#and then realized that this episode - in which he admits to one feeling ('envy') culminates in him wiping his rival from kirk's memory

[anghraine]

It's wild to me that I had heard of the prime Kirk/Spock content in various TOS episodes long before I saw them, but had never heard of what IMO is the shippiest moment of all thus far, in an interestingly O_o goddamn I do not want whatever you two have but you do you?? holy shit though what a moment way.

I'm of course referring to the otherwise rather mid episode "Requiem for Methuselah," in which Kirk has an underwritten love affair with a clueless woman whose various secrets have to be discovered before her inevitable death.

At one point in this relationship, her.......uh, guardian??? sort of???????? had Spock play the piano while she and Kirk waltzed, which (in-story) Spock did perfectly while somehow managing to silently exude even more intensity than usual. After the plot (and her life) were over, we end not with the usual cheerful bit of snark on the bridge that ends most episodes, but with a weary Kirk falling asleep with his head on his arms and Spock hovering not for away. McCoy exposits the last bit of detail and then goes on an unprompted and honestly pretty viciously racist speech about how Spock, unlike Kirk, will never suffer from the joys and travails of love because of his inherent lack of feeling as a Vulcan. The speech is longer than usual and just really mean-spirited as McCoy waxes rhapsodic about all the aspects of passionate true love that Spock will not and cannot experience as a Vulcan before he just leaves.

Spock then turns to look at Kirk, and now just bleeding intensity, takes a few slow, deliberate steps towards the sleeping Kirk, lays his hand against Kirk's cheek and neck, and then very obviously mind melds with the sleeping Kirk while murmuring, "Forget."

Is this healthy respectful behavior that honors Kirk's autonomy? No, obviously. Is it god-tier repressed homoerotic passion between two people who should probably just work their issues out and stop inflicting themselves on anyone else? Yes.

[extorchic]

TOP 5 SK8 Episodes

So I got tagged by @akira-cr to make this list, it took some time but I think I've sorted out my mind, thank you for considering me 😊. Now here comes the list, sorry if it's supposd to be objective, but I'm gonna let my heart out over here (It's gonna be a long post and I'm not gonna cut it ):

NUMBER 5 - Episode 6 - Steamy Mystery Skating?! (A.K.A. The beach episode 🏊‍♂️)

Well this is supposed to be "breather" episode, and it's basically the one that sold the series to me. I like how fun and chill this episode is, although it does (further) foreshadow Reki's insecurity issues. The music is of course SUBLIME! "Seize the Moment" is probably my favorite insert song of all time! (it's been present in Reki's beefs as well, but here it really reflects the fun nature of his character and the show overall). And of coruse, FANSERVICE, not so much in how the boys were in swimsuits (though I gotta admit Reki does look good in them), but on the RENGA interactions!

That hug gave me life! How Langa was worried 24/7 about Reki being injured, at the end when they skated together to escape from the Bantu! I gotta admit that I have some mixed feelings about the implications of Reki being attracted to the faceless girl (I mean, Bi rep is very important too), but I guess my shipping side was just as jelaous as Langa was supposed to be (according to the fans LOL).

NUMBER 4 - Episode 11 - King vs. Nobody (A.K.A. Reki rising! ✨🌺🌞��️)

Reki is, without a doubt, my favorite character. He doesn't need to win, he doesn't need to be super flashy while skating, he just needs to be himself. He's been through a lot, many people (including me) have felt tremendously related to him, and seeing him in this episode is just satisfying. With his issues behind, with a promise to skate with Langa after he wins and no longer fearful, Reki rematches against Adam; and the way he does is fantastic! Taking advantage of his creativity, observative skills and mechanical knowledge on skateboarding, he faces up against the main boss and manages to not only endure his violent ways (which were gruelling to see, TBH), but also SOUNDLY HUMILIATE HIM in front of the whole S Community!

Yes, Adam, the "God of S", in the ground covered in mud by a boy almost everyone dissmissed! It was really sunshine through rainfall! I must also add how much I liked to see his renewed relationship with Langa, how much they treasure their company after patching up. I want to elaborate on this in its own post but I personally see that their interactions from this point on are more, I don't know, tender, caring, still playful but not in an entirely comedic way. The way they see each other is also deeper, anyway, it's just what I see.

