnus and Alec were perfectly content with everything. I can’t remember if any of these characters ever mentioned her name in the scenes at the end of finale. It was a great disservice to the relationship that these characters had with Clary.

Overall, I felt that Clary’s characterization and arc were consistent and on-point, but the ending left me dissatisfied and bitter toward this show as a whole. I’m not even sure that this is a show that I’m even willing to rewatch at some point.

[blackcatmanor]

RWBY V7 Ep 10 Photo Review

Not great at best, cringey at worst. More below 

This episode was so, so bad! So I’ll soften the blow with the good: 

 Story stuff that was good:

Uhm----it seems like next episode is set up for the Robyn/Qrow (and apparently Clover) vs Tyrian fight so…that’s good? Although Clover and Qrow literally did NOTHING this episode and just jumped into place for their final showdown. 

 Character stuff that was good:

Tyrian’s voice actor is MVP of the episode. His quick rage and quick recovery to cool and calm was truly unnerving and is the actual real-world traits of a psychopath. Whether or not that was intentional on the writers part is unknown, but it was good nonetheless.

Silver eye problems

Ruby’s issues activating her silver eyes was interesting. I think it would be a good thing obstacle for her to overcome over time (unlike the contrived “need to learn hand to hand combat obstacle). Plus it could bring Maria back into the story in a way that would be interesting.  Although they should address why suddenly she can’t do it, when she did it TWICE a few months prior. 

Good/Bad: Cinder? 

Cinder’s acting was good for a solid half minute. Her annoyance that they were beat to Atlas felt genuine, along with her yelling at Neo to kidnap Oscar. It shows that Jessica Nigri is capable of delivering good dialogue that is not over the top aloof and airy.  

Unfortunately, as fast as it appeared, it was gone. The second she slips back into sultry, haughty Cinder with her cringey line of “Ironwood is as predictable as his androids” I basically felt like I wanted the sweet release of death.

Story stuff that was bad.

Where for art thou, Action? 

Once again we are teased a lot of action and given a fairly small amount. However, the reason why the action was cut short was stone-cold baffling. In the first half, all of the action literally stopped dead in its tracks for a speech between Robyn and Ironwood that was so contrived and out of place narratively it was actually cringey. Was there no better time to deliver this speech? Apparently when Ironwood decided to be honest last episode, he became Ironwood’s Pizza and Plot Development: Piping Hot truth delivered in 45 minutes or less! At least the grimm were super considerate and stopped attacking half of the people to listen to their speech. Literally. In the shot below no grimm attack despite the proximity alarms, and the grimm Ruby were fighting apparently all de-spawned after she killed one saber so Ruby can stare at a monitor and smile. 

For the other batch of people still running and screaming, so I doubt they heard their message on the first go-around. They’ll probably have to be filled in by the others on the evacuation transports- WHERE THIS SPEECH SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED!

This narrative weirdness could have been fixed very easily by just adding a scene after the people are loaded onto the evacuation transports. The ships would be full of people, seemingly bent-for-sound that their homes are being destroyed by grimm, and the implication is that they are going to continue rioting in Atlas. However, their rage is quelled by a holo-screen speech on the transports where Ironwood and Robyn tell the citizens the truth, and vow together to launch Amity communications tower and rebuild Mantle better than ever. (Admittedly it would still be weird timing but not as egregious and weird as telling them literally during an invasion).

 Character stuff that was bad��

Low Wattage

Watts’ story for me had a lot of issues this episode.

First, in addition to hacking abilities Watts basically seems to have super stealth and/or teleportation powers as well. He was in Mantle one minute and the next he was out in the tundra at Amity. Despite stating in previous episodes that Amity was hours away from Atlas academy (so who knows how long from Mantle), in three minutes it was implied that Watts somehow acquired an Atlas airship with no resistance, flew to Amity without being detected by any sort of central command and shot out of the sky, and walked into the totally unprotected site. Ironwood didn’t even leave droids to defend it? Like, he directed 100% of all forces including all androids to be put in mantle, no exceptions?!

There doesn’t even seem like there is any indication that a passage of time occurred before Watts ended up in Amity to face Ironwood. The fact that Watts appeared there with no hassle is lazy, and shows that the directors and writers just wanted to jam Watts into his final position for the concluding episodes in order to have the showdown between Ironwood and Watts. 

Also- it turns out that Watts is a fighter and a scientist? Did he attend a huntsman academy as well as regular schooling? Are there a lot of people who are both? Did he learn fighting after his exile from Atlas, once he joined Salem’s faction? The last scenario is most likely, but Watts never seemed like someone who would be a fighter, which led him to always have to team up with others like Cinder/Elm/Mercury in V5 and Tyrian this volume. If he always was a capable fighter as well as an evil genius, why does he need a companion if it’s not for protection and muscle?

So now we are going to have a fight between Watts and Ironwood: A scientist vs a military general. Does this sound totally out of left field? Yes. But, per the formula, we need a few different fights to cut back and forth to for a season finale. 

Could they maybe just continue the Mantle invasion and fight all of the new grimm like the dragons and the tundra beowolves? Well, no because grimm are no longer an actual threat in the show (which is a totally different tangent-see below). With grimm fights being so low-stakes, the only fights the writers can use for narrative tension has to be people vs people, even if it’s as contrived as a scientist fighting a freaking military general.

The only way this fight would ever make sense is to have Watts’ hacking glove thing manipulate Ironwood’s mechanical body parts. It would show a good balance between Ironwood’s general combat superiority versus Watts’ technological superiority. They should establish that Watts is clearly an inferior fighter, but the ability to hack Ironwood’s cybernetic body parts could even the playing field and present dynamic and interesting strategies that would be unique to each fighter. 

If it just ends up being a punch-punch, shoot-shoot fight I’m going to be annoyed. 

Speaking of the Grimm-

They are bad. There is literally a whole bigger tangent I have for another day but the grimm have been nerfed to the point that they add nothing to the tension and combat. I barely even consider them “fights” anymore because we just get small snippets of tussles before they just die after one hit. I appreciated that they added a small element of increased difficulty with the larger Mammoth-type that Penny and Ruby fought, but it simply required a tiny bit more effort, ultimately being barely an inconvenience. It makes you wonder how any villages fall to these monsters.... 

Overall: 4/10  It wasn’t good. The small amounts of action we did get was nice, but literally having action grind to a halt as people gawk at someone talking is reminiscent of Volume 5. Characters are jammed into place for final confrontations and the Grimm continue to be a non-issue in a series where 4 Academies were created with the explicit purpose of training people to fight these non-threatening creatures. Also: What random storage room are Cinder and Neo occupying? At the end of episode 9 it seemed like they were in some empty wing of the Schnee mansion but they’re still there? There was no thought behind just cramming them into a room in Atlas.  

Not even Weiss could save this one 

[lightsandlostbells]

so, overall, what did you think of season 3 of stranger things?

It took me a while to answer this question because I had to sort out how I felt about this season! I guess if I had to narrow it down to an overall opinion: enjoyable, but very messy. Had some of the series’ best moments but also, while I was watching, I had far more grumbles and gripes than the previous two seasons.

I’ve never really been hung up on whether this show is derivative or plays too into nostalgia or w/e. Plenty of media does that. And despite all the time I’ve spent dissecting micro-expressions and weighty silences in European teen dramas that are filmed for the cost of a candy bar … I am way into genre films and TV shows. I love monsters and superheroes and spectacle! I watched Stranger Things the weekend it premiered because I love ‘80s movies about kids on bikes having adventures, I eat that shit up. So I don’t expect this show to be a hardcore deconstruction and re-imagining of those tropes (though that sounds like a pretty great show), I’m fine with it being what it is: a solid, spooky sci-fi/horror throwback series. What matters most is whether the story and characters work. Personally, I would say whatever criticisms you can make of S1 and S2, they had heart, and unfortunately I think some of that heart was missing from S3. Much of that, IMO, comes from sidelining some of the familial relationships that were at the center of the narrative in S1 and S2, like the Byers family and Hopper & Eleven, and to some degree the important friendships like the party, although there were other friendships introduced in this season so that wasn’t as glaring. It’s not a surprise that one of the best-received parts about this season, Steve and Robin’s friendship, is also responsible for one of the most heartfelt scenes Stranger Things has ever done. 

There was also a way larger emphasis on comedy in S3. Comedy is probably my favorite genre, and I did laugh at a lot of humorous moments in this season. But I also felt like there was more comedy for comedy’s sake, like long sequences created intentionally to make the audience laugh. Whereas in S1 and S2, I can’t remember any scenes like that? The comedy was more understated and came from character personalities and relationship moments rather than joke set pieces. That’s perhaps another reason why S3 felt like it had less heart.

My hope for season 4 - and I am assuming there is a season 4, because apparently this show did mega ratings for S3 - is that they don’t add more major new characters (except love interests for the gay characters, go ahead with those, lol) and instead focus on the existing cast,  which is already a very strong ensemble, yet many of the characters have gotten pushed to the sides. I would love if they added to the episode count: a lot of Netflix series drag out their seasons, like they have enough story for 10 episodes but have to stretch it out to 13, but Stranger Things has the opposite problem. I feel like if they had 10 (or 11, ha) episodes they could have more time for breather moments and more space for character arcs. This season was really fast-paced in my opinion, and although that’s a positive in many respects, I missed a lot of the down time.

Also, I think every season has taken place over like a week maximum, not including the epilogues, and like … you can make the story last longer than a week! Not everything has to go to hell in like a day or two.

Some more specific opinions underneath, obviously lots of spoilers.

First of all, I gotta say, I feel like a weirdo, because so many of the reviews for this season are like A RETURN TO FORM AFTER A DISAPPOINTING SECOND SEASON and UP THERE WITH SEASON 1 NOT THAT CRAPPY SEASON 2 THAT NO ONE LIKED and uhhhh … I liked season 2 just fine? It’s probably my favorite. There are things I don’t like about it, but the stuff I love is stuff I really, really love. Hopper and Eleven’s relationship, for instance. Steve and Dustin teaming up and Steve Harrington becoming a guardian to four children. Those are not just great elements to the series, but directions that I think only a second season could have taken - Hopper and Eleven’s bond wouldn’t have had half the weight if they weren’t established as traumatized, broken people in S1. Steve Harrington becoming a babysitter would not be nearly so delightful if we had not known him as the popular douchebag stereotype from S1 - if he were just a cool dude hanging out with kids from the get-go, the impact wouldn’t be as great. After S1 used Will Byers as a MacGuffin in S1, S2 gave Will a much larger role and that little actor acted his ass off. His performance generated a lot of genuine suspense and chills. There was Sean Astin being lovable! Paul Reiser’s character being a surprisingly good guy! Yeah, there are big flaws in the season, and you can argue it’s too much of a repeat of S1, but to me it was a version of S1 that made the characters more specific and interesting. I’m just … genuinely baffled by how it’s supposed to be demonstrably worse than the others. Because of the Kali episode? I didn’t think that one was terrible, either. I think it broke up the momentum of the chaos at Hawkins Lab, and Kali’s friends were obnoxious, it’s certainly not the greatest writing of the series, but as a whole the episode is like. Fine. It’s fine. It’s mediocre, not atrocious. It’s not the worst thing ever. It doesn’t ruin anything about the story or direction or the series. Most importantly it’s easy to ignore or skip on a rewatch if you don’t like it. The backlash was way overblown.

My biggest disappointment with season 3 was Hopper. Whaaaaaaat. Whaaaat did they dooooo. 

Hopper in previous seasons is a flawed, messed-up human being, but I always knew where he was coming from. When he yelled at Eleven in S2, I still got why he did it. In this season he felt cartoonish. The overprotective paternalistic dad trope is annoying BUT I might have been less bothered had they connected it more to Eleven’s lack of experience with the world, less RAWRRRR KEEP BOYS AWAY FROM MY GIRL. Or if Hopper had not demonstrated like, actual rage toward Mike and we just saw him fuming about it to himself or venting to Joyce, if he was trying to keep that shit under control. (I did laugh at him singing “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim” in the car, I gotta admit.)

