#but like I'm not even that big of a nolan fan I don't believe in 'auteurs' I just have watched his films with more than half a braincell.

[essektheylyss]

Wait, are people like... under the impression that Oppenheimer is somehow... a glorification of nuclear warfare? About the man who was so horrified by his involvement in the Manhattan Project and its results that he spent his life afterward lobbying against nuclear weapons development, the nuclear arms race and competition with the Soviets, and the development of the hydrogen bomb in particular, that he got blacklisted as a communist during the McCarthy years and was essentially erased from the scientific community because of it?

That Robert Oppenheimer?

[dawnstudies]

Spoilers to Stephen King Carrie !!!

I'm slowly transforming into a Stephen King fan, and I have no shame or regrets. His writing is just simply too awesome to ignore or to trash on.

It took me around two days to finish Carrie off and let me tell y'all, it was one of the best things I've ever read even though this was only a sip of the beginning of Stephen King's writing carrier.

Let me ramble some about the book itself...

Carrie's character, way of speech, description in itself is beautiful. I love how devoted she is and how much she loves her mother even though Margaret is nuts. I love that after all the crap she's been through she never lost her belief in God.

I'm also borderline fanatic about the imaginery of religion in the book, the sick, twisted part of it that a lot don't talk about; how the "love" of God can bring out the animal of some people.

Sue's character is a bit controversal for me, since I myself as others in the book too cannot believe that this happened the way it did, I don't believe Sue to be so selfless to pass down her last chance at prom to Carrie even out of guilt; even though guilt is an emotion worse than a bunch, a lot of times it hits the wrong, resistant person. However, if I accept that what Sue had written in her book to be true, that'd make her one of my favourite characters, right after Tommy.

Now, Tommy. Great student, brilliant sportsman, a true gentleman at the prom; obviously if what Sue wrote down to be true. I know that there were parts of the book which were in story-teller prespective, but it still can be doubted that whatever happened on the prom night and before was actually what was written down. And the possibility that it might be a big, fat lie just makes the book more intriguing.

Tommy's death was one of the things which broke my heart and I believe that it was meant to be this way; Tommy was made to be a lovable character, who's adored by every reader since he was just the perfect boy. Polite, smart, sporty, strong and kind. Stephen King truly knows our greatest fantasies, huh?

Now, Chris and Billy were two characters that I had a love-hate relationship with. Both of them were crazy, that's for sure. Chris, the typical daddy's girl, who got everything they wanted, and Billy, who grew up in a bad environment. Opposites completely, yet they still attracted, they both loved the roughness of the other as the book wrote it down. Though Nolan was way more gone than Chris and by the end, when Billy made the choice to leave Chris, I almost felt bad for her; interestingly, even though when they died, all I felt was sick satisfaction.

Desjardins was another one of my favourites, because she might've been rough on Carrie at first but after she learnt that something might be wrong, she tried to help as much as possible. Though, her actions do not make her any more of a saint that Sue, because both watched for years as Carrie got bullied, but both of them tried to change. However, Desjardins was more straightforward and she apologized. Sue never apologized. I saw her death coming before it even happened, I knew it was meant to be.

I loved the smaller characters, the connections with another, Norma and the other girls, I loved the whole plot and how Stephen King turned something like telekinesis into something so beautiful and cool. Before I've read the book, I've been asked the question, whether I'd choose telepathy or telekinesis. Back then, I immediately said telepathy. Now, I'd contemplate my choices more.

To sum it all up, the characters were interesting and detailed, every puzzle piece that had to fall in place alligned perfectly, while the ones that had to be left out were left out, which makes the book mysterious and even more worth to read. It gives the reader something to think about.

I can't wait to buy another Stephen King book.

[mystery-moose]

EYO THE OSCAR NOMS ARE OUT

Let’s discuss!

BEST PICTURE: I've seen four of the ten nominees this year! Not a bad score for me. Of the remainder I am very interested in American Fiction, Anatomy of a Fall, and Past Lives. American Fiction in particular got Jeffrey Wright a Best Actor nomination! I love Jeffrey Wright! He deserves more recognition! Any film that can get him that has gotta be worth something.

Of the ones I’ve seen… I’d probably select Killers of the Flower Moon as the best? It’s a hard watch, but the craft on display at every level is exceptional. If not that, then… I dunno, maybe Barbie? The Holdovers is a safe choice, it’s a great movie, but there’s almost nothing… surprising about it. Barbie is CONSTANTLY surprising! But it’s also a madcap comedy bathed in metaphor so… man I don’t know!

Regardless, I wouldn’t pick Oppenheimer. Not to disrespect it, I genuinely believe it to be a very interesting film that’s compelling to watch, and as always Christopher Nolan’s ability to make weird-ass films with experimental structures popular with a mass audience is worthy of tremendous respect. But its pacing is rushed, its script is sometimes awkward to the point of parody, and I just don’t know that it’s saying or doing anything THAT interesting or enlightening about the real people involved or about people or history in general. Y’know?

BEST DIRECTOR: Nothing but Best Picture nominees here, which makes sense. Pretty blown away that Alexander Payne didn't get a nom here for The Holdovers. Not blown away at all that Greta Gerwig didn't get one for Barbie, despite that whole thing clearly being her baby. A real Streisand situation here, I'd say! "Eight nominations on the shelf, did this film direct itself?" Regardless of who wins (or even who I think deserves to!) I'd definitely say Gerwig got snubbed here.

BEST ACTOR: All best picture nominees here, save for Colman Domingo for Rustin. Had never heard of this film before, because it's a Netflix film and they always bury all their work, but it's about a civil rights activist so that makes... how many years that the Academy has included one of these in a Best Actor/Actress context? Selma, Harriet, Judas and the Black Messiah. I'm sure Colman Domingo gives a good performance, just noting that the Academy loves to nominate these for acting awards and not honor them in most any other way. (Hey, Jeffrey Wright's in that movie too! Good year for him!)

Bradley Cooper's here too. I don't think I like him very much! I've never disliked him really, but I've never loved his performance either. But the Academy seems to, since he's been nominated... TWELVE TIMES? Holy SHIT no wonder I wasn't surprised to see his name. Never won one, though. He keeps this up, maybe they'll throw him a pity one like they did for DiCaprio. Then again, I don't think Cooper assigns as much value to it as Leo did -- or at least, it doesn't feel like it. I care so little about Bradley Cooper! I don't follow his personal journey very closely! He's fine, I guess!

As a fan, I'd LOVE to see Jeffrey Wright take it, even though I haven't seen his movie. Of the ones I have, Cillian Murphy is very good in Oppenheimer, no question, but I've gotta give it to my man Paulie G. Dude is an incredibly talented actor with a non-traditional look who's done great work for decades and deserves a big win. He's fantastic in Holdovers too! It's a layered, funny, incredibly natural performance that he just falls into. Not particularly showy, which lowers his chances for a win, but to me (and most sensible folks) that makes it a better performance, so there, nyeh!

