#cpm rewatch

[hopetofantasy]

Culture, parallels & meta - S3 E3

Zaterdag 08:10

Perfect parallel: An upset Robbe being little spoon to Noor this episode, him being a relaxed little spoon to Sander in the last one.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Moyo has half eaten wafers cookies on his bed. Between the cellphone time and timestamp, it took Robbe five minutes to get dressed and to the beach. The beautiful angel pendant makes its first appearance.

Bonus: This cinematography trick of using a wide shot with nobody else in the sight, makes us actually feel how lonely Robbe actually is. 

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Zaterdag 08:23

C is for culture: “Vamanos” - As you may have noticed, Flemish has a lot of words that aren’t typically Dutch. These are called ‘leenwoorden’ (= ‘borrowing words’). In some cases, the language has made the word its own, with their conjugation or sound (like barbecue - barbecuet - or e-mail - ge-e-maild), other times the expression is copied completely (like smartphone or laptop). There are various reasons as to why people don’t want to change it: globalization, wanting to be more vague/cool, general laziness, ...

Perfect parallel: 

Sander’s playful “Are you the manager?” and “That’ll be zero stars on Booking.com” to Robbe when they meet in this episode, Sander’s sheepish “Zero stars on Booking.com” and Robbe’s pointed “Where is that manager when you need him?”, when they have their fall-out in a later episode. 

Sander saying “When I booked this room, I explicitly asked for room-service” here and him actually booking a room with room-service for the both of them later on.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Jens’ keyboard is lying on top of the closet. Sander grabbing his keys (to his car?).

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Zaterdag 08:44

C is for culture: The option to use self-scanning is pretty common in Belgian supermarkets, especially in shop-and-go city stores. You pick up the scanner, scan the stuff you buy, go to a counter, pay and walk out with your groceries. A sales assistant is still present to help out with problems or do random routine checks. It’s fast, easy and cost-efficient. The downside? Shoplifting becomes a bit easier this way.

That’s character: Sander is putting up a ‘cool guy, devil may care’ facade. He jokes about not scanning everything, dismisses Amber’s list, whirls the shopping cart around and sings David Bowie to this boy. He wants to make a lasting impression on Robbe. If he’s the most charming, chaotic and adventurous version of himself, then he doesn’t have to think about other stuff like his own crumbling relationship. (Also the reason why he doesn’t answer the question about Amber: they simply met through Britt). As the boxes fall down, so does Sander’s tough exterior, as he never intended to hurt Robbe by playing around in the supermarket.

Robbe’s clumsiness meter: +3, he almost topples off the cart twice and drops the chocolate bars on the floor. (The crash with Sander isn’t his fault though)

Oopsie: 

Sander is wearing a leather jacket, but we don’t see it in the previous clip. Either he left it in his car or it’s an ‘oopsie’.

When Sander accidentally tosses Robbe into the boxes, we hear glass breaking. However, in the next shot, the boxes seem to empty (and they were supposed to be filled with chips, which don’t make that sound).

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Sander is wearing black Converse. They bought Jupiler beer. Robbe pulls out ‘Delhaize’ Biscuit chocolate bars and Florentin cookies.

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Zaterdag 13:13

C is for culture: "Croques” - The word ‘croque’ is an abbreviation for ‘croque monsieur’ (= ‘crunch mister’). These are grilled ham-and-cheese sandwiches, a typical greasy snack at taverns, markets, carnivals, your home, ... Other versions include the ‘croque madame’ topped with a fried egg, ‘croque bolognese’ with bolognese sauce, ‘croque hawai’ with a pineapple slice.

That’s character: It’s clear that Robbe has no idea how to eat properly. All throughout the season he eats unhealthy breakfasts (choco spread with cookies), snacks (chips, cookies) and dinners (Aïki noodles, frozen lasagna). But here we see the reason: he doesn’t seem to know how to cook or work a stove. Exactly why he buys prepackaged or instant food options. So, it’s probably for the best that Zoë helps out his eating habits.

Perfect parallel:

Robbe making an unhealthy breakfast in the previous episode, Sander providing him with an unhealthy snack in this one. (The way to a man’s heart is through the stomach)

Britt’s condescending “Listening to David Bowie again?” in this episode, her calling Robbe his next obsession similar to David Bowie later on. 

Sander’s “Do you know where I can find the coffee?” to Robbe in an earlier scene and his “Was coffee on the list?” to Amber here.

Robbe’s clumsiness meter: +2, he stumbles backwards after Sander touches his shoulder and burns himself after turning the ‘croque’.

Nod to the OG: This kitchen scene is the equivalent of the ‘5 fine frøkner’ scene, as Sander sings his favorite song to Robbe and makes breakfast, whilst both flirt with each other (subtly).

Oopsie: They supposedly went to ‘Delhaize’ for all their groceries, but the ketchup bottle comes from ‘Carrefour’ and the butter from ‘Colruyt’. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Sander messes up the first words to ‘Under Pressure’ - it’s ‘pressure’ not ‘under pressure’. He mixes the weed with tobacco for his joint. The conflict on Sander’s face at the end.

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Zondag 16:34

C is for culture: "What kind of shit question is this?” - They’re playing ‘De Slimste Mens ter wereld’ (= ‘The smartest human on earth’), a board game by the popular Flemish television show with the same name. The quiz is very challenging. People have to solve associative, general knowledge and out-of-the-box questions with multiple answers in different rounds. Points are awarded in the form of seconds, which are used during the game. The candidate with time left at the end, wins.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: The group is drinking white wine out of plastic cups. Sander studied at ‘de!Kunsthumaniora’, the same school as Noor. Sander’s wearing his combat boots again.

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Maandag 15:12

C is for culture: Aaron is wearing a bunny costume for the paintball game ‘Hunt the bunny’. This is usually played by people on a bachelor party or a corporate team building (with the groom/boss as the bunny). The goal is simple: the bunny has to cross the field from one corner to another, whilst the hunters shoot as much paintballs as possible to ‘kill’ it. Which is... rather painful, especially at close range. 

Oopsie: What they’re doing is actually illegal or even impossible. People aren’t allowed to play paintball in protected environments, like dunes. Unless they’re doing it with a specialized organization who’s trained for these games (and are present at the time of playing) or have the written permission from the ‘Agency of Nature and Forest’, the police, the city, ... There is a whole heap of permissions, administrative papers and laws to deal with. 

Lost in translation: Britt saying “Doe normaal” (= “Act normal”) has nothing to do with her dismissing Sander’s mental health. This Flemish phrase is often used to calm people down, telling them that they’re acting rather irrationally or childish. It’s an angry way of saying “Can’t you behave yourself? Calm down. What are you doing? Be rational!”. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: The blue and red flags tells us that they’re going to play ‘capture the flag’. Some of the ‘pfff’ gun sounds you hear, indicate that the air pressure needs to be checked. Moyo took off his protection mask, which is dangerous and sometimes considered a foul during the game.

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Dinsdag 20:02

C is for culture: "Do you know how to make s’mores?” - Toasting marshmallows above a campfire, isn’t really a tradition in Belgium. So that’s why the girls don’t know how to make s’mores. 

Lost in translation: ’Smoor’ is a Flemish dialect word for smoke or the act of smoking. It does sound a lot like ‘s’mores’. This is why Luca thinks Aaron wants to hold the marshmallow into the fire. 

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: Of course Robbe had nothing to lose with Noor, he wasn’t actually interested in her. With Sander, however, Robbe doesn’t dare to do anything.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Aaron is drinking ‘Bock’ beer. Amber looks at Aaron like she really likes him, when he’s preparing the s’mores.

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Woensdag 20:42

C is for culture: 

“An old german bunker” - The province of West-Flanders as well as its coast still has a lot of remnants left from WWI. From German bunkers to trench-networks, burial sites and museums, the 'Great war’ left its traces. Unsurprisingly, every year, people still find around 300 tons of (active) bombs underneath the fields.

“Around ‘All Souls’ Day’ they come back to life” - ‘All Souls’ Day’ is a christian holiday on the 2nd of November, on which the dead are commemorated. However, since that day isn’t an official holiday in Belgium, people visit the graves and honor of their loved ones on the 1st of November, ‘All Saint’s Day’. 

The group drinking ‘jenever’ shots - ‘Jenever’ (known in English as ‘Dutch gin’ or ‘genever’) is a traditional liquor in Belgium and the Netherlands. Young people usually drink these colored, high percentage spirits at Christmas markets, pre-drinks or parties when it’s cold outside. Different flavors include vanilla, chocolate, berries, lemon, apple, ...

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: The wooden panel behind Jens says ‘Volg de pijlen’ (= ‘Follow the arrows’). Aaron and Amber are holding hands after their fall. Robbe downs a chocolate-cream ‘jenever’ shot at the end. 

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Woensdag 21:53

Perfect parallel: Robbe lashing out at his friends in this episode - he feels left out and confused about his sexuality - and blames the pranks. Him doing the same in the next - he thinks his friends are hypocrites by saying homophobic comments to him yet defending the gay teacher - and blames the vlogs. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: The second living room has a spinning disco light.

°

Donderdag 21:12

C is for culture:

“In dat jeugdhuis” - A ‘jeugdhuis’ (= ‘youth house’) is a meeting place, run by young volunteers. All teens and young adults are welcome to hang out, throw parties, drink at their bar, organize concerts, attend workshops - just making the space their own. 

“He sounded like a begging Romanian” - Luca is referring to Romanian Romani families, who roam around in the streets of Brussels begging for some money. These ethnic groups have a mostly negative image amongst the Europeans. Which is why she states this harsh and hurtful comparison.

Perfect parallel: Noor asking Robbe for a playlist so she can listen to his favorite songs here, Sander actually making a Bowie playlist for Robbe in the next episode.

Lost in translation: Luca is mocking the West-Flemish dialect by copying what the boy said, namely “Moe’en julder ok ‘n flyer ‘ennen?”. This dialect is known for blowing their ‘g’ and ‘h’ so that they sound similar, conjugating their 'yes’ or ‘no’, having double subjects, seemingly swallowing some letters, among other things. It’s one of the most confusing and difficult dialects for the Flemish to understand themselves.

Oopsie: When Aaron asks Amber if she needs a drink, Britt and Sander are dancing right behind him. When she answers and walks away, they’re suddenly gone, only to be seen again when Moyo walks over.

