#genuinely I think it’s gone downhill since season 1

[justa-smalltown-gargoyle]

In the sex lives of college girls I think it’s wild how a love interest will be the perfect person ever and then suddenly they invent a new reason that they’re terrible and it’s like a brand new character trait that wasn’t present at all before

[willel]

this is going to sound a bit harsh, but I genuinely wonder why Mike is such a celebrated character within the ST fandom (at least on Tumblr and twitter anyway) like I always see mike icons, mike edits, mike theories, "we must protect mike, he's just a baby" basically constant infantilize of him, and I never see that same level of dedication for consistently good characters like Dustin and Lucas. I get if some liked Mike from 1 and 2 and they're still holding on to that, but he's gone downhill to the point where it doesn't make sense to still be in the top favorite (if I'm being honest i do feel like it's bc Finn Wolfhard plays him and ppl are obsessed with Finn, basically pretty privilege)

Everyone has their favorite character, and they want their favs to get more screentime and do more things and I teract with more people.

As you said yourself, people have reason to like Mike because of season 1 and season 2. Although Mike isn't in my top 10 favorite characters list, I don't hate or dislike him. With some tweaks on the writing, I think they can really round out his character arc.

His arc is not as dramatic as say, Will or El's, but it's there and it can turn out nicely. (This in refence to me speculating that Mike is meant to be the average normal one so that he can bring a guiding light through Vecna's darkness since the rest of the party is quite a bit more traumatized than him at this point)

Like I wrote many years ago though, I just wish some of the most avid Mike fans would stop trying to put down literally every other character to make Mike look good. Mike is wrong sometimes, and that's ok! He's not evil or a villain, he's a silly teenage boy. We've all been teenagers once and sometimes we say or do stupid shit. Not out of malice, but when you are that young, you're still going through many "first times". Your first day. First kiss. First breakup. First fight. First everything.

I don't think these are reasons to hate a character, just a reason to hope he'll grow up a little bit. When fans try to wipe away his little mistakes as someone else's problem, you start to breed resentment among fellow fans... Which is exactly what has happened.

[iwillsithereandtrytocontribute]

The Melanie King Conspiracy

Pairings: wtgfs (mentioned/background)

Warnings: Blinding yourself (mentioned)

Spoilers up to the end of Season 4

Masterlist Ao3

This is my first fic for the tma fandom and first time writing in this style please cut me some slack. All spelling and grammatical errors (or most of them anyway) are on purpose to mimic a real group chat. Let’s hope I haven’t messed up the timeline to horribly :)

June 13, 2017

whathappenedtomelanieking: guys guys guys. you know how i was talking about that show Ghost Hunt U.K?

ijustworkhear: again with this? what about it

whathappenedtomelanieking: well, it went all weird like a year ago right? after that episode at the Cambridge Military Hospital. They all left one by one except for Melanie and then she went… crazy i guess. Freaked out, tryd to say she saw a ghost

imnotjusthomointhesapienway: its a ghost show…

whathappenedtomelanieking: yeh but she got really into it.more than ever before and everyone kind of knew it was fake

ijustworkhear: like those unsolved guys

whathappenedtomelanieking: yeah

whathappenedtomelanieking: anyway it sucked when Andy left but we had Melanie and that was fine

whathappenedtomelanieking: then she kept saying one of their camera people left then their sound until it was like melanie was the only one left

imnotjusthomointhesapienway: k… this matters why?

whathappenedtomelanieking: she got arrested

ijustworkhear: woah

imnotjusthomointhesapienway: jkjhjkhkghsjhk what

whathappenedtomelanieking: ikr? She broke into a junk yard up in Sheffield, says she got stabbed by a ghost or smth

 imnotjusthomointhesapienway: 🙄

whathappenedtomelanieking: lol yeah. shes really gone off the deep end. idk i just feel bad

ijustworkhear: yeah

imnotjusthomointhesapienway: so… that it? She’s in jail?

whathappenedtomelanieking: nah, they dropped the charges. she was actuallY in the hospital for a bit, hurt herself

imnotjusthomointhesapienway: breaking into a scrap yard at night… couldn’t be me

ijustworkhear: lol

*

January 24, 2018

placeholder: so…

imbeggingforausername: so…

imbeggingforausername: what’s up

whathappenedtomelanieking: 🙃

imnotjusthomointhesapienway: no we are not doing this shit again

imbeggingforausername: what is happening? Why’d you change your name?

whathappenedtomelanieking: Melanie’s back!!! (sort of)

imbeggingforausername: what

imnotjusthomointhesapienway: don’t ask

whathappenedtomelanieking: you ever heard of Ghost Hunk U.K.

whathappenedtomelanieking: @imnotjusthomointhesapienway rude

imbeggingforausername: not really… i know it went downhill in like 2016 tho

imnotjusthomointhesapienway: 😝

whathappenedtomelanieking: long story, ghosthunting show, melanie went off the rails and the grid for like a year (she was a host btw), and got arrested for breaking into a dump

imbeggingforausername: yikes

imnotjusthomointhesapienway: so what new incredible details have you uncovered now? (@imbeggingforausername this happens like every couple months when Jay thinks they have some new revelation).

whathappenedtomelanieking: HOW DARe!

whathappenedtomelanieking: anyway i was stalking her twitter and she was like posting stuff about being in India and shit and get this. She got shot!

imnotjusthomointhesapienway: let me guess. By a ghost

whathappenedtomelanieking: YES!!!

imnotjusthomointhesapienway: fucking...

whathappenedtomelanieking: Not even the best part… she’s back in London and you’ll never guess where she’s working now.

ijustworkhear: where

imnotjusthomointhesapienway: ayyyy!!! Sam’s here! help me

ijustworkhear: <3 

whathappenedtomelanieking: The Magnus Institute

ijustworkhear: k… cool

whathappenedtomelanieking: omg guys you don’t know what the Magnus INstitute is?

whathappenedtomelanieking: how are you my FRIENDS?

