#gene had so many good lines in this episode too

[jimmyjrsmusoems]

april fool’s day episode was so perfect i have no words

[aceartistactivist]

Okay here we go!

Things I would have changed/am confused about in tua season 4

- first of all, it needed 10 episodes. Not 6. Don't even need to change the storylines- just flesh it out. Add random filler stuff. Not one of the characters got a real character arc because they didn't have enough screen time to show it!!

- speaking of, Jean and Gene got way too much screen time. Like I don't care about them I want to see the actual main characters

- no mention of Sloane????? Nothing???? What about the other sparrows? Do they exist in this timeline?

- how were they still riding in that van after puking so much in it lol 😭

- wtf is up with the only mention of Ray being a throwaway line that he walked out on Allison??? Seriously wtf??

- also, if Lila's parents are alive and living with her & Diego... Uhhh... are they not gonna address the fact that Five killed her parents in the last timeline? Like with all the scenes they had together I felt like that should have come up... I guess maybe that was something they already got past sometime in the 6 years?

- I'm so confused about Abigail. I'm just so confused. What is up with her

- STILL NO EXPLANATION FOR THE WHOLE ALIEN THING??

- also five's weird arc in s3 where he gets the tattoo? I'm still so confused about that. What was the purpose of the tattoo? Why was that whole thing a thing? I'm just lost 😭 and the "restaurant at the end of the world" scene in s4 was not exactly helpful or forthcoming either

- not a fan of how Ben's original death was just Reginald shooting him. Also the whole "reverse element of the marigold" thing seemed like a random idea turned plot device that just could have been planned/set up better. I also didn't understand the whole Jennifer thing. Why did she have the element thing in her anyway? Why was she in that container? I need explanations please

- IS REGINALD EVIL OR NOT HELP HE KEEPS GOING BACK AND FORTH

- Just so many things that could have been fleshed out

- where did the notebook five found that was "in his own handwriting" even come from? What version of himself figured out the subway system and wrote the cipher?? So many questions

- speaking of, what IS the subway system. Where did it come from. Why- just- why. I'm so confused about how it even affects the plot at all (except for the very end with the kids & family members)

- five and lila were supposedly lost in time for 6 years but they didn't change at all?? I get that actors are not going to be able to visibly age 6 years in a week but really, they couldn't have tried to make it look more believable? Changed their hair, added makeup and stuff? And then when they got back and they looked exactly the same as when they'd left and certainly didn't act like they'd spent 6 years lost in time? Like you'd think something like that would be extremely noticeable lol... I was expecting the others to be like oh my god what happened to you? And then it was just on we go business as usual. Like they could have done a lot more to make that feel realistic/believable I think

- oh, the ending... I get it, but I also think they should have gotten the lives they have "in most timelines" in the commission handbook thing, iykyk (basically if they'd all just grown up normally without the umbrella academy or anything)

- but... If Lila's family and Claire were taken to a restored timeline where the 43 children & umbrella academy never existed, wouldn't that create the same paradox that was the EXACT SAME THING that was the whole premise of season 3?? Remember the kugelblitz??? By YOUR OWN universe rules, sending those people to the restored timeline where they never existed created a kugelblitz that destroyed the real timeline and the universe for good. Congratulations.

- I was also hoping for an explanation of why their powers were slightly different but I guess it's just a plot device that doesn't really matter

- all in all, honestly, I really liked it! And I'm sad that pretty much the majority of the fandom doesn't. It could have been a lot better just by fleshing it out and giving the characters enough screentime for actual character arcs but. You know what. It's good enough for me. I'm satisfied

[peachviz]

I finally finished Voyager so you know what that means.

It’s a Voyager Wrap Up and notes party:

(Beware: hot takes ahead)

- I like and I hate this show. It was my slowest watch. I should have probably started with this instead of DS9 bc as you all know nothing can top DS9 and when you start out with the best meal nothing can compare. But tbh I don’t know if it would have made a difference.

- There’s a problem with this show that I’ve noticed that it’s a common problem within Star Trek as a whole. This one was just noticeable. There’s parts where they build up plots and characters and then half way through they just give up.

Kes was the biggest atrocity, they couldn’t figure out what to do with her so they give up on her and replace her with a new shiny toy. Won’t even get into the misogyny of the situation, we are all aware I don’t have to keep beating a dead horse. (Also aware of the hostile situation on set I’m not interested in that debate)

Chakotay is another example. He starts to lose lines and he kind of just floats. Tuvok is another big one. Because why tf did I have to sit through more Neelix focused episodes than Tuvok???????

Like the writers constantly do this but it’s so noticeable with this series. It’s like Patrick trying to open Sandy Cheeks’s door in SpongeBob and he just holds his hands over the door and goes, “Open Seasme!” The door doesn’t open and he shrugs and goes “Well, I’ve done all I can do.” That’s the writers of this show.

- while on the topic of Neelix. Here’s a hot take. What an incredibly pointless and annoying character. He made a lot of episodes unwatchable. Kes and Neelix have to be the worst poison I’ve ever ingested from Star Trek as a whole and I had to sit through TNG sexism and somehow this pairing was the worst. How incels feel about JarJar Binks is how I feel about Neelix. If you like him, great. If you don’t like him, let’s hug.

- there is something about this show that I feel they do better than DS9 and that is mental health episodes. It’s so subtle and there doesn’t have to be a lot of theatrics. While DS9 is good at portrayal, there are things that Voyager does with the Doctor, Seven, and even B’Elanna that I found the most relatable

- which btw B’Elanna is like super relatable it’s almost scary. I love Kira Nerys, she’s still my all time favorite, but I find myself gravitating to being like B’Elanna. I feel like she had the best character development besides Seven. Now granted, she can do some really selfish fucked up shit. Like the Doctor’s holofamily, etc, but I find her character refreshing. This show needed that.

- Seven of Nine. Idk what to say to make everything fit so here’s a lightning round. The cat suit is fucking annoying. We had to have Gene Roddenberry dying to get Deanna Troi in a real uniform and then we have the goodness of DS9 just to have the men be like “we need to bring back sexy” and then bring this wonderful character just to keep her in a cat suit. A suit, btw, that she doesn’t even want to be in bc in all her holo fantasies she’s either in a uniform, pants, or literally anything else. And don’t even get me started on Chakotay and Seven. What an odd paring with zero chemistry. It felt almost fatherly and then that shit happens bc they had to dispel the J/C shit and I think it was along the lines of Beltran getting tired of Chakotay being a “chump”. ??? Idk if that’s the exact quote but like boooooo that’s boring. It’s just ew no thanks.

- but seven is a wonderful character and if there weren’t so many men in the writing room then we could have had it all. Looking forward to seeing what Picard retcons

- Janeway is an amazing captain and I’m glad we have a complicated female captain but this goes along with my first topic. For the first four seasons, until she cuts her hair, there’s still too many cooks in the kitchen. You have her naked somehow multiple episodes per season until 4 (?) and then she has that dumbass governess holo program. Like by the time she has her hair cut, we could have just had all that from the start. Everyone say thank you Kate Mulgrew

- lastly, I’m glad that J/C didn’t become canon while they were away bc sometimes yearning is hotter than having. Kate Mulgrew stating that it was inappropriate for an office place romance bc young girls shouldn’t have to see (once again generalizing a quote) is totally valid. And tbh I feel like it would be a distraction to Janeway specifically

Idk in closing it’s an alright watch. It wasn’t really spectacular to me anyway. There were a lot of good parts, but I feel like it lost steam midway through season 6 and a lot of it was rocky. I could just be getting Star Trek fatigue.

Picard is next and then Prodigy. Probably won’t even go near Enterprise and I’ll be doing an actual rewatch of discovery to finish it. And another rewatch of lower decks bc now I’ll be able to understand it in total. So the Rankings below will exclude prodigy, ent, Picard, and discovery.

Current Series Ranking:

1) Deep Space Nine

2) Strange New Worlds

3) The Original Series

4) Lower Decks

5) Voyager

6) The Next Generation

Current Captain Ranking:

1) Sisko

2) Janeway

3) Pike

4) Kirk

5) Picard

6) Freeman

Anyway, I have two voyager edits to get off the ground and my notes app looks like the Bible so getting this footage is going to be super time consuming.

Now onto Picard

[kosmos2999]

In what ways did William Shatner's portrayal of Captain James T. Kirk differ from the way the character was originally written?

You really have to look at the difference between Captain Christopher Pike (portrayed by Jeff Hunter in the first Star Trek pilot, “The Cage”) and Captain James Kirk (portrayed by William Shatner in the second Star Trek pilot, “Where No Man Has Gone Before”) to see the evolution of the Captain in Star Trek.

As originally written, the Captain of the USS Enterprise was a rather dark, tormented man who was already thinking of resigning his Starfleet commission (in the pilot episode) because he was fed-up with the demands of leadership. That was Jeff Hunter’s portrayal of Christopher Pike.

^^^ Jeff Hunter’s Captain Pike appeared as almost a reluctant commander. He was introspective and self-doubting and mostly humorless, and he didn’t want the responsibility of issuing life-or-death orders and leading others into deadly situations.

He didn’t like women on the bridge, either, except for his First Officer Number One (because she had no obvious feminine personality).

Pike was also aggressive. He barked most of his lines, he glared a lot, and he was even violently intimidating (choking a frightened and physically-frail Talosian, for example, and directly threatening to burn a hole through the alien at close range).

^^^ If looks could kill, right. No wonder the Talosians concluded that humans were "too violent and dangerous a species for our needs.”

NBC rejected the first Star Trek pilot for several reasons, including Jeff Hunter’s Christopher Pike, who was considered too intense, angry and not very likable. Gee, wonder why?

Could it be because Jeff Hunter’s controlling wife was often on the set, badgering Hunter as well as the producer and director? That probably made Hunter’s job many times more difficult, and I think it showed in his performance.

When NBC requested a second Star Trek pilot, it was decided to rewrite some characters and do away with others. For example, First Officer Number One was entirely removed from the script; Spock was promoted to First Officer as well as Science Officer; Doctor Boyce (Ship’s Physician and bartender) was also eliminated from the script and replaced with a more down-to-earth country doctor (this was Doctor Piper, who quickly evolved into Doctor McCoy); and Christopher Pike was to be rewritten as a kinder, gentler, more likable Captain.

However, there was a contractual problem, inasmuch as Jeff Hunter had signed to do only one pilot and a series (if NBC bought it)…but he didn’t sign to do two pilots and a series. Gene Roddenberry and Desilu Studios really wanted Jeff Hunter to continue working on the show, but they knew they’d have to cajole Hunter (and his overbearing wife) into signing for a second pilot.