But his attitude toward Joyce was what really bummed me out. I’m not into this show for shipping reasons, but I low-key enjoyed the possibility of Joyce and Hopper hooking up based on previous seasons. This season felt like they were writing a completely different dynamic for them, one that was much more aggressively obnoxious. I think their intentions were clear - they were going for a Sam-and-Diane relationship, something that was referenced early on in the Bob flashback - but the problem is that their relationship was not like that at all in S1 and S2. When I think of Joyce and Hopper from those seasons, I think about him supporting her after Bob died, or listening to her concerns about her son, or working together to find Will. They didn’t have this combative dynamic! Frankly watching giant-ass Hopper yell at tiny Joyce was viscerally unpleasant. (Side note but in the first trailer there was a shot of Hopper running at the Fun Fair with someone else who I assumed was Eleven, but no, turned out to be Joyce, Winona Ryder is just that tiny next to David Harbour.)

Also, considering this season ended with his death (and we all know he’s not really dead but OK) it’s such a waste that there were few Hopper&Eleven moments! Only the finale brought some quality content on that front. But otherwise their relationship was out of sight, out of mind for almost the whole season, which wasn’t a great choice, both to maximize the emotional impact of the ending, and to expand upon their situation post-S2. I mean, it’s been months since then, how has their relationship changed now? Hopper’s letter talked about the stuff he enjoyed doing with his daughter - why didn’t we see any of that on screen this season? It could’ve helped with the Mike angle, too, like show Hopper and Eleven watching TV together and laughing and having a good time, and then the phone rings and it’s Mike and suddenly Hopper’s watching TV alone as Eleven’s now focused on her boyfriend, we see his disappointment, etc. 

Scoops Troop - Now they were a delight. They had such a ludicrous story but for the most part it worked due to the characters playing off each other and because the writing/acting/directing embraced the silliness. 

Steve Harrington is easily one of the best characters on this show. I fucking love that guy. He’s consistently entertaining, he’s had possibly the best character growth out of anyone in the series, he’s evolved from a stock ‘80s asshole stereotype into someone who’s funny and sympathetic and likable. He’s this amazing blend of the ridiculous with the heroic. Steve and Dustin were great together, as they were last season, and I’m cackling that Steve acquired YET ANOTHER CHILD under his supervision without even trying. But the MVP of the season was the Steve & Robin friendship. Holy shit do I love that relationship. Holy SHIT.

Robin herself is a terrific new character, smart and funny and once you know she’s half-Uma, you can’t unsee it. I was loving her already and then the bathroom scene happened and I YELLED. I was so utterly overjoyed. If they had made Steve and Robin hook up, honestly … I would’ve been fine with it, like this show doesn’t need more heterosexual romance but at least they had a fun dynamic, but man, the friendship angle was so so superior. It’s a type of relationship that media is lacking, and the specific circumstances of this friendship made it genuinely moving to me. I keep wanting to write like a meta post devoted to just this relationship because I just have so many emotions about it! But they play well off each other as a comedic duo and as an odd couple friendship, and they’re really what each other needs, IMO. Steve needed this close friendship more than he needed a girlfriend; in this season he’s clearly adrift and we’ve seen the kind of shitty friends he had in like season one, is Dustin the best pal he had at this point? And I love Steve & Dustin but Steve needed a good friend his own age. Robin is a lesbian in small-town Indiana in the ‘80s, and she was clearly full of fear that Steve would hate her if he knew, and for him to accept her so easily, not even making a big deal about it? That’s kind of life-saving, really. I can’t wait to see more of them, if Netflix wants to make the half-hour Clerks-esque spinoff about them working in a video store and shooting the shit, I would be 100% down for that.

I have some mixed feelings about Erica because I think she could have benefited from getting the same humanization as the other kids (and I’m going to leave the discussion of racial tropes gently by the side at the moment but … yeah). The other child characters are played more like actual people with vulnerabilities, which has been part of the show’s appeal since the first season, and Erica was more like the sitcom kid who always has a snarky quip ready; however, she did make me laugh and I like that they tapped into her being a nerd, I wish they’d explore that in future seasons with the character. “I’m ten, you bald bastard” was one of my favorite lines of the season, I lost my goddamn mind. 

Billy - Lmao, so Billy in S2 was the woooorst. This dude had ZERO redeeming qualities. His abusive dad creates a smidgen of sympathy, I guess, but Billy goes so far beyond normal teenage assholery that it didn’t make a dent in my opinion of him. You can redeem someone like Steve Harrington, first of all because Steve actually feels regret and works to correct his mistakes, but Steve also didn’t go to a point of no return in the first place. Billy did, for me. Physically and verbally abusing his younger sister? Attacking a black middle-schooler for the crime of being in the same room as his white sister? What a piece of shit.

With that in mind - I have no problem focusing on him as a villain this season, I really don’t. It justifies his inclusion in S2 other than as a human antagonist who’s ultimately not really connected to the main plot, as it retrospectively establishes him as an even greater threat in this season. I also think the actor did a good job with the material he was given. However, ultimately this dude’s arc was underwhelming. The thing is … I can tell they were trying to show Billy struggling with the Mind Flayer, but Billy is so lacking in any positive qualities that it’s kind of like, where does that struggle even come from? Yeah, even the worst people aren’t going to be wild about having a monster from another dimension hijack your body and use it to collect people for spare parts, but this is the same dude who was about to run over Mike, Lucas, and Dustin on their bikes last season for absolutely no reason. He beat Steve to point of unconsciousness and could’ve put him in the hospital. He assaulted Lucas. So I really need some evidence of Billy’s moral compass because it is not inherent and there’s in fact plenty of evidence that it doesn’t exist. I’m not very enthusiastic about redeeming a racist, abusive creep, but I also think if you’re going to go for him helping Eleven at the end … you have to show some current potential for goodness, not just “used to be a nice kid.”

A really glaring omission: the lack of any family/home scenes with him, Max, and their parents this season. We left off last season with Max telling him to leave her and her friends alone. How is their relationship since then? Is there still a lot of friction? Is there a tense peace? Has their relationship improved in any way? We really needed to see that follow-up. I get that Max crying over Billy this season makes sense in that he’s still her family and we can still have love for those who hurt us … but I also feel that we needed something between them to justify her pain, like even just the potential of their relationship being a fraction better, or the suggestion that Billy used to be OK to Max before he went full asshole. And I think we really needed to see Billy’s dad being currently abusive in this season - tbh, missed opportunity that the dad didn’t get flayed like, out of revenge (which would have been both satisfying and horrifying), missed opportunities for suspense when we think Billy might serve up Max and her mom to the Mind Flayer, etc.

Another missed opportunity: drawing parallels between Billy and Will. Both are possessed by the Mind Flayer. Both had shitty dads calling them homophobic slurs. Both could be read as gay (I’m not hungry to claim Billy as LGBT representation or invested in this interpretation but his scenes with Steve in S2 admittedly have that sweaty homoerotic dick-measuring vibe, if you want to take it there). Their names are both William, FFS. The difference is that Will is a sweet and gentle kid surrounded by loving family and friends who fought to save him, and Billy is a violent, cruel dude who probably doesn’t have any real friends, just shallow connections. You could show how the Mind Flayer could more easily possess and manipulate someone like Billy, but that wasn’t really explored.

Also, is anyone going to dwell on the fact that like … Max is living with an abusive man as her stepfather? He’s shown hurting Billy’s mom. Does that not concern anyone that he is very likely to attack either Max or her mom? 

Oh, and thank God they didn’t take the Billy/Karen thing all the way. In retrospect, even weirder considering Billy’s mommy issues. 

Joyce - I get that it’s a big leap downward in emotional investment to go from “must save my son” to “fucking magnets, how do they work” but I liked that she had her own investigation that wasn’t full of emotional turmoil. Winona forever. 

Mike - Everyone is ragging on him but I think he was less terrible than people are making him out to be. He was bratty in a teenage way, but he wasn’t the worst kid ever. I didn’t take his now notorious line to Will (“It’s not my fault you don’t like girls”) as something intentionally cruel or homophobic, just something that came out wrong and that he instantly regretted, and he and Lucas did seem genuinely apologetic over the D&D game and went over to Will’s in the rain out of concern. And the reason he lied to Eleven was because SCARY ASS HOPPER threatened him??? Also, his concern over Eleven overexerting herself was not misplaced, lmao! It really took that long for anyone to go, “Hey, should we be worried about the amount of blood coming out of her nose? Should we be concerned about the effects on her brain?” Sure, Eleven has the final say in whether or not she uses her powers, but tbh… she didn’t have a normal upbringing and her view of her powers is probably skewed. Like, would Eleven have enough basic medical knowledge to be worried about brain damage or nosebleeds, or would that just be the norm to her? Is she making these decisions with a full grasp of the potential consequences? Anyway, I don’t have a more negative opinion of Mike after this season. 

Eleven - I loved Eleven a lot in this season. I don’t know if it did a ton for her character arc, but it’s nice to see her slowly develop into more of a normal girl. And the season was rough for her in terms of getting her ass kicked, she goes through so much mental and physical pain! In the end she loses her dad and her powers!

Of course one of the bright spots was her and Max becoming friends! Not gonna lie, there was something a little … simplistic about some of that depiction of friendship for me - just that so much of it was SHOPPING and GIGGLING and BOY TALK, girls being GIRLS, when Max has been portrayed as a tomboy and Eleven is a telekinetic kid raised in a lab, that maybe their interactions shouldn’t have fit the mold quite so much - but it doesn’t truly bother me because they were so sweet and fun. I loved them tracking down Billy together and I appreciate that their friendship carried throughout the season, that Max was the person shown carrying an injured Eleven along with Mike, Eleven comforted Max after Billy died, etc. That was a definite sore spot of S2, the girl-on-girl jealousy and Eleven flat-out rejecting Max’s friendly introduction, and I do think they took that feedback into account for the better here. I also like that Eleven was clearly taking cues from Max, the more “worldly” of the two about boys and clothes and teenage attitudes in general - it gave their friendship a more specific shape.

I cannot WAIT to see her living with the Byers family next season. Like if they don’t spend significant time on that dynamic, it will be the biggest disappointment. There could be 8 episodes of just boring mundane Byers domestic scenes and I would love it, please inject it into my eyeballs, Duffer bros. I want to see her bonding with all of them, trying to fit in at school, attempting the most normal life she’s ever had. Also lmao, she and Will can finally have a goddamn conversation??? I hope they’ve been withholding that relationship because they were planning to go all out with those new sibling vibes in S4. They are the two characters who have been most traumatized by the Upside Down, we deserve to see them connect.

On that note, I have a lot of thoughts about Will in this season! Mainly - underused as FUCK. After all that trauma of being possessed by the Mind Flayer last season, they barely utilize this connection in the second half of S3. Even his Spidey sense hardly came in handy??? Now that was really weird, IMO, because the least they could do was have that feeling alert the others or be useful, but lmao it was practically pointless. 

It’s weird because I’m not sure if they just don’t know what to do with Will if he’s not being a victim (which is stupid because there’s plenty you could do with him), but at the same time, he has one of the most poignant subplots of the season. From the reactions I’ve seen, Will feeling rejected and left out as his friends move on really resonated with a lot of viewers. But then this thread is abandoned after episode 3, for the most part. Will cries and destroys the place that represents his childhood, a place that was created specifically in response to trauma (mentioned in S2 that he and Jonathan built it after their dad left), this is very rich emotional territory … and then the show’s just like ehhhhhh moving on. He’s just hanging out in the background and touching his neck for the rest of the season. 

And now I gotta talk about that other thing with Will.

I am so confused by what the Duffer brothers are trying to accomplish with Will’s sexuality, because on the one hand it seems like they have a really clear idea about it and on the other hand they’re just like¯\_(ツ)_/¯  The thing is … it seems very obvious they have always thought of Will as gay. This is blatant from the original pitch from the show as well as one of the S2 scripts (the only one that’s available publicly, so who knows what else they’ve written). I accept that people have different interpretations, but The Line this season is far from the only textual support for Will being gay, and I think it makes for a much, much stronger narrative if you read Will as gay in addition to not wanting to grow up as fast as his friends and being stunted from trauma - that is an entire meta post in itself, though. 