imnotjusthomointhesapienway: *sigh* tell us

whathappenedtomelanieking: they collect supernatural statements and “look into them” sounds like a piece of baloney to me, but you gotta pay the bills somehow i guess

imbeggingforausername: thought you believed in the supernatural

whathappenedtomelanieking: yeah, ghosts. The Magnus Institute pretends that there’s like evil books and stuff

imnotjusthomointhesapienway: and Melanie’s working there now? She has cracked

whathappenedtomelanieking: no kidding

ijustworkhear: maybe its for the best

imbeggingforausername: might be good for her

ijustworkhear: jinx!

imbeggingforausername: <3 i don’t know how to tell you this, but no

February 3, 2018

imbeggingforausername: @whathappenedtomelanieking

whathappenedtomelanieking: i’ve been summoned

imbeggingforausername: You see what’s been up with Melanie King lately?

whathappenedtomelanieking: no… what’s going on?

imbeggingforausername: all these vagueposts about how much she wants to kill her boss, which like, mood but im worried shes serious

whathappenedtomelanieking: do tell

imbeggingforausername: she’s like “my boss is trapping me and all these people into working at the archives”

whathappenedtomelanieking: dude… really?

imbeggingforausername: really

imbeggingforausername: i thought it was funny at first, but… you know… you can only read so many posts about what eldritch horrors someone thinks is attacking them before you start to worry.

whathappenedtomelanieking: i’ve been looking into the institute since Melanie joined, i was curios

whathappenedtomelanieking: their last head archivist was found in the tunnels beneath the institute shot three times and their latest archivist is on the run from the police for beating an old man to death with a pipe and probablt killing one of his assistants

imbeggingforausername: wtf

whathappenedtomelanieking: and they got this real bad worm infestation a while back, apparently it freaked one of them out so bad they lived in the archives for like 6 months

imbeggingforausername: How do you know this?

whathappenedtomelanieking: talked to the receptionist, her name’s Rosie, she’s very nice

whathappenedtomelanieking: she’s seen some weird shit. I think i might have seen Melanie but i didn’t talk to her

imbeggingforausername: I forget you live in London, any other weird things?

whathappenedtomelanie: don’t know how much is real, but yeah. 

whathappenedtomelanieking: she thinks some lady can control worms, there was this weird tall guy in Jon (that’s the archivist guy)’s office at one point and she never saw him leave (same with the lady giving Jon a statement), 

whathappenedtomelanieking: oh and Rosie didn’t tell me this one, but the head of the institute, can’t remember his name, came out of his office at one point and just stared at me

imbeggingforausername: creepy

whathappenedtomelanieking: ikr?

whathappenedtomelanieking: i left like right after that. I did ask if i could look in the archives, but no, you need some kind of degree or something

imbeggingforausername: a degree???? Are they serious???

whathappenedtomelanieking: they looked it, 🤷 i wasn’t going to push my luck, the old guy really freaked me out. It was like he looking into me

imbeggingforausername: what kind of degree would you even need??

imbeggingforausername: ooh weird

whathappenedtomelanieking: just saying, don’t think I’ll be going back for a while

imbeggingforausername: probably smart

October 25, 2018

imnotjusthomointhesapienway: @whathappenedtomelanieking i’m blaming you for getting me interested in this… but all your talking and theorizing about the Magnus Institute has gotten me interested

whathappenedtomelanieking: ooh, in listening

whathappenedtomelanieking: *I’m

imnotjusthomointhesapienway: I went up and talked to Rosie too (you were right she is v. nice) the head of the institute got arrested and the archivist is in a coma 

whathappenedtomelanieking: jesus, i feel like we’re uncovering a conspiracy just by being worried about an entertainer we enjoy… Maybe we should leave this alone?

imnotjusthomointhesapienway: i’m kind of getting that too

whathappenedtomelanieking: what about melanie tho?

imnotjusthomointhesapienway: idk, I asked Rosie about her and she just glanced around and then shook her head

whathappenedtomelanieking: i’ve been asking around on some forums and stuff, even emailed one of her old cameramen seems no one’s heard from her in upwards of a year and she’s barely been seen outside the institute

imnotjusthomointhesapienway: um…

whathappenedtomelanieking: genuinely getting worried, but… it’s her life i guess? idk...

October 20, 2019

whathappenedtomelanieking: WE WERE NOT WORRIED ENOUGH ABOUT MELANIE!!!!!!

ijustworkhear: what happened???

imbeggingforausername: wtf

imnotjusthomointhesapienway: did she kill someone or smth

whathappenedtomelanieking: I WAS JUST LISTENING TO WHAT THE GHOST AND GEORIGE MENTIONED MELANIE OFFHAND. I KNOW THEY HANG OUT SOMETIMES SO I CHECKED GEORGIE’S INSTAGRAM AND MELANIE WAS IN ONE OF THE PICTURES (they’re a couple btw, v. cute) SHE WAS BLIND!!!! LIKE PROPERLY!! IT LOOKED LIKE SHE’D BEEN STABBED IN BOTH EYES!!!

imnotjusthomointhesapienway: jesus wtf

ijustworkhear: omg, she’s okay though

imbeggingforausername: damn…

whathappenedtomelanieking: i mean… she’s blind… probably not having a great time, but she looks happy

imbeggingforausername: 🤷 it’s not like she died

whathappenedtomelanieking: i’m not saying its bad she’s blind Erin, just that i’m worried about how it happened. 

whathappenedtomelanieking: she was working at that fucking weird institute (you know, ever since i went there i have this feeling like i’m being watched constantly)

imnotjusthomointhesapienway: yikes

October 31, 2019

1:35 p.m.

whathappenedtomelanieking: guys i think something happened…

1:40 p.m.

whathappenedtomelanieking: guys?

whathappenedtomelanieking: @imnotjusthomointhesapienway @ijustworkhear @imbeggingforausername

2:01 p.m.

whathappenedtomelanieking: please answer me i’m freaking out

whathappenedtomelanieking: i can’t find anyone 

whathappenedtomelanieking: please

whathappenedtomelanieking: mt hasds arw shaking so bd i can;t type

whathappenedtomelanieking: there;s noone herre

whathappenedtomelanieking: please

2:23 p.m.

whathappenedtomelanieking: @ijustworkhear @imnotjusthomointhesapienway @imbeggingforausername

3:56 p.m.

whathappenedtomelanieking: @ijustworkhear @imnotjusthomointhesapienway @imbeggingforausername

4:47 p.m.

whathappenedtomelanieking: @ijustworkhear @imnotjusthomointhesapienway @imbeggingforausername

Any similarities to actual usernames weren’t intentional (although I am really proud of “I’m only homo in the sapien way”). 

