#elena rodriguez critical

[ryder616]

The experiment was truly useless, as the result is impossible to differentiate from simple luck. It's a gamble, not an experiment. I honestly think it would have been much better if Simmons had cheated, and there was no poison.

Also, I think that her reaction in the immediate aftermath of the amateur surgery hour only makes sense if it comes from a place of emotion, because that "we need to make harder choices" is pure copium on her part.

The opposite - harder choices led us to ruin - can equally be true, even more so if time is fixed like Fitz still believed.

Incidentally, it's also what actually happens. Every single thing they did during their British adventure made things worse (well, disabling the machine would have been good, but then they fixed it).

It's kinda the point, too: one desperate blunder after another because the team is broken and nothing will be right until they're united again.

Problem is, the trio contributes absolutely nothing to the reunification, unless we count not opposing Mack's promotion as a contribution (the bar is low but perhaps not quite so much lol), despite having been the main disruptive element, aside from Coulson's impending death. So what did all that unpleasant character conflict achieve, really?

I am in one of my moods so I want to talk about The Invincible Trio in season 5 of Agents of Shield.

The people in this group, according to several redditors, were the only ones actually making logical decisions about the end of the world. I am guessing most fans don't really think about it beyond its surface because Fitzsimmons have already been established as the smartest characters in the show with logical and sound reasoning. If they say it works, then obviously it works right?

But see, Jemma insists that she, Fitz and Elena are invincible because there is evidence of it in the future (Deke being their grandson and Elena being literally there). Of course the only way to assume that they cannot die is to also assume that absolutely nothing about the future can change. Which means that time is fixed. Which then means that no matter what they do, there is no saving the world. Makes the whole season pointless doesn't it?

But if the world can be saved, that means future can change, that means The Invincible Trio isn't invincible. The future that they saw was just one of the iterations where the three of them survived. That means they are just as vulnerable as the rest of the team. And so Simmons' little experiment was stupid beyond reason. And Fitz isn't much better here, going along with something like this. Elena isn't really established as someone who thinks things through so this is right up her alley. But seriously, they made two of the smartest shield scientists act like complete morons.

[tremorsmackenzie]

i see a lot of talk going around about how the team were terrible to daisy after 5x14 and one person even said that it was basically a darvo situation, and i want to add my opinion to the pile, cause i disagree with that a lot. i also generally have a problem with how people tend to defend their favourite to the absolute while villainizing almost every other character in this discourse. they all deserve equal amounts of empathy.

lets get a few disclaimers out of the way first: from my perspective, what happened wasnt anyones fault, they were all victims in this situation. fitz cant be blamed for having a psychic split, daisy had every right and more to react the way that she did, thats not even a discussion. it was also just absolutely the right decision, fitz wasnt trustworthy anymore after that. he absolutely did care about what he did though, he mentioned how he was scared by how he still thought he did the right thing at least twice. thats not the same thing as being horrified at what he did exactly, but the reasons for his split didnt go away just because it happened, and this is about as close as you can get in this situation i think. i also think his whole " i didnt have a choice" shtick was more about him trying to make sense of what happened rather than trying to deflect blame, because he generally lacks empathy for other people a bit and getting defensive and not considering whether that is appropriate right now is perfectly in character for him (still terrible on his part despite all that though, and this is probably where the darvo thing comes from as far as it concerns him). now:

the way i see the aftermath of that episode is that with everything still happening, coulson gone and possibly (definitley, its hydra) being tortured for intel, the end of the world still fast approaching, and daisy still being convinced its somehow gonna be her fault (especially after having her powers restored), none of them could allow themselves to break right now. and crucially: noone blamed daisy for the way she reacted or attacked her for it. may thought she wasnt ready for coulsons job after literally just being tortured, and she was right about that, that was way too much pressure to put on her after that (despite that, i still think daisy did a good job, but she shouldnt have had to). mack agreed with daisy fully. simmons was definitley not okay anymore after what happened and acted increasingly irrationally. she just watched her husband torture her best friend while being held at gunpoint by a robot he programmed, after which daisy had no time to talk to her and fitz was locked in a cell and disillusioned about who he was. she was essentially alone to deal with the situation.

it doesnt excuse what she did, but i also dont think she wouldve acted the way she did if she was fully sane at that point. i mean, she risked swallowing literal acid because she thought she was invincible due to knowing she makes it past the worlds destruction. before this, she was very, starkly different. those are not the actions of someone whos secretly a sociopath like many regularly accuse her of being, theyre the actions of someone who has been pushed completely past their breaking point. as for yoyo, she lost her goddamn arms and was absolutely convinced that daisys path was going to lead to the entire worlds destruction. and that was what she was mad at daisy about.

this was the entire tragedy of that situation: its not a question of fault. they all acted terribly towards each other, and they all had good reasons for it, even if they were being unfair or vicious. it just happened.

so they all pushed what fitz did aside for the moment to focus on the mission, but its literally the main factor of what drove the team apart for the rest of the season, because daisy was focused on her interpretation of the prophecy and wasnt gonna trust fitz or anything he said anymore, simmons and yoyo were convinced he was right and felt daisy wasnt listening to them, and then they managed to scrape themselves back together as a team, just barely, and saved the world, losing both coulson and fitz in the process. in my headcanon the team patched up most of their differences after 5x22, based on how it ended, flashbacks and mentions from season 6 as well as the team being friendly with each other again, and the fact that this show isnt the kind to just ignore events like this, if things are radically different between seasons its safe to assume that stuff happened off screen, not that the writers were lazy. losing two members of their shared family probably also provided them with some perspective and reminded them of how much they all mean to one another.

and this hit all of them very hard, and they all dealt with it in their own way without involving the others. all of them, not just daisy. mack focused on his job 100%, may and elena helped him, simmons went to space to find fitz and daisy came with her because everything reminded her of coulson and theyre each others best friend. when they all came back together, they had managed to somewhat move on from what happened and probably werent to keen on bringing it up again. i mean we saw how sarge had them all bent out of shape because he had coulsons face. they were not over it. nevermind the fact that they had another alien invasion on their hands at the time.

[delusionalfanficwriter]

vaccine

The emergency department was in chaos, with COVID cases pouring in at an alarming rate. Dr. Elena Rodriguez, despite her recent bout with the flu, was back at work, determined to do her part in the battle against the pandemic. She had been taking various supplements in an attempt to bolster her immune system, hoping it would compensate for not getting the COVID vaccine.