BEST ACTRESS: I haven't seen four of these but if they don't give it to Lily Gladstone they've fucked up. Sorry, other nominees, that's all there is to it. Also, where the fuck is Margot Robbie? She's incredible in Barbie! If I get to Supporting Actor and Ryan Gosling is there, this is misogyny.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: This is misogyny!! But I'd love for Gosling to win for this. It'd be his first, and for a role like this that'd be hilarious. That being said it's still a tremendous performance! His commitment to the role both on-screen and off is clear, he's having a ball throughout, and he does his own dancing! God, I just wanna see his speech.

That being said, he has some extremely stiff competition. De Niro continues his golden year renaissance with an excellent performance of a very evil man in Killers of the Flower Moon, and Downey Jr. is so good in Oppenheimer that it took me a couple minutes and a scene transition to realize it was him at all! Also Sterling K. Brown and Mark Ruffalo are here! I like both those guys! If I had to pick one that I've seen that isn't Gosling? Probably Downey Jr. If I gave Oppenheimer one award, it would be this one.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: I like all these actresses, I think America Ferrera is very good in Barbie, and Jodie Foster has been doing great work lately, but this award belongs to Da'Vine Joy Randolph. She takes a character that could be one note in The Holdovers and invests them with so much life and complexity and history. I still think about that movie in part because of her, and because she made choices that made that character feel more authentic. It's maybe the most I've been impressed by an actress in a good long while, frankly! She deserves this one! Don't fuck it up, Academy! (but I know you will)

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: All Best Picture nominees, save for a movie called May December... because it's a Netflix film, of course. God, they sure do make a lot of award-worthy films I never ever hear about, huh! Wild how that happens! (Did you even know a new Spy Kids movie came out this year? Of course you didn't! It was on Netflix!)

I haven't seen four of these, but heard good things about Past Lives. I do really love The Holdovers though! Unless one of the others really knocks my socks off, I'd be comfortable with that winning here.

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Oppenheimer does not deserve this. I'm sorry, maybe it's a failure of editing, but the pacing on this thing is too breakneck. Maybe that's a failure of editing more than screenplay, though. Then again, the dialogue itself is uh... often pretty blunt and borderline silly, in that Nolan sort of way! So, y'know!

I'd love to see Barbie win it. It's so fucking funny, and occasionally vibrating with pathos. But I haven't seen the others, and they might rule, actually! American Fiction might be great! I'm looking forward to finding out when it hits digital!

ANIMATED FEATURE: I still think we probably shouldn't cordon these off into their own category, but then so few would get nominated for anything, so let's just live in the world we have, huh? The Boy and the Heron is a Miyazaki film, so that automatically makes it a contender, though I've heard some mixed things about it. Nimona is a dark horse that I remember having some buzz around it earlier this year, and Robot Dreams is a sad movie about a robot so it's automatically a movie I vibe with! Elemental... exists! (Why in the hell was this nominated and not Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem?! Why of all things did THAT get snubbed?!)

But we all know this belongs to Across the Spider-Verse. It might not be a complete narrative, but purely on visual spectacle alone, it should win. It is, without question, the wildest eyeball experience I've ever had watching a movie, finally dethroning the previous occupiers, the Wachowskis' Speed Racer and the animated film Redline. It is constantly visually surprising and experimental, to the point that much like its predecessor I don't know how they fucking did some of the stuff they did. It's not the out-of-nowhere immediate game-changer that its predecessor was, and it might not have the immediate influence on an entire genre in the same way... but I think it pushes the medium even further! I can't wait to see what other movies look like in the future because of it.

(also the production sounds like it was a nightmare, animators deserve more pay and more respect, unionize, etc.)

PRODUCTION DESIGN: I mean, of all the things about Napoleon, how it looked was the absolute best of them. I wouldn't be too upset if it won... except I would, because Barbie. I mean, come on. COME ON. This one's a gimme. (Though why is The Creator not here? I know it was a pretty bad movie, but the design? Absolutely impeccable vibes!)

COSTUME DESIGN: I mean. Barbie. Did you see Ken's outfits?

CINEMATOGRAPHY: This is my nerd-ass award I care about. I've liked Hoyte van Hoytema's work in the past, and if Oppenheimer won this I wouldn't think it a complete miscarriage of justice -- it's got some really great images in it. But to me this is Flower Moon's award to lose. I haven't seen the others, but I don't know that anything else is going to match that. It's not too showy, but it is pretty damn impeccable.

There are also movies that I think got snubbed here, like John Wick 4 (yes I'm serious) and Sisu (again, I'm serious) and The Killer. Heck, they didn't even nominate The Holdovers here, and that movie leans into its period setting by aping the cinematography of films from that period! That's neat!

EDITING: That Oppenheimer is here is more proof the Academy doesn't know what good editing is. I mean, if you isolated a couple scenes of that movie, there IS great editing there! And even structurally, I think it makes some bold choices that should be rewarded! But as a whole, I didn't feel like I had time to breathe during a scene, and most of that is down to Nolan always choosing to cut or transition too soon. Sometimes it's even a matter of seconds! But those seconds matter! They're the difference between me feeling like I'm moving through a room and feeling like I'm being hurried through a room, y'know what I mean?

I'd probably go with Flower Moon here, but Holdovers has a lovely, languid pace to it and some very funny cuts, so I'm leaning in that direction too. Haven't seen the others!

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING: How is Barbie not here?! What the hell kind of award show is this?! (A Bad one, we all know this.)

SOUND: (This used to be two awards, one for sound mixing and one for sound editing, and on a technical level those are two very different skills, but whatever, Academy!)

This is one I think that Oppenheimer will probably take, because it does some cool things with sound a few times. But it's also one that I think The Creator might actually deserve. Some really killer sound in that film, right up there with its production design -- which it should have gotten a nomination for! Also, Mission: Impossible dark horse, just to give it something. Because I love those movies, even if this year's was maybe my fourth-favorite Mission: Impossible movie that still makes it better than most movies!

VISUAL EFFECTS: It's kind of a long-shot, but I'm pulling for Godzilla Minus One here. Guardians looked good, The Creator looked good (it's about all it did) and I absolutely adore and respect the commitment to practical stunts and car chases and effects in Mission: Impossible and it should get all the recognition possible for throwing a real train off a real cliff... but c'mon. It's Godzilla. And by all accounts, it does so much with so little, at least in terms of budget. It's a movie directed by a guy who previously supervised visual effects! Of course it was gonna look good! That it looks that good at that budget though? Might be enough to get it the big win. Here's to hoping! It'd be nice to see a movie that cost about ten million dollars be recognized as having better visual effects than a movie that cost... two hundred and fifty million Jesus Christ what are you doing Disney.

