#for me the “rush” of the episode is crucial | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

viwifey · 2 months ago

Note

If you don’t mind telling me, can you tell me what you found wrong with act 2? I did think it was a little rushed but I still love it, I’m probably biased tho

yes!! i was debating on making a post about this so i'm glad you asked lol

just wanna say that this is not me saying that my opinions are right; i find it great that you loved the act and who knows if my opinions will change in the future anyways

i'm going to break my thoughts down by character and compare what happened to them in act 2 from where they left off in act 1 to help organize my thoughts

JINX

last we saw jinx in act 1 she had fought vi with the help of sevika and isha and lost her middle finger due to a shot fired by caitlyn. sevika released the air from the janna temple and kept jinx and isha covered while caitlyn and vi were separated from them. the strong wind causes piltover to be covered in these paint explosions which incites the people in the undercity to start riots in jinx's image

we start act 2 with jinx and isha doing sisterly things that she wished she got to do with vi when they were younger. we also see, with some conflictions, that she isn't interested in being a symbol for the undercity and doesn't seem to have much going on outside of that because her goal of "finishing what's left of her family" basically ended when she realized that vi still loves her during their fight. when isha and the other people from the rally are taken to stillwater, jinx breaks in, releases them and receives more love/praise from her supporters. here it can be strongly interpreted based on jinx's reaction that she was going to be accepting the role of being the symbol for the undercity and help lead the fight against piltover's rule. but after all of that, her reunion with isha is interrupted with the introduction of warwick/vander. then she spends the next two episodes trying to find and cure him with the help of vi and there no further development on her role in the rebellion, aside from the mural in episode 5 and her calling herself a hero because of the jailbreak.

i love that jinx was able have her family back again, it was my favorite part of act 2, but i found it strange that there was a lot of focus spent on jinx being the symbol for the undercity rebellion in episode 4 and how she was presented to be ready to step into that roll only for it to be almost forgotten about for the next 2 episodes. i don't know if the possible death of isha and warwick is going to be used as reasoning for get her to actually "join the cause" but if not then i don't understand why it was implemented into the show in the first place. my guess is that its going to be used just as a way for jinx to easily get people to fight in whatever battle is going to take place in act 3 since it seems like the noxians are already going to be attempted to be removed by caitlyn anyways since she betrayed them in episode 6

JAYCE

jayce ended episode 3 possibly entering ??? into the hex thingy after touching it and smashing it with his hammer (way to go dude!!) while he was with ekko and heimerdinger. we do not see him again until the end of episode 5 where he emerges from the hex looking like he had survived some crazy arcane apocalypse and experienced a shit-ton of trauma... after realizing how powerful viktor has become and killing salo, he makes his way over to viktor's cult base and kills him too before fleeing the scene lmao

i've already seen people joke about how it's no wonder jayce has haters because he just continues to fuck things up but this is the most interested i've been in his character since first watching the show. but i'm worried that were not going to get to see much of what happened to him while he was in the hex and that the show is either going to just have jayce tell us what he witnessed or use quick flashbacks instead. (and like... the show is named arcane because of the arcane magic and hextech is crucial for a lot of the story arcs so i would've anticipated that there would be more focus on that i guess??) though it isn't really fair for me to use this as criticism for act 2 since act 3 is not out, with only 3 episodes left and a lot of story to wrap up i feel like that is going to be the case

MEL

mel ends act 1 getting captured by the black rose and spends act 2... being captured by the black rose... i also really like mel and have enjoyed watching her character develop but i feel like her story is part of the show that has bitten off more than it can chew. i am not familiar with anything from league so the black rose stuff is very new to me and as much as it is interesting, it just doesn't feel necessary to have as part of the show. i think if it were introduced more in the first season then i would understand why it's a part of this one but it's being used as a storyline that is either put to the side or is getting ran through to get to the other stories arcs that need their own attention.

on a positive note, i am excited that the show is writing her as a character more than a piltover counselor and that we get to see what her tattoos, or is it armor??, are truly intended for

EKKO

so ekko also entered the hex with jayce??? i guess we don't know for sure since he didn't physically interact with it and i guess we still don't know now lol

i realllllyyy missed him in act 2 and his story is another one that i'm worried is going to be reduced to quick flashbacks or dialogue. my guess is when he returns from the hex, that is going to be the explanation for how he can manipulate time and he's going to use it at some point to help with the final battle

HEIMERDINGER

no complaints it was refreshing not seeing him ngl

AMBESSA

we finished act 1 with ambessa declaring martial law on the undercity and appointing caitlyn as commander with the intention of manipulating her and using piltover's recourses and weaponry for her own gain... and i would say that's basically what continues in act 2 for her as well

ambessa is a great antagonist and her motivations were set the moment we saw her in season 1: she wants control hextech and she wants her family to be safe. i don't think there was anything specific about her character or story that didn't fit for me because honestly everything with ambessa has been very consistent. i really look forward to her fight scenes in act 3

VIKTOR

viktor because jesus in act 1 and continues to be jesus in act 2 BUT a more powerful jesus... plus he has a cult

i just think he is another rushed storyline and that's pretty much the sum of it. it was wild watching him be able to enter people minds and float around in those celestial planes but i wish we got to see more about how he got to that point. when i think back to season 1, i liked how that season took time to show viktor's desperation with the hexcore and trying to find a cure for himself. it made me feel almost as desperate as him and i wanted him to be successful. watching act 2 didn't make me feel much of anything for his character and same goes for his death, although i'm sure that isn't going to be the last we see of him anyways

CAITLYN

we all know where caitlyn's arc finished in act 1 lol

i was really surprised that her first scene in act 2 was of her already showing doubts in how ambessa was running piltover because i think a lot of us expected her to do that much later in the act. i also wasn't a fan of how the show chose to have her character express these concerns with a couple scenes of dialogue rather than have us see her do something about it. if she were concerned that the noxians were being too violent with the people in the undercity, then show her trying to do something to stop it ! i feel like her scenes were either her saying she wasn't sure she was ok with being commander or it was her being like "i have to find jinx" and avenge my mother. so when she ran into vi in episode 6 and was somewhat casual about it, i was almost confused that there was nothing else to it... especially when the next thing we know is that she and vi devised a plan to stop ambessa from getting warwick??? it felt soooo random and i started laughing because it was practically ridiculous to me

i'm glad the act 3 trailer showed vi calling caitlyn out because there needs to be a discussion between the two of them over everything that happened. also it looked like it was taking place in caitlyn's house (mansion) and idk i think i just assumed that they wouldn't feel safe to go back to piltover after pissing ambessa off so maybe there's a reason for that?

saving my best girl for last cause i'm biased oopsie... uhh we also know how things went for vi in act 1

ugh this might just be me getting my expectations too high but i was really hoping we were going to see more with her pitfighting than just those first 2 minutes. if anything i would have liked some scenes with loris before he decided to leave after her drinking got too bad. and thats other thing... you have vi being presented as an alcoholic but she's totally fine the second jinx shows up?? as mentioned in cait's section, i don't love how their reunion scene went. i find it really difficult to believe that vi would have enough trust in cait right away to let her be brought to ambessa without any concerns that something could go wrong. but in general it feels like vi doesn't have much of an arc going on anyways... she started off working with cait to find jinx which didn't go well. then she's working with jinx to help vander which as far as we know could be dead. so now is she going back to working with cait to stop the noxians? it just seems like she doesn't have a solid motivation this season when it could have been something about her finding self-acceptance for all the guilt she's had over the years or idk making her lead the rebellion in the undercity, just something to make her feel like she has purpose.

and i'm going to stop here :) i think i got everything i wanted to say somewhere in here but either way i'm sure i get my point across just fine. i want to reiterate that i don't think i'm right about my opinions and also wanna say that i am enjoying the show, though it may not seem like it with this lol. i think act 3 will make me change my mind about a couple things anyways but this is how i feel currently and that's pretty much it

#ask #arcane #arcane spoilers #...idk if i should do one of those keep reading section thingys or not... but im afraid people wont read it if i do so... its not going

37 notes · View notes

spatial-jump · 5 months ago

Text

Spoilers for all episodes of the Umbrella Academy Season 4 and profanity below.

What the actual fuck was that finale?? Was I watching the same thing directors looked at and went, “Yeah, this is cool!”

Those last two episodes were a total shit show. An absolutely horrendous finale to a wonderful TV show.

The first thing I am so fucking pissed about is how they’ve written Five in this season. They ruined him. They tore apart the aloof apocalypse-obsessed arsehole who loves his family, destroyed it, spat on it, and then danced on the grave before crushing it under an anvil.

In no fucking timeline whatsoever would Five and Lila be a thing. I understand where some people would come from to defend it — that yes, they were both isolated for seven years and could only find company in each other, distorting their relationship as they sought comfort which mistakenly and incorrectly transpired into ‘love’. No, it’s messed up. It’s so fucking messed up and creates unnecessary drama that the writers probably wanted since they were undeniably lacking in the finale. When I first saw the camera angles and shots they were getting prior to Year Five in the subway, I was naïvely thinking, “Surely not. Please don’t tell me this is where I think it’s going.” And lo and behold, I was right. And I’ve never hated to be right so much in my entire life.

Lila (WHO HAS THREE ADORABLE CHILDREN WITH DIEGO, BY THE WAY) has known Five for absolutely ages — since he was in the body of a thirteen-year-old child. Mentally, he’s however many decades older. Regarding the actors, Aidan and Ritu, themselves, there is a fifteen-year gap between them. But my point is, Five is not a home-wrecker. Five is the type of character who would not deliberately fuck around with his brother’s wife because he absolutely adores his family. It’s not in the nature that has been presented to us, and goes completely against his values — and for what? To serve exclusively as a shitty love triangle so that Diego and Five would fight in the finale and break up the family even more at the most crucial point for them?

Five is your textbook example of a pragmatist. He knows how to prioritise, and would certainly not decide that the time to fight Diego was when two of their siblings were badly injured and another had merged to bring about the Cleanse — a.k.a. end of the world, again.

I am so, so disappointed with this, especially as Five is the character I’ve had the strongest attachment to, ever. I think I’ve managed to disconnect S4 him from the first three (that fucking greasy rat’s nest hair of his has finally been given a beneficial purpose), but I’m still sick to my stomach.

Anyway, next thing: the episodes. I know we were told in advance about how there were only going to be six episodes, and we knew they had a lot to fit in to make it work.

It didn’t. It was executed very poorly. I understand some fans didn’t like the unnecessary subplots and fillers from the previous seasons, but S4 was a bit too rushed? I mean, they found and drank the marigold within the first episode. And floundered around at the end, not even bothering to stop the Cleanse until it had been aired on TV. I get they might’ve wanted to make the show more fast-paced, but it could’ve been handled differently. They didn’t have to do a ‘Stranger ThingsTM’ and make four goddamn films for a Part One. They just needed to properly iron out everything, and that didn’t happen, which is a massive shame.

The finale itself (not the erasing their identities, but from the moment Ben is shot) deserves some YouTuber to pick it apart with a four hour video until it’s dust. It was badly structured. Normally, you see a rather pleasant — not exactly linear, but in the concept we’re progressing positively — pattern as the episodes and plots build up to the finale. We see the family find out about an apocalypse, they fight and break off individually, then they slowly pair up, eventually coming together to save the world. This was not like that.

Instead, you had one sibling fucking around in a subway with his physically much older and mentally much younger sister-in-law, another that was hopelessly obsessed with a girl he just met (but no hate for him — no one exactly told him that being closer to Jennifer was just harming them both and the world), one germaphobe who, despite not taking drugs or drinking, is off looting money wherever he can find it and deciding that was the moment to pay off his debts??, three others doing fuck knows, and then the last one who actually gives a shit, teamed up with his hideous father, and tried to prevent him from killing Ben as long as possible because he knows what it’s like to end the world, and is therefore the only one who did anything useful. God, that was a long sentence, so I’m sorry for those of you who struggle with it.