@whathappenedtomelanieking was lost in the Lonely in the Eyepocalypse in case I didn’t make that clear enough.

Feel free to ask about my writing or ask to be added to my taglist. Stay safe :)

[couldnt-think-of-a-funny-name]

Could we ever see a concept from you on how OUAT could have been a better show?

alright, fair warning, I haven’t actually watched the show in a while so my memory might be a little spotty, but off the top of my head-

Don’t kill Neal. He was at the heart of the plot, which started to unravel the second he was gone. Don’t sacrifice a clear plot line you had planned just because the fans really like Captain Hook oh my GOD

Stop having everyone discredit Regina being Henry’s mother just because they don’t like her. OR, have them do that but have Henry defend her. Their relationship was too back and forth and we never had anything to tell us she was a bad mom to him before he found out about the curse...like, if you found out your Nice and Normal Mom was allegedly an evil witch, wouldn’t you...I don’t know....defend her a little? So either commit to having her be a shitty mom and then she has to make up for that, or have Henry fully torn between both sides of his family. NOT the mess we got on the show where she had to earn his trust back because of things she did like 30 years before he was even born

Stop dropping plotlines. I understand they had an issue of actors getting jobs in other franchises, like Sebastian Stan and the guy who ended up in 50 Shades, but either stipulate something in the contract that they need to make time for a certain amount of episodes when you sign them, or just recast the actors. Don’t wait three years before Little Red Riding Hood can pop back up for an arc. Oh my God.

The Peter Pan arc happened way too soon- Neal needed time to build relationships with everyone else, specifically with Henry, his father, and Emma. Think about how it could’ve been if he’d patched things up with Emma quicker and they got in the groove of parenting Henry, only for Regina to still have her reservations about him because of her history with Rumple- only for Henry to then be kidnapped and the three of them have to become and Iconic Parent Trio to get him back. Hello. 

Henry should’ve learned magic way before he became the Author. He is a True Love Baby who’s also related to three extremely powerful magic users and making him the damsel in distress every single season finale got old very fast. How about- after the Peter Pan arc, Rumple starts teaching him magic behind his parents back, because 1) he isn’t sure how they’d feel about it since Tensions 2) with all the shit in this universe Henry definitely needs to know how to defend himself, and 3) AFTER SEEING HIS FATHER ALMOST STEAL HIS GRANDSON THE SAME WAY HE STOLE HIS SON I FEEL LIKE THAT MIGHT HAVE AN EFFECT ON HIM EMOTIONALLY???? They never bothered to develop a real relationship with Henry and Rumple, every now and then he’d be like ‘oh yeah that’s my grandson’ and like...that was it. it was WACK

It also could’ve lead to some low-level comedy drama with David fretting about not being the ‘cool’ grandpa anymore lmao

The whole thing where Emma and Henry got their memories erased for a year while the others got sent back to the Forrest....it literally didn’t make sense for Neal not to go with them I’m still screaming. They literally said the only reason Emma and Henry could escape was because they weren’t effected by the first curse....literally neither was Neal??? Oh my God

So you could’ve had it like...they patched things up faster, and they weren’t back together but they weren’t Not back together, and they had definitely gotten a decent co-parent situation down, so he chooses to stay with them because he doesn’t want to abandon Emma again and he doesn’t want Henry to grow up without his father like he did. The dramatic goodbyes are for their parents and Regina. A year later, Hook choses to warn them about whatevers happening on his own free will, beginning a redemption arc that is NOT tied to Emma. He’s trying to protect the family to make up for what he did to Neal in Neverland

idk how I truly felt about the whole dead/resurrected Rumple situation but if we keep with it, BELLE is the one who resurrects him- and NOT with a spell that will kill her, but with DR. FRAKENSTIEN WHO FUCKING EXISTS ON THE SHOW AND THEY ONLY MENTION HIM ONCE IN A BLUE MOON ARE YOU KIDDING ME THEY DIDN’T USE HIM FOR A RESSURECTION STORY ARC

The whole Frozen arc shouldn’t have happened- I didn’t hate it, Emma and Elsa were sweet, but overall Elsa, Anna, Kristoff and Hans felt very shoehorned in and didn’t really mesh well with the rest of the story. 

I DID however like the whole bit with the Ice Queen trying to adopt Emma when she was younger, and I think they could’ve used that to build onto the dark Emma storyline- the Ice Queen’s prophecy or whatever could’ve been referring to her, Emma and Zelena. That way it’s not Ice Queen trying to convince two powerful light magic users to go dark (and also not two ice power types and one Whatever The Fuck Type Emma Is)- it’s two powerful dark magic users trying to sway one woman who’s still trying to get a grasp on magic. Rather than the whole Dark One nonsense. Henry saves the day using his magic to subdue Ice Queen and Zelena the best he can, and convincing Emma she’s a good person, similar to how Regina chose to stop being dark for Henry. She snaps out of the hold the other two have on her and kicks ass. Hello.

The whole Author plotline was a hot mess but I’m still down for Henry taking over the position, it made sense for the story.

If they absolutely needed to do a new dark one plotline...NEAL. COME THE FUCK ON,

AND THEN HE MANAGES TO SUCCEED WHERE HIS FATHER FAILED WITH IT AND MAYBE THEY MANAGE TO KILL THE DARK ONE SPELL ALTOGETHER. TRUE LOVES KISS WITH EMMA OR HENRY WHO BOTH HAVE INCREDIBLY STRONG LIGHT MAGIC WHICH IS THE OPPOSITE OF THE DARK ONE. HELLO.

Maleficent’s Daughter Lily should’ve...stayed on???? Fully mended her friendship with Emma??? Iconic girl team??? Hello??? 