ORIGINAL SCORE: Be neat to see Indiana Jones take this one! Good score, nice but not too reverent. But I don't have particularly strong feelings this like I have in previous ones. Don't remember many movie scores from this year, nothing's made it into my playlist beyond a couple Mission: Impossible tracks, certainly nothing's impressed me as much as something like The Batman's score or anything.

ORIGINAL SONG: Two songs from Barbie here, one from the Flamin' Hot Cheetos movie (yes it's real and yes it's historically inaccurate!) and one from... Killers of the Flower Moon. Uh oh. Uh oh! I was all ready to be ride or die for "I'm Just Ken" (and to be clear if it won I wouldn't object) but that song in Flower Moon and how it hits at the end... well. It should probably win, is what I'm saying. Even if it's not the fun choice. Be nice to see it performed, at least. These will all be great performances, probably!

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: I haven't seen any of these! I usually don't until at least year or two after the fact! Just how I end up watching documentaries, usually. It'll probably be the one about Ukraine, though. Not necessarily because it's the best one, but because the Academy likes to think that making picks like that is somehow activism. (Also can you believe that's still happening? Ukrainian sovereignty, end the war, etc.)

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE: Haven't seen any of these, but heard good things about Society of the Snow. Zone of Interest is a best picture nominee, so odds are that'll be the one that wins. Surprised a Japanese film got in here but it's not Godzilla! Damn! Was hoping for a dark horse win for Big G!

ANIMATED SHORT: Never seen 'em!

DOCUMENTARY SHORT: Most of the short documentaries I watch are on Youtube these days!

LIVE ACTION SHORT: Good for all these people who got nominated!

THAT'S IT hoo boy the Oscars, huh. This year's a bit of a dull one, nothing that I'm really excited about winning anything outside of like, Barbie. Killers of the Flower Moon definitely deserves a lot of awards, but how many it'll get remains to be seen. Also I just realized DiCaprio didn't score a nomination for his part in that! Just Lily Gladstone! Haha! Good! (Though I do think DiCaprio's work has improved noticeably after he finally got his stupid Oscar. Almost like he stopped trying so hard and that made his performances feel more natural! Wild!)

Anyway, next year I'm gonna be stumping hard for Dune 2 so. Be prepared for that.

[denimbex1986]

'“You’re an Irishman, are ya?” Cillian Murphy says, his features visibly softening, as I begin talking over Zoom. “Thank god.”

Two truisms about Cillian Murphy that are often repeated online: He hates doing interviews, but he loves Ireland. If he must talk to the press – which, being the lead of Christopher Nolan's mammoth blockbuster Oppenheimer, he absolutely must – the least I can do is give him a chance to talk about our shared homeland. So, with this introduction, we're off to a good start.

It's about 10 days before Oppenheimer drops, but Murphy and the big A-bomb movie – along with Greta Gerwig's Barbie – already seem to be taking up the majority of the internet's consciousness. In the film, he plays J Robert Oppenheimer, the man credited with leading the creation of the atomic bomb during World War Two. Though he has starred in a handful of Christopher Nolan blockbusters already, this is his first as a proper leading man. So, the scrutiny is greater than ever. He is wearing it well. “I'm not a huge fan of talking about myself,” he says, “but I fully believe in this movie, and I love promoting it. So I'm very comfortable with all of that.”

GQ: How often do you get people calling you “Sillian”?

Cillian Murphy: Less and less now actually. But it doesn't bother me. Then I very pedantically explain to them that there's no ‘K’ in the Irish language and it gets really boring.

You used to live in London, but moved to Dublin in 2015. I heard you said your kids were getting English accents so you took them home.

Yeah. That was a joke. [Laughs].

Well, people have really run with it. Do you need to personally relate to characters, and could you do so with Oppenheimer?

Well, first of all, it's imperative not to judge the character. Because then you've lost as a performer. You have to try and understand [them]. You have to be like a kind of emotional detective. But your job primarily is to define the truth in the character to try and portray them in a truthful way.

Emily Blunt said recently that during filming you didn't go for cast dinners because your ‘brain was too full’. Robert Downey Jr. said that at times it felt like you were ‘icing’ him. How much did playing Oppenheimer affect you?

It was a big part, and there were big, big questions that were grappling with, these huge ethical, moral questions. And Chris had written the script in the first person. So I knew that a lot of the weight was on my shoulders, even though we have this incredible ensemble. There was a responsibility that I felt about playing the part. That's just the way I work. I get very consumed by the work, and I don't really have time for hanging out. And in this movie, I was [regularly] skipping dinner, you know, so I wasn't great craic to hang out with. But that's just the way it was. It's just the nature of the work.

You’re not method, though, right?

Well, here's the thing, right? Method is like a euphemism. We all have a method to get to the final result. And whatever that method is, it's personal and unique to each actor. It's become sort of confused, I think, with the Stanislavski approach. But every actor has their own individual method.

Yeah. But you’re not what people generally view to be method, staying in character the whole time?

Inevitably, if you play a character for a long time, and I was researching him for six months, then shooting it for however long that was.. And you're playing them 18 hours a day every day. By osmosis, you're exchanging atoms, You become consumed or immersed [by it], that's just the way it is.

You mentioned skipping meals. What was the weirdest food day that you had while you were losing all that weight?

Oh, man. I just want to be very careful on this. This was for work, and we structured it pretty well. Inevitably, you do start getting competitive with yourself and all that, but it was for a purpose. He was a very, very slight guy. And he was very self-conscious about that. And it gave him this very unique, particular kind of iconic silhouette. And when you're that weight, it affects the way clothes hang on you, it affects the way you walk, it obviously changes the shape of your face and all that. So that was very useful for the character. But I really don't want to make a big deal about ‘oh, Cillian lost all this weight’.

Taking this lead role on has brought a lot of attention. I've read recent interviews you've done that it's not necessarily your favourite thing. Do you at times feel like the pressure of being the leading man, especially in a movie on this scale is a lot to deal with?

Yeah, but to clarify the thing about interviews, I love talking about the movie, I love talking about music and books and art. I'm not a huge fan of talking about myself. And I don't, and I don't think anyone really is, but I fully believe in this movie, and I love promoting it. So I'm very comfortable with all of that. And in terms of, you know, how it changes your life or anything like that, or changes how people perceive you that that hasn't changed for me, you know, my life has been exactly the same as it always was.

The Oppenheimer script is very dense. How much does that impact how you go about shooting it?

You have to be completely prepared. I knew the script more or less before we went into work, which isn't so not something I've ever done before. Only in theatre, because there was so much text, and it was quite dense. I wanted to not be worried about the text when I went on the floor. But then, a lot of the scenes I have with Downey, it was quite loose and quite improvisational. I mean, acting with him was was was was just extraordinary. He's just electrifying, the most available engaged, present, unpredictably brilliant actor I've ever worked with.