The finale was not your Umbrella Academy finale. Once everyone had (I say this in the lightest way) been ‘brought together’, they had no bloody idea what to do. In the meantime, they’d disbanded about three times within the thirty minutes of screening because of petty fights and the drama I’ve already discussed. Five leaving them at the most essential moment (due to Lila and Diego, blah, blah, blah) was an error in his character. This old man has survived through apocalypses, the one who tries to round everyone up despite everything he has seen. Even with his doubts in the S3 finale, he was still there — and his doubts were shared enough that they created a majority. In this S4 finale, there was no majority. It was just Five, and Five alone. There were gaping holes and shredded pieces of the beautifully developed characters the show had done so well in portraying. They did this with Allison during that scene in S3, where they took her villain arc too far. There are so many flaws in this, and there is definitely many people out there who can communicate it better and more concisely, but here is my two pennies anyway.

I have a lot more thoughts, but I’m currently bone-tired. I might post another rant if I remember anything else — but don’t be too surprised if it’s Five x Lila related.

I am thankful and appreciative that the Umbrella Academy was one of the lucky shows that saw its way to the very end, but I think all of us are entitled to a little disappointment at its quality and execution as it was brought to a close.

#the umbrella academy #umbrella academy #tua #tua season 4 #tua s4 #netflix #five hargreeves #ben hargreeves #diego hargreeves #lila pitts #tua rant #rant #i am so mad #and disappointed #brelly #umbrellas

61 notes · View notes

janaknandini-singh999 · 8 months ago

Text

~ What Heeramandi Could Have Been ~

I loved the aesthetics ngl but ig I don't even need to get started on the plotline. By the end it was a rushed chaos of jealousy turned patriotism with the tawaifs going for each other's throats but suddenly coming together and cornering the Britishers. SLB thought he has a series in his hands now so he can mix everything together but what ended up was kinda a mess. I feel like they could've made two seasons instead, focusing s1 on the feud between Mallikajaan and Fareedan with its finale episode of Fareedan realizing what extent she had pushed Mallikajaan over and the grave sin she had made her suffer (the assault by Cartwright and the british police) and then S2 for the nationalist awakening and unity of Heeramandi

Here are some plot changes/additions they could've had according to me:

• Lajjo: Honestly I feel her character was wasted when it was so intriguing. Heeramandi especially Shahi Mahal revolved around matriarchy and how women were not tied down by men but Lajjo's character was an exception where she was controlled by her one sided love for Zorawar. She suffered from erotomania delusional disorder and used alchohol to cope. I found myself calling her female Devdas and felt bad that she didn't have much role in the plot, killing her off too soon without showing much depths and repercussions adding to the story. How her decisions and addiction spiralled her down to her own doom but with a last salute

They could've maybe shown Lajjo being reckless and impulsive without Zorawar so rushing to the frontline during the nationalist movement to sacrifice herself first out of everyone because she had no other hope to look forward for in her life anyway

"Zorawar ne kabhi saath nahi diya iss tawaif ka but iss mitti ne toh hamesha diya"

A queen of darkness and heartbreak in her own right

• Alamzeb & Tajdar: They could've been soo much better. Alam had understood that Tajdar's duties were towards his country as well. She could've teamed up with him in his missions, being a strength not an obstacle in his responsibilities. Alam, Taj and Bibbo working together in the rebellion

And Tajdar didn't deserve to be beaten to death like a dog by the britishers in jail after being sent there by his own father, but an honourable one after accomplishing a mission and being remembered like Shaheed Bhagat Singh

"Inquilaab aur ishq mein koi farq nahi hain"

A pair of patriotic tragic lovers in their own right

• Qudsia: She could've had such a major role to play in the entire series. Being married into the influential nawab lineage of Baloch and being a woman of her own mind, she could've proved to have substantial value too. By her interactions with Mallikajaan, it was evident that they had known each other since long and shared some history, probably going back to the time Mallikajaan had dethroned Rehaana and began her climb on the ladder of power in Heeramandi. They could've shown flashbacks of young Qudsia and Mallikajaan meeting for the first time as well, both women from different backgrounds respecting each other since then and Qudsia reminiscing how things take a full circle now that her own grandson was in love with her friend's daughter.

When the nawabs boycotted the tawaifs of Heeramandi in the end by the orders of the British, Qudsia could've used her son, who was full of guilt and remorse anyway after indirectly killing his own son so would've finally given up and given in, to get his connections and influence to get hold on the other nawabs and then she could've given their crucial information to Mallikajaan and the tawaif freedom fighters. She could've done this to avenge her grandson, as a tribute to his bravery for their country. She could've raised Alamzeb and Tajdar's baby together with Alamzeb in the end

A queen of grief and sacrifice for the country and her grandson in her own right

• Ustaadji: He was such an impressionable character despite being in just a supporting role. The nath scene was especially pivotal where the actor playing Ustaadji reveals that during that part when Fareedan gifts him the nath, he started crying even after the scene was done and SLB was so moved by his performance that he gave him a special token. The nath is a symbol of dignity and Ustaadji being a queer character was touched by the gesture of recieving the nath especially during those times when hijras, eunuchs were prejudiced against by invaders and colonizers but not by tawaifs who knew what it was like to face disgrace in society. Ustaadji had also joked about doing a nath utrayi (official debut of a courtesan) of his own. He could've actually done that and the britishers and nawabs would've been bewildered. Ustaadji being a popular messenger and figure in the series also had had an intimate encounter with Cartwright so had the insider knowledge to breach in so in the end instead of telling Alamzeb to kill him, he could've himself delivered the final blow, as the Indian flag would've swayed in the background through the window of the mahal, asserting that his identity may have been queer but he was a part of this country too

A king of popularity and scheming in his own right

• Bibbojaan: Ik SLB has a knack for tragedy and ik tragedy was written all over Bibbojaan since she was introduced but. she. deserved. sm. more. simply because everyone needed her. And especially when hers was the role that contributed the most in the freedom struggle too. She was there for her mother, her sister, the other tawaifs, and finally her country. In the dazzling, venomous world of Heeramandi, she was a north star for everyone

After Hamid Sahab's death, she should've been the leader of the group, devising plans and executing them. And post independence during the chaos of partition, she could've been the one to unite the people of Heeramandi and Lahore, helping them all like she did

A queen of freedom and unity in her own right

• Mallikajaan: The main character of Heeramandi had so many nuances and shades within that it was so engaging to watch her. First of all it was confusing why she'd bridle her own daughter's happiness and passion but then lay her own honour on line to protect her. She knew the pain of being separated from the child when Imaad was taken away from her because of Rehaana so why did she do the same to Rehaana's daughter? Jealousy and revenge have their own ways I guess but by the end of it all Mallikajaan was in shreds and abruptly attempted on taking the side of patriotism to cleanse whatever evil deeds she had done all her life. Even after all this one could feel for her so her ending should've been better served as well

The tawaifs could've trapped the british army in Shahi Mahal after luring them in and then blown the place up. Mallikajaan would've no doubt not leave the Mahal even during the destruction, as a result sacrificing herself too but there's a deeper meaning here. The Shahi Mahal stands for power for which Mallikajaan fought, even killed and did what not, not even sparing her own people throughout the story. She did it to consume others but in the end was consumed by the all consuming power itself.

"Maine Shahi Mahal ke liye sabko tabaah kar diya. Ab yahi mera guroor hain, junoon hain, fitoor hain. Aur main bhi issi ke saath tabah hungi"

But the dignity that was stripped away from her by the british police is back in her eyes now as she stares at them all as she presses down the button of the bomb, whispering "Inquilab zindabaad"

This incident and Shahi Mahal instead would be known as "Mallikajaan's Majestic Massacre Mahal" and the biggest act of rebellion by tawaifs, sending chills down the britishers as she'd have power over them even after her death

A queen of power and twisted fate in her own right

• Waheeda: A fascinating character indeed, someone you'd have a love-hate relationship with. She was an isolated, intimidating tawaif who I can picture siding with the britishers and enemies to take down Mallikajaan, only for them all to realize she was using them for her gain

After Shahi Mahal blown up, she could've gone somewhere else in Heeramandi to establish her own mahal from scratch, finally becoming a huzoor

A queen of scars and quiet rage in her own right

• Shama: Fareedan could've given the keys of Khwabgah to her and made her that place's huzoor. She would've given a tough competition to her mother and fought for herself. Mallikajaan had once pointed out that only she had the deceit and tact rather than all her own daughters to be a true tawaif and yes she had the charm of a tawaif at such a young age so she could've manipulated the nawabs to boycott the britishers instead

A queen of a promising heroine of seduction in her own right

• Fareedan: When she realized what she had done to Mallikajaan, she could've been gradual about it because she was still close to Cartwright at that point. She could've used that advantage to extract more information and get close to other British officials, still pretending she's against Mallikajaan. That would've been a fatal attack planned with the tawaifs and freedom fighters after getting to know their weaknesses.

After the partition and realizing the futility of it all, she could've gone across the borders, already used to travelling the land when she was tricking and running away from husband to husband when she was a child, and could've built an orphanage so the children wouldn't go through what she went through as a child when she was sold off in Heeramandi

A queen of challenges rising above injustice in her own right

• Satto & Phatto: After Mallikajaan who they were loyal to, and after Fareedan, Alamzeb, everyone gone, they could've shifted out and opened a dhaba or something in Heeramandi, with Iqbal working for them now. The dhaba would've become famous and so would they and they'd look back on how every tawaif including them would dream of becoming the queens of Heeramandi and they were actually that now after so much of their trustworthy hard work that was unpaid before but is recognized now

The queens of loyalty and dreams in their own right

102 notes · View notes

lurkingshan · 1 year ago

Text

We Need to Talk about Love in Translation

I caught up on Love in Translation this week at @bengiyo’s behest, as he’s been talking about how good it is. It’s a Thai bl on iQIYI, and in this current deluge of shows, it’s flying mostly under the radar. But this week’s episode convinced me this is a show we should be prioritizing even with so much to keep up with, and I wanted to talk a little bit about why.

Ben already covered some of the basics about the show, and I agree with all of that, but what is really blowing me away is the confidence of the writing and the control the writers have on the pacing of this story. Because this show? Moves, and it moves fast. The relationships are evolving rapidly, and our leads are moving closer every week, and yet nothing ever feels rushed or unearned. They start out adversaries, but it’s all based on a misunderstanding, and once that gets cleared up and they get to know each other, they come to like each other rather quickly. The narrative gives us good reasons for their rapidly shifting perspectives, and crucially, this is a story that is fundamentally about kind people with emotional intelligence, so their openness to changing their minds about each other tracks.

So in episode four, we begin with a classic drama set up: Phumjai, our inexperienced but enthusiastic protagonist, is finally going on a date with his crush, Tammy, and he asks his new friend and business partner, Yang, to go on a practice date with him. Yang is, of course, already half in love with Phumjai and this set up is torture for him. And so the “fake” date commences, and of course the two of them have a fantastic time, forgetting Tammy exists for long stretches before Phumjai inevitably brings her up again and Yang’s face falls. Before the date ends, they end up lounging alone under a tree, Phumjai asks Yang about what kind of lover he would want, and Yang takes the opportunity to make his feelings clear.

Their almost kiss is interrupted, but here’s the important part: Phumjai is extremely aware of what almost just happened, and what it means. He knows Yang was about to kiss him, and he was going to let him. And he knows the implications of that, unlike the typical trope where a character like him would remain confused about Yang’s intentions or his own feelings. Phumjai is inexperienced, but he’s not ignorant. Still, he has committed to a date with Tammy, and so he goes. And the whole time he’s with her, he can feel that it’s not right. He’s not feeling the same things with her that he was with Yang, and his mind wanders back to Yang continuously throughout his time with Tammy. He is not doing the typical drama thing of sublimating or ignoring his feelings. He notices what is going on with his heart and what it means.

And here is where the show wows me again: Phumjai does something about it immediately. He ends his date with Tammy without kissing her despite a clear invitation to do so and runs straight to Yang to talk to him about what he’s feeling. He tells him with total honesty that he’s been thinking about him all day, and that he didn’t feel the way he thought he would with Tammy, and that he wants to understand what is going on between them. Yang listens to him patiently as he works it out, and once he’s given an opening, he doesn’t hesitate to lean in and finish the kiss he started earlier in the episode.

