#faran tells them stories

[fanficapologist]

This chapter made me think of a camera lens zooming out. I say this because the past few chapters zoomed in on Maera and Aemond and the way the storytelling was set up as if they were the only two people in the story, almost like tunnel vision. But now, I felt like we’re back to a more general POV as we’re seeing them interact with other characters. Both are great by the way!!

Ohh the look in Aemond’s eye!! It’s like he wanted to kiss her.

And Guston, even if Lord Jasper had died, it seemed his penchant for “duty” or furthering their lineage is ever present in him. And what an ignorant comment too. As if making heirs is as simple as writing on paper. But I wonder if Aemond would capitalize on the fact that they still need a male heir so he could get close to Maera.

Since a new small council is needed, does Lord Unwin Peake get a vote or invite? What about other houses? For instance House Lannister or Tarbeck? Baratheon? Oh, will Luthor also play a part? And since Faran asked to become a Kingsguard, does this mean he’ll be her sworn protector or something? Why the Grandmaester? I feel like these are little details we could forget only for it to hit us in the face later on.

I’m a little on the fence about Wynni. I’m hoping this will just end in the two sisters having a screaming match and that’s it but we can never tell. This is Westeros, no one is safe 😅😬

✨Plot✨ we’ll be getting shit load of call backs to old shit, I’m talking like from the very begin in old shit, so keep your eyes peeled!

These fucking Lords honestly, only a few haven’t been assholes 🤣

More on the small council and Grand Maester next chapter 👀👀👀

And of course there’s Wynni 😬 don’t get me wrong, she’s not gunna bring her to Dragonstone next week, and I don’t think Guston will force her. But yeah, let’s see if Maera and Wynni can sort it 🤷🏻‍♀️

[phantomoftheorpheum]

In my opinion, there were plot holes in the season that are really off-putting. But I also think the writers were just really unwise about their narrative time. With 2 episodes less than the first season, they did not balance their characters and storylines well.

I’m flabbergasted about the amount of time that was spent on the love triangle (I refuse to waste anymore brain power complaining about.. all of that). We could have had less of that in favor of:

- Giving Mouse a real storyline > making Ash more prominent, giving her grandmother an actual purpose or just cutting the character all together.

- Showing us the character development that they only tell us Greg has gone through.

- Follow through with Imogen’s mental health, hallucinations scares, and concerns for her child’s safety that were only relevant in the first half of the season.

- Make redemption house even more sinister and/or show characters like Kelly, Henry, or Greg noticing everyone around them becoming obsessed with Spooky Spaghetti. It would’ve been so easy to permanently write out Henry by making him one of Wes’/BR’s followers but of course they didn’t do that.

- Show at least a little bit of conflict between Mrs Langsberry and Tabby’s mom - opposing mothers defending the reputation of their children. Although I will say, this might have made it too obvious.

- Maybe even including more conflict by not waiting until the last episode to finally accuse each others partners.

Just some thoughts :P

I agree! I think the biggest issue with this season was the reduced runtime (I don't know if that was at all due to the writer's strike, but I hope they get an absolute minimum of 10 episodes if they do a third season), and the mismanagement of the time that they did have.

To address some of your points specifically- I also felt Mouse was super sidelined this season (yes, she is technically the person most intent on solving the mystery, but she's basically just around to info-dump at everyone else, not have any personal growth), and Ash was barely present. I was particularly disappointed by this, because I knew the actor's billing had been upgraded, so I thought we'd get noticeably more Ash.

Greg's redemption arc, if you can really call it that, since it seemed to skip the crucial "oh, he's questioning his ways and changing" part felt super rushed (as did Kelly's turn from 2x06-2x08). I think they did film more of it (since we know of some cut stuff), but since it didn't make it to the screen, it felt very strange that Faran suddenly liked Greg (I'm not saying they played it like she's in love with him or anything, but I feel like they skipped the middle bit between "he annoys the hell out of her and she really dislikes him" to "he's apologized and now they're hooking up,"). It was just too fast.

I definitely expected Imogen's mental health to ultimately play a bigger role than it did, considering how much time they spent on it.

It is hard to believe Mrs. Beasley, Pastor Malachi, Kelly, Greg, (and presumably Henry, since they never reveal him as an antagonist) didn't notice that there was an entire additional cult in their cult.

The scene where all the girls started bickering about their SOs was one of my favorites from the finale. It felt so realistic that they wouldn't all just be on board with these new people they don't know at all (and most of them didn't interact with the new love interests that weren't their own almost at all) and assume they're all great. It was refreshing to see the girls disagree and take a few jabs at each other, because while I love them supporting each other, those moments of coming together feel like they mean less when they're all just always on the same page.

As a writer and creator myself, I understand that it is much easier to criticize than it is to create, but one of the big advantages of collaboration is that theoretically you have a lot of people looking at your work with a critical and constructive eye and shaping the story into the best version of itself. This season felt like it really could have used some editing and refining (in the writing process, before you even get to the film editing) to streamline the storylines and not get too bogged down in areas that don't pay off.

To leave things on a high note- I really did have fun watching the show this season & trying to puzzle things out. I just feel there were some pretty glaring flaws, as well.

[lesbianmaxevans]

ok to add onto that faran post. hbo's pretty little liars means SO MUCH to me.

firstly, I love that the show directly confronts misogyny and rape culture. CONSTANTLY. wes is creepy with tabby, she tells him to stop and he does and, while the narrative is kinder to him than I'd like, it's clearly on her side (fingers crossed he gets killed this season!). one of the girl's classmates is aggressively sexually harassing them and 5 minutes later A fucking murders him to "monster mash" (FUCKING ICONIC BTW). tabby's fixation on telling a rape revenge story from the female gaze as a way to heal and process her assault -- hell, the first season itself is a rape revenge story as A wants to avenge angela!

then there's the dynamics between the girls. the five of them barely knew of each other's existence before A started setting things into motion and they become a family thanks to A tormenting them. imogen and tabby didn't even know each other before davie's death, but they become each others' confidants and safe space. faran, mouse, and noa all have boyfriends who encourage them and are highly concerned about their well-being. kelly having always lived in her sister's shadow so that no one ever noticed her, but faran was concerned about her well-being and the only one to notice the signs of her self harm, and faran's steadfastness to be a source of support for kelly leads to her to stand up to her dad for the first time.

like this show is just so clearly made by a group of women who love horror and want to turn certain staples of the genre on it's head. and I love every second of it.

[soul-music-is-life]

PLL: Summer School Random Recap Ep 1 & 2

*read at your own risk: THIS HAS SPOILERS*

Tag spoilers if you're going to share.

Just a few of my favorite moments from the first two episodes of PLL: Summer School (PLL: Original Sin, Season 2):

Faran being right all the time:

Ripped out of the headlines. Faran...PREACH, girl. (side note: Sullivan really annoys me. I'm salty AF that she still has a license to practice psychology after not being an adult for the girls in PLL. I get it...A apparently threatened her kid, but woman...YOU ARE THE ADULT!). Also I don't trust her. And I don't like her.

Noa also being right, but in a more blunt manner:

Ah, Noa. Still my favorite. Perhaps it's her characterization or perhaps it's the way Maia portrays her...but I feel like she steals the screen when sharing it and when alone. No surprise given she was my favorite in the first season (still get chills watching that scene with her running through her complex to the roof with A chasing her). But she's upped the game this season. She comes across as so natural in her delivery. Nothing against the others. But sometimes I can tell I'm watching an actor play a character with them, but Maia is Noa. A+. No notes.

Imogen Emison reference?

Wait...wait WAIT...was this an EMISON reference? Am I the ONLY one who saw this?! "Pip gets Estelle in the end." Plus it was an LGBTQ couple who adopted her baby!!

Mouse is coming into her own and I love it:

Mouse and Ash are my OTP. And they play well off of each other.

Calling out the OG PLL:

Was this a shot at PLL and how easily Mona and Charlotte just cruised out when they wanted? Because I love it.

Greg is so not here for this shit:

The first time I laughed so hard I had to pause. Greg is an asshole, but I feel his frustration on the cult shit. And Kelly's "Quiet!" afterwards...peak comedy.