What gets me about the ~ambiguity is that the Duffer brothers planted the gay hints in the first place! They are absolutely not there by accident! Like I’m not speaking for the teenage actors but lmao, the adults involved in the writing and directing of this series absolutely fucking knew how that “not my fault you don’t like girls” scene would be interpreted, especially considering fans were debating Will’s sexuality from the beginning, based off the many homophobic comments leveled at him in S1. There have been TV shows where fans latched onto gay “subtext” that was likely unintentional, but this isn’t one of them. 

IDK, man, it’d just be nice to have some confidence in where this is going. I loved Robin and the bathroom scene made me think that yeah, they might do a decent job with Will’s sexuality, something I might have doubted before. Under no circumstances do I expect a Skam S3-style coming out arc for Will, but I’m also uncertain if I should expect anything from the show on this front at all or if they’ll play it coy to the bitter end. Though I guess I’d still take the ambiguity over giving him a female love interest after everything. Lol, that would be a giant oh-fuck-no.

Real talk, though, let’s discuss what an utter waste it would be to not write a scene where Joyce tenderly accepts her son when he comes out to her. You really aren’t going to bring that instantly iconic moment to life, assholes? You’re not going to provide that for Winona Ryder’s and Noah Schnapp’s Emmy reels? MAKE IT HAPPEN, BASTARDS.

Nancy and Jonathan have a reputation for the most boring plots but they’re fine, w/e. I’m not deeply invested in their romance but I don’t want to fast forward their scenes or anything. Nancy is an underrated character; she’s extremely proactive and always has been, and I enjoy watching her shoot things. I think the best thing they could do for both characters, though, is to separate them next season, not just physically but storyline-wise. Jonathan would be best in a subplot involving his family, because he’s at his most likable as a son and brother, and Nancy should either go off with Mike (a sibling relationship that is VASTLY undeveloped), or she should team up with Robin. I mean it, Nancy and Robin would be a power pairing, let me show you my manifesto. Both are smart young women who are good at solving mysteries. Would Robin think Nancy is a priss after Nancy unloads several rounds into the latest demogorgon chasing them? Would Nancy find Robin a refreshing alternative to the crushing suburban conformity that she claims to want to avoid? Oh, the possibilities. Meanwhile, Steve tags along in the background, all like OH SHIT, my lesbian BFF and my ex-girlfriend are in cahoots! 

Lucas and Max were playing relationship counselors to Mike and Eleven through much of the season. Max still had a fair amount to do, but Lucas needs a meatier subplot next time. I feel like they’re not sure what to do with him? I would like to see him and Erica interact more since their dynamic so far is one-note. 

There is one hell of a conversation to be had about the Evil Russians of this season, but I’m really not the person to do it. 

Also about the depiction of capitalism this season. That’s more thinkpiece-y than I am equipped to do right now. 

The product placement is something that should bother me more but I’m just like … shrug. Except that New Coke bit because that was an actual mood-breaker. 

Could have done without Russian Terminator guy. That was a blatant ‘80s homage so I get why he was there, he just wasn’t all that interesting. And was that guy supposed to be superpowered or something? Was he getting jacked on Upside Down steroids???  What was his deal???

Alexei/Murray was the true OTP of the season, let’s be real.

The trend of lovable, doomed minor characters continued with Alexei. Props to that actor for making you root for the guy. He even made me kind of love Murray? I was very WTF over that guy encouraging two teenagers to fuck in S2, and I’m still not into his habit of telling people to bang even when they’re adults, but I guess he just needed a sympathetic Russian buddy to win me over. 

There were a ton of moments where I felt like the characters made stupid choices as opposed to earlier seasons. Will getting dragged into the Upside Down in the first 10 minutes of the series is an impressive example of a horror movie character doing everything right and making good decisions - a 12-year-old, no less. And he was still overpowered by the demogorgon so it’s not like making good decisions will always save you! Whereas this season I was like LORD some of these characters are drinking dumbass juice. 

There was also so much silly stuff happening, like things that are even more far-fetched than previous seasons, but I just kind of went with it. Yeah, of course there’s a secret Russian base under a shopping mall. Sure.

This season is objectively disgusting in terms of gore and yet I was fine with it? And I’m someone who was repulsed by Barb’s corpse in S1. The Mind Flayer being made of people was some nasty shit but effective horror. I felt bad for the poor little rats :( Oh, and the flayed humans, too. Some of them. Was sad to see Mrs. Driscoll bite it but FUCK those cartoon misogynists from the newspaper. 

Visually beautiful! Starcourt Mall is an amazing set and I’m rather sad that the mall was destroyed, although that was basically a foregone conclusion. Some great cinematography, too. On a purely aesthetic level I had a great time just blasting this season into my retinas.

I have had the motherfucking NeverEnding Story theme song in my head for almost two weeks and I’m suffering.

[charminglatina]

Ranking Pairs of Riverdale Actors Based on Chemistry Ratings.

I have comprised a couple of previous ranking lists of all the notable couples of Riverdale based on their Biorhythm Chemistry and Compatibility calculations. I did a list for the teen couples and the parent couples and ranked them in order from who had the worst chemistry rating to who had the best chemistry rating. In this rankings list, I’ve combined the ratings from both the teen couples and the parent couples and have ranked them from worst chemistry to best chemistry. Unlike the other rankings that I conducted, I will be discussing the actual actors chemistry, not just the fictional pairing that they portray. I will be breaking down the actors chemistry results including their Physical, Emotional, and Intellectual Ratings. I have chosen to negate including any pairings including Fred Andrews out of respect for Luke Perry’s recent passing. I don’t feel comfortable discussing Luke’s relationships and chemistry with his costars right after he passed away. So again, all pairings with Fred are left out of this list. Which pair of Riverdale actors have the best chemistry? Which pair of Riverdale actors have the worst chemistry? Let’s find out below.

PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT a shipping post. This is just a rankings list based on chemistry and compatibility between actors. I do not ship real life people together because I find that very strange. Please respect these results and look at it from merely a chemistry standpoint. Just because two actors have excellent chemistry or a high chemistry or compatibility score or rating in the real world doesn’t mean that they will act on it or pursue a romantic relationship with that person. Please keep this in mind while reading through this post.

Bottom 5 Couples (#18 to #14)

#18. Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart (18th Place; 🤮 WORST Overall Chemistry & Compatibility Rating)

Starting at the bottom of this list at #18 is Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart, who portray the couple of BUGHEAD. With this ranking, this makes Cole and Lili the pair of Riverdale actors with the WORST overall chemistry according to their Biorhythm Chemistry and Compatibility rating and scores. Overall, Cole and Lili earned an awful 35% Overall Chemistry and Compatibility Rating which is a pretty bad score. Honestly, I cannot say that I am shocked that Cole and Lili have the lowest chemistry score out of all the couples, including teen and adult. I've been arguing since season 1 that these two didn't have any chemistry. But for some odd reason, Bughead became such a massive phenomenon in the Riverdale fandom, and it just became overblown out of proportion for more than they are worth. For the life of me, I can't understand how a pair of actors who are supposedly dating in the real world can have such lousy chemistry and produce no romantic chemistry as a couple on the show. It's quite shocking when you think about it. Due to the severe lack of chemistry between Cole and Lili, it has continuously left me questioning and wondering if Cole and Lili are even a genuine couple in the real world. Because there is no way that two people with such little chemistry could be a legitimate couple. There are fake couples who have more chemistry than Cole and Lili do. I've seen two actors who aren't even romantically involved or dating each other off screen have tons more chemistry than Sprousehart has been able to produce. As Bughead, Cole and Lili bring so little to the table. They can't seem to give off the vibe that they are a real romantic couple with great chemistry and affinity between them. When I watch them, I see two friends trying to force romantic or sexual chemistry that doesn't exist. It's tough to watch because unfortunately, Bughead happens to be the couple that gets a large chunk of the screen time. Yet, at the same time, they are also the couple with the worst chemistry. Cole and Lili's lack of chemistry as Bughead could have been semi-saved with decent writing, but not even that is in their favor. The script for the couple of Bughead is mediocre and lacking in quality. Jughead and Betty become the worst versions of themselves with each other, and together, they are an unlikeable couple who do irrational and immoral stuff together. Breaking down their categories of Physical, Emotional, and Intellectual, Cole and Lili do terrible or not so good across the board. Though their Physical Chemistry rating (which is 68%) is their highest score out of all their categories, it doesn't change the fact that despite this above average score, Cole and Lili lack that spark, passion, and heat that is required to portray a believable romantic couple with chemistry. Their mediocre physical and sexual chemistry is shown when they do kissing scenes or sex scenes together. They fall flat and don't bring any vibrance to them. I'm going to be straight up blunt and say that the way Cole and Lili kiss each other is disgusting. It doesn't even look like they are kissing., Instead, it seems like they are eating or chewing each other's faces off. It is gross, and it's a huge turn-off! The most recent example of Cole and Lili kissing in such a horrendous way was in the latest episode 3x16 when Bughead were making out in the car after setting the trailer on fire. That was some of the nastiest, most revolting kissing technique I have ever had the misfortune of watching. And because of that, I can't help but feel disgusted and turned off by any sex scene or kissing scene that Cole and Lili and by extension Bughead do. Not only are their kissing scenes a total disaster, but their sex scenes are even worse. Bughead has no chemistry when they have sex scenes, and they are consistently bland and lacking in passion. They look like siblings engaging in an INCESTUOUS  relationship; that's how lacking their sexual chemistry is. It's NASTY! I swear to God, I haven't seen a couple lacking this much on-screen chemistry in so long. Cole and Lili have got some of the WORST on-screen chemistry that I've ever seen in my many years of watching fictional romantic couples in media. I'm not kidding; it's that bad. How can a couple who is dating in real life not produce any romantic or sexual chemistry? I just don't get it. Cole and Lili did even worse in the Emotional Chemistry category. They only scored a 33% which doesn't bode well for their real-life relationship. Before, I was projecting this score onto their fictional couple of Bughead. But now, I'm projecting it onto the couple that it truly belongs to and that is Sprousehart. The fact that they have a low Emotional Chemistry rating for a pair of actors who are dating off screen is very concerning. I expect tons of emotional turmoil between these two than they are letting on. They most likely have constant emotional ups and downs and disconnects based on their low emotional chemistry rating. Not only does their low Emotional Chemistry rating not bode very well for Cole and Lili's real-life relationship, but it also doesn't bode well for Bughead either. Because if two actors don't connect emotionally then how can they portray a couple that connects emotionally? They can't. That is why Bughead scenes that are intended to be intimate and emotional always fall flat for me because they don't have that emotional pulling power to their chemistry. Their scenes do not move me. Their scenes do not emotionally touch me. You can thank Cole and Lili for lacking a strong emotional connection for that. Finally, their worst score of all is their Intellectual Chemistry Rating. They only scored a dreadful 5% in this category! Only 5%! That is AWFUL and is one of the worst ratings for an individual category on this list! What this score means is that Cole and Lili lack a strong mental connection. There is likely a lot of mental discord and disconnection between the two. They probably engage in plenty of verbal arguments and fights. Again, I don't know the content or status of their relationship off-screen, but this score cannot bode well for Cole and Lili's real-life relationship. But at the same time, it doesn't bode well for their on-screen relationship of Bughead either. Their total chemistry rating is 35% making them the pair of actors with the lowest percentage in Overall Chemistry and Compatibility out of all the pairs of actors and couples on Riverdale. Yikes. I'm very uncertain if Sprousehart is a match made in Hollywood heaven with such abysmal scores like these.