So, Roddenberry called Jeff Hunter in for a post-rejection screening of The Cage to discuss character revisions and signing another contract for another pilot. This is where it got messy.

Desilu production head Herbert Solow was at the screening and described it best:

“In the eyes of the New York and Los Angeles television world, Star Trek was already a failure. But we knew differently and looked forward to running the completed pilot for our star, Jeff Hunter. We hoped it would convince him to do another pilot. Gene and I waited in the Desilu projection room for him to arrive. He never did. Arriving in his stead was actress Sandy Bartlett, Mrs. Jeff Hunter. We traded hellos, and I nodded to Gene. He flicked the projection booth intercom switch. ‘Let's go.’

“As the end credits rolled, and the lights came up, Jeff Hunter's wife gave us our answer: ‘This is not the kind of show Jeff wants to do, and besides, it wouldn't be good for his career. Jeff Hunter is a movie star.’ Mrs. Hunter was very polite and very firm. She said her good-byes and left, having surprisingly and swiftly removed our star from our new pilot.”

–Herb Solow, Inside Star Trek: The Real Story

So, Jeff Hunter just vanished from Star Trek. He wasn’t fired, as some claimed…he quit. Or, more precisely, his beast of a wife quit for him. Two years later (1967), after Star Trek was a success, Jeff Hunter divorced his wife.

As it happened, there was another actor invited to that same screening (quietly taking notes), and that actor was Bill Shatner, who was waiting in the wings when Jeff Hunter opted out.

Thus entered the new Captain of the Enterprise, James R. Kirk.

^^^ Yep, he was actually named James R. Kirk in his first Star Trek appearance: It says so on his tombstone in “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” the second Star Trek pilot.

Shatner’s Kirk was basically just the opposite of Hunter’s Pike. Captain Kirk was thoughtful but not deeply introspective; he was not tormented but was supremely confident and never self-doubting; he loved his ship and crew, but was willing to take life-or-death risks with both; he was perfectly comfortable with women on the bridge (or just women in general); and he could be humorous, if a little irritating.

^^^ Captain Kirk was a more likable, humorous and confident alternative to Christopher Pike.

Captain Kirk, unlike Captain Pike, was always a ready negotiator, offering an olive branch first and only turning to violence as a last resort; indeed, even in violent scenes, Kirk was typically defending himself.

In short, Shatner portrayed Kirk as a role model for kids. Shatner fully realized that Star Trek was a kids’ show, first and foremost, so he played a kid’s idea of a starship captain…and nailed it.

It became apparent from the second pilot onward that Kirk’s human warmth was a perfect balance for Spock’s icy Vulcan logic (which evolved as the first season of Star Trek progressed). Their dynamic became pure gold for the series and the movie franchise.

^^^ DeForest Kelley’s emotional and quick-tempered Doctor McCoy assumed the role of a counter-character playing against Spock, while Kirk became the reasonable middle-man between the two, and so was born the legendary trio.

By Charles Austin Miller, Investigative Journalist and Publisher.

Found at Quora:

[goldendoodlerlockerlove]

Geneuary Countdown: Discussion Question #1

Hello everyone!

To drum up excitement for Geneuary, I wanted to ask a question to encourage some fun discussion!

I'd like to ask what one of your guys' favorite Gene moments is. You can choose multiple because I know it'll probably be quite difficult to narrow it down!

I have so many favorite Gene moments that it was super difficult for me to narrow down, but one moment that really made me fall in love with Gene as a character and make me appreciate him was this moment from Season 5, Episode 5, Best Burger:

There is so much I could analyze about this scene, almost too much. But I've already kind of analyzed it for my post on why I love Bob and Gene's father/son relationship, so I'll try not to repeat anything.

I adore how genuinely hard Gene worked to try and help Bob this whole episode. Sure, it was technically him who created the issue in the first place, but he was just being a kid and being forgetful, something I can definitely relate to a ton. And he spent the entire episode trying to make up for his mistake, and he went through hell and back to get that black garlic.

He could've just given up at any time and run through that Hot Fudge Car Wash, but he didn't! He persevered and insisted that he should be the one to get the garlic to Bob, as he was the reason why Bob didn't have it. Side note, Gene was very ADHD coded in this episode, and I love it, as someone whose sister and boyfriend have ADHD.

Anyway, I adore how Gene apologizes to Bob right away, but it breaks my heart every single time when he calls himself a screw-up! He actually believes that he messes things up all the time, and that makes me want to reach through the screen and give him the biggest hug imaginable. He deals with so many confidence issues under his bubbly, effervescent surface, and it's always so fascinating to analyze and unpack.

It's always so clear how everyone saying that he messed up (even using his name as a negative verb) has affected him mentally. It's caused him to believe that if he doesn't fix this mistake, he'll just be seen as a screw-up, so that's why his determination in this episode was so strong. It's admirable, but it makes me want to give him some encouragement because he definitely needs it.

And him taking a moment to say that he's always admired Bob always has me 🥺 He loves his dad so much it's so cute. He really thinks of Bob as someone to aspire to be and look up to and is much more willing to admit it than Louise. I'm sure having a child who's so verbally enthusiastic about looking up to him feels really nice for Bob. Sure, Tina is also very vocal about her love for her family too, but is probably not as enthusiastic as Gene is, at least at this moment.

Also, I know it's not related to Gene, but I love how Bob quickly apologizes for snapping. It's a small thing, but it really goes to show how good of a dad Bob is.

My second favorite Gene moment is probably this one from the ending of Season 8, Episode 9, Y Tu Ga-Ga Tambien:

I think this goes back to Gene's self-worth issues that are hidden beneath the surface. Ga-Ga Ball genuinely made him feel left out, as seen with the line "It's not a good feeling when someone says "everyone" but they don't mean you!" It's implied here that Gene has felt excluded before, and unfortunately, I can definitely see that happening.

He's been excluded before (sort of) as seen in Season 5, Episode 17, The Itty Bitty Ditty Committee, where he was kicked out of his own band. That exclusion even led him to almost give up music entirely! So whenever someone excludes Gene, he carries it deep within himself. It actually hurts him a lot, even if he doesn't always show it. He gives off a happy, bubbly exterior because he is genuinely a happy kid, but he also doesn't exactly enjoy talking about any issues he has.

But when he had an opportunity to speak out against exclusion, he took it, because he didn't want anyone else to feel the same way he did. That was why he was the only one left who didn't like Ga-Ga Ball, because of that exclusionary aspect.

But yes, this was a fantastic speech and Gene moment. The gifs were taken from this lovely post:

[theteapotofdoom]

Just found you talking about the ambiguity of the last ep in the Barry tag and I just need someone to scream over this with because none of my other irl or fandom friends watch this show, and I don’t see many people acknowledging the ambiguous ending online either.

Like I have appreciated the incredible craft exhibited in the last couple of episodes and also the profundity with which they have spoken to the cycle of violence, but the tone shift has been so severe I have really had difficulty accepting that they are taking place in reality. The show has always had a surreal tint to it but it has always also felt grounded in its small details. (And the clash between those two things was where most of the comedy lied as well). The last two eps felt so surreal and ungrounded (and similar to other uses of visions and dreams in the show, like when Barry is injured in season 3) that I kept waiting for them to be revealed as a dream. So I was kind of relieved when the show seemed to be snapping back to reality at the end of this ep.

But if it was a dream or hallucination, when did it start? We haven’t seen Barry that clean shaven and young looking for a long time. Were all the plot lines a part of it, or were some of them real? I don’t know what to think, or even what I want to be true. It feels rare that weekly release shows really leave you this unsure in between eps anymore. I am stressed!

Ok that’s all, I appreciate your Barry thoughts.

Aaaaaaah so excited to discuss Barry with other fans!!! I've been a massive fan of the show for years, but I don't think that many of my followers and mutuals watch it so I never truly get to discuss it with anyone.

On the one hand, I don't want the past two episodes to be dreams or hallucinations because I appreciate the bold decision of an eight-year jump. It feels like jumping into the unknown, all of our favourite characters are different people now, and we, the audience, were robbed of eight years of their lives. I don't even know how to explain it adequately, but there is a sense of finality here (and not just because this is the final season). There is no going back. Barry and Sally have a child. That child has a terrible life. Fuchs is now the Raven after spending eight years in jail. Hank has his own empire while still running away from his guilt even eight years after Cristobalt's death. Gene is only now talking to his son whom he shot eight years ago. There he a new status quo now, even if just for only a few episodes. And we didn't get to see it happen. We barely had time to adjust to it.

In a way, this is telling us that there was never any hope of a happy ending for any of these characters and it's SO BRUTAL I can't help but love it. Barry is living in a house with Sally and their kid like he always wanted? Absolutely awful and depressing. Sally writing a show where she is a good mother helping her daughter to get a better life? Well, she is a real mother now and definitely not a good one. Hank doing 50/50 with Cristobal? Nope, he is powerful and rich but on his own, and everyone thinks he fucked over Cristobal to get there.

BUT ON THE OTHER HAND: yeah, like you said and like a lot of people mentioned, there is a certain ... eerie or dreamlike vibe in those episodes that is hard to ignore. Like you just said, the show got us used to Barry's daydreams and hallucinations, so it's something that we were taught to expect from time to time. This is why the end of episode 4 got us speculating like crazy! And this is why even now, as it should be confirmed that is all very real, we still can't help but think "But is it though???"

I like that you said that felt relieved at the end of the episode when it felt like we were snapping back to reality because I kind of felt that too. I know I just said that said I want the time jump to be real because it makes for a better story, but there is something comforting in the idea that it isn't. Because it feels as if the time jump isn't real and it was all a dream, then there is still hope for all our characters. They can still get out of it. Does that make sense?

We will soon see I guess! I also think that it's quite likely that we are all just overthinking everything and we all just got confused because Bill looks younger without the glasses on XD

A last point that I want to bring up is that I feel a lot of David Lynch vibes this season and I love it. It makes a lot of sense, because Bill Hader is a massive cinephile and talks about David Lynch A LOT in interviews, and the influence has never been more present than in season 3 and especially 4 of Barry. David Lynch is the director of the dreams and the surreal. From Twin Peaks to Mulholland Drive, his movies are often about reality and dreams merging, to the point where the audience never truly knows what's real or not. Even in his seemingly more straightforward movies like Blue Velvet, Lynch has a way of filming the most mundane things like an eerie nightmare. The man will show you an empty apartment and you will have nightmares about it for weeks. I really felt the Lynch influence this season and it's super interesting to me.

Yes hi hello I love talking about Barry, Bill Hader we are getting you another Emmy ON GOD!!!!