NUMBER 3 - A DRAW: Episode 8 - The Fated Tournament! and Episode 9 - We Were Special Back Then (A.K.A. The month in which I was in an emotional crisis because of anime sk8t3r b0is 🍎🐍😭🛹❄🍵🌸 )

This is the point in which I got into the show, and the fandom (Yeah, haven't been around for too long). At this point the show wasn't the same, and I realized it when I caught up. Though there were some cool skating scenes in these episodes, the events that caught my attention were outside the road (Yeah, this was no longer just a skateboard anime, it's a whole lot more). Though I had been mainly focusing on Reki and Langa, I really liked having more backstory related to Joe, Cherry, Adam and Tadashi. Seeing how Adam went through a terrible childhood, convoluted teeange years to culminate in an adult with too much power for his own good and a twisted sense of "love", along with some extremely serious psychological issues was very interesting.

I acknowldge him as a complex villain, but that DOES NOT justify what he did to Cherry. This only proves that just because we know his backstory, we don't have to sympathize with him (Adam's just such a terrible person). On the RENGA side, we see Reki avoiding Langa after their rift, and how this affected both. We have Langa's sadness increase scene after scene, as well as his passion for skating dwindling as progressively. Reki on the other hand, just falls deeper and deeper in his depression, but also being unable to stop thinking about Langa, and he ends up going to S to see the latter's match against Joe. It's hard to see whether there's envy, jelaousness, frustration, admiration, pining or fear of being left behind in his mind. It must have been hard for a 17 y/o.

Reki also defends Langa from people speaking behind his back and shouting his name during the race boosts Langa's performance tremendously. This culminates on Reki realizing that the thing he actually wanted was to skate alongside Langa, not on the side, not as support, but together, he just couldn't. There's also the scene which may or may not confirm that Langa's feelings for Reki are more than just friendship! (Felt represented, for reals).

NUMBER 2 - Episode 7 - We Don't Balance Out (A.K.A. This was supposed to be a fun show!😭⛈️💔️)

I wrote a lot about the episodes in the previous spot, but this is the one that flipped the tables, the game-changer, and the one that hit closer home. It is a sad episode, no races there, it's just here for us to see how the circumstances affect the characters. It was hard to see how Reki, who at this point had been nothing but supportive and proud of Langa, starts to see him flying farther from him. Is it jealousness? Dissatisfaction? Is it fear of loneliness? Adbandoment issues? Is it feeling inferior? Frustration? Not being able to improve? Admiration? Care?

And on top of that a broken promise. I just can't imagine how hard is it for a 17 y/o to deal with all of those conflicting issues in his head, as well as the toxic competitive environment on the "S Community". This just came to show that he wasn't just the excitable, goofy sidekick character, he goes deeper than that, and makes him relatable. We also see a deconstruction of the cool, aloof prodigious character in Langa, as he just can't comprehend what's going on with Reki, and he's hurt by it, but still needs to figure out his own ambitions and desries. This leads to the emotional conclusion of the episode (which in turn left me in the aforementioned 4-week-long emotional crisis, thank you)

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Episode 12 - Our Infinity! - The race was cool, the Renga hug gave me life and everyone had a happy ending

Episode 5 - Passionate Dancing Night! - Despite the beef between Langa and Adam being cool, we start to see Reki worrying about Langa and opening up to him, further deepening their bond.

Episode 2 - Awesome for the First Time! - There's just something special about sharing something you're passionate about with someone else. Watching Reki teaching Langa the basics of skateboarding was heartwarming

NUMBER 1 - Episode 10 - DAP Not Needing Words

After 4 weeks waiting, the anticipation for this episode was gargantuan. Reki's depression was hitting its lowest point, bordering in self-harm, and hurting others as well. Langa continues to look for Reki after seeing him briefly at the hospital while visiting Shadow and we get to see this loving scene where he watches videos of Reki learining how to skate. After confronting Tadashi and realizing that he loves skating because it's fun, he returns home to find out that Langa had been waiting for him but left shortly before he arrived.

