#claire's sab thoughts

[twoheartsoneclara]

i don’t really understand the people who are saying “i guess it makes sense that they’re adapting crooked kingdom before six of crows” girl what if the godfather part ii came before the godfather part i

[goldenhour-goldenboy]

@detectivegordons So I saw you were looking for new youtube channels to check out and boy, do I have some gems for you. I started writing this as a normal ask but it quickly got waaay too long so we’re doing a classic text post + add where I can comfortably link the channels and also the rest of my peeps can check them out if they’re interested. So. Let’s divide and conquer:

Cooking

Bon Appétit (Test Kitchen) - One kitchen. Various series with their own themes and style by a specific cook. We have Claire who does ‘Pastry Chef attempts to do x/y/z’ of snacks and treats (e.g. ‘Pastry Chef attempts to make Gourmet Twizzlers’, ‘Pastry Chef attempts to make Ferrero Rocher’) and it’s a delight to watch her struggle through the process of replicating it as closely as possible. There’s also Brad doing ‘It’s alive’ featuring everything involving Fermentation, basically. The editing on this one is the best. There’s Carla inviting celebrities and doing follow alongs and back to back cooking. Ugh, and so many more, I love them all! 

House Renovations 

Wabi Sab-E - Follow this couple on their journey to renovate and old barn doing everything by themselves - construction, pluming, painting, tiling. It never gets boring due to the faster pace of the video and the really thought out and lovely edit. They’re a cute, genuine couple with two dogs and a cat as far as I can recall and just in general awesome folks.

Madeleine Olivia - Apparently she does lifestyle as well but I only watch her renovating videos. She and her boyfriend (fiance/husband??) bought a very cute cottage and just started remodeling the whole thing. She’s not as knowledgable or skilled as the other channels but watching her talk throughs and bringing bits and pieces together really calms me down.

Three Birds Renovation - Now, this is a professional channel. The three birds are three ladies from Australia renovating whole properties and really glamming up the lots. This isn’t diy it’s full on money and glam but if you want to watch houses getting remodeled and basically almost built from scratch again, this is your channel. They usually take on a house and then upload each room as a separate video. My favorite (as I guess most people’s fav is) is their forever home series where they each do their own houses and really kick it out of the park. Extravaganza. 

Lifestyle

Liziqi - A fairy queen from another realm. Absolute beauty shots of her doing her daily life, ranging from picking wild mushrooms, building a love seat from scratch with bamboo, making her own tools, cooking in a self made stone stove. No dialogue, mainly just music and her occasionally trying to keep the sheep from eating her cabbage. You NEED to watch at least one of her vids, I cannot describe this to you! 

Claire Marshall - Claire makes beautifully edited lifestyle vlogs featuring fashion, travel, reconnecting with her past, her cat, make up, drafting/doodling or just life and her thoughts on it in general. She has a much more calmer vibe which I personally prefer to a louder and up beat video personality and her flow, aesthetic and visual presentation really drew me in.

Grackle - A cute little every day vlogger from England. Nothing fancy, nothing out of the box, just plain good and old vlogging and following her around. She’s an absolute dork, a gentle soul and I find her family very funny and relating, lol.

Damon & Jo - They used to do a lot of travel vlogs and I mainly followed them because of their older videos, now they’re both kinda doing their own thing but they’re still great, still traveling the world on a low budget. They’re very very talented when it comes to languages and I find them going on adventures in foreign countries highly amusing. 

Eve Cornwell - Eve is a soon to be proper lawyer currently finishing her masters degree (I think?? I need to catch up on her, lol). She drinks too much coffee, is a relatable student who struggles through her workload and shows you what it takes to get that law degree. Also her editing is just *chef kisses* super cute.

Booktube

Paperbackdreams - I just saw a few of her vids bc I’m mainly not that much into booktube but her video about after just had me snorting all the way through so maybe you enjoy that. Also, a very small curly haired bean.

LilyCReads - Lily got famous for her rant videos and I just love how she picks apart shitty plots. Mainly, because she swears a lot. But she also has a series of her reading the Harry Potter books for the first time and I quite enjoyed them. Simple, very entertaining. 

