#framed parallel to his death in the citadel

[redbean-nom]

honestly echo is probably going to die heroically in the next two episodes. he's not with rex, gregor, and wolffe in rebels, he's not with the greater rebellion, and Echo Base exists.

what i'm more curious about is when cody gets his own heroic sacrifice. he's not with rex and he's not with obi wan, so unless he also fell in a sarlacc or got carbonited, he's definitely dead.

anyways, the last episode's title is The Cavalry Has Arrived. and who could be a more fitting "cavalry" than Cody?

[entropicallyfavorable]

Season 4 of the Second Citadel completely destroyed me, especially with regard to Damien and Tristan's arcs. Lots of thoughts on religion and religious extremism to follow. Also major spoilers, obviously.

Sir Tristan's whole thing really struck a nerve with me, especially his whole framing of his actions as a holy war. The way he specifically uses the word "crusade" on several occasions, and the history that invokes. The sheer intensity in his voice whenever he brings up his saint. I actually found him quite hard to listen to at times due to my own religious baggage.

Something else that really spoke to me was the tension of Damien's fear and doubt that maybe Saint Damien really is on Tristan's side, but him still holding to his conviction that killing innocent monsters is wrong. His eventual conclusion that he must denounce his saint if death and destruction are what he wants-- but still holding out hope that this is not the saint's will-- was so monumental for his character. I must repeat-- Sir Damien was willing to potentially denounce his saint in the name of his conscience. This is such a heartbreaking choice for him to have to make, and also such a marker of his growth from the start of Season 2, where he was so afraid of his own heart.

And the reveal that the supposed voice of Saint Damien was actually Galahad all along, using religion to manipulate people for one's own political gain. Tristan is such a tragic character to me. Don't get me wrong, he's fully responsible for his actions, but there's something about him living so single-mindedly for a single divine purpose, learning it was all for nothing, and then promptly being killed by the very man who manipulated him.

There's also the very intentional setup of Damien and Tristan as parallels to one another-- the way Tristan himself repeatedly brings up the pair of them being the only two men alive who have received a miracle from their saint. They're both deeply pious men, but Damien has had to struggle for his faith and grapple with it in a way that makes him far more able to think critically about it. Tristan has instead developed that intensity, that inability to even consider he may be wrong, that has led him into full-on religious extremism.

It makes me wonder how Tristan and Damien would have interacted if they had met before Damien's religious deconstruction. While Damien was never as cruel or violent as Tristan, there's still an echo of his former self there, or perhaps an idea of what he could have become given different circumstances. Damien has truly grown so much from the start of the series, and this season really managed to both show that growth and force him to grow further.

[violethowler]

More Machine Than Man: Using Character Parallels to Predict Echo’s Journey in The Bad Batch

Echo was one of the first fictional character deaths that genuinely moved me when I was a kid. 

Sure, there were a lot of character deaths in my formative Disney movies that made me sad, but no death had ever gotten such an emotional “How dare they!” reaction as Star Wars: The Clone Wars did on Friday, March 4, 2011, when Echo got blown up at the climax of Season 3’s 19th episode. 

So when Dave Filoni revealed concept sketches of what the production team had been planning for future seasons at the time of the show’s cancellation, finding out Echo was going to come back - that he was still alive after all - was a tremendous joy for me. Getting the story reels depicting his rescue was a gift enough, but actually getting to see his return as a fully animated episode in all it’s glory when Season 7 finally released on Disney+ last year was a dream come true. 

While I wasn’t particularly invested enough in the Bad Batch as a group to be excited when their spinoff was announced, the fact that one of my favorite clones (second only to Rex and Fives) was now a co-star of a spinoff show was enough of a thrill to keep me invested.

And yet, despite being highlighted as one of the main characters, Echo has not gotten as much focus as Hunter, Tech, Omega, Crosshair, or Wrecker since the show began.  

A lot of this can of course be put down to the fact that while audiences have already had years to get attached to Echo, the rest of the Bad Batch are still relatively new from an audience perspective. Only four of the eight episodes they were planned to appear in for Clone Wars were ever finished, and they were all presented there as stock action movie archetypes. So in a show where these relatively one-dimensional characters are supposed to be the main protagonists, the writers need to spend a lot of time early on fleshing these characters out, making them more rounded, and giving us a reason to care about them besides looking cool and being connected to Echo. 

But just because they haven’t done anything outwardly obvious with Echo yet doesn’t mean the writers aren’t planting seeds now to lay the groundwork for his evolution later on. 

And after thinking some more about “Aftermath” - plus a comment somewhere on twitter, tumblr, TVTropes, or Jedi Council Forums that I frustratingly cannot track down again - I think I might have a general idea of what the writers have in store for him. 

In the first episode of The Bad Batch, Tech refers to Echo as “more machine than man.” 

Now, I’ve seen a lot of people up in arms claiming that The Bad Batch treats Echo like a droid and other arguments, especially after the whole “sold as a droid” scam they pulled in Episode 04. But aside from that one elusive comment I mentioned, I have not seen anyone taking into account that line’s potential as a flag to mark a parallel that could be used to start predicting the direction of Echo’s character arc.

Because while I can’t speak for the novels or comics, but the only other time I have ever seen that specific phrase, “more machine than man” has been in a conversation about none other than Echo’s former General, Anakin Skywalker. Or as he now goes by in the time frame of The Bad Batch, Darth Vader.

It may not be obvious at first glance, but when you look closely at Echo’s designs from Season 7 and his story arc in The Clone Wars as a whole, you’ll find multiple visual and narrative similarities with the story of Darth Vader. 

Both are extremely pale after a long period of time without sunlight: Echo was kept in a box for over a year, while after becoming Darth Vader, Anakin spends all his time in his suit and only takes it off to soak in a bacta chamber like the one at his castle on Mustafar in Rogue One.

But suffered severe injuries that resulted in parts of their body - including being replaced with cybernetics: Echo in the explosion of the shuttle at The Citadel, Anakin by the burning lava of Mustafar. Both of them even lost their right arm specifically. Both of these transformations are also visually associated with fire, and their primary color schemes following their transformations are black and red, along with some dark grey thrown into the mix.

Both are manipulated into aiding the enemy of their respective groups - The Separatists experiment on Echo in order to rip Republic military tactics directly from his mind against his will, while despite Palpatine’s grooming him to become a Sith Apprentice, Anakin still consciously chooses to turn to the Dark Side.

In both situations, Echo and Anakin return back to their original allegiance thanks to someone they care about. Rex saves Echo from his imprisonment on Skako Minor, after which he returns to Republic service. Meanwhile Luke’s love for Anakin eventually brings him back from the Dark Side in Return of The Jedi.

And in each case, their return coincides with them bringing about the defeat and death of the person who they had previously been “working” under. Echo is instrumental in securing Trench’s defeat at Anaxes, leading to his death at the hands of Anakin. Decades later, Anakin kills Palpatine in order to save his son, thereby resulting in the deterioration and downfall of the Empire.

As I discussed in my earlier Ventress meta, the major thematic core of Episodes I - VI of the Skywalker Saga is Anakins’ fall to the dark side and his eventual redemption. When a character is that central to the narrative, several other characters typically serve as mirrors that show how differently things could have gone under different circumstances.

Echo was first shown in his new armor in the animatics for the unfinished Kashyyyk arc shown at Celebration Anaheim’s “Untold Clone Wars Stories” panel in 2015. The production codes put this episode as having been near the end of Production Season 6 in between the first half of Dark Disciple and Son of Dathomir. Based on the dates listed for the concept art for those arcs in their respective galleries on Star Wars.com, this means that Echo’s new Bad Batch armor was originally designed between September 2012 and January 2013. 

Meaning that these references and allusions to Vader were not something that was conceived recently just for his role in The Bad Batch, but something that has been in the works for years. 

So I, for one, cannot wait to see what unfolds because of how many different possibilities there are for the directions that Echo’s character can be taken in with these parallels in mind. 

There’s too many different possibilities to speculate on a single route for Echo’s character arc just yet, but I have a feeling that the more this new series goes on, the more similarities to Vader we’ll start to see.

[hellothere-generalangsty]

I HAD A BRAIN WAVE MOMENT

DO YOU REMEMBER WAYYYY BACK WHEN EVERYONE HATED ASOKA? DAVE DID THAT ON PURPOSE SO HE WAS IN CONTROL OF WHAT PEOPLE HATED ABOUT HER. OK NOW THIS MIGHT BE A LONGSHOT THAT HOPEFULLY DOESN’T END UP LIKE LONGSHOT THE CLONE, BUT, IM HOPING THATS WHATS DAVE IS DOING WITH TBB. BEING IN CONTROL OF WHAT THE FANDOM HATES ABOUT IT AND THEN IMPROVING IT SLOWLY BIT BY BIT.

PLEASE IM DESPERATE FOR A EXPLANATION!

(also where’s my explanation about why the clones are white washed, dave? hmm? where is it dave?)

OMG LOOK.

It wouldnt excuse the whitewashing or the weak scenario, because he got us used to some good stuff now (tcw s7, Mandalorian, that kind of things)

But it would make sense - to a certain extent - to work that season as a "cliché team in a cliché scenario" and see how people react to be able for a second season (if there's a second season) to improve it

_

Disclaimer: I'm a white, abled person so I'm not trying to speak on behalf of poc/disabled people, but I think it's important to support them and listen to the critics they make about SW and it's content

Also this is quite long I got carried away but worth it it is!