[ratguy-nico]

Gene for the character ask!

an anon ask me this I dont know if should be scare XD But at least someone ask so thankiu Anon And here we Go with my fav bean:

First impression: Okey dont judge me but I actually fall really fast for my Gene XD lit the episode that seal the deal for me was Spaghetti Western from season 1 so yeah it was almost love at first sight, love at first season

Impression now: I mean, they're my bean, my precious little baby, they are the sun that shine in my sky XD for real with every episode I fall a lil deeper They're just too precious for me

Favorite moment: This is a bit weird but it is his whole song for Courtney in the Gene and Courtney's Show but specially his line "Your heart is not broken is only growing" I have never had a romantic relationship I do not ship Gene x Courtney, why does this moment make me cry? that and the whole Stand by Gene episode

Idea for a story: Im terrible for this, but i don't have any idea like for an actual episode, I did wanted to try making a comic in which Gene want to put a play and have to asume the role of director, but struggle with not being able to properly work with others since she has such an informal and messy way of working, how if something seems to hard she just quite, how Gene deal with frustration and how she sometime takes it out on those who try to help her like her friends and family, but we have seen this in many episodes so is not a very original idea 😅

Unpopular opinion: I dont think I have any, I think all of us love Gene, think their amazing and that they totally need to be taken more seriousley by the avarege viewer and the crew. Maybe that's my unpopular opinion? for me the crew has contributed to Gene being taken as a least important character in the family, they have give her some deep episodes yeah, of course, but mostley they forgot about Gene, for example in the movie Gene has the least important plot of all. I know is hard with three kids, and Bob and Linda, but come on! (though I love Loren Bouchard and the whole crew, this is just me being pity)

Favorite relationship: ships aside, I actually love Gene's father/son relationship with Bob, I want as many episode with this two you can give me. And…as a lil surprise I would love to see Gene interact more with Jimmy Jr, I dont know why but I think they would be good for each other, artistically talking, they both struggle in the artistic medium they love, cause even if arts is "free" is still have to please the mayority (this is actually a main plot in the comic I am not making) And in the shipping department Galex 👍

Favorite headcanon: Im also terrible at headcanons so I just have dumb ones. The main one is, you know how Gene has composed many songs in the serie? well, for me, Gene compose the whole song "My Butt Has a Fever" and probably made the coreo too, Louise could have help a lil on the lyrics but is mostly an original Gene. That and Gene use belcro shoes…why? cause I used belcro shoes until i was like…16(?) I hate shoelaces and even now days i made that thing when you tie your shoes like looseley and you just dont untied it like never, how many shoes i have ruin? i dont care, I want for Gene to have the same problem cause i love her :D (does Gene being genderfluid is a headcanon? cause for me is a super canon thing)

That's all, anon, I don't know if I know you, I don't know if you know me, probably yes cause you pick my bean, but whatever it is, I love you, besito en la frente.

[joeonmusic]

Beast Mode is out today!

Yesterday I held a listening party on Bandcamp to celebrate the release of my new EP, Beast Mode, and give people some insights into the songs. I thought I'd share my notes for those who couldn't make it, so you can read as you listen along. The EP is produced by Chris Marney (referred to as Chris throughout here).

Pass the puffer is the first track and I wrote the lyrics after reading about an episode of Spy in the Wild on BBC. It was narrated by David Tennant. In it, the dolphins pass round a puffer fish and get blissed out from small doses of the lethal toxins. I did a bit more research on dolphins and put something together that’s not supposed to be political or animal rights based, just observations of strange behaviour.

The music was written a while ago, and I added the guitar and dolphin samples a bit later. I think my producer did a good job in bringing out the bass notes a bit better than I had it in the original mix - that’s never my strongest point. 

Fed to the tigers is probably the saddest song on the EP. Again, in terms of the music, the guitar was the last thing I added and I think it gives it an extra dimension with the tremolo weaving in and out. The lyrics explore how a zoo came to decide to kill a 2-year-old giraffe. Marius the giraffe was born at Copenhagen zoo, but he was from the same gene pool as too many other giraffes in European zoos so was no use for breeding the next generation and it costs money and requires space to keep such animals. They didn’t want to sell him to some private collector or a circus so decided the most humane thing was to kill him and feed him to the tigers. I don’t make a judgement, just think it’s a dilemma that’s worth thinking about…

Cyborg (broken animal) is up third and it’s less of a story than an exploration of these around adding technology to humans and animals. There’s a philosophical element to it in terms of how we should feel about experimenting with impulses going straight to the brain to control movements and things, plus a bit of a fear of what if it goes wrong and robot-insect armies start attacking us!

Musically it is the probably the closest to dance music through parts of it, although there’s a really brutal guitar solo in it to throw you off. You can hear what Chris did with the remix a bit later for a different take on the song.

Sweet Kiss of Death (or the story) was suggested to me by my Twitter friend Stephen Haggart. There was a horse (Sweet Kiss) that won a race, but the jockey died on his back some time before the end. I decided to write the song from the point of view of the horse who was henceforth nicknamed Sweet Kiss of Death.

I wrote the music for this a couple of years ago, but played around with it and added the weird talking bass sound to get away from it being too traditional a reggae sound. I’ve always loved reggae and those who’ve listened to my earlier albums will have heard elements in those from the genre. Also from my band at uni, we had a dub reggae stage, influenced by Boo Radleys and other 90s bands who added it into rock/indie.

The cyborg remix is not the first time my voice has been put through a decoder. The Invisible squirrel also did it with the remix of Trace in 2022: Listen here for that. I love what Chris did with this. It has a very different feel from my version, while still being recognisable. The guitar solo's gone, but there are some really gnarly synths to give that menace still.

Radioactive hybrid terror pigs was originally released in October 2022. It was the first song Chris mixed for me, so I thought I’d bring it back, as it was just a single, so has never been on Bandcamp. It was fast and punky all the way through before, so I slowed down the verses and chopped up the guitar line, adding a few synth elements, too. 

I read a story about how the wild boars moved into the contaminated land without feeling any ill effects and made themselves at home, inter-breeding with the domesticated pigs that had been left behind in the desperate aftermath of the disaster. The title’s a little bit sensationalist, but when I read it, I just thought that has to be a song! Thematically it fits perfectly with this EP.

I hope you enjoy listening to the EP. Please buy a copy on Bandcamp if you can, or just share it with people who you think will like listening to it. Word of mouth and recommendations from friends are the best promo in the world.

[pesterloglog]

Karkat Vantas, Jade Harley, Kanaya Maryam

Act 5, page 3975-3985

PAST carcinoGeneticist [PCG] 03:14 HOURS AGO responded to memo.

PCG: OH GOD, HE'S STILL FOLLOWING YOU?

PCG: THAT IS SO MESSED UP.

?GG: yeah...

?GG: its ok though. as long as he is tailing me like a lost puppy, at least hes not killing anybody

PCG: DON'T TRUST HIM JADE, I'M TELLING YOU. HE IS A STAB HAPPY PLANET EXPLODING ASSHOLE.

PCG: REMEMBER WHAT HE DID TO DAVE? IT WAS LIKE THIS WHOLE EPISODE, YOU HAD A HYSTERICAL EPISODE ABOUT IT, REMEMBER?

?GG: i remember the episode!!!

?GG: but hes ok now

?GG: and im kind of starting to think that was just his way of saying hi

?GG: my dog used to fetch my bullets too!

?GG: i really think he believes he is my dog, on some level

PCG: JUST DON'T TURN YOUR BACK ON HIM, JADE.

PCG: DON'T TURN YOUR BACK ON THE PUPPY.

?GG: dont worry, im keeping my eye on him

?GG: aaaaaa no no no, bad jack, bad!!!!!!

PCG: HE REALLY SEEMS TO HATE FROGS.

?GG: yeah...

?GG: the poor froggies :(

PCG: MY JACK HAD THIS IRRATIONAL THING AGAINST FROGS TOO.

PCG: I MEAN MY NORMAL JACK. NOT PSYCHOPATH OMNIPOJACK.

FGA: Derse Agents Are Heavily Predisposed Toward The Murder And Desecration Of Amphibious Lifeforms And Their Iconography Respectively

FGA: Frequently I Had To Thwart Assassination Attempts From Their Kingdom

FGA: Or Extermination Attempts Is Probably Better To Say

?GG: youre probably right, they really seem to drive him crazy

?GG: this is not the first time i have had to reprimand him

PCG: WAIT, DID HE FOLLOW YOU INTO THE PALACE TOO JUST NOW?

PCG: IS THAT WHO YOU WERE YELLING AT?

?GG: he was growling at echidna and i had to tell him he was being very bad

?GG: he destroyed some of her really nice statues too

?GG: keeping him in line really makes me miss bec, he was such a good dog

?GG: not to mention a best friend

?GG: jack is just...

FGA: Bad Dog

FGA: Worst Enemy

?GG: exactly

PCG: I DON'T LIKE THIS A FUCKING BIT, IT MAKES ME REALLY NERVOUS.

PCG: YOU JUST CHILLING WITH AN UNSPEAKABLY POWERFUL MASS MURDERER WITH THE BRAIN OF A WILD ANIMAL WHO'S ABOUT TO HOP SESSIONS AND TRY TO KILL ALL OF US IN A FEW HOURS.

PCG: AND WHAT WERE YOU EVEN DOING THERE AGAIN, YOU STILL HAVEN'T TOLD ME.

?GG: huh?

PCG: THE PALACE.

FGA: I Recommended She Return To Her Denizen For Advice

PCG: ABOUT WHAT

FGA: The Location Of The Final Frog Required To Complete The Gene Sequence

FGA: One Whose Song Should Remove The Last Traces Of Dissonance From The Waveform

FGA: The Creature Is Quite Elusive Remember

PCG: OH YEAH

PCG: YOU WERE SEARCHING FOR WEEKS

FGA: Yes

PCG: AND YOU NEVER FOUND IT

FGA: I Had A Good Lead

FGA: But You Decided There Was Not Enough Time Left To Bother With It

PCG: THE RECKONING HAD STARTED.

PCG: WE HAD TO KILL THE KING.

FGA: Understood But This Was A Matter That Really Did Require Your Attention

PCG: YEAH I KNOW, BUT MAYBE I WAS SICK TO FUCKING DEATH OF MUDDLING AROUND WITH FROGS AND THEIR CACOPHONOUS GODDAMN RIBBITS AND MIXING THEIR SLIME AND SHIT.

PCG: I'M NOT AN ECTO SCIENTIST NO MATTER HOW MANY GRUBS WHO TURNED OUT TO BE US THE GAME MADE ME ACCIDENTALLY MAKE.

?GG: but you are a programmer arent you? that is at least kind of like being a scientist, having some technical savvy...