Readwithcindy - Only watched a few of her videos but I love her style and her vibe a lot. Also, she has the same favorite books as I do so ... maybe that’s a reason as well. Oh, yeah. And we share the depression part and I can relate on t h a t.

Movie Commentary

Dylan is in Trouble - Basically a dude watching our favorite chick flicks, guilty pleasure or teenage obsession shows and comments on them. That’s it. That’s the whole content. He started a series where he was watching the cringiest shows and see how much he could take and it basically evolved from that to .. watching movies and commenting/ranting/questioning various parts that we all questioned. 

Alex Meyers - Alex comments on shows and sums up weird stories very well and he does so with the help of animation. Basically, he’s an artist making fun of weird shows but it’s very light hearted and mostly not ill intended. Also, his animations feature his dog so if that doesn’t get you selling idk what does. 

Trin Lovell - She’s like Dylan. But female. And asian. And much more energetic but just as funny (if not even more). Also, way more edited and dramatic but I like it. So, yeah, a movie commentary channel watching everything from Twilight to Riverdale, lol. 

Art

Emily Artiful - I mainly followed her because of her Sketchbook Storytime videos where she draws and chats/rants to her viewers at the same time and it’s not only beautiful but highly amusing as well. Love her presence and her way of telling a story and getting riled up about it. 

Documentary/Personal

Max Joseph - I know, it’s the guy from Catfish but hear me out. He’s got like 2 vids up where he really took the time and effort and met with very interesting peeps. One of the videos is about if you need to be an asshole to make it as a director in the movie industry. The other one is book related, how to read more books and such and I found them highly intriguing and fascinating! He doesn’t have that many videos yet but those two are like an hour long so grab a snack, sit back and enjoy! 

Film Analysis/Video Essays

Now, those are channels focusing on movie analysis and explaining shots and film for you and why we, as the audience, feel a certain way because we’ve been set up. So if you’re interest in that (I LOVE those) that might be your niche. They’re mostly doing the same thing so I’m just gonna link their channels down below! 

Lessons from the Screenplay

Nerdwriter1

Sideways

Tyler Mowery

Let me know if you knew any of those already or if you liked any of them! :) 

[mfackenthal]

MFackenthal Reviews - TRR

@likethetailofacomet

https://likethetailofacomet.tumblr.com/post/178641518985/master-list

The Broken Bits: Series: Bastien is retiring.  Can he now be with the love of his life?  Will Drake and Claire help him find his love

@whenyourheartskipsabeat

Masterlist: https://whenyourheartskipsabeat.tumblr.com/post/184314862013/welcome-to-my-world-this-is-my-masterlist-im-an

Fate Intertwined https://whenyourheartskipsabeat.tumblr.com/post/184440749378/heres-chapter-5-a-little-earlier-than-expected: In this series, Liam meets the love of his life before Leo abdicates.  When his life is upended, will he be able to have his happily-ever-after?  Come find out and see Drake come through from Liam time and time again.

All is Fair https://whenyourheartskipsabeat.tumblr.com/post/184416458418/an-hi-everyone-ive-decided-this-is-the-last: Come see how this series ended.  Does Liam get a happily-ever-after?

A Twist in the Tale: Liam announces his truth to everyone FINALLY!

@elles-choices

Sweethearts (Chapter 6) https://elles-choices.tumblr.com/post/184437012524/sweethearts-chapter-6-trr-liam-x-mc:  Liam was an idiot as a teenager.  He was still the man we love at his core, but he cared too much about public opinion. This cost him the love of his life. Can he win her back or will life keep them apart? 

@speedyoperarascalparty

We’re Enough Part 3: Love and Support: https://speedyoperarascalparty.tumblr.com/post/184414641108/were-enough-part-3-love-and-support: Drake and Pam are having trouble getting pregnant and their squad rallies around them.  A reminder that you are enough.  It’s beautiful and you should read it.