Kelly channeling her inner Alison DiLaurentis:

Oh my GAWD. This was some straight up Dark Alison DiLaurentis on crack shit (or Mona, since..ya know...she ran her best friend over with a car). I'm developing this theory that perhaps Kelly is in on Bloody Mary (goddamn, am I blanking on the Big Bad's name? I think I am). I'm fairly certain her mother and the pastor are evil. I paused when Mouse was reading something on the Spaghetti site and it was word for word worship talking about Bloody Mary being the second coming of Jesus. Also, I just hate religion as a whole. Like Greg, I too, am an atheist.

Mouse's Grandma being the "fun" Grandma:

Okay, so I was super excited that we might have been getting a semi-Grandma Marin character, but after watching I have this awful feeling that this might be a dementia story in the works (I don't know if I believe the "sleepwalking" bit). But she seems like she's going to be a wonderful addition.

Tabby's very pointed reference within a reference:

Tabby out there breaking the 4th wall. And I'm here for it. Given that the writers retconned/rewrote the Ezria adoption due to backlash, I'm kind of glad they read the criticism of Tabby making too many references that piss the viewers off and basically flipped a middle finger at the people who will find positively anything to bitch about. I think it's funny writing. Trolling AF, but still funny.

I hate it when writers cave to the viewers. And as much as I hated the idea of Ezra getting Imogen's baby...I thought it was so dumb to cave to the viewers whining about Ezria getting the kid. People harped on that so much. Ezra can die in a fire for all I care, but I'll go to my grave thinking that the people who complained about Marlene caving to fan service in PLL with the couples in the end are the same people praising the fan service here. And I hate hypocrisy more than I hate fictional characters. I'm a cynic.

Noa being real:

Noa complaining about the fitted sheet was ironic given I was trying to do laundry while watching. Accurate. Side note: I don't know how I feel about this Jen character. I feel like Shawn (Sean? How is it spelled?) is one of the few non-toxic partners in the show (Ash is still bae). I'm all here for bi-representation, but I don't like love triangles and I don't want them fucking with Noa and Shawn/Sean.

And speaking of love interests:

I love this kid and want to protect him:

I've seen buzz of people not trusting Christian...and I get it. First of all...this is PLL. And second of all Christian is a very...themed name for a show that is most likely going to have the faith-based cult be psychopaths.

But I am going to be pissed AF if they make him a bad guy after everything Tabby went through. Also, let's not make the first prominent black male a problem please (not counting the Dollar Store fake Eddie Lamb or Faran's dad, who hasn't really been villainy).

Final thoughts: Goddamn, Sandy ate it hard, bruh. I was kind of excited to see that rivalry between her and Kelly.

Loved seeing the power of speaking up about the sexual assault. HATED Wes still being a character and also telling Tabby to have sympathy for her rapist's mother? No. Sorry. She raised a rapist...who raped TWO girls. And she was victim-shaming Tabby. Where is that Bloody woman with the knife when you need one?

Speaking about someone I hated seeing: Sean's mother is a raging thundercunt.

Also: I've seen mixed thoughts about the couple setting a firm tone with Imogen about the baby, but I'm not going to lie...I get it. Most likely they know the shit going on in their town (move, MOVE NOW WHILE YOU STILL HAVE THE CHANCE!). I do think they were kind of snappy with her, but as viewers we have no idea how often she shows up after having signed a legally binding document about the adoption.

Love interest wise: Don't know how I feel about Ash following the girls to that cabin, but also...why TF would they even GO there?! I like this Christian guy for Tabby. Henry kind of annoyed me crossing Faran's boundaries, but Faran punching Greg out was *chef's kiss*. And Shawn(Sean)/Noa are adorable.

Parents: I'm shifting to Tabby's mom being a favorite just because I think she's going to have the most screen time. It was nice seeing Lea Salonga again though. I still hate Faran's mom and I hate that they are all buddy-buddy after everything she did to her child.

New characters: Please don't let this swim coach turn into a creep, please don't let this swim coach turn into a creep. Also curious about the guy Imogen met at the Ice Cream place. And well...I'm already in love with Christian (but then again I love Noah Alexander Gerry). Jen is a bit wooden. Can't tell if it's the character or actress.

Curious about everyone's thoughts.

Honorable mention I forgot to screenshot and caption:

Mouse: "You're like Linda Hamilton from the Terminator movie. Don't ask me which one, I'm not Tabby. And you (Noa) are basically the Flash." Faran: "Fair." Noa: *shrugs* "Okay."

[moochilatv]

Fleanger presents: Underwater ( Remix)

Great remix! clubbers at the night !

ERAN HERSH / MEITAL O FARAN

Underwater (Fleanger Remix)

A true classic from our catalogue gets a facelift: ERAN HERSH & MEITAL O FARAN's UNDERWATER was a progressive house anthem in 2022 and still collects great feedback from fans and people who keep (re)-discovering the track. Tel Aviv based FLEANGER takes on the remix duty and delivers a stunning new version that will for sure hype as much as the original did. Let's dive in and enjoy the music.

Listen in Spotify:

FLEANGER born in Israel and currently living in Berlin, he is the youngest artist in Israel to find his musical fingerprint

FLEANGER’s stage name stems from a music production effect he favors called “Flanger,” which adds depth to certain sounds, with an added letter E for the electronic music he produces. Today, FLEANGER constantly works on his music and appears at selected venues around the world. He is known as the youngest artist in Israel to have found his sound’s fingerprint.

While growing up, he had trouble connecting with others his age. He started to use art as a way to express himself, and escape his troubles. First with drawing, graffiti, and then piano, which led him to writing music. Eventually, he wanted to combine all of his creativity, and so became a producer.

After some time, he embraced his passion for music and decided to pursue a career as a musician by training tirelessly. “I know that before my name, I am first a musician and only then a person.”

Every FLEANGER track always has a story behind it. His goal is for listeners to feel the emotion he is conveying through his music, and to deeply connect to the story he is telling.

“When people listen to my music, I want them to feel a sense of confidence and have hope in their lives — I want my music to inspire people to have in their life what I struggled to find when I was young, before I discovered music.”

His musical inspirations range from Vivaldi, Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert, to Pink Floyd, and his favorite band, Depeche Mode.

FLEANGER continues to release new music. He is constantly creating, telling, and sharing authentic, healing stories. He gives the world what we all need, a friend, a truthful connection, through music.

[mediamixs]

Pretty Little Liars: Summer School: all you need to know

Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin has been renewed for a second season, titled Pretty Little Liars: Summer School, which will continue the story of the new generation of Liars in Millwood, Pennsylvania. The first season received critical acclaim for its horror visuals, tone, characterization, and casting, with Bloody Disgusting calling it "one of the best horror TV shows of the past two decades. The second season will see the return of the main cast, including Bailee Madison as Imogen, Chandler Kinney as Tabby, Zaria as Noa, Malia Pyles as Mouse, and Maia Reficco as Faran. The girls will be dealing with the aftermath of the events of season 1, as well as a new threat in the form of a stalker who wants to ruin their attempts at healing. The show's co-creators and co-executive producers, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Lindsay Calhoon Bring, expressed their excitement about continuing the story, saying "We are beyond excited to continue telling stories with our amazing group of little liars — exploring their friendships, their romances, their secrets, and their status as scream queens supreme!¨ Pretty Little Liars: Summer School is set to premiere on HBO Max, on May 16. Fans of the original Pretty Little Liars series and the new spinoff can look forward to more thrilling mysteries, shocking twists, and the continued growth of the new generation of Liars as they navigate the challenges of high school and the trauma they've endured.

In the second season of Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, titled "Summer School", the new generation of Liars - Imogen, Tabby, Noa, Faran, and Mouse - face a new threat as they attempt to heal from the trauma of the previous season. Despite surviving the harrowing events of season 1, the girls find themselves facing a fate worse than death - summer school in Millwood. However, their attempts at a fresh start are quickly derailed when a new stalker emerges, determined to ruin their healing process. The new villain, known as Bloody Rose, begins tormenting the Liars with cryptic messages and dangerous situations. The girls must band together once again to uncover Bloody Rose's identity and motives, all while navigating the challenges of high school and their personal struggles. As the mystery deepens, the Liars will be forced to confront their own secrets and the lingering effects of the trauma they endured in season 1. The web of lies woven by the previous generation of Liars, the mothers of the girls, continues to haunt them as they uncover more dark truths about Millwood's past. The chilling atmosphere of the decrepit town of Millwood adds to the suspense as the Liars race against time to stop Bloody Rose and find a way to finally break free from the cycle of torment that has plagued their lives. With new twists, shocking revelations, and the ever-present threat of the mysterious stalker, season 2 promises to be an intense and thrilling continuation of the Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin story.