PCG: I WAS A SHITTY PROGRAMMER. AND ANYWAY I ONLY PROGRAMMED VIRUSES.

PCG: SHITTY VIRUSES.

PCG: I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE A SLIME TECHNICIAN OR A FROG FARMER OR A MYSTICAL FUCKING CROAK DECODER. I'M A WARRIOR AND A LEADER AND A COLD BLOODED KILLER.

?GG: we know! you are clearly very good at being all of those things

?GG: but now we need your help with frog science. can you help us?

PCG: HOW LONG WILL THIS TAKE

PCG: I DON'T MIND HELPING BUT I HAVE MAJOR LEADERSHIP DUTIES TO ATTEND TO HERE.

FGA: Yes I Know The Team Is Falling Apart And Everything

FGA: But Doing This Was Your Duty Too

FGA: And After A Point Of Critical Complication There Is Only So Much Responsibility You Can Take For The Actions Of Your Team

PCG: KANAYA, WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?

PCG: WHAT HAPPENS IN THE FUTURE, ARE YOU GIVING ME SOME ASSURANCE THAT THINGS WILL WORK OUT?

PCG: BECAUSE RIGHT NOW I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE HELL ANYBODY IS.

FGA: The Future

FGA: Um

FGA: Okay Im A Vampire Now Apparently If That Helps

PCG: WHAT THE FUCK IS A VAMPIRE

?GG: shhhhhhhshhhshhshshsh.....

?GG: SHOOSH

?GG: no future talk!!! lets stay on topic

PCG: OH MY GOD WHY CAN'T I GET A STRAIGHT FUCKING ANSWER TO A THING, IT'S A SIMPLE QUESTION

?GG: kanaya means she is a very pretty girl with pointy fangs who has a bright sunny complexion and wears fancy dresses

PCG: THANKS, THAT CLEARED EVERYTHING JUST RIGHT THE HELL UP!

?GG: and...

?GG: she drinks blood >_>

PCG: OH

PCG: YOU MEAN A RAINBOW DRINKER

PCG: YEAH, I ALREADY KNOW ABOUT HER TRASHY NOVEL FANTASIES.

PCG: ARE WE DONE SHITTING AROUND

FGA: They Arent Trashy

?GG: hee hee

PCG: YES, HILARIOUS.

PCG: I GUESS I HAVE NO CHOICE TO BELIEVE YOU BECAUSE SKEPTICISM IN THIS SITUATION IS FOR IDIOTS RIGHT?

PCG: IF I SAID "YEAH RIGHT! IF THERE'S A DRINKER IN THIS HIVE I'LL EAT MY COCOON!" I'D BE LIKE THE DUMB LUSUS IN THE MOVIE WHO DOESN'T BELIEVE THE KID WHEN HE TELLS IT THERE'S A RAINBOW DRINKER IN THE CLOSET.

PCG: SO I GUESS BY REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY I SHOULD NOT BE THAT DUMBASS, YELL "OH FUCK", AND TELL EVERYONE TO GET IN THE SCUTTLEBUGGY BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE.

PCG: WELL FAT CHANCE, I'M NOT FALLING FOR IT.

FGA: That Sounds Like A Stupid Movie

PCG: HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT SHE LOOKS LIKE ANYWAY, DID YOU SEE HER IN ONE OF YOUR AFTERLIFE BUBBLES?

?GG: yup :)

PCG: WHY? WHEN??

?GG: karkat...

?GG: that information qualifies as..........

?GG: FUTURE STUFF!

PCG: JUST

PCG: I DON'T KNOW ANYMORE, SHIT IS GETTING AWAY FROM ME

PCG: THE MORE TIME GOES BY WITHOUT WORD FROM GAMZEE THE MORE I WORRY

PCG: AND THE MORE I FEEL LIKE SOMETHING TERRIBLE HAS HAPPENED

PCG: OR WILL HAPPEN

PCG: I SHOULD GO.

?GG: no wait! just please listen a little longer?

FGA: Yes Staying Would Be Better

FGA: Trust Me That This Was And Still Is A Very Important Thing For You To Have Done And Still Do

FGA: Maybe Even The Most Important

PCG: FINE.

PCG: BUT LET'S MOVE IT ALONG.

PCG: DID ECHIDNA TELL YOU WHERE TO FIND THIS FROG?

?GG: not exactly...

?GG: she just helped me remember

PCG: REMEMBER WHAT?

?GG: something from my past

?GG: if i accepted her terms

FGA: What Were Her Terms You Never Did Tell Me

?GG: yeah because you never told me yours!!!

FGA: Oh

FGA: I Just Thought It Wasnt That Important Or Interesting

FGA: Since Karkat Thought The Battle Was More Pressing Than To Wait For Me To Locate Another Frog

FGA: Also

FGA: What She Asked Me To Do Was Impossible

FGA: So

FGA: Yeah

?GG: hmm

?GG: yeah she made me promise to do something that sounds impossible too

?GG: except......

?GG: i actually agreed :o

?GG: i have no idea how im going to keep my side of the bargain, now that i think about it

PCG: EXCUSE ME.

PCG: REMEMBER

PCG: FUCKING

PCG: WHAT.

?GG: oh right

?GG: where the last frog is!

?GG: or was...

?GG: the thing is

?GG: the frog we need is nowhere to be found in the medium

?GG: it was on earth!

?GG: but only very briefly

?GG: it was when i was young

?GG: before i woke up on prospit

?GG: i had begun sleep walking

?GG: both on the island and on the moon

?GG: and in my dream it was very bright

?GG: i saw something in the light

?GG: i couldnt tell what it was so i got closer

?GG: but before i got there i woke up

?GG: and found myself by the lagoon surrounding the ruins

?GG: i was about to walk home

?GG: when i saw something appear on a lily pad

?GG: it was a frog!

?GG: an amazing shiny frog, not like any other ive seen in the lagoon

?GG: it hopped over to me and i picked it up

?GG: but then, just like that...

?GG: it died

?GG: later my grandpa made a robot for me to help me with my sleep walking

?GG: it could do all the walking while i stayed safe in bed!

?GG: it could also record my dreams

?GG: i am sure he always knew my dreams were going to be special

?GG: i suspect he knew it before i was even born

PCG: OK GREAT, SO IT'S THERE ON THE MONITOR, PROBLEM SOLVED

PCG: YOU JUST APPEARIFY ITS GHOST IMPRINT, MIX IT WITH YOUR CURRENT EVOLUTION'S PARADOX SLIME, SMOOTH OUT THE GENETIC WAVEFORM, TADPOLIFY BILIOUS SLICK, AND YOU'RE DONE.

?GG: hopefully!

PCG: SO YOU DIDN'T REMEMBER SEEING THIS FROG WHEN YOU WERE A KID AT ALL?

?GG: no, it completely slipped my mind

PCG: HOW DID SHE GET YOU TO REMEMBER?

PCG: I MEAN, WHAT DID SHE MAKE YOU AGREE TO?

?GG: well, like it was before

?GG: the choices she gives you seem to have to do with facing mortality

?GG: and making it clear if you choose one path over another it will lead to your death

?GG: and that your death may even be necessary to accomplish a goal

FGA: Yes Ive Inferred Their Ultimata Are All Personalized Variations On The Presentation Of Such Dilemmas

?GG: yeah

?GG: but

?GG: that is not really what made this hard

?GG: i mean

?GG: nobody wants to die of course

?GG: but at least...

?GG: that is a clear thing

?GG: you either do you you dont

?GG: you know?

PCG: YOU SAID WHAT SHE ASKED WAS IMPOSSIBLE.

?GG: it might be

FGA: What Were Her Demands

?GG: she said

?GG: that if i accepted her help

?GG: that i would have to make a promise

?GG: that whenever we left this place

?GG: and wherever we end up going

?GG: she had to come

PCG: HUH?

?GG: not just echidna but all the denizens

?GG: their palaces their consorts their lands...

?GG: everything

?GG: i have to bring them all with us

[theredpharaoah]

Rewatching, and I kinda feel bad for Jasper. I’m on “We Are Grounders” Part 2, and Jasper’s proven himself many times by now - within the episode even. Them constantly having no confidence in him - even when he delivers - wasn’t helping to make him better. On another note, it is impossible to miss the graveyard of plot lines literally everywhere. What was JR doing? You can literally so many avenues he meant to go, and then decided not to pursue at the last second. It just ended, but this is definitely a show that needs a reboot. He just kept fumbling the story. Even The Primes in Season 6 - that was good. He should’ve did something with them instead of going to Bardo. And then season 7 rips literally everything in prior seasons to shreds. If every Grounder had nightblood, then how did it become rare? Fighting for commander wouldn’t have done shit cuz everyone who was on the ground needed NB - they would’ve had to kill everyone. Also, it’s a gene therapy not like an epigentic trait that was switched on. There’s no way they would’ve selected against it at that scale in only 100 years. Opposite of that, there’s no way The Ark ppl would’ve been able to adapt to solar radiation like that in only 100 years. I also think the degradation of knowledge for the Grounders didn’t make a lot of sense. Those people were just like the people on the Ark - there had to have been physicists and doctors and whatnot amongst the rich and famous in that Bunker(we saw there was). All of that just disappeared? Mt Weather just discovered a 21st century bone marrow transplant when Skaikru arrived? They couldn’t have done that to the Grounders 100 years before? Let’s not forget the characters. Octavia and Clarke were the only ones who he really developed. The rest were just going in circles. Bringing kids in the way they did was not smart. Especially since Madi was just there after season 5. No real purpose at all. Expanding the world was good, but the way he did it wasn’t. ALLIE was a mistake I fear. We should’ve stuck to the Lord of The Flies sorta thing, and The Mountain Men should’ve been more than one season. It would’ve been cool if there was like a conglomerate of Mountain Men - multiple bunkers like that working together. Everyone in the main group at least should’ve became a warrior. Clarke becoming someone’s second as a peace offering could’ve been cool - Lexa would’ve been the only one she could be second too without making Skaikru look weak though. Her, Luna, or the Flamekeepers. Bellamy and Clarke’s friend dynamic was great, but watching S1 back - they should’ve been together. Lincoln really didn’t have to die. Finn was definitely not the one in the group who would’ve ended up doing what he did. Monty and Jasper should’ve been a couple. That could’ve been how Jasper got out of his depression over the girl he only knew for two weeks. Wells really didn’t have to die. We saw Bellamy fucking everyone - I feel like we should’ve seen him with some boys too. The future they built seemed like no one cared about sexuality - which to me means damn near everyone should be fluid. Heteronormativity as a societal expectation plays a much larger role than people think. I think it’s telling that the Female leads were bi, yet only two side characters were gay(3 if we count Miller’s first bf). Grounder religion and spirituality should’ve been explored way more too. I’ve got many more comments and ideas, but know that I will be a major player on the eventual Reboot. This was a really new take on an apocalypse and while it was good it could’ve been done better.