This leads to a heartful reunion, where words can't express their feelings, so they resort to do their thing, to skate, and that's where the feelings flow. This is when Langa tells Reki how he admires him tremendously and Reki understands that Langa'll be there by his side, and leaves his fears behind. With a mutual desire to skate together infinetely and a new dap, they rekindle their bond. People watched this show for different reasons, and though I like the skateboarding aspect because it looks cool, my interest leans more on the relationship aspect, and Reki and Langa's is so deep and intimate, and I liked seeing it grow from zero through different hardships (in other words, in all of the years I've been in a fandom, I had never shipped any other pair like these two, I needed to say that).

So I guess it's time to tag some people:

@pico-sour, @sleebycryptid, @elizabethslee, @itsamole, @kaorucherry, @blueflame97, @trieizieme, @tardiskitten, @lady-pendragon-9

So, if you've read until this point, thank you very much (I know it's not supposed to, but this post is yet again a very long "I love Renga" one, but it's what my heart wanted me to write 😅). I'd love to see people other than the ones I tagged showing their lists 😃

[samtheflamingomain]

f is for fucked up

I recently binge-watched the Netflix show F is For Family.

It caught my attention because of a few things: set in the 70s, Justin Long as Kevin is fantastic, and, a very odd thing for an animated show, it features direct continuity. You HAVE to watch it in order.

And if you do, you see a pattern. Frank, the father of the titular family, is an abusive asshole who frequently threatens to defenestrate his children.

But, unlike, say, That 70s Show, it's not really played for laughs. Frank rarely ends up getting what he wants or comes out on top. His words and actions eventually lead, over 3 seasons, to his marriage almost falling apart, and his children being severely neglected to the point that one runs away.

There's usually a feel-good ending to most episodes, but because of the continuity, it all adds up.

A lot of things come to a point in the very last episode of season 3. I know the people reading this have likely already seen it, but let's recap then analyse.\

There's a new baby on the way, and this causes Frank and Sue to feel like their lives are disappearing. Frank will never achieve his dream of becoming a pilot, and Sue is a deeply unsatisfied housewife. She gets an equally-unsatisfying job, then has her only brilliant invention stolen from her.

Maureen had always been "Daddy's little princess" until recently, when Frank pays more attention to Sue and tries to get ahold of Kevin's behavior. She starts to feel invisible, and so she devises the idea to go on a TV show to win a game. And to be noticed.

Bill, in my opinion, has it the toughest of the kids. He's constantly getting beaten up by bigger kids until one day he falls in love with one of their sisters, who turns out to be psychotic. He spends a night under his parents' bed, which scars him deeply. (3 guesses as to why) Then he sees a man explode in front of him and his father tells him to bottle it up. "That's what real men do". This culminates in him agreeing to run away to Pittsburgh with his crazy girlfriend.

Meanwhile, Kevin also goes through a lot. His friends dump him, he sleeps with his neighbour's wife, and ultimately, he gets arrested.

I saved him for last because, after he gets arrested, Sue says to Frank, "You need to try a different approach. Yelling doesn't work. Try being compassionate and nurturing." After a bit of bitching, Frank agrees.

And this almost made me cry. Because that's my parents - ideally. They screamed at me my entire life because, like Frank, they "didn't know what else to do".

But my parents never realized that they needed to take a different approach. So the fact that Frank even tries (though it doesn't last) redeems him a bit.

But I want to go back to comparing it to That 70's Show, not just because both take place in the 70s. But because the fathers are so similar. Veterans, "real" men, horrifically abusive but able to admit their mistakes. The last part doesn't excuse the abusiveness, but it doesn't count for nothing.

Tangent: My father never once admitted to being wrong about anything, even scientific or historical fact. I tried to explain the Monty Hall problem to him once and it culminated in him screaming for me to shut up and go to my room. Then, one day, he brought it up and explained it to ME. And I reminded him of the time I'd tried to do so, and he tried to say that I had been trying to convince him that the answer was "50/50", not "66/33", the correct, but seemingly illogical answer. The opposite was what happened.