Nod to the OG/Wink to other remakes: The ‘call your girlfriend’ kiss, duh! 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Jana is wearing one white contact lens.

°

Vrijdag 08:43

Perfect parallel: 

Sander searching for coffee first thing in the morning earlier this episode and him pouring a cup before any task in this clip.

Sander’s “Maybe I’m scared that I will never find someone” here and Robbe’s multi-layered “I’m so happy that I found you” in the last episode.

Oopsie: When the boys walk to the recycling spot, the lighting changes from sunny to clouded to dark in a matter of seconds.

Funny coincidence: Sander referring to his relationship as ‘ups and downs’, probably similar to his experience with bipolarity.

Wink to other remakes: An almost kiss near trash, remind you of certain Italian boys?

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Amber delegating tasks, but doing nothing herself. Robbe smiles for a few milliseconds, because Sander touched him. The flash of panic in Robbe’s eyes afterwards.

[hopetofantasy]

Zoë never did though? Wtfock never made any allusions on her having an ED. I know that because I intensely rewatched wtFOCK S2 for my 'CPM rewatch' thingy.

I have a question, Did Zoe suffer from an eating disorder in the past? i don't remember

I’m like 99% sure that she did

[hopetofantasy]

Culture, parallels & meta - S3 E1

Previous season Prologue: Vlogs (1) - Vlogs (2)

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Zaterdag 21:43

The time lapse already showing us a string of places that will be important later, like the dark alley, the Meir with Noor’s workplace, the university neighborhood, the Scheldt river where the boys hang out, ...

Perfect parallel: 

The second season starts Zoë’s POV with a (washing machine) door, whilst the third opens with a door to a party that Robbe attends.

Robbe glances back at Noor passing through the shot this episode, an action he repeats when he spots Sander in the second episode. - A very subtle hint to where his love life may lead.

The first one starts with two unknown LGBT+ girls kissing at a party, the last episode shows two known LGBT+ boys (Sobbe) kissing at their own party.

The aerial shot through the floor to introduce us to Robbe’s POV here and the aerial shot through the roof to say goodbye to him in the last episode.

Moyo saying “No one would do you” to Aaron in this episode, Aaron realizing “No one here wants to do me!” in the last.

Where’s Wally? Noor greeting Marie, accompanied by Jana and Britt. Max dancing with Keisha in the crowd.

How ‘meta’ of you: Newsflash, yes you are!

Nod to the OG: 

The deliberate messy POV: following everyone that we know already and then slowly settling on the Isak version in a tub.

Robbe saying Noor looks like ‘Natalie Portman’, which is what people said to the OG Emma when they flirted with her. Everyone, except Isak, that is.

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: Moyo keeps pressuring Robbe into explaining what type of girl he likes. The boys laugh it off when he answers that ‘he doesn’t have a type’.

Lost in translation: Moyo mocks Noor’s Dutch accent, making his ‘g’ and ‘st’ sound harsher, while also adding ‘hoor’ at the end - a typical word used by the Dutch to emphasize a point.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Jens is playing with the weed bag. Keisha is one of the girls that Moyo mentions as Jens’ ex-girlfriend or ex-fling. Not only did Noor nót flush the toilet, but she didn’t used any toilet paper either!

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Zaterdag 22:44

C is for culture: 

Noor rescuing Robbe on her scooter - In Belgium, you’re allowed to drive a moped or scooter once you’ve reached the age of 16. Nothing is needed if the vehicle doesn’t go above 25 km/h. If it stays between the range of 25-45 km/h and max. 50 cc, you need to pass a theoretical exam, 4 hours of driver’s ed and a practical exam to get the license. Anything other than that, has a whole new set of restrictions, types of driver’s licenses and minimum ages.  Noor and Robbe are, however, still breaking the law. As long as you’re not 18, you’re not allowed to have an extra passenger with you. Especially if they’re not wearing a helmet. (Plus they ignored a red light. Those rebels!)

“You do know that you always have to have it with you?” - The Belgian law states that everyone above age twelve, has to get an ID to identify themselves. Some might have had a Kids-ID already - for travel purposes - but that’s not mandatory. However, once you're fifteen years old, you’re obligated to carry your ID with you at all times.

Perfect parallel:

Luca being all jealous whilst staring at Noor and Robbe making out in S3, her glaring at Maud and Robbe every chance she got in the last season.

Robbe and Noor having fun on the scooter while screaming and Robbe filming their adventure in this episode. Robbe and Sander doing a similar thing, but on their bikes in a later episode.

Wink to other remakes: Robbe sporting a brown jacket. (Eliott, anyone?)

Surprise bitch, guess who: It’s Willem Chanterie, the on-set costume designer and social media production assistant!

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Noor has a ‘Fuck Trump’ sticker on her helmet. Robbe says “Hey, it’s red” in a very clear Antwerp accent. 

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Zaterdag 23:11

Hello from the outside: The garbage truck they sprayed, still drove around the city regularly. The art piece itself is named ‘#Genoeg mama' (= ‘#Enough mommy’). It blames the consumer society as toxic, making young people its victim.

Oopsie: Inside the graffiti den, Noor suddenly sports a tote bag with supplies, even though we never saw her wearing that in the previous shots.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Noor has black combat boots. The photographer is obviously Sander, in case you have missed that subtle clue.

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Zondag 13:41

Lost in translation/Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: 

“Check die pekie’s”. The word ‘pekie’ is actually Amsterdam slang for ‘beautiful girl, girlfriend’. In recent years, more and more Dutch slang are making their way into the Flemish dialect, because of the Dutch rap songs gaining popularity with the youngsters.

“Vamos, flikkers”. The word ‘flikkers’ can mean ‘wussie’ as well as a derogatory term for ‘homosexual’. Again establishing the fact that the boys use a lot of homophobic or toxic words for each other.

Robbe’s clumsiness meter: +1, him tossing the bag behind Jens instead of into his hands.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: There is a football right next to the skateboards.

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Maandag 16:04

C is for culture: “The whole art school was talking about it” - 

Secondary school is divided in four sections: general, technical, art and vocational. Which section you choose can have effect on further education. In one of these sections, you pick what you want to study from your first to last year (‘directions’). That means that you have some courses purely focused on the direction and others that are obligated for everyone, regardless.

Art high schoolers can choose to go to work or study a specialization afterwards. Their coursework isn’t solely art based, there are general required courses too. That’s why some foreigners - including the Dutch - come to Belgium, since they’ll get a more rounded and higher level of art education than in their countries. ‘de!KUNSTHUMANIORA’ is the high school in Antwerp Noor goes to and is known for having students with unique styles.

Perfect parallel: 

Noor waiting outside the school for Robbe and him reacting somewhat confused here, Sander doing the same and having an instantly happy Robbe in a later episode.

Robbe having no problem kissing a girl ‘as a straight guy’ in front of the gates in this episode and scared for what might happen if he kissed a boy ‘as a gay guy’ later on. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: The insta caption underneath the art work says ‘An inspirational message on a Sunday! Just discovered this in Antwerp city today. Artist unknown... Can you remember when you last called on your mother?’ (That last sentence, oooofff, the symbolism!)

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Dinsdag 14:57

C is for culture: 

“Yes, mini enterprises are so chill.” - Mini enterprises are often used as a tool for Economics in the fifth/sixth year. The goal of these is to ‘learn whilst doing it’. Like the name specifies, mini enterprises are actual miniature companies set up by a group of students. During the school year, they’ll try to work together on commercializing a product. All aspects of entrepreneurship are at play here: writing a business plan, holding meetings, doing bookkeeping, marketing the product, produce and sell it, ... If the enterprise idea is good or well executed, it might even win a national prize by the company making this education formula.

“What if he contacts child protection services” - Actually, those services doesn’t really exist in Belgium. There are, however, other youth organizations for these types of things, like JAC - Youth Advice Centre, CLB - Centre for Student Guidance and the Centre for Mental Healthcare.

Perfect parallel: The boys hyping Aaron up to walk over to Amber and talk to her - yet he fails in this episode, them doing the same and he succeeds (after some fails) in the last episode. 

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: Jens saying “Damn, seems like someone is on his fucking period”, after Robbe snaps at him due to the difficult telephone call with his dad.

Lost in translation: Jens saying “Mijn kop staat er niet naar” (= “My head’s not standing there”) can actually mean different things: I’m not in the mood, it’s not the right time, I don't want to do it, my head’s all over the place, ... It depends on the context, on which interpretation would suit the situation the best. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: The girls are all fawning all over Britt’s cellphone, so there is a good chance that they’re discussing (pictures of) her boyfriend, Sander. Also, Jana’s braces are gone! 

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Donderdag 17:13

Perfect parallel: Robbe stating that he can’t talk to his dad or he’ll fight and Zoë getting that, as she said a similar thing to an understanding Senne about her parents in S2. 

How ‘meta’ of you: Ah, yes, fandom ship names in SKAM. We applaud!

Oopsie: If you look really hard, you see that the body type and hair of Robbe’s dad, doesn’t correspond with the version waiting at the restaurant later on.

Wink to other remakes: This shot reminding you of a certain S3 trailer?  👀

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: The numerous references to Zoënne’s relationship in their room (relationship pics, Senne’s guitar). The paper Milan gifts to Robbe is the written permission by his parent to live with them, as is obligated by law.

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Vrijdag 20:04

Perfect parallel: 

Senne pulling Zoë up after a kiss here, just like with their first kiss in S2.

Robbe pushing Milan away after thinking he wanted to kiss him at the party in S2, them hugging it out in after talking about it in S3.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Zoë and Milan making some healthy party snacks like cauliflower and cocktail sauce, cheese with tomatoes and salami squares. She pulls back the bottle of gin that Milan wants to steal. Senne also bought paprika and tortilla chips from Colruyt (a discount store).

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Vrijdag 20:54

C is for culture: “Noor, Robbe’s girlfriend” - (Teen) dating culture is different in Belgium. Usually, if you have kissed, hung out, texted or just said/did something to show your mutual interest, you’d pretty much consider yourself in a relationship. It can go from 0 to 100 very quick. Unless there is, of course, an agreement that what you’re doing is no such thing. Also, nobody really ask you to be their gf/bf. It just implied or stated to their family or friends. 

Perfect parallel: 

A reluctant Robbe pushing himself to do stuff to Noor (playful dancing, kissing, riling her up) as far as putting his hands on her bra here. A totally different, excited Robbe not even thinking twice about doing these things to Sander, even licking his nipple during their reunion.