Let me just emphasize again: all of this happened in one episode. This show deftly covered the emotional groundwork and character development that most dramas would take several weeks if not half a season to unpack, and it all felt organic and authentic to who these characters are. I sat up and stared at my screen in awe several times throughout this episode because I was so delighted by what was happening and how confident the underlying writing was. We are now halfway through the show, and we have ample time to work through the fallout of Phumjai’s realizations and see him and Yang actually figure out being in a relationship together (my favorite thing in any romance drama). This is a new screenwriting team (it’s literally their first credit) and they certainly have my attention. I can’t wait to see what they have in store for the second half of this story.

#love in translation #thai bl #shan shouts into the void

204 notes · View notes

bumblecrisp · 17 days ago

Text

the problem i have with arcane viktor isn’t that he’s no longer the machine herald we know from league, it’s that it is no longer a story ABOUT viktor. it’s a story about the arcane. ok does that make sense. stick with me here

viktor in s2 is taken over by the arcane. transformed by it. changed by it physically and mentally. it literally cleaves his mind in two to realize its form in his body. right? and that’s great! that’s genuinely really cool! BUT.

old lore viktor is taken over by OBSESSION. his own desire for improvement, for perfection, his hunger for progress. that is IMPORTANT. it is important to his character, it is very very important to me that we understand that viktor in s1 is by all appearances progressing along that path. viktor is dying, viktor is out of time, viktor is DESPERATE. he wants to save his own life, but crucially not as a selfish act. he sees himself as a VESSEL FOR PROGRESS. ok? that is so so important. viktor does not value his life as a human life, he only needs to remain alive so he can be a VESSEL FOR PROGRESS. i am dancing around yelling and waving my arms. this is SO crucial to his character and its like . so poorly handled in s2 it makes me INSANE i mean neurodivergent. i get that they were trying to do some evangelion thing but AAAAAARGGGGH they’re so WRONG about him.

ok? ok? do you see where i’m going. viktor is a desperate desperate man with a brilliant mind and shaking hands and he is working and he is working and he is out of time and he is going to do whatever the fuck it takes to give himself the chance to save his people. he is going to replace his flesh with silver and steel for sinew and platinum in his veins and he is going to tear out his own heart and replace it with a machine just for a little more time. he is absolutely selfless, and he is extraordinarily arrogant. ok? ok?

he is exceptional. he is a zaunite prodigy. he is the only hope.

he is a genius. he is a genius. it has to be him. his gears are softly turning and he is going to save his people. no matter what cost. no matter what cost. he is going to save his people no matter what cost.

and that is lost, in s2! it is so important to me. one of my favourite champion stories. and it’s gone. poof. what they have in s2 is just echoes. one-off lines about uniting the people, tossing out a “glorious evolution” to humour the old fans. it’s heartbreaking! he’s gone! the thing arcane fans don’t understand is that this isn’t just a rushed storyline, it’s a fundamental change to his character! don’t even get me STARTED on the whole thing with skye. the POINT!!! is that he makes SACRIFICES in the name of progress - himself! others! it’s all necessary evils for the greater good! they are so wrong about him im gonna lose it!!!!!!!!!

s1 viktor was beautiful, perfect, a wonderful WONDERFUL representation of the human he used to be, everything was in place, and then the whole character was sacrificed for a narrative tool to force a piltover/zaun reconciliation speedrun so they could keep it to nine episodes. it’s genuinely heartbreaking.

anyway. i should probably stop yelling at the wind and go write some fanfiction huh

#i have. so many feelings #he is so important to me you don’t understand #i have a very dear friend who is very much a viktor #and he is important to me.#this story is important to me.#and now it’s gone.#arcane #this was originally a rb of my last rant but i wanted to make it its own post

23 notes · View notes

fukutomichi · 3 months ago

Text

It’s review ramble rant tiiiiime! Decided to go on and post about my thoughts as the iron is still hot and my braincells are still firing. Lots of spoilers are gonna be in there and it’s looong as hell so you’ve been warned! Grab a cup of coffee or tea. Here we go!

Okay, the general feel about Season 2 is that it is slightly better than Season 1 for sure, better at some parts, but has shortcomings on others, BUT STILL, we got what we got and I think it was overall positive.

The first 3 episodes being aired was a direct response from the previous backlash that they had about Season 1 starting slow. And yes, those first 2 episodes were shaaaky as hell, but they found their feet in Episode 4 and then the series picked up with full steam ahead. This time to avoid this, they wanted to get the set up out of the way as soon as possible and then release at a weekly schedule. Was it a smart idea? It would have been. If the series was longer than 8 episodes?

This latest trend of overblown streaming series with such small number of episodes, between A HUGE waiting period for each season, needs to stop. I get that the RoP crew would need more time, schedules with other actors, filming locations, building locations, writing, filming huge battle sequences, CGI. But I feel everyone is still chasing The Game of Thrones type of hype, and the studios need to realize that it ain’t happening anymore, not for a while. Just focus on making good stories with interesting complex characters and the viewers will come. Stop trying to make series be movies. I caught one of the directors in one of the BTS clips for Episode 7 saying “We’re not making series, we’re making movies” AND THAT’S THE BIGGEST PROBLEM. STOP DOING THAT.

I would sacrifice all the big budget CGI sequences and wide beautiful shots for just a minute of conversation between Gil-galad and Cirdan. I don’t want “the Balrog shot that was 5 years in the minds of the showrunners”, I wanted people to see why Gil-galad respects Cirdan so much, instead of my non-reading Silmarillion friends asking me what’s his deal with him, and me having to explain that Cirdan is as close to a family member to the high king, that’s his adoptive dad. The series is very non-reading Silm friendly, but they somehow fail to explain some of the crucial relationships between characters. I KNOW there’s next season maybe they’ll expand on it, but some things like that need to be established IMMEDIATELY.

But with 8 episodes, what can you really focus on to adapt and show on the screen? This is why, AGAIN, stop making movies, we want a series. The biggest strength that a series has is CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT AND PACING. A series will always have the upper hand in that, and they are still trying to make a movie, cut in 8 parts. Please, arrange the pace for 10 episodes, so it doesn’t feel like one episode is laid back, and then the next one is rushing to the finish line. MAKE A SERIES, NOT MOVIES.

The thing that made Game of Thrones great those 4 first seasons was not the big battles or the CGI dragons. It was people talking in rooms. Their history and relationship with each other. Actors giving their A++ game with dialog which was moving the story. THAT made Game of Thrones worth the hype.

Learning about the fact that they have a change in the writers room can either be a good thing, with some storylines now being over and concluded so they might be preparing to change gears for Season 3, or with my mind going always in work corporate mode, writers not being payed as they should for their work so why stay…

The series did get a brush with the writer’s strike, which I will always support. YOU CAN’T HAVE A STORY WITHOUT GOOD WRITING! PAY YOUR WRITERS!!

I think Episode 8 is where I felt some stuff were cut off and rushed, probably during the strike, that were set up in Episode 7, didn't land well. But I’ll get to that.

I started this in rant mode, but had to get it out of the way cause it bothered me the most. The series has SO much potential and it sometimes pains me to see fail on the most basic stuff.

Okay, moving on with the juicy stuff now!

This season was The Charlies™ season, hands down. Absolute rollercoaster with Celebrimbor and Annatar/Sauron playing off each other on the screen. From the moment Sauron enters Eregion, to the final shot of him stealing Fëanor’s hammer. The showrunners were fully concentrated to that side of the story and, holy hell did they outdo themselves there. Charles Edwards as Celebrimbor needs to get some push for awards, or somehow ship one to him. I remember being a little a skeptic at first about his portrayal, since we got so little of him is Season 1, but as you rewatch it, you can see the foundations being set for his character. Season 2 is where he’s fully unleashed and, he is truly THE Celebrimbor. A sweet, sensitive soul that just strives to get out of his family’s shadow, by creating something unique that would be his legacy. A perfect victim for Sauron that finds his connection with Celebrimbor through that. I loved the fact that they filmed their scenes in order of the episodes and it shows the slow descent of both of their characters, helplessness and paranoia for Celebrimbor and Sauron barely managing his uncanny elf mask while trying to withhold annoyance and rage. Masterful acting by both. The last scene with them was MUCH more impactful than if we would have gotten the banner scene in the book. They started their pact alone in the forge, and they ended their manipulative partnership, alone in that same forge. With Celebrimbor getting the upper hand in death. Sauron AGAIN getting a knife straight into the heart, but with words instead of a pointy crown. Only this time, he won’t be able to get pay back for the insult. Because Celebrimbor in death, went where Sauron CAN NEVER go. The slow realization that he’s always gonna be a prisoner in his own cycle of violence. He has many names…And the cycle begins again.

Bless you Charles Edwards, thank you for being our Celebrimbor.

Charlie, be seeing ya next season you giggly perfect casting of Sauron’s messy character person you!

I was most excited to see were the elvish side of the story is gonna go after the end of Season 1, with the making of the three rings. And I think they did well! Robert Aramayo, I once again put myself on blast for ever doubting you as Elrond. My hubris must follow me till the end of this series. You have a shitty old phone, don’t know what a Brat Edit is and will never read this, but the universe will know of my foolishness.

Elrond's feud with Galadriel HURT to watch. Those are two besties that want their best for each other and will protect each other no matter what. The rift that was going on between them and mending it in the last episode was so sweet, kudos to Morfydd as well for always bringing her A++ acting game. FINALLY we have a bit more of Gil-galad this season and IS STILL not enough. I ranted before about not a single blip of a Gil-Cirdan convo happening, but getting FREAKING BEN DANIELS for just a few scenes IS CRIMINAL!!! Also, still sad about that beard of his, he was already perfect damn iiiit.

I’m glad that we had this push and pull with the elvish rings, are they good are they bad, they are a new invention and the elves have no idea how to deal with them at first. Gil-galad and Galadriel’s visions were a nice representation of that. What are their power levels, what are they truly capable off. What I like to believe though, is that while Sauron had his hands on crafting the seven and the nine…guess who’s hands last touched the mithril that made the three. It was Elrond. With all his hopes and need to help his kind survive when he threw that nugget into the melting pot in the last episode in Season 1. And guess who wears those rings now? His closest family and the people he cares the most. When he finally decides to give Nenya a chance, we get to see the result of all his hopes and desire to protect those he loves the most in the last scene of this season. Rivendell. ELROND’S KINDNESS is the reason the elvish rings remain untouched by Sauron’s evil.

Galadriel vs Sauron. Oh! OH! I can only imagine Lúthien smiling and pointing at Galadriel, Sparta kicking him over the boulder. “That’s my girl! THAT’S MY GIRL! Wipe the floor with that bozo!!” If I’m being honest, spoiling myself with Bear Mccreary’s Season 2 soundtrack, listening to the track “The Last Temptation” gave soooo many vibes that something might happen to Galadriel that will leave me SHOOK, aka taking Sauron’s offer and Elrond being there to witness it, but Bear tricked meeee!!! She just fell through a tree! The clash was *chef’s kiss* though, Sauron constantly shapeshifting trying to mess with Galadriel’s feelings and even pulling the Halbrand puppy eyes card. But she wasn’t having it. Sauron gets denied, AGAIN.

Alexa, play Drive by The Cars for one dark lord. And conjure some of that sad rain again while you go waddle your way home to Mordor, you absolute clown.

HEAL YOURSELF. QUEEN.

We got more of the dwarves as well and the creation of the seven rings. I was a little disappointed that we got robbed of the Narvi and Celebrimbor friendship happening while making the Doors of Durin, but what can you choose to put in just 8 episodes, right? Sophia and Owain truly are such an amazing combo to watch as Disa and Durin, they did amazingly this season. I’m gonna miss Peter Mullan as King Durin, every scene with him and Owain was just beautiful and heart breaking. “Forgive me my son, King Durin”. I was choking in tears not even 5 minutes into the last episode. And will you look at that, forgiveness is the theme that starts off the episode, huh?