[skitzs]

Rin is super hot and that's okay

So, since I'm bored today, I have come up with a solution to fight it by talking about how pretty/gorgeous/handsome/freaking attractive Rin Matsuoka is, CANONICALLY.

Let's start with: How these fellows stated this themselves in a Staff Talk. There was quite a lot there, but I'll paste the ones I only need to highlight. [quit being lazy and read, damn]

Please tell us of something you established about their elementary school days during production.

Nishiya: As for their design, we started from their high school bodies and we used that as the base for their elementary school looks.

Utsumi: We made them wear shorts. It’s something you couldn’t even imagine them wearing now! Even though I’d like to see it.

Yoneda: That’s right! Shorts and white socks!

Nishiya: We called it “mama pride” didn’t we (lol)?

Utsumi: Since around this time, everyone wears clothes that their mother chose for them.

Nishiya: It really does have a feeling that they’re being forced to wear those things.

Utsumi: They definitely wouldn’t wear those things on their own.

Yoneda: Rin wore really stylish clothes though.

Utsumi: At that time Rin wore clothes he chose himself. That’s why he had more stylish children’s clothes!

Yoneda: and there were a lot of colors!

Nishiya: That’s right! It feels very different from his monotone now.

Yoneda: When I showed Utsumi-san and Nishiya-san the colors I had come up with for his clothes they told me to make them more colorful.

Utsumi: I said “Young! More young!” (lol)

Yoneda: She said to make the lining a different color and such.

Utsumi: He had a t-shirt with “LOVE” written on it! So stylish~!

Nishiya: That’s right (lol). I don’t think many people noticed that though.

Utsumi: Wearing clothes that are slightly embarrassing is cute. It’s that sort of age period.

Nishiya: Who was the one who said that Haruka should have white socks?

Yoneda: Someone said “The child version should wear white socks!” and it was decided.

Utsumi: Shorts and white socks are obviously a set!

Yoneda: We discussed it and everyone agreed.

Nishiya: It’s Makoto that I can’t relax about.

Yoneda: His legs make me fidgety! (lol)

Nishiya: I can’t really look at them! (lol)

Utsumi: Why!?

Nishiya: Because you can see his bare legs! When I think about it now, aren’t Haruka and Makoto’s sock lengths switched?

Utsumi・Yoneda: (lol)

Yoneda: Makoto’s outfit is “mama’s pride” too, isn’t it?

Utsumi: He looks like a good child. In season 1 there were times when his clothes were super cute too. I think the clothes he wore in episode 10 when they were talking on the stone steps!

Yoneda: Ah! I know! That parka that had lines on the lining!

Utsumi: Yes! That was cute.

Nishiya: Yeah. ……How was Rin’s hair different?

Yoneda: Was it different somehow?

Nishiya: Wasn’t it longer in length over all compared to now?

Utsumi: Even though you drew it yourself why are you so doubtful……(lol).

Nishiya: And then, the mysterious ‘X’ in his bangs wasn’t there, it had more of a sleek look.

Yoneda: That’s right.

Utsumi: It was really cute.

Nishiya: He was a bishounen.

Utsumi: Haruka and Makoto’s hairstyle didn’t change much from when they were high schoolers, but Rin’s was different.

-END-

Anddddd... We all know what bishounen means.

So that's one official fact. FACT. Rin Matsuoka, from the moment he was born, is naturally PRETTY. Like, c'mon, have y'all seen this boy?

Then, have y'all seen his sister AND momma,,

[yeah im pretty stoopid at finding images, sue me]

anyway-

It's in their genes. Need I say more? Actually, I should.

I saw this one post - check it out please, if you haven't.

And I just squealed so hard after reading it and damn, I thought it made so much sense hahaha. Indeed, Rin and Haru met here for the first time, and they caught each other's attention at FIRST FREAKING GLANCE. Just at face value, they must've already thought like, "Who is this kid? I need to know. I feel like we're meant to know each other."

Which takes us back to the Staff Talk about Rin being "bishounen" in his younger days, right? Haru was first attracted to Rin, physically?? Before they raced each other, and thus became even more attracted to him. However you want to interpret what "attracted to him" could mean. Because attraction obviously means:

at·tract /əˈtrakt/ verb

past tense: attracted; past participle: attracted

cause to come to a place or participate in a venture by offering something of interest, favorable conditions, or opportunities.

LOL.

Tsuntsun Haru, however, wanted to appear cool and unbothered, and UNINTERESTED [like pls, we can see through you, haru-chan] XD we know what's up. -don't skip the fuckin link, i can see u

MOVING ON,,, HARU, I know you can't resist ze beauty~ you even imagine young rin so PRETTILY. LMAO

So there you have it, folks, it's clear as day, Rin is 8278493271% LEGIT NO CAP (REAL) gorgeous canonically!

He's even got long eyelashes to prove that.

great body that even momo would [stop and stare] at rin's bo0bs (ikyk that scene in samezuka dormsss hehe), Isuzu to talk about him to Gou about some "rumors" that he, in fact, has a great body to the point of having cleavage (ikyk from which scene this was too), and for his own sister AKA the newly appointed president of the muscles department TM (sorry, mikhail, a new leader has been born) to be quite proud of his physique too-

(take that thing off, oniichan!! at the sakura pool) (although gou has demonstrated her proudest moments abt her broskie's muscles many times throughout the show) (if it were other siblings, they'd prolly be like ewww)

AND SO, let me just end this with a rinharu pic bc i can and i love my otp so damn much

guess some things never change :')

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL

April 2021 Part 1

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Second Chance Ep 1 - living up to its name since it looks to be a series of redemption arcs. Launched with a college confession and a broken friendship, then a flash back to them as seniors in high school. Pairings include friends to lovers, nerd/jock, and maybe cafe boss/employee. There’s a lot going on, but it’s still... quiet and sweet. The script is pretty pat but it’s still WAY more watchable than Cupid Coach or Brothers and most of the acting is solid. Ep 1 tropes included: he’s in engineering, wound tending, fast & bicurious. This could turn into what I wanted My Gear & Your Gown to be. Fingers crossed. 

Love Poison 2 Ep 1 & 2 turns out I did watch and report on season 1 (8 eps), season 2 seems equally unmemorable. Thai countryside setting, strong dialect, incomprehensible plot, camp side characters, and ghastly singing. 

Y-Destiny Ep 1 (eng subs?) - opened with the sports romance enemies to lovers (they aren’t going in the teaser order). When the couple got over fighting, the flirting was v cute, but the flipping SPONGE BATH trope had to rear its ugly head. Still, this series is shaping up to be less coy and more frank than most BL, better than expected. It feels, I don’t know, gay-er or something?  *** Sources were correct that each couple is getting (at least) 2 eps, and MDL has been updated to say this is a 15 episode series (not 7). 

Cupid Coach 12 fin - The new Nite was great and should have been a main all along. It felt like we got a tiny nugget of what could have been in about 10 minutes worth of this last ep. It was way too slow with terrible editing and a criminally bad script, but at least it ended happy. Mostly, like Friend Forever, I’m just disappointed that these two actors were done dirty by the series. Bad Cupid Coach, no screen caps for you. 

Lovely Writer Ep 6 - breaking news, there’s a het couple I like: toppy bi femme + soft boi = such a good pairing! I know, but this NEVER happens. Meanwhile, Sib’s secret is out, Gene is a bit of a drama queen, and the plot thickens. We half way through.  

Brothers Ep 9 - Kaow had a serious moment of advice giving that was truly lovely. Lots of family dama made this a superior episode to... well... any of the others in this series. Which isn’t saying much. 

1000 Stars Ep 10 fin - at the start this series didn’t grab me the way GMMTV’s last BL, Tonhon Chonlatee, did. But boy did it end 1000x better. Might have given us 2021′s best forehead kiss. I enjoyed the ultra romantic cliff-top reunion kiss, and I LOVED the stinger flirting scene. That was an absolute gift we had no right to expect. This drama is a poster child for finishing on a high note (always focus on that dessert course). Final thoughts? This was FAR more a classic romance than it was BL. There were some BL tropes used but not many and most of them originated in the romance genre not yaoi. A picture perfect ending bumped 1000 Stars much higher up my best-of list than expected. Not sure how often I’ll rewatch it as a whole, but this last episode? I’m probably rewatching it right now. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Dear Uranus (Taiwan GL) Ep 3 fin - I guess that’s it? Okaaaaay  

HIStory 4: Close To You (Taiwan) Ep 3 (AKA Ep 5-6) - we got actual legit gay culture not just BL (always appreciated) from XingSi. I’m starting to find LiCheng’s “show them we fucking” hijinks hilarious rather than annoying (not sure why, maybe I just love a rubber chicken, or maybe it was the STUFFED CORN WITH THE TASSEL that did it). 

-- H4 Moment of RANT --

Tropes included beach trip, there’s only one bed, cook for him, baby is a floppy drunk, carry baby to bed, and.... drunk non-con. Whoopdedoo. Here we go again. Did TharnType teach us NOTHING? (Apparently it taught us if the chemistry is good enough, I have no morals at all.) At least H4 seems to be taking us out of cheese into serious when it comes to assault. Or is it? 

I take back what I said last week about XingSi & YongJie being codependency + salvation trope, that only works if YongJie is the uke. He’s NOT. So we got us an obsessive predatory villain with a possible redemption arc. That’s more common in crime dramas, mafia romance, and epic fantasy than BL. It’s real hard to redeem a sexual predator in a reality-grounded universe like contemporary romance (See Kla in LBC1&2). 

Next week is gonna be a test of the whole damn franchise. Imma remind both me a you that this was ep 3 of 10 so we got a ways to go yet... but ooof, what have we wrought, BL? (I ended up doing a whole post about the stepbrother trope because of this sub plot.) Taiwan is killing me.

-- RANT ended --

Word of Honor (China) Ep 19-21 - over half way point so we got ALL the back story (in a classic 4 act story structure midway reveal). Now we know who WKX really is and his lineage. We also got some cute hugs and hand holds. Moving along at a nice clip despite being 36 eps total. Still gayest thing to come out of we-not-gay China since Advance Bravely. 

Most Peaceful Place (Vietnam) Ep 2 - takes them a while to get eng subs together and ep 2 didn’t drop until late. So I’m putting this in a Thurs time slot going forward. Miscommunication already cleared up and a 2nd couple has been introduced. The pacing on these Vietnamese BLs is always a bit... off. But it’s still better than most of its ilk, enjoyable. I’m thinking it’s a 6 ep arc. 