Amid the controlled chaos of the ER, Elena's attention was drawn to the medics rushing in with a critically ill patient. The report sounded grim, and Elena immediately sprang into action.

"44-year-old female. O2 saturation at 80% with a nonrebreather. Hypotensive and tachycardic. Positive COVID test two days ago. History of cardiac issues," the medic reported.

"Get her in room two," Elena commanded, her medical instincts kicking into high gear.

However, her authority was challenged by a familiar voice. Maya, her girlfriend, had appeared on the other side of the patient, her worry evident in her eyes.

"Dr. Rodriguez, get someone else to handle this case," Maya urged, her voice filled with concern.

Elena, focused on her patient, responded firmly, "Lt. Bishop, with all due respect, you are in my ER, and this is now my patient."

Maya wasn't one to back down easily, and she stepped closer to Elena, speaking in a hushed tone. "Elena, please, find someone else. You haven't had your vaccine, and you just recovered from the flu. You can't risk it."

Elena's determination to fulfill her duty clashed with Maya's protective instincts. She sighed, trying to keep her emotions in check. "Maya, this is my job. We're short-staffed, and I'm covering half the floor alone. Now, please, leave so I can get back to work."

“We are not done with this conversation. I’ll see you in the morning.” Maya huffed in frustration but knew that pushing further in the midst of a medical crisis wouldn't help. Reluctantly, she walked away, leaving Elena to focus on her patient.

As Elena continued to work tirelessly through her shift, her mind kept drifting to the impending confrontation with Maya and Carina. She wasn't looking forward to returning to their home, knowing that her decision to prioritize her work had caused tension in their relationship.

When her shift finally ended, Elena had a choice to make. She could either go to her own home to avoid further conflict or return to Maya and Carina's house, where they would undoubtedly have a difficult conversation waiting for her. With a heavy heart, she chose the latter, realizing that avoiding the issue would only make things worse in the long run. Elena's shift finally came to an end, and the exhaustion weighed heavily on her shoulders as she left the bustling emergency department. She knew there was a conversation waiting for her at home, and she couldn't avoid it any longer.

As she entered Maya and Carina's cozy living room, she found them sitting together on the couch, their expressions a mix of concern and frustration. They didn't waste any time in addressing the issue at hand.

Maya spoke first, her voice tinged with worry. "Elena, we need to talk about this. You can't keep putting yourself at risk by avoiding vaccines."

Carina nodded in agreement, her concern matching Maya's. "It's not just about you, Elena. We're in a committed relationship, and your health affects all of us."

Elena sighed and sank into a nearby chair. She knew they were right, but her fear of needles ran deep, and it wasn't something she could easily overcome. "I understand your concerns, but you have to understand how hard this is for me. Needles terrify me, and I've managed to avoid them for so long."

Maya reached out and gently took Elena's hand. "We know it's not easy, Elena, but your health is non-negotiable. You've already faced one major health scare with the flu, and we don't want to go through that again."

“Elena. How can you take insulin but still be afraid of needles?” Carina genuinely asks. “I just don’t understand.”

Elena inhaled deeply, “I don’t know. There’s something subconscious about it. I guess because I was taking insulin injections from such an early age on a regular basis it’s like brushing my teeth but vaccines just terrify me and I can’t tell you why. It doesn’t make sense in my head either.”

“Okay. How about if you have me and Maya for support? Would you be willing to try?... Please?” Carina practically begs hoping the woman would budge. Elena’s face contorts and she bends her head down putting it in her hands.

“Don’t make me, please.” Maya and Carina watch tears stream between their girlfriend’s fingers and their heart ache not wanting to force her into anything but they are just looking out for her. Maya held Elena close, her embrace filled with warmth and understanding. Carina gently lowered Elena's trembling hands, their touch gentle and reassuring.

"Elena, we're not trying to force you into anything," Maya whispered, her voice filled with empathy. "But we're genuinely concerned about your health, especially with the ongoing pandemic. You've already taken insulin injections for years, and we know you're incredibly brave. We just want to be there to support you through this."

Carina added, "We love you, Elena, and we want you to be safe and healthy. We're not asking you to do this alone. We'll be with you every step of the way."

Elena's shoulders shook as she tried to hold back her tears. Their love and concern were evident, and she knew they were right. Her fear of needles, while deeply rooted, couldn't be allowed to jeopardize her health, especially when she had two loving partners by her side.

With a sigh of surrender, Elena nodded, her voice barely a whisper. "Okay, I'll try. But please, promise me you'll be there with me."

Maya and Carina exchanged relieved glances, their hearts filled with love for Elena. Maya kissed the top of Elena's head, her lips brushing against her soft hair. "We promise, Elena. We'll support you through this, no matter what."

Carina added, "You're incredibly brave, and we're so proud of you for taking this step."

Elena called her primary doctor that morning to book an appointment for the afternoon. She decided to try to get all the shots she was due for in one appointment. She would rather be done all together than come back. After the call, all of them showered and decided to sleep in before they had to go to the appointment.

“Amore, it’s time to get ready… Amore?” Carina wrapped her arms around Elena in bed. “I know you are fake sleeping.” Carina is only met with a hitched breath that transitions to rapid breaths. “Hey, none of that. Everything is okay. Deep breaths.” Carina turns the woman to face her to see tears streaking down her face.

“Let’s sit you up,” Maya comes out of the bathroom watching the events unfold. “Follow my breathing, babe. It’s okay. Inhale. Hold. Exhale… Inhale. Hold. Exhale…” Maya repeats it a few more times, getting Elena’s panic attack settled before it even starts.

“I’m… I’m sorry… Please… I don’t want to go. I don’t want to.” Elena’s raspy voice cried out.

“How about we just change and get into the car and decide from there? This way if you do decide to go, you’ll be on time,” Carina logically thought out in hopes Elena would agree which she did by nodding her head.

They get up and ready in minutes before making their way to Carina’s car. Maya opted to sit in the back with Elena knowing one of her love languages is physical touch and it was pretty obvious how nerve-wrecked she was. Elena tried her best to be as composed as possible not wanting to burden Maya and Carina much more as it is but she just couldn’t hold herself together.

Maya and Carina kept glancing at each other through the mirror and both had reservations if this was too much on the woman they loved. They didn't realize just how deeply rooted this fear was and how hard it would be to actually get her to the appointment. They’ve talked to each other about ways to ease Elena into this whole process but they all revolved around therapy, which Elena refused, and just ripping the bandaid. It was going to be rough either way but they just didn’t realize how bad it was going to be.

