#ep4 close up the absolute worst of the lot

[hayden-christensen]

I love Hayden in Ahsoka but I’ve just gotta say… I wish they had been more consistent with how much they were altering his appearance post production. In some shots it seems like they’re trying to heavily de-age him, in others he looks more natural. Also in some his eyes look weirdly big. It annoys me because Hayden needs none of it. He looks so great in the behind the scenes footage. They should have left his beautiful face alone more 😵

Thanks, I just wanted to go off about this to someone 😅

haha you’re good but yeah sameee and it becomes soooo obvious when you put them together in a set or smth and you can tell it’s all over the place 😭

[heathered-beinn]

BTS American Hustle Life Ep4

Ep 3 recap: BTS are in LA to learn about hip hop. During that episode they met their dance teacher, Jenny Kita. She set them a few challenges including a solo demonstration, a dance battle against professional dancers, and the task of choreographing a dance routine in small groups. J-Hope’s dance skills shone the brightest throughout which was both a surprise and a delight! Jin, despite being the least proficient dancer in the band, tried really hard and it paid off in the final challenge – he and J-Hope were deserving winners.

We also started to see the friendships between the band members more, which was quite lovely. I really hope this continues in the series.

 On to Episode 4!

Holy cow, that dorm is an absolute pigsty. Ewwww! The amount of water bottles alone makes me want to cry.

Lol, I wonder how RM and Jimin ended up having to clean the dorm up?

They did a good job with it though and somehow managed to find some fun in between. The bathroom scene was hilarious!

Like last episode Jimin appears to have dropped some of his mask. Maybe I’m just seeing things but in this ep he just seems a little softer around the edges - more playful rather than loud and over-the-top. I think RM is good company for him. I’m not sure how to word it without accidentally making it look like I think the other lads treat him poorly (which I don’t believe they do!!) but I think RM is quite respectful to Jimin? As the leader RM’s attention will be pulled in many directions and when he can give spare undivided attention he probably spends it more on his elder bandmates as they are closer to his own age. However, I get the sense that when he does focus on Jimin he does it with the kind of patience and gentleness that the others are maybe not quite so liberal with? That’s not to say he won’t tease Jimin or joke around with him (he does) but so far it comes across as a little warmer than the others perhaps because he’s naturally gentler in nature? I’m probably talking out my **** here but that’s just what I’ve sensed.

One final thing: Jimin’s English is really improving!

So while Jimin and RM are cleaning the dorm, Suga, V, and Jungkook are on laundry duty. LMAO how is that fair? I was thinking that the “chores” were punishment for losing the challenge in Ep3 but Jimin and RM were so close to winning and yet seem to have been given the worst chore?

LOL, how can those three lads make laundry seem so complicated??

They really are big kids – I’m glad they can find ways to have fun though. But ewwwwwwwwww Jungkook, the 3/5/7/10 second rule is a myth, don’t eat things off the ground – particularly in a foreign country!!

Woah!!! they licked each other’s ice creams without hesitation!

To be honest I think it is more of a reflection on my own culture rather than theirs that this seemed so surprising to me. Generally sharing food without the ‘ew that’s got your spit on’ and other hang-ups – particularly between boys - ends around 8-10 years old here.

Jungkook sweetie, I really doubt you’ve put on much weight – are you sure you haven’t just grown another few inches? It certainly looks like you’ve grown. At this point you might end up towering over Suga and Jimin.

Ah so Jin and J-Hope are food shopping. So maybe these chores are not punishments for losing the challenge. I’d still like to know how Jimin and RM got the short straw to clean the dorm lol.

Oh good grief, BTS cooking – after their challenge in the first series I dread to think what poor concoction they’re going to come up with.

OK so J-Hope’s cheese sticks verdict… V = X, RM = XX, Jimin (so cute as he bounded over like an excited puppy) = too polite to use his new English word “disgusting”

Jin’s ham on toast concoction: LMAO at Jin blowing on the forkful before feeding Jimin. No comment on Jimin’s tongue action though…

It seemed to taste okay judging by Jimin’s reaction. RM does not agree lol. It was cute how Jin was feeding the rest of the toast to Jimin and Jungkook like a parent feeding infants.

After what I wrote earlier about RM it’s nice to see the other lads interacting with Jimin more. I wonder if some of the impatience that occasionally comes across is simply down to the editing?

So we move on to a new day and the whole group are heading to Long Beach by foot. Crikey, Jungkook looks like he’s grown another inch over night!! Why on earth is he wearing two layers in the LA heat???!!

It’s great to see that BTS are still ‘star struck’ by celebrities. I guess, back then, the band were not that well known – at least not like they are now. They certainly did not cross my radar – not like 1D did.

LMAO – V randomly saying he drooled when he saw Warren G. What?????!!!!

Warren G seems a great guy; very chill and calm with the band. *Again I’m going to say it but I love how BTS have the confidence to say another man looks handsome like they did when admiring the photo in the record store*

Yeah Warren G is a really decent guy.