#17. Martin Cummins and Robin Givens (17th Place)

Next up at #17 is Martin Cummins and Robin Givens, who portray the couple of MCKELLER or TIERRA. This couple is seriously underrated and doesn’t get enough attention nor screen time. They are kind of brushed to the side and treated as an after thought. It’s unfortunate because they are an interracial couple that deserves the screen time and the recognition but unfortunately, the writers are too focused on their teen couples that are forced and have no chemistry. Martin and Robin earned a 44% Overall Chemistry and Compatibility rating. I expected a higher rating for them because I do like them as a couple. Let’s get into breaking down Martin and Robin’s individual categories of Physical, Emotional, and intellectual Chemistry. Starting off with their Physical Chemistry rating, Martin and Robin certainly do poorly here. They have a 20% Physical Chemistry rating implying that Martin and Robin don’t have great physical or sexual chemistry. I can’t really judge them too much with regards to whether Martin and Robin have good sexual chemistry because there aren’t enough scenes of them for me to judge. But, from what I’ve seen of them together, they don’t have that much sexual heat or passion.  Next up is their Emotional Chemistry rating. This is where Martin and Robin bring it and this is their strongest category where they earned the highest score. Martin and Robin earned a 71% Emotional Chemistry Rating which bodes well for the two of them bringing in the emotional and intimate aspect of their on-screen relationship as McKeller. Martin and Robin would be able to play a convincing enough romantic couple because of their impressive high emotional compatibility even though they do severely lack in the physical and sexual chemistry department. It’s too bad that there haven’t been enough scenes of McKeller to showcase their emotional connection because again, the writers don’t focus enough on this relationship. How can we be able to see Martin and Robin share tender, intimate and romantic moments as a couple on screen if the writers refuse to give these two actors the screen time that they deserve? Anyways, despite Martin and Robin’s lacking in the sexual and physical chemistry category, they do greatly make up for it in the emotional category. This is a plus in their favor because their relationship on screen wouldn’t just be based on the sexual, but on the emotional and that is way more important in a romantic relationship. Finally is Martin and Robin’s Intellectual Chemistry Rating. They didn’t do too well in this category either, only earning a 42% score. It’s considered to be a below average rating although it’s nowhere near as abysmal as Cole and Lili’s Intellectual Rating (they only earned a horrible5% in the same category!). With this kind of score, Martin and Robin don’t have the strongest mental connection and they may have some mental and intellectual disharmony from time to time. This may come out in the way of verbal disagreements and arguments. But that’s probably likely not possible because Martin and Robin are professionals. Overall, Martin and Robin do best in the Emotional Chemistry and Compatibility category and that is their strongest selling point when portraying the romantic couple of McKeller. Again, it is such a shame that this couple is in the bottom 5 couples. they certainly deserve much higher ratings and in addition, much more screen time and attention than they are getting. Because truthfully, Martin and Robin are really good actors and they need to be able to showcase their talent and it’s unfortunate that the show and the writers aren’t doing that.

#16. Charles Melton and Camila Mendes (16th Place)

Up next at #16 is Charles Melton and Camila Mendes, who portray a romantic couple of VEGGIE. This is an interesting ranking because, like Sprousehart, Charles and Camila (AKA Charmila) are dating off-screen. Due to their off-screen relationship, I certainly expected Charles and Camila to earn a much higher rating than what they received. I love their off-screen relationship and I love them as Veggie on the show. But I admit that some of their ratings in their categories were concerning to me for Charles and Camila’s relationship. I know there are some people that refuse to believe in Biorhythm tests but going by my own personal experience, I do believe in them because I’ve actually done them with personal family and friends and all the scores and ratings were completely accurate in my experience. And I’ve heard and seen plenty of other people who have also used the Biorhythm Chemistry and Compatibility tests and have reported that it’s definitely accurate and has some strong truth to it despite people constantly trying to dispel it and say that it shouldn’t be taken seriously. With regards to Charles and Camila and the chemistry that they bring to the table as Veggie on the show, let’s break down their individual categories of Physical, Emotional and Intellectual Chemistry and Compatibility. Starting with Charles and Camila’s Physical Chemistry, they earned a very impressive and stellar 96% in this category. With such an exceptional score in the physical chemistry area, this means that Charles and Camila have excellent sexual chemistry and it definitely shows in their sexy and intimate scenes. They certainly don’t lack physical and sexual chemistry whatsoever and every single scene of them engaging in an intimate moment has not disappointed. That is all thanks to their excessively high Physical Chemistry and Compatibility Rating. Remember Charles and Camila’s first on-screen kiss as Veggie in 3x09? That kiss was one of the hottest kisses that happened on Riverdale. It was highly memorable and it was loaded in sexual chemistry and heat. Physically and aesthetically, Charles and Camila’s Physical Chemistry Rating indicates that they look good together and that they physically match each other. In other words, Charles and Camila physically make an attractive couple. Therefore, it makes sense that Charles and Camila had an attraction to each other in real life and why they started dating. The sexual chemistry and physical attraction between them must have been mega intense with such a high score like that! And it most definitely shows in their chemistry as Veggie. However, the next couple of categories is where it goes downhill for Charmila and they don’t perform as well. When it comes to Charles and Camila’s Emotional Chemistry Rating, they only scored a lackluster 33% in this category. Interestingly enough, they have the exact same score in this area as Cole and Lili. With such a low Emotional Chemistry Rating, it implies that Charmila struggle with the same issue that Sprousehart do, having a very strong emotional connection and one that is free of discord and disharmony. I don’t know the content or status of Charles and Camila’s relationship since for the most part, they have kept their relationship private. But this low Emotional Chemistry and Compatibility Rating doesn’t bode well for Charles and Camila’s relationship on an emotional level. Their low score in this area and their ultra high score in the Physical Chemistry area may indicate that Charles and Camila’s relationship may be purely sexual or physical due to a lack of strong emotional chemistry and bond. That is concerning. It is concerning because a relationship that is simply based on sex, lust, and attraction isn’t enough to keep a long lasting sustainable romantic relationship in the long run. Relationships that have very high physical and sexual chemistry tend to happen quickly but burn out just as quickly. Charles and Camila’s lack of emotional chemistry in the real world is sort of translating to their on-screen relationship as Veggie, especially in the recent episodes. Camila’s character as Veronica isn’t really emotionally connecting with Charle’s character of Reggie. In the last episode (3x15), Reggie admitted that he feels like he’s just a boy toy for her and that they are just a sexual relationship. Reggie told Veronica that he doesn’t feel valued enough by her. It was unfortunate that the writers chose to take Veggie’s relationship in that direction and make them seem more like a hookup or a fling. Not only do Charles and Camila lack significantly in the emotional compatibility department but their on-screen couple of Veggie is starting to deteriorate in this same area. How unfortunate. I had hoped that the writers wouldn’t ruin this relationship but it turns out that they are just like they ruin every other relationship on the show. So, this is not surprising to me that they did this to Veggie. Other than Charles and Camila underperforming in the Emotional Chemistry and Compatibility category, they also didn’t do too well in the Intellectual Chemistry and Compatibility category either. Here, Charles and Camila earn their worst and lowest score of only 14%. Though that is absolutely abysmal, it’s still not as bad as Cole and Lili’s Intellectual Compatibility Rating in which they only earned a horrible 5%. So between Charmila and Sprousehart, Charmila has the upper hand in this category even if it’s a bad score as well. With a low Intellectual score, it means that Charles and Camila don’t have a strong mental and intellectual compatibility. They may not have similar interests or types of intelligence and this can cause some disharmony in their relationship. Interestingly enough, Charles and Camila’s low Intellectual Chemistry Rating also mirrors their on-screen relationship as Veggie. Veggie doesn’t seem to be intellectually compatible whatsoever. Veronica is more manipulative, cunning and strategic while Reggie is the classic, dumb jock stereotype who doesn’t have too much in the way of brains and intelligence. It’s like life is imitating art. Overall, Charles and Camila earned a 48% Overall Chemistry and Compatibility Rating which makes them a below average pairing based on their rating. I expected much better for them to be honest. The fact that they are in the bottom 5 couples based on chemistry and compatibility is unfortunate.

#15. Cole Sprouse and KJ Apa (15th Place)

Next up at #15 is Cole Sprouse and KJ Apa, who portrays the duo of JARCHIE. They earned a 50% Overall Chemistry and Compatibility Rating which is considered to be average and a borderline rating. This means that Cole and KJ’s relationship can be unpredictable and unstable. One minute, Cole and KJ may have a very close relationship but other times, they will probably be fighting and disagreeing or getting on each other’s nerves. Personally, I love Cole and KJ’s friendship and off-screen relationship. I’m also a fan of Archie and Jughead’s relationship on the show in which, sadly, the writers have severely neglected this season in favor of giving the romances more screen time over the friendships. Let’s get straight into Cole and KJ’s Physical, Emotional, and Intellectual Compatibility scores. Starting with their Physical Chemistry Rating, Cole and KJ earned an average of 58% in this category. Though Cole and KJ are clearly not gay whatsoever and they are both into women, their physical chemistry score indicates that they would be able to pull off playing an LGBT couple if they were given the opportunity. 58% is an average rating and isn’t the best, but they could pull it off by the skin of their teeth. It’s not an outstanding score like something in the 80%, 90% or even 70% range, but it’s enough sexual and physical chemistry for them to be somewhat believable as a romantic couple if Cole and KJ were playing an LGBT couple on the show. Next is their Emotional Chemistry Rating. This is the area where Cole and KJ do exceptionally horrible. Cole and KJ don’t even have a rating in this category because their score is 0% Emotional Compatibility. With this kind of horrible rating, it suggests that Cole and KJ don’t have an emotional connection and that instead, they connect in other ways other than emotionally. Pairings or couples with such a low or even zero Emotional Chemistry Rating (anything below 50% in this category is considered to be low or not good) are bound to have tons of emotional disharmony or disconnect. So while it looks like Cole and KJ do have a genuine bond, it’s not on the emotional chemistry front. This was actually a rating that was shocking to me because I expected Cole and KJ to have a strong emotional bond and connection going by their interactions. However, it turns out that they have low emotional compatibility which is disheartening for their relationship and friendship off screen. Then again, Cole and KJ’s low emotional compatibility could have a lot to do with their contrasting personalities and temperaments. KJ is more outgoing, fun loving, light-hearted and happy go lucky. Cole, on the other hand, is more introverted, serious, brooding and intense. That may cause some conflict between them but it can also serve to complement each other at the same time. Finally is their Intellectual Compatibility Rating and this is the area where Cole and KJ do very well. They earned a highly impressive 93% in this category. This means that though Cole and KJ seriously lack in the Emotional Compatibility arena, they make up for it on a mental and intellectual basis. Cole and KJ have a very strong mental and intellectual connection and they likely challenge each other positively in this area. They likely provide each other with plenty of mental stimulation which can be very exciting for Cole and KJ. Because of this, they would never get bored or tire of each other on a mental level. Cole and KJ’s earned an overall Compatibility Rating of 50% making their relationship one that is borderline. As for how their scores affect their on-screen relationship of Jarchie, the good and solid writing for them obviously makes up for the lack of emotional compatibility between Cole and KJ. I find a lot of the friendship scenes between Cole and KJ to be very genuine and authentic and they provide some of my fave moments on the show. Physically, Cole and KJ’s characters of Jughead and Archie look cute together and they would make an attractive LGBT couple if they were written that way. Their average Physical Chemistry Rating would help them to pull off portraying a believable enough romantic couple. And intellectual, Jughead and Archie are a very good match. Jughead is known to be the logical and intelligent one while Archie is known to be the emotional one who wears his heart on his sleeve. Jughead goes by logic while Archie goes by emotion. Together, they complement each other and each provides the other with what they need. Jughead brings Archie down to earth and makes him see sense and rationale while Archie brings a more anti-social Jughead out of his shell so that he is able to express his emotions more effectively.  Cole and KJ are excellent as Jughead and Archie and I enjoy their dynamic on screen. They do the best with what they are given.