Truth and Lies https://speedyoperarascalparty.tumblr.com/post/184147063743/truths-and-lies: Drake and Anitah think their significant others are cheating on them – with each other!  Come see their shenanigans.

Born Into Darkness https://speedyoperarascalparty.tumblr.com/post/183782629393/born-into-darkness-chapter-6-the-arrangement: A dark but beautiful fic about Madelaine and why she is who she is. 

@ownworldresident

The Mark: chapter 7: The Cause: https://ownworldresident.tumblr.com/post/184411903004/the-mark-chapter-7-the-cause: Liam has in custody the woman who tried to kill him.  He is very attracted to this woman.  This woman has answers that he needs.  The cabinet wants to know Liam is safe and wants answers.  How will Liam handle the pressure?

Side by Side: Chapter 13 Honesty https://ownworldresident.tumblr.com/post/183867841064/side-by-side-chapter-13-honesty: A cliffhanger of an episode … Liam and Rayne really need to talk … but what about?  Catch up and whine for more with me.

@debramcg1106

Tell Me What you Want https://debramcg1106.tumblr.com/post/184399673239/tell-me-what-you-want: Come learn why Liam cries wolf and almost gets Drake in trouble. 

@umccall71

Good Goodbye https://umccall71.tumblr.com/post/184360631927/charactersprince-liam-x-mc-lady: Olivia’s best friend from college comes to visit.  Liam is already smitten.  So is Saige. Come see the sweet innocence before the upcoming storm.

@silviasutton1989

TTK Chapter 21 part 1 “Mad” https://silviasutton1989.tumblr.com/post/184377878383/ttk-ch-21-part-1-mad: Liam loves Olivia but also believes she tried to kill him.  Come enjoy the drama of it all!

@boneandfur

Fluffernutter (N*FW): https://boneandfur.tumblr.com/post/184356704459/fluffernutter-nfw: let’s just say if there’s an innuendo around PB&J, it’s in use in this delighful fic

@ao719

The Return Series: https://ao719.tumblr.com/post/178163456921/masterlist-series-fate-liam-x-mc: This series is especially for those who don’t really love Riley. Come fall in love with someone who is truly right for Liam. Your heart will break, but I also promise a happy ending.

@lolablackwrites

Guarded Hearts Series https://lolablackwrites.tumblr.com/fanficmasterlist: Alice (MC) meets and falls in love with Bastien first.  Will Bastien be able to compete against the rest of the TRR crew? Get ready for love, romance, drama, and so much more!

@choicesbyjade

Late Night Confessions https://choicesbyjade.tumblr.com/post/184155061657/late-night-confessions: When Olivia finds Drake outside looking at the stars, admissions are made.

Blue https://choicesbyjade.tumblr.com/post/183969202906/blue: Leo struggles in a marriage with a too-distant wife.  A letter from Hana is just so sweet.

@hopefulmoonobject and @ownworldresident

Something Unexpected Series Latest chapter: https://hopefulmoonobject.tumblr.com/post/184334049983/something-unexpected Liam still hasn’t admitted to the woman he loves that he is the King.  She’s about to meet his friends.  Check out how the initial meeting goes.

@bobasheebaby

Hankering for Chee-zee Bread https://bobasheebaby.tumblr.com/post/184279860713/pairing-liam-x-bailey-x-drake-athena-x: If you know what Chee-zee bread is, then you know why it’s wanted.  If you don’t – come learn about it. 

Want You to Want Me – Falling for You Chapter 4 https://bobasheebaby.tumblr.com/post/183942041018/want-you-to-want-me-nsw-falling-for-you: This is Olivia with Bastien … a pairing I never would have thought about but @bobasheebaby made me fall in love with. Sigh.

@fluffy-marshmallow-heart

Drake’s Diary ch. 28 – Coney Island: https://fluffy-marshmallow-heart.tumblr.com/post/184271285666/drakes-diary-ch28-coney-island: It’s exactly what you think it is and if you love Drake, you need to read it.  If you don’t love Drake – come find out why the rest of us do.