Belle gets to be an actual character instead of a character so underused that it becomes a running joke on the show that she asserts she’s cable of defending herself and then Doesn’t. Someone please teach this bitch to swordfight or something

It can be part of Hook’s Not-Emma-Related redemption arc maybe- instead of him using and threatening her. Or Neal can do it so they can bond. Or David or Snow decides to be nice it doesn’t actually matter please just make her a capable person I’m screaming

Henry should’ve kept in touch with friends he made in (Tallahassee) Boston for the year he lived there to uhhhh give the kid some concept of a normal reality and experience talking to people his own age. Also it could’ve been a super funny running gag to have a friend face time him and ask him what’s up and Henry’s trying to hide a dragon and magic spells off screen like ‘uh nothing just some family drama’

They needed to stop being so inconsistent about magic- first it was ‘magic can’t work outside of storybrooke’ but then Zelena was like ‘I’m going to magically transform into a different person in the middle of New York’ and ‘Wendy’s Brothers won’t age even though they aren’t in storybrooke’ and then it was like ‘magic can raise Robin and Hook and Rumple from the dead but it absolutely can do nothing for Neal, sorry’ like what the hell...please just some consistency 

Make Snow like....35% less annoying 

Don’t let Emma get lost in the story so much like at some point she really stopped being the main character and it was annoying as hell

that whole thing in one episode where David and Snow saw through a portal to young Emma and David wanted to go through to her but Snow was like ‘no we can’t change her past’ was some PRIME BULLSHIT. We already brought time travel into a fairytale show! nothing matters anymore bitch! let him hug his daughter!

Really thought they could’ve been like...they weren’t allowed to permanently change the past but they could’ve gotten a letter or some shit through to her...come on

alright this is all I got right now but like....genuinely a lot of their mistakes were so easily avoidable. it’s still truly baffling that the show went so downhill. rip

[fuckyeahcarlosandlidia]

Season 4

So guys, as I said in my previous post, this blog is not spoiler free so I’ll give my opinion on the season, since I watched all the episodes.  If you don’t want to spoil yourself, be careful because I’ll go into details.

The season started well, probably too well, and I should have seen it coming.  My expectations were high, I admit it; the pic we got of them from season 5 set kinda made me feel sure that nothing bad could happen in season 4, when you have Lidia and Carlos like that in season 5, when Lidia is holding him and looking at him like that. (x)  Also, Blanca’s interviews reassured me as well because it really didn’t sound that romantic feelings were involved when it comes to Francisco, and that Lidia was very much sure of the choice she made, of the life she has with Carlos, and their family together.

It turns out that yes, Lidia is indeed happy with the life she has, the first episode was actually really good to me.  I enjoyed pretty much everything and I felt for each character. Sure, it was sad that Lidia couldn’t stay at home not even one night with Carlos and Eva because she had to go playing the nurse for Francisco, but I got it.  It was understandable.  Then it became too much and you could feel Carlos’ insecurities raising and raising and raising, and honestly that’s very much understandable, too.

My biggest problem with all of this is that the writers decided to make Carlos act completely OOC in order to separate him from Lidia and for her to go back to Francisco.  And to me, this is completely unacceptable and mean. You don’t destroy a character to make the other side of the triangle happen and to make the other guy shine, it’s too convenient. Do they really think it looks great for Lidia and Francisco to happen like this? Or should I call her Alba again, since IMO that ending is her going back being Alba. 

Lidia increased Carlos’ insecurities, she didn’t talk when she needed to, she didn’t reassure him when he needed it.  She kept being obsessed with Francisco being in a coma because apparently it was their fault he ended up like that.  Excuse me, how’s that Carlos’ fault anyway, since he got shot too and couldn’t be at the airport to save Eva?  How is that Lidia’s fault as well?  Since Francisco is an adult man who decides consciously what to do with his life and consciously was there to help Lidia getting Eva back. What happened was an accident. If Lidia felt guilty because she’s the one who kept asking him for help, every single time things with Carlos are rough, that’s her problem. But Francisco’s conditions were anybody’s fault.

Carlos was supportive, patient, ready to help her and listen to her constantly, even if it was just watching her being in pain for Francisco, and she didn’t appreciate it at all.  She actually kept him at distance. So Carlos had every right to feel insecure, fearful and left out. To be honest, I understand why he went crazy, it was a very hard situation to handle. But let’s get to that. We’ve been told Carlos used his mother’s money to rebuild the company behind Lidia’s back, because she didn’t want to use Carmen’s money. Seriously, this was made up to create this stupid plot for Carlos. He was happy at the radio station in season 3 and just went back at the Company because his mother asked him to, or else she would have report Lidia to the police.

Suddenly, he was so interested in the Company, but okay fine, he used his mother’s money. He should have told Lidia about it, of course, but he probably couldn’t imagine that his mother would have left the prison anytime soon. Of course, she was back before he thought and he found himself in a very difficult situation, because his mother blackmailed him, because she’s just a precious human being. Carlos’ intentions are to fix everything by himself because Lidia doesn’t have to find out and because he doesn’t want his mother near her and Eva. That’s when everything starts and that’s when Carlos’ downhill starts.  But let me get this straight, the fact that Carlos wanted to use the money he owed to his mother to help Francisco, well that to me was wonderful.  And yes of course he was doing it for Lidia, bu honestly does that matter? He wanted to do it. And here I’ll say something about Elisa.

Did you get Elisa’s side in all of this, guys?  Because seriously I didn’t. She was one way with Carlos, and the complete opposite with her mother.  She actually convinced Carlos to take Eva at the park only to meet Carmen. She played with Carlos’ feelings too, she told him things about Lidia, his relationship with Lidia comparing it to the one she had with Francisco. Only to make him feel more and more insecure, because Lidia would leave him as soon as Francisco woke up. She accused him of doing everything to keep Lidia close to him because he was scared to lose her, and the way she did all of this was really bad to watch. Is this the way a sister treats her brother? Is this her way to help him? No, please, it’s insane. Lidia and Carlos’s relationship has NOTHING to do with what Elisa and Francisco had. And even later when she finds out Carlos didn’t tell Lidia Francisco woke up and he has amnesia, the first thing she does is saying everything to Carmen.  SERIOUSLY?  Whose side are you on? 

I truly hoped she was the one who help to fix the situation.  A good sister would have gone to Lidia and told her everything. Yes, she indeed told Carlos to tell the truth to Lidia because it was the right thing to do but she didn’t do it in the right way and he was lost already. She was no help. And of course  knowing everything Carmen used all of this to her own advantage. I know that Carlos fell into his own trap but no one truly helped him. And finally when Lidia talked to him and told him the things he needed to hear, it was just too late. He already made the big mistake.  And there was no going back because he just kept doing mistakes one by one, victim of his own fears, his insecurities and mind games, too. It was a mess.