The film ends on a close-up shot of you, taking in the weight of what the preceding 3 hours have meant for the future of mankind. What are you thinking in that moment when you’re shooting it, knowing you’ve got the weight of the movie on your shoulders?

You can't let it get into your head. You've just got to think about the truth of the scene. For example, when we were shooting the Trinity test, all of us actors and Chris and all the crew, were aware of the weight of that sequence, and what it meant, but you can't let it control you, you know. And I think I've learned that over the years, you know, when you get on the floor, and you get on, you just forget about that stuff. You have to train your mind to not let it affect your performance.

Were you there for the actual explosion that was created?

I was there for components of it. There are different sort of sections of it. I was there for some of it. With Chris, everything is done for real. I've never done a green screen scene with Chris and I never will, I imagine. So what it does is it puts the performer into the atmosphere, or the environment as close as possible to what the character is feeling. You know, and I've, I've been out in boats with Chris on the sea and up in mountains in the snow. It just elevates your performance.

There has been a lot of chatter about the sex scene in this movie, and a wider chat about whether sex scenes are necessary in film at all. Where do you fall on that?

I think they were vital in this in this movie. I think the relationship that he has with Jean Tatlock is one of the most crucial emotional parts of the film. I think if they're key to the story then they're worthwhile. Listen, no one likes doing them, they're the most awkward possible part of our job. But sometimes you have to get on with it.

With a bit of distance between yourself and Oppenheimer, are you able to judge him just a little bit?

I'm really not going to give you an opinion on that. I really strongly believe that the film should ask the questions of the audience. And I don't want to prejudice anybody's point of view, when they go into the movie theatre, about what how they feel and Oppenheimer. What I will say, is that Oppenheimer – Chris called him the most important man that ever lived, whatever you think about that. That's up to you. But we are living in a world that was changed by Oppenheimer. We're living in a nuclear age because of what Oppenheimer did.

You and Christopher Nolan have discussed how you nearly got the role of Batman. Is there a part of you that thinks that it was maybe for the best that you didn’t?

Yes, I think it was for the best because we got Christian Bale's performance, which is a stunning interpretation of that role. I never considered myself as the right physical specimen for Batman. To me, it was always going to be Christian Bale.

Tom Hardy didn’t make it into this Nolan film. Do you have plans to work together again?

He's one of the best actors in the business. And we've developed this great trust and shorthand and there's a nice kind of chemistry, I think, between the two of us. I'd love to work with him again. Maybe there'll be a Peaky Blinders film. Maybe we'll get to do it there. I'm not sure.

What’s the latest on the Peaky Blinders film?

I have no update for you, man. I'm waiting to hear, but it's a tricky time with all these strikes and everything going on. I’ve always said that if there's more story to tell, I'd be there.'

[roobylavender]

What do you like about the Nolan movies, if you don't mind explaining? Most people don't seem to enjoy them so I'm surprised you do

mostly i adore them ideologically. i don't think nolan always executes a clean plot while making the trilogy, there are obv very concerning casting choices, and his white liberalism does reveal itself every now and then bc he presents interesting questions about the system only to more often than not leave them hanging in the air by the end. but, why i tend to be okay with bearing with all of this is bc his take on the bat is genuinely wonderful to me. i even think there are ways he expands on the original foundations of the character's philosophy that are better than some avenues comic writers have explored

what i think the trilogy emphasizes so well from start to finish is that it believes in broos and it believes in the bat. it's a very hopeful take on the character and despite broos needing to go through stages of growth and maturation as a person, there's never a feeling that he's being condescended to. he's criticized for his initially limited ideas regarding justice (whether this is by rachel, ducard, harvey, etc.), but he's allowed to learn and help his understanding of the world evolve so that he can be a better hero by the time he puts on the mask. the broos who decides he wants to seek justice for his parents is a very naive, emotional idealist. the broos who decides to put on the mask has a vision and understands what it is that he seeks to do to save his city. he's nowhere close to being the perfect hero, but his motivations and compassion for people are taken seriously, and that's something that i think is sorely missing from not only a lot of adaptations but also the comics in general in this modern age

i am also a really huge fan of how nolan approaches martyrdom and heroism as concepts. i'm sure people have convinced themselves that any version of broos who can let go of the mantle is not a good adaptation but i honestly beg to differ. the longevity of the character and dc's understanding that they will never sell more than when they're prioritizing broos is what's lead to him never leaving the mantle long-term, not who he actually is as a person. personally i think he either should have died or retired years ago. there are two things i love about the trilogy's approaches to broos leaving the mantle:

(1) they allow broos to understand that simply being the bat is not the end-all, be-all solution. there is more to heroism than solely pursuing your own vision and giving a big fuck you to all other options. i know a lot of people hate the ending to the second movie and how it allegedly positions him as a murderer, but the thing is, broos knows he didn't kill anyone. he's not actually a murderer. he's simply someone humble and compassionate enough to understand that the hero the city needs in that moment isn't him, and that he has to step down so that the city can survive under the weight of its own desperation for hope. it's an entirely selfless moment and i love it bc i really do think modern writers have convinced themselves that the best way to write broos is to have him entirely obsessed with his masked identity when imo it's far more interesting to explore broos recognizing there are other avenues for justice and other positions he can take upon to help the city. understanding that the bat is not the only solution to the city's problems is very humble, and by extension, it's why i also adore the trilogy's attention to who broos is in his daily life bc it recognizes that there are moments for him to be heroic just as himself too (the second movie does a marvelous job of this in particular)

(2) they allow broos to move on and understand that the burden is not his alone to bear! another thing people seem to hate about these movies is how they have broos retiring. and i kind of understand, what with him being gone for eight years and then having a last huzza before taking the mask off permanently, but i also wish people approached that development from a purely ideological standpoint. there are obv problems with john being a cop and like i wish i wish i wish he wasn't one but the plot line with him and broos is genuinely one of my favorites and i think it's so cool and full circle that broos starts the trilogy wanting to be a symbol to inspire people towards doing good, and that's exactly what happens in the end. he inspires someone, he realizes that he doesn't have to shoulder the fate of the city all alone, and he passes on the mantle to someone he knows shares his compassion and vision for justice. it's another beautiful, selfless moment and i almost wonder if people hate it bc they have this idea that broos can only ever be dedicatedly obsessed and close minded wrt the masked identity. i know for many people that is the appeal of the character/phenomenon and its longevity, but for storytelling purposes, i think allowing bruce to be selfless and humble enough to entrust the city in the hands of other people like him is very inspiring. i wish comic had done it years ago and let him retire or at least take a backseat role rather than making him into the obsessive micromanager forever and always

overall nolan to me is someone who genuinely understands and believes in the heroism that not just the bat but any hero is supposed to evoke and then expands on that concept in interesting ways by tackling martyrdom as well. the plots of the movies are clunky as hell, much of the action is a bore, and by the last movie nolan has gotten so ahead of himself in terms of ideas and plots he wants to tackle that it's all falling apart. all of this is true. but ideologically the themes of the movies are what really draw me in and i don't think we are ever going to get that hopeful and sympathetic of a take on the character again, unfortunately. the newest movie is enough of a testament to that since it can't even manage to believe in broos or his vision and instead has to chide him for being an obsessive shut-in with no eyes for anything or anyone else until the very end of the film