I linked some of @rebekadjarin 's post here because I read a bit through her blog today and agreed with her posts; and I invite you to check out the "#whitewhashed tbb" if you want more extanded and developed information about that matter! (As my knowledge on the matter is still quite limited/ incomplete due to my privileges, and this post is more of a summary than a real analysis)

_

So here, we know that the fans are unhappy about:

- the whitewashing of the Bad Batch (especially since they proved they could animate dark skinned people/ more generally poc with the first seasons of tcw, Kanan in Rebels and the Separatist in the latest TBB episode)

It is a real problem and it shouldn't have happened in the first place. Even if they are different, the Batchers are still clones and it's really not that hard to show their enhancement while keeping Temuera's features and skin colour (I mean, look at all the artists who did and do it everyday on this app; no excuse here)

Star Wars has wasted a lot of potential on numerous occasions because they keep doing stuff like this; and it's quite ironic (and very sad) to see that racism, ableism and stereotypes are prevalent in a universe where people fight for equality and peace...

Here and here are two posts about it (if you're the author of these posts and want me to delete them from my post please tell me so; I took the liberty of adding them because I think they highlight quite well the issue and do a clear job at showing the whitewashing in SW/ around the clones)

~

- the way Crosshair is treated; both by the Batchers and the writers, he's manipulated by the chip yet no one is talking about rescuing him and we see nothing about the effect of his absence on the Batchers (they don't mention him, don't try to save him, and Hunter is more distraught by Omega's absence than by his own brother's)

And don't get me wrong, Omega is a kid and she's nice, of course they have to take care of her and protect her

But they also don't know her purpose; why is she here? She could be a bad omen (maybe she doesn't even know it! The Kaminoans probably didn't tell anyone about her real purpose and I stand by the idea that the infos they got about her are all wrong and purposefully misleading) and I have the dark feeling that she will be the end/ death of the Batchers by the end of the serie, even if she didn't wanted it that way

But Crosshair is never mentionned, except for when he's needed in the scenario. Which is a shame, because he's a Batcher too even if he's mind-controlled and (for now) working for the Empire. He's supposed to be a main character, and he's a key element to the plot; yet out of 10 episodes we saw him in only 3, and only the moments where he was acting bad (i'm excluding the lonely moment at the end of ep2 because it had a lot of potential about him fighting the chip but that was all we had and i'm still bitter about it lol)

Here is a post about it

~

- speaking of plot; I feel like it's always the same disk playing since episode 2-3: They have a mission given by Cid, they do it, things go wrong, Omega saves the day and they get the money.

Crosshair is doing bad guy stuff so no need to tall about him (haha right?)

Now. I'm a good public. I know when to activate the Dummie™ in me and enjoy a show about a found family doing crazy jobs for a criminal and raising a newly adopted daughter at the same time. It's fun, it's sweet, sometimes it get emotional and the animation is beautiful (the lights are amazing I am always in awe)

I can enjoy it and be in awe and see Echo sniffing food and Tech smiles and Wrecker playing with Omega and feel happy about it.

But I also expected more. I hadn't any clear idea because I didn't wanted to set expectations (how ironic) but I can't help but feel sad about the wasted potential around Empire! Crosshair and the rise of said Empire.

If you want to antagonize one of the main character, do it, but do it fully and do it well. Show us Crosshair getting really invested in a plan to catch the Batchers and suddenly making a scene for a tiny detail that could blow it up; show us Crosshair and Hunter fighting each other hand to hand after they disarmed each other, and Crosshair getting the upoer hand until something holds him back; just enough for Hunter to take control again

Show us a complex character who suffers but doesn't fully realise it, and show us brothers mourning yet hoping to get the family back again you know?

~

- the way Echo is treated by the Batchers. And as much as it saddens me, they do him dirty in the show.

Echo is a war veteran, an ex- prisoner and a disabled character. He went through a lot; first he lost the Domino squad, then he lost brothers on Kamino (including 99 who was close to his squad), then the Citadel happened and he lost both his legs, an arm, his freedom, his brothers and probably any hope to be saved.

Then they found him in that freezer, and he probably realised that, if Fives wasn't here to save him, it meant he lost him too.

Then he left Rex to go with a team of 4 because he probably didn't feel like he belonged with "regs" anymore; he chose strangers over brothers because he thought he couldn't find his place there. Which in itself is sad and problematic.

And now he's with the Batchers, and they don't seem to grasp the importance of his trauma. I mean; they always had the 4 of them and never lost a brother (apart from Cross; which is another wasted potential here because they could have exploited that trauma and made a parallel with Echo being so used to losing brothers and them experiencing it for the first time on such a personal level you know) and they do some crappy stuff to him.

Selling him as a droid? Not cool.

Brushing off his trauma for a mission and some credits? Not. Cool.

And Echo can't say anything because he chose them, and now he has nowhere to go anyway because Order 66 happened; and he probably doesn't want to be a burden to Rex, and he probably doesn't want to abandon his brothers especially now that Cross is gone and they have a child to take care of

But yeah there are a lot of things happening - or NOT happening - around Echo and his trauma and his disability that are wrong and people are right to talk about it

Here is a post I read and I agree with it

~

- Overall, the way the show and the characters are handled; they often feel very stereotyped/ cliché and the basic plot doesn't really help for character development or improvement

I read a post about it and it was really interesting; they linked the whitewashing of the characters with their abilities/enhencement

Tech and Crosshair are the smartest and the whitest in the group (which is bad)

Wrecker is portrayed as the Bid Dummie™ and he's the one with the "darker" skin and the features closest to Temuera/ Maōri features (also very bad)

Hunter is straight up a Rambo with a face tattoo, and Echo - and you guys know I love him - is whiter than a sheet of paper (all so bad)

Not only this, but there is no improvement in their personality or thinking

They don't seem to evolve, and just like their mission, they end up playing the same song over and over again

Hunter is the broody soldier and though people enjoy talking to him as a Dad (count me in) but he's not a good dad for Omega (he calls her soldier and is always acting awkward and uncomfortable around her)

Wrecker could be a better dad for her; but again they display him as a big dummie and give the impression he couldn't take well care of her

Tech is here to be the smart one, we only see him when they need someone to do the smart speaking and the complicated computer things

Echo is the grumpy reg, the "more droid than man" and sometimes the Mom™ but they never show him talking about the Empire or the trauma or how the I am not Freaking Out™ I did came back for this Shit™ he's just here to... Be here and be grumpy and bring the oldest clone wars fans to watch TBB

And Crosshair is almost non-existent.

Here is another post about it

~

What could it be then?

So either Dave is pulling a Ahsoka on us; but he'll still have a lot of things to correct and explanations to give because I can excuse a bad plot but I draw the line at blatant racism ans ableism (especially when they KNOW the fans and they KNOW what people want and they KNOW it would probably bring more people to enjoy and get invested in the show)

- If he's doing this, he will probably work with the animator to correct the whitewashing (because it really is the only really wrong thing in the animation, the rest of it is quite good to be honest like the light, framing and all)

- Understand that Tbb and Mandalorian are two different shows and cannot be treated the sale way; so he'll get back to the main plot and hopefully work on Crosshair's arc and hos his absence/ him being controlled by the chip affects him/ the Batchers/ their relation

- He'll probably work more on displaying the effect of their trauma; collective and personal, and see how it reflects on their relations (and give Echo the healing he deserves)

- By extension, give the characters more depth and complexity, dig their stereotypical surface and reveal their true nature (show me a ruthless yet easily overwhelmed Hunter; a smart but constantly anxious Tech, a very emotional Wrecker playing the big explosive dummie to protect himself, etc.)

Well, that's what I would do

Or he's just... Doing this and not planning any changes; in which case I'll probably do what I did with SPN s15: stop watching, scroll through tumblr to get some infos and gifs and tell everyone about how dirty they did the characters, and they did us.

~

But I really hope he's hearing us and taking our remarks into account; the show in itself had a lot of potential and I'm still hanging on the thin hope that the ending could "save it"; but I also have no expectations and am in fact waiting for a disappointing ending

On a brighter note, I'm glad the fandom exists because I see artists and writers and gif-makers and theorists and all kind of people creating and sharing their own content, headcanons, art, writing and they all feel right and better than the canon

Like yes, give me a in-character dark skinned clone who deals with his trauma and the sudden changes around him in a realistic way

Tell me about the real effects of the war on soldiers, and the truth behind the corrupted government taking over the galaxy, and the efforts everyone has to make to survive, exist and live together

If Dave and his team cannot do it, I know you guys can and that's why I'm glad to be here too; you give me hope when they fail to do so 💙

~

I hope I like... Answered this correctly? 😂 I got carried away but yeah, though I'm usually not vocal about it and try to enjoy it with my Dummie Energy™ I still see and read about what you all think, and usually I agree with you; the show deserved better and we deserved better

Now back to ignoring the canon and writing a fic about my very much alive and beloved Fives 🥰

[norcumii]

some musings on TCW season 7

One of the things that makes Tumblr difficult is that I really, REALLY don’t want to harsh anyone’s squee. I don’t want to be that person who sails in, sneers disdainfully at what people are enjoying, and then ambling out, having sucked as much joy out of the room as possible.

My brother used to do that about ANYTHING I was watching, and I still resent it. I don’t want to do that to anyone.

Meanwhile, I’ve reached my saturation point with Season 7 of clone wars, and in my own tired, perpetually exhausted way, I want to scream. Thus, kvetching under the cut. In all seriousness, if you’re enjoying Season 7, then please, PLEASE skip this rant. I sincerely hope you continue to enjoy and Season 7 continues to entertain.