Noor pushing Robbe on the bed and climbing over him, whilst Robbe looks all sad in this episode. Him pushing Sander on the bed and being happy as Sander crawls over him during their reunion.

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: Robbe tries to convince himself into liking heterosexual sex with Noor and fake laughs with his friends about having it.

Where’s Wally? Keisha laughing with Amber and later dancing with Marie.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Jens is talking to Senne. The decorations behind Milan saying ‘Welkom Robbe’ (= ‘Welcome Robbe’). Noor has a beautiful tattoo of a pin-up girl covered with butterflies on her lower arm.

[hopetofantasy]

MASTERLIST

CULTURE, PARALLEL & META REFERENCES (CPM) - REWATCH

I’m rewatching every episode of wtFOCK - through a Belgian point of view - trying to pick out culture references as well as meta stuff, parallels or other nice tidbits and explain them (when needed). Have fun exploring!

Season 1

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

Episode 5

Episode 6

Episode 7

Episode 8

Episode 9

Episode 10

Episode 11

Episode 12

Recap

Season 2

Prologue

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

Episode 5

Episode 6

Episode 7

Episode 8

Episode 9

Episode 10

Recap

Season 3

Prologue: Vlogs (1) - Vlogs (2)

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

Episode 5

Episode 6

Episode 7

Episode 8

Episode 9

Episode 10

Recap

wtFOCKDOWN

To be continued

Season 4

Prologue

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

Episode 5

Episode 6

Episode 7

Episode 8

Episode 9

Episode 10

Recap

- Asks about the storyline during rewatch -

[hopetofantasy]

Culture, parallels & meta - S3 E2

Zaterdag 10:21

That’s character: In this scene, they’re again establishing some of Robbe’s insecurities. We already know from previous seasons that he often feels like the third wheel, keeps to himself, lets people walk all over him or apologizes a lot, so that they don’t hate him or abandon him (like his dad did). But this scene takes it even further: he doesn’t want to be a burden. Not with stuff like his friend’s party mess, so he cleans up as early and fast as he can. Not with taking food that doesn’t belong to him, so he chooses to not eat anything instead. 

Perfect parallel: Zoë mentioning “Especially the pasta” in this season, because Milan stole her pasta at the beginning of hers.

Surprise bitch, guess who? Milan’s one-nightstand appears to be ‘Georgy Chtchevaev’, a close friend of Jonathan Michiels (Viktor) and other cast members. Small, small world.

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: Robbe’s expression at the end reveals how he longs for something like Milan has, but then realizes he might never have/want that. (Internalized homophobia is a bitch, y’all!)

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: The guy pulls out strawberry yoghurt from ‘Colruyt’ out of an almost empty fridge along with a spoon, from the cutlery drawer. Robbe’s gaze keeps lingering a tad too long on the half naked boy in their kitchen.

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Zaterdag 14:43

C is for culture: 

“Hey, I’m working here” - Teens are allowed to get a student job, as long as they’re at least 15 years old and completed the first two years of high school. The rules around how often they may work, has changed a lot during the last decade. However, nowadays, they’re allowed to work at a lower social security tariff as long as they don’t go over 475 working hours per year. Otherwise, they’ll have to pay the normal amount or even taxes if they surpass a certain income limit.

“No, I was just shopping” - C&A (Clemens & August Brenninkmeijer) is a Dutch chain store of origin with approx. 1,500 stores in Europe. They mostly attract older generations, as their style is seen as a bit old-fashioned and classic. That’s why their popularity significantly dropped in recent years, causing closures in some cities. - A smart move of putting product placement in a youth tv series.

Perfect parallel: 

Robbe pulling a t-shirt off the rack to get Noor’s attention in this episode, him using the same tactic with a sweater in the last episode.

Noor sitting on a reluctant Robbe’s lap to kiss him here, Robbe happily straddling Sander to kiss and talk later on.

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: Robbe again faking that he likes Noor’s sexual advances.

Lost in translation: Robbe’s mom texting him “Ziet ge mij niet graag?”, which could literally be interpreted as “Don’t you want to see me?”, but in this context it actually means “Don’t you love me anymore?”.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: In case you didn’t catch it, Robbe is making a double joke with the t-shirt - saying that Noor is sexy as well as repeating the song on the store radio. Jana’s look at a disheveled Noor reveals that she knew Robbe wasn’t just ‘trying something on’.

Bonus: This season uses a lot of mirrors to reflect Robbe’s emotions and inner turmoil. Even his relationships with Noor and Sander are mirrored within the season itself: he never liked what Noor did for him (waiting outside the school, making out in public, going next level) and he was amazed at Sander doing the same. Mirrors are the perfect way of showing how Robbe has two faces: his ‘straight’ public persona and his struggling inner ‘gay’ self.

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Zondag 19:59

That’s character: Zoë’s mom behavior is at full force here. When she spots her friends, roommates or boyfriend in difficult situations, she jumps to the opportunity to make them feel better. She instantly defends them, provides a shoulder to cry on, gives advice, feeds them when needed, tries to figure out what they’re feeling, ... Sometimes giving some tough loving too. Zoë just has that caring nature of her own. This probably stems from the fact that she missed out on parental figures and wants to feel needed as a compensation.

Perfect parallel:

Symbolism! Robbe walking away from his mom’s room in a cold-looking hallway, because he’s not comfortable (yet) with the situation. And him walking towards Sander’s room in a warmly lit hallway, since he’s at peace with what’s happening with his love.

Zoë asking Milan if he’s “Playing hard to get?” in this situation, Milan asking Robbe if his clothes say “Hard to get or playing hard to get?” later.

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: Robbe analyses what Milan is doing with his partner, not really sure how to feel about it.

Nod to the OG: Zoë stating “The only thing you can do now is just be there for her and yes, that you have to wait”, sounds oddly familiar to the minute-for-minute speech by Sonja.

Funny coincidence: Milan making out heavily with his boy in front of Robbe and his salad, might look like a nod to the ‘Right in front of my salad’ meme.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Robbe’s other (thicker) coat is hanging on a hook in the hallway. Senne’s “If I had have known that, I would have tried harder” indicates that he probably had to retake a year in high school, because otherwise he’d been a student in uni earlier on. 

°

Maandag 16:27

C is for culture: “Kwak en Boemel kwamen binnen” (= “Kwak and Boemel entered”) - Robbe is referring to two side characters in the Belgian comic books ‘Jommeke’, who are homeless, lowlife criminals. The main protagonist in the series is the 11-year-old boy ‘Jommeke’. He is clever, honest, brave, loves adventure and is recognizable by his distinct blonde bowl cut. It’s one of the best-selling strips in Flanders, besides ‘Suske and Wiske’. 

Perfect parallel: Jens’ first time suggesting toothpaste to jerk off happens here in S3, but he repeats it again during wtFOCKDOWN. 

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: The boys questioning why Robbe didn’t go all-the-way with Noor yet.

Lost in translation: Noor saying “Is dat een eik? Want ik zie veel eikels hier!” has completely lost its meaning when translated. ‘Eikels’ means ‘acorns’, which come from the ‘eik’ (= ‘oak tree’). But ‘eikels’ also means ‘assholes’. That’s why she’s pointing out the oak tree, to diss the boys that they’re actually ‘eikels’. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Again, the very subtle hint at the beginning that Sander was at the skatepark - checking Robbe out. Robbe pulls the middle finger at the boys hollering. His skateboard has a ‘World Industries’ sticker on it. 

°

Dinsdag 14:56

Perfect parallel: 

Robbe arguing “A whole weekend on a trip with people you don’t know?” against Noor coming along in this episode, his flirty affirmative answer to Sander’s “Like a weekend trip with strangers, right?” in the next.

Amber and her match making skills again! First, she tried to set herself up with Senne in S1, then Jana and Zoë with Max in S2, now Luca with Aaron in S3. 

Lost in translation: “Ik denk niet dat ze daar goesting voor heeft” - ‘Goesting’ is a typical Flemish word for anything that has to do with desire, preference or willingness to do something in any context (work, food, activities, sex, ...). That’s why Aaron answers him with “I had a different impression on Friday”, taking the “I don’t think she has ‘goesting’” in a very sexual way.

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: The real reason why he doesn’t want Noor to join the trip, is him not wanting to fake his attraction to her. Except Robbe isn’t willing to admit that to himself yet.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Luca has braces!

°

Woensdag 12:21

Perfect parallel: Noor’s “And then you haven’t even seen the men yet” as a rebuttal to Moyo’s comments about art school girls in this episode, Robbe meeting the beautiful art boy Sander in the next. 

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: Robbe just doesn’t see the appeal in watching women dance, since he’s not attracted to them. But the guys don’t get why he says ‘no’ to the recital.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Noor is greeting Britt with a hug in the background. Moyo kisses the dance recital flyer right before going outside. 

°

Donderdag 07:21

C is for culture: Robbe is making a sandwich with choco spread and speculaas cookies. ‘Speculaas’ (’Biscoff' in English) is a spiced shortcrust biscuit with origins in the Netherlands and Belgium. It’s typically baked for the ‘Sinterklaas’ and Christmas celebrations. Though, it can be eaten as a treat to accompany coffee, thee or ice-cream as well. 

Perfect parallel: 

Zoë saying “I think you’re not used to eating healthy” earlier this episode and Robbe making sweet sandwich at the breakfast table, confirming her statement here.

Milan taking revenge for Zoë on a sleeping Senne in this episode, him helping Robbe prank Moyo for being homophobic in a later one. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Milan’s breakfast is a banana. Senne pulling Zoë into their bed, without her spilling the coffee in her hand.

°

Vrijdag 18:02

Perfect parallel: Luca dissing Moyo’s sexist statements with “Do you actually have a girlfriend? ... I understand why” earlier, her saying “Moyo, then you better take a good look at it, because it will be the last time you’ll see that room” here.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Zoë and Jana hugging each other outside. Luca giving Moyo a clear wink after dissing him. Robbe didn’t expect Noor to sleep with him in the bunkbed, as his face falls when she says she will.

°

Vrijdag 22:04

C is for culture: "It isn’t because he isn’t here...” - The reason that Senne couldn’t join their trip to the seaside, is that he doesn’t have a fall break. Universities usually start their school year a week later than university colleges, so they’re the only ones who don’t have a vacation at the end of October.