As minutes ticked by and the closer they got to the doctor’s office, Elena was beginning to unsettle underneath Maya’s hands that rubbed her thighs and hands trying to relieve some fear.

“We are here,” Carina announces, putting the car in park and turning back to her two favorite women. Elena’s head snapped up as her thoughts made her lose track of time. She was here. She was about to get her shots. Surprising both Maya and Carina, Elena hops out of the car and the other two are quick to follow when they see Elena dry-heave over a patch of grass they parked by.

“Oh, babe. Get it all out.” Maya rubs Elena’s back as Carina puts her hair in a makeshift bun. “It’s okay. We are here with you. We got you.”

“All finished?” Carina questions minutes since the last dry heave episode. Elena nods her head and accepts the piece of gum Carina extends to her.

“Thanks… Guys, I don’t think I can do it. It’s too much. My head feels lightheaded and I can’t control my thoughts or breathing. This is a bad idea.”

“None of that. “ Maya grabs the woman’s cheeks gently. “Look at how far you’ve come. I think getting her might be the hardest part and that is done. When we are inside just keep your eye on me and Carina. We will hold together when you feel at your weakest. We have you, Elena.”

That was enough reassurance and motivation to get Elena through the doors of the doctor’s office and eventually inside an examination room.

Inside, the nurse prepared the vaccines, explaining each one to Elena. As she approached with the first needle, Elena's heart raced, and she clenched her eyes shut, gripping the sides of the exam table tightly.

Maya and Carina watched with concern, their hearts aching for Elena. Maya whispered, "It's okay, Elena. We're right here."

Carina added softly, "Just one at a time, love. You can do this."

With their words of encouragement, Elena braced herself for the first shot. It stung, but it was over quickly. She let out a shaky breath and opened her eyes, her hands trembling. Carina leaned in to press a gentle kiss to Elena's forehead, offering comfort.

The nurse administered the next shot, and Elena winced again, but she was determined not to back down. She had come this far, and she couldn't let her fear control her.

Maya held Elena's hand tightly, her eyes never leaving Elena's face. "You're so brave, Elena. We love you. Keep taking deep breaths."

Carina added, "We're proud of you, Tesoro."

[praxismatters]

THE EVENS ARTS PRIZE 2023

Exploring the critical imaginaries of AI The Evens Arts Prize 2023 is dedicated to artistic practices that challenge prevailing systems of knowledge and experiments new alliances between living beings and machines. 

The Jury is composed of Daniel Blanga Gubbay, Artistic Co-Director, Kunstenfestivaldesarts; Nicolas Bourriaud, Artistic Director, 15th Gwangju Biennale; Elena Filipovic, Director and Curator, Kunsthalle Basel; Matteo Pasquinelli, Associate Professor in Philosophy of Science, Ca’ Foscari University; Gosia Plysa, Director, Unsound. The Jury Chair is André Wilkens, Director, European Cultural Foundation. Artistic Director:  Anne Davidian, curator.

Focus of the Evens Arts Prize 2023 The widespread use of AI applications, particularly in the form of text-to-image generators and large language models, has sparked intense scrutiny and debate. These discussions, fueled by both excitement about their potential and concerns about their biases, bring to the forefront crucial questions about human subjectivity, autonomy, and agency.

Technical systems are deeply intertwined with social systems, shaping our lived experiences, aspirations, and politics. Together with artists, how can we better understand and address the impact of AI and the broader constellation of digital technologies and algorithmic politics? What new imaginaries and alliances can we cultivate between living beings and machines?

The new edition of the Evens Arts Prize seeks to highlight artistic projects that explore alternative cosmologies and epistemologies, question human exceptionalism, and shed light on issues such as surveillance, manipulation, extractivism, digital governance, justice, care, and responsibility in the age of machine intelligence. Of particular interest are practices that experiment with AI to challenge prevailing systems of knowledge and power asymmetries, mobilise technologies towards emancipatory community outcomes, and envision democratic futures.

The laureate is selected by an independent jury from a list of nominations put forward by representatives of major European cultural institutions.

The Nominators of the Evens Arts Prize 2023 Ramon Amaro, Senior Researcher in Digital Culture, Nieuwe Instituut, Rotterdam; Zdenka Badovinac, Director, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb; Lars Bang Larsen, Head of Art & Research, Art Hub, Copenhagen; Leonardo Bigazzi, Curator, Foundation In Between Art Films, Rome; Mercedes Bunz, Professor Digital Culture & Humanities, King's College, London; Francesca Corona, Artistic Director, Festival d'Automne, Paris; Julia Eckhardt, Artistic Director, Q-02, Brussels; Silvia Fanti, Artistic Director, Live Arts Week /Xing, Bologna; iLiana Fokianaki, Founder, State of Concept, Athens; Cyrus Goberville, Head of Cultural Programming, Bourse de Commerce | Pinault Collection, Paris; Stefanie Hessler, Director, Swiss Institute, New York; Mathilde Henrot, Programmer, Locarno Film Festival; Nora N. Khan & Andrea Bellini, Artistic Directors, Biennale Image en Mouvement 2024, Geneva; Peter Kirn, Director, MusicMakers HackLab, CTM Festival, Berlin; Inga Lace, Curator, Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art, Riga; Andrea Lissoni, Director, Haus der Kunst, Munich; Frank Madlener, Director, IRCAM, Paris; Anna Manubens, Director, Hangar, Barcelona; Anne Hilde Neset, Director, Henie Onstad, Høvikodden; Nóra Ó Murchú, Artistic Director, transmediale, Berlin; Maria Ines Rodriguez, Director, Walter Leblanc Foundation, Brussels; Nadim Samman, Curator for the Digital Sphere, KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin; Andras Siebold, Artistic Director, Kampnagel, Hamburg; Caspar Sonnen, Head of New Media, International Documentary Film Festival (IDFA), Amsterdam; Marlies Wirth, Curator for Digital Arts, MAK, Vienna; Ben Vickers, Curator, Publisher, CTO, Serpentine Galleries, London.

The Evens Arts Prize The Evens Arts Prize honours artists who engage with contemporary challenges in Europe and shape inspirational visions for our common world. Far from reducing artistic practice to a function – whether a social balm or a political catalyst – the Evens Arts Prize supports aesthetically and intellectually powerful work that pushes the understanding of alterity, difference, and plurality in new directions, questions values and narratives, creates space for silenced or dissonant voices, and reflects on diverse forms of togetherness and belonging.