I haven’t watched it: I’m practicing that much self care, at least. There’s been lots of meta and gifsets running around, so I’ve gotten enough second hand exposure – along with useful meandering through various wikis and such – that I feel able to comment about it.

It is indeed very cinematic, and I guess if you dig the art style, then it is a very good example of said art style. But from a broadstrokes perspective, the writing?

What an absolute screaming dumpsterfire.

The thing that finally pushed me from “meh” to “nope, gotta rant about this” was a fascinating piece of meta here, about how Maul is the prism character – the lens through which the story is told. Now, that’s my phrasing and not the OP’s, and again, I haven’t actually seen this so I’m taking a lot of things at face value.

It’s a fascinating approach, and makes the angst and despair that much sharper – especially if you apply this post about parallels to RotS, and let’s not forget the very impressive mocap for the lightsaber fight.

My question, however, is why the FUCK would you do that in the first place? (Not the mocap. That’s genuinely impressive.)

First off: you’re putting the audience in the same boat with the villain. Your lens character is the one who frames the story, who puts into perspective how one interprets events. In this case, that implies that what Ahsoka, Rex, and the rest of the clones are doing is in the antagonist's position, which might be part of the whole “nothing is true and nothing is false but everything is fucked” atmosphere that they seem to be trying to foster (see: Ahsoka’s arguments with Obi-Wan. GFFA has some good breakdowns as far as I can tell). So Maul is supposed to be the lynchpin of this story, either as the protagonist or the Sancho Panza to the protagonist.

That’s a damn weird take on this particular story. Is it about Mandalore? Is it about Ahsoka’s journey? Is it about Maul’s journey? Or are we trying for something meta about how it’s how Maul and Ahsoka’s journeys parallel each other’s, and how those contrast with Anakin’s?

Have you noticed yet who’s missing from this equation?

For a show that’s called “The Clone Wars,” there’s been astonishingly little clones involved in the broader plot. So let’s take a step back from this one issue and look at the season as a whole.

There’s been ten episodes so far this season, out of twelve total. Six of them have centered around Ahsoka. The other four have been about Rex and the Bad Batch. Now, let’s set aside the whole very valid debate about having so many female centric characters and stories is grand, and we need lots more. That’s a damn good point, and Star Wars as a whole needs better diversity on all fronts. Not the particular lens I’m looking through at the moment.

There’s been four of ten episodes about clones. In the final season of The Clone Wars. Yes, they show up in other episodes, but that’s not the focus.

Why would you do that?? We got five seasons already where the clones are more background noise with the occasional highlight (The Deserter, the Umbara Arc), and the entire freakin’ war has been named after them. Ok, so maybe that’s to some degree social commentary about how the Republic was viewing them – background noise against which the weird mythical Jedi shit really stood out – and the sixth season was more a hodgepodge of “we have THESE episodes nearly in the can, rush to finish them because this is important shit to get out the door to bridge from this series to the movies.”

They didn’t expect to have the chance to make this season. They could’ve done pretty much anything, since they didn’t even default to just using the episodes that WERE 70% done (if not more) and had been released into the wild as animatics.

So why pick these stories to tell? And moreover, why this way? Why not make the last hurrah that the crew could not have expected be something coherent and about the actual people that the damned show is named for?

Let’s play with hypotheticals, since kvetching without reasonable alternatives is considered uncouth these days. Let’s say one wants the Bad Batch “rescuing Echo” arc (and that it’s not agony porn. To be fair, I’m not sure if it IS agony porn, thus the presumption that it’s an arc to be had). Since we already spent SIX ENTIRE SEASONS beating home the point that clones are individuals and to be respected as such, rather than introducing new clones who are “aberrations” just to drive home hey, they’re clone versions of TF2 characters clone versions of terrible action movie heroes individuals, how about this?

Cody calls in the Bad Batch, a squad that gets sent into the worst situations and honestly, isn’t ever really expected to come out alive. They’re bad clones, you see. Their leader is probably a man named Dogma – he’s a Jedi killer, but damn loyal to the Republic. His second in command – not that either of them are happy about that – is Slick, a Brother Killer and all around asshole. The other two members of the squad are two deserters: Cut Lawquane, who was found and brought back to the army, and Boil, who was caught trying to leave after Umbara. They have a civilian support member, Suu Lawquane (a damn good sniper, and she now has armor as well as actual clothes).

Bring so many of Rex’s issues home to roost. Make that poor man question all his life choices. He’s still reeling from the whole chip arc and Fives’ death. Let him see what the Grand Army does with its too loyal soldiers, how Dogma did the right thing against orders and is now leading others into the meat grinder on the daily. Let him see what the Grand Army does to traitors, like Slick whose hands are red with the blood of his brothers – just like Rex’s, after Umbara. Cut, who left after too much death, and built a life. Boil, who lost so much, who had enough and just wanted to go find the one remnant of good things that he’d ever encountered in his short life.

They’ve got slave explosive implants somewhere – three because they’re flight risks, Dogma because – well, no one can say why, but it’s so. Let Slick shove Anakin’s nose into the fact that the Jedi are still leading a slave army, have Anakin have to confront that it’s not hyperbole anymore, not when the clones have chips in their heads and now these have slave implants they literally don’t know where.

Hell, have Anakin blow up at Cody over this, and perhaps Cody has to pull rank – establish on screen that he’s running so much of this damn war. He doesn’t like what’s been done with the Bad Batch either, but he can only put out so many fires, and keeping this from raging out of control is the best he can manage.

Let the audience see consequences. Let there be fallout as they go searching for Echo, and the Bad Batch’s various past issues bounce against the experiences of Rex and whoever’s along with him.

(For that matter, if you still want to tackle Mandalore and all that, have one of the soldiers going along with be Vaughn – get to know the man for a little bit. See how Random!Clone reacts to all this, not just Jesse and Kix. Someone without the history with any of these men. While we’re at it, Dogma had Kix in the firing line against Jesse. GIVE ME THE REACTIONS, DAMMIT! AND! And does Rex ever have to say to Dogma “you did the right thing, that Jedi needed to die”? How much does that blow EITHER of their minds?)

Show us travel time. Show us what it’s like for a bunch of soldiers to be stuck in a tin can flying through space along with an entire penal squad of brothers who spit in the face of what the GAR stands for – for reasons both good and bad. Show us what the years have done to Dogma and Slick, how Cut and Suu have adjusted from a life of growing things to having to murder things. How Boil just is done, and wants to head to Ryloth (hey, maybe Numa is currently living with her new sibs/cousins/friends/arch-rivals Shaeeah and Jek).

Then add poor Echo into that mix. Echo, who doesn’t quite know what he’s doing anymore, who was in the Citadel, then stuck in a nightmare of battle sims, and now in this new nightmare of a war that dragged on even longer – and no Fives.

Let us grieve along with him. Fives got a four episode arc (gee, I wonder why this season wanted to start with a four episode arc dealing with the last Domino >_>) where he fell, let us watch Echo’s rise and how he deals with all this.

Let him decide he wants to leave some of the more painful memories behind, how he can’t stay with Rex because it hurts too much, but at least now he’s got some fellow exiles to watch over.

Let the last we see of him be Echo using his new abilities to dismantle both the insidious little buzzing chip inside his and his team’s heads, along with the explosives they also have to bear. Fives died because of the chip, let Echo help others to live in spite of it.

Then slide the camera focus from Rex to Vaughn. Perhaps he gets assigned to go find the former Commander Tano (did he know her at all? Or had he just heard about her?). We could follow him across Coruscant, meeting various civilians who had Strange Encounters with that nice young Togruta. Maybe we get a fun montage: Vaughn questioning people, their various reactions, possibly as a nice voiceover to What Really Happened – that also gives a grand opportunity to get people’s impressions of the Jedi and their clone lackeys.

Then off to Mandalore, still from Vaughn’s perspective. Let us watch this poor man’s rise, as he has to be the metaphorical third wheel to The Team’s reunion. He’s the poor uncomfortable bastard in the room, but he’s a good man, loyal and skilled.

(Also, why could we not get the clones receiving patches or decals of Ahsoka’s markings, and play with that? Emphasize the clones’ individuality – some have it on their shoulder bells, some did the helmets, some have the design down the arm, along the leg – just...diversify, dammit!)

Have Vaughn keep up with Ashoka all the way through to the fight with Maul. Have him be hit, have him be disarmed for the fight – all he can do is witness it (for that matter, you can echo the Duel of the Fates, with Vaughn being in Qui-Gon’s position of dying on the floor).

Then let us see Order 66 from the clones’ perspectives. Show us the sieges, show us Bly and his squad following Aayla into the woods; show us Wolffe and the pack separating from Plo; show us Fox patrolling the Senate.

We’ve seen the Jedi die already. Show us the other side, if you insist on breaking our hearts, and show us how the clones go from good men to good soldiers.

Let me see Cody, let me see the aftermath on Utapau. Let me see Rex breaking, or refusing to break, or whatever it is that happens.

Let this season be about clones.

[bleepbloo]

Current Theories for the Season & Series

This is just the current set of theories I have on the mind right now; the range is ‘plausible’ to ‘neat, but unlikely’ to ‘pure crack’. Each will try to be under a paragraph, but the majority should be self-explanatory, esp if some of you have been following my content for a while, and will be in the order mentioned previously. 

Non-cannon content, for once, is included!

Under the cut, and spoilers up to The Lovers of the Fallen Tower!