[dsmpfanartandmorelol]

sometimes I make ocs but when I start to make a story I end up giving up and never coming back to it but I want to make my own story with my own characters so I’m taking things slow but anyway here is my beginning story

STORY

Faran is the human main character he’s working at a potion shop but he wants to learn spell book magic he works at this shop with his best friends trenni the mice hybrid they’ve been friends for 2 years and today was a slow day for them like all days in the middle ground .

WORLD

the middle ground is the place between the north wall full of the nagas while the south is full of hybrids the middle has a almost even amount of humans and hybrids the middle ground is small there’s at most 700 to 1000 people while in the north wall there’s the about 3000 to 5000 the south wall has the most land with over 10000 people there

so I as a said faran and trenni are having a slow day when the hear a BANG they go out to check and see two hybrids but how did they get there well…

STORY

meet Dareen the mongoose hybrid she hates human and nagas so does everyone else in the south kingdom the king says that there are 3 kingdoms and the south kingdom is the only safe one but her friend auri doesn’t believe him so he decides to go to the Middle Kingdom Dareen being in love with auri follows him to the middle ground .

SOUTH KINGDOM/ WALL

the south is set back to the 1800s the king want power and if they knew there were other places with more freedom they would all leave so he made sure there’s are no modern day things he tells lies about the middle ground and north wall saying there kingdom full of monsters like human and naga when the south kingdom is the only kingdom the other two are just towns .

NORTH WALL

the north wall also doesn’t have a lot of new modern day things but there is a lot more then in the south kingdom the north wall has 1990s technology at best there are 65 groups with 75 to 100 people so there are 50 to 75 adults and 25 - 50 kids all the people in the north wall are nagas or prey most prey are deer witch the naga breed sometimes when there lucky a human or hybrid and the groups end up havein a 1 to 2 week long war about .

MIDDLE GROUND

100% modern day things it’s so Small there are just 3 major one for the south middle one for the middle middle and one for the north middle

FUN FACTS

All nagas have have magic

80% of nagas have human forms

It’s called the north wall and the south because two big 100 feet tall walls were made 10000 years by peaceful nagas and hybrids because the hybrids and nagas were having wars and the hybrids would be eaten after the wars soo yeah not good

the north wall is COLD which is not good when your a naga so they sleep during the winter

the north wall is not that effective because like 10 nagas go to the middle ground from each year the naga are just SO LONG and Just eat hybrids prey and hide in their human from.

[words-writ-in-starlight]

ok but ever since ur post about harry and corlath's children where u said smth like "corlath is too thrilled with his life to deny his children, esp when it's so unimportant" all i can think about is one of them when they are Small braiding his hair with flowers and getting sad when he tries to take it down and then he ends up going to some Very Important Kingly Meeting with a flower crown and keeping a straight face while harry's dying of laughter. (i hope your day is going well!)

Let’s be clear, Corlath is nailing the fuck out of fatherhood.  He’s acing that shit.  (He remarks very dryly, with tiny baby Aerin Amelia reaching up to clutch in fascination at his hair, that corralling armies is good training for corralling children.)  Now, Tor takes very much after his father once he’s older, trending toward seriousness with a deadpan sense of humor, but as a baby he’s talkative.  Not, like, coherent, but he’ll sit there and just kind of babble at you for as long as you seem to be paying attention.  He is also very attached to his parents and something of a hit at court--of course he is, the child of their hero-king and their damalur-sol, of Corlath, direct down the centuries from the Dragon Slayer, and Harimad, Hurler of Mountains.

(”Oh, gods, they’re really going to call me that,” Harry murmurs in horror to Corlath at a feast not long after their wedding, and Corlath laughs at her, and the fire in the hearth snaps and crackles and a grinning pale face flashes for a moment before vanishing.)

So when Tor just can’t bear to be left with his nurse, a very patient woman who puts up with A Lot from the royal family, Corlath and Harry look at each other and shrug and just take him with them.  He sits on one of their laps, as they hold court from their twin stone thrones, and sometimes when he starts burbling away his parents--more often Corlath, much to the surprise of everyone--will pause and listen attentively, and tell the petitioner in a grave tone “Well, you see, the young lord believes that you should bring your neighbor next week and he’ll see what can be done to resolve your dispute.”  It makes open court about a hundred and fifty times more entertaining for everyone.  Tor’s first birthday present from Innath is a tiny version of his father’s crown, carved out of wood, and Tor immediately attempts to put it in his mouth.

Aerin is much quieter as an infant, and only too glad to toddle behind her older brother, so she attends court less than Tor did.  However, she does enjoy flowers very much, so the court is disappointed to not have a small child in attendance, but they’re enjoying the periodical appearance of their sovereigns with crowns of whatever Aerin could get her hands on.  She decides very young that Corlath looks best in daisies, and she likes to find the reddest pimchies to weave into Harry’s golden hair.

When Jack is a baby, things are pretty quiet.  Aerin carries on with draping her parents in local flora (Jack and Aerin are very close in age), and Jack mostly smiles and blinks and coos quietly.  He’s a very compliant sort of infant.

Then Jack’s kelar comes in when he’s seven and the court gets a lot more lively.  Corlath and Harry can’t in good conscience leave Jack with his nurse--can’t really leave him with anyone but themselves or Luthe or his siblings, for fear that his strength might get the best of him.  So he starts coming to court, and banquets, and whatever else Tor and/or Aerin is attending with their parents, and he’s still a kid, so sometimes his magic sort of...leaks.

They got the chandelier back on the ceiling eventually, with Harry’s help, and honestly he and Tor didn’t mean to animate the fine china and, well, Corlath got it under control anyway, didn’t he?

Hari, of course, attends court pretty much from day one, because by then Tor is old enough to be there in a slightly more formal capacity as the not-yet-formalized-but-still-recognized Crown Prince who could do with seeing how a country works.  Between the draw of her beloved eldest brother and her parents, Hari can’t be pried away.

Then she turns three and she’s walking reliably and she can talk and it’s very hard to keep her under control, so she starts causing trouble at court.  And banquets.  And every other place she’s allowed to roam free.

“Honestly, Jackie,” Harry sighs, surveying the damage to the banquet hall that needs to actually host a banquet in three hours.  The walls are scorched and the chandelier is down again, among other, more solveable problems.  “What happened?”

“I just turned my back for a minute,” Jack says helplessly.  “Tor’s off with Papa and Aerin’s fixing her gown and she told me to keep an eye on Hari and--”  He gestures to his little sister, who has soot smudged across every visible inch of skin and a seraphic smile on her face.  “I only looked away for a couple minutes, I swear.”

“I believe you, Jackie,” Harry says, and drops a kiss on his hair.  It’s difficult to manage this while also trying to look forbidding in her youngest’s direction.  “Hari,” she calls.

“Yes, Mama?” Hari says brightly.

“How did this happen?”

“I found a recipe in an old book, Mama.  Only I don’t think I did it right, because instead of just making smoke it exploded.”

“You don’t say?”

Needless to say, the banquet is held outside in the setting sun, and Corlath and Harry try not to look too visibly amused and/or dismayed when Hari pops out from under her sister’s skirts to steal a fistful of grapes.

[drpepperhateblog]

Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin - Quick Review

PLL OS falls into the same trap as its predecessor by having plot holes. At least they’re fewer.

The bad:

The main characters are so, so underdeveloped. Tabby does nothing but reference movies. Their boyfriends, too, are underdeveloped, and so hard to tell apart, but when I struggle to apply personality traits to the main characters, you have a big problem.

Stop making Riverdale references. Nobody wants this.

What’s the point of including a character from the original show if you’re going to recast them anyway?

I wanted to really savor the creepy school event the way the original show was giving us all the Dollhouse content. So sad that it all happened so fast.

Why does Ezra get to adopt given how he is a statutory rapist that married his student? Do you think they allowed Mary Kay Letourneau and Vili Fualaau to adopt too in this universe?

The good:

Slasher and horror is a great genre for a series like Pretty Little Liars.

The villain had a motivation that made some degree of sense.