The biennial Prize is awarded to a European artist working in the fields of visual or performing arts, including cinema, theater, dance, music; it carries a sum of €15,000. The laureates are selected by an independent jury, from a list of internationally acclaimed artists, nominated by representatives of major European cultural institutions.

The 2011, 2019 and 2021 editions were curated by Anne Davidian and celebrated Marlene Monteiro Freitas, Eszter Salamon, and Sven Augustijnen as laureates of the main prize, while Eliane Radigue and Andrea Büttner received the Special Mention of the Jury.

More about the Prize

📷 from Atlas of Anomalous AI, edited by Ben Vickers and K Allado-McDowell, Ignota Books, 2020

[ryder616]

Basic Tumblr etiquette: you don't post character hate or negativity in the character's main tag, you tag it as "anti *character".

Now, point by point:

1) During the time he was hallucinating as the Doctor, Fitz had the team hostage at gunpoint, Mack was shot, and he inflicted a torturous, non-consensual and highly dangerous "surgery" on Daisy. When he came to himself again, he agreed with his nazi alter ego and kept going. Then he insisted he didn't regret it, demanded Daisy's trust after he had just betrayed it so egregiously and insisted that he had had no choice, after he had violently taken away hers. Getting mad at the superpowered equivalent of an angry shove seems like the definition of missing the forest for the tree.

People were hurt and Fitz was unapologetic about it. That's why he was locked-up, he presented a danger - the Doctor is a monster - and the characters, who don't watch the show, had no guarantees that it wouldn't happen again. Daisy was following Coulson's playbook, almost to the letter. When she returned from Hive, ostensibly free from the mind control, she was still locked-up for everyone's safety.

As for providing mental care: SHIELD was in shambles (again), with little to no resources (2 eps earlier Coulson had sold his collectibles to finance FS wedding) and they were fugitives, wanted for terrorism, trying to stay ahead of law-enforcement and Hydra both, while dealing with an impeding apocalypse and related troubles. They would have needed someone they already knew, fully trusted and vetted, and of course extremely competent. Another Andrew, basically. May only married the one.

2) Deke didn't follow Daisy's order to retreat to the Zephyr and got shot as a consequence of it. Him getting mad at her for pointing it out is the issue, not the other way around. He was completely out of line. Moreover, the last thing Daisy wants or needs is someone being hurt "for her". That's a big trigger he was (unknowingly) pulling.

3) Coulson denied Daisy's wish to be left in the future to nip the world's breaking in the bud, so I don't know if he can really complain all that much about his wishes not being respected, they're kinda in the same boat there. YoYo didn't tell either May or Daisy about her future self's warning until almost the very end, and by then they had Robin's prediction that Coulson "put the pieces together", aka Coulson was going to be key to the solution. Which, one might assume under the circumstances, he couldn't be if he was kidnapped by the baddies or dead.

4) It's not about the killing. It's about killing as the first and only option. None of those examples really qualify, and in fact both Dr. Hall's and Donnie Gill's unfortunate ends are the opposite of how YoYo handled the situation (which is fine: she is in different circumstances, barely physically recovered from massive trauma and facing the person that caused it. Ideally, she simply should not have been in that position)

5) Ruby had never been/was never going to be the Destroyer of Worlds. It's a fair assumption on YoYo's part but the audience should know better. The true consequence of killing Ruby is destroying the tentative alliance with Hale, which resulted in Hale informing the Confederacy of the Lighthouse's location and the Remorath's invasion, leading to Talbot infusing himself with gravitonium and thus becoming the actual Destroyer of Worlds. None of which YoYo could be reasonably expected to anticipate, but that is part of the issue, it was an impulsive call, colored by her personal experience with Ruby. On the plus side, she might very well have saved Daisy's and Hale's lives, as Ruby was unstable, they might not have been able to calm her down and Daisy was determined not to use her powers to subdue her. She had asked May to come back, however, which indicates that she was aware of the risk and trying to cover her bases as much as she could.

6) Mack criticizes using violence as the first and only recourse. He has obviously no problem defending himself and protecting others with deadly force when he sees no alternative. The two things are not antithetical.

7&8) Coulson gave Daisy the lead. She was, in fact, very much Simmons's boss and the boss of every other SHIELD agent until she handed the directorship to Mack in the finale, by which point Mack outranked her but probably no one else (S6 seems to point that way). What you are seeing is someone who has no patience left for people who had been constantly disregarding her authority while also blaming her when things went wrong as a result of them doing what they wanted.

Seems to me like you're only angry at Daisy and Mack, not "everyone".

Agents Of Shield Season 5 RANT

Ok i really liked this season. Especially when they are in space. But when they get back home and Daisy starts being a BITCH I get really angry

-Fitz has a psychotic break. A psychic split. And instead of getting him the proper mental care he needs, Daisy and others call him a supervillain and lock him up in a cell and BLAST HIM INTO A WALL!

-Gets mad at Deke for trying to help her

-denies Coulson’s wishes to let him die and prioritizes his life over millions in the future.

-“We don’t do that here” (regarding Yoyo killing Ruby) Donny Gill, Those guys protecting GH serum, Franklin Hall, Gordon, NEED I SAY MORE!? Like i get the no kill policy but at least stick to it

-ALSO IF YOYO DIDNT KILL RUBY THE WORLD WOULD’VE SPILT LIKE AN EGG SO YA KNOW I’M ON HER SIDE

-Mack being an asshole to everyone especially Yoyo and Fitz about Ruby’s death AS IF HE DOESN’T HAVE A SHOTGUN AXE? A WEAPON THAT CAN ONLY BE USED TO KILL!

-“This is top priority”-Daisy, To simmons. EXCUSE ME!? YOU ARE NOT HER BOSS! Also, she manipulates her words to make it seem like if simmons’ respects coulson’s wishes, She’s a bad person.

-acts like yoyo’s crazy as if she didnt just come back from digging up her mom’s remains

In conclusion: Everyone in this season angered me.