#14. Barclay Hope and Nathalie Boltt (14th Place)

Coming in at #14 on the rankings is Barclay Hope and Nat Boltt, who portray the couple of CLIFFOPE. This couple wasn’t shown that much in the series which is why my analysis of Barclay and Nat’s on-screen chemistry is going to be short and easy. From what little I have seen of them together, they have average chemistry. This is not a shock to me since Barclay and Nat have an average 54% Overall Chemistry and Compatibility Rating. As a result, Barclay and Nat’s chemistry is average at best. I will say that I absolutely hated them as a fictional couple and Clinelope is one of the creepiest pairings on the show. There was something so Stepford-ish about this couple and it gave me very creepy vibes. I’m so glad that Clifford is dead and buried and will no longer have the chance to infest my screen ever again. Let’s get straight into Barclay and Nat’s Physical, Emotional and Intellectual Chemistry Ratings. First, Barclay and Nat earned an average Physical Chemistry score of 58%. Since we have never seen Clifford and Penelope act affectionate towards each other or engage in an intimate and romantic scene on screen, it’s hard to really tell if Barclay and Nat have that strong of romantic or sexual chemistry. Going by their seriously average score in this category, it’s safe to say that any sex scenes or intimate scenes between Barclay and Nat would have likely fallen flat or would have come off as mediocre and nothing special. Barclay and Penelope never got the chance to show off any physical or sexual chemistry as Clifford and Penelope because it was highly apparent that their characters didn’t have an iota of romanticism in their relationship. Penelope clearly despised her husband and was repulsed by him so her sleeping with him must have disgusted her. The fact that Penelope killed Clifford in cold blood with no remorse shows how little she thought of her husband. But it’s very difficult to judge Barclay and Nat in the physical and sexual chemistry department when there have been no scenes of them on the show to judge. So I’m just going to move onto the next category which is Emotional Chemistry and Compatibility. Here, Barclay and Nat do exceptionally bad. They only earned a measly 11% in this score, meaning that Barclay and Nat don’t have good emotional chemistry and connection. However, it’s sort of fitting for Barclay and Nat to lack emotional chemistry because their characters Clifford and Penelope also lack an emotional connection and their relationship was empty and hollow. Penelope was nothing more than a Stepford wife for Clifford. So Barclay and Nat’s lack of emotional chemistry is perfect for their roles and their on-screen relationship of Clinelope. It wouldn’t bode well for them if they were a romantic couple in the real world, however. Third and lastly is the Intellectual Chemistry and Compatibility category. Here is where Barclay and Nat really excel. They earned a magnificent 93% Intellectual Chemistry Rating. This means that Barclay and Nat connect very well mentally and intellectually. They have a solid mental connection and this high score in this category makes up for their average, lackluster Physical Chemistry and their horrendous Emotional Chemistry. Barclay and Nat having a very high Intellectual Chemistry and Compatibility Rating is fitting for their characters of Clifford and Penelope because they are two of the most manipulative, cunning, intelligent, and scheming characters on the show. Combined together and they make a very lethal and deadly duo. This is exactly where Clifford and Nat really brought it to the table and why they were so good at playing that conniving, scheming and cunning duo that everyone just loved to hate. The Intellectual Chemistry area is where Barclay and Nat really show their strengths as a couple in Clinelope. They may not provide the best physical and sexual chemistry and they don’t have solid emotional chemistry but they do have great mental chemistry and for their type of pairing that they are portraying, Barclay and Nat are very solid at it. Overall, Barclay and Nat have a 54% Overall Chemistry and Compatibility Rating. Again, it’s considered to be a borderline chemistry and compatibility rating. Sometimes Barclay and Nat will provide great chemistry and other times, they won’t. Their borderline rating suggests that they will have an unpredictable connection with each other. With their overall chemistry score, Barclay and Nat round out the bottom 5 couples based on their chemistry scores. At least they aren’t sitting at the very bottom of the list like a certain couple!

#13. Vanessa Morgan and Madeleine Petsch (13th Place)

Barely sliding out of the bottom five couples and coming in at #13 is Vanessa Morgan and Madeleine Petsch, who portray the couple of CHONI. Not surprisingly, Vanessa and Madeleine are best friends in real life. They are super close to each other, and they have a strong bond with each other. Their close friendship and relationship with each other could be because Vanessa and Mads have compatible astrological signs (Vanessa is an Aries and Mads is a Leo, and they are both Fire signs). However, Vanessa and Madeleine have an average Biorhythm Chemistry and Compatibility Rating. Vanessa and Mads only earned a 54% Overall Chemistry and Compatibility Rating. Similar to Veggie, I expected a higher rating for them since they are so close to each other. But again, Vanessa and Mds having strongly compatible astrological signs could be playing a large part in why they have a close bond because their Biorhythm ratings aren’t overly impressive. Let’s break down Vanessa and Mads Physical, Emotional and Intellectual Compatibility scores. Starting with their Physical Compatibility Rating, Vanessa and Madeleine do excellently.  They have a good 85% Physical Compatibility and Chemistry Rating. Vanessa and Mads have great sexual and physical chemistry with each other (and yes, I know that Mads and Vanessa are both straight in real life). Because of this, they can portray an LGBT couple very well and be very convincing while doing it despite Vanessa and Mads being heterosexual in real life. As Choni, Vanessa and Mads have no issue with showing off their intense passion an heat. Their recent sex scene in 3x15 showcased how strong their physical and sexual chemistry is and how utterly convincing they were because of said strong physical chemistry. Next up is their Emotional Chemistry Rating in which they only earned a below average 43%. Vanessa and Mads don’t have the most robust emotional connection, at least not as strong as their physical connection. Somehow, Vanessa and Mads on-screen fictional pairing of Choni suffers from the same problem of lacking emotional stability in their relationship. Choni doesn’t have the most robust and most stable loving relationship, and their relationship is fraught with constant emotional ups and downs. Lastly is their Intellectual Compatibility Rating. Vanessa and Madeleine garner a subpar 33% rating in this category. Vanessa and Mads don’t connect that well mentally either going by this score. It seems that their best chemistry is of physical or sexual nature. And aesthetically, they do look delightful together, so that is a plus for them. Since Choni is arguably the most popular couple within the Riverdale fandom, one would expect them to have a much higher overall rating. Vanessa and Madeleine have a 54% Overall Chemistry and Compatibility Rating which means that similar to some of the other pairings including Cole/KJ and Barclay/Nat; they have borderline chemistry and compatibility. Like I mentioned previously, sometimes Vanessa and Madeleine will have days where they will connect well, and they will have great harmony. Then there will be other instances when Vanessa and Madeleine’s connection and chemistry will be off kilter. I heartily enjoy the friendship between Vanessa and Mads and think they have decent enough chemistry. They have a close bond, and again, that could be contributed to them having highly compatible zodiac signs. Unfortunately, when it comes to Vanessa and Madeleine’s fictional couple of Choni, the writers have steadily destroyed this couple. They made them become somewhat of a toxic and unhealthy couple. Though they broke up in last week’s episode and just recently got back together in this weeks episode, I still think there are going to be more future problems for Choni. They resolved their issues too quickly, and they got back together too promptly without any proper resolution to their problems.

#12. Camila Mendes and Madeleine Petsch (12th Place)

Up next at #12 is Camila Mendes and Madelaine Petsch, who portray the pairing of CHERONICA. Camila and Madeleine have a 56% Overall Chemistry and Compatibility Rating, which makes their chemistry average. I like the dynamic of Cheronica and Camila and Madeleine have great scenes together. The fact that they managed to beat out Vanessa and Madeleine in terms of chemistry is also interesting. Let’s get straight to breaking down Camila and Madeleine’s Physical, Emotional, and Intellectual Compatibility ratings. Starting with Camila and Madeleine’s Physical Chemistry Rating, they have an impressive score of 85% Physical Chemistry Rating. It is an excellent score and indicates that if Cheronica were an LGBT couple, they would have terrific sexual and physical chemistry. Their stellar score in this area is probably why so many people shipped this couple at the start of this series and why many people still do. The physical chemistry between Camila and Madeleine and their characters certainly didn’t go unnoticed. Although Camila and Madeleine are heterosexual in real life, they would be able to pull off playing an LGBT couple with ease because of their excellent physical chemistry. Next is their Emotional Compatibility Rating. Here, Camila and Madeleine also do very well. They earned a reliable 78% in this category. The great emotional compatibility between Camila and Madeleine is part of the biggest reason why Cheronica is always able to have such high emotional and tender moments together on the show. Camila and Madeleine have excellent emotional chemistry, and it most definitely shows. They have better emotional chemistry and compatibility than Choni and by extension, Vanessa and Madeleine too. Now, that is not a slight against Choni or Vanessa/Madeleine’s friendship. But the facts and the statistics speak for themselves. Camila and Madeleine bring a certain emotional gravitas to their scenes together that Vanessa and Madeline unfortunately lack. Though Vanessa and Madeleine are the pair of actors portraying the romantic couple, Camila and Madeleine still produce much more emotional depth in their scenes together as a platonic friendship. It’s quite noticeable when you watch Choni and Cheronica scenes separately. Imagine putting these two pairings scenes side by side and seeing the difference. I notice it. When it comes to feeling and emotional acting, Camila and Madeleine are excellent at delivering. I genuinely feel that they have a real bond when they are having those tender friendship moments because there is a weight to them and it’s believable. Lastly is their Intellectual Compatibility Rating. It is where Camila and Madeleine don’t connect so well. They only earned a measly 14% in this category. Though Camila and Madeleine do exceptionally well in the Physical and Emotional categories, they fail to provide strong mental chemistry and intellectual connection. Because of this, Camila and Madeleine may clash on a mental basis. However, despite their severe incompatibility on a psychological level, Camila and Madeleine can overcome those difficulties in that particular area because they are very compatible with the other crucial areas of Physical and Emotional Compatibility. Camila and Madeleine have a total overall chemistry and compatibility rating of 56%, making them an average chemistry couple but with very solid and excellent scores in the Physical and Emotional Chemistry areas. Overall, I like Cheronica’s dynamic, and I think they have stronger chemistry than Choni. I love Choni and all, but I find that they lack that depth and emotional gravitas that I would like to see in their relationship. I feel that lately, Choni’s relationship has become more and more unhealthy and toxic. Cheronica, on the other hand, has always remained a fascinating dynamic even as a friendship. That’s because Camila and Madeleine have great chemistry, especially in the Emotional category.

#11. Lochlan Monroe & Madchen Amick (11th Place)

Next up on the rankings at #11 is Lochlyn Munro and Madchen Amick, who portray the couple of HALICE. Lochlan and Madchen have an overall chemistry score of 57%. I’m just going to get right into breaking down Lochlan and Madchen’s Physical, Emotional and Intellectual Compatibility scores. Lochlan and Madchen have a 58% Physical Chemistry Rating. This is an average rating and nothing too impressive. Lochlan and Madchen haven’t really gotten the chance to show off whether they have sexual or physical chemistry because their relationship as Halice isn’t the most affectionate or monogamous. So I can’t judge them and say whether or not they have good sexual or physical chemistry because that part of their on-screen relationship was never showcased or shown. But going by their 58% score in this category, it’s safe to say that we didn’t miss anything with regards to Lochlan and Madchen sharing intimate scenes together since they would most likely be nothing special anyways, especially when compared to intimate scenes with Falice. In regards to the Emotional Compatibility between Lochlan and Madchen, this is where they do exceptionally. Lochlan and Madchen have a perfect 100% Emotional Chemistry and Compatibility Rating. It means that emotionally, Lochlan and Madchen have a powerful connection and bond. With this rating, they are the pair of actors with the strongest and highest Emotional Chemistry and Compatibility Rating. Honestly, I can believe this rating for them. Yes, Hal and Alice’s relationship is loveless and devoid of true love, but there was one particular scene between Hal and Alice that stood out for me and convinced me that Lochlan and Madchen had great emotional chemistry. That was the scene whether Hal wanted to reconcile his relationship with Alice and get back together after proclaiming to her that he wanted a divorce from her. It was the scene where Hal placed his hand on top of Alice’s, and they looked at each other fondly. It was a reminder that despite all of the discord and problems in their marriage, they did love each other at one point. When watching that scene, I was so impressed with Lochlan and Madchen’s acting. That scene was emotionally poignant and showcased their high Emotional Compatibility as actors and as a pairing portraying a married couple. So, Lochlan and Madchen having a surprisingly perfect and ideal Emotional Chemistry Rating aren’t so much of a shock to me especially after watching that scene. Finally is their Intellectual Compatibility Rating and like many of the other couples, this is where Lochlan and Madchen don’t connect too well. They only earned a miserable 14% in this area. With this low score, it implicates that Lochlan and Madchen don’t have a strong mental connection, anything more, nothing less. Since so many of the other pairs of actors on this list seem to have this similar score, I feel like I would just be repeating myself if I try to explain Lochlan and Madchen’s low Intellectual Chemistry Rating. Lochlan and Madchen’s overall chemistry score of 57% puts them in the average chemistry range. Again, their chemistry is nothing grand or special. Lochlan and Madchen do have excellent emotional chemistry, and it’s a shame they don’t have the opportunity to showcase that on the show due to portraying such a loveless and emotionally distant married couple.