We Best Love 2 (Taiwan) Ep 5 - after the initial drama DRAMA of ep 2, the current external crisis at work is much quieter, giving this whole season a top heavy feel. Taken along side the first season, I think it’s fitting nicely into a 4 act structure, but that might be my bias. I hope I’m not wrong, we’ll find out next week. Shi De puttering about being domestic with Shu Yi on his back was the best execution of the piggyback trope EVER. Meanwhile, our little D/s side couple of codependency, salvation trope + mental illness is becoming weirdly appealing. I don’t know. H4 done mess with my head. 

Stand Alones 

Absolute BL AKA Zettai BL ni Naru Sekai vs Zettai BL ni Naritakunai Otoko  (Japan) Ep 1-4 mini series. Found subs under A Man Who Defies The World of BL. IT’S HILARIOUS. It’s Japan making fun of us, but also itself for having started this whole BL nonsense - from yaoi roots to present day. It’s parody goddamn gold. Utterly cheeky unto the very last line. We are not worthy. 

Apparently the most powerful tropes of all time are: baby is a floppy drunk and the piggyback fo nobility. Oh and chocolate. {Full review here.} 

Honestly, this show may have been made with only @heretherebedork and I in mind. I don’t know if you’d even understand half of it if you don’t have a history with the manga source genre and an obsessive interest in underlying narrative devices. I haven’t seen much chatter in the blog’o’sphere on this one because, in the end, it’s not a romance at all, it’s social commentary. 

The ending line was a masterclass in lampooning a genre. I’m going to rewatch the whole thing just to catch all the digs I missed first time around. It is a thing of beauty and a joy forever. 

Thank you Japan. I forgive you all your hair-styling sins of the last decade. 

Breaking News 

Spring Line Up:

Scholar Ryu’s Wedding Ceremony AKA Nobleman Ryu’s Wedding (Korean historical BL) April 15th 

Close Friend the series (Thai trailer) April 22. 

2gether the movie (Thai trailer) April 22 to Thai theaters.

Nitiman (Thai) May 7 on One31.

I Told Sunset About You 2 (Thai) May 27 on LineTV

Ossan’s Love (Hong Kong) June to Viu 

Gossip 

Bad Buddies released its first promo op via Arm Share, which means GMMTV is at least *thinking* about filming it. 

Fun behind the scenes gossip sesh with eng subs for Tell the World I Love You (that Perth Bas movie we are maybe getting someday but will likely be sad). 

New Thai BL Bite Me (adapted from novel Grab a Bite) dropped a teaser. It stars Mark Siwat (Kla in LBC) as uke character Ake, a delivery boy with special foodie powers, and chef Eua (seme played by Zung Kidakorn) who discovers him. It’s from the same author as Manner of Death so we might even get some actual plot. Since it’s an established BL actor who I happen LOVE, a known author, and a plot about FOOD, I could not me more excited for this one. 

Next Week Looks Like This:

Some shows may be listed a day later than actual air date for accessibility reasons. Some are dropping multiples at a time but just started so I’m not sure on numbering. 

Upcoming 2021 BL master post here.

Links to watch are provided when possible, ask in a comment if I missed something.

[blazichu]

#catch me rattling on about GG pt 2 for paragraphs

Please continue when you can. I love your reading your analysis!

Apparently I'm incapable of looking over one half of Good Genes without doing the other, so I guess we get a double feature tonight:

Part 1:

I am, of course, contractually obligated to point out my favorite line from the cold open: "My friend Donatello is one of the gentlest souls I've met, with one of the finest minds I've ever known." It seems especially relevant since, later on, Stockman reduces Don to "The smart one"

One thing I noticed this run through is that Leo's speech is slightly different than usual this arc. My favorite is his response to "It's only a matter of time before [Don] is lost forever"; his tone changes dramatically between the two halves of his line, "That's not gonna happen" and "We can't let that happen." The first is his usual 'decisive leader' voice, but the second has this kind of worried warble to it. It's great, and Sinterniklaas gets an A+

Of course there's the breakfast sequence. I don't really have much that hasn't already been said about it, but there's something sweet and sad about how Mike says that he "Just wanted to give him some food". It's just so little, a basic need that he's trying to fill because he cares, and it goes so wrong so fast.

My fourth point is kiiiinda weird and a stretch, but I've always loved the way Outbreak (as an arc) sets up so many bits and pieces that pay off specifically in AiTS/GG. It's usually stuff Don's been working on-- like the trapper gear, the tunnel to April's, or Stockman's helicopter. It's just neat, kind of setting up how indispensable Don's presence really is if he's able to help without being mentally present.

Anyway, right back to Leo and line delivery. The other part of this is that he keeps hesitating and grasping for the right words when it comes to what happened to Don. He refuses to put a name to it when he tells everyone that the helicopter was the last thing Don was working on, "[...] before... Before."

There's also "Don got infected. He's been transformed into... into a monster."

This is something I've definitely written about before, but idk if I ever posted it. Don's behavior after arriving at Area 51 is remarkably intelligent. He's able to use the guards' taser sticks against one another to get free, take out Leatherhead while he has the element of surprise (notable in that Leatherhead was the biggest threat/the one to subdue him in AiTS), turns on Stockman (who was responsible for the transfer in the first place), uses the glass from the containment unit as a shield, and actively prevents Splinter from doing whatever mind thing he did earlier. It's a far cry from lashing out and snapping wildly, and I've always thought it was interesting.

And the tranquilizer scene. Honestly, I find it kind of hard to watch, but I do like the way Leo kneels down next to Don after he's knocked out.

Part 2

I'm gonna talk about cold opens again, because I just realized that this episode essentially begins and ends with the same message: "It's an impossible mission, but what can we do? Our brother is sick, and there's nothing we won't do to save him."

So. The really cool thing about Good Genes Part 2 is how much it directly highlights the lack of Don's presence without actually saying as much. Raph splits off to handle the technology (albeit in an explosive manner) and is seen hauling the duffelbag around. Leo has the headset and is coordinating with April throughout the mission. Which leads me to...

One of the major set pieces in this episode is a callback: the obstacle hallway, Mystic chamber and elevator from Return to New York. I don't think it was an intentional connection, but part of their plan involves repurposing a mech suit to use against the Foot, which is exactly what Don did with Stockman's robotic body in Return. This bulletpoint is 100% me finding meaning where there probably wasn't any, but still.

This one's slightly off topic, but I've said before that I thought it was a dumb decision to have Leo confirm to Karai that the rest of his family was alive and well at the end of Prodigal Son-- this episode is 99% of why I think it was a missed opportunity. Iirc, Karai doesn't appear between then and now, so this would be the first indication she'd have that anyone survived her assault-- and all the boys are here except Don. I just think there's a lot of potential there.

At one point, as Karai calls the Elite into the fray, Leo tells Mikey to take the Heart of Tengu and run-- that he'd hold them off. 'Them' being the Elite; he's about to face the Elite by himself to ensure that this works out. Just try to tell me that's not a statement and a half.

Idk why, but "Get in get out, right? It's not about Karai, right?" always stuck with me.

It's interesting how the episode also calls back to the old intro sequence, where April's piloting a helicopter and Don's jumping onto the rope ladder hanging down from it. Not much to say here, but it's neat.

I'm really bad at making out overlapping voices (and can't make sense of Mikey's line here at all), but after Leatherhead catches Don, you can hear Raph ask him how he's feeling, and Leo say "It's so good to see you again"

I mentioned Raph helping Don to the helicopter in the tags of that last post, but I'm also going to point out that Leo, who is supposed to be flying the helicopter at the end of the episode, is emphatically not watching where he's going.

And, of course, the big one: "I hope you guys didn't go through too much trouble for me."/"Nah!"

In addition to the first point for this episode-- the implication that NO trouble would have been too much-- there's the fact that, when nobody answers for a bit, you can see Don's expression fall. It's that fact that makes me love Mikey's reaction so much-- the way he grins back and tries to sooth that worry down.

Idk how much of this was really analysis, Anon, but I did promise to rattle on for paragraphs, and had a good time doing it. I hope you get some entertainment out of this ;)

[lungos-liwayway]

They Should Be Dead: A Collection of Works by The Living

Early on during the quarantine, I suddenly had more time to indulge in media. After a few months, I’ve notice a pattern, so here it is: a list of shows and stories that all have living dead people. 

TV Shows

Ghosts (BBC) -  The series follows a collection of ghosts from different historical periods haunting a country house while sharing the house with its new living occupants. This is a great show with well written plots, characters, and stories. I find it appeals especially to the queer and neurodivergent community.

What We Do In The Shadows - The series follows 4 vampires in a mockumentary format. If you like those shows where fiction meets real historical events, or just plain vampire humor, this is for you.

Pushing Daisies - The series follows a pie-maker with the ability to bring dead things back to life with his touch, an ability that comes with stipulations. Together with his formerly deceased childhood crush Chuck, private investigator Emerson Cod and co-worker Olive Snook, Ned uses his abilities to solve murder cases. Perfectly pleasing visuals, an interesting premise, and REALLY relatable for all of under quarantine. Lots of yearning.

Dead Like Me - George dies early in the pilot episode and becomes one of the "undead", a "grim reaper".  The show explores the experiences of a small team of such reapers, as well as the changes in George and her family as they deal with George's death. I’m not sure if the show employs edgy humor but I like it. It is slightly nihilistic in tone but the way it connects the experiences of life with the reality of death is a really interesting take. It’s perfect for teens and young adults. Also, Mandy Patinkin. 

The Good Place - Eleanor Shellstrop, a woman welcomed after her death to "the Good Place", a highly selective Heaven-like utopia designed and run by afterlife "architect" Michael as a reward for her righteous life. This series has everything: dreamlike scenes, nightmarelike scenes, philosophy, EAT THE RICH, genderless she/her icon Janet, good characters, accurate representations, and an all-around touching story.

Santa Clarita Diet - The series centers on husband and wife real estate team Joel and Sheila Hammond whose normal, boring lives change dramatically when Sheila shows symptoms of having become a zombie. The bewildered family seek a cure for her condition while dealing with its consequences. Wild family goes on the time of their lives because their mom has become a zombie. It’s great. They kill n*zis and a cop and eat them.

Star Trek - too many Star Trek episodes have the “oh no they died! anyway...” premise and aside from the idealistic paradise Gene Roddenberry pictured, death and resurrection are large themes in Star Trek.