[alenkorra]

i just found out about natalia's post and i can't believe people tried to cancel the whole show (which isn't even airing anymore so it's pointless) when that's clearly not what she wanted to achieve. Jed and Mo were not racist/xenophobic towards her, she wouldn't have stayed friends with them if they'd threatened her like that. and it's funny how people were so quick to attack them (bc they're salty for their writing choices) but i've seen almost no posts mentioning chloe bennet.

the truth is we don't know what happened and if natalia said no names it was bc she didn't want us to know. but let's be honest, it's weird how all of a sudden her and chloe stopped being friends. natalia looked uncomfortable when they were together. she said she took it to the higher ups and there were people who backed her up and some who turned a blind eye. and honestly? if the roles were reversed and it was natalia who'd potentially done that, she would already have her social media filled with hate comments and people would've cancelled her.

i love chloe i always have but idk if i'm comfortable supporting her now that we know she might have been one of those people. i've excused so much shit she's said and done in the past because i thought deep down she always had good intentions, but i have to draw the line somewhere. natalia deserved support from EVERYONE in the cast & crew and it's disgusting that some people ignored what she was going through.

with that said, the actual show has nothing to do with that. yoyo was fucking amazing representation for latinos and so well written because natalia was allowed to give her her own little quirks and really make this latina woman feel authentic and real. so many of us saw ourselves in her so acting like suddenly the rep in the show is worthless is not the woke thing to do. and the fact that everyone who did that were non-latinos, philinda stans who're still mad they weren't endgame is fucking gross. you don't get to use natalia's struggles in the industry to shit on the showrunners and the show she was so proud to be a part of. keep her out of whatever gripe you have with Jed/Mo. if youl actually cared about her you'd know how deeply she loved yoyo and the representation she was able to give us through her, and i don't give a fuck if i'm generalizing if you're a philinda and you actually cared good for you but i hope you also called out these idiots.

[incorrectagentsofshieldquotes]

Simmons: Has anyone ever stopped to wonder why we’re all still alive?

Elena: Oh, yeah.

Daisy: All the time.

Fitz: By all likelihood, we shouldn’t be.

[competitivedust]

Love how Elena chose to be shitty to Daisy because of the possibility that she might end the world but didn't hold any resentment towards Fitz for the way he violated her. Love that Jemma went on to comfort her husband after he cut into their friend as she screamed in agony but couldn't be bothered to check on said friend even once. If anything she just really wanted Daisy to get over it.

Love how these women of shield decided to side with a white man who violated a woman, gaslighted her. I have always believed AoS has really well written female characters but then I remember these things and it makes me question why I even liked this show in the first place.

[azurecanary]

Lol exactly!!

Like that's her whole beef with FS in S4!!!

1) They wanted to micromanage her power usage

2) They were meddling with powers they didn't understand

She would 10000% be against them in S5.

(Btw, the fact that canon fans of both Terminator and Doctor Who thought "Yup, there's definitely zero nuance in the theoretical concepts of time" drives me INSANE)

Y'know what really irks me about Season 5? It's not them ruining Daisy and Fitz's friendship or Daisy and Simmons', it's them ruining Daisy and Elena's.

You're telling me that Yoyo, who was the only person to stand by Daisy when she left SHIELD, who's the only remaining member of Daisy's team, as well as the only other Inhuman; would not at least sympathise with Daisy after what Fitz put her through?

If it was S4 Yoyo, i can imagine she'd have knocked out Fitz herself.

[eclecticmuses]

The Past That Stands Between Us

Author: @eclecticmuses Rating: Mature Chapter: 20/20 Relationships/Characters: Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons, Daisy Johnson, Alistair Fitz, Alphonso ‘Mack’ Mackenzie, Elena Rodriguez, Holden Radcliffe, Leo Fitz’s Mother, Daniel Sousa, Enoch, AIDA (mentioned) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Drama & Romance, Fluff & Angst, Doubt, Secrets, Manipulation, Mild Sexual Content, Angst With a Happy Ending, Background Daisy/Sousa Summary: When Jemma Simmons meets famed scientist and inventor Leo Fitz at a trade conference in New York City, she thinks she’s found the man of her dreams. A whirlwind romance and elopement ensues, but once she settles into her new home with Fitz in London, she realizes that not everything is as it appears. It seems that no one—not even Fitz—has let go of the memory of his beautiful, popular first wife, who died tragically in an accident just one year prior. As Jemma sinks deeper into a web of doubt and criticism, she begins to question her place in Fitz’s life—and the secrets he’s keeping from her. An AU of the classic novel Rebecca.

Excerpt from Chapter 20:

Out in the Indian Ocean, on the North Island of the Seychelles, Fitz and Jemma were settling into the villa that would be their home for the next two weeks.

They’d taken an evening flight out of London, sat through layovers in Frankfurt and Addis Ababa, and finally landed on the main island of Mahé early the following afternoon. A helicopter ride followed, as that was the only accessible way to North Island, which made Jemma feel exceedingly posh and rich. She had to remind herself that she was now, but Fitz kept her grounded by going on about the specifications of the helicopter they were flying in and pointing out other islands visible in the distance as they flew over the water.

Read the rest on AO3!

[movie-magic]

Fast & Furious 9 Can Fix Hobbs & Shaw's Insulting Justice For Han

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw's attempt to address the Justice for Han movement, and although it's not nearly enough, Fast & Furious 9 can fix that. After more than a decade and eight films, The Fast Saga launched its first spin-off offering in the David Leitch flick. Headlined by Dwayne Johnson's Luke Hobbs and Jason Statham's Deckard Shaw, the movie saw the pair make an unlikely team as they go up against a new threat in the mysterious organization, Eteon.

Universal didn't hide their intention to further capitalize on The Fast Saga's popularity by launching more spin-offs after Hobbs & Shaw. The blockbuster introduced a string of new characters and was set in London, across the pond from the U.S. where Dom's "la familia" operates to ensure there's no overlap. Hobbs and Shaw joined the franchise pretty late in the game; both also started as adversaries to the main crew, but ultimately became allies. Hobbs' arc from being an enemy to a dependable friend played out organically as it was how his character's story was supposed to play out from the get-go. But things are different and more complicated for Deckard.

Introduced at the end of Fast & Furious 6, the older brother of the same movie's primary villain, Owen, sought revenge for what happened to the young Shaw. Deckard targeted Han who was isolated in Japan at that time. He was initially perceived to succeed in killing the beloved member of the "la familia," effectively starting a conflict with Dom's gang. But F9 reveals that it may not be the case with Han re-emerging to join his old crew.