Olala and the Kite are both going to die this season

The Kite isn’t going to last long for the SHEER fact that he’s called the Kite. Almost every other character that’s been named has stuck around or otherwise impacts/will impact the plot in some way, even Vivian, David, and Pix, but every character who just has a title- Sir Caroline’s Lady of the Lake, the Chief Medical Officier, the late Captain of the Guard - has NOT stuck around nor have they come up again. 

Olala is going to die because she drew the Death card. Whether or not she stays dead is something else entirely. 

The Kite, in particular, is going to die by being turned to stone

The flag has already been set up about how the Kite was disappointed by the fact that he couldn’t get the stone turning bird to actually turn things to stone, which he brushes off as him ‘being young’ and the tale itself ‘being an old wives’ tale’; however, it’d be the sweetest bit of irony if he was felled by his own weapon. 

We’re going to get a character from the East this season

Full stop. I’m personally betting on Dampierre, but, we’ve already gotten two characters from the West, more than a few from the North, at least one character from the South (hopefully another one for good measure/contrast), if we don’t get one from the East this season, i will be shocked, ESPECIALLY because of the emphasis this season on ALL the lands. 

During the First Citadel, all the lands were under it’s banner

And I’m talking about the entire plateau. 

There’s a fourth Saint that’s meant to represent the East, and they’re the missing Saint of Flame. 

No, I will not be elaborating further. 

Dampierre is going to be someone like Olala; a wholly unique being that doesn’t quite belong in either camp

Personally, I’M hoping that Dampierre will be from the East, but, i do have a feeling that, whatever Dampierre ends up being, it will be important.

Dampierre, if a person, is from the East

Self-explanatory

Sir Angelo is a monster, whom, as a very young hatchling, was brought to Quarry and was altered to look human and placed with a human family

This is where we get to ‘neat, but unlikely’; Angelo clearly is a weirdly strong dude to have survive a rock slide, break chairs just by sitting in them, and is capable of breaking Sir Damien’s bow just by trying to use it. That’s not normal. Angelo is also, compared to his family members, weirdly tall and large. Considering Quanyii’s line of ‘You’re of the West, but where are you from?’, this may come into play with Angelo as well, as his origin may be different from where he ended up growing up. However, it could also be that he is like Damien, and is 100% human, he just happens to be a lot like Saint Aaron. 

Sir Caroline is an amnesiac Ferdinand

There’s a level of parallelism to Saint Ferdinand and Sir Caroline that can’t be ignored- them being treated like children despite accomplishing a lot, seen as cute even when they’re very dangerous, brave even in the face of danger - and that’s just within the first Season. The only other character who takes so much inspiration/parallel from the Second Citadel Mythos is Sir Damien and his Saint.

i won’t deny that Olala is a contender as well, but while it’s hard to know how long she was with the Sister’s, it’s clear that her magic is primarily focused on her body whereas if she was Fern (presumably) it’d be much more wind-based. Also, there’s the issue of whether or not Olala will be staying for another season or if she’s going to stay dead, when she does die. In the meantime, Sir Caroline is still the best contender

The Philosopher is going to be Saint Damien/Saint Damien = The Philosopher

More or less self-explanatory- we don’t know anything about the Philosopher, except that they existed in the same time-frame as Saint Damien, and the two characters both have a character tic of listening to your heart/love. 

Dampierre is the Missing Fourth Saint

This is really just- crack. There have been signs that whatever Dampierre is, they have an affinity for fire given that they were unbothered by Marc’s flames even while they were clearly hurting Marc, but this me just playing in the sandbox. 

Dampierre is going to be part-fae

Sandbox of crack. 

Queen Mira is exactly like Olala; half & half

This one is a little more problematic in terms of someone who’s clearly coded as Muslim being ~~secretly not entirely human~~ and I doubt they’re going to go for this route given that 1) Olala, and 2) She’s clearly seen talking to the Chief Medical Officer, who would’ve said something if she wasn’t human. I mean, given the context of the world and the story in universe, if the Penumbra DID go this way, I have no doubt that they’d do a fairly good job of it. While they haven’t nailed everything 100% of the time, I have faith in them as writers that the bumps in the road will lead to better writing, and even better stories! I won’t deny that the thought has crossed my mind though, so I do have to put it down, if only to admit that I have had the thought. 

And that’s it! I may edit this later, but, these are all the theories currently in my mind. I may do a longer analysis on a few of them when I have more time to, but for now, I need a break. Take care y’all!

[realmofcestuasau]

𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐬

In his sleep, which waxed and waned each passing hour by an infant’s cry or a frightened wildling insisting upon seeing a wight between the inky bark of the trees in the Riverlands, Lionel dreamt of things he should not have thought he would ever dream of. After his resurrection he didn’t believe he could dream again, not after death, the ultimate dream. Or perhaps the penultimate one. He wasn’t at liberty to say, despite his vast experience of living to tell the tale of death. However on this night as the dead marched on them and the Riverlords were at their wits end — he dreamt of the Red Woman. He did not know where she fled, only that she couldn’t be spotted anywhere in the city during their week-long endurance of unyielding battle. But he dreamt of her still. The brown ringlets of hair that framed her delicate, crescent shape lips and delicately pointed nose and crystalline eyes, the hidden whispers in the cruxes of words that spilt from her tongue, and the sharpened shape of her hand caressing his neckline, beckoning him to balance the order of life and death; to acknowledge both once more, to become who she wanted him to be, the Prince Who Was Promised. All by giving unto her a seedling of life. And he couldn’t do it. He wondered, now, just before it all melts away, if he fulfilled that purpose anyway. Or if maybe you need only mount a sorceress to achieve greatness. 

The night is dark and full of terrors.

As he awoke with a start, a feeling dawned on him. That of uncertainty and guilt, which plagued the marrow of his bones as he sat alone in the tent set up for him. He worried first for the whereabouts of his children, newly born, if the nightmares that paralleled the dreams had come true and they were snatched from him in his deep slumber and relinquished to the Night King for his bidding; like what Craster had done to his daughters when they bore him useless sons, good just for white walker fodder. It was this that reminded him that he was king, too, that there was himself and Queen Avril and the Night King. All fighting against him. Two entities he need either unite with or destroy in its entirety. 

He didn’t know how to unite the kingdoms come Becca’s reign. She was a foreigner, no matter her well-known name, she hadn’t stepped a foot onto the country’s grass until she was twenty years old, and her ancestor burned their cities to the ground and slaughtered their families. She hadn’t seen their faces, felt their turmoil, endured their suffering under an unworthy lineage of kings in less than a decade, she only knew her own troubles, those that stem from a world away. Her Hand might have once had the most influential family in the kingdoms in his pocket, now he was a traitor to his blood and a nuisance to the rest of the realm. It wouldn’t have even mattered, either, if the North’s independence wasn’t guaranteed by her rule. Sure, they could have gone to another war for it, but what was that any good for? Just more dead men to burn and bury in their fields. They’d have done more use for the realm by having their bodies ingested by the worms below and shit back out as fertilizers for grass and wheat.

If Thomas weren’t humbled by the Citadel and the gravity of Lionel’s past, he might yet have already told everyone the truth about the half-elf. That his father never kidnapped his mother, never meant to incite war, never raped the woman Andrei Welker loved. That they were married in the eyes of Gods and men, that they had a son, a little prince turned a bastard overnight. Lionel knew that he did not want to rule the Seven. He hardly wanted to rule the North, he was content enough managing the lot of slavers and rapers at Castle Black for all his days — but he could remember something the maester telling him shortly after the boys were born; when they were still bright pink and shrieking like Children of the Forrest. 

“You’ve given up your crown for the good of others,” Thomas said as he cradled the first born, a bit heaver and ears with clean slopes to tell him apart from his slightly more elvish twin. “But would she give up hers?” Because, as much as he would deny it and how much Gabriel denied it in turn, by tenfold it seemed, the law and the ultimate truth could not. 

Lionel was the last living male Pilgrim. His children were Pilgrims. All heir to the Iron Throne, one after the other, and if he took it... 

“The realm would know no better peace with you in the South and Lady Saskia in the North.” The maester said. He was smiling cheekily at the boy in his arms, and Lionel then wished he could’ve been there to see him hold his own son for the first time when Lucy gave birth. 

Plenty could contest to that. Many would think it unwise. However, no one knew this was a possibility. He was the same bastards to these people as he had been his whole life. If they knew, though... If they knew, then this wouldn’t be a very difficult decision after all. And although he didn’t want the throne, he thought, in his delirious stupor, that every contender deserves to know who they’re facing. He called in the guards, who then escorted his half-sister into his tents. It was then he realized the boys had been there all along; cloaked in silence within their respective slumbers. Must’ve been why his rest was so peaceful. He exhaled relief then, glad neither dreams nor nightmares manifested in that tent.

The red-head lowered herself unto her knees beside Lionel. “They told me,” she said, almost in a whisper. “Well, the maester. Thomas? He said it might be treasonous, but I shall tell you anyway.” A giggle parted her lips as she reached forward so she could tuck some hair behind his ear. “... I was surprised when I saw you and saw you had elf’s blood. They said you were a bastard, but I didn’t know what kind.”

It struck Lionel then that Thomas only disclosed what would’ve appeared to be the information of least import, but was instead of most, which would urge the king’s decision. Smart crow. “The little one has them, too,” he gave a reply after a moment’s drawn out quietude. 

“Does he?” Becca’s eyes flickered over to where the small swaddled creature was. A fond, almost crestfallen smile touched the corners of her lips. “... I had a son once. With my husband, he... Well, I’m sure you all know of Khal Drogo.”

“... Many have heard of the Dothraki, your grace.” Lionel said in return.