Perfect parallel: Robbe looking at drunk Noor with a sad expression of “Why can’t I just love this girl?” in this episode, him looking at a sleepy Sander with a face filled with love in the last episode.

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: Robbe trying to pry Noor’s hands away from his body.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Senne responds with “#metoo” as a joke, referencing the movement and him missing Zoë. Her face freezes for a few seconds to indicate that she is indeed jealous. Robbe’s little wink at Luca. 

[hopetofantasy]

CPM REWATCH - SEASON 2 PROLOGUE

I’m sorry I’ve been so busy with work, but I’m going to try to start S2 this week! 

If you don’t know what I’m talking about: I’m doing a rewatch where I point out every little Cultural (C) reference, Parallel (P) and Meta (M) thing, as well as tiny snippets in wtFOCK. As a Belgian, I try to catch every little thing in the series to show, explain and amuse you all. 

I’ve already done this for season 1: click here. 

But first:

THE LEVEL-UP OF SEASON 2

Because not only did season 2 get a way higher budget for the development of the series, as seen by the quality of the shots, the hits on the soundtrack and the improved acting, but also a way bigger team with even more dedicated crew members. However, that’s not the thing I wanted to talk about. 

It’s the offline-online strength!

During the entire broadcast of S2 from April until June, they had the most elaborate off- as well as online presence of all the SKAMs I’ve seen. Because they took the series and put the real-time aspect to higher ground. And this payed off, because this is exactly how the show gained popularity in the age bracket they needed to have and let it organically grow for S2 and S3. 

Don’t know what I’m talking about? Let me elaborate with a few examples:

Before the start of season 2, they filled high schools hallways and locker rooms with tiny sport backpacks decorated with quotes from S1. This stunt really gained attention of multiple students at the time.

Right before the drop of the very first clip, a Belgian influencer made an insta story where he ‘randomly’ spotted the actors drinking something in the same spot of the first clip, namely the ‘Wasbar’. He even tagged the characters in it and acted all excited about meeting them ‘in real life at that time'.

When Zoë and Jana mentioned they were going to go to the ‘Vegan street festival’ in Antwerp in E1, the actors WERE ACTUALLY THERE. Multiple fans saw them at the location!

Jens had put on his Instagram that he lost his bike during a heavy night out. His telephone number was attached to this lost item though. A fan found this bike, ringed the number and the actor portraying Jens showed up to claim it. They even took a pic together to celebrate!

When Zoë was watching a tv show with her roommate Lisa, it was ‘Temptation Island’, the EXACT episode that aired that night. So the actual one that the viewers saw too.

At the party, Senne pushes out a person called ‘Matis’. He is a Belgian influencer, who had insta stories of this party that he dropped in the same night as the real time clips. 

Somewhere during the season, Jana and Zoë went to a concert, which they put on their respective insta story. Eye witnesses claim that the actors were really there that night. 

During the exam period, Luca and Amber made tiny exam motivational quotes, which were spread out all over Antwerp. Fans of them found them all around and made pics of it.

At the ending party of S2 were a ton of influencers, who made multiple insta stories of being there at the same time that the clip dropped.

... And so on and so forth. 

So to say that their social media game was killing it that season? That’s an understatement if I ever heard one ;)

[hopetofantasy]

CPM REWATCH - SEASON 2 RECAP:

Listen, if you haven’t seen season 2, you should be watching it right now! It’s the best version out there (although the Spanish version with domestic abuse is very true to real life as well, not negating that). I’m serious. Go watch it now!

I love how they changed things up from the OG and (most of the time) made it better. There is no use denying it: Senne is superior to William. But, other than that, there are some things that really stuck:

The way wtFOCK went all out with their ‘realism’ in the show, through the use of social media and events. I mean, they put in influencers, went to the actual festivals or concerts they were referring to, made a clothing drive event where ‘Milan’ was present, created a bike search for ‘Jens’ bike and tons of other stuff. They were killing it!

The way they adapted the romance? It's more organic, less forced than the original. Zoë wasn’t giving in that easily and Senne chased her, but still respected her boundaries. Aside from the promised date, he never actively stalked her after that. It was always Zoë taking initiative. Senne just waited until she caught up with how she felt. And afterwards, he still kept respecting her feminist stance, her sexual experience and even her non-alcoholic preferences. Without lifting up a sarcastic eyebrow (unlike others). He really fell in love and showed his softest side. Making the so-called betrayal even harder.

Jana and Jens having a really tough time letting go. That was a nice touch. All throughout the season, you can still see them trying to move on, but not backing off when they kissed new people or even kept looking at each other with pained expressions. It’s simply not that easy to let love die.

Changing up the timeline / scenes. Like Amber finding out later on, Zoënne having sex after their reunion instead of a party, Milan making more heart-to-heart conversations with Zoë, going to the police station to report her assault, Zoë being more insecure about Viktor’s impact, wtFOCK showing the steps to go through and the long aftermath of recovering from SA (even setting up a campaign with ‘watwat.be’), ... They took their time with some stuff and made it more in depth and realistic. Human. 

Unfortunately, they also set up more homophobia for S3. This will affect the later storyline of Robbe and his internalized homophobia. He’s been having the most problems, because his friends aren’t the greatest examples. The girls kept ‘gay testing’ him, Milan wants to kiss him at a party without his consent, his friends call him names or laugh it off. It’s truly heartbreaking to see, especially if you knów. 

The acting. Oof. No need to say more.

Ah and the mirroring of Zoënne and Sobbe. That’s cinematic brilliance. Why change a winning team, huh?

In conclusion: the most harsh, realistic, but beautiful version of Noora and Noorhelm. Perfect for wanting to understand what happened in S3 and why they choose the path they followed. Please go watch it!

—————————

Culture, parallels and meta references - Season 2:

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

Episode 5

Episode 6

Episode 7

Episode 8

Episode 9

Episode 10

[hopetofantasy]

CPM REWATCH - SEASON 1 RECAP:

I must honestly say - and certainly in terms of consistency - S1 really slaps! I mean, most people skip the first season when watching a remake and I'm here to say: don't. When I binged the episodes, I noticed more and more things that intrigued me.

A few examples:

Jens and Jana's relationship was honestly really toxic. Both did their share of emotional manipulation ("would you stop smoking weed for me"), but there was a lot of gaslighting on Jens' part as well. I understand why he might pull the stuff he did, he is an emotional teen after all, but their relationship wasn't healthy. It was really best that they broke up, tbh.

All the hints they dropped with Robbe's sexuality. I mean, it's way more subtle than Amber's eating disorder hints, but they are there. The lingering gazes, the way he laughs with Jens, the jealousy, the almost coming-out. It all makes sense when the conclusion dropped, like "why the hell didn't I see that before?"

The influence they have on each other. Amber's insecurity and neglect makes Jana feel that way about Jens too, Zoë's feminist statements helps the other girls with their own ideas and selfworth (and educates Senne later on), one of boys being an asshat reflect on the others - making them act like that too. It's a typical teen thing to follow along with what your friends do or say. That's so accurate!

The consistency. Not only in the clothing (because Jens surely has a favorite shirt and he wears it in S3 as well - Britt her jacket is something she can't seem to miss through out the seasons either), but also the decorations, what brands they eat or drink, the accurate interface/time on cellphones or computers, even frikking FreeFest posters on the lockers 😂 Not even mentioned: the writing.

Writing the foundation. I mean, the characterization from S2 and S3, can all be brought back to this season. Why was Britt such a bitch in S3? Look at what kind of past she had and issues she developed due to the Jens-Jana drama. Why did Robbe have so much internalized homophobia? Well, have you seen how much 'jokes' around his sexuality was given? Why does he keep apologizing and act like a wallflower who doesn't want to do anything wrong? Can all be traced back to his abandonment issues: thank you papa Ijzermans.

In conclusion: watch S1, people. It might not be the most spectacular, dramatic storyline, but it does its work as the start of it all!

—————————

Culture, parallels and meta references - Season 1:

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

Episode 5

Episode 6

Episode 7

Episode 8

Episode 9

Episode 10

Episode 11

Episode 12

[hopetofantasy]

CPM REWATCH - SEASON 3 - VLOGS (1)

Ah, yes, the season everyone is waiting for. This one was less focussed on the socials and real life events, but more on the Broerrrs YouTube channel. So why don’t I start with an analysis of them? Yup, here we go!

°

Vlog 1: ‘Can you stick someone to the wall with duct tape?’

Perfect parallels: 

Jens and Robbe goofing off in the alley (climbing the wall, teasing each other) in this vlog before S3, Sander and Robbe doing the same (hanging off the ledge, taking weird pics) on their insta after S3. 

Robbe’s “It smells kinda like graffiti here, doesn’t it?” and him starting off his season with a graffiti spray session where Sander spots him.

Nod to the OG: Robbe hanging like Jesus on the wall and Jens stating ‘It smells like sins’, both references to the religious undercurrent of the original S3 (birth, rebirth, homosexuality seen as a sin, Isak’s religious mom, OHN, ...)

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: Moyo deliberately touching Robbe’s private area ‘as a joke’. Him also making ‘duct tape tits’.

Robbe’s clumsiness meter: +2, falling off the wall whilst ripping out his leg hair with the tape.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Robbe mouthing "Help" towards the camera. 

°

Vlog 2: ‘Can Robbe and Moyo actually dance?’

Perfect parallels: Jens referencing Fortnite as a game they like to play in this vlog, seen by the various scenes in S1 and in S3 where they mention/play the game.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Moyo catching the dance moves pretty quick, mainly because the actor (Noa) is a professional dancer - yet tries to act like he can’t.

°

Vlog 3: ‘Can you make a rapsong with random words?’

Perfect parallels: 

The boys making the rap ‘Eenvoud’ in this vlog because of the random words challenge, but actually producing the music video later on.

Jens saying "Is it Friday already?", because he does ‘#vettigevrijdag’ on his insta, where he eats fatty stuff on Fridays. Which Robbe and Sander later stole after S3 with #vettigezondag (= 'fatty sunday').

Lost in translation: 

Almost all words rhyme in Flemish, but not in English (= Broer-Roer, Wisselkoers-Broers, Wijzers-Ijzers, Sneeuwwitje-Ritje-Hitje).

“Ik heb slaaptekort, want ik slaap te kort”: Meaning he has sleep deprivation (’slaaptekort’), because he’s sleeping ‘too short’ (’te kort’). It’s a play on words and doesn’t rhyme if translated to English.