As a fan-favorite character in The Fast Saga, Han's death revealed at the end of Fast & Furious 6 and further explored in Furious 7 didn't sit well with many. Through the years, he endeared himself to the franchise's legions of fans for his quiet charm, deadly driving skills, and quirks - including Han's constant snacking. On top of his importance to Dom's team itself, there were also criticisms for why the franchise killed its only Asian-American lead. However, the movement never really took off until after the release of 2017's Fate of the Furious where Deckard was seemingly accepted into the "la familia" without so much as an apology for what he did to Han. Granted that the eldest Deckars sibling was crucial in saving Dom's secret son with Elena from the villain, Cipher, the fact that the movie never even properly addressed his previous transgressions was perceived as a betrayal to Han's legacy. This invigorated the Justice for Han movement and as Kang himself recently revealed, it's the buzz about the matter that resulted in Lin eventually figuring out a way to return to The Fast Saga and deliver on that statement.

How Hobbs & Shaw Addresses Justice For Han:

Deckard's redemption at the end of Fate of the Furious was cemented in Hobbs & Shaw where he teamed up with Hobbs to take on a new villain. The spin-off caused all sorts of drama behind-the-scenes, with Tyrese Gibson even accusing Johnson of trying to take over The Fast Saga by doing the offshoot. During this time, rumors were persistent that there was on set tension between Johnson and the franchise's poster star, Vin Diesel, while making Fate of the Furious. Nevertheless, the offshoot moved forward, expectedly riling up the Justice for Han movement as the movie humanized Deckard without holding him accountable first for trying to kill Han. The filmmakers knew full well that there was already backlash surrounding the character, so they tried to address it; in a quiet conversation with his sister, Dottie, Deckard acknowledged that he's done some bad things — primarily referring to Han's incident. Unfortunately, it was done so poorly that instead of appeasing those who wanted to see the matter addressed, it actually riled them, as it barely addressed the issue.

Fast & Furious 9 Is Some Justice For Han:

F9 didn't attempt to keep Han's return a secret, revealing him at the end of the first trailer and from then on, his mysterious resurrection has been at the forefront of conversations regarding the project. This allowed the filmmakers to capitalize on the popularity of the character as his involvement effectively piqued the interest of loyal The Fast Saga fans. It also relieved the pressure of keeping it under wraps, risking leaks, and ruining the surprise. The fact that F9 is bringing back Han is already a step in the right direction when it comes to making amends about how poorly the aftermath of his death was handled. While Lin is the primary creative force behind accomplishing Justice for Han, long-time The Fast Saga writer Chris Morgan who also co-writes Hobbs & Shaw teased they are indeed working towards delivering on that promise. Granted that franchise star Michelle Rodriguez slammed him for his comments about the matter, it's an indication that other associated people want to accomplish the same thing. While Deckard's arc progresses separately from the main series and there's no way that justice will truly be served without him involved, chances are that this plotline will play out in the primary narrative line instead of the spin-offs.

What Fast & Furious Still Needs To Do For Han:

While bringing back Han in F9 is a welcome development, it won't be enough to accomplish Justice For Han. Similarly, it won't be realized unless Deckard himself is involved and directly held accountable for what he did. Unfortunately, it would be difficult to achieve this goal in the upcoming flick because Statham isn't in it. Since he and The Rock are now spearheading their own pocked of The Fast Saga through Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, their adventures are no longer connected to Dom and his team's endeavors. That being said, with Lin already locked to direct the next and final two sequels past Fast & Furious 9, there's still plenty of opportunities to deliver on this endeavor. As the Fast & Furious franchise took its creative cues from Marvel Studios' Infinity Saga, its culmination will more likely see Hobbs and Shaw back in the main narrative line, perhaps for a final showdown against Cipher. Given this opening, it would be more plausible to properly confront Deckard for Han's near-death; at this point, it's arguably imperative that at the least they find themselves face-to-face. Anything less than that would be unsatisfying.

- Screen Rant

[apathbacktoyou]

ao3

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie/Yo Yo Rodriguez Characters: Yo Yo Rodriguez, Elena 'Yo Yo' Rodriguez, Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie Additional Tags: Soulmates, Established Relationship, Fluff, Snippets, Domestic Fluff, Snapshots Summary:

The soulmate bond is something precious but it's also practical: As long as she has a pen handy, all Elena has to do is write on her own arm to give Mack a message. From love notes to mission critical intel to drawings, everything goes and everything is written with love.

for @smallblueandloud as part of the Final Mission Rarepair Exchange! Hope you enjoy it<3

[rainbow-femme]

I saw Fast X let’s see what I remember

I got very excited seeing Paul Walker in the beginning, I like that they try to find ways to get him in. Although it is very funny to me that they don’t try even a little bit in this one to explain why he’s not with the rest of the team. I guess he’s babysitting again

The recast of Dom’s son is so unsubtle it’s amazing. Like I know Vin Diesel believes he’s part black, he may be idk not my business, and probably wanted that represented in his characters kid, but John Cena is playing his full biological brother so the suggestion here is this kid gets his black ancestry through the John Cena line of the family which is hilarious

Speaking of John Cena, so much better in this one than 9, probably because they let him be funny instead of sad

I saw that double tank top on Letty and I knew my wife Sanja Hays was back

I called them making Cipher becoming part of the family. No redemption, no apology for killing Elena, or kidnapping Dom’s son, or trying to steal nukes, she’s just here now and finally has a good hair cut

I feel like this movie is a great example of listening to criticism and committing to the bit. People said the other movies didn’t have enough cars and this movie is 98% cars, but they also fully committed to the ridiculousness and were not backing off

I didn’t know how I’d feel about Jason Momoa as the villain but damn is he my favorite villain in this series, we really needed a muscular, effeminate evil bastard and he delivers. I’m pretty sure he’s wearing a different nail polish in every scene

To keep track of the cities they have absolutely fucked, we’ve got Rio, Edinburgh, and now Rome. They were just like yup we are blowing up the Vatican, that’s what’s happening in this one

Ramsey learned to drive :)

They show the Torretto cross necklace so much I really want the last movie to reveal they’re Jewish or something and the necklace is just an aesthetic choice

Between Jason Momoa and the Michelle Rodriguez-Charlize Theron fight this was a very bisexual movie for me

I love all of Brie Larson’s funky little outfits in this

Roman and Tej are soulmates and they’re so mad about it. Like they’re bound together in ways they will never connect to anyone else and it pisses them off so bad

I hope other people noticed that Pete Davidson’s black market dealer character was on Tumblr the whole time. I tried to see his blog name but it went too fast

I love that we’re on movie 10 when these guys are supposed to be some of the worlds greatest heroes and they 100% still kill with impunity. Mia had no idea why agents for the group she works with (I love that they referred to it as freelancing) were storming the house and she just immediately went into “Oh boy here I go killing again” mode no questions asked