@tornbetween2loves

My Heart Torn Apart https://tornbetween2loves.tumblr.com/post/177628304621/my-heart-torn-apart: Why choose between Drake and Liam when you can have them both?  And why is watching them together soooo hot?

@hopefulmoonobject

Secrets: What’s Done In the Dark: https://hopefulmoonobject.tumblr.com/post/184224102983/what-is-done-in-the-dark: Leo’s mother has left behind clues to the truth of his past.  Can Leo find and handle the truth?  Will it lead to a more grown up/mature Leo if he does?

@larryssunflower

The Line https://larryssunflower.tumblr.com/post/183904047398/the-line-drake-x-mc-part-one-characters: Drake owns a bar.  Liam is a father of a 6 year old, but I don’t think he knows that yet … read this and beg for more with me.

@laniquelovewrites

Lessons in Driving: https://laniquelovewrites.tumblr.com/post/180664067478/lessons-in-driving I may have had a small influence in this fic and so every once in a while I go back and read it because it’s amazing and I love it.  Read it and laugh at Maxwell with me!

@theroyalweisme

Duties of a Prince – Chapter 34: https://theroyalweisme.tumblr.com/post/183658887923/duties-of-a-prince-chapter-34-leo-x-liam-x-mc  Haha, remember when you called this a little AU @theroyalweisme?  34 chapters later … find out just how awesome I am (Megan) and come see Sab and Leo “pretend” to be in love.

@captain-kingliamsqueen

Falling Deeper in Love Series: https://captain-kingliamsqueen.tumblr.com/post/183574728626/falling-deeper-in-love-until-we-meet-again: King Liam meets a fashion designer who can fulfill more of his needs than just his need for a tux.  

[studious-kiddo]

A List of Asian music artists/bands (but mostly Asian American)

Just organizing my notes on my phone and thought I’d share! Includes commentary/notes that no one asked for! Feel free to add! (But I’m excluding The Big Three (Japanese Breakfast, Mitski, Jay Som), 88rising and k-pop in general):

I haven’t been keeping up-to-date, but shout out to Boston talent:

-Really From: jazz/math rock/punk/pop? sound, includes vocalist/keyboardist Michi Tassey (half-Japanese) & vocalist/guitarist Chris Lee-Rodriguez (half Chinese, half Puerto Rican). Signed to Topshelf so you know they’re good :~)

-Paper Citizen: indie rock project of vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Claire Gohst (Singaporean), who is also part of the lgbt community! And works w/ Lysten Agency, and all the agency’s artists are gr8 soOo

-Honey Cutt: dreamy surf rock three piece band. They’re passing by the city so gotta go see them but I got finals!! ah! Features Chris Chew on the drums & he has a great aesthetic; he’s a graphic designer too and has his own solo project that’s v pink.

-Mint Green: four? piece pop punk band; saw them live at the Great Scott and was the highlight of my otherwise v boring summer tbh. Includes Daniel Huang on the drums; he wore a Paramore shirt at the concert i went to which was Cool 

-Magic Man: ??? do they still exist? But shout out to Sam Lee!

********

Indie pop & rock cause I don’t know the difference lmao:

-No Vacation: Bedroom pop? Also signed to Topshelf lol. Includes front woman/guitarist Sab Mai (her voice is smooth like butter), bassist Marisa Saunders, and keyboardist Nat Lee. Nat signed a poster for me and her signature has a panda bear doodle in it. Love!

-Ginger Root: Indie pop, kinda funky, very summery. Led by Cameron Lew!! 

-Hana Vu: Singer-songwriter-producer all-around Cool gal (Korean & Vietnamese). Indie rock/pop? i think.

-Mellow Fellow: very mellow lmao! Synths, chill. Solo-project of Polo Reyes (Filipino).

-SALES: Indie pop, light & breezy. A duo that includes Jordan Shih on the guitar/programming! 

-Crumb: Jazzy, indie rock. Fronted by Lila Ramani (Indian-American). Four piece band went to Tufts soOooooooo Boston-based at one point? :~)

-i///u: “neo-soul”. Features drummer Billy Wu and keyboardist Jason Chan.