Exploring the effects of rape rather than showing grotesque rape on-screen. Always preferred when movies and shows do this. Tabby and Imogen struggling in different ways - Tabby by obsessing over it, Imogen trying not to think about it.

Faran’s story is absolutely horrifying and I don’t think people comprehend just how awful it is to be given a risky scoliosis surgery when unneeded. I have scoliosis myself and it was a nice surprise to see my condition mentioned in the media.

Karen and Kelly’s actress was terrific. I still expect some twin twist to be pulled at some point if they get a Season 2.

The rapists died.

Actually rounding up the mystery at the end instead of leaving a cliffhanger forever. The story was wrapped up, questions were answered, and if we never get a Season 2, at least we don’t have to be plagued by loose threads.

Overall, still loved the show. Would happily watch a Season 2.

[dailytafsirofquran]

Daily Tafsir of Ibn Kathir

Ibrahim's Emigration, the Test of the Sacrifice of Isma`il, and how Allah blessed Him

Allah tells us that after He helped His close friend Ibrahim, peace be upon him, against his people, and after Ibrahim gave up hoping that they would ever believe despite all the mighty signs that they had witnessed, he emigrated away from them, and said:

(Verily, I am going to my Lord. He will guide me! My Lord! Grant me (offspring) from the righteous.) meaning, obedient children, in compensation for his people and relatives whom he had left. Allah said:

(So We gave him the glad tidings of a forbearing boy.) This child was Isma`il, peace be upon him, for he was the first child of whom glad tidings were given to Ibrahim, peace be upon him, and he was older than Ishaq. The Muslims and the People of the Book agree, and indeed it is stated in their Book, that Isma`il, peace be upon him, was born when Ibrahim, peace be upon him, was eighty-six years old, and Ishaq was born when Ibrahim was ninety-nine years old. According to their Book, Allah commanded Ibrahim to sacrifice his only son, and in another text it says his firstborn son. But here they falsely inserted the name of Ishaq. This is not right because it goes against what their own Scripture says. They inserted the name of Ishaq because he is their ancestor, while Isma`il is the ancestor of the Arabs. They were jealous of them, so they added this idea and changed the meaning of the phrase "only son'' to mean `the only son who is with you,' because Isma`il had been taken with his mother to Makkah. But this is a case of falsification and distortion, because the words "only son'' cannot be said except in the case of one who has no other son. Furthermore, the firstborn son has a special status that is not shared by subsequent children, so the command to sacrifice him is a more exquisite test.

(And, when he (his son) was old enough to walk with him,) means, when he grew up and started to go with his father and walk with him, for Ibrahim used to go every so often to check on his son and his mother in the land of Faran (i.e., Makkah), to see how they were doing. It was said that he used to ride on Al-Buraq, traveling there swiftly, and Allah knows best. It was reported from Ibn `Abbas, peace be upon him, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, `Ata' Al-Khurasani, Zayd bin Aslam and others that

(And, when he (his son) was old enough to walk with him,) means, when he became a young man and was able to work as his father did.

(And, when he (his son) was old enough to walk with him, he said: "O my son! I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you. So look what you think!'') `Ubayd bin `Umayr said, "The dreams of the Prophets are revelation,'' then he recited this Ayah:

(he said: "O my son! I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you. So look what you think!''). He told his son that in order to make it easier for him, and also to test his patience and resolve, at a young age, in obeying Allah and obeying his father.

(He said: "O my father! Do that which you are commanded...'') meaning, `obey the command of Allah and sacrifice me.'

(if Allah wills, you shall find me of the patient.) meaning, `I will be patient and will seek the reward for that with Allah.' He, may peace and blessings be upon him, believed in what had been promised. Allah said:

(And mention in the Book Isma`il. Verily, he was true to what he promised, and he was a Messenger, (and) a Prophet. And he used to enjoin on his family the Salah and the Zakah, and his Lord was pleased with him.) (19:54-55).

(Then, when they had both submitted themselves, and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead;) means, when both of them had pronounced the Shahadah and remembered Allah -- Ibrahim because he was about to offer a sacrifice and Isma`il because he was about to die. Or it was said that "submitted themselves'' means that they submitted and followed the command of Allah; Ibrahim obeyed the command of Allah and Isma`il obeyed Allah and his father. This was the view of Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Qatadah, As-Suddi and Ibn Ishaq, and others. lThe meaning of the phrase "and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead'' is: he placed him facedown so that he could slaughter him from behind, and not have to see his face at the time of slaughter, so that it would be easier for him. Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Ad-Dahhak and Qatadah said:

(and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead;) means, "He turned him upside down on his face.'' Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "When the rituals were enjoined upon Ibrahim, peace be upon him, the Shaytan appeared to him at the Mas`a and raced with him, but Ibrahim got there first. Then Jibril, upon him be peace, took him to Jamrat Al-`Aqabah and the Shaytan appeared to him, so he stoned him with seven pebbles until he disappeared. Then he appeared him at Al-Jamrah Al-Wusta and he stoned him with seven pebbles. Then he laid him prostrate on his face. Isma`il, peace be upon him, was wearing a white shirt, and he said, `O my father, I do not have any garment in which I can be shrouded apart from this; take it off me so that you can shroud me in it.' He started to take it off, then he was called from behind:

(O Ibrahim! You have fulfilled the dream!) Ibrahim turned, and saw a fine, horned, white ram.'' Ibn `Abbas said, "We used to look for similar types of rams.'' Hisham mentioned this Hadith at length in Al-Manasik.

(We called out to him: "O Ibrahim! You have fulfilled the dream!'') means, `the purpose of your dream has been fulfilled by your laying down your son to sacrifice him.' As-Suddi and others said that he passed the knife over Isma`il's neck, but it did not cut him at all, because a sheet of copper was placed between them. Ibrahim was called at that point, and it was said:

(You have fulfilled the dream!) Allah says;

(Verily, thus do We reward the doers of good.) means, `this is how We deal with those who obey Us in things that are difficult for them; We make for them a way out.' As Allah says:

(And whosoever has Taqwa of Allah, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allah will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allah has set a measure for all things.) (65:2-3). On the basis of this Ayah and this story, some of the scholars of Usul have stated that it is valid for a ruling to be abrogated before anyone is able to act upon it -- unlike some of the Mu`tazilah. The evidence for this is obvious, because Allah commanded Ibrahim, peace be upon him, to sacrifice his son, then He abrogated that and pointed out the ransom. The purpose of His command had been primarily to reward His close Friend for his patience and resolve in sacrificing his son. Allah says:

(Verily, that indeed was a manifest trial.) meaning, it was clearly a test when he was commanded to sacrifice his son, so, he hastened to do it, in submission to the command of Allah and in obedience to Him. Allah said:

(And of Ibrahim who fulfilled all that.) (53:37), and

(And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice). It was reported that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "A ram which had grazed in Paradise for forty years.'' Imam Ahmad recorded that Safiyyah bint Shaybah said, "A woman from Bani Sulaym, who was the midwife of most of the people in our household, told me that the Messenger of Allah sent for `Uthman bin Talhah, may Allah be pleased with him.'' On one occasion she said, "I asked `Uthman, `Why did the Prophet call you' He said, `The Messenger of Allah said to me,

(I saw the horns of the ram when I entered the House ﴿i.e., the Ka`bah﴾, and I forgot to tell you to cover them up; cover them up, for there should not be anything in the House which could distract the worshipper.)''' Sufyan said, "The horns of the ram remained hanging in the House until it was burned, and they were burned too.'' This offers independent evidence that the one who was to be sacrificed was Isma`il, peace be upon him. The Quraysh had inherited the horns of the ram that Ibrahim sacrificed, and they had been passed down from generation to generation, until the Messenger of Allah was sent. And Allah knows best.

[fandomoverflow]

My Thoughts On Dark Age (SPOILERS)

My pre-ordered copy of Dark Age arrived in the mail on Friday afternoon, four days before the official release day. The only thing stopping me from reading it right then and there was the fact that I was about to leave for a four-hour shift bagging groceries. But as soon as I got home I got pumped up on sugar, took a shower, got in my pajamas, and sat down to read. One all-nighter, a two-hour power nap, another shift at work, and then finally a good night sleep later, I am empty inside from all the screaming and crying I did over the course of this monstrosity of a book.