What I truly believe though is that Lidia accepted his proposal genuinely. She was truly sure and happy about it.  Sara/Oscar was condemned and Lidia realized life is too short, everything can change in a minute and that’s why she accepts to marry Carlos. That was good, it was actually a beautiful scene but obviously it wasn’t at the right time, because Carlos was lying to her. And he had no escape, or at least he had, he needed to tell Lidia the truth, facing the consequences but he can’t. Once again, Elisa doesn’t find the right words to explain it to him. And it was really bad to see him lying to Lidia’s face, but for the life of me, I just can’t truly accept how they could treat so badly a character only to make the other appear as the true hero, the one that can’t be manipulated, the one that always does the right thing. Francisco doesn’t remember anything except Alba, the young version of her. The woman before him is a stranger but wait, it’s his Alba so he’s willing to do anything she asks him to.

Lidia decides to run away with him and Eva, just RIGHT AFTER she finds out Carlos lied to her. Because she realizes Carlos wants to keep her and Francisco apart, so Carlos is the big bad guy now who keeps the lovers apart. Is this real? Are we watching a joke or a show which is supposed to be about feminism and keeps making the protagonist washy washy between two men? Does Lidia need a man or a dog? Can’t Lidia just leave alone with her daughter, if she feels that Eva is not safe as long as Carmen is alive? Why leaving with Francisco, just like that, taking away Eva from Carlos, his own daughter? Yes, he put her in danger, but he had no idea what Carmen intended to do. He was so blind and they made him so dumb, my poor baby, he just couldn’t understand anything anymore. But of course Francisco and Lidia need a fresh start, and all Carlos gets is punishment. Like “hey, you wanted this, you did everything yourself.” And I’m sorry but that’s not good writing. AT ALL.  

The characters keep doing the same mistakes, all over again, there’s no growth, actually they go downhill. The season in general was slow, confusing, with no logic at all. We spent 5 episodes with Francisco in a coma, dealing with his cures and when he gets up, it feels like he never was in a coma. Seriously, oh Doctor Miracle, right? Called by Carlos, BTW.  Angeles was killed in such a stupid way. They didn’t give her a second chance, they didn’t reunite her with her daughter, they made her lie to, and then she gets shot just like that.  Everyone survives a bullet but not her.  The whole central plot became boring because they dragged it too much, and the characters just dance around themselves with no logic at all. Where’s season 1 quality? And season 2 as well?

Damn I thought season 3 was bad, but season 4 was a nightmare. A real nightmare.  To be honest, it felt like a fan fiction written by a Francisco and Lidia’s shipper. We got it, they wanted to separate Carlos and Lidia because they wanted to re-open the triangle, and since they have 2 more seasons to come - yes Roger Gual, the director replied in a Instagram story that season 6 is in pre-production, kill me - they needed to do it, I guess. But for God’s sake they did it in the worst way EVER because they decided to hit Carlos, making him act OOC, for that to happen. Or else, Lidia wouldn’t be “justified” to change her mind. Is that supposed to be good for Alba and Francisco, anyway? I don’t think so.

I really don’t know what to think about season 5, how that pic from set is going to fit in all of this, because clearly in that pic they do seem very close. Honestly, right now I’m very mad and disappointed. And I feel played as well, because do they think we’re stupid? I mean, the nonsense was huge. Anyway, said that, guys I’ll obviously post gifs from the new season, be active and everything. If you have requests, feel free to ask and if you want to share thoughts about the season, they’re very welcome:D Let’s hold on together, dealing with the disappointment and hoping for the best to come. 

[gtgrandom]

Where Young Justice: Outsiders went wrong

(And before you tell me to just stop watching if I don’t like it - I’ve been supporting the show since 2011 by creating a significant amount of content and giving back monetarily. I have every right to critique the writing, thank you).

Honestly, I think they pulled their act together in the finale, and this season left me much more satisfied than I anticipated. That being said, there are some issues I want to address.

Major flaws:

Overabundance of characters

Undeveloped Relationships

Lack of Continuity

Problematic Representation (getting better)

Weak Dialogue 

Lower Quality Animation

The Message

Overabundance of characters

I think we can all agree on this one. There were far too many characters in season 2, but season 3 is laughable. It’s hardly a story anymore. Instead it’s an episodic series featuring new heroes each episode to appease niche comic fans.

There’s a formula for a superhero show (and any group-oriented tale in general), and that’s having a central team of five or less. Then you can introduce one or two new characters max per episode as side characters or villains. But you always circle back to your main team. YJ did a nice job of this in season one. So did most CW superhero shows before they made the same mistake of expanding their cast to make their writing task easier. (Yes, easier - new characters means you can stop developing old ones, especially with time jumps).  YJ started to narrow down the team by the end of the season, but it still left many mains as side characters / aesthetics. 

It’s great seeing these characters brought to life - I won’t deny it. But you can’t delve deep if you have this many. You can’t focus on character development or meaningful relationship development (hence why nearly every ship was established off screen). Furthermore, you frustrate fans when you focus on one group more than another. With a smaller cast you can always count on appealing to your audience because their "fave” is always present in some way. In many ways, fans feel like they’re being dragged along simply waiting for their character to pop up because of a one time cameo. It’s not fair to the audience.

The relationships

I think the only romantic relationships we’ve seen develop on screen are:

Violet/Brion

Spitfire

SuperMartian

Robin/Zatanna

sort of Roy/Jade

- and all but one were introduced in season 1. 

The others were simply introduced as a couple with little to no previous interaction. Like:

Tim/Cassie

Dick/Babs

Jaime/Traci

Bart/Ed

Kaldur/Wyynde

Gardita

M’gann/La’gaan

Mal/Karen

That is not how you write romance. You don’t stick it in there for the sake of it. You have to show us why they work, how they got there, and why we should care.  I’m not saying there HAS to be romance, but if there is, it still has to be written well. 

Continuity

This begins to overlap into the next issue, which is continuity.  I understand that Outsiders is not necessarily a new chapter to Young Justice, but if you are going to call it Young Justice Season 3, then I expect story lines to bleed over beyond just villainous deeds.  