There’s something fundamentally poetic in the way that Jimin said of Warren G, Snoop Dogg, Nate, (in a tone of amazement and disbelief) “They were just elementary kids but became legends”. I mean, BTS were once ‘elementary school’ kids and while, in that moment, Jimin did not know how big the band would get, the same sentiment applies to BTS.

So their new challenge is to write lyrics based on their own lives to Regulate.

Good boys; slapping on the sunscreen – thumbs up for skin care!

Oh good grief Jin, if the American dorm is slowly becoming like your Korean dorm then I shudder to think what state your Korean dorm is in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oooh so the band are opening up a little about their lives in order to make lyrics for their rap.

After a bit of travelling by bus and making friends with the locals, Jin and J-Hope settle down in a park to talk. We learn Jin started off acting and not singing? Now that’s interesting! Not all of BTS had joining a band or even BTS’ music style in mind from the beginning. Jin also has a brother and he was into hip hop so Jin had some knowledge of it before joining the band.

J-Hope’s turn and he admitted when he first joined the band everyone was a rapper and he was the only dancer which made him feel remote.

This, again, is really interesting to learn as this was the scenario I was pinning on Jimin – unless there were different BTS members back when J-Hope joined? I really don’t know how the band was formed so I hope at some point they talk about this. I liked how Jin admitted he was surprised to hear about J-Hope feelings. They should talk like that more often.

RM and Jimin travel to another part of town – near the school/college that some of the most famous rappers in the music industry attended. I really like the motto of the building “Enter to learn go forth to serve”. I’m not American so I don’t know it’s true connotations but to me it’s simple and strangely compelling. Like; ‘We don’t care who you are either come in and learn and repay by using it to serve the community - or travel forth on down the street and sign up for the army and serve that way. There’s a purpose for everyone.”

RM and Jimin talking <3

Jimin’s answer to what he found difficult when he joined the band is fascinating. While the translation felt a little off, it reads as he cares a lot about what others think of him and doesn’t want to let anyone down or let any of his (self-perceived) shortcomings hold others back. In order to achieve this he spent a lot of time trying to catch up or improve so that no one could easily spot his weaknesses. Ultimately, he wants to care less what others think of him so he can lose some of the pressure? I really think there is a lot more to this “want to care less about what others think” than the vague answer he gave (or was edited in). His starting phrase “I should live quietly for the sake of my team” was quite a loaded sentiment and didn’t quite follow what he said next – definitely some careful editing there.

RM’s sentiment echoes this. He talked about seeing a very over-weight man walking around LA topless and admired the man’s confidence to not care what other people thought. RM wants some of that confidence to stop constantly watching out for what others thought about him. This is the type of pressure many celebrities talk about a lot. In my opinion, any one remotely “famous” are seen as role models (rightly or wrongly) and society holds them to ridiculous standards. Make one mistake and that’s you cancelled like you are some item in a shop that can be returned for a refund. I personally think people have a very skewed idea about what makes a ‘role model’. For me, a role model shouldn’t be perfect but when they do make mistakes they should own up to it, apologise, and attempt to fix or make up for any hurt caused. We, as their fans, need to relearn how to accept an apology, forgive human errors, allow people to learn, and move on. Min rant over.

Moving on: Suga, V, and Jungkook are down near the beach front discussing their lyrics. The way V instantly thought of his Dad tells me he’s quite family orientated. It was touching the way he said he made him the person he was today.

Jungkook’s thoughts where based more on his internal thoughts of himself as a person and a musician. It was very honest of him to admit that back home he’d been pretty confident of his talent but once he joined (BigHit?) he quickly realised there was a lot of people with as much, if not more, talent than him and it knocked his confidence. I wish Suga had spoke more about his own thoughts rather than just write the lyrics.

 Challenge Day:

To be fair, all three groups rose to the challenge and not only had some great lyrics but sounded polished and rehearsed. We only got snippets of the songs but from what we did hear I would struggle to pick a winner. I guess, for me, it would feel like picking one’s persons’ struggles over another’s. Hard to judge.

Lol at Suga oversharing about being in the toilet when he was writing *crying with laughter face*

Awww, Suga, V, and Jungkook won. They definitely tried harder with this challenge than the one in ep 3 so I felt it was deserved.

Final musings:

Another interesting episode. I think the band learned a lot more about hip hop this episode and Warren G was a real gent. We also learned more about each band member in terms of their thoughts and experiences when joining the band. We (I) also learned more about their personalities which hadn’t been so clear in previous eps and series. I think the editing can misconstrue some moments so I’m probably going to re-evaluate my musings on each band member from time to time – this is a good thing though!

Looking forward to ep 5!

[alreadybrcken]

Anonymous said: “ noticing the women that tommy seems to be getting close to. what does he think of them and what do you think? “

{♛ x Random Stuff in my Inbox || always accepting x}

First things first.. Getting close is a pretty relative thing. I wrote a little something that’s definitely relevant a little while ago here. Also, I am, without a doubt, a big Tommy and Grace shipper, so I’m not going to be entirely unbiased in this, but I’ll try to stick with facts that we get from the show. Though I know it all depends on interpretation and I’ve bumped heads with people about some of them before.

Okay, let’s get to the women in question. 