“Matti’s” is slang for the dialect word ‘maten’, meaning ‘buddies’.

Funny coincidence: The words they pull out: ‘sleep deprivation’, ‘creative’, ‘iron’ (surname: ijzermans - ironman), ‘Saint-Nicolas’, ‘Broerrrs’ coincidentally refers to a lot of things in Robbe’s season. 

°

Vlog 4: ‘Can you eat a sandwich while wearing a mouthpiece?’

C is for culture: 

“Uw moeder is een hoer” (= "Your mom’s a whore"): A wildly spread expression to either joke with your friends, hurt people's feelings or try to stir up fights. It’s the Flemish equivalent to the ‘yo momma’-jokes.

"Sandra Kim": The only Belgian winner at Eurovision Song Contest. She won with ‘J’aime La Vie’ in 1986, while she was only 13 years old. To this date, the singer still holds the record as youngest participant/winner, because they lied about her age before any restrictions were implemented. 

Lost in translation:

“Breedbek-kikker” (= "broad mouthed frog"): slang for someone who is very talkative and boast about themselves (= has a ‘large mouth’).

“Pollepel” (= "ladle"): dialect word for serving-style spoon.

Robbe’s clumsiness meter: +1, spilling on himself during the challenge.

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: Moyo and Jens joke that Robbe wants to show his D to the boys and viewers.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: The sandwiches are with choco (spread).

°

Vlog 5: ‘Do Robbe and Moyo have make-up skills?’

Where’s Wally? Moyo mentioning Keisha, it’s been a while since we’ve seen/heard of her.

Oopsie: They’re claiming that it’s Keisha’s make-up, but in reality she would’ve had a different color of foundation, because of her darker skin.

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: Jens scoffing to Moyo “Are you sure this make-up isn’t yours?”, because he’s got some applying skills.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it/Robbe’s clumsiness meter: +2, Robbe blowing on the eye shadow at the beginning, getting some in his face and coughing. Smudging his own cheeks with mascara.

°

Vlog 6: ‘Which hypes are overrated?’

C is for culture:

“Wat hebben we geleerd vandaag?” (= “What have we learned today?”): A catchphrase made famous by Piet Huysentruyt, a former tv chef. In his program ‘S.O.S. Piet’, he went to people’s houses to try and fix the mistakes in their recipes. He always ended every episode with a summary on what they learned. 

The planes flying over so closely: An indication that they’re near the airport in Deurne (district of Antwerp). This is the smallest of the five Belgian airports. There has been controversy around this infrastructure, since it’s build too close to residencies (a lot of noise/carbon emissions) and originally planned to be removed. However, in recent years, more airlines chose the airport as an option and thus got more visitors. The future of Antwerp Airport remains unknown.

Perfect parallel: Jens calling Robbe a ‘biologist’ since he seems to know a lot about lemons in this vlog, him studying biology with Yasmina in S3. 

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: Moyo copying Robbe’s hand movements, because he did it in a ‘feminine’ way.

°

Vlog 7: ‘How agile are Moyo and Robbe?’

Funny coincidence: Robbe saying “Who do you think I am? Spiderman?”, whilst his surname translates to ‘Iron Man’, another Marvel character.

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: Moyo and Jens joking that it’s *again* Robbe who knows what ‘downward facing dog’ is. Both of them making subtle, underlying innuendos, due to Robbe's weird face when Moyo rubbed his temples. Jens' “That’s how you like it”, when Robbe said “I’ll be the bottom one”. 

Robbe’s clumsiness meter: +3, Robbe hurting himself whilst somersaulting, constantly falling backwards in a yoga seat position and falling down hard from Moyo’s hands. 

[hopetofantasy]

CPM REWATCH - SEASON 3 - VLOGS (2)

Vlog 8: ‘Can we break a world record?’

C is for culture: 

“Papier hier” - A reference to the Dutch theme park ‘De Efteling’, where the waist bin - a fairy tale figure - shouts “Papier hier.” (= “Paper here”) so that people drop their waste paper into 'his mouth’.

“Ad’je doen” - 'Doing an ad fundum’ or ‘ad’je’ is a pig latin expression used for 'chugging a drink'. A common habit at (student) parties or student union singing nights - known as ‘cantussen’ - and in the overall Belgian drinking culture.

Robbe’s clumsiness meter: +2, accidentally spraying Jens with water. Inhaling candy and almost choking on it.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Moyo constantly pulls away Jens’ bowl, making it harder for him to do the challenge.

°

Vlog 9: ‘What’s our skin care routine?’

Perfect parallel: Robbe brings up a science question for the viewers in this vlog, again establishing his science studies and biology lessons for S3.

Lost in translation: 

Almost all words that the boys are spitting, rhyme in Flemish but not in English (Rozenwater-Kater-Hater, Correct-Fact).

“Het is niet altijd rozegeur en maneschijn” (= “It’s not always rose scented and moonlight”): Moyo is making a little joke about their rose scented face masks, while also stating “it’s not always fun and games”. Killing two birds with one expression.

Oopsie: If the boys are scrubbing their skin, then who’s operating the overhead camera?

Robbe’s clumsiness meter: +1, using too much eye cream and making his face sting.

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: Moyo copying Robbe’s ‘feminine’ hand movements again.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Moyo knocks on wood off screen, because he doesn’t want to jinx the fact that he still has beautiful skin.

°

Vlog 10: ‘Are we good at wakeboarding?’

C is for culture/Lost In translation: “Bij deze gaan wij als flikken eruit. Hebt gij uwen pas bij?” - Jens and Moyo end with a clichéd pose done by Belgian cops (‘flikken’ is slang for cops). Putting their thumbs behind their vests and pull a face, accompanied by the question you’ll always hear first, namely: “Hebt gij uwen pas bij?” (= “Do you have your ID with you?”).

That’s character: Robbe being somewhat okay at the wakeboarding technique in this vlog, shouldn’t come as a surprise. His insta is filled with pics of him surfing at the French coast.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: We can hear the instructors say “Duct tape fixes everything, dude.” “Ah, yeah”, whilst the boys are show posing.

°

Vlog 11: ‘What’s our goal (’Doel’) today?’

C is for culture/Lost In translation: The title is a play on words, because ‘Doel’ is the name of the town they’re going to, but also the Dutch word for ‘goal’. 

The government has been planning to expand the port of Antwerp and the nuclear power station to Doel, since the late 60s. This causing majority of the people to move out and sell their homes. In turn, parts of the village has disappeared. However, to this day, there’re still people living there. They made various attempts to preserve the town, like campaigns, protests and court orders. Now, it’s just a ‘will they - won’t they’ government story and Doel remains a weird semi-ghost town.

The sign that Robbe films states “Doel = inhabited village. Respect the villagers. Prohibited to damage/enter the houses. Nuisance and vandalism will be fined.”

Oopsie: Moyo’s “Should I keep filming?” and Jens saying “It’s live shit” along with panicked shouts and loud discussions in the background, breaks the illusion. Namely, that these vlogs are 'only made by the teens'. The voices were - of course - the production crew, truly worried about the actual fire.

Also, the ‘hitchhiking car lady' was probably a crew member too, since 1. it was very convenient that she was driving to the abandoned Doel, 2. they never showed her face/let her speak in the car and 3. we hear a female voice in the background during their walk discussing what they’re going to film as well as her panicking during the fire scenes.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Moyo tries to hold his laughter, while looking at Robbe lying on the ground. The piece of paper on the car’s dashboard are the lyrics for ‘Eenvoud’, since they filmed the videoclip at Doel and the river.

°

Vlog 12: ‘What’s ASMR?’

C is for culture: “And we keep going to Brussels” - The boys discussing plastic bags and the environment, prompted Robbe to refer back to the climate strikes by the Belgian students every Thursday in the spring of 2019. 

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: Moyo making jokes at the cost of Robbe, like “Oh Robbe” whilst he suggestively rubs the mic or “Make me c*m”.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: The boys are using props of previous vlogs, like the make-up blender, chop sticks, headbands, dices, ...

[hopetofantasy]

Culture, parallels & meta - S2 E10

Zaterdag 09:56

Perfect parallel: 

Zoë laughing off Senne’s supposed ‘flirt attempt by telling her his childhood sob story’ at their first date, Zoë actually hearing his and Viktor’s childhood sob story from Gill in this episode.

Viktor’s manipulative “He would have these crazy temper tantrums” about Senne in E6, Gill stating the true “Viktor used to throw these crazy temper tantrums” in this one.

Oopsie: Before the “Viktor and I woke up naked together in a bed”, Gill’s hair is in front of her face. After that, her hair is tucked behind her ears.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Gill mentioned that Viktor was 14 when the accident happened, making Senne 11/12 years old at that time. 

°

Maandag 11:45

C is for culture: 

“That’s a rental book, you realize that right?” - In a lot of secondary schools, course books can be rented instead of bought. The content doesn’t change that often anyways, so it’s cheaper to offer them for a certain fee to the students. Though, at the end of the school year, they have to be returned in the exact condition. Paper workbooks or prints, however, have to be bought. 

“Come on, warm waffles!” - There are actually two types of Belgian waffles: the Brussels and the Liege. The girls bought warm Liege waffles, which are thicker, chewier and with uneven edges. The Brussels one is more a rectangular shape, with a lighter and crispier texture.

Funny coincidence: Luca’s “Free at last” sounds like the quote in Martin Luther King’s speech ‘I have a dream’.

Nod to the OG: The song ‘Paradise’ by Coldplay.

Perfect parallel: Amber’s tired “Why are you always so loud?” directed towards Luca in S2, Noor’s hungover “Do you have to be so loud?” to Amber in S3.

Lost in translation: Amber saying "We gaan een terrasje doen" (literally: ‘we’re going to do a terrace’), it’s an expression indicating that you’re going to drink something on the outside (summer) terrace of a bar. 

Oopsie: The girls pass along a college campus, after they step off the tram, and cross the street for the ‘Groenplaats’. But then it cuts back to the girls passing the college campus again, right before crossing. 

Hello from the outside: The girls pass along a parade of mustached men, with Jana mimicking the facial hair with her napkin. This parade was actually part of the ‘2019 World Beard & Moustache Championships’, which was held in Antwerp on Sunday the 19th of May. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: The girls picking up the papers Luca tossed in the air. Them all walking along the crossing in Beatles’ formation (like the Abbey Road album). Luca is eating two waffles at once.