Let’s look at Dick Grayson, for instance.  He’s one of the only mains who has had a very consistent, though shallow, character arc throughout the series.  First he wants to lead, then fears it because of the sacrifices he would have to make - because he didn’t want to be Batman.  In season 2 though, he becomes his worst nightmare.  He risks the lives of his friends, lies to his team, and ends up losing his best friend anyway.  And in season 3, we actually get a little bit of continuity here with Dick mourning Wally and being afraid to take on another team after season 2.  It could have been expanded upon, but it was still present, and I applaud the writers for that.  Especially for driving home his leadership qualities at the end there.

Now, what about the other characters, specifically those introduced in season 2?  This season is called “Outsiders,” and yet, it seems to only focus on the original team and Violet’s new group.   

What about Bart’s entire arc of coming back, stopping the apocalypse, and then losing Wally, his mentor?  What about Jaime’s home life and the lasting effects of being turned into a villain who nearly killed all his friends?  What about TIM and his role as the new leader??  Where did that plotline go?? Why is the unfamiliar Beast Boy now the leader of this Outsiders group?  How did Ed overcome his anger issues and repair his relationship with his dad?  How did Jade go from being a supportive wife and mother into the opposite?   

The writers tried to avoid all these problems by giving us a time jump.  But that’s just lazy writing if you don’t take the time to answer how things have changed!    

Also, I’ve said this before, but continuity isn’t simply having characters mourn a dead character.  You can’t keep using that plot device to give heart to the narrative.  If that’s your only source of true pathos...and that character is dead...then you’ve got a problem. 

The representation

Okay, I’ll admit they saved their asses with Kaldur. I love my wholesome pansexual rep. Would I have preferred to see his relationship occur with a character we’d already been introduced to outside the comics? Yes. But I’ll take it.

Disappointed with Ed/Bart and Bluepulse. They could have shown us more, but they didn’t. They could have given us a story, but they didn’t.  And don’t hit me with “this is a children’s show - we’re lucky to get what we get” BS.  Because it’s not anymore.  This show is literally written by adults for adults.

I really don’t want to talk about the whole Halo/Harper kiss because it was just so wrong in so many ways, but it needs to be addressed. So, first of all, if you excuse cheating in any capacity, shame on you. I don’t care what the characters are going through or how old they are. You don’t both recognize that you have significant others and then proceed to make out!! Second, what the hell?? You’re going to have the first lgbt content be a bisexual stereotype of two girls cheating on their boyfriends (and two characters who have only interacted in one episode before??) Not to mention, underage drinking and gun use? That sends the wrong message to the audience, even if the teens were reprimanded.  

Also, Halo is supposedly non-binary, and yet they explained it away by technology, so idk, I’m hesitant to count it as legitimate rep. I still think it was a good discussion to have. But yeah...

Finally, Halo is not Muslim rep after all.  She’s a hijab wearing character, but she does not identify with her faith or her culture. She outright rejects it in her scene with Harper. So...what? Is she diversity points that you can continue to violently kill off over and over?  Not a fantastic way to treat POC. I don’t think the creators meant any harm by it, but it’s something they need to consider going forward.

(I do appreciate the number of POC characters that have been introduced however. Especially the Latinx and black characters. This show has improved its diversity. But without proper characterization, they’re sort of just...there).

Dialogue

I can’t be the only one who cringed through entire episodes this season?  Some episodes had stellar writing. But the bad ones were very, very bad.   Obviously, not every joke is going to stick the landing, but if you’re going to kill off your beloved comic relief character, you have to have a better backup plan.   

Like, do you guys remember how witty some of the lines from the pilot were?  The whole “Speedy” vs. “Kid Flash” debate in the opening sequence?  You can tell how much effort went into those scenes.  How much love was given to those characters. Because they knew that was their only chance to hook the audience, to get a green light for a full season.  So they put everything into character development and plot - and now they’ve lost so much of what made the show precious in the first place.  (It’s still precious, but it’s tainted in many ways for me now).

Animation

It’s gone downhill. That’s really all I can say without being mean.  Some episodes seem slightly better than others, but if you compare the animation from 3x01 to an episode like Failsafe...there’s just no comparison.  I could hardly watch Wally’s scene without frowning at the frame rate.

Message

I don’t understand what the show is telling us anymore (or I didn’t, before Black Lightning gave a very “on the nose” speech about what it is that we were supposed to take away from this season).

I mean this has always been an issue with the show, but at least it was a little clearer in season 1.  Then, we had several themes:

Found family (+ Actions speak louder than heritage)

Don’t call us sidekicks (AKA the kids can make a difference)

Secrets are poison (They can tear a team apart. Trust in friends)

Season 2 was a little convoluted...and sort of just recycled material. 

Secrets are poison (dammit, Dick)

You are in charge of your own destiny (Jaime/Connor)

Sacrifice (Kaldur, Artemis, Wally, Bart...they all gave something up for the greater good).

But what is the message of season 3?

Secrets are still poison (Tara, Violet, Batman v. Wonder Woman team)

I suppose it’s about healing and letting others in?  Like how  Brion and Victor have both worked through their anger?  Artemis and Jefferson and Dick and Gar sorting through their grief...somehow...off-screen...(except for the episode devoted to Artemis saying goodbye to Wally.)

Perhaps...accepting yourself?  (Victor, Violet, Brion, Connor?)

Do you see my issue here?  How much harder it is to see what I’m supposed to take away from the show now?  I’m not saying there aren’t any good messages being told, but they’re difficult to interpret.  Sometimes that can be good.  But this time I’m on the fence.

Conclusion

I love many of the characters from this show, but the fandom acts as if the writing is impeccable, and that’s just not true.  Not everything is bad.  Some of it is still miles beyond other animated television (looking at you vld).  And I genuinely enjoyed about half of the episodes this season. But I think it’s important to recognize the flaws in media, as a writer myself, and as a consumer of these shows.  

Plz be civil in the comments, and understand that this is only my opinion. 