[fratboykate]

He snapped. I was legit wondering how long it was gonna take the directors to speak up about this travesty. Don't get me wrong, I am a big fan of streaming services for stuff like drama and meditative films that do not require big spectacle, but there's nothing like sitting in a dark theater to enjoy a movie, especially the ones that take full advantage of every technical and technological feature. But, I'm not one to shame anyone if they feel compelled to cry surrounded by 100 strangers while they watch some period drama or oscar bait, to each their own and all that. Still, this thing that AT&T is pulling is ludicrous and honestly bad for movie goes as a whole. It is so stupid that not even Disney is doing it. They at least charged 29.99$ for the family tickets.

I read this earlier and I kinda think it’s bullshit. I’m probably in the minority here, but I don’t see a problem with what WB did at all. If I was one of the directors in this situation I’d be like “fuck yeah, more people get to see my movie!”

The people who still want to see things in theater WILL keep going to the theater. No one is taking that option away. The people who really want to/need to stay home will opt for the streaming choice. I don’t understand what the outrage is. If making movies available on streaming the same day as they’re out in cinema is such a game changer then maybe the movie theater experience isn’t all it’s cracked up to be to begin with??? Why has no one asked that question?

I’m one of those viewers who even on regular years doesn’t really go to the movie theater all that much. If I say went to the movies 2-3 times in 2019 I’m probably exaggerating. I’m trying to remember and I can’t come up with a single one that I might have gone watch in the theater. I wait for movies to be released on DVD or VOD and then watch them. I’m the kind of client you wouldn’t be losing anyway on ticket sales but that would actually consider getting a streaming subscription if a platform was dropping a shitton of movies I wanted to watch at the same time they were releasing in theaters. If I didn’t go to the theater normally it’ll be even less now. I’m pretty sure it’s going to be YEARS before I’m chill with being in a room breathing in the recycled air of a few hundred other strangers who may or may not be vaccinated. I’m the kind of customer WB is courting with this decision and I believe there’s more of me than people think. 

This whole drama this week is people rejecting progress and systematic change that is absolutely inevitable. Even more so in this post pandemic world. Do you understand that all these people seemingly foaming at the mouth are doing so for financial reasons? You get that, right? Us writer/director/producers get back-end points aka revenue profit. Big directors like Nolan get even more than that and just straight up get a cut of ticket sales not just net profit. This isn’t people fighting for “the sanctity of cinema” or protecting your communal experience as an audience. This is them fighting for those millions lol. Which look, fine...y’all don’t want to lose the money and I think none of us would take it lying down if we were expecting a huge revenue windfall that is now most likely not going to materialize so do your thing...but at least be transparent about it. There’s no need to put on this show about “saving film”. You’re mad this is going to cost you and your agencies a ton of money personally. That’s the biggest reason in all these tantrums.

[lovablepiece-of-toast]

@thatonedudewithasnzkink 's adorkeble ocs Nolan and Caden ~♡

Suprisingly, emeto

Me: What is the best way to whump Nolan?

Ya boii Theodore: Food poisoning

Me: Food poisoning it is.

And then I made it extra fluffy because these bois deserve the Best. Love'em

Thank you @thatonedudewithasnzkink for asking me if I could write about Nolan and Caden. You're amazing. This has been a wild ride.

Mentioned: emeto, vomiting, food poisoning, some swears.

Enjoy my attempt :)

☆~~~~~☆

It was an absolutely lovely warm summer day. And a day off on top of that. Caden was scrolling on his phone, sitting cross-legged at the kitchen table. His eyelids fluttered everytime the breeze from the turning fan hit his face. He had gotten over the coldsneezes a while ago. He smiled. Caden had an idea.

Nolan sat across from him, scribbling on a notepad, trying to figure out what they should eat for lunch and dinner. The week had been extremely busy for the two, with both working extra. At the end of May, the cafe was catering many gratuation parties and people frequented the pharmacy to stock up on all kinds of things for long vacations. So, neither Nolan nor Caden really had time to run errands, icluding buying groceries. Jasper had gone to visit his sister (the only nice relative) , so now they were left with a near empty fridge.

"Nolan", Caden looked up from his phone.

"Yeah", Nolan's curious eyes met his smiling ones.

"I think we deserve a date".

"A date, you say?", Nolan hummed. "Anything specific in mind?".Caden pulled a proud grin and handed the phone over. Nolan took a good look at the website presented. It was for a new sushi eatery and on the top of the page read in big, Asian-style letters:

Grand opening May 23rd

We roll with costumers orders!

"It's just down few blocks from here", Caden explained, leaning over the table, "And they say it's organic. We haven't seen eachother all week. I missed You Nolan Anderson!". Suddenly, Nolan's smooth lips were firmly pressed against his. Caden's eyes fluttered shut with suprise and he found himself akwardly tilting his head to get the best of his lover's embrace.

"Sounds good", Nolan said when they parted. Caden just noded, caught off guard.

"Le-let's go then!", he stood up and padded away, blushing madly and giggling. Gosh he loved that man.

----

----

Their walk home was uneventful. But while holding hands, Caden couldn't ignore how Nolan hastily squeezed his hand tighter every now and again. He tried not to think much of it, seeing as his giant boyfriend was very protective over him.

Caden concern grew quite a bit when Nolan muffled a burp into his fist. Sure, there was nothing unordinary about burping after eating if it wasn't for the grimace Nolan pulled as Caden glanced at his face.

" 'cuse me", Nolan smiled sheepishly, feeling his worried gaze. Caden puckered his lips and faced forward.

"You seemed to like the sushi", he stated casually.

"Yeah", Nolan took a deep breath and swallowed,"Of course. Thanks Cay, that was a great idea". He leaned down and pressed a kiss into Caden's crimson hair.

"You liked it too, didn't you? I was worried you'd eat yourself sick from all that dango".

"They're sweet. What can a man do!?", Caden shoved him playfully. Another full sounding burp rumbled off Nolan's chest and Caden huffed as it was right up his ear.

"Sorryh", Nolan chuckled, "Guess that's my stomach agreeing".

----------

But Oh the-ever-loving-scorching-sun was he lying. When Caden finally fished out the home key from his pocket, Nolan's not-at-all-agreeing stomach had creeped up to his throat. Caden opened the door and he quickly pressed past him, handing his phone and wallet to his boyfriend.