She nodded solemnly. “Yes, of course. We had a son,” she continued. “But... When the Khal fell ill, I asked a witch I rescued from a ransack to bring him back to life. What I didn’t know was that I would be trading my son’s life for his,” Tears prickled on her waterline, and Lionel listened intently although didn’t solidify any expression. “And when I saw him after, he was... A husk. There was nothing left. I had lost them both.”

“I’m sorry,” was all the king could think of to say.

“It was not meant to be,” Becca said as she looked him over. “I have the blood of the dragon. I have— had,” she stumbled on her words. “Three dragon children. I could never mother someone like you or me.”

Lionel’s brows knitted together. “Perhaps you still could.” he supplied.

“No,” Her words were nearly muted by the rushing wind flapping the entrance to the tent. “But I’m always happy to see others with them. It’s life’s greatest gift, raising something from birth. Something all your own.” Cerulean hues drifted toward him. “You may be a bastard to the rest of the realm, but once I have my throne you will be the king of your own people and the Gods will remember you as such.”

His lower lip quivered at her words, to which she seemed perplexed by. “I’m not a bastard,” he said — and while his body shook his voice didn’t. “Thomas told me things I shouldn’t know, either. Things he’s read from the Citadel.”

“... What is it that you mean” she inquired gently.

“Your father,” he spoke after. “... Was my father, too. And Clarisse Mercer my mother.” he admitted, the sheer weight of it all collapsing off of him. He wasn’t sure whether or not it’d take him down with it yet. “He did not kidnap her, or hurt her. They married.”

Becca swallowed dryly at this. Not another threat to her reign. Not here, where the Northerners needed her pledge above all pledges to free them, where they may indeed have inherited themselves another traitorous king. 

“I knew my father did not hurt her,” Becca sounded harsher, then, like she had stumbled and was regaining her footing. “I knew that. No one had to tell me. From what the Magister told me he was loved by all. He sang and danced and the people loved him.” she seemed to prattle on.

“She gave me to her brother when father died,” It was odd, naming someone else his father after Adrien had raised him all the years Jesse Pilgrim couldn’t. “So that King Andrei wouldn’t kill me.”

“They can’t have married. He had my mother,” she insisted. “Ser Jorah told me that my father was framed for the kidnapping and instead forced into facing Andrei in a duel that killed him. I trusted Ser Jorah with my life. Just as you trusted his father with yours.”

Lionel tried to keep his body from quivering. “I trusted him as much as I trust Thomas now,” he struggled to say. “He eloped with my Aunt Clarisse. She had me in... In a tower in Cindune and died there. And you and your brother were shipped off across the sea, and no one knew who I was besides Adrien Mercer’s bastard. No one still knows. Except for you.”

Her eyes steeled and she glared at him as if she were plotting to exhale fire unto him for his treasonous words. Thomas wasn’t wrong, after all. “Do you intend to seize the throne from me?” she asked, each word dripping in acid. “Make these boys your heirs?”

He looked over his sister’s form; rigid where it was once softened and relaxed, stern and cold features, eyes that meant to incite fear but rather exuded it. He shook his head slowly, and although a thousand different men lied and betrayed her, Becca’s shoulders slumped inward. For twenty-four years she crawled toward that throne, outliving all her other remaining relatives just so she could taste the iron that dripped from the dozens of swords and daggers that made it a throne to warrant possession at all. She was the blood of the dragon. He could’ve been exactly like Matteo and been scorched at the touch of fire where she would remain unburnt. Though she reckoned that seldomly they would consider her the rightful heir based solely on her resistance to heat, as everyone often favored the male heirs for whatever Gods forsaken reason. 

“... You will have the North if you tell no one,” Becca whispered as their gaze lingered. “I swear it by all Gods. The North will be its own dominion and you will rule it, or whoever you see fit to. I’ll never come to harm you or your children for your heritage, I will not repeat an angry man’s mistakes, not my grandfather’s mistakes, I swear it.” 

Lionel saw, then, crystals shedding from where they once formed in her eyes, giving him permission to break as well. He reached out for her hand —— the warmth unlike he felt in any other, the warmth of someone he wished he’d have known sooner, the warmth of someone he could not have for long if at all. This exchanged appeared mutual as Becca’s eyes reflected a rejoice of meeting your family once more. 

“I am a Mercer, your grace,” he said after a while and reached for her hand. “My children are Mercers. I am the blood of the First Men, blood of the wolf, and King in the North.”

She accepted his hand and squeezed it, nodding along. “I am a Pilgrim,” she echoed. “I am the blood of the dragon, ruler of the Six, and protector of the realm.”

[empiregalaxy]

Why Sansa would make a great Queen In The North

A huge misconception is that the supporters of 'QITN' Sansa Stark only support her due to reasons such as 'inheritance', etc. I personally think it is much more deeper and complex than that. So here I list some reasons why I'm pro-queen Sansa.

1. She's kind I have written in depth about Sansa's kindness. Her saving Dontos, telling Sandor that his brother was 'no true knight', praying for Margaery, helping Sweetrobin cross the bridge, helping the Stokeworths during the Battle Of Blackwater and even helped Lancel, who is a Lannister. I don't know about everyone else, but I would want the rulers to be kind. Although being kind doesn't necessarily guarantee a good ruler, it certainly is a start. Hence why Sansa's kindness is my first point.  

Another reason why I love Sansa’s kindness- is that she is kind when other characters fail to be. In A Game Of Thrones, there is this moment:

They all laughed then, Joffrey on his throne, and the lords standing attendance, Janos Slynt and Queen Cersei and Sandor Clegane and even the other men of the Kingsguard, the five who had been his brothers until a moment ago. Surely that must have hurt the most, Sansa thought. Her heart went out to the gallant old man as he stood shamed and red-faced, too angry to speak. Finally he drew his sword.  

Sansa’s kindness is not only just goodness, but strength. 

2. She's perceptive & (politcally minded!) There are two amazing essays on this which say it much, much better than I possibly could. Sharing them because they are superb.

The first one is by @turtle-paced and can be found here. The other is by @goodqueenaly and can be found here. Well worth a read.

Sansa is a smart person, and that is a huge thing when it comes to monarchs. I'd like to talk about George R.R Martin's comments about Aragorn, who we all know as a key character in Tolkein's Lord Of The Rings

Ruling is hard. This was maybe my answer to Tolkien, whom, as much as I admire him, I do quibble with. Lord of the Rings had a very medieval philosophy: that if the king was a good man, the land would prosper. We look at real history and it’s not that simple. Tolkien can say that Aragorn became king and reigned for a hundred years, and he was wise and good. But Tolkien doesn’t ask the question: What was Aragorn’s tax policy? Did he maintain a standing army? What did he do in times of flood and famine? And what about all these orcs? By the end of the war, Sauron is gone but all of the orcs aren’t gone – they’re in the mountains. Did Aragorn pursue a policy of systematic genocide and kill them? Even the little baby orcs, in their little orc cradles?

As much as I love Tolkein's world, GRRM's insistence on having leaders who are precise in their methods, are good people AND good rulers is absolutely important. What does this have to do with Sansa? Well, I've made it clear I've found her wise and good. I also think she is well equipped to handle hardships the North would face, because of the following traits:

ability to show mercy (for instance, in A Clash Of Kings she shows mercy to Lancel Lannister). Forget the show rubbish of her wanting blood and punishment, Sansa does show mercy in the course of the series

atttentive to detail. She's good with banners, people's houses, statuses, etc- so she would be able to assess how an action would impact on others. I don't think Sansa is oblivious at all. She's grown alot.

willingness to learn. Not only is she engaged in what other people have to say (Sansa rarely interrupts others). Military may not have a huge role in her arc, but it could be. She could learn battle strategies and tactics. Not saying she would necessarily be on Stannis-level, but I truly believe Sansa would not shy away from learning about battles and war.

It's those three traits that are integral to Sansa's personality that she'd make a great, perceptive ruler. And she’s also has a BS detecter: once Cersei shows her true colours, Sansa figures out how she works

She heard the door open as her maids brought the hot water for her bath. They were both new to her service; Tyrion said the women who'd tended to her previously had all been Cersei's spies, just as Sansa had always suspected.

3. There are parallels with some of the strongest leaders in the series

Good Queen Alysanne Targaryen is probably my favourite parallel for Sansa. Alysanne showed generosity, kindness, good will and tactical skills. She is looked on throughout the series with love- after all, she's the 'good queen.'

Sansa also has incredible respect for her father, Eddard and her brother Robb.

I must be brave, like Robb, she told herself, as she took her lord husband stiffly by the arm.

Yes, I do admire Robb and consider a comparison between Sansa / Robb a high compliment. Robb Stark was a military prodigy, someone who whilst flawed acted with integrity and greatness. He inspired his people. The fact Sansa wants to be like Robb, she doesn't want to be like Cersei or Littlefinger does go a long way.

4. To quote show! Varys.....

The Seven Kingdoms need someone stronger than Tommen, but gentler than Stannis. A monarch who can intimidate the high lords and inspire the people. A ruler loved by millions with a powerful army and the right family name.

I think Varys is being unfair on Tommen (he is young), and Stannis (a very complex character who can't be reduced to not being gentle)- but these words really do fit Sansa.