Pierce Brown has done it. He actually did it. We were all expecting that the ending of Dark Age would put the heart-rending ending of Golden Son to shame. And not only did he manage to top that level of shock, betrayal, and beloved character death, he did it all before the book was even half-way over. Pierce said that Dark Age is the most complex, violent, and intimate book he’s ever written, and all I have to say to that is “understatement of the bloodydamn century.”

There are so many things to talk about but for the sake of avoiding spoilers for people who don’t have early pre-ordered copies, I’ll put my spoiler thoughts under the cut. The one non-spoiler thing I’ll say is this: After Iron Gold was only divided into three sections, Dark Age takes us back to the saga standard four.

Part I was pretty much one long battle, and I have to say that this is one of the most visceral, in the trenches action sequence in the entire saga to date. Part I was told exclusively from the POVs of Darrow and Lysander as they prepare for war. And the chaos and reality of war is a very big shock to Lysander’s system. For everyone hoping he’d his ass handed to him, it is immensely cathartic to have Lysander’s battle group get demolished by Darrow’s Howlers like they’re an afterthought. And to add insult to injury, Lysander ends up pinned under a discarded starShell while a second one lands with its burning thrusters right next to his face.

The battle aside, the tension between the Core and the Rim Golds when Lysander arrived was a delight. And the contrast between Atalantia and Ajax’s initial reactions to learning that Lysander is alive and how they behave later really adds both a lot of dimension to the politics of Gold as well as to Lysander’s own backstory, while at the same time fleshing out the new characters and really selling the history they have with Lysander.

The moment that impacted me the most was the realization that a prediction I’d made after the excerpt had come true. In the prologue, Darrow told his team that if they couldn’t rescue Orion their orders were to kill her instead to protect the Republic. In the chapter after that, he mentions that he suspected that Colloawy helped Orion cheat her psych evaluation. And while she and Darrow had similarly low opinions of the bureaucracy of the senate, Orion was noticeably more cynical. And when Darrow started preparing the Storm Gods (the weather machines used to terraform Mercury for those who are reading this not caring about spoilers) he asked Rhonna about his insurance policy.

So, even before Orion went beyond Darrow’s orders and took the Storm Gods to full strength, I knew that Darrow was going to have to order the death of someone close to him in order to protect others. It just never occurred to me that it would still be Orion. I really wish we had gotten to hear more about her backstory or get a mention of her love life in Iron Gold, because I remember Pierce saying somewhere that Orion would be married in the sequel trilogy. Her interactions with Darrow in the beginning of Dark Age were really sweet, but knowing in hindsight that her days were numbered, I wish we’d gotten more time with her in the past.

Mustang’s prologue is not only the second time since Red Rising that we’ve had an intro that immediately jumps back in time to show us how we got to that point, but it also is the first time where Pierce has written the prologue in such a way that it omits the details that the audience will be aware of when we get to this scene again. (And the two months detail is an intentional lie because adding up the time and Virginia’s comments puts this at just over a week past Darrow’s section of the prologue). The first time around, this scene looks like the middle of a catastrophe, that Darrow and his armies have been pinned down and Mustang is desperately sending whatever aid she can to help. But after reading through the heart pounding action of the Ash Rain in Part I, we realize that this speech is declaring victory.

Mustang’s POV is a godsend not only for how beautifully Pierce writes her, but also that we get to see how she interacts with all of the other characters when Darrow’s not there. She and Daxo are adorable in the way they joke and tease each other like siblings. (And I had to laugh at the running joke about the design his office being a metaphor for his virility) Her political maneuvering against Dancer were full of cathartic backhanded burns. Seeing her pull a Katniss to sway the Silver senators was glorious, and the way she knows Sevro’s in the room before he even announces his presence and immediately tells him to stop wanking in the shadows and come talk to her.

It was a delight to watch her be ten steps ahead of everyone else – how she allowed Victra and Sefi’s scheming to happen because their objectives were pieces of her own master plan to unite the Republic and get everyone back on track towards defeating Atalantia. Seeing her turn the tables and play mind games with the Duke of Hands was a sight to behold.

But one of my favorite parts of her early chapters was where Dancer finally took his head out of his ass, came down off his high horse, and stopped treating her and Darrow like shit. In the process, we learned a great deal about Dancer’s backstory and how he joined the Sons of Ares that just adds so many layers to his character.

I did think it was a bit tragic that we only learned that Dancer was Gay and Daxo was Bi right before they got killed off, but that doesn’t take away from the joy of knowing that two characters I’ve loved throughout the series are canonically queer. I’m glad that if Dancer had to die, he at got to redeem himself in the eyes of the fans before he bit the dust.

And to the aforementioned killing off, we get to Golden Son levels of shock, betrayal, and heartbreak less than halfway through the book. Mustang was always ten steps ahead of everyone else and just when it finally seemed like she would get everything she wanted, when she and Dancer and Sevro put their heads together and figured out that Senator Publius cu Caraval was the Syndicate’s spy, it all fell apart. Publis poisoned Dancer and pointed the already riled up Vox Populi mobs at Mustang accusing her of murdering the voice of the Vox, and the coup began. Daxo was killed when the Syndicate Queen showed up personally to lead the mob. And when we finally see her, she’s wearing fleshmasks and contacts to look like a Red, but Mustang immediately recognizes the face of the long-thought-dead Lilath au Faran.

But while Lilath may have been working with Atalantia, she isn’t the top of the Syndicate food chain. Mustang is smarter than just about every character in the Red Rising setting, but from what we’ve seen Atalantia isn’t that smart. There is only one person smart enough to so thoroughly derail Mustang’s plans. One person smart enough to know how she thinks and what she’s doing. And that is the only person in the setting who can rival her intelligence: her brother.

There were multiple moments in the first half of Dark Age that hit me in the stomach and left my reeling emotionally. But a ten-year-old clone of the Jackal walking into the Vox Populi’s show trial for Mustang alongside Lilath and the surviving Boneriders was the first moment in Dark Age that made me put the book down and start loudly screaming curses at the air.

Though his introduction was chilling, his scenes afterwards actually had me much more contemplative. When Mustang is forced to have dinner with the Boneriders, Adrius II starts making puzzles like Adrius I used to do with Mustang when they were kids, and he gives them to Lilath to solve. Lilath can’t solve them but of course Mustang can, and without Nero’s constant presence in their lives it actually felt like both Mustang and Adrius were having actual, genuine fun during this exchange.

And Mustang following this up by revealing that she still has all the old ones that original Adrius made as kids was both really sweet and also the first crack between the Jackal and his boneriders. Because Lilath and the Boneriders put the Jackal on such a pedestal that they only ever told Adrius II about the parts of his original self they admired and ignored little details they didn’t consider important, Adrius II is going through some Clone Angst. He feels secure in who he is, but he doesn’t know if he wants to be what the original Adrius was. And Mustang reveals that she kept all the puzzles demonstrated that Lilath and the Boneriders would never love any version of Adrius the way he wanted to be loved.

I trust that Pierce didn’t introduce Adrius II just for the sake of having The Jackal back. It would be too cliché, and extremely predictable to go that route. What would make a compelling story, and one that fits in with Pierce’s worldview and the themes of the Red Rising series, is if Adrius II spends the next book wrestling with whether he wants to follow in the footsteps of the original in a classic nature vs. nurture conflict would be so fascinating and I really can’t wait to see how that gets pulled off (it helps me cope with the fact that Brainwashed Evil Sevro is something that the Boneriders have threatened).

But I really love how Mustang could clearly see that potential in Adrius II, and the only reason she didn’t talk it out more and help him through that internal conflict is because it would take more time than she had, and she had bigger fish to fry. I really hope her means of escape didn’t sour Adrius II towards the path of redemption. And I really hope that Adrius doesn’t get the chance to follow through on his threat to wipe Sevro’s mind.  

As far as the other characters go, Ephriam had some of the best character development in the entirety of Dark Age. Watching him gradually become invested in the future of Sefi’s AllTribe was very beautiful and heartwarming. He’d spent all of the last decade stuck in the anger stage of grief over Trigg’s death but over the course of Dark Age and helping Sefi it really felt like he was starting to reach the acceptance stage and get closure. His interactions with Ozgard even felt a little shippy, even if I knew he wasn’t ready for another relationship. But watching Ephriam find a new purpose in life and a place in the post-Rising world was a sight to behold. And then the machination of Atlas au Raa had to bring it all crashing down.