°

Maandag 12:58

C is for culture:

“Robbe. Robbedoes!” - Luca calls Robbe the nickname ‘Robbedoes’, a reference to the Belgian comic ‘Robbedoes & Kwabbernoot’ (English version: ’Spirou & Fantasio’). Its two main characters are spontaneous journalists who run into fantastic adventures, aided by the pet squirrel ‘Spip’ and their inventor friend ‘the Count of Champignac’.

“Are you going to Rock Werchter next week?” - Rock Werchter is a large, annual pop/rock music festival in Werchter (near Leuven). The four-day event is organized every first weekend of summer vacation. The number of attendees can rise up to 149,500 people for the whole festival, with a noteworthy influx of international festival goers in recent years (British, French, Dutch, Australian, South African, ...). It has three spin-offs: ‘TW Classic’, ‘Werchter Boutique’ and the French ‘Main Square Festival’ in Arras.

Perfect parallel:

Jana buying her summer outfits at C&A in S2, her shopping at the same clothing chain - with Noor helping her - in S3.

Yasmina again hinting at a (former) crush on a boy, just like the earlier conversation with Zoë in S2 and doing the same in a conversation during wtFOCKDOWN.

Lost in translation: Luca's "Eentje is geentje" (= literally: ‘One is none’), stating that it’s better to drink/eat/do at least one or more than having missed one (thing). 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Robbe's eyes dart upwards for a millisecond, after Jana asks "For Blonde Ambition?", confirming that he indeed voted for them.

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Dinsdag 08:42

C is for culture: What’s with the last week of school? Well, after the December/April/June exams, the school can fill the days before the break with what they want. Most schools give their students a couple of free days, others might organize fun excursions or festivities. On the last Friday, however, they’ll hand out report cards and discuss them with students/parents.

Perfect parallel:

Zoë quickly darting away to avoid Senne in E7, Senne doing the same to her in this one.

Her making up lame excuses not to contact Senne in previous episodes, Senne’s “My phone was turned off. I didn’t want to be distracted while I was studying. Sounds familiar?” here.

In the first episodes, Zoë keeps saying that she won’t fall for what Senne says - his flirt attempts or lying stories, in this episode she states “I’m not falling for your bullshit” - his statement about wanting to leave. 

Zoë saying “Isn’t it time to get over it?” to Senne in S1, her “You should stop feeling so sorry about yourself" in S2.

Zoënne letting go of each other’s hands after a painful conversation in S2, Sobbe doing something similar after their make-up kiss in S3.

An upset Senne left behind in a high school hallway in S2, a sad Robbe ignored in a college hallway in S3.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Senne’s slight nod at Zoë’s “Away from me?”. 

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Woensdag 11:44

Perfect parallel:

Zoë acting cold, because she doesn’t trust Senne, in the earlier episodes. Senne looking for reasons to be cold, because he’s scared of people being too close to him in this one. 

Senne’s “I don’t believe that” at Zoë’s statement that her parents don’t love her in E4, Zoë saying “I don’t believe that” at him denying his love for her in this one.

Zoë always running towards Senne - to chase him, to apologize, to talk - in previous episodes, him running towards her - to make-up - in this one.

The song ‘Nightcall’ by London Grammar played during their first kiss in E3, the same one plays during their reunion in this scene.

Their kiss can be compared with their first kiss, only quicker and more frantic: her rubbing his cheek, pausing to smile in relief, wrapping her arms around his neck, putting the palm of her hand under his ear, Senne messing up her hair, her squishing his head between her hands.

The movements of the sex scene in S2 are similar to the ones from S1 and S3. Foreheads leaning on each other before a kiss, a cut to pushing themselves through a open door, a hand caressing along the side, a neck kiss, kissing down a stomach, fingers gripping a back, a hand through the hair, a cut to both of them having naked chests with one on top. 

Nod to the OG: 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Zoë never ends the call with Jana. (Awkward!)

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Donderdag 09:32

Perfect parallel:

The entire cuddle scene in S2 can be mirrored with the Sobbe hotel clips in S3: the way they’re positioned (big spoon-little spoon, face towards each other), movements (caressing cheeks, going through each other’s hair), the kisses (forehead kisses, cheek kisses, full-on making-out) and the looks they give each other (Zoë looking up at Senne).

Senne saying “He can’t get away with this” in this clip, repeating it in the next.

Zoë inviting Senne to come live with her in S2, her offering a room to Robbe in S3.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Zoë is still wearing her white and black hair tie on her right wrist, like she consistently does throughout the season.

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Vrijdag 15:43

Perfect parallel: 

The theme of their FreeFest team was ‘80s flashback’ in S1, Luca wears an 80s-inspired-outfit in S2.

The season opening with a (washing machine) door to Zoë’s POV, ending with an aerial shot away from her in S2. The third season opening with a door that Robbe opens up to a party, ending with an aerial shot - through the roof - away from him. 

Zoënne kissing at a party while their friends cheer in the background, before the camera pans away at the end of S2, Sobbe experiencing the same in S3. 

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: Robbe pushing Milan away from him, saying “Get off me, faggot”. Moyo can see what’s happening and laughs at his embarrassment.

Hello from the outside:

Somewhere during the exam period (I can’t find whén anymore), Luca and Amber made tiny exam motivational quotes, which were spread out all over Antwerp. Fans of them found them and made pics.

At the party were a ton of Belgian influencers, who made multiple insta stories of being there at the same time that the clip dropped.

Where’s Wally? Hey, look, Keisha dancing with Jens and Moyo, Britt in the crowd with Gill, Max' making some dance moves towards Luca and Lisa is vibing with Milan. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Jana mouthing ‘hoi’ (= hey) to Luka. The tiny nod Jens gives Robbe, so that they go upstairs. The millisecond of hurt on Luka’s face when he noticed Jana greeting Jens and her lingering look on him afterwards. 

[hopetofantasy]

Culture, parallels & meta - S2 E8

Zaterdag 09:54

Perfect parallel: An upset Zoë texting “Better stay away from me now” to Senne in S2, a scared Robbe screaming “Stay away from me!” to Sander in S3.

Oopsie: The previous episode ended with Viktor sending only one photo to her, in this clip it’s suddenly two or more.

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Zaterdag 10:11

C is for culture: “Have you already started on that ‘moral studies’ paper?” - In Belgium, primary and secondary students receive two required hours of religious studies per week. The student can choose personally which one they partake in. Schools must offer all choices, even when it’s just one student with a minority religion. Atheists receive an alternative, called ‘zedenleer’ (= Moral studies), to broaden their views, teach morals and to discuss or approach different (controversial) topics, like news items, youth culture, other religions, environment, sex, social structures, ...

Perfect parallel: Yasmina making a healthy breakfast for a shaken Zoë in S2, Zoë providing a healthy dinner salad for an upset Robbe in S3.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Zoë is eating a raspberry, seemingly her favorite fruit as she brought the same to her date with Senne.

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Zaterdag 10:27

Perfect parallel: Amber thanking the girls “You were there for me” in S1, her saying “All four of us are there for you” to Zoë in the first episode and her "Being there for each other" in this episode of S2.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Yasmina is studying math, while Zoë tries to find arguments for her 'Moral studies' paper.

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Zondag 18:42

Perfect parallel:

Senne questioning Zoë in person if she’s still into him in S2, him saying Robbe should talk to Sander ‘face-to-face’ about their relationship in S3. 

Senne’s “Zoë, look at me” in S2 and Robbe’s “Look at me” at Sander in S3. 

Zoë breaking down in Senne’s arms in S2 and Sander breaking down in Robbe’s arms in S3. 

Oopsie: Viktor’s name on Messenger is just ‘Viktor’, while his Facebook name is ‘Viktor Deruwe’. So unless she changed it to a nickname, it’s in fact an oopsie.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: The other chat conversation is with Senne.

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Zondag 19:13

Perfect parallel: Senne looking down at a sleeping Zoë whilst caressing her back in S2, Robbe doing the same but caressing Sander’s hand in S3.

Oopsie / Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Zoë’s biology book ‘Biogenie 5.2′ on her desk is for the 5th year, not the 4th year - the year she’s in.

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Maandag 09:12

C is for culture: Zoë doesn’t have school today, since it’s ‘Whit Monday’ - the day after ‘Whitsun’, a christian holiday situated in somewhere June.

Perfect parallel:

Jana teasing Jens’ nose to wake him up in S1, Senne doing something similar to Zoë in S2. 

Senne feeding Zoë some kiwi, but pulling away at the last minute and then feed it to her anyways in S2, Sander doing that to Robbe but with paprika chips in S3. 

Senne’s “Fock, you’re sexy” when Zoë wasn’t into him in S1, his “Stop being so hot” during their make-out in an earlier episode and the “You’re so beautiful” now in S2.

A playful “Not too many clichés for a walking cliché” by Senne in S2, referencing Zoë’s speech - calling him ‘a walking cliché’ in S1.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Zoë’s computer is also from 'Huaweï', just like her new cellphone. 

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Dinsdag 08:24

Perfect parallel: Zoënne secretly kissing in the car at a secluded place in a previous episode, them kissing in plain sight at the school gate in this episode.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: The boss of the production company putting the ‘Telenet’ ad in its framework at the busstop.

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Woensdag 13:31

Perfect parallel: Zoë stating “Do you always have to be so pushy, Senne?” in S2, her stating “Stop pushing me like this, stop!” in S3.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Zoë is cleaning out the cup Jana used during their study session on Saturday.

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Vrijdag 15:47

That’s character: Zoë consistently made statements about her feminist views concerning sex throughout the series, stating things like girls don’t need to be pushed to do anything, you can always say ‘no’ or saying to Amber that she deserves more than a guy using her. Part of that will probably trace back to her previous experience with her ex. Since she was pushed to do something with him at a very young age and dumped afterwards, she doesn’t want the same happening to others. That’s also why she held Senne at bay. 

Perfect parallel:

Jana fiercly hugging Zoë because she has having a hard time in S2, doing the same thing with Robbe in S3.

The girls educating Amber on the topic of sex in S1, her offering important information about what to do after assault in S2. (Indicating that she probably researched things after S1)

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Yasmina is highlighting the sentence ‘Seperation of church and state’, probably studying History. The thing that Luca threw towards Zoë’s head was an eraser, looking like a little puppet. During Zoë's entire confession, the only thing we can hear is the ticking timer - no music at all.