Strong? I don’t think I even have to explain Sansa’s strength. She’s gone through absolute hell. She also shows ability to challenge characters- even the terrifying likes of Joffrey

"It does not please me," Joffrey said. "Mother says I'm still to marry you, so you'll stay here, and you'll obey." "I don't want to marry you," Sansa wailed. "You chopped off my father's head!" "He was a traitor. I never promised to spare him, only that I'd be merciful, and I was. If he hadn't been your father, I would have had him torn or flayed, but I gave him a clean death." Sansa stared at him, seeing him for the first time. He was wearing a padded crimson doublet patterned with lions and a cloth-of-gold cape with a high collar that framed his face. She wondered how she could ever have thought him handsome. His lips were as soft and red as the worms you found after a rain, and his eyes were vain and cruel. "I hate you," she whispered.

Intimidate the high lords?

"Ah, and what a castle it is. Cavernous halls and ruined towers, ghosts and draughts, ruinous to heat, impossible to garrison . . . and there's that small matter of a curse."

"Curses are only in songs and stories."

That seemed to amuse him. "Has someone made a song about Gregor Clegane dying of a poisoned spear thrust? Or about the sellsword before him, whose limbs Ser Gregor removed a joint at a time? That one took the castle from Ser Amory Lorch, who received it from Lord Tywin. A bear killed one, your dwarf the other. Lady Whent's died as well, I hear. Lothstons, Strongs, Harroways, Strongs . . . Harrenhal has withered every hand to touch it."

"Then give it to Lord Frey."

She's also gentle- see what I wrote about kindness in the first section.

Inspiring the people and being loved by millions?

“I will remember, Your Grace,” said Sansa, though she had always heard that love was a surer route to the people’s loyalty than fear. If I am ever a queen, I’ll make them love me.

Right family name? We learn in A Dance With Dragons, that people are willing to wage war for the Stark name. Sansa takes strong pride in being a Stark.

“She wondered where this courage had come from, to speak to him so frankly. From Winterfell, she thought. I am stronger within the walls of Winterfell.”

Powerful army? Of course, this is where I think the marriage between Harry The Heir and "Alayne" will come in. Remember, Houses such as Royce of Runestone (Yohn wanted an alliance with Robb). Sansa could potentially make use of the Vale / North alliance.

Here's more about the power the Vale wields. We get mention from Robb in A Storm Of Swords about their power:

"The knights of the Vale could make all the difference in this war," said Robb.

George R.R Martin is also quoted from "The Citadel" as saying (as a response to a fan):

Quick question - We have seen all of the seven kingdoms in action in one way or another except Dorne and the Vale. I am trying to get an understanding of the various strengths of the different realms. When Robb calls the Northern Banners he gathers a host of about 18 thousand men. How do Dorne and the Vale compare to this (I don't expect numbers, just general feeling)

I'd say these three kingdoms were roughly equal in the force they could assemble... but the north is much bigger, so it takes longer for an army to gather. And life is harsher there as well, so lords and smallfolk both need to think carefully before beating those plowshares into swords.

The image of a 'perfect ruler' that Varys paints does apply to Sansa. I disagree with the show on many, many things yet a ruler does need to be strong, does need an army yet have gentleness and love.

6. Concluding Thoughts

To me, Sansa being Queen used to be about continuing Ned and Robb's legacy and her being the oldest true born sibling. But now, it's more than that. To me, saying Sansa should be Queen is wanting the best for the North. My attachment to 'QITN' does not just stem from my love for Sansa, but taking into account the political atmosphere of the North, and the need for rulers who are both strong, perceptive and kind.

It also makes alot of narrative sense for Sansa to be Queen. She starts off the series with notions of what being a Queen means, only for them to be shattered by seeing the ugly realities of the likes of Cersei. For her to become Queen, would give her much needed agency.  

Wanting Sansa to be Queen is not an attack on any other character like Bran, Arya, Rickon & Jon. Otherwise, it's simply ludicrous and unfair on Sansa. Fandom really needs to stop that toxic way of thinking.

Sansa would be a fantastic queen, and I’m willing to stick by that statement.

[gotgifsandmusings]

GoT 7x01 Musings

My initial reaction to “Dragonstone”

Jess summed it up best in her review when she said there was nothing overly offensive, or interesting, or really...anything. I couldn’t find a ton of ironic enjoyment, because this whole episode was just...beige. Unlike Cheryl’s map. That was damn vibrant.

Arya Todd and...William Sherman

I’ve given up on being pissy about the way faceless man mask magic works. Of course she created it off-screen. Of course she could wear it with a puffy coat and stand on a box and change her voice and becoming convincingly Walder Filch

Do the FM give a shit that she’s running around with their methodology to personal vendettas? Will this catch up with her?

Apparently ALL THE FREYS are in this room, and female Freys are incapable of perpetuating a House. That makes a lot of sense.

Like. What are we supposed to make of this? Are we supposed to be happy? Is this supposed to be poetic justice? It was just so out of place for “oh and then this shock happens” that we have to accept off-screen poison making and implementation (guess she still has control of the kitchens), and frankly separated from the moment where this would have had any impact anyway--her murdering Walder in the first place.

To make matters worse, she THEN stumbles into nice Lannister men, making her rethink her broad-brushing (just like Jonny didn’t want to!), so....does she take back her Smirk of Empowerment? Are we supposed to view this as a negative now? Why show us the “parallels” of Cat and Walder’s death in the “previously on’s” then? I’m just so confused, and once again it’s obvious the show has no idea about it’s own messaging.

We’re glad Maisie Williams got to meet her favorite artist. That was the point of that scene. Gr8 writing. Glad “Hands of Gold” was just shoved in, because it’s not like that context had mattered or that it was foreshadowing anything, or written on the spot about Tyrion and Shae...

Anonymous said to gotgifsandmusings: For what it's worth, I had no idea who Ed Sheeran was until people started complaining about his scene, and if you've never heard of him and don't recognize his face, it really doesn't come off as mugging any more than any of D&D's other "let's cut in a close-up reaction shot!" shtick. I think people (not you, but people) are getting too hung up on this to notice the real awfulness of the first episode, like literally everything about Euron.

I think you can walk and chew gum. If you know it’s obvious and cringe-inducing.

Bran and Gloveless Meera

The Army of the Dead looked kinda cool, but I still think of Pirates of the Caribbean

Did this scene need to exist? It wasn’t bad, or anything really, but they’re quite obviously not wildlings, and I fail to think we would have been lost had we jumped to them already inside Castle Black. Hell, one line of establishing dialogue would have taken care of it.

Sam hunts for Nicholas Flamel

Poor Sam finds himself both in a sitcom and Harry Potter. What the fuck was that montage? Why is this novice training?

The Archmaester Slughorn scene was just for some bad Maester exposition from what I could tell. Are we meant to believe Sam wasn’t asking for assistance before this point? Also this whole thing really highlighted how dumb it was to send Sam here when the army was literally approaching and had just res’d the entirety of Hardhome

Why did the maesters put books about Dragonstone and the Long Winter in the restricted section? Did they know it was dramatically important to the plot?

Okay, correct me if I’m wrong, but the plotline as we know it is: Stannis tells Sam that there’s dragonglass at Dragonstone. Sam forgets about this and goes to the Citadel. Sam gets reminded by turning to a random page in a random book that there’s dragonglass at Dragonstone.

Amazing Shrinking Baby grew!

GREYSCALE JORAH! Omg that was fucking hilarious. Stop trying to touch the novices, dude

Can’t wait for next week: 

expecto pa-groan-um!

Sandor Specs Destro

@saintjustitude said to gotgifsandmusings: The preview bringing back that peasant father and daughter just to remind the viewers who they are when we see that they are soooo dead seems like another example of their narrative sadism and acedia phenomenon. Except now they do it with previews of scenes long forgotten from past seasons. (Unless they've already done it before and I missed it somehow.) -_-

I mean, it’s not out of that pattern, but I think the intent was to instill some meaning in Sandor’s arc? He’s like...coming to face his past demons. And rejecting his formerly nihilistic attitude? Except all we saw was him embracing this last season, so...

Also those skeletons looked ancient.

I guess it’s nice that there was actual character growth? If that’s what you call it? He just kind of suddenly had these fire-seeing powers.

Is it because he almost died? Do other people with near death experiences have these powers? Has he always had this and he just never looked at fire?

Boy oh boy those signs in the fire were beyond detailed for someone who’s never done this before

Where was any of this seeded? Like, was it when he asserted the complete opposite views about faith and how to navigate the world?

They kept trying to tell us it was poetic because it’s “fire based”, but it felt like such a random moment it’s hard to connect it to anything at all. Why did he go on a rampage with the Shire? What was any of that?

Cheryl’s Cartography and Coalition Building

No one questioned the logic of the floor map. Why floor map? How does this help plan troop movement?

Anonymous said to gotgifsandmusings: to be fair we don't know what kind of paint was being used for the map (there are ingredients you can add to paint to make it dry quicker) and we're in King's Landing which is pretty warm - even during winter.

DUDE JUST LET ME HAVE THIS

So Cheryl talks about how everyone is an enemy, including Olenna who is a “traitor” (what? She teamed up with you before your dumbass brother forgot basics of military strategy). Is there a reason she decided to provoke the North by sending that letter? Doesn’t she have other things to deal with, apparently?

They talk about Tyrell bannermen which is a good fucking point, since the Lord Paramount of the Reach kind of blew up. But then…why would they have any chance of getting them to follow them?

Cheryl wants to build a dynasty, Larry points out that they have no heirs, and then Cheryl says “a dynasty for us, then.” That’s not…what a dynasty…ah forget it

She says Tommen betrayed her, and it’s presented as her refusing to process grief. This is actually fine, tbh?