The Uruk storyline…where do I even begin jfc. I went from Season 1 and loving Adar as an interesting unique character, to loving the entire Uruk story with its sad tragic end. Whoever was responsible for that, amazing job.

I was sad when Jospeh Malwe left and his role was recasted. But HOLY SHIT, enter Sam Hazeldine and he just took that character to a new height. Adding more complexity, adding more black speech to his dialog, and being a representative of my favorite theme that I speculated is central to this season. Forgiveness.

The orcs being humanized was a great move imo. Because how else would we see the tragedy that is their entire kind being slaves to their own violent nature, that Adar sees past it, and Sauron can’t wait to exploit it. When Sauron tells Celebrimbor about the fall of Gondolin and the orcish blood rage I was FEASTING. THIS is how you introduce lore and expand on the history of the characters. They are a tragic invention of Morgoth, and yet are still sentient beings with names and feelings, that have been drilled and brainwashed about the fact that they’ll never be accepted by anyone, ever. Adar doing everything possibly wrong just to protect them, only to serve them right at Sauron’s feet as his new army.

I’m sad that we couldn’t have had more of Adar’s character and he was absolutely full with potential, but he was doomed by the narrative from Season 1 and his actions had led to have little wiggle room for him to be left alive in the end. His last moments with Galadriel were beautiful. The very opposite of Sauron and Celebrimbor. He breaks from his cycle of violence and chooses forgiveness and peace. What happened after that though, was what we were supposed to be expecting about Adar's fate from the very first episode. Sauron never forgives and never lets a debt of insult go unpaid.

But what I DIDN’T like is the fact we never had a resolution between him and Arondir. Them stabbing each other and both of them still walking it off?? This is where the disconnect between episode 7 and 8 begins. Cause when they face off on the battlefield, you can see Arondir mouthing some words to Adar, but it must have been cut in the editing room. Adar was Arondir’s main reason why he lost everything and we will never have an appropriate closure between them I guess. Adar and Galadriel forgave each other, but he never asked Arondir for forgiveness. And we should have seen that. Instead, as one of my friends put it while we were gossiping about the last episode “And they just left Adar laying on that hill, huh?”

I want to believe he was Maglor, but hey, even with his elvish identity remaining a mystery, he still wanted the name he earned. I think that was nicely done. They didn’t have the rights to the lore after all lol.

Sam Hazedine, I hope you get a huge bump up in your CV for playing such an amazing character and may you get other amazing acting roles in the future.

For now, what me and my friends group came up as a batshit “How do we still keep him in the series somehow” plan in 1am in the cafe drinking americanos, we figured he should apply to play as Glorfindel, but with a shaggy beard! Glorfindel is already half-maia at that point. He can get the wizard/elf vibes! Go with the grizzled dad look, no one will notice!! SEND YOUR CV, SAM!!

NÚMENOR!!! We’re slowly, but surely getting to the “and the island goes boom” storyline and ooooohhh I can’t wait. We’re getting hints of Isildur being the messy character that he is. As we slowly go through episode 3, we are hit with the biggest foreshadowing shot in the season, him basically seeing his own ending in the water. And what does he do there?? He steals from a dead man. He then meets and falls for a girl that’s already spoken for. What does he do? Tries to steal her too. Still riddled with guilt for the death of his mother, and using that to try to at least make up for it and cover his guilt with it. But this is Isildur we are talking about. Name a better combo than Isildur and bad decisions. But I love the fact that he was paired up this season with Theo. Similar experiences, both connecting through their loss. And I LOVE Theo’s arc so far, probably the character I’m most interested to see how his story will unfold.

See, a friend of mine had an interesting theory that, while everyone is still going about Theo being either the Witch King or the King of the Dead…he might have another direction. What If Theo is Aragorn’s other side of the bloodline? Okay. Bronwyn falling for Arondir, human in love with an elf. Can you guess who has the same taste as well? Theo’s unknown lineage on his father’s side. It is almost as an open door to introduce the Dúnedain still living in Middle-Earth, and what better way to introduce them, then through Theo. A mainland Númenor vs. Númenor storyline? The paring of Isldir and him this season is also a hint. “The king’s hands are the hands of a healer”. And guess who’s the ONLY healer in Pelargir now? Theo ALWAYS choosing to stay with his people regardless if he’s been given a way out with either Arondir or Isildur…

Are we’re on to the showrunners or are they just throwing hints like this to lead people in one direction while they figure out his story?

Back on the island, things are heating up for the Faithful vs. The Kings Men, and I’m here for the doomed story that is Miriel and Elendil. I’M HERE FOR IIIT!!! Pharazôn using both Kemen and Eärien as his tools to set himself on the throne was nicely done too. I was a little disappointed to see some Eärien hate going on though? Pharazôn, used her grief and anger for HIS means. After everything that her family goes through, she has the right to be angry and look for someone to blame. Why would she blame her father? He was under the queen’s orders, right? Grief makes you do terrible things and makes you blind, her respect for Pharazôn as the “smart” leader, falls right into Pharazôn’s hands in the right moment. And he uses it. He tries to turn her against her father too. BUT what does she do? SHE TRUSTS her father and goes AGAINST HERSELF to call the queen to help her save her Elendil, SHE KNOWS about their feelings for each other at that point, even if she doesn’t agree with it. Her love and loyalty to her family is stronger then everything Pharazôn threw at her. I never wanna see Eärien hate in the tags, as Galadriel says it best, heal yourself pls.

Kemen’s development on the other hand, I find really interesting. I get that he’s everyone’s favourite to hate right now, and Leon Wadham does an incredible job if people have such strong reactions to his character. Please don't be weird and don't harass him, he seems incredibly sweet compared to his RoP character. But there’s something really sad about him, you have this númenorian nepo baby that has everything on a golden platter, but the only thing he craves for is his father approval. And his father happens to be the worst person ever. He doesn’t want the scepter, he wants his father to have it. The moment he mentions to Pharazôn “us” he IMMEDIATELY cuts him off with a look and starts telling his own son how his dead mother had an ill prophecy about him. Cruel to the bone. And he blackmails him into telling it IF he does his bidding well. Of course, Kemen does a shit job at it, and we lost Valandil in the process, WHICH I DIDN’T EXPECT!!…BUT, I’m gonna take his death into advancing Kemen’s arc into a more villainous path, him arriving at Pelargir and seeing Isildur alive was such a moment, I had to cackle! The SINGLE PERSON RESPONSIBLE for the start of the domino effect of Númenor slowly going towards its downfall, turns up alive and is headed back home. Where Kemen killed his best friend, imprisoned his father, helped banishing his father, helped imprisoning Miriel and his sister is now target number one of Pharazôn. And Isildur saved Kemen’s life. Name a better combo than Isildur and bad decisions.

Now, mentioning Valandil, I gotta rant about something else. And it’s about character deaths, especially for POC characters. Valandil dying, while not liking it, thinking it would happen much later when Númenor finally goes boom, it makes kinda sense for him to loose his life to Kemen, WHILE IN THE TEMPLE OF NIENNA. Lady of forgiveness, mercy and grief. Kemen even breaks her statue, which we should take as Kemen being beyond forgiveness. Advancing his character into a darker path. And then Nienna would be the first to forgive him lol.

But Rian?? Dying in the battle for Eregion like that? I get that her death represents a visual queue of the sheer evil and misery that is war. But, Vorohil surviving Boromor levels of arrows in his back, but not Rian? They couldn’t have switched their roles for that?? Rian being the messenger and Vorohil dying to protect his commander?? I’m kinda relieved that at least he survived from Elrond’s little party group, and Camnir is godknows where, but come on man. COME ON MAAAAN! Do better next time please, showrunners. If you introduce cool characters, at least don’t take them away like that, especially when they are POC.

And lastly…the Harfoot storyline. Oh boy. I don’t know if I’m in the minority, but for me this is probably this season's weakest point, A STARK difference from the previous season where I was invested the most. AND WE FINALLY GOT THE CONFIRMATION THAT HE’S GANDALF!! And it felt like, eh. We been knew.

This probably was the most cut storyline and felt like so many moments were missing. HAVING CIARÁN HINDS ONLY FOR A FEW SCENES!?! CRIMINAL!!! At least we got to see some Rhún scenery and got to see another clan of halflings. But the transition to the last episode felt like it lasted like 3 minutes, and then compare the previous season finale where everyone was still buttclenching if Halbrand or The Stanger was Sauron, right until the last conflict with the cultists! THAT was a nice ending of a climax. This season felt like they really didn’t want to bother with it anymore and now we have Gandalf going to Tom Bombadil, which is another perfect cast with Rory Kinnear, and Nori and Poppy leading the remaining Stoors, west. The gang is split. And it felt like a blip, compared to the goodbyes from the previous finale where emotions were high and you felt crushed and hopeful at the same time. But this storyline is now over, so that’s that.

I think that’s the overall general feelings for this season! Not going TOO much into detail, cause this will probably be a BEYOND long post lol.

Previous Personal MVP from Season 1 for me was definitively Daniel Weyman as GANDALF, having so little dialog, but using body language and emotions to act his way into the story. Season 2 MVP goes to Sam Hazeldine’s Adar. The dude swooped in and made the character his own and added so much more. To make me ROOT for the orcs? BLACK SPEECH making me emotional?! Unheard of!! Rest easy Uruk goth king, may you live in other people’s fanfics and be an inspiration for other amazing complex characters.

So…what do we expect now from Season 3 coming up?

Rivendell is coming up baybeeeeh!!! The first defensive bastion of the elves before the war with Sauron starts to heat up! Oh, that last shot was just beyond beautiful, BUT LIKE I SAID!! I would have had Ben Daniels just coming over and saying a few words than having that CGI shot.

SO MORE CIRDAN NEXT SEASON, PLEASE!!!

I honestly have no idea where Galadriel’s arc is gonna be headed, but her connection to Sauron will always be there, now that she’s sort of marked? by his crown and the evil it’s made off, I wonder if it’s gonna come into play like Frodo when being stabbed by the Witch King’s blade.

We didn’t get Celeborn as a surprise, and looking back, it was just impossible to get that. Season 1 and 2 are almost glued to one another and if you look at it from another side, it’s a full 16 episode season. This was basically Part 1….of The Rings of Power The Movie.

Hopefully more of the golden boi Gil-galad, give the man more twirling Aeglos moments, come on!! AND MORE GOLDEN FAM MOMENTS TOGETHER!! PLEASE. Some people still don’t know that Galadriel is Gil-galad’s auntie!!

Sauron snatching Fëanor’s Hammer from Celebrimbor was VILE. And I loved it. He killed the only person talented enough to use it, and now he is left on his own to craft the final ring, by probably a) melting the hammer b) using it half-assedly and in the process messing up the One Ring so that’s why he ends up binding his entire life force to the Ring. BUT before he does that, he has the Nine Rings and he needs Nine Kings. So we’re on our way to seeing more Kingdoms of Men and that means we’re getting more casting announcements as the months go by.

Pelargir!!! Theo being stuck with Kemen? Recipe for trouble. Hopefully Estrid gets some character development there, cause what we got so far from her was not enough imo. We’re already on our way to seeing the Ent’s promise getting broken. UGHH!! I don’t wanna see that, not when Episode 4 made me so emotional and is probably one of my favourites so far. We’re gonna get a clash with the Low Men vs Númenor for sure and this is where it starts.

We’re getting Khazad-Dum’s Game of Thrones!! NOOOOOO!! I don’t want them clashing with each other uughhh, especially family, but their fate is already written and it’s not gonna be a happy one. We will see if Durin will be tempted to use his father's ring as well. He did leave it to his son. So hoping they go for the emotions in that storyline. And in the mix there’s also the rift being open again between Durin and Elrond. And is it gonna get wider, or are we gonna see it mended next season? QUEEN DISA PLEASE PULL THROUGH!!