Books/Graphic Novels/Short Stories

The Carpet Merchant of Konstantiniyya (by @reimenaashelyee​) - A two-volume Eisner-nominated graphic novel set in 17th century Istanbul and 18th century England, about a carpet merchant's reconcilitation with faith, love and home in the aftermath of his death by a vampire. It’s a great story. I’ll be telling this to everyone who will listen: the graphic novel is engaging and insightful, life cannot get better than this graphic novel. (Also: ACE REP!) Also by the author is The World in Deeper Inspection which explores the setting and premise of other characters.

The Shadow of The Wind (by Carlos Ruiz Zafón) -  Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer's son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julian Carax. But when he sets out to find the author's other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written. Magical realism abounds, it’s sinister, it’s beautiful, it’s a perfect book about dancing the line between death and life.

The Graveyard Book (by Neil Gaiman) -  Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a perfectly normal boy. Well, he would be perfectly normal if he didn't live in a graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor the world of the dead. Great book about growing up and leaving childhood. 

The Book Thief (by Markus Zusak) -  It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still. Featuring Death themself as the omniscient narrator, the story intertwines with books and stories of life and of survival. It’s a sobering book but important to read.

May Day Eve (by Nick Joaquin) - Magical realism, time travel vibes. But most importantly, myth, enchantment, the Devil, passion, everlasting love. There’s a reason why this is required reading for Philippine colleges. I cry every time I read it. 

Movies

Night at The Museum Trilogy - Night guard in charge of museum. Exhibits come back to life, wacky shenanigans follow. The only downside to this is that they visited the British Museum and not one of the exhibits screamed “I DONT BELONG HERE! TAKE ME BACK!”

The Book Thief - I would say it’s a faithful enough adaptation of the book.

Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan and The Search for Spock

The Lovely Bones - astounding <3 ik she’s dead but letting her breach the curtain between life and death? Good shit.

What We Do In The Shadows - The mockumentary that started it all. Once again Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement are geniuses. And correct: all vampires know is be bisexual eat hot virgin and fly.

Musicals/Plays

Hadestown- Retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice. Folk type of music, features great talents and songs by Anaïs Mitchell. The story is good, it touches on capitalism, progress, labor, and love.

Indecent- Play exploring the play "God Of Vengeance" which was cited for indecency on Broadway for its themes and indecent acts committed by the actors. It begins as a play brought by several actors who rise from the ashes of the Holocaust and gradually extends to the multiple characters they become. I find this important for anyone interested in queer Jewish history.

I really like media focusing on death and life so recommend some and take some from the list!

ADDITIONAL NOTE: I have a really bad attention span but these stuff somehow get my brain. They're good.

[rexeipts]

Monday morning rewatch thoughts:

Annie

- Annie and baby Tyler are the cutest

- Annie feeling like she needed to hide the GED because everyone is always doubting her and she feels like a failure was so in line with her character and what they’ve been building up to this season

- Annie and the creepy therapist NOT getting together gave me life, I’m glad they gave her this progress

- Annie actually clearing the air with Ben was refreshing, I love when this show has the moms actually clear the air not just let their kids have shitty assumptions (circa Ruby telling Sara she bought her a kidney)

Ruby

- All of Ruby’s looks this episode were fire 🔥

- Ruby needs to handle Gene for Stanimal

- Ruby and Stan having their own money source apart from Beth is building a dynamic I WANT

Beth/Brio

- Beth is annoyed by Dean, multiple times throughout

- SS confirmed they just want promotions, and not Phoebe thinks Beth seduced a man to get her way which I think will impact their relationship for sure

- Her panic scene about what to do, glazed in him trusting and relying on her, I’m sorry but that was foreshadowing for her freak out at the party

- He was rubbing her back in one spot, not looking for a wire, coupled with her panic from earlier, she removed the wire because her feels are breaking through the barrier for him, when you hear hooves think horses not zebras.

- I was pissed she told Dean at the end, I feel like next episode the girls might start pressuring her about making a choice crime and Rio or Dean and SS

- The fact that Rio thought she was in the bathroom and he went and checked on her 😏 man loves a bathroom break

- Rosa looking between Rio and Nick tells me it’s not the first time Nick has pestered Rio about women

- Their little faces touching is so. fucking.intimate. Like more intimate than kissing, and him just leaning into her because he fucking loves hearing her in his ear is too much

- I think she was losing herself in how good it felt, and had to force her eyes open to focus on moving the books, then when she did, she closed her eyes and settled back into it... it’s not until she settled back into it/him that she smiled

- The music choice was so soft snd intimate as well, no like the bathroom scene with something sexier and more rock

- Rio is not stupid. He is drawing her out. The banker, the family, the intimacy. Miss Elizabeth wore a butterfly printed dress, and we know you can’t catch butterflies with a net, you have to let them come to you.

- The power dynamic of that scene was off the charts. First she was trying to distract him. And he stopped her. And he distracted her in many ways instead, she struggled to keep her eyes open and focus on hiding the wire. She still initiated like she always does, but we actually saw him take the lead. Saw her LET him take the lead. He stayed in control during the interaction, didn’t even kiss her. He wasn’t smug about it either. His looks to her and faces throughout the whole scene were full of feelings, that moment was intimate. After everything they’ve been through, her initiating but him setting boundaries was the most perfect way to handle it IMO. He was not ready to be completely intimate with her, but wanted to be close to her, and mostly wanted to remind her of what they had.

- He legit told her family=business and we know business=Beth

Going forward/Theories

- Nick and him were raised by grandma OR by nick’s parents

- Nick is politician or some one powerful, him and Rio have a push pull power dynamic, Nick has always been the older asshole to pressure Rio into doing his dirty work and Rio wants to be out from under his thumb

- Nick is already established as a catalyst for pushing Beth and Rio closer together, and I expect that will continue

[immaturityofthomasastruc]

#10: Felix, Part Two: The Episode Itself

Here’s Part 1

So, uh... here's the thing. I was going to divide this post into three parts, but I had to cancel the third part where I analyze the stuff involving Astruc defending the episode on Twitter, specifically a certain scene that really showed off some serious double standards in regards to the way Adrien is being written, because Astruc deleted most of his tweets regarding the episode. I wonder why he did that? I thought he wanted to expose himself publicly and interact in a peaceful way.

So yeah, instead of a big three-parter, this is going to be a two-parter, and I apologize for that. I might be able to do a third part if anyone has any screenshots of some of the tweets Astruc made after “Felix” aired. If you did, I would really appreciate it, but if not, it's fine.

Either way, let's just get this over with, because I have SO MUCH to talk about. My friend, can your heart stand the shocking facts about Season 3, Episode 23 of Miraculous Ladybug, “Felix”?

So we start off with what Gabriel does for half of his scenes when he isn't Hawkmoth, monologuing to his (possibly) dead wife, Emilie about how Ladybug and Cat Noir's Miraculous will soon be his and all that crap. Sure, he's sent God knows how many Akumas after Ladybug and Cat Noir, and they've all failed miserably, but I'm positive he's getting close to his goal.

After he finishes cleaning his and Emilie's silver wedding rings that sadly don't allow them to transform into Ultraman Ace, Gabriel goes to check on Adrien, singing to a statue of Emilie (glad to see the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree), intending to tell him that he is Hawkmoth.

Gabriel: There is something important I have to talk to you about. I think about telling you every day, but I don't know how to find the right words.

Adrien: I think I already know, father.

Gabriel: But, how?

Adrien: I've noticed how close you and Nathalie have become. If she can make you happy again, then... as far as I'm concerned, she's already part of our family.

Yeah, apparently it's obvious that Gabriel and Nathalie are close or something, with how casually Adrien assumes they're planning on starting a relationship. I mean, it's not like Nathalie is close to Gabriel because she's his secretary or something like that.

Gabriel's response isn't any better, as he immediately jumps down Adrien's throat for daring to assume he might try to move on from his wife.

Gabriel: How could you possibly think such a thing?! Nobody could ever replace your mother! As long as she is still in our hearts, she lives on!

Even Adrien's face shows he's a little taken back by his father's brief outburst.

Part of me likes to assume that Plagg is trying to not break out into laughter at how crazy Gabriel sounds, while Nooroo is mentally questioning the sanity of his master.

Plagg: Wow! Your father's like a piece of tomme cheese, where the rind's so thick it's almost impossible to get inside the center.

Adrien: Don't be so hard on him, Plagg. It's been a year today since Mom... went away forever.

Oh my God, just say she DIED already! Why are so many kids' shows afraid to say the D-word? How can I cite an episode of Caillou of all shows as something that that actually talked about death to it's audience in a nuanced way?

It turns out that Adrien's aunt is visiting for the day, as it's the one-year anniversary of Emilie's “going away forever”. We also learn that the gene pool in Adrien's family is so shallow, a toddler could swim in it, because Emilie's sister looks exactly like her.

Even better, her name is Amelie. I bet the parents thought naming their kids Emilie and Amelie was hilarious for like three minutes.

And of course, she also brought her son, the asshole of the hour.

Someone cue the Imperial March.

So Felix is finally here, and of course, he looks just like Adrien. It's almost like the animators didn't want to create any new character models for this episode, so they thought nobody would notice if they just reused a few. Seriously, towards the end of the episode, we see Felix wearing the Cat Miraculous on his hand, and none of the animators noticed it.

So while Adrien is happy to see his cousin, Felix isn't. I'll talk more about it in a minute.

Amelie mentions that the wedding rings are actually heirlooms in her side of the family, so she naturally wants them back. Of course, Gabriel, being Gabriel, responds accordingly.

Gabriel: These rings are obviously very special to me.

Amelie: And they're very dear to me too, Gabriel. Those jewels have always been in the Graham de Vanily family, not the Agreste's.

Gabriel: We'll discuss it later.

“Yeah, yeah, these rings are priceless family heirlooms or whatever, but why can't you think about how important they are to me?”

Meanwhile, Marinette and her friends are planning on recording some messages for Adrien to cheer him up on this day, but Marinette isn't sure what to say before she decides to confess her love to him. I'm sure Adrien will get the message and return Marinette's feelings this episode... and Cliff Hanger will finally escape that cliff he's been hanging from for years.

Speaking of, Adrien and Felix are hanging out in the former's room where we learn that Felix's father passed away recently. We don't know how long, but with the way they talk about, it's clear the funeral wasn't too long ago. Keep this in mind.

So while Adrien leaves the room to get a chess board for the two to play a game of, Felix, for no reason, decides to search through Adrien's things and crush a piece of cheese that Plagg had been aging for two weeks. And here is the interaction that helps this episode go from mediocre to aggravating, just because of what they imply here.

Adrien: Listen, Plagg. Felix lost his dad not so long ago, he's probably not himself.