I need to go back and see how many times they A. Are blasted world wide as criminals and terrorists and B. Get their same house exploded/full of bullets

Absolutely alarming amount of time before we got butts on screen, truly a mind boggling amount of time

Also Elena’s sister didn’t inherit her driftwood indoor arch which I was very sad about, RIP driftwood indoor arch

How did it take 10 movies for them to use the song Gasolina? That shit came out in 2010

Can’t wait for the next movie and watching Letty and Cipher in their Get Along shirt

Dom has watched two of his family members die via high speed car explosion, which isn’t a lot but it’s weird it happened twice

I absolutely called that ending reveal, I knew [REDACTED] wasn’t dead, [PRONOUN] just had to leave to play [CHARACTER] for a bit before getting brought back

Also love that they never gave the nuclear submarine back to Russia, they just kept it

I do wonder how Dom and his son are going to survive a dam exploding on them. Probably by driving if I had to guess

Watching The Fast and the Furious

I love that not a single person in this movie can act, absolutely amazing

I love that the racing competition is called Race Wars and not a single person comments on that

I love that when trying to prove himself as a hardcore racer to Dom, Brian orders tuna on white bread with the crust cut off from Doms sister every day

I love the assertion that in Los Angeles there are parts of the city that literally hundreds of cars can congregate for street racing and it’s only after like a half hour that any cops notice

I love that the big heists the gang pulls are for DVD players

I love that the rival gang that’s a red herring just had a garage full of legally bought DVD players and it’s never explained

I love that they leave for a heist in the middle of the night and it’s clearly mid morning to afternoon when it happens, so like 6 hours after they drive out to the middle of the desert to wait

I love that they’re going 140 miles per hour on a highway with a semi truck and communicating by yelling from car to car, while in real life if you’re going over 50 with the windows kinda down you can’t hear the person in your passenger seat

I love that Brian wears Converse while drag racing

Love it, 9/10, I just wish we had a scene of the gang explaining how they fence hundreds of DVD players on a regular basis

[ellsey]

Agents of Shield Rewatch 7x06 Adapt or Die

Aka story time with Danny Boy

Before that though, Sibyl is going to travel the virtual time highway or whatever

She’s like a poetess what a queen

That’s a lot of Chronicoms

Elena was trying to ease them into what happened and Deke is like lol I killed him

HENRY WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO LOOK SO GOOD

Legit this outfit is doing things for me

Awww Mack has sweet memories

Also why have you not introduced Elena to your parents??

That shot of Stoner walking in front of his hologram is hilarious

This doesn’t look good for Z1 though womp

Yep this got long again hahahahaha

Daisy would want to hear a story about someone else being doped up ahahaha

Nathaniel is psyyyycho

As soon as she hears Whitehall is involved Daisy knows this is bad

May’s new abilities come in very handy

Poor Jemma is in a crisis here :(

Omg Mack hugging his mom hahaha that’s the sweetest

“This is Agent Rodriguez...she’s my girlfriend” MACK I LOVE YOU

Elena very smoothly swoops in there too

Mack’s Mom’s outfit is peak 70s and I love her

May and Phil are a mess but I love that they are actually talking

I love how Phil keeps breaking his handcuffs hahaha

That’s the best running gag this season

Mack’s and his dad working together is adorable

Well it would be if his dad wasn’t a robot

Ughhhhhhhhh I hate Nathaniel

Poor Daisy :(

And of course her first thought is of Jiaying

Sousa went quickly to calling her Daisy I’m just saying

Everything Sousa does here is the definition of *soft* like

The way he feels for her pulse then pats her shoulder once he feels it

The way he cradles her head on his leg

Then he just strokes her hair

And pleads with her to stay awake

And then he cups her head with his hands

I find it interesting that in his moment of panic worrying about her he calls her Daisy, but once he’s settled and has telling his story he’s back to Agent Johnson

But also when did he find out her first name?

Anyway I could watch this scene like 10000 times because it’s amazing and everything I wanted

Also Daisy is so brave and beautiful and smart to be able to think of stashing that glass in her palm while being tortured

I love her

I love Sousa

I love them together bless

And like, watching Sousa tap into his own trauma to help someone else is so very Sousa of him, you know?

He doesn’t exactly look like he enjoys telling that story. I mean he keeps looking at his leg when he mentions it being a pulpy mess, and he stares into space a lot when he’s not focused on Daisy. So I don’t think that was an easy task for him. And yet he did it. For her. To try and keep her focused and there.

Also that look on his face when he says there’s plenty of fight in her like

He’s completely a goner then

I could dissect this scene all day thanks for asking

In fairness to Deke he has every reason to be concerned about what he’s seeing here with Enoch and Jemma

But also why was she asleep there when she said she needed to be awake during the time loops??

Look at Phil using this device that May uses later to save the world it’s all connected

Look, maybe I’m just ship everything, but there’s a lot of sexual tension between Sibyl and Coulson

Well, as much sexual tension as robots can have

Finally some answers

Ish

“I named her Diana. She’s adorable and we’re inseparable. Literally.” HAHAHA

Omg Jemma be nice to your grandson

“Is that you?” Sousa is helplessly polite I love him

Nathaniel is getting what he deserves

“That’s my girl” I CRY

GET A ROOM YOU TWO

I mean a real room not this projected space

An epic Coulson speech yay!

“Dying...it’s kind of my super power” Oh honey no

But I love you 

And I guess he talked about this with May...that’s so much trust in her

I LOVE THEM

Stoner and May would have been cute together ngl

“He’ll come back...always does” MELINDA MAY IS TRYING TO MAKE ME CRY

“And...you are a valued member of our family” I LOVE THAT SO MUCH

Deke actually does a good job with this secret good for him

Elena bonding with Mack’s mom /cry

Oh noooooooooooo

This is the worst

I hate everything

FREAKING ROBOTS

Seriously I was so mad at this show for a hot second because why??? Why do this to Mack?????

Henry absolutely kills this scene though

And Elena sitting with him...so sweet

Also I know I posted this before, but Deke does a very interesting thing with his eyes here. He comes in, tells them they’re about to jump, then his eyes flick over to Daisy and then to Sousa. I highly suspect that even Deke realized at that point that there was something there.