NÚMENOOOOR AGAAAAIN!! GOD there’s gonna be a lot of pain in there. And I was off with my prediction, we’re not getting Anárion this season, but we’re DEFINITIVELY getting Anárion next season!! Isildur coming home is gonna cause some chaos I’m sure, finding out pretty much like the pizza burning meme gif that A LOT of shit has happened during his absence. Are we gonna see a rift between Eärien and Isildur though? Her actions pretty much stem from his “death”, so it will be interning to see if the siblings clash or try to settle things first and find their dad and other brother. Pharazôn slowly setting himself up for the arrival of someone special AKA Sauron. We’re maybe still too far off from that plot, but as much as I enjoyed The Charlies™ and their scenes together, I CAN’T WAIT to see Charlie and Trystan being a combo act on screen. I LOVE Trystan’s portrayal as Pharazôn, he just oozes those charming but menacing vibes when he’s in his act. And to pair that up with Charlie? Which mask will he choose to manipulate him with? OH! CAN’T WAAAAIT!!

And then again lastly, as each season and episode, the Harfoots and Gandalf. It was nice to see that we’re getting the lore about how the halflings find The Shire, so we’ll probably gonna follow them on their travels to the west, and hopefully they meet some of the other key characters from the series. At some point, most of the characters HAVE TO HAVE A BRIDGE to meet up, instead of getting multiple separate stories. Hopefully Season 3 is that. Gandalf being mentored by Tom Bombadil in Rhún while the other wizard is still on the loose. The showrunners did confirm that Cirian is not Saruman, so that makes him one of the blues that failed their mission. They can go aaaanywhere with this storyline, but they better bring it up closer to Sauron and Galadriel. If they wanna show us the connection between Galadriel and Gandalf, and why Gandalf fears Sauron so much, I think Season 3 is the best point to start.

And that's pretty much it I guess.

Now the painful wait of TWO FREAKING YEARS begins for Season 3.

I'm gonna try to stay as active as possible with my gifs and plan out some sets, maybe including some of the other acting gigs of the other RoP actors, like my "Hazeldine cope mechanism for Thursday" sets, if my time allows it. But time is all we have now.

September flew by for me with this series. Like, 28th of August was two weeks ago, right?

So what are we doing next Thursday?

#looooong post ahead you've been warned!!!#shut it fuku #the rings of power #trop #rop #rings of power #trop spoilers

33 notes · View notes

aquelondungeonmaster · 2 years ago

Text

it’s occurring to me that i have to be the Very Loud Skizz Enthusiast i want to see in the world.

so, here’s a bit of skizz character analysis for you: throughout the life serieses, when he’s presented with a license to kill, he’s torn between two competing desires: bloodlust and mercy. he mostly acts on the latter, but it’s crucial to understand that both are there.

for instance: in third life, episode 7, he got those two permakills and rushed into a doomed last stand in the crastle, but he also inadvertently spared scar and very deliberately and knowingly spared bdubs. in last life, when cleo was on red and hassling the snow fort, he acknowledged that them setting him on fire meant he could technically attack her, and continued to really want to attack her throughout her whole presence there, but decided against it. he spent last life episode 7 full of rather bloodlust and wanting to kill, but never succeeded at it.

all this is to say: skizz on yellow, with full authority to kill any green lives, could go any number of ways, and frankly any way it goes would be very fun to watch.

#skizzleman #limited life #traffic smps #i want skizz to kill! i want him to choose not to kill anyone! i want him to get revenge and be feared! i want him to be kind and respected!#life is short and he knows it and he's here to appreciate his friends!#i know he at least a little bit wants to kill; does he have what it takes to go through with it?#no matter what happens it adds so much to the series as a whole WHY IS NO ONE AS OBSESSED WITH HIM AS I AM #mcyt #analysises #a-post-lon

485 notes · View notes

hookhausenschips · 3 months ago

Text

Episode 7: Last Call

Main Menu

Summary: In the vibrant glow of the Singapore Grand Prix night, Y/N navigates the thrill of the race while grappling with the bittersweet reality of her fleeting time with the F1 drivers she’s grown close to. As the night culminates in victory for Carlos and Lando, Y/N's emotional farewell turns into a promise of connection, leaving her with lingering hopes for what might lie ahead beyond the track.

WC: 3.5k

Warnings: Emotional Intensity, Romantic Tension, Party Atmosphere, Anxiety, Implied Competition

• you DO NOT have my permission to copy my work, upload as your own, translate, or repost on any other website •

previous next

The light of the Marina Bay circuit flickered against the darkening sky, casting an ethereal glow across the track. The Singapore Grand Prix was always a spectacle, but there was something particularly magical about night races—the way the cars glistened under the artificial lights, the intensity of the crowd heightened by the darkness. It was race day, and my nerves were on edge, though not for the reasons they used to be.

I found myself in the McLaren garage once again, the hum of activity surrounding me as the crew buzzed with last-minute preparations. The energy was electric, but there was a noticeable absence in the form of the boys who had become so intertwined in my days here. Carlos, Lando, Charles, Max, and Oscar—each of them tied up with their own team duties, obligations keeping them from their usual playful appearances at the gates.

I couldn’t help but miss their presence, the way they’d always show up to tease me or offer a smile before the chaos of the race unfolded. But I understood. Today wasn’t just any race; it was crucial for all of them. The championship was tightening, and every point mattered. They had bigger things to focus on, and I had to remind myself that, as much as I had become a part of their world, this was still their primary focus.

I lingered in the garage as the minutes ticked down. Lando and Oscar were both starting from different ends of the grid, Lando with a strong shot at the podium, Oscar fighting his way up from the back. My thoughts drifted to the others—Carlos, Charles, and Max, each with their own battles to face tonight.

The race itself felt like a blur, the sound of engines roaring, tires screeching, and the sheer speed at which everything happened making it almost hard to follow. But I kept my eyes locked on the screens, watching every turn, every pit stop, every overtake.

Carlos was in his element, smoothly maneuvering his way to the front, and by the time the race hit the halfway mark, it was clear that he had victory in his sights. Lando was right behind him, pushing relentlessly for second, while Charles and Max were locked in their own battle for positions, fighting for every inch of track. Oscar, meanwhile, was making up ground, slowly but surely climbing his way through the field.

As the checkered flag waved, signaling the end of the race, a rush of emotions surged through me. Carlos had won, and not only that, but Lando had secured second place, a massive achievement for McLaren. Charles finished in fourth, Max in fifth, and Oscar came through in seventh—a respectable finish, considering where he had started.

The McLaren garage erupted in celebration, the crew rushing to the barrier to cheer on their drivers. I followed suit, finding myself swept up in the euphoria of the moment. Lando pulled up in his car, the grin on his face lighting up the night as the team congratulated him. Then Oscar appeared, clearly exhausted but beaming with pride.

I made my way to Oscar first, pulling him into a tight hug. "You were amazing out there," I said, my voice barely audible over the roar of the crowd.

Oscar smiled, though his face flushed slightly from the praise. “Thanks, Y/N. I needed that push.”

We stood by the barrier as the post-race interviews commenced, watching as Carlos and Lando made their way to the podium, joined by none other than Lewis Hamilton. I couldn’t help but feel proud as I watched Carlos climb onto the top step, the Spanish flag draped over his shoulders as he held the winner’s trophy high. Lando stood next to him, grinning like a madman, soaking in the moment.

After the champagne was sprayed and the celebrations died down, I found myself lingering in the McLaren garage, waiting for the boys to return from their media obligations. The post-race rush was exhilarating, but it also gave me time to reflect on everything that had happened over the past few days. I had met these drivers by chance, stumbled into their world, and somehow, they had become more than just passing acquaintances. But now, with the race over and my time in Singapore coming to an end, I couldn’t shake the bittersweet feeling that was creeping in.

I was still deep in thought when Zara appeared, her eyes sparkling as she approached me.

“There you are,” she said, pulling me into a hug. “I’ve been looking for you. Congrats on surviving your first wild race weekend.”

I chuckled, shaking my head. “Barely. It’s been a whirlwind.”

Zara studied me for a moment, her expression softening. “What’s going on? You seem...off.”

I hesitated, not wanting to admit what was really bothering me, but I couldn’t keep it in. “I don’t know. I guess...I’m just realizing that this is all going to end soon. The race is over, and once the weekend’s done, I go back to my world, and they go back to theirs. I’m not sure how any of this is supposed to play out.”

Zara gave me a knowing look. “You’re worried they’re going to forget about you.”

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “Yeah. I mean, they’re F1 drivers. They have a million things going on. I’m just some random girl from the street racing scene.”

Zara shook her head. “Y/N, they’re not going to forget you. You’ve made an impression, trust me. They wouldn’t have spent so much time with you if they didn’t care.”

I smiled, though the weight in my chest remained. “I hope you’re right.”

As we stood there talking, the boys slowly began trickling back into the garage. Carlos was the first to return, his grin still plastered on his face as he sauntered over to us.

“Well, if it isn’t my lucky charm,” he teased, pulling me into a quick hug. “Guess your kiss worked after all.”

I laughed, trying to push away the lingering sadness. “I told you. Smooth operator, right?”

Carlos winked. “Always.”

Lando followed shortly after, still buzzing from his second-place finish. “Not bad for a number two driver, huh?” he said, nudging me playfully.

“Not bad at all,” I replied with a grin. “But next time, I expect you to beat Carlos.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Lando laughed.

As the boys continued their post-race duties, I stood back, watching them with a mix of pride and something deeper, something I couldn’t quite place. The night was winding down, but I wasn’t ready to leave just yet.

That’s when I realized it wasn’t just the race that had kept me here. It was them—the bonds I had formed, the unexpected connections that had somehow become so important. But as much as I wanted to stay, I knew I couldn’t.

The night sky was still thick with the energy of the race as I made my way through the paddock, slipping away from the celebratory buzz that lingered in the air. Carlos had just won the Singapore Grand Prix, and McLaren had put in an incredible showing, but my mind was elsewhere. I wanted to savor the last bits of this whirlwind weekend, but the weight of knowing it was all about to end made everything feel heavier.

The glow of the lights reflecting off the track faded behind me as I headed towards the exit. My phone buzzed in my pocket. Pulling it out, I saw a text from an unknown number. My heart skipped a beat.

Unknown:

Did you really leave without saying goodbye? 😏

I stared at the screen for a moment, already knowing who it was. Charles. A smile tugged at the corners of my lips as I typed a reply.

Me:

I figured you'd be too busy celebrating. Thought I’d slip out quietly. 😇

A minute passed before another buzz came through.

Charles:

Celebrating isn't the same without you. Come to the club? We’re going to celebrate properly, and I want you there. 🍾

I hesitated, my thumb hovering over the screen. Part of me wanted to turn in for the night, avoid making the goodbye harder than it already was. But another part, the reckless, fun-loving side of me, couldn’t resist the thought of one last night out with the boys.

Me:

Alright. Send me the address. I’ll be there. 😘

As soon as I hit send, I felt the familiar flutter of excitement. It didn’t take long for Charles to reply with the details of the club they’d be heading to. I stuffed my phone back into my pocket and headed toward my hotel, my mind buzzing with anticipation.

Back in my room, I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection. The weekend had been a blur of emotions, excitement, and unexpected connections, and now it was all coming to a close. Tomorrow, I’d be heading home, back to my life far removed from the glitz and glamour of the F1 world.

And the boys? They’d go back to their own lives, back to the track, back to the high-speed world I didn’t belong in.

I sighed, pulling open my suitcase and rummaging through it until I found the perfect outfit. Something daring, something that made a statement. If I was going to show up tonight, I was going to do it right.

Slipping into a black, figure-hugging dress with a high slit and pairing it with strappy heels, I took one last look in the mirror. My hair fell in soft curls down my back, and the bold red lipstick I’d chosen gave me the boost of confidence I needed. Seductive. Confident. Ready for whatever came next.

I grabbed my clutch and headed out the door.

---

As I made my way through the club, the atmosphere pulsed with energy. The bass was thumping, the lights were flashing, and the crowd was packed tight with people swaying to the music. I spotted their VIP section tucked away from the main dance floor, roped off and just enough removed from the chaos to allow them some privacy. Charles, Carlos, Max, Lando, and Oscar were all there, celebrating their night with drinks in hand, laughing and dancing together. The moment I stepped up, I caught Lando’s eye first.

His jaw dropped, eyes wide in disbelief. “Whoa, hold up,” he blurted out, elbowing Carlos beside him, who turned to see what had stunned Lando. “Look who decided to show up.”