Plagg: I'm sorry, but there's just no excuse! You never touch my cheese, and yet, you just lost your mother not so long ago, right?

Yes. The show is actually implying that Adrien is better than Felix because Adrien isn't acting out because his mom “went away forever”. Keep in mind, we know that Felix just lost his father, while Adrien has had a year to cope. I'm not saying he can't be sad anymore, as everyone processes grief differently, but you can't set up Felix as a foil to Adrien just because they both lost a parent, as their situations are entirely different.

Oh, and when Plagg's statement upsets Adrien, it isn't because he's angry at Plagg for making the comparison, it's because he mentions Emilie. And this argument is never brought up again.

I still can't believe this episode is basically saying that even if you lose a loved one, that's no excuse to get emotional. This isn't just a horrible lesson to teach children, but it pisses me off on a more personal level. Why?

My grandfather died last year after a long battle with lung cancer.

He had been in and out of the hospital for a few years at this point, and part of me was relieved that he was finally free of the pain. I tried not to let it bother me, as I had already mentally prepared myself for the day he would die whenever he was readmitted to the hospital. But it was still painful to go through because he was so important to me. Instead of simply telling someone how I was feeling, I threw myself into my schoolwork in an effort to distract myself from actually confronting my emotions. After seeing A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, a movie where the main character made peace with his father on his deathbed with some encouragement from Mr. Rogers, it made me think about how unhealthy it was to bottle up my emotions, so I started to open up more about how I was feeling. When I told my mom (who was his daughter) about why I was so conflicted regarding his death, she said it was completely understandable, as she had been an emotional wreck as well. I also talked with my therapist about how this was affecting me mentally.

What does this have to do with the episode? I don't think Felix had access to this kind of emotional support when his dad died, or that he tried coping the same way I did initially.

And the worst part is that this could have been used to teach people a lesson on how to cope with losing a loved one. Maybe Adrien could have helped Felix find a healthier coping mechanism, or simply help him open up emotionally, teaching him that it's okay to be upset when someone close to you dies, but that you just need to be honest about your feelings.

But no, rather than portray Felix's actions as a troubled youth lashing out because he's angry at the cards the world dealt him, Felix does several awful things this episode for no other reason than because he's evil, even though he has a good reason to hate Adrien and Gabriel.

So the very next scene, we see Felix has stolen Adrien's phone and is going through the messages that Adrien's friends sent him, but not before insulting his crush on Ladybug. I'm not sure if that's supposed to reflect the fandom's criticism of Adrien's crush on Ladybug, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was.

Nino's Message: Hey, my dude! I'm not quite sure what to tell you, except that, you're my man, dude! And bros are always there for their guys!

Felix: (Mockingly) “Bros are always there--” blah, blah, blah! Moron.

Rose's Message: Unicorns have a saying: even when there's nothing but gray skies and rain, all it takes is one little sunbeam for a rainbow to appear!

Felix: Loser.

Max's Message: It's one hundred percent proven, you should feel fifty-two percent happier with a healthy dose of laughter. So Markov has uploaded a few jokes for you! Starting with--

Felix: Freak.

Chloe's Message: When my mother left for New York, I felt so sad. It felt like she was... (sighs) She came back, and I know how lucky I am. So, you can count on me, my Adrikins.

Felix: Chloe. Just as annoying as usual.

And that line right there is the only time Astruc actually liked writing Felix, as it gave him the chance to satisfy his need to insult Chloe.

And then when he sees Marinette's message, he deletes it because... hell if I know

Again, this scene could have worked if it was interpreted as Felix saying stuff that he wasn't dependent on others for support and that he could easily power through life on his own, but nope! Instead, he hates Adrien's friends and only deletes Marinette's message instead of all of them simply because he's evil, heart blacker than Don Cheadle.

Felix continues to show how awful he is by dressing up in Adrien's clothes and—Oh, son of a bitch, SERIOUSLY? This is the SEVENTH evil doppelganger plotline we've had in THREE SEASONS! You're telling me this isn't doing the same thing over and over again, Astruc?

Yeah, so Felix records some messages to send to his friends that, once again, could have worked if this episode was actually teaching a lesson about dealing with grief.

“Adrien's” Message:  First of all, thanks so much for all your messages, guys, really. Sending me messages on today of all days... (angrily) to remind me how sad I'm supposed to be feeling? Why, that's great! Really, Thanks a lot!

But because nobody ever considers how Felix is feeling, it's never acknowledged, because that would actually involve writing him with complexity.

Gabriel gets a message from Lila, who recently became one of his confidants to spy on Adrien, tells him about the fake message, and decides to use the negative emotions felt as an excuse to get rid of his in-laws. No, seriously.

Gabriel: All this disappointment might just help us get rid of our unwanted guests.

To be fair, I'd probably do the same thing just so I wouldn't have to talk to some of the people I hate at my job.

And so, Hawkmoth akumatizes Alya, Juleka, and Rose into the Punisher's Trio, who are basically just their previously akumatized forms Lady Wifi, Reflekta, and Princess Fragrance. Because why would you expect anyone to use an original character model for this episode?

All joking aside, this development raises several questions. First, why wasn't Nino one of the Punisher's akumatized? He's Adrien's best friend, so shouldn't be just as upset as everyone else? Hell, the whole reason he was akumatized into the Bubbler in Season 1 was just so he could throw Adrien a birthday party after Gabriel said no. Then there's the fact that Chloe could have also been akumatized because she's just as close as Adrien, which is another wasted opportunity here.

Second, why bring back Reflekta and Princess Fragrance of all villains? It doesn't even make sense when you consider their motifs are based off of the circumstances that led to them getting akumatized in their respective episodes. Juleka became Reflekta because of her anxiety over easily blending in, so she got the power to turn everyone into an exact copy of herself so they could understand the feeling. Rose became Princess Fragrance when Chloe destroyed her letter and perfume bottle dedicated to the prince of a foreign nation, so the perfume bottle was the basis of her powers. At least Lady Wifi makes sense as the akumatized object this episode is a tablet used to record the messages to Adrien, but Reflekta and Princess Fragrance have nothing to do with the plot of this episode, and just feel tacked on. If it was just Lady Wifi or the Bubbler, I'd get it, but this just doesn't work.

Third, what exactly is this show's obsession with Reflekta? We saw in Reflekta's first episode that her powers had a huge drawback as if either of the heroes is zapped by her, she can't get their Miraculous, like what we saw happened to Cat Noir. Yet, this is the second time this season that Hawkmoth had the bright idea to bring back Reflekta (even giving her a giant robot to amplify her powers). At least Lady Wifi and Princess Fragrance's powers worked together well (Lady Wifi could freeze someone in place, while Princess Fragrance can brainwash them with her perfume), but Reflekta just feels like the odd one out here.

Fourth, and most importantly, why did we only get to hear the line “At your service, Princess Fragrance!” A single time this episode?

So the Punishers head to Adrien's house to take their revenge, but see Felix, still dressed in Adrien's clothes, and are naturally confused. Adrien pretends to be Felix by running away while laughing evilly (so not too far off from how Astruc sees Felix), while the real Felix and Nathalie put up a good fight against the Punishers.

And then... here is the moment that shows just how skewed Astruc's view of Adrien really is.

Felix pretends to confess his love to Ladybug as Adrien, trying to force a kiss on him, making Ladybug punch him in the face by claiming that the real Adrien “would never be so pushy”.

BULL. SHIT.

Yes, Ladybug doesn't know that Adrien is actually Cat Noir, but it's clear that this scene is meant to solidify just how Felix is far worse than Adrien because according to Astruc, he would never do that.

But maybe I'm being too hard on him.

It's not like Adrien has ever forced himself onto Ladybug, right?

I mean, imagine if the show just ignored something like that.

All while trying to teach kids the importance of saying no when someone harasses them.

Can you imagine if someone was that oblivious to their own hypocrisy?

I'm not saying that the lesson is a bad one, but you can't call someone out for doing something bad, and then ignore one of your main characters doing the exact same thing!

Even in the context of the episode, the comparison doesn't work. We know that Felix is only doing this to make Adrien look bad, and has no romantic feelings towards Ladybug like Adrien does. Felix knows what he is doing is wrong, while Adrien doesn't. Whenever Cat Noir tries to kiss Ladybug, he is never aware that what he is doing is wrong, and while he is almost always stopped from kissing Ladybug for one reason or another.

Like when the episode tried to compare two different characters reacting to losing loved ones when there are different circumstances regarding them, the comparison DOESN'T WORK.

And to add insult to injury, Cat Noir shows up just to insult Felix by implying he doesn't have a lot of friends because of the way he acts, because why would he? After all, he's a complete loser that nobody would want to be friends with, and if you like him, you're an idiot for thinking so! At least, that's probably what Astruc was going for.

Ladybug summons her Lucky Charm, leading to a brief Mexican standoff, until Felix steals the tablet containing the Akuma, making a deal with Hawkmoth that he'll help out the Punishers as long as he gets the wedding rings. Do you hate Felix yet? Come on, do you hate him? WHY WON'T YOU HATE HIM, GODDAMN IT!?

This whole bit is completely pointless as Ladybug immediately finds a way to stop all four of them and de-evilize the Akuma.

And when it looks like Felix is actually apologizing for his actions this episode, it's naturally a ruse he put on to steal one of the wedding rings from Gabriel to give to his mom. Because why would Astruc even think of portraying him sympathetically, or at least have him learn a lesson?

So Felix stares out the window with an evil look in his eye (possibly foreshadowing another appearance), as Gabriel takes Emilie's wedding ring to wear for himself, and the episode mercifully ends.

It also means that I never have to watch this episode ever again.

Do you understand why it took so long for me to fully analyze this episode? Hell, it would have taken longer if Astruc didn't delete his tweets defending the kiss scene and how Cat Noir is totally a gentlemen unlike Satan, I mean Felix.

What else do I have to say about this episode that hasn’t already been said? Well, I do have one thing.

I’m not that big a fan of Felix.

I think he’s an okay character in fanfics, but I’m more indifferent to him and fanfics that ship him and Marinette together. I don’t know, maybe that’s because there are so many Felinette fanfics that are heavily seasoned with salt, or it could just be because I’m complete Love Square and Lukanette trash.

But just think about the fact that the scathing criticism of this episode was delivered by someone who isn’t that into Felix. That is how bad this episode is.

In addition to being an obvious mouthpiece for Astruc to yell at fans why they’re idiots for actually liking Felix, it does so by touching on delicate subject and trying to act like it’s easy to tell how Felix is worse than Adrien when the circumstances are nothing alike.

But the fact that Astruc takes a popular character just to portray him as a complete menace just to antagonize his fans is ridiculous, utterly ridiculous.