"Na-ture's call!", Nolan managed to say before swiftly dissappearing to their bedroom.

"Okay", Caden was left standing in at the doorway. He blinked and shook his head. Nothing weird about needing the toilet, he comfirmed and went to put the take-out into the fridge.

Next he went to his and Nolan's bedroom. As Caden was plugging his own phone to charge, a sudden massive belch coming from the bathroom nearly shot him out of his skin.

"No-Nolan!?", he yelp at the sound of a thick liquid hitting water. Caden's heart puonded in his chest. He tried to swallow the panic. As someone who often felt sick because of medication and seizures and just because, he damn well knew vomiting when he heard it.

And, as proven by the sheer volume of his boyfriend's sneezes, when Nolan was sick he was loud.

"Nolan?", Caden quietly knock on the bathroom door. The answer he got was sickly burp followed by more splattering.

"D-Don't-blah-com' in...", a strained voice echoed back. That's it. Caden ignored the request and opened the door...

And clapped a hand over his mouth to not get overwhelmed be the smell and suppress a gasp of shock. Nolan was hunched over the toilet still standing, gripping the top of the tank with white knuckles. Shirt absolutely drenched outlining every toned muscle of his torso, upright hair pointed all over the place and the blue-ish green eyes showed an emotion the redhead had rarely seen; Fear? Confusion? Definately shocked.

Shaking himself into action, Caden quickly moved to Nolan's side. Hand on his partner's back, he felt the back muscles jolting with abortive heaves.

"Oookay...", Caden helped Nolan onto the floor just in time as another wave of projectile vomit gushed from his lips. Caden swore he started to look a little green.

"Do-Do I need to call The Priest?", Caden winced, frow growing deeper. He rubbed Nolan's back, other hand smoothing stray strands of bleached blond hair off his clammy forehead in an effort to bring some comfort. It hurt Caden's heart watching his boyfriend, his guardian angel, get kicked in the gut by an out of nowhere puke-demon.

The violent wave of sick started to tapper out. Nolan dry heaved a few times and rested his head on his forearms on the dirtied rim of the toilet, panting like he had ran a marathon.

"Oooouuuu", he groaned with no voice left after purging. Caden rested his plam over Nolan's forehead.

"Hmm...I don't feel a fever", he stated.

"Nah, not a virus", Nolan breathed out," M'fine. Food poisoning just~ ", he wrapped his arm tightly around his midsection and heaved a trickle of puke.

"Well, good to know, but you still seem pretty bad", Caden continued gently massaging Nolan's shoulders, "You must be getting dehydrated by now".

Nolan whimpered and pushed himself away from the mess. Caden reached to flush the toilet and held back a gag as the dirty water whirled out of sight.

"Hey,Feel any better?", he asked softly. Nolan nodded slowly.

"Bit nauseous still. But think I'm done, for now", he swallowed and allowed Caden to lean him back against the tiled wall. The touch of cold through his sweat-soaked shirt made Nolan shiver. Yet it felt so good. Even without fever, the warm, humid air didn't exactly aid the warm, queasy feeling shifting in his stomach.

"I feel discusting", Nolan moaned.

"I believe", Caden unrolled some toilet paper and handed the wad to him. Nolan lazily mopped the strings of sick off his chin, threw it into the toilet and hugged his knees, eyes squeezed shut. He could finally take a breath, a deep, shaky breath. Caden patted his arm lightly.

"It's okay, Nolan", he assured. "I'll go get you some water, yeah? Do you need anything else?".

"M'good", Nolan was fiddling with the bottons of his shirt. The task seemed difficult with such shaky firgers. Caden offered to help and quickly worked them open.

"There we go. Let's get you into something more comfortable, too", he glanced at his poorly boyfriend once more before leaving to fetch the supplies.

And as soon as Caden was out of the room, he was again startled by sounds of merciless puking. Wanting to go back, he decited agaist it. Nolan must definately need water after being so sick. Caden made his way to the kitchen and filled one of Nolan's sportsbottles. The entire time he kept telling himself; "Don't you panic, don't you panic. Nolan needs you right now."

On his way back, Caden stopped to get a fresh set of clothes. A gym t-shirt and sweatshorts should do. They are light and comfortable.

Caden re-entered the bathroom and nearly dropped the things he was holding in shocked. Nolan was doubled over in front of the toilet, crying. He had a wad of toilet paper in one hand, firmly gripping the rim with the other. While tears rolled down his flushed cheeks he slowly moved the wad back and forth on the seat, spreading the vomit around.

"Nolan? What are you doing?", there was a mix of worry and confusion in Caden's voice. Nolan seemed to switch from autopilot to awareness before looking up.

"Mmm-made amess... I cle-hic-clean", he explained hoarsly through sobs; "Don'worry". Nolan looked utterly defeated and not at all up for the task.

Caden sighed, danced around Nolan to the cabinet and pulled out a rag.

"I'll clean it up while you rest", he dropped to Nolan's level. Nolan looked like he wanted to protest but Caden bopped his nose to stop the words.

"It's okay. I might be a little squeamish, but I puke often, it's hell. And I can't exactly carry you if you do deside to wipe yourself unconscious", he said affectionately.

Nolan seemed to get the hint but before neither of them could do anything, his face twisted in pain and he lurched foward, coughing up bile. Caden was quick to pat him on the back. More tears poured from Nolan's eyes and he thumbed them away.

"Shh, you'll be all right. Just let it happen and try to breath, I'm right here".

After several more minutes hacking and gagging Nolan collapsed into Caden's arms, breathing heavy and shallow. Caden held him and rubbed his arm. Nolan was a foot taller and more bulkier build, but at that moment as they sat on the bathroom floor, already gone nose-blind to the smell of sick, he seemed to fit just nicely onto his lap.

"Mr.Becker, I don't feel so good", Nolan mumbled, making Caden chuckle.

"I know. But don't you dare turn into space dust. Want some water?".

"Ye-yes", Nolan answered reluctantly. Caden reached for the bottle and unsrewed the cap. He wet a corner of Nolan's open shirt and used it to his boyfriend's face before bringing the bottle to his parted lips, tilting it just enough for small sips. With each gulp Caden felt Nolan relax and his breathing even out.

"There we go, you good?", he asked when Nolan moved away from the bottle.

"Mmm...tired", Nolan hummed, "Can we go to bed?".

"Of course!", Caden quickly set the water aside and carefully moved out from under him. "Can you get up?".

Nolan pondered a minute, hid his head and held out one hand; "Sorry."

"No problem". Caden grabbed it and the doorframe.

"And up we go". Using the frame as support, he slowly but surely levered both of them off the floor. It wasn't that difficult even. Most people might be deceived by his petit apperence but Caden had suprising hidden streght in him.

He hugged Nolan by the waist while the latter found his footing.