[siancore]

1/2-Hi Sian, I really need to vent. Two part ask! It would be nice if Michonne fans can stop complaining for once and just support Danai. I'm tired of hearing her fans say they're not watching Michonne suffer. I understand it'll be hard, but Danai is still on the show. There are 2 characters AMC is pushing as the leads, Daryl and Michonne. If the show fails, best believe this fandom will blame Danai and not Norman for that. It's already tough for her with TWD fans always trying to erase her.

2/2-How about we rally around Danai instead of abandoning her during this show change? I feel bad for Danai sometimes. Seeing the behavior of many Michonne fans makes me realize why Michonne/Danai tweets and Instagram posts are some of the lowest liked. Her fans don’t support her like other fans support the characters they like. When they don’t get exactly what they want, they bail. This just let’s Danai know that all her fans cared about was Richonne and not Michonne or her as an actress.           

Hello, Anon *hugs* it’s been a rough couple of weeks. I hope you’re okay.

I absolutely understand what you are sayinghere and have concerns of my own. However, I do think there are manycontributing factors as to why people have stopped watching the show, and noneof that has to do with lack of support for DG, or because they don’t care aboutMichonne’s character.Taking Rick away was the last straw for a lot of people.

Ratings have gone downhill since Negan showed up and remained on our screens. Theaudience is genuinely tired of how bleak the show has been. At least inprevious seasons, there has been some kind of hope. A lot of that died whenGlenn died, and when they killed Carl off. I cannot speak for all of the fans,but I know Michonne fans in general were just relieved that Rick and Michonnehad one another after what they lost. Now, as we know, they don’t have thatanymore.

They were meant to lead together; that was taken away fromthem, and the fans. I do get what you are saying. I don’t want the fandomblaming Michonne for the failures of the writing staff and TPTB. However, I don’tthink people should support a show that they no longer love.

I love Danai. Everyone who knows me knows this. I am sohappy that Michonne is going to be leading the show, and to be honest, I amgoing to stick around to watch that. I just wish it wasn’t at the cost oflosing Rick. I know she is smart and capable, and the only one who could havewritten the laws for their new world. She did that. She did it while raisingher children, and mourning her husband. I just wish this show could have shownher do it with Rick by her side. I wish they didn’t have to beat women down,and take from them to show their resilience. It does get difficult to watchthat over and over again.

I don’t think Michonne fans care more about Richonne thanthey do Michonne. They care that Richonne, as a power couple, and a family wasso, so good for Michonne. That’s what hurts in all of this. We know what shehas lost. Rick brought her back in the first instance when she lost her firstfamily. To see her lose Carl and Rick is simply too much for some fans, and Icompletely understand them, too, as I do you.

The thing about DG and Michonne fans is we support anddefend them both. We have done so for the longest time. And it was made clearthat taking Rick from the show was taking him from Michonne. They did this toMichonne, as much as they did this to the viewers. Some people will not standby and watch that, and to be honest, they should not have to.

I have to reiterate, Richonne is important for so many reasons,but mostly what them being together meant for Michonne and what she represents.She is an amazing character in her own right. She is one of the most iconiccharacters to ever grace our screens. The fact that DG, as a Black woman in herforties, with dark skin, is the leading lady of any TV show is amazing initself (because we know how shitty things are). Having Michonne be doted on byRick; seeing how soft Rick was with her; how much she was loved and adored anddesired, THAT was important. So please don’t be too upset with Michonne, and Richonnefans for mourning the loss of that. Who knows when we will get to see acharacter who looks like Michonne be treated, and loved like that again?

DG will do amazing things as the lead of TWD. It is justunfortunate that it comes at a time when Rick Grimes has been taken from us. Hewas the reason many fans watched the show, and stuck with it: It was his story.Fans of both Rick and Michonne are going to find it hard to continue watching without him. That’sjust how it is. But, I do agree that we need to continue supporting DG in all ofthis, and maintaining our love for Michonne. 

DG is a rising star. She will be okay long after TWD isdone. Her screen presence, her professionalism, and her talent will carry thisshow until it’s over; it will take her to new and better places. We will see what happens, but I know her fans love everything she does, and for many of us, it started with Michonne.

I will end this on a positive note, DG has been nominated for a People’s Choice Award for Action Movie Star of 2018 (the only woman on the list!):

[brickyard2bridge]

July 24, 2019 (Wednesday)

DAY 5

Dearest Friends,

Silly, but my eyes leak a bit as I sit down to write this final blog entry for the ’19 B2B. They leak because of you.

You have trusted our Brickyard to Bridge team with your finances. Wow. 

I am humbled as I think about the last couple months of fundraising. High school classmates, immediate and extended family members, new friends, business associates, friends of my sons … I wish I could find a sufficient way to express my gratitude for what you have accomplished with us this year.

I wish I could look each of you face to face over a cup of coffee to connect with the deepest parts of your souls–both because of your individual value as people created in the image of God, and because of how pleased I am that God has placed us on this planet at the same time in history…our lives, to varying degrees, have been knitted together for a purpose.

Nothing happens in our lives by mistake. There’s a reason for everything.

So … I am thankful.

You. Are. Cherished.

As we departed our All Season’s Resort in Kalkaska, MI this morning, we were challenged to find a comfortable position onto which to rest our back sides. Funny how that challenge gets magnified with each passing day (okay, not really funny at all). But true to form, our bodies finally relented and, though begrudgingly, came along for the ride.

Before we knew it, the 2+ mile downhill stretch we anticipate from Day 1 was again upon us at mile 29. We were pleased to coast along at 35+ mph along what is now a much improved and repaved Highway 131 to the most tranquil break locale on our 500-mile journey.

From there, the day unfolds more than acceptably. 

Every year, our annual lunch at Sunrise Park down on Little Traverse Bay reminds us of how much we love being “Up North” – since childhood.

About 3 years ago, we tried a new route from Petoskey to Mackinaw (thanks to 2017 cyclist, Steve Placeway) … and we were again thrilled to cycle through the truly massive hills which provide us with much needed variety and just plain FUN along C-81/Pleasantview Road. Those miles are filled with marvel, laughter, and emotional highs as we generally realize we’re on the last stretches of our journey. Thanks again, Steve, for helping us discover this genuinely glorious route.

It’s SO easy to just go through the motions on this challenging, and what has become annual, fundraising endeavor. 