Tatjana Petrovna

That whole thing was just a total clusterfuck, to be honest. There’s no doubt that her little games were the perfect distraction for a grieving Tommy, but that’s all she ever was - a distraction. Plus, of course, a source of information, as well as some sort of twisted business partner. She was what he needed at that particular point in time, but that’s it.

Jessie Eden

There’s really nothing at all here, in my opinion. It’s pretty clear that Tommy’s intentions here are strictly selfish; information, and access to the communist party. That’s all he wants from her. The easiest way to get what he wants is by gaining her trust, and he does it by doing what he does best - using his charm, persuasion, and by exploiting her weaknesses. Absolutely nothing emotional there from his side whatsoever, other than perhaps a feeling of melancholy she brings along by reminding him of times past (which, of course, have nothing at all to do with her personally). 

May Carleton

Now this one heads a but more into an emotional gray area for Tommy. He was still trying to get over Grace when he met her, and he might’ve seen the perfect opportunity with May. Given her social status, as well as influence with the board of racing, getting involved with her also had several business advantages, though I don’t think that was his intention initially. Now, I sincerely think that, had Grace not made an appearance and Tommy and May would’ve had the opportunity to explore things for a while longer, he might’ve ended up developing feelings for her. However, I don’t think it would’ve had an actual substantial future. Why? Because I think May was mostly infatuated with whatever Tommy represented, not actually him as a person. Remember S2 EP6, the conversation between Grace and May?  G: "There's business, and then there's love." M: "Is there? With Thomas Shelby?" G: "What do you want from him?" M: "Same as you. I want to feel alive.", which definitely reinforces my opinion on that. Or, S4 EP4, Charlie’s “The man you’re waiting for doesn’t exist.” is a pretty good indication, too. And I think Tommy figured it out as well, given their conversation not too long after. M: “You’re a businessman, Tommy. A good one. If only you could..” T: “If only I could what? ‘If only you could change’. Go on, say it. If only you could change the bad.” And I think sooner or later, their entirely different social standings would’ve gotten in the way as well. All in all, I think they may have had a shot, but I don’t think it would’ve lasted.

Lizzie Stark

Ah, Lizzie.. I’m not going to lie, I sincerely feel bad for her. Tommy’s been treating her poorly ever since the very beginning, and it hasn’t changed with their marriage, either. I think all throughout the show, it’s an unrequited love from Lizzie’s side (yes, even S5). It’s always only been about the sex, about the relief for Tommy. She’s like a fall-back for him. Needs relief without emotional attachment after returning from the war? Lizzie. He’s on a rebound from Grace? Lizzie. Then there’s a pause in which he tells her she doesn’t have to do it anymore (him included) as he hires her and focuses on May. Then, of course, Grace is back in the picture and nothing happens for a couple of years. Then Grace dies, and he uses Lizzie as a relief again. Another brief pause in which he uses a whole different array of whores instead, but falls back on her again as soon as they’re cooped up in Small Heath and he’s reminded of his first love. I think most, if not all the time, he had someone else in mind whenever he was with Lizzie. Then, of course, she gets pregnant and he ends up marrying her. He’s always been big about the whole family thing, and since there was really no reason not to, it was probably the right thing to do at that point. But, I don’t think there’s much, if any, love involved from his side. I think he makes it pretty clear that he mainly sees her as property, and he mostly treats her like it, too. But! Again, I know. I think things changed after Lizzie tells him she talked to a solicitor, and made demands as well. It’s like something clicked in his mind, and while I don’t think things are going to change significantly, he does seem to try and make an effort in treating her better, and maybe giving the whole thing a try. Does it stand a chance? It might. If they both change the way they think and behave, but it’s never going to be as deep and profound as it had been with Grace.

Grace Burgess 

Last, but not least.. The one for him, without a doubt. There’s something about Grace that gets under his skin, and into his head. Something that allows him to let his guard down without being afraid of being judged. Because she’s seen what he’s capable of, the kind of monster he is when he loses control, but that didn’t deter her. And he saw that she was willing to kill to protect him, too (if that was her motive, or if her own anger towards the IRA took over is definitely open for interpretation here, though; but that’s definitely the way it looked to him at that point in time). Either way, they’ve seen each other at their worst, and it only brought them closer together. Now, I wouldn’t go as far as to say she gets him, because I don’t think anyone ever does, but she tries. She listens to him as much as he listens to her. And she knows what he is, what he does, but she doesn’t try to change him. The willingness to change comes from himself, and she makes it a point to encourage him, and support him. Does that work in her favour? Absolutely. But I don’t think she would've left him, even if he hadn’t pushed for going almost entirely legal. While Tommy doesn’t tell her everything, she’s by far the one he’s most open with (other than Polly, but that fluctuates, too) and he tries to let her in as much as he can. There’s probably a whole lot more I could write on this, but it’s mostly headcanons, thanks to the show making her a pretty shallow plot device meant to fuel Tommy’s ambition and decent into semi-madness in S2&3. Either way, in the end, their love is definitely deep and profound, and no matter how much time passes, or who else comes into his life, his love for Grace will never disappear.