"Good to go?"

"Think so", Nolan let Caden dug under his arm and allowed himself to lean on him quite a bit.

"Let's get you comfy, yea? ".

--

If anyone would walk in at that moment, they might get the wrong idea. Nolan sat at the end of the bed, elbows pinned to his knees, one hand clapped over his mouth, near in tears and just looking generally drained. Caden was on one knee in front of him, biting his lip nervously peering up at his face, Nolan's other hand sandwiched between his own.

"Are you going to throw up?", he broke the silence.

Nolan nodded. He pointed at the small thrash can in the corner. "Ple-Please? I just need to this over with"

Caden moved fast and in no time the container was on Nolan's lap. He clutched it tight as a nauseas burp came screaming out with empty gags and saliva for days. Caden could only hold him and rub a soothing arc across his broad shoulders, all the while whispering soothing words.

Seeing there was nothing left to bring up, he took the thrash can and placed it on the floor.

"I'm sorry your tummy got so upset".

Nolan shook his head. "Not your fault. Tasted funny. And if you're okay...", he trailed off.

"Me? I'm fine, don't worry", Caden hadn't had time to think about himself, but nothing seemed off so far.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just worried about you. Now you just get comfy and rest. And let me take care of you. Okay that shirt needs to go", he rambled as he helped Nolan out of the damp shirt and jean shorts.

"I'll go throw these with the laundry. Here's a clean one", Caden patted the folded shirt next to Nolan and left.

When he came back a minute later, Nolan had managed to fall asleep. He must have been just that tired. A little smile crossesd Caden's lips. There was nothing to smile about in his boyfriend's misfortune, but c'mon, he slept like a baby. Arms outstretched and head tilted much like a toddler.

Quietly tiptoeing to the bathroom and putting on a mask and cloves, Caden was ready to face the toilet seat. It wasn't a huge mess but since Nolan had vomited from a standing height, the rim was splashed. For starters he flushed it again. The gushing of water suddenly sounded very loud and he hoped the other didn't wake up. Didn't seem like it. Good.

-

Caden was finishing up scrubbing, when the suffling of bed sheets and a deep groan could be heard. He rinsed his hands and peeked over to see a very drowsy Nolan sitting up, cradling his bare stomach. He whimpered with a pained grimace crumpled on his face.

Heart melting from sympathy and pity Caden crawled onto the bed and sat up against the headboard;"C'mere".

Nolan dragged himself and sluggishly snuggled up to his small lover. Caden guided his head to rest on his shoulder and began stroking his hair. The sweat and gel had mixed, making it a messy mop, so Caden took to smoothing down complitely. His other hand wordered to Nolan's stomach and rubbed gently. Nolan whined but pulled the hand back when Caden stopped.

"Oh, Does this help?", he obliged. Nolan's abs were rock hard from cramps and strain and it couldn't feel pleasent.

"Aha", Nolan shivered and huddled closer.

"Hey are you cold?". Caden's worry was growing greately. Sure the midday heat had died down since their date but it was still warm and most certainly not chilly.

"A little. Must be some draft. Ouu... hurts", Nolan cried out and broke out in cold sweat.

"Fuck I forgot how bad this feels. Had the stomach flu when I was 7 but that's about it. No upset stomach since then", he recounted.

"Well poor little Nolan", Caden teased and kissed Nolan on the cheek.

"Shut up", Nolan chuckled. Caden was happy to see him cheer up. After a fit of muffled giggling and like some little kids and "oh drop it" and "sorryyy" here and there, Nolan sighed and stared into space all melancholy.

"I guess all those classes and courses and lectures about food safety and foodborne illnesses they had us take weren't for nothing"

"Well what did they they teach you?", Caden was eager to know what was making his very healthy and frankly very protective boyfriend so, so sick yet let him, Caden, stay and care for him.

"Food poisoning or foodborne illness is caused by consuming food products contaminated with bacteria, parasites or other toxins and can range from mild to life-threatening", Nolan started as if he was giving a lecture, "Anyways, I seem to have to deal with the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. The most common and 'harmless' type. Solves itself in a day or two. There's really nothing to do except vomit it out then rest and most importantly stay hyderated", Nolan put great emphasis on the last part. "Meds like Pepto Bismol can also be taken to ease the symptoms".

"So Pepto, more water and naps", Caden counted with his fingers and nodded. He got up to get the medicine and to refill Nolan sportsbottle.

"You can put that on", handed Nolan the t-shirt.

-

Caden found the hot-pink Pepto bottle and brought it to him. Nolan, who now had the shirt on, downed the pink liquid and washed it down with the cold, refressing water. After giving the bottles to Caden, he hummed relieved and laid down on his side, curling up a little.

"Naptime", he informed.

"Okay", Caden smiled warmly and stroke Nolan's messy hair until he was comlitely asleep.

With Nolan comfortable and sleeping, Caden figured there wasn't much to do but wait and hope for the best. He took his laptop from where it was charging, desiting to work on a few papers he had write for university before the summer break started. Before doing so he texted to Jasper:

Caden thanked him and put the phone aside.

He leaned over and pecked a kiss on Nolan's forehead.

"Schlaf gut, mein liebling", he whispered.~♡

☆~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~☆

Ps: also tagging @rachthecool who wanted to see this prompt in action (or a variation)

[northbndtrain]

Hey I'm a late Reven8e watcher and I love your Jack and real Amanda posts. Especially the season by season tracker of their development. I think the slow progression of their relationship and the trust they build over the course is something you don't see a lot on TV nowadays. You mind if I ask what do you think about the couple Amanda and Aidan? At the top of my head they don't seem like a bad couple but he always felt forced into the series to me. And it seemed their bond was never as deep

Hi! Thank you for the compliment, and I am so glad you enjoy the posts! I’m doing a re-watch right now and would like to eventually finally get the S3 and S4 “moments” lists done, too.

You’re absolutely right that the slow burn isn’t often done on TV anymore…hard to believe that up until the end of S4 Jack and Emily hadn’t done anything more than kiss a couple of times.

As frustrating as that sometimes was to watch in real time (and it was so, so frustrating, especially in Season 2, when they had very little interaction), in retrospect I can appreciate the fact that the writers took their time and made their case instead of rushing through the entire romance in the first season and then moving both on to new partners.

Plus, in the end, it worked out – I watched several shows around that time period that didn’t end with my favorite couple getting together, so to have Revenge really follow through with the promise they set up in the pilot four years earlier…that was a real gift.

Ah…Aiden…let me see…obviously, I’m not a fan, but that’s not just because I love Jack and Jack/Amanda. There were other problems with his character that I couldn’t get past.