My main issue is that this situation is completely unsurvivable for the Lannisters. Even with an Ironboor alliance, they don’t have the resources, have no sizable allies, especially for land-based warfare (oh ALL THE FREYS are dead and I guess there aren’t other River Lords), and have pissed everyone off, which by all rights should include smallfolk. The idea that there aren’t riots every day is stupid, and there’s really no tension here since they’ll clearly get smushed like a bug. Unless...

That’s right, Euron the new Villain Sue! His fleet is already massive because that’s how many trees they have on the Iron Islands.

And...okay, we’re told Euron is going to be “worse than Ramsay” this year but he comes in with his stupid eyeliner, leather diesel jacket, and new Johnny Depp-esque persona, with the first words out of his mouth being a long whining speech about how mean his niece and nephew were to him. It’s like some drunk pathetic rock star wandered onto the set and was sad he got snubbed for a Grammy. We’re supposed to take this moron seriously?

Also, Cheryl INVITED HIM. She even told us this marriage proposal was coming. Why would she reject his offer? Did she know that he was going to double down on his attempts to win her, even when he has a history of unpredictability, and oh yeah...he could just sit happily as king of the Iron Islands without getting involved with this idiocy?

Boy it would be shocking if his magically materializing fleet secured major military victories. Shocking.

Was Larry given Jorah’s accomplishments from the Greyjoy rebellions?

Winterhell

I’ve had it up to here with Lyanna Mormont’s Feminist Speeches (which demonstrate a complete lack of political and military awareness). OMG all the women will fight! (What a rare trait for Bear Island.) They won’t just be sewing, a complete societal necessity. Yahhhs slayyy empowermentttt!

This could have had a lot more poignance on Jonny’s part too, if we had seen any female Wildling fighters past Ygritte and Smurfette. Like if they had given a Night’s Watch Castle to spearwives, for instance. The Wildlings have all been dudes for a full season at this point, and Jonny’s idea seems to come out of basically nowhere.

How many Wildlings are still alive at this point? Or anyone for that matter? Before the Vale Lords swooped over the battlefield like the army of the dead, there looked to be about a few hundred left in Jonny’s army?

I love how easily this room is won over by whoever speaks. Royce idiotically wanted to tear down castles (was he worried the Army of the Dead might take them and set up reinforcements?), and Sansa is like “no that’s dumb. We should obviously give them to people who helped us” to uproarious applause.

Then Jon just gets really pissy, mostly because she spoke, and decides the hill he’s going to die on is letting castles stay in the hands of the family they’ve been in historically, even though that also means asking a 10-year old to be commanding what’s left of his bannermen at these strongholds of strategic necessity. And the room agrees.

It’s a good message I guess? Though does that mean we’re supposed to look back on Arya’s slaying as a bad thing? When the music was empowering? And it was framed as coming from such a petty place on Jon’s part that I’m just not sure what to make of it at all.

Anonymous said to gotgifsandmusings: Sansa: Ned died because he made stupid mistakes. Sansa, a minute later: Cersei kills her enemies no matter what. Sooo... which one is it?

Whichever makes creative sense, of course.

Oh and Sansa admires Cheryl. I wonder if she might betray Jonny?? It’s so mysterious. And glad they’re having the same arguments over and over.

If Ayra picks Jonny over Sansa in this tiff because Jonny is so much more smarterer and badass (the show seems to think so), I’m going to flip something.

Then we cut to Brienne punching Pod in the face to impress Tormund? I honestly have no clue. I’m sure it was really funny to someone.

I actually did like Sansa telling off Littlefinger, even if the dialogue was clearly written in 2017, but it also begs the question: why doesn’t she tell the Vale Lords the truth about him selling her to the Boltons or murdering Lysa so she can be rid of him? Brienne digs it.

Deadpan touches sand

I can’t help but feel this segment would have been more emotionally poignant at the end of a season than the first we see of her. We already saw her sailing West an new this was coming. All this consisted of was us marveling at the set design, while trying to get back into “oh yeah this is what it means to Deadpan” mode. For some people, they just watch this show the 10 hours it’s on and don’t think about it for a year, you know?

I guess it was fine? “Shall we begin” is kind of hilarious since I’d have to assume they were planning something on the ride over, but whatever.

And yeah, totally unmanned castle. Way2Go Stannis. I think it’s hard to believe no one attempted looting it (they’d need a boat but people are like starving and junk), or that there was just NO ONE THERE. The doors were nice and unlocked, at least. Drama.

Top 3 Nitpicks:

Sewing is not necessary during war

The Maesters locked up the books of plot-based knowledge

Euron’s GIANT fleet

[geekamarie]

GoT 7 Fix-It: Samwell Tarly Edition

Samwell Tarly’s storyline has been completely given over to plot manipulation at this point, which is a shame. Sam’s experiences and observations have always served in conjunction with Jon’s, but he always had a journey of his own and the plot support he provided the narrative at the Wall was more of a dovetail and not as a cog in the plot engine. Last season, he bided time and introduced his family - in a clumsily written and less than masterful set up for their role as Tyrell usurpers and dragon fodder. This season...

This season Sam essentially hung around the Citadel (to tell Jon about dragon glass at Dragonstone, to cure Jorah of greyscale) before having a sweeping moment of disenchantment, deciding to be a man of action, and fulfilling his destiny as the man who helped D&D finish the obliteration of the Martells and Dornish relevance (by telling Bran that Rhaegar married Lyanna, a detail he initially ignored for a self-centered rant).

None of which is a truly satisfying use of Sam’s screen time. (Although, they did a fantastic job with the visuals as Sam went from dishes to bedpans.)

Bookish Sam should be in his element at the Citadel. Certainly he should be underwhelmed by the day to day drudgery that comes with his position as a novice, and it makes sense for the young man who dreamed of becoming a maester to approach the reality of it naively, even after all he has seen at the Wall and north of it. But this is the environment that Sam should be most comfortable arguing back in. When the archmaesters dismiss his purpose for coming to the Citadel (in show) as not done, Sam should certainly be able to make the counter arguments about why the maesters should disperse knowledge rather than hoard it. Even if there is no follow through.

The maesters’ viewpoints on the political upheaval in Westeros would have been a helpful framing device. After all, they aren’t actually an apolitical order. By rights, the maesters should be upset with the elevation of Qyburn to Hand of the Queen, and their deep suspicion of magic should add to their disdain of all three rulers. As the season progresses, and the Tyrells fall (Oldtown is in the Reach), the maesters should be desperately looking to reassert their influence. There should have been more to their council than a summation of current events and the decision to not tell Sam Tarly about his father and brother’s deaths. There is no reason that they should not send a delegation to the Dragon Pit; there is no reason that we can’t be given a hint of the hubris and ambition of an order that controls the education of and then advises every lord in Westeros. Knowledge as power would have been a nice counter balance to the money as power we get with the Iron Bank. 

A parallel should have been drawn between Sam and Jorah. After all, they have a more relevant connection than just Jeor Mormont. While there are certainly differences between their respective relationships with Jon and Daenerys, both were with them at the ‘beginning’ as friends and advisors and confidants when there was no one else. And both have seen these fundamental relationships begin to change - in show, Sam aspires to stand on his own and Jorah to be the loyal friend his affections kept him from being. Both have been somewhat replaced - Tyrion and Davos - and both are at the Citadel in the hopes of making a difference in the wars to come. For all that Sam saves Jorah’s life, they make no deeper connection - not even in vague ways.

Over all of this: the majority of the people in Westeros actively disbelieve in magic and the supernatural (a big hurdle to defeating the others) and the reluctance of the maesters to come to terms with it’s existence would have been a nice variation on ‘Jon becoming King doesn’t solve the problem of no one believing in the Others.’

Additional scenes in Oldtown:

- Euron raiding the coast line as he heads towards King’s Landing with his brand new fleet. Just a mention would have been enough to tease out any sort of plot for Euron and more than hint at the weakening of the Tyrell’s hold on the Reach, foreshadowing the defeat of Highgarden.

- Lord Tarly should mention the missing family sword to Jaime. If only because it was an odd, seemingly pointless choice Sam made last season, and it could have added nuance to the Tarlys’ alliance with Cersei. If Sam’s father incorrectly assumed that this Northern (wildling lover) bastard who calls himself king had ordered Sam to steal it or try and reclaim his position...

- The cure Sam discovers for Jorah should have a magical element. This is not to set up Sam as a wizard, but to underline that the Citadels distaste for magic has had very real consequences - and hint that the disappearance of magic from the world isn’t necessarily because it was actually gone. And literally anything is better than the absurdity of Sam being the best at following instructions for his ability to cure Jorah. 

- Sam learning that Jon both died and became King in the North. The revelations of what has been happening in his absence at the Wall would have been a nice way to: 1) underscore the friendship Sam and Jon have, 2) remind viewers that Jon’s ascension might be treated dubiously by those that don’t believe he came back from the dead (or conversely highlight a lack of interest in honor and oaths), and 3) set the stage for Sam’s acceptance into the Citadel (sent by a new king, etc.).

- Sam leaving the Citadel should have been less a temper tantrum and more of a purposeful move. It’s all well and good to make your characters ‘men of action,’ I suppose. But Sam’s decision to leave should have been less personal petulance and more deciding to do what was needed and not to fulfill a childhood dream. If Sam had been excluded from the party going to the Dragon Pit, it could have highlighted the way men are still playing at politics and not taking the situation seriously. This would have been a chance for Sam to pick his vows over his lifelong dream and his personal desire for respect. It could have been character growth and not impetuous behavior.