-Phum Viphurit: neo-soul & indie rock! Thai singer-songwriter.

-Strawberry Generation: indie diy? pop. Features vocalist/guitarist Luk Yean (Singaporean) and vocalist/keyboardist Valerie Zhu.

-Art School Jocks: “existential basement pop.”  Their website is down so I’ll update later ig, but I know that two members are Asian, just forget which ones yike

-Sobs: indie pop! Singaporean band.

-Superorganism: Fun Internet pop band. The lead vocalist Orono Noguchi (Japanese) likes Goodnight Moon ASMR so yes. Also includes backing vocalist/choreographer Soul/Earl Ho (Korean).

-Tangerine: Indie rock three piece band! Featuring sisters Marika and Miro Justad (half-Korean).

-Kero Kero Bonito: fronted by Sarah Midori Perry (half-Japanese). Pop! But now a little more rock with her newer stuff? Anthony Fantano gave her albums good ratings if that means anything lmao

-beabadoobee: indie, acoustic-y, kinda soft and sad lol. Project of Bea Regner (Filipino).

-Sunset Rollercoaster 落日飛車 : Taiwanese band. Soul, chill.

-Ruru: Solo project of Denice Quimbo (Filipino). Bedroom/dream pop but also jazzy-ish.

-SASAMI: dream pop, lo-fi, indie rock, all that cool stuff. Project of Sasami Ashworth (half-Korean). She was in Cherry Glazerr at some point too!

-corner club: indie duo, jazzy but also folksy, cute songs? Acoustic guitar. Everyone needs to listen to ‘em!!!!

-Say Sue Me: South Korean indie surf-rock band.

-Miya Folick: Indie pop! Half-Japanese singer-songwriter.

-Haley Heyndrickx: Indie folk singer-songwriter (Filipino-American). Lots of guitar.

-Lucite Tokki: Korean duo. Indie/synth pop. 

-Dama Scout: Indie rock trio fronted by Eva Liu (vocals & guitar). 

-CHAI: Japanese indie pop band. Super catchy!

********

R&B:

-Raveena Aurora: Indian-American singer-songwriter. Voice is smooooth & she is a Queen.

-SATICA: Project of singer-songwriter April Nhem (Cambodian-American).

-cehryl: One-woman show (Chinese). V chill.

-RINI: Filipino-Australian singer-songwriter.

-Sam Rui: Singaporean singer-songwriter. Some soul too!

-Joy Crookes: Half-Bengali singer-songwriter. Amy Winehouse 2.0!?!??!

-Joyce Wrice: Half-Japanese singer-songwriter.

-Jeff Bernat: Filipino-American singer-songwriter. Sometimes raps!

-Alextbh: Queer Malaysian pop and r&b artist. Him and Sam Rui collabed on a song! V chill.

********

Pop:

-Rina Sawayama: Japanese-British singer-songwriter, Dancing Queen & Icon!

-Yuna: R&B sometimes too! Malaysian singer-songwriter and guitarist.

-Sophia Black: pop and r&b! Half-Japanese singer-songwriter.

-Lexie Liu: Mandopop & rap/r&b. Cool stuff!

********

Electro-Pop:

-Sundial: pop duo featuring Dorothy Chan (Chinese) and Jisu Kim (Korean).  Cute stuff! They do some really nice YouTube covers and they both went to Berklee so they were Boston-based for a bit :~)

-khai dreams: idk his name, but khai dreams (half-Vietnamese) is a one-man show! Soundcloud vibes, like the lo-fi, Anime Study Beats side of it. I went up to him after one of his shows to be like “when’re you coming thru NY again?” and he misheard me and was like “i don’t work here” and i just walked away because anxiety yikes

-ÊMIA: Anh Le’s project! Idk when i’ll post this, but she just released a new song and it’s on my morning commute playlist lol.

-Manila Killa: V electronic. Project of producer Chris Gavino (Filipino). I first saw him in an interview with sidewalk talk (Asian-led interview series! And a really good one; def check it out!) and he seems like a really cool guy!