- Noteworthy: just like the clips in the previous episode, the ones in this episode still all end with a reference to the website 'watwat.be' who had an entire campaign about sexual assault, consent and what to do in case it happens. -

[hopetofantasy]

Culture, parallels & meta - S2 E9

Zaterdag 10:49

Perfect parallel: Milan telling a story about instant attraction with someone, while Zoë is zoned out in S2, him telling a similar story and her being truly interested in S3. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Zoë’s phone background is a picture of Santorini by night. Her bowl with granola and bananas remains untouched.

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Zondag 14:32

C is for culture:

“According to article 383bis of the penal code” - Actually, there are two parts to that law, with a difference between possession and making or spreading of child porn. In possession, the culprit only faces 1 month to 1 year of jail time and a fine of 600 to 6,000 euros. Otherwise, it’s 1 month to 5 years and a fine of 3,000 to 60,000 euros. 

“That falls under sexual assault” - There are variations in the Belgian law, concerning sexual assault and age. Any sexual contact under the age of 16 - even with permission - is seen as rape. The circumstances without permission above that age, will determine if it’s either rape or assault. The sentence is 5 to 10 years of jail time if it’s a minor, up to 5 if it’s an adult. It can go even higher if the perpetrator is family or used violence. 

“Then internment.” - Even though the word seems to translate to ‘internment’, like the internment camps in the dark pages of history, it’s not actually like that. ‘Internering’ in Belgium is a safety measure to protect society against dangerous mentally ill individuals. Those who committed terrible things (like rape or murder), but aren’t considered to be liable due to their mental illness. The culprits receive psychological treatments to reintroduce them back into society.

That’s character: Viktor is depicting manipulative, predatory behavior, just in the way he delivers his words and body language. 1. He makes it look as if she had a choice in meeting and was teasing him, to throw her off balance. 2. He gives her compliments, making her uncomfortable. 3. He ‘innocently’ orders drinks and make hand movements that remind her of that night, to show his power over her and setting the power dynamic. All while laughing, joking and keeping the conversation light. As if she was a paranoid person and he the innocent boy.

Perfect parallel: Symbolism! Viktor towering over her, while handing her the wine in episode 6 and him doing the same in this episode, threatening her. But then, when Zoë takes the upper hand in the conversation, it’s her towering over him. It’s a way to show who’s dominant, who holds the power at that moment.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Zoë’s cellphone had been recording for 05min 54 in total when she shows the screen. So already 1m16 before the start of the clip. 

°

Maandag 11:29

Nod to the OG / perfect parallel: Jens asking the girls if Julliet is still single - a reference to 'Romeo & Juliet' - in S2, Robbe claiming it’s his favorite movie in S3.

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: 

Jana’s smirking while looking away and Zoë picking that up. They’re both silently communicating that Robbe is, in fact, not interested in Julliet, because they ‘know’ he’s gay.

Moyo's “Some people are into mustaches. Mostly women, but everyone has their type.” to Robbe.

Moyo calling Robbe a “faggot”, the boy retaliating with “You’re a faggot yourself” twice.

Jens saying “No one here is a faggot. And if it were the case, then you two should get together”. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Jana and Luca eating 'Mentos Fruit' candy. Yasmina’s slight eyebrow raise at Moyo’s comments about women.

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Woensdag 11:54

Perfect parallel: The girls tagging along to the doctor for Amber as back-up in S1, them encouraging Zoë to call the doctor and listening in as support in S2.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Zoë is checking 'chapter 5: force, labor, power, energy’ in her workbook. Yasmina is carrying a binder with the periodic table on it. Luca has a tiny shoe keychain.

°

Donderdag 11:50

Perfect parallel:

Jana being scared to talk to the Beat Girls (Gill) in S1, Zoë experiencing the same feeling in S2.

Jana asking Senne’s friends about Amber, because she was too embarrassed to ask herself in S1, her wanting to do the same for Zoë in S2. 

Oopsie: The Messenger screen suggests that Viktor send the text at 11:15, not at 11:51 like the clip time says.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Luca saying Gill is hot - possibility hinting her bisexuality, a fandom favorite trope that 'all Chris versions are bisexual’. 

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Donderdag 12:13

Perfect parallel: Jana acting all nervous and clingy to Jens, hiding the cheating in S1, Zoë acting similarly to Senne, hiding Viktor’s intentions in S2.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Senne’s last Messenger conversations were with Luka, Viktor, Gill, Zoë and Amber.

°

Donderdag 03:37

Perfect parallel: Zoë trying to go to sleep, after checking Senne’s phone, while being spooned in S2, Robbe trying to wake up, after checking his phone, as the little spoon in S3.

Oopsie: The battery doesn’t say that the phone is charging, even though it’s plugged in.

°

Vrijdag 08:25

Perfect parallel: Zoë stating several times that she hates being manipulated by Senne in previous episodes, Gill saying that drunk Zoë confessed to liking the manipulation by him in this episode.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: The girl interrupting their conversation carries a French news article, hinting that they both have a French exam.

°

Vrijdag 11:50

Bonus: The symbolism of Zoë breaking down. She’s on the ground, so at her lowest point at that moment. Her friends rush to her to hold her up and comfort her. Symbolizing that they’re always there ‘to pick her up’. This was foreshadowed as well as the actual opposite of Amber’s “Don’t come complaining if he dumps you” after their conversation on the bench.

- Noteworthy: just like the clips in the previous episode, the ones in this episode still all end with a reference to the website 'watwat.be' who had an entire campaign about sexual assault, consent and what to do in case it happens. -

[hopetofantasy]

Culture, parallels & meta - S2 E2

Zaterdag 11:27

C is for culture: Jana mentioned ‘The Playground’, a board gaming bar and store with two different locations in Antwerp. The goal of this concept is bringing people together, under the guise of amusement. They regularly organize various workshops, board nights and gaming tournaments. 

Hello from the outside: The ‘Vegan Street Festival’ took place on that exact day of the clip drop. Veerle and Femke actually went to this, posted a photo on their character’s insta and were spotted by other festival goers.

°

Zondag 21:24

That’s character: Milan has a habit of barging into anyone’s room whenever he wants to ask something, regardless if they’re busy or not. This happens all throughout S2 with Zoë and S3 with Robbe (even a bit in wtFOCKDOWN with Senne).

Though, his curious nature and persistent personality makes people open up to him. Even if they don’t want to deal with their problems. He sits them down, actively listens, picks out the weird statements and offers advice in a clear, soothing way. Yet, he also knows how to respect the boundaries, when his protégées are truly upset. In conclusion, Milan is a guiding force through all the seasons. A true (love) guru.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Zoë’s signature lipstick comes from ‘go as u.r.’. A vegan brand.

Nod to the OG:

°

Zondag 21:39

C is for culture: It’s rather unusual for a secondary schooler to have a driver’s license this early. In Belgium, you need to be of legal age before getting one. However, if you’ve completed the written part at 17, you may practice driving as long as a registered companion or driving instructor teaches you. Once you’re 18 and by then have 9 months of experience, you can take the practical exam. 

That’s character: When Zoë is nervous, she fidgets with her fingers, moves her mouth to the side or looks away in rapid fashion. This is something she consistently does, whenever Senne is around too. Those habits already developed in S1 and can be seen throughout the start of their relationship, meaning that Zoë was already attracted to Senne from the beginning.

Perfect parallel: 

It’s symbolism! Zoë opening the hallway-door for ‘a new love’ in S2, Robbe closing that same door in the face of ‘a new love’ and afterwards letting Sander open it again in S3.

Zoë saying Senne is distant and cold in this episode - stating that he’s a egotistical manipulator, while Senne calls her the North Pole and manipulating him in a later episode.

Funny coincidence: Senne actually hás a black 'Tesla', while Sander mentions wanting a white one at his future wedding. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Zoë has a serious case of ‘wanting’ loveydovey eyes at 14:46.

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Maandag 08:25

C is for culture: “At the UGC” - The UGC (=Union générale cinématographique) is a French chain of cinema’s, with locations in France and Belgium. It’s the only chain in Belgium with a subscription option and is still a bit cheaper than its only rival, 'Kinepolis'. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Wolf is the fourth member of the Beat Boys group, he’s never mentioned again after this.

°

Dinsdag 08:21

C is for culture: “Sports day hasn’t even started yet” - Every year, primary and secondary schools organize one or more ‘sporting days’. This whole day is filled with different variations of games or sports, to encourage the students to exercise more or to spark some interest in a certain type. The students show up in comfy gear.

Lost in translation: Luca says ‘Because she came screaming’ - 'screaming’ in Dutch is ‘gillend’. She made a play-on-words with the name Gill ("Gill-end").

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Jens is carrying an 'Aquarius' bottle, a sports drink.

°

Woensdag 13:53

C is for culture: “May first is on a Wednesday this year” - The 1st of May is Labour Day, an annual holiday to honour the achievement of workers. Various democratic socialist organizations hold parades or festivities on this day to celebrate.

Déjà vu: The starting shot (window opposite the flatshare) is the exact same as the season 3 E5 Clip 9 (the one before the cuddle clip).

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Amber uses the distraction to give her cookie to Luca. On the fridge, there is a cute card with ‘Hello, is it TEA you’re looking for?’ on it.

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Vrijdag 20:42

Hello from the outside: The ‘Temptation Island’ episode Zoë and Lisa are watching is the EXACT same episode that was airing on television that Friday evening.

Oopsie: This clip was never actually included into the ‘weekly’ episode.

°

Vrijdag 23:51

C is for culture: “The neighbours are complaining” - The police may enter a home to break up a party, due to noice complaints. The law states that after 22h, you aren’t allowed to make noise that might hinder the neighbors. This is one of the most popular reasons to stop a party. Breaking it up due to alcohol served to minors? That’s barely done in Belgium.

Where’s Wally? Senne’s best friend, Gill, is on the couch in a glitter top.

Oopsie: With the movements Jana makes, you can clearly see that the glass bottle is really empty - yet the actress pretends that it’s full. 

Hello from the outside: Senne throws out Matis, a Belgian influencer (@matisvdc), who made insta stories from the party on the same night as the clip dropped. As if it happened in real time.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Robbe was dancing alone in the crowd, watching as Jens approached Luka. 