“I’m where I need to be” MY HEART CAN’T TAKE IT I LOVE IT SO MUCH

But also, sir, you can barely look at anything except Daisy obviously everyone on this plane is going to know what’s up if they don’t already

And then Jemma’s little smile when she walks off...you know she was trying to think of a way to take a stealth pic for Daisy’s scrapbook

Jemma is a scrapbooking queen I accept no criticism

:( Poor Mack

I love that Deke wants to help Mack

But also oops ya stuck now

Whew this episode had a lot. I mean it managed to score a 10000/10 on the BREAKING MY HEART scale but also a 100000/10 on the MY HEART IS SO HAPPY SCALE. I went through some things y’all. Also clearly we’re like 1000/10 on the Dousy scale. Meanwhile Elena gets a 5000/10 on the Supportive Girlfriend scale because really? She was the best.

We’re going to pretend the heartbreaking stuff didn’t happen and just go with a happy song. So from 1976, here’s “You Are the Woman” by Firefall because Daniel Sousa is gooooooone.

[doomonfilm]

Review : The Last Thing He Wanted (2020)

I want to be a fan of Netflix as a production house and film distributor, but sometimes, the final product does not stand up to the expectations set when one examines the cast and crew.  Don’t get me wrong, Netflix has created a handful of impressive winners, but for each of these films, there are a handful of forgettable drops peppered along the way.  I mention this because a recent watch made me think of Netflix’s missteps, despite the promise held from the aforementioned elements... I can only think of what The Last Thing He Wanted could have been in a perfect world.

Journalist Elena MchMahon (Anne Hathaway) and her photojournalist partner Alma Guerrero (Rosie Perez) write for the Atlanta Post, mostly covering war conflicts and skirmishes with United States military involvement.  MchMahon uses her keen intuition to identify (and attempt to uncover) the Iran/Contra and Sandinista scandals, but finds herself reassigned to the 1984 Presidential Campaign.  Begrudgingly, she accepts, but soon abandons the assignment to take care of Dick McMahon (Willem Dafoe), her dying father.  Unkowningly, Dick is involved in the exact same gun-running situation that Elena was investigating, and in the attempt to help her father out, finds herself transferred from investigator to participant.

Maybe it’s just me, but this movie feels like Netflix is fishing a bit for Oscar bait.  With Dee Rees coming off of the critical acclaim and success of Mudbound, and names like Anne Hathaway, Willem Dafoe, Rosie Perez and Ben Affleck attached, it’s clear that clout was a key factor in the production.  The story focuses on Contras and Sandinistas (giving it current historical relevance) as well as familial espionage, the film itself is a period piece with a darkly dramatic narrative, and the main leads are roles that give women empowerment and agency.

The play is an ambitious one, but the film falls a bit short in terms of production.  The location shoots work well enough, but once Elena is put on the campaign trail, the minimalist presentation does not play as well as intended (if there was intention at all to the decision), and is noticeable enough to distract viewers.  Pacing and tone are tossed a bit to the side as a trade off for actors to play for dramatic moments, but unfortunately, most of what is asked of us is not necessarily earned.

The main issue with what the films seems to ask of us stems from its inability to commit to a theme, tone or solid narrative string.  A historically accurate political-based thriller switches to a foreigner trapped in a foreign land narrative with a lack of stakes, but all the time it wants to be a film about broken families and strained relationships.  As a result, the film finds it hard to hold viewer interest despite trying its best to impress us with the actors cast and the performances given.  Everyone is serviceable in terms of their performance, but Rosie Perez is really the only one that offers any true depth or range.  Anne Hathaway and Ben Affleck mostly play things by the book, while Willem Dafoe falls short of the high bar he has earned due to a lack of material to work with.  Edi Gatghegi and Mel Rodriguez are memorable in their brief appearances, while supporting appearances by Toby Jones, Carlos Leal, Onata Aprile, Ben Chase and Julian Gamble round things out.

Luckily for Netflix, one misstep won’t be detrimental to their overarching goals.  This is the kind of film that will likely fade from the popular memory, if it manages to make an impression in the first place.

[moonlayl]

so i’ve had this post in my drafts for a year now, and since we were talking about changes we would’ve made to agents of shield yesterday, might as well share it. 

The POTENTIAL that 7x07 could’ve had.... 

If I was the writer of aos there are two different ways i would’ve went about this episode. 

Option #1: Yoyo is the one stuck with Mack for a year in the 80s instead of Deke. 

After she had to witness what happened to Mack’s parents, it would make sense for HER to be the one to go out and check up on him. They’d be stranded and she would be there for him the way she was there for him after Hope, and the way he was there for her after she lost her cousin, and was rejected by her friends in season 4. 

I cannot stress enough how much I wanted a mackelena centric episode. And ESPECIALLY after the events of season 6 and the first half of season 7? With everything they went through? Fitzsimmons got an episode in s6 to deal with their problems. Mackelena could’ve gotten the same but in their own way. 

Mack would get to grieve and take a much needed break with someone who loves him and who he’s comfortable around. They would eventually come to grow both as people and as a couple. (Also I can’t get rid of the image of yoyo being the one to take care of a young mack and visit without mack knowing and him finding out and being absolutely stunned and happy)

In the episode, towards the end, maybe they’d establish a small shield team and would become accustomed to mack being a leader and her actually getting to work with him as director. Maybe they’d decide that with what they’ve been through and their losses, it was time to start a new story and their own family. 

Maybe Yoyo would propose and they’d make the decision to get married while waiting for the team (or maybe get married after the mission was over.) Their time would also encourage them to adopt Flint once the mission is over, and it would fit since it was THEM who brought Flint here and they’d hinted at taking him in back in season 5. 

And, maybe in this episode, Yoyo would start to focus more on why her powers weren’t working, which would lead to the next episode 7x08 quite well. 

Option #2: May is the one trapped with Mack in the 80s.

Brooooo. May got powers this season. Powers she had no idea about but then I’m supposed to believe that within a few episodes and only a few days in the actual show, she was able to control it no problem? 

Give me an episode of her being there for Mack. The two eldest members of the team getting to support each other. May, who understands so much about grief, understanding the space and time mack needs. Their relationship which grew so much in season 6 should’ve been expanded on.

And in this episode we’d also get a May who lives with her newfound powers for a whole year and manages to accept them as a part of her. Starts to learn how to control them. It would add on so much more to episode 7x08 where she’s asked to help Yoyo, and it would also add on to her conversation with Kora about control (and would also maybe make her want to visit afterlife for herself as well)

My point is that this episode could’ve been a much needed one where multiple underrated characters of colour got the time, recognition, and development they required. An episode where we got to view these beautiful relationships and friendships between poc grow and develop. But *sigh* instead we got the typical.