-Yaeji: Not really pop ig lol. Korean-American electronic musician.

********

Math Rock:

-Elephant Gym: Taiwanese band. Also kinda funky/jazzy! And also signed to Topshelf lmao. A fave right now; i have their audiotree live session on repeat as study music!

-Covet: Fronted by Yvette Young, who plays guitar and holy crap! So talented!

-Tricot: Japanese all-girl band signed to Topshelf :~) 

********

YouTube talent:

-Conan Gray: half-Japanese singer-songwriter. Indie pop, a King.

-mxmtoon: half-Chinese singer-songwriter, ukuleleist. Cute tunes.

-Louie Zong: his tunes! are so cute! and funky! Also went to tufts so…boston?!?!?

-Mabel Ye: love! her! ah! She collabed with Louie so that was like a better crossover than infinity war ever was.

*********

Non-ballad sounding Chinese groups that I’m hoping will help me learn the Mother Tongue:

-Frande: Indie rock? Idk! But they sing slow enough that my brain can sometimes process their words lmao

-Astro Bunny: borderline ballad LOL.

- 老王樂隊: upbeat indie folk? Idk!

-my little airport: cute! But my canto is even worse than my mando :~(

********

Misc:

-Xiu Xiu: the fave! Includes Angela Seo.

-Boys Age: kind of like Richie Woods.

-Ian Chang: he’s a drummer!

[twoheartsoneclara]

hands down best shot in the season though was when kaz was silhouetted in front of the stained glass like hello further saint imagery

[twoheartsoneclara]

i think the problem that i have with sab’s plotlines for the crows in season 2 is that it’s not just that they took events from crooked kingdom but it’s that they literally took the climax of crooked kingdom and removed it from its context and expected it to work. 

and they put it in the first half of a season and then gave the crows an admittedly interesting but not very special adventure to go on the second half.  the plotline of them fetching the sword is entirely superfluous in nature (the only concrete character moments resultant is of their visions via hallucination).  kaz’s entire character arc from the soc duology is reduced to a precursor to a plotline that doesn’t even really affect the main storyline.  more than that, kaz’s revenge on pekka is contextless of the attempt both of them have at the ice court to pull off the heist.  “brick by brick” means little to nothing when kaz is able to accomplish everything so easily, without all the other obstacles that the heist + van eck + literally everything else that goes wrong for them and yet he’s still able to pull off the firepox scam + threatening Pekka’s son.

jesper’s ability to manipulate metal is similarly just like.  not a problem for him.  the reveal that he has those abilities and his progression of skill is admittedly very cool and fun to watch but his curving the bullet was just as much a part of the twist as everything else was at the auction in crooked kingdom. 

similarly, inej going off on the ship to hunt slavers is such a big part of the ending to crooked kingdom.  kaz and inej’s relationship is an integral part of that moment in the books, and they are secure enough in who they are to each other, whereas here they are left in the precarity of “i will have you without armor” which y’know.  happens a full book prior to the events at the end of crooked kingdom. 

even wesper - who are completely adorable, don’t get me wrong - are together almost immediately.  even excusing the fact that wylan is there at all instead of being introduced for the ice court heist, they already know each other’s main secret (namely jesper being able to manipulate metal, and wylan not knowing how to read).  the only thing that haven’t yet revealed is wylan’s origin as a van eck. 

what is at least somewhat good about this is what they’re going to explore as a result of having already wrapped up those storylines, and could potentially result in something interesting.  they’re clearly trying to explore who kaz is without vengeance (and have made the interesting move to make pekka an enemy of matthias’, which is actually quite fascinating and something i’m legitimately excited to see more of), and inej’s journey will make it all the more interesting if she still decides to leave that life and come back to help kaz and the other crows with the heist, and...idk what they can do with jesper’s newfound embrace of his ability.  there doesn’t seem to be any struggle left there to be had.