Top 10 Couples (#10 to #6)

#10. KJ Apa and Ashleigh Murray (10th Place)

Kicking off the top ten couples on this rankings at #10 is KJ Apa and Ashleigh Murray, who portray the couple of ARCHOSIE. KJ and Ashleigh have an above average chemistry and compatibility rating of 60%. This number is considered to be starting off the above average range. Let’s break down KJ and Ashleigh’s Physical, Emotional and Intellectual Compatibility Ratings. KJ and Ashleigh don’t fare that well when it comes to Physical Compatibility. They only scored an awful 20% Physical Chemistry Rating. A low score in this area such as KJ and Ashleigh’s is an indicator that they don’t have the best physical or sexual chemistry. Now, KJ and Ashleigh did have a recent sex scene as Archie and Josie in a Riverdale episode (3x13). And they did share a kissing scene in 3x12 as well. I saw some fans arguing that though Archie and Josie are cute together, they lack that physical spark or chemistry that they wish they had. Some fans even proclaimed that Archie and Josie’s first kiss was weird or awkward. Though I love Archosie and their relationship, I may have to agree slightly that their physically intimate moments tend to be lacking. But what they do seriously lack in physical or sexual chemistry, they certainly make up for it in Emotional Compatibility because KJ and Ashleigh earned an excellent score of 71% in this area. It makes sense that KJ and Ashleigh have good emotional compatibility because, during their bonding scenes, I bought their emotional connection. Archie and Josie’s relationship is more emotional than it is physical, so KJ and Ashleigh having a good emotional connection in the real world bode well for their on-screen romantic relationship. It’s believable because KJ and Ashleigh have that solid emotional bond that is needed to make a romance credible and believable. The bonding scenes between Archie and Josie have been some of my favorite scenes this season, and they are the shining stars out of this mediocre and poorly written season. Because of KJ and Ashleigh’s strong emotional bond and connection, I find the on-screen romance as Archosie more believable and authentic than the relationship between Archie and Veronica. Next is their Intellectual Compatibility. KJ and Ashleigh also do very well in this category. They have an 89% Intellectual Compatibility Rating which means that KJ and Ashleigh have a stable mental connection and they likely provide each other with a lot of mental stimulation. KJ and Ashleigh may not have the best physical or sexual chemistry, but they are very compatible with the other areas of Emotional and Intellectual. KJ and Ashleigh having high scores in these particular categories is a positive thing because their relationship and connection isn’t all lust or sexual. It’s much more profound and has more meaning and significance. From what I’m gathering on social media, and from spoilers online, it seems that Archosie’s end or breakup is pending. It is miserable because I think that Archosie has the healthiest relationship and dynamic out of all the couples on the show right now. For the writers to put them together and then tear them apart is just criminal. I know it’s because Ashleigh is moving on to do the show Katy Keene but still. Breaking up one of the healthiest relationships in this entire show’s run is such a bad idea. I’ll miss Archosie’s relationship once it’s gone especially when the show is going to continue to be bombarded with toxic, unhealthy messes of relationships such as Bughead, Varchie, and Choni.

#09. Camila Mendes and Lili Reinhart (9th Place)

Up next is Camila Mendes and Lili Reinhart, who portray the duo of BERONICA. Camila and Lili’s overall chemistry score is 65% which is an above average rating. Let’s break down their Physical, Emotional and Intellectual Chemistry Ratings. Camila and Lili have an outstanding Physical Chemistry and Compatibility Rating of 96%. They have one of the highest Physical Chemistry Ratings out of all the Riverdale actor pairings on this list. Though Camila and Lili’s characters of Veronica and Betty are canonically straight, their excellent physical chemistry rating suggests that they would have great sexual and physical chemistry if they were portraying an LGBT couple. We saw in the Pilot episode that Camila and Lili do have great physical chemistry when they shared a kiss (which was pure queerbaiting and for shock value, let’s be honest). There was a lot of chemistry in that kiss but the writers clearly had no intention of putting Veronica and Betty together romantically. So, though Camila and Lili do have a great Physical Chemistry score, it’s pretty much moot because the writers don’t have any intentions of doing anything with it by pairing up Veronica and Betty romantically since the writers and the actresses shut down the idea of romantic Beronica happening on the show. Next is their Emotional Chemistry which is also where Camila and Lili do exceptionally well and have a strong connection. They earned a very impressive 85% rating in this category. Camila and Lili have a strong emotional bond and it is very apparent that they do during their friendship scenes as Veronica and Betty. Beronica friendship scenes always deliver that special emotion and depth because of Camila and Lili’s strong emotional compatibility. Beronica is very much like Cheronica in that sense; both of these pairings deliver in the emotional connection aspect because Camila has a strong emotional affinity with both Madeleine and Lili. Finally is their Intellectual Compatibility. Like many of the previous pairs of actors on this list, Camila and Lili don’t do well in this category. Camila and Lili only garnered a measly 14% in this category. There isn’t much in the way of a strong mental connection between Camila and Lili, but I think it may be the opposite for their characters of Veronica and Betty. Veronica and Betty are both smart and intelligent girls but in different ways. I think that their types of intelligence could complement each other and challenge each other positively. Overall, Camila and Lili have a very decent overall chemistry and compatibility rating and they especially have one of the highest Physical and Emotional Compatibility ratings between a Riverdale pair of actors.

#08. KJ Apa and Camila Mendes (8th Place)

At #8 on this list is KJ Apa and Camila Mendes, who portray the couple of VARCHIE. KJ and Camila have a decent overall chemistry score of 67%. It is not a bad score whatsoever, even though I have been open and vocal about how much I dislike Varchie as a couple. Let’s break down the Physical, Emotional and Intellectual Compatibility Ratings between KJ and Camila. KJ and Camila have an above average Physical Compatibility Rating of 68%. I can believe this rating for KJ and Camila because although they are portraying a physical couple of the show, their chemistry during their sex scenes often falls flat. There isn’t an outstanding amount of chemistry, spark or passion between them. It’s just blah. A couple like Varchie is supposed to bo so hot and steamy, but none of KJ and Camila’s sex scenes or intimate scenes have wowed me. There’s nothing outstandingly secy or hot or passionate about their physical scenes together. KJ and Camila lack that intense passion that is needed for their type of relationship, especially considering that Varchie has been labeled a sexual couple of the show. Varchie being labeled as the sexual and hot couple of the show rings false to me because it’s not being shown in KJ and Camila’s on-screen chemistry. It’s not believable that their characters are so hot and passionate for each other because their physical and sexual chemistry isn’t credible. Next up is KJ and Camila’s Emotional Compatibility. Here, once again, KJ and Camila fall flat in this category with only a 53% Emotional Compatibility Rating. Still, this is a believable score for them because KJ and Camila’s emotional scenes together as Varchie are intensely mediocre. When you compare KJ’s emotional scenes opposite Lili, there’s a massive and distinct difference. Because of KJ and Camila’s lacking emotional connection, I have trouble feeling any emotion or connection in their scenes. I don’t empathize with their characters and their relationship the way that I’m supposed to. When KJ and Camila are crying in scenes together such as during a breakup scene, I don’t feel it. It’s not their fault, it’s just what their emotional connection is, and it’s severely lacking. Lastly is their Intellectual Compatibility Rating. It is in this particular category where KJ and Camila do much better. They have a 79% Intellectual Compatibility Rating, indicating that KJ and Camila have a solid mental connection with each other. Interestingly, KJ and Camila’s ratings fall flat in the Physical and Emotional areas but are good in the Intellectual area. One would think that KJ and Camila portraying a couple like Varchie would require the actors to have excellent chemistry in both the Physical and Emotional categories. Unfortunately, KJ and Camila don’t shine in those particular areas which are why Varchie is such a mediocre couple in regards to chemistry. Combine the lacking chemistry with the bad writing and the sparse dialogue that they have consistently been receiving and you got one hell of a lousy couple on your hands. I feel sorry for KJ and Camila.

#07. Lochlyn Munro and Nat Boltt (7th Place)

Next on the rankings at #7 is Lochlyn Monroe and Nat Boltt, who portray the pairing of HALOPE. This pair of Riverdale actors earned a 70% Overall Chemistry and Compatibility Rating. Let’s break down Lochlan and Nat’s Physical, Emotional, and Intellectual Ratings. Lochlan and Nat have an excellent Physical Chemistry score of 78%. Lochlyn and Nat would be an excellent sexual and physical couple on screen. Their characters Hal and Penelope have been sexually involved since season 2, but their relationship and their affair with each other hasn’t been shown on the show whatsoever other than a few tidbits here and there. It’s funny how the writers go out of their way to write sexy scenes for pairings that don’t have that much physical or sexual chemistry. They continue to neglect writing sex scenes for the pairings of actors who do have great sexual and physical chemistry. Lochlan and Nat haven’t been able to show off their excellent sexual chemistry because they haven’t been given the opportunity to have well written intimate scenes together despite the both of their characters being sexually involved with each other. Aesthetically, Lochlan and Nat’s high Physical Chemistry score indicates that Lochlan and Nat also look good together and they are a great physical match for each other. Next up is their Emotional Chemistry. In this category, Lochlan and Nat don’t do so well. They only have a 33% Emotional Compatibility Rating. Therefore, Lochlan and Nat wouldn’t be able to convince the audience that their relationship is more than just physical or sexual because they don’t have good emotional connection and chemistry. Interestingly enough, Lochlan has excellent emotional compatibility with Madchen (he has a 100% Emotional Compatibility Rating with her), but he has terrible emotional compatibility with Nat. And last is their Intellectual Compatibility. Unlike many of the other pairs of Riverdale actors on this list, Lochlan and Nat do exceptionally well in this category. Lochlan and Nat have a near perfect 98% Intellectual Compatibility Rating. Mentally and intellectually, Lochlan and Nat are a near perfect match, and they would suit each other on a mental level. Lochlan and Nat having a solid 70% Overall Chemistry Rating is a decent feat that they have, but unfortunately for them, their on-screen relationship is severely underrated and overlooked by the more popular couples on the show. Does anyone even remember that Hal and Penelope were involved with each other anyway?