[hopetofantasy]

Culture, parallels & meta - S2 E4

Zaterdag 09:12

C is for culture: “I can’t get married” - In Belgium, the legal age to get married is over 18, however the juvenile court can grant permission to get married earlier as long as there are (exceptional) legitimate reasons. 

Perfect parallel:

Jana looking in love at a sleepy Jens in S1, Zoë looking lovey dovey at Senne while he sleeps in S2.

Senne saying Zoë can’t cross the border of cushions between them in previous episode, him stating that there is ‘no border’ this episode.

Viktor seemingly towering over a pissed Senne in S2, Senne towering over a crying Viktor in S3.

Viktor saying “Weird vibe” about Senne dismissing Zoë here, Zoë saying “There was a really weird vibe” to Jana about Robbe in S1 and Jens’ statement “There was definitely a weird vibe going on” at Robbe in S3. 

Lost in translation: Zoë saying "Tegen de ridders die met hun kruis op tocht gingen" (literally: against the knights who went with their ‘cross’ - crotch - on a trip), it’s a play-on-words with the word ‘kruistocht’ (literally: cross-trip, meaning crusade). 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Viktor having a cold look on his face at the end.

°

Maandag 08:13

Perfect parallel: Amber saying “Spying on someone?” in this episode, her actually spying on Zoë and Senne in a later episode.

Oopsie: Zoë’s Dutch workbook ‘Frappant 2′ is actually for the 2nd year, she is in her 4th year of secondary school. 

°

Maandag 17:22

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Jana and Yasmina scrolling through a Spotify list of 'NRJ', a (recently set up) Belgian radio station. 

°

Dinsdag 14:44

Perfect parallel: Yasmina telling the girls the cliché “Everyone knows guys lie about everything” in S1 and her scoffingly stating “Pure biology. Men want to spread their seed as much as possible” in S2. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Luca gives Amber a 'Cha-cha' candy bar.

°

Woensdag 10:19

Perfect parallel: 

Zoë telling Senne off when he apologizes with “So that’s why you made me feel worthless?” in S2, Sander saying “And that’s why you insult me?” during Robbe’s apology in S3. 

Senne leaning in and then denying Zoë kisses in S2, just like Sander always does with Robbe in S3.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Zoë needs to go to biology, a subject that keeps coming back and being referred to in the banter between her and Senne. 

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Donderdag 12:48

C is for culture: “Could be the name of a song by Bazart” - ‘Bazart’ is the name of a Flemish band, who tries to popularize the ‘kleinkunst’ style (= singing in Dutch with a simple, acoustic sound - similar to indiepop or French chansons). The front-singer Oliver was actually already mildly known, due to his participation in the Belgian pre-selection for 'Junior Eurovision' 2008. Their hits include ‘Goud’, ‘Chaos’ and ‘Grip (omarm me)’.

Hello from the outside: The ‘Anne-Marie’ concert in the Lotto Arena that Luca was referring to, happened on Wednesday the 16th of May 2019, so in fact the evening before this clip.

Perfect parallel: Jana bailing Zoë out by deflecting questions, when she was distracted by Senne in S1 and continuously doing this throughout S2.

Funny coincidence: Luca saying “A graveyard of broken dreams, it could be a song by Bazart”, while the first part of this sentence, is an real song by ‘Altar of Oblivion’.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Jana is putting hearts around the sentence ‘Put those grades in your (ass)hole’.

°

Vrijdag 16:09

That’s character: Senne and Zoë have similar family backgrounds, which also explains why their characters attract one another. When one of them is upset/scared, they act coldly, shut off or direct their anger towards insignificant things. When they don’t want to confront people, they run. They don’t trust people very easily, hold back their problems and jokingly communicate about their feelings. Yet, both crave intimacy as well as devoted attention. But this need fills their jealousy and abandonment issues. This is seen throughout the seasons, from Zoë liking Senne’s chase in S1 to him acting coldly in the conversation about his girlfriend in wtFOCKDOWN. 

Perfect parallel: Senne saying “Do you even have one [a family]?” to Zoë in S2, Moyo asking “Do you even have parents?” to Jens in S3. 

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: Zoë is shocked and totally convinced that Robbe kissed a boy. Senne says “It isn’t that weird”, as she states “It is”. The kiss was ambiguous though, we can’t see if it’s real and Robbe never mentioned it.

Surprise bitch, guess who: The boy Robbe supposedly kisses, is actually Willem Herbots’ best friend/roommate Lukas Stevens. This was confirmed on insta a while ago.

[hopetofantasy]

Culture, parallels & meta - S2 E6

Zaterdag 18:12

C is for culture: “Because we’re going to Angèle” - Angèle is a Belgian singer-songwriter. She's one of the biggest breakout acts in French and Belgian pop, with the hit ‘Tout oublier’ ft. her brother 'Roméo Elvis'. In April 2020, she performed for ‘One World: Together At Home’, the global broadcast to support healthcare workers and the WHO for COVID 19, hosted by Lady Gaga.

Hello from the outside: The singer did have a concert in ‘Vorst Nationaal’ Brussels that night, which the actresses both attended and put on their characters’ insta. 

Perfect parallel: Zoë jokingly saying “I started being afraid that you thought we were official or something” in a previous episode, Jana’s sarcastic “There is nothing going on between you two anyway” now.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Zoë has a vintage tin box on her desk.

°

Zondag 11:53

C is for culture: “When I arrived back at the polling station, ..." - In Belgium, voting is mandatory for anyone of legal age and Belgian nationality. Not showing up for polling station duty or voting itself, could cost you a fine or even a lawsuit. Exceptions are illnesses, working abroad, being jailed, etc. The election always happens on a Sunday morning, so that (almost) everyone can cast a vote on a non-working day. Due to the complex political system, some elections are grouped together. Every five years, it’s the one for the European parliament, the Federal government and the regional governments (Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels). Every six years, the municipal and provincial council election. It’s entirely possible to vote ‘blanc’ if you want to, then it simply doesn’t count.

Perfect parallel: Zoë asking for a break in their relationship in the exact same spot as the start of it - their first kiss in an earlier one. 

That’s character: Throughout the seasons, Senne has shown that he has got some anger issues. Whenever he feels frustrated, scared or incapable of things, it often results into physical violence. From slamming doors and punching walls to threatening Viktor with a knife. This is a consequence of his own insecurity. He often feels incompetent about the situation he’s put in (due to his past) and wants to change that by ‘being the bigger (tougher) guy’. 

Hello from the outside: After this whole Zoënne ordeal, Jens posted a picture to his insta claiming that he ‘lost his bike last night due to heavy drinking’. He provided a vague location and the fact that his number was attached to it. This resulted in an actual search for the fans around Antwerp. Eventually, someone found it, called the number and the actor Nathan Bouts showed up to collect.

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Maandag 10:14

Perfect parallel/Funny coincidence: The principal thinking about cancelling FreeFest due to the Beat Boys’ violence in S2, then cancelling it due to COVID-19 in wtFOCKDOWN.

Oopsie: You can clearly see that Senne’s black eye is smudged with white make-up at the borders, making the whole thing look fake. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Zoë mouthing ‘Wat?’ (= What?) to Jana, her answering ‘Ik weet niet’ (= I don’t know).

Bonus: The fact that they put ‘Sound of da police’ by KRS-One underneath the image of the police officers going outside. Brilliant!

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Dinsdag 13:50

Perfect parallel: 

Zoë having a conversation about what to do with Senne in the same classroom as her making up with him in an earlier episode.

Yasmina vaguely revealing a (former) crush in this episode and later on in S2, Robbe trying to pry information out of her about that someone, without result, in wtFOCKDOWN. 

How ‘meta’ of you: Yasmina saying “That I have to wait” about the feelings for the boy, but it’s also a hint that we have to wait for her season to explore that storyline. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Senne gifts her a ‘Huawei Psmart 2019′. Zoë needs to finish her Biology report, as the subject is a red thread in this season like Psychics was Jana’s.

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Woensdag 13:45

Perfect parallel: Milan saying “I think you’re looking for excuses to be angry at Senne” in this episode and Zoë doing exactly that in the episodes before their first kiss. 

Lost in translation: Milan saying “Dat is geen huiswerkge-ijsbeer. Dat is boyfriendgebanjer”. The words ‘ijsberen’ and ‘banjeren’ both mean nervously pacing around, but the last one is only used in the Netherlands. Milan wants to make an alliteration, so he chooses that to rhyme with ‘boyfriend’. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Some of the Grindr profile names include ‘Power bottom XL’ and ‘Sex now’.

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Donderdag 13:45

C is for culture: Why aren’t Zoë and Amber in school on a Thursday? Well, it’s the holiday weekend of ‘the Ascension of Our Lord into Heaven’. In Belgium, when a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, the schools and some companies have an extra day off in between that holiday and the weekend, thus extending the weekend.

Perfect parallel: Zoë confessing her relationship with Senne to Amber in S2, in the same location as Jens confessing to Jana that he smokes weed in S1.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: The coffee cups have the sentence 'I’M a big HOT cup' on them and are instantly forgotten during their conversation. 

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Vrijdag 21:42

That’s character: Viktor’s manipulative behavior is starting to get apparent here. At first, he’s being nice, offers help and invites her in. Then he throws her off by saying things like “Did Senne tell you that? Typical”, “Our Senne doesn’t like it when his friends get to know his family” and “And I don’t think he’ll be sleeping alone either”, while he acts like he’s doubting, insecure and wounded.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: The hardened look on his face right before he calls Senne, a sudden change from his (fake) nice face.

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Vrijdag 21:53

That’s character: Senne’s big brother keeps controlling this entire conversation, not only by the words he’s saying, but also his body language and timing. He already gained some trust in the previous clip, by helping her out and acting innocent. Now he put a glass of wine in her hand, compliments her, waits for the moment that she’ll ask more about Senne and makes up a sob story. Then he digs into Zoë’s insecurity by stating "He saw a lot of women trying to change him and getting hurt". At the end, adding the final blow to make her believe that he’s cheating. And viola, Viktor has an intoxicated victim he can prey on. 

Perfect parallel: Viktor lying that Senne has an undiagnosed MI, doesn’t want people to find out and that all sorts of women tried to change him in S2, while Sander actually has an MI, wás scared that Robbe found out and Britt somewhat tries to change him in S3. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Zoë doing shots of ‘Pisang’.