but the fact remains that these storylines were rushed, and stripped of their context.  i know that the status of netflix shows getting renewed or not is always going to be hit and miss, and that they needed to give the characters journeys to go on.  but couldn’t they have picked different journeys that aren’t the culmination of two full 500+ page books.  now even if they do get the chance to adapt those whether in the same show (ugh) or as a spinoff, the storylines won’t be effective.  the six of crows duology worked because it was just as much a character book as it was a plot book.  things were revealed the audience when it was necessary, and as the external stakes heightened, so did the personal stakes for the characters, and as we learned more about the characters, they became figures that we wanted to root for even more, as we learned about their drive and their stubborness and intelligence and fears and nastiness.  it worked because the triumph of the plot was also a triumph of the characters over all that they had feared and achieved their ultimate goals.  now we have the end result of that but none of the journey that brought us there.

of course if they’d just gone straight to a six of crows series this wouldn’t have happened in the first place but i guess we just stay losing

[twoheartsoneclara]

actually i’m obssessed with the part where kaz throws a knife at someone during the fight with the dregs.  obviously he could have leaned it on his own but the idea of him learning how to throw a knife from inej is everything to me

[twoheartsoneclara]

you know what is so so good?

how even without saying it, kaz’s “you, inej.  you.” thought was utterly palpable.  now that’s what i call acting.

[twoheartsoneclara]

anyways since the firepox plague fakeout happens in shadow and bone season 2, i guess matthias is going to be alive and well at the end of the events of crooked kingdom 👍

[twoheartsoneclara]

so funny to me that the crows are just standing in the background at the darkling’s funeral, every single one of them looking like this 😐😐😐.  wylan’s never even met the guy.

[twoheartsoneclara]

also funniest thing of sab was it never showed nikolai receiving any treatment for his shoulder injury and he never changed out of the jacket so we can just assume he’s just walking around with an open wound for no reason. 

[twoheartsoneclara]

OKAY now onto some sab series specific things i liked/other thoughts

i didn’t mind so much how they just kind of said “fuck siege and storm” because so little happened in that book that actually mattered.  combining siege and storm and ruin and rising actually worked out fairly well, especially given that they are totally changing alina’s fate (from kind of just fucking off to nowhere in the books vs continuing a descent into darkness in the public eye with a continued alliance/engagement(?) to nikolai)

i did miss the scene in the church with her and the darkling though :/

i did not miss the bogged-down apparat/saints storyline from the books though thank goodness.  though i was kind of surprised he showed up again at all i truly thought they were just like fuck this guy.  but i guess since it seems that their next move is going to be adapting the events of king of scars etc. they probably have to bring him back to bring back the darkling.  so that will be fun.

nikolai was so fun.  love that guy, and patrick gibson did a really nice job. interesting that they kept him present for all the main action and not as one of the shadow monsters but like.  that’s also going to completely change the entire atmosphere for the beginning of the king of scars thing.  which might be good because that book kind of sucked.  but it also might be another hot mess.  who knows!

genya and david are my everything and tbh im mad that they killed him off (or at least suggested it, but there was no body and i’m a david is alive truther)

baghra being like “yeah my guy you suck” to her son felt weirdly out of left field even though it makes total sense.  i don’t think there was ever a moment of on-screen realization that we saw her behave any differently towards him than she did even towards alina or for that matter, any other character.  her swap over happens in the books too and obviously he was colossally terrible towards her in the show, but she never really seemed phased by anything even when in pain.  it might partly be an acting problem but i’m more inclined to also think of it as a directing problem.  those are somewhat intertwined generally so it’s hard to tell.

i truly think they managed to pull off making the darkling sympathetic, perhaps even more sympathetic than in the books.  i was sitting there like damn why can’t our heroes be on his side.  ben barnes carried

also i actually lowkey loved how mal and alina didn’t get together and that mal actually replaced nikolai as sturmhond.  that’s an adaptational change that had complexity, and along with alina having the dark cut, has made for a route that promises to have more of the complexity missing from the adaptation of siege and storm + ruin and rising that they did.  plus, it lends a fun little “dread pirate roberts” quality to sturmhond and i really liked the bond nikolai and mal had.  and now mal gets to find out who he is and re-establish his sense of identity separately from alina, which will be nice.