Carlos’s reaction was just as priceless. His eyes raked over me, lips curling into a slow grin. “Y/N… wow.” He stepped closer, taking me in. “Didn’t expect to see you like this.”

“Didn’t expect to see me like what?” I teased, raising an eyebrow as I gave them a little twirl, the black dress clinging to my curves perfectly.

“I mean, I’m used to seeing you ready to take on a racetrack, not… looking like that,” Carlos said, his eyes filled with admiration. “And it’s definitely a good surprise.”

“Yeah, you clean up well,” Max added with a smirk from where he was lounging, giving me a nod of approval.

Charles finally turned his head, and the moment his eyes landed on me, his expression softened into something more appreciative. He stood up, walking over with his usual cool confidence but with something extra in his eyes. “You’re full of surprises tonight, aren’t you, Y/N?” he said, leaning in just a bit closer, his voice dipping lower. “You look incredible.”

“Thanks, Charles,” I replied, feeling a flutter in my chest at the way he was looking at me.

Oscar, standing a little off to the side, gave me a sheepish grin. “Yeah, they’re not wrong. You look amazing,” he added, his blush betraying the calm demeanor he usually tried to keep around me.

“Alright, alright, I get it,” I laughed, shaking my head. “Stop acting so surprised.”

“We’re not surprised, we’re just… appreciating,” Lando said with a cheeky grin, giving me an exaggerated once-over. “C’mon, don’t be shy.”

I rolled my eyes playfully as Charles stepped in and called over the waitress. “Shots for everyone,” he said, raising his glass as the bottles appeared. “To Y/N. For blessing us with her presence.”

“To Y/N!” the others chimed in, and we clinked glasses before knocking back the shots. The burn was instant, but it made the tension and nervous energy between us all that much more exciting.

After a few more rounds, I started feeling the buzz and let myself relax fully into the moment. The boys were clearly celebrating in full force, and the flirty banter was starting to come out stronger. Lando sidled up to me with a mischievous look in his eyes, tipping his head toward the dance floor. “Come on,” he said, holding out his hand. “You owe me a dance.”

“You’re so persistent,” I teased, but I couldn’t stop myself from grabbing his hand and letting him pull me through the crowd.

The music was pulsing as we hit the dance floor, and before I knew it, Lando had spun me around and pulled me in close, his hands resting on my hips as we started to move together. His body pressed against mine, and I could feel the heat between us rising with every beat of the music. I let myself go, leaning into the rhythm, the space between us all but disappearing as we danced.

“Not bad for a racer,” I teased, glancing up at him with a smirk.

“Not bad yourself,” he shot back, his lips curving into that signature cheeky grin.

We danced like that for a while, bodies close, the tension simmering just under the surface, before I felt another hand on my shoulder. Turning around, I saw Carlos, who gave Lando a playful nudge. “Alright, mate, don’t hog her all to yourself,” he said, shooting me a wink.

Lando let out a dramatic groan but stepped aside, letting Carlos take his place. Dancing with Carlos was different—he was more confident, more intentional with every move, his hands resting comfortably on my waist as we swayed together. He leaned down, his lips close to my ear, and whispered, “You know you’re driving us all crazy tonight, right?”

I laughed, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks. “Am I?”

He pulled back just enough to look at me, his eyes smoldering. “Definitely.”

After Carlos, Max took over, his grip firm but playful as we moved together. He wasn’t much of a dancer, but he made up for it with his charm, smirking down at me as we moved. “You really know how to work a room, don’t you?” he teased.

“Maybe,” I replied, flashing him a smile.

Charles wasn’t far behind, and soon enough, I found myself dancing with him too, his touch light but steady as he guided me through the music. “You’re something else, Y/N,” he murmured, his voice smooth as silk.

“You keep saying that,” I replied, locking eyes with him.

“Because it’s true,” he said, his gaze lingering on mine a little longer than usual.

Before long, I was back in the VIP section with all of them, the drinks flowing, the music loud, and the energy electric. We laughed, danced, and flirted the night away, the tension between us palpable but fun. I was having an amazing time, letting myself get lost in the moment with them. For a few hours, it felt like nothing else in the world mattered except the music, the drinks, and the company.

The club was packed. The bass reverberated through the floor, making it feel like the walls were pulsing with the music. Neon lights flickered and flashed across the dance floor, casting an electric glow over everything. The air was thick with heat, sweat, and the scent of alcohol as people moved in a mass of rhythm and energy, lost in the music and each other. I had just left the dance floor after spending most of the night moving between the boys, who were still in their VIP section—laughing, drinking, and toasting their wins and near wins from the race.

The VIP area was roped off, elevated slightly, with plush leather couches surrounding low tables stacked with bottles of expensive champagne and liquor. The lighting was dim, but the flashes of neon and strobe lights occasionally caught on the glasses, creating a surreal atmosphere that felt like it was suspended in time. Each of the guys had fully let loose by now, their usual sharp and composed exteriors softening under the influence of the night.

I had tried to make my exit quietly, feeling the buzz of the night still thrumming through me, but not wanting to linger too long. I needed air, needed to clear my head before tomorrow—the flight back home, leaving all of this behind.

As I made my way out of the section, Charles spotted me first.

“You’re not leaving already, are you?” he asked, stepping in front of me with that familiar teasing smile. His voice was a little rough from all the shouting over the music.

I smiled back at him, even though part of me didn’t want to go. “Yeah, I should probably call it a night,” I replied. "It’s late, and I still need to pack."

Charles stepped closer, his gaze locking on mine, his voice dropping lower so only I could hear. “I can’t let you go without saying goodbye properly.”

I laughed softly. “This is me saying goodbye, Charles.”

He looked disappointed but grinned anyway. “Fine, but I expect a better one next time.”

I leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, just a brush of my lips against his skin. “Goodbye, Charles.”

His hand lingered on my arm, his eyes following me as I stepped back. “I’ll hold you to that,” he said, still smiling but with something more serious behind his eyes.

I turned to leave, only to run into Max.

“Whoa, where are you going?” Max’s smile was a little tipsy, his eyes wide with surprise as he blocked my path.

“Heading out,” I said with a grin, trying to brush it off like it was no big deal, but his expression turned more serious.

“You can’t leave without at least a hug,” he said, stepping closer.

I rolled my eyes but smiled, indulging him. “Alright, fine.” I wrapped my arms around him briefly, feeling the warmth of his body before pulling back. “There. Happy?”

“Not really, but I’ll let it slide this time,” Max joked, giving me a playful wink. “See you soon, Y/N.”

I waved and finally slipped out of their section, my heart a little heavier than I expected as I made my way through the club. The music still pounded, and the dance floor was as wild as ever, but I felt a strange sense of separation from it now, like I was already halfway out the door in my mind.

Once outside, the night air hit me like a wave, cool and refreshing. The neon lights of the city glowed around me, and I took a deep breath, trying to clear my head. The streets were quieter out here, but the sound of the club's music still throbbed in the distance, a reminder of the world I’d just left behind.

As I started walking back to my hotel, my phone buzzed in my hand. I glanced down at the screen and saw a message from Oscar.

Oscar:

You really left without saying goodbye? 🤨

I smiled to myself, shaking my head as I typed a response.

Me:

Tried to, but I only managed to say goodbye to Charles and Max. 😬

His reply came almost immediately.

Oscar:

What about me? I thought I was your favorite Papaya boy? 😏

I laughed quietly at the text, feeling the playful warmth of his words.

Me:

You’re all my favorite, Oscar. Don’t make me choose. 🤭

Oscar:

Well, I’ll take that as a win. 😎

Me:

What are you still doing up? 😴

I typed, glancing at the time. It was late, nearly 4 a.m. now, and the exhaustion was starting to creep in.

Oscar:

Could ask you the same thing. 😜 You sure you don’t want to meet up before you leave? Maybe for breakfast? 🥞

I paused, the thought of seeing him again before heading home tugging at something inside me. There was something sweet about Oscar—his quiet confidence and the way he had been watching me all night, like he wanted to say something but never quite did.

Me:

You’re persistent, Piastri. 🤨

Oscar:

Only when it matters. 😏 So? Breakfast?

Me:

Fine. 😒 But it better be good coffee. ☕

Oscar:

Deal. 😁

His reply came with a selfie, his boyish grin lighting up the screen.

I shook my head, a soft smile playing on my lips as I pocketed my phone. The night felt a little lighter now, and despite the ache in my feet and the exhaustion tugging at my body, I wasn’t quite ready to call it quits just yet. Tomorrow would come soon enough, and with it, the goodbyes I wasn’t sure I was ready to face. But for now, I had one more goodbye left, and I wasn’t going to let it slip away.

Click here to join any of my taglists!

Series Taglist: @omgsuperstarg, @evesfile, @ysnhua, @mellowluka, @risu-es, @marshmummy, @cheyennep3107

38 notes · View notes

igglemouse · 4 months ago

Text

Here I am starting my morning the best way I know, with pancakes! You can never go wrong with pancakes, buttery, soft, drizzled with syrup and...I am sure the baby agrees! I feel like with each bite I can feel her kicking with approval and Pascal is not complaining either, although he is staring at my belly in between his own bites.

"Is it possible there are two in there?" he asks, revealing the reason behind the attention he's giving my bump. He's teasing, of course, but I know what he's getting at. I'm getting pretty big!

"Nooo, just one little girl!" I assure him, rubbing my belly with a big wide grin. "At least according to the doctor!"

"Doctors can be wrong sometimes," he shrugs, making a good point there. "You never know..."

And I do laugh at that but I really really REALLY hope the doctor is right because I am definitely not prepared for twins. Not at all. The thought of it is- "No, I think we will be sticking with one right now, thank you very much!"

Hey look at that, we're a team today! Yeah, doesn't happen a lot but it feels like such a victory right now! He's in the kitchen washing dishes and scrubbing countertops and I'm pushing the vacuum around, beating the dust before it can conquer our humble home!

The best thing about knowing that I'm having a little girl? Working on her room! I spend a good chunk of my day doing just that and while it is very much a work in progress I do think it is coming together. Yes, I know, pink is sooo predictable as a color but honestly? I love pink, I'm not ashamed to say it. It's a soft color and I want to create a sweet and calming environtment for mi princesa. I can already picture her wriggling around in her crib with toys scatted about and...ahh, soon, soon!

I'm realizing that I've always wanted to be a mother. I was in such a perilous situation before moving here that the idea of bringing life into the world seemed silly but now that I'm in a more stable situation? Well, let's just say I wouldn't mind, in the future of course, doing all of this again.

There is still enough daylight left when Irene swings by for a visit and as usual her mind is buzzing with ideas about her future restaurant. It's a common topic between us so today is no different.

"I think about it a lot," she tells me with the excitement in her eyes clear. "Names, themes, dishes, whatever pops on my mind I guess."

"Investors? Have you thought about that?" I ask, as it is honestly the most crucial question. The only way this thing becomes a reality is through simoleons. In the back of my mind I think of Ray, he's successful, isn't he? But our relationship is new and it probably would not help to push that right now. Fortunately, perhaps he is not needed?

"Yes, actually!" She says perking up. "I might meet with him soon here, I don't want to get too excited but it's a start."

It definitely is and I'm so very excited about it all becoming a reality some day. "Just take things slowly," I advise her, giving her shoulder a supportive squeeze. "You don't want to rush into the wrong deal with the wrong person. It's always better to take an inch forward than risk taking ten steps back."

And after that, I'm drained. Calling it exhaustion wouldn't even cover it. I'm calling it a night because growing a tiny human is no easy business, I'm sure some of you completely understand. So, I'm going to nap and see you all tomorrow!

Elsewhere, Simón find himself at a crossroads. Finally he feels it is time to move forward with his life although he knows that deep down there will always be a part of him that clings to what he had with Frida...but the reality is he knows she has moved on and it is time for him to do the same.

Sara might not be Frida, no one could ever be because there's always only one of anyone, so she is special in her own right. Warm, compassionate, and her humor is effortless. She makes him smile when he least expects it and she stirs feelings inside of him that he thought only one woman could, so perhaps she is the one to help him finally let go of the past?