Anyway. My point is that, in a lot of TV shows, there's a lot of abuse that isn't taken seriously. 70s Show eventually gets there, but it takes nearly 7 seasons for Red Forman to admit he fucked Eric up. Frank realizes, when Bill is screaming at him while nearly drowning, that he fucked his kids up. In fact, he realizes similar things a lot.

And we see him honestly trying to change. He says and does a lot of truly unforgivable things, but at the end of the day, he loves his family and tries his best to make amends when he realizes he's wrong.

Perhaps another of my favorite moments is when, in couples group counselling, Frank finally realizes why he's so angry and mean to his wife: he's jealous of her success. And because he thinks he needs to be a "man's man" and a "real man", he can't stand that his wife took a job when he lost his. He can't stand that she's invented a million-dollar idea. He says, in a sudden epiphany, "I think deep down, I want you to fail." The implication being that he thinks he's failed.

This is a very profound moment, and one of the first ones that truly shows Frank as the extremely vulnerable and thin-skinned man he is. He finally reaches the core of his anger, despite it being a terrible sentiment.

Two great examples of this thin-skinned-ness are in his neighbours Vic and Chet. Vic is a handsome man with a hot wife and a big house and a sports car: all the *things* Frank wants. Chet, however, is the PERSON Frank wants to be: respected, revered, loved. He turns out to be an absolute douchenozzle, but Frank tries to remain blind to that fact because he so desperately wants to be liked by Chet. This doesn't happen with any other character, and it's because, I think, he thinks he would've been a Chet if he hadn't had kids.

Another pretty heartfelt moment is when, after a fight, Sue insists they go to lunch. They start up right away and Frank goes outside to have a smoke so "she can calm down". Then he pulls out the list of things Sue wanted to discuss that he grabbed from her and called unimportant. He reads it. Item 3: "Whatever happened to 'co-pilot'?"

Flashback to the moment young Sue tells young Frank she's pregnant. Frank promises her they can weather any storm together, promising to "be her co-pilot" in life. He realizes now that he's completely fucked up.

This comes to a head when he's taken hostage by terrorists trying to hijack a plane. He says, "If you shot me now, you'd be doing me a favor," and gives his fuck-up with Sue as the reason. And she hears him say so.

So, to go back to 70s again, I think Frank is generally a more well-rounded character. Red Forman has a few epiphanies, but largely doesn't work on his flaws or serve any purpose other than a driver of conflict.

And when we do realize that Eric knows Red fucked him up, and Red accepts that, it becomes clear that Eric is not mentally well.

So too does that happen with all the Murpheys. Bill definitely has PTSD from multiple terrible events. Kevin likely has a form of borderline personality disorder (can't manage relationships, pushes people away while simultaneously craving emotional contact, risk-taking) as well as a form of anxiety and hell, maybe even oppositional defiant disorder. Maureen is the youngest and a Daddy's girl, so she's definitely the most healthy of the kids. But she's still something of a bitch and can be pretty manipulative.

Sue is the epitome of the depressed housewife. Only, that isn't her only trait that's played for laughs (see: Kitty being an alcoholic on 70's). She actively tries to change her life, to become the person she wanted to be.

The show's not perfect, but it does touch on a lot of important topics (racism, sexism, domestic abuse, child abuse, anger, envy, even drug use) - and often in a way that most shows wouldn't touch with a 50-foot pole.

To finish up, I'd actually point to the theme song. It starts with Frank graduating, soaring into the air with his newfound freedom. Then things start hitting him literally in the face. First, a draft notice. Then a baby bottle. Then a wedding cake. Then a bunch of random shit. He loses his hair and gets fat. This simple visual is actually very powerful in portraying the helplessness and powerlessness Frank feels about his lot in life.

I'm sure there have been millions of dreams shattered due to the unforeseen birth of a child. And, to get to my damn point already, I think that's one of the most important underlying themes of the show. A huge part of the reason Frank treats his kids and wife poorly is because he blames them for stripping him of his dream of being a pilot.

It might sound pretty obvious, but Frank's not really all that smart - at least, he lacks emotional intelligence.

I think she show is headed in a direction where this will become more prominent, and may even result in Frank realizing he's not right to take out his shattered dreams on his family. But we'll see.

Stay Greater, Flamingos.