#06. Skeet Ulrich and Gina Gershon (6th Place)

At #6 on the rankings is Skeet Ulrich and Gina Gershon, who portray the couple of FLADYS. They earned a total chemistry score of 72%, which is a decent chemistry rating. I think that Skeet and Gina do have good chemistry, but I hate how Fladys is being written. Fladys isn’t a genuine relationship on the show because Gladys is trying to manipulate and trick FP with her intentions. It turns me off of the ship altogether. Nevertheless, Skeet and Gina are excellent together on screen, and they have a confident presence in their interactions together. Let’s get down to analyzing Skeet and Gina’s Physical, Emotional and Intellectual categories. When it comes to Physical Chemistry and their rating, Skeet and Gina do exceptionally well. They scored a 96% Physical Chemistry Rating. It bodes well for their sexual chemistry. If Skeet and Gina are ever expected to do any romantic scenes together (even if Gladys is just sexually manipulating FP), then expect some serious sparks and fireworks between these two because thier sex scenes are bound to be steamy and sizzling going by their physical chemistry rating! Out of all the adult actors on Riverdale, Skeet and Gina have one of the highest Physical Chemistry Ratings, coming only second to Skeet and Marisol (who scored a massive 99% in the same category!). I think that Skeet and Gina have provided some glimpses of unresolved sexual tension in their scenes together as FP and Gladys so far. One scene that stood out for me was when FP and Gladys reunited for the first time in a while in 3x08. There were a lot of sparks there, and I thought at that moment that Skeet and Gina had some outstanding on-screen chemistry and they could seriously give Skeet and Madchen (Falice) a run for their money.  Skeet and Gina’s physical chemistry was so good during that particular scene that there was a moment when I considered shipping Fladys. But then Gladys’ true intentions were revealed, and I said to hell with shipping them. But regardless of what I think of FP and Gladys’ relationship on the show, Skeet and Gina sure produce some physical chemistry, and they have big fireworks there. Next up is Skeet and Gina’s Emotional Chemistry Rating. Here, Skeet and Gina don’t perform as well as they did in the Physical Compatibility and Chemistry category. They earned an average 53% rating in this category. What this means is that while Skeet and Gina can provide great sexual and chemistry to their on-screen relationship of Fladys, they aren’t able to convey an emotional connection on screen as strongly. If Skeet and Gina end up sharing emotional scenes together as FP and Gladys, expect those type of scenes to fall flat or not move the audience the way that they are supposed to. Considering that Gina’s character of Gladys doesn’t have any emotional attachment or connection to Skeet’s character FP, it is very fitting that Skeet and Gina have this score in the Emotional Compatibility category. However, it should be noted that Skeet and Gina’s Emotional Compatibility Rating isn’t super terrible but it’s just average, and therefore, Skeet and Gina would produce average emotional connection in those tender and intimate scenes together. Lastly, there is the Intellectual Compatibility category. It is where Skeet and Gina score a decent rating along with their Physical Compatibility.  In this category, Skeet and Gina have a score of 65%, which is considered to be slightly above average. It’s not an outstanding score, but it’s not completely bad either, and it’s decent enough. With this score in the Intellectual Compatibility area, Skeet and Gina would connect reasonably well mentally. Their mental connection may not be super strong or intense, but it will be comfortably harmonious. Skeet and Gina’s overall chemistry and compatibility rating of 72% is a great score, and it bodes well for them to produce scenes with solid chemistry as FP and Gladys. It’s too bad the writers have destroyed any chance of Fladys being a healthy relationship because they have made it toxic by having Gladys manipulate and use FP. How sad. Why do the writers purposely go out of their way to destroy all the ships on this show that have potential and good chemistry? 

Top 5 Couples (#5 to #1)

4th Runner Up

#05. Skeet Ulrich and Madchen Amick (5th Place)

Coming in at #5 and rounding out the top five couples on this list is Skeet Ulrich and Madchen Amick, who portray the couple of FALICE. Skeet and Madchen earn a 74% Overall Chemistry and Compatibility Rating making them one of the strongest couples on the show with regards to on-screen chemistry between two actors on the show. As someone who is a fan of the Falice relationship, it’s an absolute shame that the writers have chosen to neglect this relationship the way that they have. Instead, the writers have decided to give other couples with less chemistry more screen time and attention. It’s pitiful. I thought that Falice were going to have some fantastic scenes together throughout this season but boy, was I disappointed. I wanted to have a chance to see Skeet and Madchen’s strong on-screen chemistry, but the writers blew it when they tossed Falice’s relationship to the side and treated them as if they were an afterthought. I’m just disappointed about it. But, let’s get into breaking down Skeet and Madchen’s Physical, Emotional, and Intellectual Compatibility Ratings. Starting with their Physical Chemistry Rating, Skeet and Madchen do expectedly very well. They earned an impressive 85% Physical Compatibility Rating. This rating for Skeet and Madchen is not shocking because if there is one thing that these two are good at doing, it’s producing great sexual tension between their characters. Back in season 1, the sexual chemistry was so strong between Skeet and Madchen that I just knew that they had some history together. And then they had a sex scene together in 3x03 and boy was it laced with tons of sexual chemistry. The fireworks between Skeet and Madchen in that scene was very apparent, and it’s a very memorable scene of them. Plus, Skeet and Madchen look very good together, and when they are acting in scenes with each other, they command the screen. Next up is their Emotional Compatibility. Similar to Skeet and Gina above, Skeet and Madchen don’t do that well here and only earn an average score of 53%. Because of this score, Skeet and Madchen may not have the best emotional chemistry. But they won’t do overly bad either because it is an average score and isn’t super low. So they would be able to pull some emotion out of the scenes. An example of Skeet and Madchen successfully being able to tug at the heartstrings emotionally in one of their scenes was in their breakup scene in 3x15. Skeet and Madchen put so much heart and soul into that scene, and it ended up being very moving and touching and possibly the best scene of the entire episode. So, it’s not that Skeet and Madchen can’t produce great emotional scenes. It’s just that their borderline rating of 53% can’t always guarantee that they will consistently deliver those strong emotional scenes. Third and lastly is their Intellectual Compatibility Rating and again, this is where Skeet and Madchen connect well. They earned a very impressive 93% in this category meaning that Skeet and Madchen have a great mental connection and they would be able to work professionally very well together. Their ideas and thoughts while acting would mesh well together. Overall, Skeet and Madchen provide some of the strongest on-screen chemistry between any pair of actors on Riverdale. Therefore, it’s not a surprise that they have such a strong score of 74% Compatibility. Their chemistry and compatibility aren’t just showcased on the show either. Skeet and Madchen have great chemistry and affinity off-screen as well, and the two appear to be very close friends with a strong bond. It’s no wonder why these two always deliver in their scenes together. It’s just a shame that RAS and the writers for this show didn’t write more scenes for them and give them the proper storyline that they deserved. 

3rd Runner Up

#04. KJ Apa and Lili Reinhart (4th Place)

Claiming the 4th spot on this rankings list is KJ Apa and Lili Reinhart, who portray the couple of BARCHIE. KJ and Lili have excellent on-screen chemistry, and they have proven that over and over again.  It’s confirmed that the two share great on-screen rapport considering that they earned a powerful 75% Overall Chemistry and Compatibility Rating. With this rating, this makes KJ Apa the actor on Riverdale that Lili Reinhart has the best and strongest overall chemistry with and vice versa. Not only is KJ and Lili’s overall chemistry score impressive in itself, but KJ and Lili have some of the highest and most impressive individual scores in their categories. Let’s break down KJ and Lili’s Physical, Emotional and Intellectual Compatibility and Chemistry ratings. When it comes to Physical Chemistry and Compatibility, KJ and Lili knock it out of the park, and they are highly untouchable. KJ and Lili have a massive, whopping and outstanding score of 99% Physical Compatibility and Chemistry Rating! With their exceedingly high rating, KJ and Lili certainly have very intense, strong and passionate sexual and passionate physical chemistry.  Even as just friends, KJ and Lili show that they have that underlying sexual tension and hidden sexual desire that is just brewing beneath the surface and ready to explode. KJ and Lili have such a strong physical and sexual chemistry that just a simple kiss between them is so laced with passion and intensity. They don’t even have to do a full on make out or sex scene to display passion of any kind. Just a scene of KJ and Lili as Archie and Betty looking at each other is so intense and filled with passion. Remember the window scene between Archie and Betty in 2x08? Where Archie and Betty were staring at each other from their respective windows? They weren’t even physically touching each other or even talking, yet that scene had more chemistry, passion, and intensity than all of the Bughead and Varchie scenes combined in the series! That was just one simple scene between KJ and Lili, and they weren’t even romantic at that point. Can you imagine how hot these two would be together in a sex scene or an intimate scene? They would set the screen on fire! That is how strong and potent their sexual and physical chemistry is and their near perfect 99% Physical Compatibility and Chemistry Rating only solidifies this fact. Next up is their Emotional Compatibility and Chemistry rating. Once again, KJ and Lili earn a highly exceptional and outstanding score in this category. They earned an extraordinary 94% Emotional Chemistry and Compatibility Rating. It is awe-inspiring, and out of all the teen couples and the most popular couples on Riverdale, KJ and Lili are unbeatable in the Emotional Chemistry department. KJ and Lili can convey such strong emotion whenever they are in a scene together. They have this natural affinity with each other in their scenes, and it’s all in their eyes and facial expressions. Though this particular scene wasn’t one with Archie and Betty, the scene between Fred and Alice in 3x04 showcased the highly strong emotional connection and affinity between KJ and Lili, and it’s simply undeniable. It was the scene where Lili as Alice as opening up to KJ as Fred and it was one of the most standout scenes in the entire episode. I would argue that Alice and Fred’s scene (and KJ and Lili’s acting in that particular scene) was the episode stealer and was one of the scenes that were the most memorable for me. It was raw, passionate and tender. The way KJ and Lili speak to each other and look at each other is so genuine and authentic. KJ and Lili are simply unmatched when it comes to emotional scenes, and they bring it every single time they have a scene of this nature, whether KJ and Lili are portraying Archie and Betty or a teen Fred and Alice. KJ and Lili have that natural emotional affinity and connection, and that can’t be forced, faked or manufactured. Finally is their Intellectual Chemistry Rating. It is the one area where KJ and Lili don’t perform exceptionally well, only earning a score of 33%. However, despite their mediocre score in this category, KJ and Lili still beat out Cole and Lili in this category, who only earned a horrible 5%! So even KJ and Lili’s worst rating in a category managed to beat out Cole and Lili’s worst rating. And also, KJ and Lili’s Intellectual Compatibility Rating of 33% is almost the same rating as Cole and Lili’s overall chemistry and compatibility rating of 35%! With these impressive ratings, there is no doubt that KJ and Lili (and Barchie by extension) strongly beat out Cole and Lili (and Bughead) when it comes to on-screen chemistry, affinity, and compatibility between two actors on this show. Do you know which celebrity couple has similar ratings to KJ and Lili? Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. That’s right, the most epic love story in all of Hollywood has very similar Biorhythm Chemistry and Compatibility Ratings to them. Here is KJ/Lili’s Biorhythm Compatibility ratings and Richard/Liz’s Biorhythm Compatibility Ratings for you to compare:

KJ & Lili:

Richard & Elizabeth:

And KJ and Lili have similar chemistry scores to that couple so that should tell you something about KJ and Lili’s on-screen chemistry. Richard and Liz scored a 100% Physical Chemistry score, a 90% Emotional Chemistry score and a 58% Intellectual Chemistry score. Their overall chemistry and compatibility rating was 83%. Is it any wonder why Richard Burton and Liz Taylor were touted for having some of the best and strongest on-screen chemistry between two actors in Hollywood? Look at those excellent scores! KJ and Lili’s ratings and scores are almost identical to those of Richard Burton and Liz Taylor. KJ and Lili manage to beat Richard and Liz in the Emotional Compatibility and Chemistry category by +4% points! Nevertheless, Cole and Lili will never even compare or come close to the amount of chemistry and natural compatibility that KJ Apa and Lili Reinhart have, and it’s not only evident in their scenes together but also in their ratings. Unfortunately, the writers and RAS have their heads so far up Cole and Lili’s asses that they can’t seem to see or notice true chemistry when it’s staring them in the face. Instead, they would rather focus on a fake PR relationship and an intensely overrated couple that has no chemistry and horrible writing instead of focusing their attention on giving Archie and Betty proper scenes together and portraying their relationship on screen. How pitiful. No wonder the show has gone downhill. KJ and Lili’s chemistry is quality while Cole and Lili’s chemistry is all quantity but no quality. What a shame. It’s an absolute waste for the writers to squander such natural chemistry such as KJ and Lili’s.