But as much as he tries to look ahead, the past clings to him like shadow. His employers keep calling, keep offering him more work, presenting temptation to slip back into a world that he thought he'd left behind...

For some, the past is simply inescapable. The weight of it must be dragged along as its tied to your neck and going without it means losing your head. As he picks up the phone he wonders if it'll always be like this, if there is a way out...

Frida Varela Index ~ Episode 7.4

#The Sims #The Sims 4 #ts4 #Sims #Sims 4 #sims legacy #my sims #generation 1 #soot #sims of our time #frida varela #pascal alcocer #irene tasis #simon barrera

25 notes · View notes

stormandforge · 5 months ago

Text

Raw reactions to X-Force #2

60% Sage, 40% Forge, and 100% what I want from a comic.

SPOILER warning.

Sage finding the solution, Forge saving the day. I want to live in this issue.

There’s a conscious effort to remove the big hitters from the action to let the nerds take centre stage, and I am here for it. No offence to the Betsy and Rachel fans: it’s just not every day my darlings get to shine.

Absolutely loving the dynamic between Forge and Sage. It’s everything I wanted it to be, equal and open, if cautious. Here are 2 intellectual people functioning on the same level, and my, is it hot in here? I’ve been shipping them for a while, but they work so well together on the page, I feel vindicated.

Forge has plans for Sage. See: “nothing works without Tessa” in issue #1, and the way he rushes to save her before anyone else when the jet explodes in this issue. He needs her around. I just hope it's not because he plans on sacrificing her.

New pattern detected: every significant relationship Forge has with a woman starts with her insulting him. Weirdo man.

Time to remind the world of a general rule: SAGE IS ALWAYS RIGHT.

Going into this, I was afraid Forge would become some sort of seer character, and that the tinkering would take a back seat. Boy, was I wrong. THERE IS SO MUCH TECH IN THIS. He’s still the master tinkerer I know and love, we just haven’t seen him in his workshop yet.

But we do see him abandon Sage in a hostile jungle to return to his workspace. WTH man, that's rude.

In case you're wondering: Forge is hot. Sizzling. The brains, the mystery, the shiny eyes…He can recruit me for a suicide mission any day.

I’m hoping we’ll get more concrete information about Sage’s goggles. I’m always annoyed by the glasses she wears – it’s never clear how they complement or enhance her power, or what they’re for exactly.

Did we see Forge fixing/improving Sage’s goggles by simply laying his hand on them? If yes, that’s new and that’s hot.

Forge staring into the Analog all day like it’s the ring of power or something. Hey, handsome! Look up and give us a smile!

Of course he stores the Analog in his leg. The ridiculousness of this man.

I actually cheered at the debunking of the “passive” mutation. Mutant nerds represent.

Things that happen when you write Sage in-character: she becomes SEX ON LEGS. Uber smart metaphor for autism who speaks in probabilities and foreign tongues, helloooooo

“Not ‘colonizer’. Mutant.” Ohhhh that’s a bit cringe.

Little Miss Tessa talking in the third person for some reason (there might be a reason...?)

Loving the research Thorne is putting into this. He obviously knows Wakanda, but I love that he can also justify his premise with actual back issues. Gotta love a nerd with receipts.

Speaking of receipts, I stan Sele's bluntness. 'Hi, Stranger who just saved us all. I know everything about you. Didn't you use to screw the queen? Now get off my lawn.'

“Do not finish that sentence”, lol

The duality between science and magic is obviously a crucial part of Forge’s character, even if he hasn’t touched magic in a long time now. He favours science again in this issue, but I’ll be interested to see if he can balance the two again in the future.

Keeping the Tank mystery going, I see.

Nori’s a precious jewel.

I really don’t mind the episodic approach so far, but it could get old.

The average comic book reader might want a bigger scale and more explosions. I don’t. I want more stories of Forge and Sage being their hot nerdy selves.

20 notes · View notes

v-67 · 8 months ago

Text

Finally watched part two of the Thousand year blood war arc : The separation

I'd been procrastinating w it because I wanted to watch it after it was fully released, the part two, but then I waited too long and yeah, i waited too long

And I finally watched it today

I had to watch the part one again because I didn't wanna play the guessing game about what's happening/etc, So I watched the whole thing again :3

....

The separation really separated us from Ichigo in this arc, didn't really get to see much of him.

But the battles, the soundtrack, the techniques, THE STORY, THE CONNECTION, THE ANIMATION, IT'S SO GOOOOD.

The mystery deepens about the connection between Yhwach and the soul King's relation.

Also the fight between the Squad zero and Yhwach and his sternritters, and Uryu (don't wanna count him w them tbh), THE FIGHT IS SO CRAZY GOOD🥹🥹🥹

Idk what Uryu is thinking but I sense a lot of plot twists in the future.

I swear I love watching Bleach. I can't wait for the next season to be released. And when it starts releasing, I'll have to wait again because I don't wanna watch episodes weekly(breaks down the rush I feel slightly)🥲

But seriously. The way it takes us on this unpredictable journey, it's crazy good.

The powers, the techniques, the portrayal of those techniques. Everything is so beautifully accurate, and so perfectly portrayed. LOVE it.

Also the BANKAI and the additional zones to them are 🤌🤌🤌🤌

Also also, I'm not okay with something happening to Hitsugaya🥲, Matsumoto, the musician guy (V cool Bankai), and Muguruma, I hope Kurotsuchi somehow heals them because in no way I'm ready for them to die.

Also it was so nice to see Urahara and Yoruichi🥹❤️ (I mean I know Urahara is there in every arc, and is a very crucial character, but it's just, I'm watching it after so long and it's so nice to see all of them, plus I didn't see Yoruichi throughout and she finally comes in the later episodes) and also Ukitake (I'm confused about the eye thing though, i don't remember that) (no one tell me, I'll figure out)

Also special mention to : Byakuya (loved the way he interacts with Rukia in the latest arc, love his Bankai), Rukia (she's so beautiful in that Bankai but that Bankai is dangerous fr), Renji (NICE, also when he gets complimented by that Sternritter about his pointy eyebrows and that he might have good taste, funny lol), Madarame, Ayasegawa (he got called fugly by that guy he killed in the ig and how he loses his temper again😭😭), Hirako (HIS BANKAI SO COOL, Ep 3), Kyoraku (I missed him), Zaraki( AHHHH I LOVE THIS GUY, his fight with the imagination guy was sooooo Cool), Akon (doing god's work in the tough times lol), Hisagi (the 69 guy, why they portray him so weak idk), Sajin(felt bad for him fr, but the Bankai was noiceeeee), Kon (for giving us those random snippets in the end, where they had to get undressed and Rukia can't help but get worried about Byakuya having to go through the same embarassment, cute lol, you know this means that Ichigo went through that too)

Also side note but I really like Nimaiya. He's so cool and unhinged and random. Is nice.

The only question I have honestly is why'd they dress up Orihime like this, like, it's just, weird. No hate, but what is this😭😭😭

Also, snippets of Ichigo because I've missed him soooooo much.

Ichigo blushing🤌☀️

26 notes · View notes

thebardbullseye · 3 months ago

Text

On the Purpose and Appreciation of Compelling Recaps: “Of the Reaching Green” (WWW Episode 10)

From the desk of TheBardBullseye

“Previously on “The Wizard, The Witch, and The Wild One.” Naram, spirit of the gentle sea, lies bound at the base of the Calabel Nautomantic Apparatus by Guild Mage Morrow of the Scepter’s Chorus. Our heroes stand divided. Having re-established contact with The Citadel, a castigated Suvi now has direct orders to do nothing until Steel arrives in Port Talon three days hence. Eursulon, having returned to the Ace of Wands alone, once again wields Wavebreaker, the sword that legend says belonged to Naram himself, with the power to break the spells and curses of his foes. And Ame, with just such a curse still clouding her mind and concealing crucial memories of Grandmother Wren and her most important lessons, now rushes forth to find her fox familiar, chasing him beyond the walls of Port Talon into the wasteland of witch fire and ash that stand between the city and the wrath of creeping kudzu beyond. We now return to Port Talon in the wee hours, as a tall and tipsy traveler ambles contentedly down a cobblestone street, a gleaming sword swinging at his side. [music swells] (0:00:18-0:01:30)”*

tl;dr below the fold- I’m captivated by the "Previously On" at the start of episode 10, and I wrote a whole damn essay discussing it. The recap is a brilliant piece of writing and a fascinating snapshot showcasing why this particular actual play podcast is So. Damn. Good. They didn’t have to go this hard!

// Spoilers (both direct and indirect) for Arc 1 // (but honestly I think if you don't already listen to this show, then hopefully this essay convinces you to.)

I’ve been relistening to “The Wizard, the Witch, and the Wild One” (WWW) from the beginning (starting with the Children’s Adventure). My work life has gotten super crazy in the last month (yay promotion!), and I’ve found the first arc (and firesides) to be a great boon during a stressful time. As I already know the story, I’m less concerned about missing something and will listen to it whenever I need to—note that when I listen to a new episode, I allocate free time to listen and do only that (and play solitaire so I don’t scroll social media). Anyways, when I got around to episode 10, I was reminded by how much I loved the “Previously On” recap at the start. I don’t know if it was written separately or improvised, and although I suspect the former, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the latter (1).

Before I get into it, y’all, this podcast is so fucking good. I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it. There have been numerous moments, developments, episodes, etc. that have grabbed me by the shoulders and shouted in my face, “HEY! STUFF IS HAPPENNING! PAY ATTENTION TO THIS! MAKE THE HAPPY BRAIN CHEMICALS!” (in the Fox’s cadence and voice, of course). And sometimes, that voice compels me, perhaps as a Geas, to Do Something creatively (much like what you’re reading now). Early on, this was mostly a ramble to a friend, or word dump in a doc or group chat. Then, I wrote some music and some lyrics and some poetry, and then a full-length academic essay (…5k words long), and then designed a magazine cover, and on and on. (I don’t know why this podcast has my brain in a vice, but also, I sort of do, which is another essay in the drafts.) Regardless, the first instance of Creative Compulsion that manifested in a more structured manner was when episode 10 debuted and is in fact this very essay (that has since been rewritten and fleshed out). I didn’t have a Tumblr at that time, so my thoughts on this recap have just been collecting dust in my documents folder for more than a year. But, upon my relisten, I realized this episode introduction was significant and that there was more I wanted to say and praise, since I haven’t heard another one like it since.

When the episode first aired, I heard the first 90 seconds (2) of “Of the Reaching Green” and instantly replayed it three times before moving on to the rest of the episode because I was so captivated. After I finished the episode, I listened to it again. The episode had just come out, so the transcript was not yet available, and I wanted to see the recap as well as hear it. *Above, you will find my transcript of the recap, preserved as it was on that day, so my apologies for any unintentional spelling or grammar mistakes (3). Then, I stared at it and reread it, and started to piece together my thoughts on why the hell I’m so enamored by this. It’s 90 seconds of an hour and twenty-minute podcast, and not only that, it’s not even technically part of the diegetic episode, since it’s a recap! (What the hell, Brennan?!)

I promise I’ll get to those specific thoughts soon, but I think it’s important to alight briefly on the nature and necessity of recaps. In serialized storytelling mediums, most notably television shows, the audience often requires a recap of the previous events to refresh one’s memory since it’s been a week (or more) since the previous episode (TV Tropes). I think these may have fallen out of favor as of late, especially in the advent of prestige television, DVRs, and streaming—most producers probably assume that their audience is either binge-watching the show, has access to the previous episode, or can just look up a summary. Or if not done well, it may further confuse the viewer if too much or too little information is included (4). Further, recaps are NOT synopses of the previous episode—they serve to highlight the main points of the previous episode/storyline and specifically underscore what the audience needs to know for this episode. Additionally, these don’t necessarily show up before every episode; for some shows, these only happen for mid or end of season finales, when major storylines conclude. These are not just for returning viewers- in the bygone age of broadcast tv (I jest, kind of), people didn’t always catch every episode every week, so recaps also needed to be compelling. They needed give any random channel surfer the general gist so that they could watch the episode and convince them to not change the channel. Recaps don't need to execute on these all of these elements, nor do them perfectly, but a good recap communicates all of these things well in a very short time frame (usually around 1 minute). Essentially, "Previously On" segments say, 'pay attention to this.'