The Ascomani King showing up and claiming to be Ragnar’s father was a cruel twist of Society planning – they know the Obsidians worship Ragnar, and they know that Sefi has the power to unite all the tribes. So, they let her create her AllTribe and then had her replaced as leader with their own puppet.

It was a cruel twist that out of all the POV characters, Ephriam would be the one to die. If he had gone with backup he would have been able to stop the coup, but I understand why he went alone. Going alone meant that he didn’t drag Volga into the mess he was trying to protect her from, and he didn’t want to force her into the role of Queen. It was really sweet when she called him her father, and I really like how she chose to go with the Obsidians at the end not out of duty, but to finish what her father helped start. I look forward to seeing how she deals with infiltrating the Obsidians and taking her rightful place on Aunt Sefi’s throne.

Okay, I pretty much think at this point it’s a given that by the time this series is over Lyria and her nephew and Volga will have been adopted into the August/Reaper-Telemanus-Barca clan. I mean, Volga is Ragnar’s daughter why wouldn’t they make her part of the family. But honestly, following Victra and Lyria and Volga as they fight to survive in the Martian wilderness with the Pandora destroyed and the Red Hand on their heels was one of my favorite parts of the book. Their bickering was funny, but things quickly took a turn for the heartwarming when Victra ended up going into labor and Lyria was the one who helped her through it.

The conversation between Victra and Lyria while Victra is giving birth about their different experiences and their different perspectives was one of the most emotional conversations in the book, and it really warmed my heart when a few chapters later Lyria referred to Victra and Volga as her friends.

But then the Red Hand just had to attack. If you are triggered or easily upset by scenes where harm is done to an infant, or where you see the aftermath of harm done to an infant, you are going to be upset for almost all of Lyria’s chapters for the remainder of Dark Age following the birth. The crimes of Harmony and her Red Hand goons are numerous. They have killed and mutilated countless Reds for the sole crime of being Gamma. But somehow it took the sight of the newborn Barca baby nailed to a tree for me to viscerally demand their demise. I was screaming and raw when I read that scene, desperately praying that it was a different baby and that little Ulysses was okay. But no. She may not have done the deed, but she condoned and encouraged that kind of thing by her men, and we can now add infanticide to the list of Harmony’s crimes.

Which is why I am so, so glad that not only did Lyria manage to single-handedly orchestrate the final destruction of the Red Hand, but that she and Victra were the ones who did Harmony in. Harmony being thrown into a nest of adult Pitvipers was one of the most cathartic moments in the series since the fight against Aja in Morning Star, and I could not be happier that she’s finally gone.

I haven’t really talked about Darrow and Lysander since the beginning because while their story is important to what’s happening overall everything is happening in such a condensed time frame, and with Darrow and Lsyander’s chapters being focused on Atalantia’s siege of Mercury, we only really drop in for the important parts:

It was frustrating to see Lysander’s commitment to the hierarchy hardened by his experiences on Mercury, and it was heartbreaking to see Lysander lead the charge that overwhelmed Darrow’s defenses and allowed Atalantia’s armies into the Free Legions’ last stronghold. Watching the lowColors of Mercury reject the Republic was devastating both to me and Darrow, and it was heartdreaking to watch what was left of the Republic forces slowly dwindling as Lysander’s offensive went on.

But it was all the more cathartic when Casssius showed up to evacuate the survivors before they could be completely wiped out. I knew that Cassius’ death was faked, but there are still a few questions about how he got away from the Rim. That being said, I’m thrilled that after a decade in exile, Cassius has officially joined the Republic to help his friends.

Dark Age is truly the darkest hour for our heroes in a way that tops even Golden Son. Mercury has been retaken by Atalantia. Earth has fallen to the Rim-Core alliance. Luna has gone the way of the Death Eater-run Ministry of Magic in Harrpy Potter – with the Jackal Clone and his Bone Riders pulling the strings of a Vox Populi puppet government. Only Mars remains free. Despite causing chaos on Venus off-page Apollonius has seemingly joined forces with Lysander against Darrow. Sefi is dead and her dream of a united Obsidian nation has been coopted by a Society puppet masquerading as her and Ragnar’s father. Sevro is still in the clutches of Adrius II, who has threatened to use the same technology that Octavia used to modify Lysander’s memories to completely erase Sevro’s mind.

I trust Pierce Brown to pull of a finale that resolves all of this and gives us a satisfying ending. There are still unknown variables that we can’t predict. We don’t see the Rim at all during the events of the novel and the negotiations between them and the Core happen off page. We only see Apollonius in two short scenes. And to top it off we know that Pierce Brown has a history of writing unreliable narrators who hide their plans from the audience. While we’ve seen it with Darrow and Mustang, he hasn’t done it with Lyria or Ephriam, and we haven’t seen any such deceptive narration from Lysander yet.

So, time will tell not only how Pierce resolves all of this. But in the meantime, #PrayForSevro. It’s going to be a long two years while we wait for the final book.

[writings-of-a-narwhal]

Heyo! I'm in love with Colt! Can you please tell me more about her?

djkgdj i will gladly tell you more about her!!

– before the story, she was part of a band of thieves! and she’s a very good thief herself!! 

– she actually got her last name/title from the leader of the thieves. Moonblood references how she’s able to sneak around and blend in like the night is actually in her blood, like it’s ppart of her

– however, even the best thieves can get caught, even if it’s not thieving that they get caught for. 

– at the start of the story, she’s kicking herself for getting caught and she’s also feeling a little betrayed because none of the thieves she worked with in the past ever visited her (which they could’ve done at night and talked to her through the window) and they never even tried to reach out to her at all– they left her to be executed 

– she was already wary of befriending people and trusting in them because of the life she led, but her thief friends leaving her for dead added to that, not that she’ll admit it. but this is also what makes her despise Faran because he’s always so friendly and always making friends and trying to befriend her. she hates it.

– well. she says she hates it. she’s just lonely, jealous, and afraid.

– she may look kinda scrawny (especially compared to Faran), but under her clothes she’s actually got some muscle. she just never wears short sleeves or shorts or anything like that so no one ever sees her muscles.

– she has never actually ridden a horse despite her name

– whenever she has a chance, she likes to paint her nails. she isn’t very good at it, but it’s something she likes to do

– she’s actually quite a lonely person and wants to have friends but is too afraid of showing how vulnerable she is and being taken advantage of

– Faran turns into her first true friend

– her true smile is beautiful but you’ll probably never see it

– she has several brandings on her body from: being arrested, joining the band of thieves, and being marked for execution

– she also has something that might be a branding or it might be a birthmark, she’s not sure.

[phantomoftheorpheum]

i have mixed feelings about summer school. the season finale was much more interesting than the original sin finale in terms of action. but i didn’t like the actual storytelling. i had similar questions as you:

1. what exactly happened between shawn and jen? they spent sooo much screen time on the love triangle but then didn’t even let us see the final confrontation. an extremely poor choice.

2. how did all of the girls’ phone numbers end up on spooky spaghetti? i guess wes had tabby’s - she texted him when he didn’t show up for work - but the others?

3. where were ash & greg?

4. who pushed sullivan down the stairs? why did they make her actually be horrible?

5. what did mrs beasley do to kelly off-screen all of those episodes ago? all of a sudden they are able to have a civil conversation for hours about bloody rose (after kelly locked her up for hours lol)

6. how was johnny going into the freezer so often but didn’t see the bodies as quickly as imogen did?

i’m afraid they are going to rush through some of these answers in a montage like they did in 2x01…

more general issues: i don’t understand why mouse’s grandmother took up so much screen time despite not really having any interesting payoff. noa has not faced any kind of “reckoning” and i really don’t look forward to them dragging jen into next season. nothing about bloody rose really connected to archie and/or the real bloody rose. imogen’s daughter ended up not being that relevant at all…

this season felt all over the place to me. the mrs langsbury and wes team up was satisfying enough because they were two common suspects but for that reason i wasn’t gagged. it just made sense. again, a better finale than original sin but the season overall didn’t do it for me. i’m sorry if this all over the place! 😭

I'm with you! We have a lot of the same questions/feelings.