+ BONUS: Gilly. When even comparatively major characters don’t get arcs, it seems unreasonable for true supporting characters to. But I would have liked to see Gilly exploring - or at least mentioning exploring - her options now that she is south of the Wall and even commenting on a few cultural differences. Is it too much to ask for a brief dialogue about the kind of life she dreams about for her and Little Sam? Or for Sam to have set Gilly to reading about the Targaryens so should could learn more about Westeros? And for Gilly discovering some forgotten details about Robert’s Rebellion in her efforts to be actually acknowledged?

[nofomoartworld]

Hyperallergic: Creature Discomfort: Art in the Cycle of History

Thomas Houseago, “Giant Figure (Cyclops)” (2011), bronze (all photos by the author for Hyperallergic)

LOS ANGELES — Creature, a thematic exhibition at The Broad, is one of those shows, like the recently opened Raymond Pettibon: A Pen of All Work at the New Museum in New York, whose meanings and context have been jolted, scrambled, and reloaded by the resistible rise of Donald J. Trump.

As it so happens, Creature opened on November 5th, the Saturday before the election, and the darkly mystical among us might regard that coincidence, accompanied by the exhibition’s looming mascot, “Giant Figure (Cyclops)” (2011), a nearly 15-foot-high bronze by the English sculpture Thomas Houseago, as harbingers of the wreckage to come.

I wouldn’t disagree. The exhibition, a reshuffling of the Broad’s permanent collection, was originally intended, according to an announcement published in August, to present “approaches to figuration and representations of the self”:

Ranging from artworks that examine the human body, to others that allude to a physical presence outside of the artwork itself, Creature offers an array of lenses through which to view the human experience, some scientifically based and others drawing inspiration from cultural representations of how living things change over time.

But in the looking-glass world of Trump, Houseago’s colossus — a fierce, robot-like compaction of bronze-cast clay slabs and blocks of wood that ranges uncomfortably across the bombast of Antoine Bourdelle, the majesty of samurai armor, and the artlessness of a Lego toy — cannot be read as anything other than a personification of imminent authoritarianism. With its single, hollow eye, the symbol of a blinkered worldview, “Giant Figure (Cyclops)” comes off as an outsized guardian figure/Star Wars shock trooper primed to stomp the first outbreak of dissent.

David Wojnarowicz, “Late Afternoon in the Forest” (1986), acrylic, spray paint, and collage on muslin

Similarly, “Late Afternoon in the Forest” (1986), a painting in acrylic, spray paint, and collage on muslin by David Wojnarowicz, attains a renewed severity in light of the kakistocracy — a term (“rule by the worst”) recently popularized by Paul Krugman — that took power one tumultuous month ago.

A fantastical twilit scene painted in sumptuous shades of dark gray, green, and blue, “Late Afternoon” depicts a rocky clearing in the woods dominated by the wreckage of a camouflaged jet fighter-cum-skeletal monster and a giant Olmec-style head with its lips stitched together, a parallel to Wojnarowicz’s own sewn-up lips in the famously harrowing photograph featured on the poster of Rosa von Praunheim’s documentary Silence=Death (1989).

That film was a protest against the Reagan administration’s malign neglect of the victims of AIDS, which killed Wojnarowicz in 1992, but the painting’s thrust is elusive. Its deep shadows and curious details — a tiny, four-armed angel and an equally diminutive centaur battling a lapith (appropriated from the Parthenon, which is glimpsed, in the upper left corner, in duplicate sun-drenched images, two of which flank a postcard view of the south façade of the White House) — conspire to imply that perpetual war (the jet fighter, centaur, and lapith) are God’s gift (the angel) to civilization, no matter how ancient of modern.

But it also may mean nothing of the sort; it can be unpacked any number of ways, none of them comforting to the dominant culture. Whatever the intent, the painting revels in a brazenly abstruse set of pictorial signs whose solidity and invention are the source of its power.

Jenny Holzer, “Laments: I was sick of acting normal…” (1989), detail, black granite sarcophagus with electronic LED sign

Jenny Holzer’s “Lamentations” are here, in black granite (1989) and LED (1987):

I WAS SICK FROM ACTING NORMAL.

I WATCHED REPLAYS OF THE WAR.

WHEN NOTHING HAPPENED I CLOSED A ZONE WHERE I EXERT CONTROL.

I FORMED A GOVERNMENT THAT WAS AS WELCOME AS SEX.

Pinned to an adjacent wall, one of Kiki Smith’s most trenchantly abject works from the Bush I years, “Untitled (Red Man)” (1991), a flayed skin in Gampi paper drenched in red ink, with head and arms ripped from torso, seems to spring forth from another of Holzer’s gnomic phrases, “I GIVE PEOPLE TIME SO THEY FEEL THEIR LIVES MOVING OVER THEIR SKINS.”

Holzer and Smith, like Wojnarowicz, emerged from the caldron of the 1980s, the sharp right turn in American politics that eventually, and inevitably, spewed out Reagan’s scabrous spawn: the witless dauphin singularly responsible for every catastrophe now afflicting the world, and the tangerine golem who has promised to make matters even worse.

Kiki Smith, “Untitled (Red Man)” (1991), ink on Gampi paper in four parts

And so it makes sense, at this most critical moment, to take a serious look at the art they made at that time, its political fury and layered poetics, as an anchor in the storm. In many cases, the passage of time has only strengthened their artworks’ hold on the unalterable realities of our current system, even as they infect the newer objects in the show with a heightened political consciousness made all the more palpable by dint of the recent shift in context.

A piece like Tony Oursler’s “Dust” (2006), a video projection on a large, undulating white sphere, was originally meant to represent, as the wall text puts it, a “microscopic molecule” that would lead us to an “awareness of our own physical presence.” But as ghostly eyes and mouths appear and disappear in the recesses of what looks more like a cloud than a speck of dust, Oursler’s object seems to personify the national security state rather than a contemplation of our brief existence.

Piotr Uklański, “The Nazis” (1998), detail, chromogenic black and white and color photographs mounted on panels, in 164 parts

Likewise, Piotr Uklański’s “The Nazis” (1998), a grid of 164 head shots of Hollywood actors, including Ronald Reagan, donning the togs of an SS officer, seemed 20 years ago like an elaborate one liner, but now with the term “Fascist America” being bandied about with increasing frequency since January 20th, it demands at least a double-take.

An even larger grid, Josh Smith’s show-stopping, mural-sized “Venice Set” (2011) is composed of 30 scuffed-up cardboard sheets (redolent of the Occupy Movement) smeared with white, pink, red, and green paint and collaged with images of whales, stop signs, autumn leaves, and skeletons. In the face of Trump’s predatory capitalist/eco-barbarian cabinet, the work becomes less an “escalating index of forms ready to be recycled,” as we’re told by the wall label, than an indicator of the environmental and economic destruction still to come.

Leon Golub, “Mercenaries V” (1984), acrylic on linen (left) and “Interrogation I” (1981), acrylic on linen (right)

In yet another unanticipated twist, I happened to visit the museum on the Day Without Immigrants, a protest that provided an additional note of urgency to the imagery on display — particularly that of Leon Golub, whose work fills an entire room: six epic paintings from 1980 through ’88, a kind of Reagan-era Pauline Chapel with a naked torture victim hanging upside-down in the place of the crucified St. Peter.

These paintings are of a piece with “White Squad I” (1982), currently on view at the Whitney Museum of American Art as part of the exhibition, Fast Forward: Painting from the 1980s. The Broad’s selection, which includes the finest examples of Golub’s work anywhere, cycles through the artist’s evolution from the abstract red oxide fields, gleaned from Imperial Roman frescos, upon which he splays his soldiers of fortune like paper cutouts (“Mercenaries,” 1980), to the more realistic settings of “Interrogation I” (1980-81), “Mercenaries V” (1984), and “White Squad V” (1984) and their explicit acts of torture and brutality. (The gallery, in fact, has posted a trigger warning.)

Later, Golub concentrated on ambiguous images of generalized panic (“Threnody I,” 1986), urban thuggery, and regular working folk, and finally rounded out the decade in a mythic mode (the two-headed “Wounded Sphinx,” 1988), which returns to the abstracted red oxide field he used in 1980. To be surrounded by these works in a single room is an overwhelming experience.

Leon Golub, “Interrogation I” (1981), acrylic on linen

Golub’s paintings of mercenaries and death squads are lasting testaments to the US proxy wars in Central America and President Reagan’s support for the brutal military dictatorships that made life unlivable in countries like Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, precipitating an exodus of refugees that streamed northward for better lives within the citadels of the empire.

If the violence in a painting like “Interrogation I” feels timeless, with its jackbooted guards pummeling the above-mentioned naked victim with a steel pipe as he hangs by his feet like Titian’s Marsyas or Rembrandt’s slaughtered ox, his face obscured by foreshortening, his scrotum beaten to jelly, that impression is derived as much from the inventiveness of the composition — dominated by a controlled explosion of diagonals (steel pipe, holster strap, nude legs, rope ends) — as from the shape-shifting nature of barbarity itself.

But it’s also the painting’s reflection of a specific cycle of history that makes its imagery feel as current as the evening news — a perspective that frames Trump alongside Reagan, whose interventionist policies exacerbated the xenophobia that Trump exploited (through the scorched-earth tactics of his unspeakable mentor Roy Cohn) to seize ultimate power.

In a very real sense, Golub’s human monsters — his hired killers and cretinous torturers — are as mythic as his two-headed sphinx, embodying a recidivism that defies all appeal to humanity and reason, an indelible part of our past that remains locked into the foreseeable future.

Creature continues at The Broad (221 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, California) through March 19.

The post Creature Discomfort: Art in the Cycle of History appeared first on Hyperallergic.

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