2nd Runner Up

#03. Mark Consuelos and Marisol Nichols (3rd Place)

Taking the #3 spot on this rankings list is Mark Consuelos and Marisol Nichols, who portray the couple of HIMIONE. These two have great on-screen presence together, let me tell you. They bring a certain charisma and charm to their scenes together, and it’s no wonder they are Riverdale’s power couple and the King and Queen of the town. Let’s get into breaking down Mark and Marisol’s Physical, Emotional and Intellectual Chemistry and Compatibility Ratings. Starting with their Physical Compatibility and Chemistry Rating, Mark and Marisol do very well here. They earned an excellent 78% Physical Chemistry score indicating that Mark and Marisol have strong physical and sexual chemistry. Since Mark and Marisol’s characters Hiram and Hermione are engaged in a loveless marriage devoid of any real love, it’s understandable why we have never been able to see Mark and Marisol showcase this strong sexual and physical chemistry on screen. Like I mentioned earlier in another section on this list, all of the couples that have such strong sexual and physical chemistry aren’t being given the sexy and romantic scenes while the couples that don’t have that strong of sexual or physical chemistry are being given those hot and romantic scenes (couples like Varchie and Bughead for example). Mark and Marisol both being Latino certainly may add to the passion and heat of their sexual chemistry, but it’s unfortunate that we will never be able to see any intimacy between Hiram and Hermione because the two are going through a divorce storyline as of recently on the show. Next up is their Emotional Chemistry and this is the category where Mark and Marisol do exceptionally well out of all the groups. Mark and Marisol have a 90% Emotional Compatibility and Chemistry Rating. It is such a strong score, but again, sadly, Mark and Marisol wouldn’t be able to show off their strong emotional connection and affinity with each other because their characters relationship is supposed to be one that is loveless and devoid of showing actual emotion. Still, regardless of Mark and Marisol playing characters with a relationship that lacks emotional intimacy, Mark and Marisol are still able to bring it in any scene indeed that they are given together. Whether Hiram and Hermione are mad at each other, scheming together, or pretending to be happy in each other’s presence, there’s a certain authenticity to Mark and Marisol’s scenes on the show. They are a significant presence on the show, and it’s no wonder why they occupy much of the storylines of the series. Finally is their Intellectual Chemistry Rating. Mark and Marisol earned a solid 65% Intellectual Chemistry Rating meaning that intellectually and mentally, Mark and Marisol have a decent enough bond and connection. It’s not their most outstanding rating, and it’s certainly not as impressive as their Physical and Emotional ratings, but it’s still somewhat decent nonetheless. With such high scores all around, it’s no wonder why Mark and Marisol are so highly influential on the screen together and why they have such a majestic and commanding presence. After all, Mark and Marisol as Hiram and Hermione are Riverdale’s ruling couple, and they are also a ruling pair on this rankings list as they are only two spots away from the top spot. Viva Mark and Marisol!

1st Runner Up

#02. Skeet Ulrich and Marisol Nichols (2nd Place)

Taking the #2 and the runner up spot on this rankings list is Skeet Ulrich and Marisol Nichols, who portray the duo of FORMIONE. It is a fascinating pairing, and they are incredibly overlooked and underrated. Skeet and Marisol are currently the Riverdale adult couple that has the strongest and highest overall chemistry according to their ratings. Skeet and Marisol have a total chemistry and compatibility rating of 80%. It is a highly impressive rating to have, and it’s why they are the runner up on this list. Let’s break down Skeet and Marisol’s Physical, Emotional and Intellectual Chemistry scores. Skeet and Marisol have a very impressive and outstanding Physical Compatibility and Chemistry score. They earned a whopping exceptional near perfect 99% Physical Chemistry rating! Wow. Talk about highly remarkable. That is some severe sexual and physical chemistry that exists between Skeet and Marisol! I can tell that those two have excellent physical and sexual chemistry because every single time that FP and Hermione interact, it’s laced with sexual tension. Remember the scene between FP and Hermione in 1x04? Yeah, the sexual chemistry between Skeet and Marisol was very potent there. It was so apparent that if you pay close attention, you can see Marisol checking Skeet out by looking at him up and down and giving him the classic vertical scan, a body language sign of sexual or romantic attraction. Skeet was giving Marisol the serious bedroom eyes, the look of someone that wants ravage someone sexually and take them to the bedroom. Because of the sexual chemistry between Skeet and Marisol in that particular scene, I had the theory that FP and Hermione had a sexual or romantic past in their high school years that may have gone South and that is why they had such an antagonistic relationship in the future. In the present, FP and Hermione’s dynamic fits the Belligerent Sexual Tension trope. They bicker and argue with each other, but there’s underlying sexual tension tones between their characters. Skeet and Marisol can bring that type of dynamic between their characters to life because of their intense and high sexual and physical chemistry. Up next is their Emotional Compatibility Rating. Here, Skeet and Marisol only do very averagely earning a 53% Emotional Chemistry Rating. Interestingly enough, although this rating isn’t overly impressive, Skeet and Marisol have a higher Emotional Chemistry rating than Skeet and Madchen, who had a 43% in the same category. With Skeet and Marisol having such a middle of the road and borderline score in the Emotional Compatibility area, it certifies that Skeet and Marisol will have some occasions where they will nock it out of the park in emotional and sentimental scenes together, and other times, they would fall flat and not deliver them too well. However, Skeet and Marisol did have a very exceptional and impressive Spiritual Compatibility Rating (which I have yet to post for the Riverdale parent or adult couples but will do so soon). Skeet and Marisol had a 97% Spiritual Compatibility Rating which means that what they lack emotionally, they can certainly make up for spiritually. Because of this, it’s no wonder why Skeet and Marisol have such a close bond and friendship off screen. Next is their intellectual Compatibility and once again, Skeet and Marisol do very well. They earned an 89% Intellectual Compatibility score, and they have a strong and intense mental connection as a result of such a rating. Skeet and Marisol may complement each intellectually and stimulate each other mentally, and this rating implies that they are a perfect match in that category. It is a good prospect for their professional relationship on-screen as well as their relationship off-screen. Skeet and Marisol garnering an 80% Overall Chemistry and Compatibility Rating makes them the Riverdale adult pair of actors with the best and strongest chemistry on the show. Impressive indeed for such an overlooked dynamic. 

#01. Cole Sprouse and Camila Mendes (1st Place; ⭐️ BEST Overall Chemistry and Compatibility Rating)

Finally, the pair of Riverdale actors with the best chemistry and taking the #1 spot is Cole Sprouse and Camila Mendes, who portray the couple of JERONICA. Cole and Camila earned a highly impressive overall chemistry and compatibility rating of 98%. This rating makes them the pair of Riverdale actors with the highest chemistry rating, solidifying their #1 spot on this list. Not a surprise to me that Cole and Camila have such exceptional chemistry scores. I’ve been saying since season 1 that Cole and Camila were one of the dynamics that had the best chemistry on screen since season 1 and turned out that I was vindicated and correct once I discovered their chemistry rating. Let’s break down Cole and Camila’s Physical, Emotional and Intellectual Compatibility and Chemistry Ratings. Across the board, Cole and Camila do very impressively, and they earned high marks in all of their categories. With regards to Cole and Camila’s Physical Compatibility and Chemistry rating, they earned a highly excellent 96% Physical Compatibility and Chemistry Rating. Cole and Camila earning this high of a score in this area indicate that Cole and Camila have very excellent sexual and physical chemistry. It’s certainly very potent and obvious whenever Cole and Camila are in a scene together. Cole and Camila have this aura of serious sexual tension, and it’s indescribable. It’s the way they look at each other, the way they behave around each other and the way Cole and Camila deliver their dialogue when they are opposite each other in scenes. One thing that I have consistently noticed whenever Cole and Camila are in scenes together is that both Cole’s eyes have a very glossy appearance when he is looking at Camila. Not only this, but Cole’s pupils also enlarge and dilate rather intensely when he is in scenes with Camila. Now, I know a lot about attraction and body language when someone finds another person attractive. And it has been repeatedly stated that when someone is attracted to a person romantically or sexually, their eyes become glossy and their pupils enlargen and dilate. Again, I don’t ship real life people and I respect that Cole and Lili are dating off-screen. But that doesn’t change the fact that Cole’s body language in scenes with Camila, while they are portraying Jughead and Veronica, indicates strong sexual attraction.  The signs in Cole’s body language towards Camila doesn’t just end with his eyes and facial expressions. It’s also in his body and the way he positions himself or sits when he is sitting near her. If you pay close attention to Jughead and Veronica’s interactions the way that I do (and I’m sure many other fans of Jeronica do), you would notice that whenever Cole is sitting opposite of Camila in scenes as Jughead and Veronica, Cole automatically spreads his legs apart and gives the classic crotch display in front of her. He did it 2x16 when he was having a scene with her when Veronica was announcing that she was running for Student Council President. He did it again in 3x09 when Veronica was at Jughead’s trailer, and he did it once again in the recent episode of 3x16 when he was sitting behind her and had his legs open and surrounding her. Again, the crotch display that guys do is an undeniable sign of sexual attraction in men’s body language when they are sexually or romantically interested in a woman. All of these body language signs that Cole displays in the presence of Camila is highly suspect. It’s hard to tell whether Cole is doing that on purpose or if he is entirely unaware of how he acts or how his body language is coming across when he is opposite Camila. The one thing that Cole cannot control is his eyes and facial expressions and boy, does it ever show that there is some strong physical and sexual chemistry there. Cole and Camila’s 96% Physical Chemistry rating isn’t just displayed in their scenes together as Jughead and Veronica. It was also displayed in their scenes together as Teen FP and Hermione in 3x04. It’s apparent that Cole and Camila have powerful physical chemistry and shall their characters of Jughead and Veronica ever become canon romantically in the future and they engage in sexual and romantic scenes together, there is bound to be some serious sparks and sizzling fireworks between the two! Up next is their Emotional Compatibility and Chemistry Rating. Cole and Camila also did brilliantly in this category as well. They have an extraordinary 99% Emotional Chemistry Rating. With this high Emotional Chemistry Rating, it means that Cole and Camila have a strong emotional connection and affinity with each other. In their emotional scenes together, Cole and Camila would be able to deliver very well in those type of scenes as actors because of their natural emotional affinity. An example of their emotional chemistry being on display was in 2x02 when Jughead and Veronica share a scene together and bond over the disappointment of their fathers and giving their dads a second chance despite their past mistakes. You can feel the emotional chemistry between these two in that scene alone. Cole and Camila having a high Emotional Chemistry Rating is also a good thing for their onscreen relationship if they shall go canon romantically in the future because although they do have a very high Physical Chemistry Rating, they would also be able to balance it out with a strong Emotional Chemistry Rating. Cole and Camila’s chemistry as an onscreen romantic couple wouldn’t be merely physical or sexual based, but it will also have a strong emotional aspect as well. Finally, there is their Intellectual Compatibility and Chemistry Rating. Here is where Cole and Camila do outstanding and exceptionally. Cole and Camila have a perfect 100% Intellectual Compatibility and Chemistry rating. It means that mentally and intellectually, Cole and Camila are a perfect ideal match! They likely challenge each other mentally, and they provide each other much mental and intellectual stimulation which can be very good for their professional relationship. In the Intellectual Compatibility area, Cole and Camila are unbeatable especially amongst the teen couples on the show. With such a powerful and strong mental connection, it’s said that people with that high of a rating in the Intellectual Chemistry category can develop a telepathic or psychic link or connection where the two people won’t even have to speak any words to communicate. They can look at each other and speak to each other by a glance or look. Not many pairs of Riverdale actors earn a perfect 100% rating or score in any of their categories so it’s highly impressive that Cole and Camila do. Cole and Camila having a very excellent 98% Chemistry and Compatibility Rating shows that out of all the pairs of Riverdale actors, they have the best chemistry and the strongest compatibility and it’s not even close. Cole and Camila are simply unmatched. With such strong chemistry, it’s a shame that the writers aren’t taking advantage of it and giving Cole and Camila a solid storyline together or some great scenes of Jughead and Veronica. I’ve always said that Jeronica could easily become the dark horse pairing or ship on this show. RAS and the Riverdale writers should be ashamed for wasting such great chemistry, and if the writers don’t write more scenes between Jughead and Veronica, then it’s a hugely missed writing opportunity.

Well, that sums up my rankings list for the Riverdale pairs of actors who have the best and the worst chemistry. Are you shocked or surprised by any of the rankings on this list? Until next time! ✌️