I did like this finale significantly better than season 1. I will always rather have predicted the antagonists and have their actions make sense (and also have at least one of them present with screen time enough to feel like a real character), than have the reveal be some random side character with no set up and backstory you couldn't possibly have guessed. So that's an improvement, for sure. But it definitely was MESSY af. I knew it was going to be a little difficult to tie all the threads together, and it was. There's a lot of stuff left dangling that I don't think was really on purpose (like I am okay with loose threads if they are there to inform the next season, but I don't think most of these were).

I'm gonna give you my best guesses at all the questions you had, even though they a very much questions I am still asking.

I cannot even begin to explain this one. This just feels like production was wildly off base with how they thought this storyline was going to go over. Maybe the writers didn't agree on how this should be utilized, so they wrote it one way, then changed some stuff, but not enough stuff?

It genuinely makes no sense. These numbers got out right away, so before Henry became brainwashed by the cult (which, btw, very weird they did not explain IF Wes was hiring all these people out of the cult, like how did Henry miss this? Also how did Kelly miss this? and Mrs. Beasley? And Pastor Malachi?), Greg wouldn't have had those numbers, Ash wasn't even in the episode, Christian, Johnny, Jen, and Coach Rhodes all only got 1 persons number and it would have meant all of them betraying the girls. I assume Dr. Sullivan had the numbers and she could have done it, but she doesn't seem to be that type of evil.

lol. Just conveniently not around. I can buy the Greg one- he and Kelly aren't a couple, he and Faran haven't been "together" (flinging?) very long, so no one wanted to tell him. But Ash??? how do you not tell Ash about what's happening??

I have these questions, too. How much of her story about her was true? Why was she separated and tied up by Wes, what was her role in the finale supposed to be? I'm pretty confused on this point.

Again, yes.

The only explanation I've got for this one is that they weren't there all season? Like they were kept elsewhere and intentionally put there later. But this makes waaay more sense if Wes doesn't want to get caught and Jen is working with him. Because then Wes is trying to frame someone else, and gets Jen to plant the "What about Johnny and Christian?" seed with Noa (who, it did not escape me, literally used Jen's phrasing word for word when bringing this up) to send Imogen and Tabby off to investigate their respective boyfriends and find the stuff they've been set up with. Because they have been set up, even if Wes isn't planning on them ultimately taking the fall, but if Jen isn't in on it, then it's just pure coincidence that either of those set ups worked AT ALL.

So yeah, definitely with you on this! I had a really fun time watching this season, and I feel like that might get lost in my "but wtf is happening?" posts sometimes, so- I did actually have a lot of fun. But this was far from perfect and I think there were a few really big misses with the storytelling & I want answers!!

[soul-music-is-life]

Rate the moms on Original Sin.

God, they are all absolute garbage. They make all of the OG moms look like saints.

(This will contain spoilers for episodes that have already aired).

Best to worst for now. They're all the worst.

1. Sidney (Tabby's mom) seems to be somewhat involved in her daughter's life and I liked that she believed Tabby when Tabby said they didn't deface Karen's posters. In the flashback in 1999, Sidney also seemed the most sympathetic to Angela's pleas. It was Davie who pulled her away from helping her.

2. Davie (Imogen's mom). This one is controversial, because of the suicide. However, in the future Davie seems to have grown from her past. She tells Imogen not to hang out with mean girls. She was supportive of her child's pregnancy (her choice) and she is still somewhat of a question mark in terms of who she is an adult. I have a theory that she didn't actually kill herself either. I don't think she would have left Imogen like that.

3. Elodie (Mouse's mom). The last three moms are all pretty terrible humans, but Elodie cares to the point of insanity about protecting her child (yes, it is because of her own actions, and the whole 'surrogacy' plot is very shady. I also don't know why she would be lying about losing a child. Perhaps she had twins and one of the children was taken, but she saved Mouse). Also, in her flashback story she is the only one of the girls who intentionally didn't set Angela up. She did not expect them to get caught making out...and she turned into Alison 2.0 when they did get caught. It is a very fucked up thing to do, but the other girls set Angela up, some even to the point of physically scarring her on purpose.

4. Marjorie (Noa's mom). First of all, Noa deserves better. Her blind love and loyalty to her mother is one of the most painful dynamics on the show. Loving an addict is incredibly hard, but Marjorie's complete indifference and the fact that she is still pulling the same shit she was when she was a teenager (making Angela take the fall in the past and making her daughter take the fall in the present) is inexcusable. For a while, she was at the top of my list as the worst mother. Until...

insert Corey:

5. Corey (Faran's mom). If I could rate her lower, I would. First of all, it's not enough that she made choices for her child AGAINST MEDICAL ADVICE because all she cares about is outward appearances. She forced her 8-year-old to go through an excruciating surgery that left her with permanent pain. What's more...she gaslights her own child. The fact that she blamed Faran for her car wreck is disgusting. I'm glad Faran recognized what her mom was trying to do. I am also glad she's not budging on her forgiveness. After Corey blew up at her that morning before school and then was acting like it never happened when Faran got home from school had my blood boiling. And we haven't even scratched the surface of what she did to Angela in the past. Taking her to a seedy tattoo parlor and tricking her into scarring her body was unforgivable. Out of all the moms, I want her to die the most.

Anyone else have thoughts on the Original Sin moms? This was HARD to rate, because they're all terrible people.

[ploppythespaceship]

Once Upon A Time Rewatch & Catch-up - Season 6A

The first time I watched the show, I gave up at some point during this arc, but I don’t remember exactly when. So at some point this isn’t strictly a rewatch, it’ll be the first time I’m seeing this.

Also, I can’t actually tell if they intended this season to be clearly split in two or not, but I’m gonna stick with the half season format for now.

Good Things:

I’m glad Archie is back. I missed him.

I really like most of the new cast and major guest actors this season:

Giles Matthey as Morpheus/Gideon (he looks like a perfect mix of Rumple and Belle)

Hank Harris as Dr. Jekyll

Karen David as Jasmine

Deniz Akdeniz as Aladdin

Oded Fehr as Jafar (a fair recast of Naveen Andrews from the Wonderland spinoff, who as I understand was also excellent)

Craig Horner as the Count of Monte Cristo (even as a one-off character, I really enjoyed his performance)

Faran Tahir as Captain Nemo (ditto)

Also, shout out for not whitewashing any of the Aladdin characters.

I enjoy the concept of the Land of Untold Stories, and it’s a good way to link multiple realms. Stories and characters from things like Jekyll and Hyde, Count of Monte Cristo, Jules Verne, etc. feel much less out of place now.

While I overall dislike the direction Rumple/Belle has taken, I do appreciate that they’ve actually broken them up. And I'm so glad they aren’t trying to paint Rumple’s behavior towards her as acceptable in any way. The show makes it clear that while the situation is messy and complicated and there is no simple answer, Belle is completely justified in leaving him, as well as in all her actions to defend her child.

The sleeping curse on Snow and Charming’s heart that only lets one of them be awake at a time is really clever and really heartbreaking.

I have mixed feelings about the Wish Realm, but overall it’s a really fun concept. It’s not anywhere near the level of similar episodes in other series -- I still think Buffy’s “The Wish” is the best of the best -- but it’s probably the most entertaining episode the season.

Meeting Robin from the Wish Realm is the biggest oh shit moment, and my jaw actually dropped with excitement. That’s a great mid-season finale cliffhanger.

Bad Things:

Overall, the acting has gotten quite bad. While most of the main cast is still good, as are the major guest stars, the one-off characters -- I almost want to call them NPCs, the guards and sailors and townspeople and so on -- are very bad. They have very few lines, but those lines are delivered so poorly that they’re distracting.

Listen... I know Sam Witwer is a good actor. His performance as Davis Bloom on Smallville blew me away. But his version of Mr. Hyde is... bad. It’s real bad. I think he’s trying to sound like Bane from The Dark Knight Rises? But he ends up just being weird.

The Evil Queen as the main villain.

Splitting Regina into her good and evil halves is an interesting idea for maybe an episode or two... but it doesn’t work for an entire arc. And it doesn’t really make sense for the character, really. Regina removes the Evil Queen, but her personality seems the same as ever. That removal hasn’t changed her in any way? No one thought this through.

Additionally, the Evil Queen never really has a plan. There’s no endgame or ultimate goal, which means there’s no overarching plot. We just wander aimlessly from one episode to the next to the next, and it’s rather dull to watch.

And then it just... ends. She’s gotten rid of very matter-of-factly, with no buildup. It ultimately makes the entire first half of this season feel pointless.