(This is getting long, so under the cut it goes…)

1. AIDEN’S INTRODUCTION: You mention in your post that he felt forced into the series; that’s how it felt watching in real time, too. All during S1, there was never any mention of Aiden or even a reference made to Emily having had a serious love interest in the past, which makes sense because as far as we’re aware he was never part of creator Mike Kelley’s original vision for the show, but rather an addition that came after the show was renewed.

In a way, Aiden’s introduction was a symptom of the larger problem with S2 – that is, the writers/producers, high on the success of S1, decided over the hiatus to take their original concept, which was so beautiful in its simplicity (woman assumes a false identity to take down the people who betrayed her father), and twist it up into a bunch of unnecessary knots with the introduction of the Initiative, so that suddenly the villains weren’t just the Graysons and their employees, but also previously-unseen members of a larger global conspiracy involving all these other pointless baddies like Trask and Helen Crowley (how pointless? I had to look up both of their names because I couldn’t even remember them, even though they were all over Season 2).

The whole thing felt like sloppy miscalculation, and Aiden was right in the middle, as his tragic backstory involving his sister was tied into the whole Initiative conspiracy.

But what was also annoying was the way his relationship displaced Emily’s relationships with the other men in her life. The big story in S1 was the Jack/Emily/Daniel triangle, with Emily/Nolan’s friendship playing a prominent role as he was the only real partner she had in her revenge plots.

Enter Aiden, who took over Daniel’s place as Emily’s current lover, Jack’s place as her long-lost love interest from the past, and Nolan’s place as her partner-in-crime. It was just too much.

2. AIDEN’S LACK OF DEPTH/CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: However, even though S2 became, in large part, The Aiden Show, he somehow remained underdeveloped as a character with no real life outside of what was going on in Emily’s life.

And I guess one could make the argument that, well, “it’s Emily’s show; of course she would have more development.” Except EVERY other contract character on the show, including all of the other men in Emily’s life – Jack, Daniel, and Nolan – had more of a life outside of her than Aiden did:

Jack: relationships with multiple on-screen family members, two love interests besides Emily (Fauxmanda and Margaux), a job running the Stowaway, a job as a cop, friendships with Nolan and Charlotte

Daniel: relationships with multiple on-screen family members, three love interests besides Emily (Ashley, Sara, and Margaux), a job at Grayson, a job at Margaux’s magazine

Nolan: multiple on-screen love interests, a career as a successful tech wizard, a hacking hobby, friendships with Jack, Declan, and Louise

As a result of their various storylines and relationships, the Jack, Daniel, and Nolan we saw in their final episodes are not the same exact men we met in the pilot – they’ve grown, been damaged, healed, and discovered things about themselves.

But all Aiden ever had was a little backstory (solely to explain how he came to meet Emily at Takeda’s), and a fling with Niko (in S3) that was so brief and pointless that I can’t even remember if it was just a flirtation or if they actually slept together. And I think in one episode we met his mom, maybe?

But that’s it. Everything else about the character was Emily-related – he was involved with the Graysons and Grayson Global because Emily was, he hated Jack because he was jealous of Jack/Emily, he hated Daniel because Daniel mistreated Emily, the only reason he interacted with Nolan was because Nolan was Emily’s BFF…. So, for someone like me who didn’t care for Aiden/Emily, there was even less reason to like his character since he almost didn’t exist outside of her anyway.

3. AIDEN’S CHARACTER FLAWS (OR, “AIDEN SUCKS”): But, you know, even all that above wouldn’t be enough to get me to hate Aiden. Find him annoying, sure. Roll my eyes at him, yes. Fast-forward his scenes, of course. Forget major details about his storyline, all the time.

In the end, it was his behavior and his treatment of the characters I did love that bothered me most of all. He lied to Emily whenever he felt it was in her best interest, and when he lectured or berated her it grated – Jack and Nolan lectured her, too, but the show often had them on a moral high ground that Aiden, as a violent student of revenge himself, could never claim. He also often made bad decisions only to shift the blame onto someone else.

But I found really difficult to get past was his treatment of Jack and Emily in S3 after he found out that Emily had told Jack her real identity. Everything that followed – Aiden lying to Conrad that Jack was the one who tried to kill him (Conrad), which put the lives of both Jack and baby Carl in danger; Aiden breaking into Jack’s home and manipulatively painting himself as the savior who only took the job as Corad’s hitman to give Jack time to leave town and stay away from Emily forever; Aiden having the unmitigated gall to get mad at Emily afterward; and then Aiden threatening Jack again a few episodes later – just had me thinking, “Yeah, Aiden’s the worst. THE WORST.”

And all because he couldn’t stand that Emily told Jack the truth that was her truth to tell to anyone she wanted to tell.

I mean, in a way, as a Jack/Emily fan, I appreciated it on a story level as evidence that Aiden was desperately insecure and jealous when it came to Jack and Emily’s relationship.

But it also just cemented my belief that there was never going to be anything root-worthy or sympathetic about him no matter how much the show tried to hold him up as one of the “good guys.”

4. EMILY/AIDEN’S SHALLOW RELATIONSHIP: You pointed out in your post that Emily and Aiden’s bond never seemed as deep. I agree with you completely. For years, one of the big criticisms of Jack/Emily was from those who said that Jack was in love with a little girl who no longer existed (a myth I debunked here), and those same fans often said in the same breath that Aiden loved the whole/real woman.

Then Barry Sloane (Aiden) came along and did a “Pop on the Pop” interview in S3 where, when asked if he wanted Aiden and Emily to end up together, he said, 

I love working with Emily. I love the chemistry we have onscreen. I love those two characters together. I think Aiden understands her and he’s in love with one part of the woman she is. He doesn’t know Amanda Clarke. He fell in love with Emily Thorne. If she was to show up as that other part of herself, I don’t know if he’d love that other half of Emily.

(Unfortunately, I can’t link to the interview because the link I saved now directs to Amazon for some reason, so everyone reading this is going to have to take me at my word that I wouldn’t make up a quote about a show that was cancelled two years ago.)

I remember being kind of stunned by that quote when I read it, but only because it was so blunt – the sentiment didn’t surprise me because his words were backed up by what we’d seen on screen: there can be no depth to a relationship if one of the people involved only loves one part of the other person and has no interest in the rest, and Aiden clearly had no interest in Amanda Clarke (perhaps thinking, his mind warped by Takeda’s training, that Amanda didn’t exist anymore, or that she was never “real” the way Emily was “real”).

Ultimately, the most layered of Emily’s romances wasn’t her relationship with Aiden, because it wasn’t enough that they simply had a shared background in and driving need for revenge.

It was her relationship with Jack that was the most layered, and that was, interestingly enough, in large part because they spent so much of the series apart, so much of the series denying themselves the opportunity to be together. That time and that push and pull allowed them the space to see and accept ALL of each other. That slow-burn struggle made their eventual union feel earned, real, in a way that Emily/Aiden never did.

Thank you for the ask, and I am sorry it took so long to finish it!