For actual play shows (a catch-all term for recorded or streamed TTRPG games), recaps serve this same purpose of reminding the audience of previous events, but these also do the additional duty of reminding the player characters themselves at time of recording of what is important in the story they’re telling and game they're playing. Often, the GM will recap the previous session so that everyone’s on the same page, and this is often improvised (as most things are). Needless to say these aren’t usually the most compelling part of the episode (though they don't have to be), and often devolve into synopses of the previous session (i.e., “Last time you guys did XYZ, Timmy fell down a well, ok let’s start…”). Or, if the GM does recap the most important points to know, it’s not usually that compelling to listen to—and honestly, why would one spend extra effort on something that insignificant anyway? Moreover, recaps in most actual plays serve the purpose of recapping for the players first and the audience second (5). The GM can remind, and players can ask questions, so the burden of this segment is lessened.

Ok, so back to our regularly scheduled essay about WWW. I mentioned earlier that I thought that the recap in episode 10 was not improvised at the start of the session and instead was written and recorded separately. While (to my knowledge) this hasn't been discussed publicly, there is some evidence in the structure, cadence, and delivery that lends credence to this assertion. On the whole, I don't think it particularly matters whether it was written or improvised; I merely mention it because the choice to script is significant when every other introduction is improvised (just look at much people love the "Fire" introduction for Calamity). This creative choice makes a lot of sense both in narrative and in production.

WWW first debuted in March 2023, releasing biweekly, so episode 10 aired in early July 2023. I would wager that most listeners don’t relisten to each episode in the intervening weeks, so most episodes start with an informal recap or general scene setting. However by this point, the story had just reached its major turning point at the end of episode 9—the recovery of Wavebreaker. This sword is the MacGuffin of the first arc, and each character is connected to it in some way—it breaks curses (one of which Ame is under), Eursulon was the last one with it but parted with it years ago in Port Talon (he also needs a weapon), and Suvi was the one that gave it to him in childhood. The previous episode also focused on Naram, a great spirit trapped in the harbor of Port Talon, who up until then seemed tangential to the protagonists—but then Ame discovered on her own that Wavebreaker originally belonged to Naram. This pivotal moment is what propels the story to the conclusion of the first arc, thus the need arose for a moment to remind the audience of the stakes and current landscape.

From a production standpoint, this podcast has a lot of love and care poured into it, especially with the marriage of masterful improv and immersive sound design. It’s clear (and has been explicitly stated) that this crew prioritizes the quality of the final episode through little details and extra effort. So, whereas with other APs, fewer resources would be allocated to a recap simply because it’s not necessary, Worlds Beyond Number finds the use-case where it becomes necessary to put a little extra mustard on it.

That said, it’s a really good recap, excellent even. It contains everything a good recap should have: it paints the big picture, snapshots the major players, flows perfectly into the opening scene of the episode, and above all, is compelling. To further support the theory that this was written and recorded separately, it also lacks the filler words, pauses, and direct address to the players (i.e., Suvi, you did X, and Ame, you did Y) that are typical of an improvised introduction and recap—and thus it has the tone akin to the opening crawl of Star Wars. It is eloquently written, with so much information communicated by inference in just seven sentences, so let’s analyze line by line:

Translation: It all starts with Naram. Naram is a gentle spirit held captive by another wizard and his fancy machine. “Our heroes stand divided”—they had an argument in the last episode about whether or not to free Naram (and how). Needless to say, the situation with Naram is more complicated, but those four words express that succinctly.

NB: Naram is alone.

In the context of the previous episode, the listener is reminded of this quandary—what to do about Naram. But, there is an ingenious double meaning here. That last line not only alludes to the philosophical division amongst the party, but a physical one as well.

“Having re-established contact with The Citadel, a castigated Suvi now has direct orders to do nothing until Steel arrives in Port Talon three days hence.”

Translation: Suvi has been reprimanded by Steel after unintentionally going AWOL (“re-established contact”) and now she has to keep the situation with Naram locked down until Steel arrives. The audience is reminded that Port Talon is remote from The Citadel since it will take three days to get there.

NB: Suvi is alone.

Steel, Suvi’s adoptive mother, is flying by airship because the travelling door is broken, but since this is extraneous information to the immediate situation, it is left unsaid. As Suvi is the party member with the least connection (relatively speaking) to Wavebreaker and Naram, I think it makes sense that Suvi is mentioned first and has the least airtime in the recap.

“Eursulon, having returned to the Ace of Wands alone, once again wields Wavebreaker, the sword that legend says belonged to Naram himself, with the power to break the spells and curses of his foes.”

Translation: Eursulon ran off to see Will Gallows (proprietor of the Ace of Wands) but got his sword back (“once again” wields Wavebreaker), and it is a legendary sword belonging to Naram that can break curses.

NB: Eursulon is alone.

This section is also brief but sets up the pattern for a clever sequence that subtly shows the movement of the sword over time. First, Naram (who owns the sword), Suvi (who gave Eursulon the sword), Eursulon (who got the sword back), and then finally Ame (who needs the sword). The last phrase, “with the power to break the spells and curse of his foes,” neatly sets up the next line.

“And Ame, with just such a curse still clouding her mind and concealing crucial memories of Grandmother Wren and her most important lessons, now rushes forth to find her fox familiar, chasing him beyond the walls of Port Talon into the wasteland of witch fire and ash that stand between the city and the wrath of creeping kudzu beyond.”

Translation: Ame is cursed and because of that, she is lacking crucial knowledge (but the sword can break the curse). Now, she has left Port Talon and is chasing after her fox into the dangerous wasteland choked with smoke and treacherous forest outside the city.

NB: Ame is alone (do you see the through-line?).

Now, with the major characters introduced and with the stakes increasing, the segment concludes as it introduces the present moment and establishes the opening scene:

“We now return to Port Talon in the wee hours, as a tall and tipsy traveler ambles contentedly down a cobblestone street, a gleaming sword swinging at his side.”

Translation: It’s the middle of the night and Eursulon is triumphantly (and drunkenly) wandering the streets of Port Talon.

It’s notable that Eursulon is not mentioned by name at the end but trusts the listener to have been paying attention, though the next spoken word as the recap fades is “Eursulon.” The opening scene transitions seamlessly to him arriving at the Chantry—now we've come full circle. (This is Morrow's HQ, who trapped Naram in the first place).

Thus, it’s clear that this recap is descriptive yet not needlessly verbose or rambling (unlike this essay), due to its well-formed sentences and syntax.

But beyond that, it’s pleasing to the ear. There is ample use of consonance throughout (e.g., “bound at the base,” “wields Wavebreaker,” “curse… clouding… concealing crucial,” “rushes forth to find her fox familiar,” "walls... wasteland... witch fire," "creeping kudzu," and “tall and tipsy traveler ambles contentedly down a cobblestone street, a sword swinging at his side”). There’s also an interesting alternating alliterative and rhythmic pattern of k and s sounds with “contact with the Citadel, a castigated Suvi”. There's just enough to be noticeable but not too much to become annoying, and the brevity certainly helps. It's poetic.

In the sound quality and design, there’s an air and cadence in Brennan’s voice of being read a bedtime story, and he speaks clearly and with purpose. Further, the musical motifs of the chorus signifying the spirit world at the start transitions to a carefree, plucky tune during the last line that embodies Eursulon’s mood and instills it in the listener. As it ends, this musical transition is reminiscent of waking up and slowly starting to hear the ambient noise around.

When analyzing any kind of creative choice in any medium, I tend to remind myself that the creator(s) could have simply chosen to not make that choice, for any number of reasons or limitations (6). The "Previously On" in episode 10 could have been unremarkable, rambling and verbose, it could have had no music or sound effects, it could have been written and structured in an entirely different way, or it could have simply not existed at all. But it does exist, so I look at what is there. Now, this analysis is not intended to be prescriptive for future recaps in WWW or other APs. As is evident, this recap is one-of-a-kind and serves a greater purpose overall in the first arc of the story. In writing this, I spot-checked a handful of other opening moments of WWW, and while those introductions were improvised, Brennan is so adept at it that I would not expect to hear another a written recap unless the narrative and production calls for it again.

These seven sentences are truly brilliant. There are plenty of moments that have stuck with me since WWW started in March 2023, but it speaks volumes that something this insignificant spawned a ~3000-word analytical essay (7). Damn.

Footnotes:

(1) I elaborate on this later in the essay, but I suspect it was written and recorded separately solely because of how concise it is, both in word choice and in delivery (the lack of filler words or pauses), as well as the difference in tenor/tone as it transitions to the opening scene. We’ve also heard plenty a recap from Brennan in WWW and other shows, and I have yet to hear one as crafted and, dare I say, perfect as this one. Not to knock other improvised (or otherwise) recaps of course, as those fulfill their purpose well and fine. I just appreciate the extra mustard on this one (no shit, I just wrote a whole damn essay with footnotes). I suppose I could submit a Fireside question and ask (lol) but I think that (sky)ship has sailed, since we're now on episode 35. (If for some godforsaken reason someone involved with WBN reads this... let me know if I'm right, I guess? If I'm wrong, I don't want to know /j)

(2) I refer to the recap as 90 seconds as shorthand throughout, but it technically just ends at 90 seconds. And I think that’s neat. It's also easier to just say 90 seconds—a nice, distinct chunk of time—than its true length, which is 72 seconds (due to the WBN theme).

(3) Formatting the quote in this way also neatly organizes my analysis of it later in the essay, which is not exactly reflected in the transcript (but that’s because it’s for readability).

(4) Complete tangent to the podcast discussed here is that I’ve seen DougDoug (internet streamer) do a blind reaction to just the “Previously On” recaps for "One Tree Hill" and "24" (without knowing the plot of either show) to hilarious and baffling results. It further demonstrates my point that recaps are not synopses, and you can’t fully grasp the plot of something through these. Because that’s not their purpose—which is to make clear to the audience what they need to know for that next episode-- not necessarily explain what happened in the last episode (and clips can be from earlier episodes as well).

(5) Something that I think is often discussed by WBN et al. (among others) is the distinction between an actual play and a home game. In a home game of D&D, the sole audience is the people playing the game. In actual play, the audience is BOTH the players and the viewer, and (good) actual play has to balance the two—you want to make sure the people playing are having a good time but also that it makes for a good viewing/listening experience. This tension between the two audiences can be balanced for- either in the moment of recording or in post-production, and I think WBN does an excellent job at this balance. However, I make the point that players come first and audience comes second specifically for recaps, because if your players don’t know what’s going on beforehand, then the whole shoot/recording could be in jeopardy, and it may simply not be worth the time, effort, or resources to craft an outstanding recap. So, there’s fundamentally going to be less effort put into the recap from viewer’s perspective in actual plays, and they just don’t matter that much, since players can just ask questions/GM can remind players of things.

(6) Might be a hot take, but I find it counterproductive and uninteresting to engage in editorializing player and DM choice in APs when it is presented as critique or literary analysis (i.e., "they should/could have done this instead" or "XYZ would have made for a more interesting story"). I've noticed this sentiment crop up in AP spaces/fandoms, but there isn't a writer's room to edit and revise the story being told (well there is one, and it's happening in the moment). To me, it's more interesting to look at the story that is being told and the choices made, and ask, why? Which is the point of this whole essay—to look at those seven sentences and go, "why is this here and what does it mean?"

(7) Or I'm just a nerd. Or both. Don't mind me, I'm just over here building my donut house. (I reblogged a post about fandom and donuts recently—it makes sense in context I promise.)

#worlds beyond number #the wizard the witch and the wild one #wbn spoilers #suvirin kedberiket #suvi #eursulon #ame #naram #arc 1 #essay #literary analysis #previously on #wavebreaker #of the reaching green #wwwo spoilers #wwwo #worldsbeyondpod #wbn #wbn pod

14 notes · View notes