Regina and Zelena’s relationship does not make any sense, and their sibling squabbles are so nonsensical. Usually because Regina has perfectly valid complaints, while Zelena’s whining about nothing, as usual. It always seems like they’re trying to paint Zelena as sympathetic, but they don’t ever know what to do with her to make it happen.

I feel like they killed Jekyll and Hyde a little too soon. There wasn't time to do anything interesting with them.

What actually is a Savior? What creates a Savior? Does there have to be a curse involved? Is every Savior paired with one unique villain, or can there be multiple? Why is Aladdin one? Is being the Savior something you choose or something that happens to you? The idea of multiple Saviors is a really interesting concept that they never bother to explain.

They spent all of last season worrying about Zelena caring for the baby, and rightfully so! She’s evil! She raped Robin for that baby! She has zero rights to the kid! But now that she’s actively being evil again, we suddenly don’t care that she has the baby? Regina should be desperate to get Robin’s baby away from her.

Why are Rumple and the Evil Queen a thing?? It might make sense for evil Regina, but Rumple wouldn’t cheat on Belle, even if she has broken up with him. Even to manipulate her, it seems to be going too far.

[layaltheblogger2019]

What is something vexing that you're currently wrestling with?

A sudden departure

A look at the words I wasn’t able to write

I wanted to write a blogpost to commemorate Aliza Akhtar and try to have it posted on the blogs, but it was a lot harder than it sounded. The words did not want to come out. The ink did not want to spill out onto the page to make it real.

The following are actual snippets I wrote at varying points after we got the news of her passing. They’ve only been lightly edited for clarity.

Attempt #1

Dear Aliza,

You're no longer with us, apart from that I don't know what to say. There's now a gaping hole in my life. It doesn't make sense? Like how? You're THE course 6. The desi queen. You were gonna go to Spain. I don't understand, like how can everything just stop like that. I don't believe it Aliza. I cannot understand, everything is numb.

Remember when you left? We hugged for so long, you hugged me so tightly.

I'd hoped that the next time I'd be in Jersey I'd see you and your family. Now, I'll just be seeing your family.

I don't believe it to the point that everytime I read condolences in the MSA chat it hits me all over again. Because it makes it real.

Your Hanu cried so much for you Aliza. There was so much love inside of her for you, she misses you so much. She keeps remembering things, and laughing and smiling, then crying because you're no longer here. It's so heartbreaking. I'm holding her hand for you.

I've never seen Samar cry, and it hurts to see her. She misses you so much, she keeps making prayers for you, the moment I walked on to 2E she held me and kept making prayers, she loved you so much.

  Attempt #2

The one thing I keep asking myself is "what does that mean?" What does it mean that the brightest ray of sunshine no longer exists?

I start this out with a picture.

A smile from one of the most beautiful souls I've ever met.

Meet Aliza Akhtar.

Aliza’s older sister, Sameen: "Do the things she never got to do Be a strong independent women for her."

  Attempt #3

Like a flower bursting with color, A beauty unlike any other Like her beautiful flower earrings from Mexico Where she spent a month.

You'll never really know her if you've never met her She's the kind of special person, you'll hear stories about her that sound like fairytales

  Attempt #4

Last week ago today, one of my closest friends at MIT, Aliza Akhtar, passed away in a car accident. She was a strong, independent woman who really did it all.

I wish I could explain what it felt like to be loved by her. To be around her. She wasn't just anybody, she was Aliza Akhtar, desi queen, master programmer, MSA publicity chair, Mickey Singh fangirl, dependable and always down to have a good time, most likely to change the world, a take the risk or lose the chance kind of person. Everyone who met her loved her. I never had a big sister before, and she was the closest thing I had to one.

Aliza was going to change the world, those of us who knew her knew that.

  Attempt #5

Last week ago today, one of my closest friends at MIT, Aliza Akhtar, passed away in a car accident.

Aliza was the kind of person you'd wish and hope to meet at least once in your life, she was bright, happy, she was a ray of sunshine with the purest heart. Her soul was so beautiful. Sometimes you just meet those people that are literally angels, who are too good for this world. Aliza was that person.

The night before Aliza left MIT to go home, we went to Maseeh for food and on our back the weather was so nice, the moon was out, Aliza suggested we sit and enjoy it. And we did. We sat on the sidewalk right by the bike storage in between Maseeh and McCormick with Faran and Sonia 2.0 (the electric scooter). And it was magical. I had a final to study for that they both insisted I should leave to do. But I couldn't leave and I didn't for quite a while. It's like God knew and gave me more time.

When we said goodbye, we hugged so tightly in the lobby and for so long. I had never had her hug me so hard. And she kept telling me to enjoy my summer, and I told her to enjoy hers. And we just kept doing that in the lobby for 5 minutes. And when she left she turned, looked through the glass, waved, and that's the last time I ever saw her.

I wish I could explain what it felt like to be loved by her. To be around her. She wasn't just anybody, she was Aliza Akhtar, desi queen, master programmer, MSA exec member, always down to have a good time, the greatest and purest person ever. I don't want Aliza to be forgotten, because that just means she dies twice. She doesn't deserve that. She deserves more than I could ever give her.

Attempt #6

I shoveled dirt into her grave.

The happy people I spent time with at MIT, in the dining hall, in the BLR, in the infinite, I never expected to stand with all of them in the graveyard.

In the car, Haniya slept on my shoulder, holding my hand. She held Samar's hand in parallel.

I opened Snapchat and saw an unopened story. From her. I swallowed the lump in my throat and tapped it, welcomed by Baskin Robin's and an unfamiliar smile. 15 hours ago...which seemed very close to the time it happened. She was probably driving home from there...

We all realized it.

Once we get to the graveyard, just on time, we get out of the car in a pack. I won't ever forget Wasay emotionally collapsing in front of me, into Baraa. It was such a long car ride, he had to keep going strong while driving, he grieved.

We barely recognized her, and her the same but our shared grief gave us a momentary clarity. It was the mother of the family friends. She told us what had happened. Driving home in the dark in two separate cars. Worry when Aliza's car doesn't return. Steps retraced and ambulances are found. A drive to the hospital. They are frantic, finding out that her sister is hurt but will be okay. And that Aliza is not.

And we cry as we walk, grasping onto each other. Trying to hold on.

I saw their faces as the casket was retrieved. Cries and whimpers and pain. I saw Sameen, and for a moment in her I saw Aliza. I saw Aliza crying. And I wondered then who was really wrapped up in those white sheets. A mistake must have been made. There was no way the casket being lifted up was hers. And the dirt just started piling. And it began to cover her. And she was 6 feet below me, so far down. And the imam from her mosque was so annoyingly persistent. So nonchalant and a little aggressive. And in the moment I wondered how he'd be acting if it was his son or daughter being buried.

  Attempt #7

Aliza's death hurts me in new ways every time I really sit and think about it. I really, really miss her. Sometimes I text her on Messenger hoping this has all been some mistake and she'll reply. But she doesn't reply. The last thing she texted me was that she loves me and misses me. I love her and miss her too. She won't be coming back next semester, that's a fact, and I didn't believe it at first but the fog is starting to clear. I feel like so many people have moved on already, and so quickly too. I haven't. I don't know if I ever will. I wish I could talk to someone, but I don't know if anyone wants to be reminded of the pain.

At her burial when everyone was sobbing, I looked up at her family and did a double take because when I saw her older sister crying, I saw Aliza crying. And for a moment then I wondered if maybe the body being carried over to the 6-foot deep hole wasn't Aliza, but someone else. It was so surreal. That whole day was too surreal. I still remember so much of it, the seconds passed so slowly. I sat in a car for 6 hours sweating and crying and wondering how it was possible to have so much bodily fluid exiting my body at the same time. I threw dirt into her grave, I helped bury her. I saw my friends at their lowest, I saw them in agony, faces warped into shapes I've never seen, I saw them in ways I never expected to. I'm still hurting. A little more than a month later and it feels like I just got the news last week.

I miss you Aliza. I don’t think I’ll ever stop missing you.

I will hear your laughter in McCormick. I will see your shadow in the Infinite. I will remember you in the simplest of moments for the rest of my life and wish you were still here.

Please consider donating to charity on Aliza’s behalf here: https://tinyurl.com/AlizasCharities