We were all challenged this year to remember that this 500-mile journey, as well as through our first-run and short life in this flesh as a whole, isn’t about us. 

Once you have experienced the new hope that comes from recieving Christ into your life, and understand your new citizenship as a child of the living God, the lens through which you look at life changes. In short, you’re Set Free!

If you’ve never really given your life to Jesus, please hear my heart … what’s holding you back? NOW is the time to really begin living. 

There is only freedom in Christ. There are eternal and inestimable riches and joy awaiting you. There is a very tangible life in a very earthy heaven with a resurrected body after this first and eternity-determining life has come to an end. This is GREAT news! I want you ALL there with me–every one of you. In the Set Free link above, you can learn more about what held me back for many years from enjoying a freeing life.

Now, I’ll let our extraordinary SAG driver, my brother and Liaison Director for Youth for Christ Asia-Pacific, close out this year’s BLOG...

If someone had told me at the end of our first Brickyard to Bridge (B2B) venture that there would be 6 more in consecutive years, I would have been incredulous. But here we are, having just finished the 7th annual 500-mile trek.  That adds up to a lot of funds raised for one of the most challenging nations in the world for Christians and the Good News they proclaim. And each dollar has gone a long way in advancing Christ’s Kingdom!  

As a Youth for Christ Asia-Pacific leader traveling to nations like the one benefitted by the B2B, I know that the physical effort and time invested by the B2B riders, with sponsoring partners, is accomplishing tremendous change in the lives of many young people in places you can hardly imagine.  

Not only am I personally thankful for what has already happened with these funds, but can confidently say that people who learn more about what we’re doing in South Asia and beyond are inspired, blessed, often excited to invest even more, and introduce their friends/church to what can happen when we give wisely and generously to make Christ known where He has not yet been known.  Consider this my personal offer to see pictures, hear stories and learn of amazing opportunities to be a very real part of big things in needy places.  Simply reply to Greg at the email launching these updates and you’ll hear from me.

‘Til the whole world knows,

Randy Beaverson

[niuxita21]

I told myself I wasn’t gonna do this every time I watched an episode of El Embarcadero because this isn’t my Livejournal in the late 00s and early 10s and no one wants to be subjected to my word vomit on every scene, but the reveal at the end of episode 2 had me SHOOKETH and also, more importantly, today I found out I may have been exposed to The Unmentionable so, you know what, life’s too short.

DUDE. DUUUUUUUUUUUDE. The decision to end the episode on Alex kissing Verónica as some sort of shocking reveal? *chef’s kiss* doesn’t even BEGIN to cover it OMG. Let’s break it down, shall we?

1) First of all, just the notion that the relationship between those two is deemed significant enough that the reveal that they kissed, this time under no false pretenses on either side and each one knowing exactly who the other is (unlike the last time), is considered powerful enough to end an episode on is just... wow. They really are betting on the audience being this invested in them because, if they aren’t, then the ending completely falls flat because who cares. That’s INSANE (in a very good way).

2) Obviously I’m not super crazy about the idea that Alex had to have sex with Conrado, but therein lies the true beauty of the aforementioned timey-wimey storytelling on this show. If it had been told in a linear fashion, it would have gone something like this (taking into account only the footage that was shown): Alex kisses Verónica, the viewer loses their shit thinking their ship is finally canon, then cut to other stuff and the next time we see Alex she’s back at home thinking about Conrado (?) and what Verónica said about people fucking the way they eat. Then she leaves the house and one automatically assumes, oh fuck, she’s really going for it, she’s gonna show up at Verónica’s hoping to have sex with her! How did we get so lucky?? Only to find out that, nope, Alex actually went to see Conrado and have sex with him, and the episode ends there, in a complete and utter disappointment because we finally thought we were getting somewhere with this couple and it just seems like a very cruel bait-and-switch.

3) Now, the way it ACTUALLY played out with the non-linear narration paints a completely different picture: The last time we see Alex she was running away from Verónica flirtily recording her on her phone and then she’s suddenly back at home thinking about Conrado (?) and what Verónica said about people fucking the way they eat. Then she leaves the house and this time you think, OK, I guess she’s finally gonna give him that signal that he’s been begging for, I mean, the whole episode had pretty much telegraphed it. It’s disappointing but she’s a grown woman who can fuck whoever she wants and there’s clearly still nothing going on with Verónica beyond friendship so, hey. So the sex goes pretty much the way one would expect, save for a couple of interesting details: Alex’s “I wanted to see what it was like to have sex with someone who wants me that much”. Once again, gurl, whaaaaa? That is one of the LEAST heterosexual reasons to have heterosexual sex I have EVER heard lmao, wow. In retrospect, that should have been a sign. Then when she’s sitting on Conrado’s bike and he’s rambling about how he hasn’t had sex in so long and she just tells him to shut up. Again, I’m not sure, but I think that’s gotta be some kind of TV Trope code for “I’m having sex with you for reasons other than being attracted to you so if you stay silent I can forget who it is I’m actually fucking”. At least, that’s how I’m interpreting it because I am the queen of digging for crumbs. 

ANYWAY, so in the midst of the sex scene, it starts being intercut with footage from earlier in the day/episode, and we actually get to see what it is that Verónica recorded of Alex after she went out the door of her house earlier, when we thought it was the end of their screentime together for the episode. I mean, it’s all very insignificant and flirty and SO SO DUMB that it makes my heart sing, BUT the sole fact that we start seeing it at exactly this moment completely changes our perception of Alex and Conrado’s sex scene. On the one hand, the constant intercutting between Alex having sex with him and Alex straight-up fucking BEAMING at Verónica while she records her with the most ridiculous hearteyes I think we have ever seen her with kinda gives the impression that Alex is thinking about that while she fucks Conrado, which is pretty big in itself but still just an interpretation. However, then comes the REAL kicker. In the flashback, Alex says “I think I’m starting to feel what Óscar felt” (whatever THAT means ????) and then... she makes Verónica put the phone down and fucking KISSES HER RIGHT THERE AND JUST AS IT’S GETTING GOOD THE EPISODE ENDS AND I AM LOSING MY FUCKING SHIT MAN.

But anyway, I just love that it comes across as, like, the TWISTIEST OF TWISTS and I can’t really articulate why. It’s just a kiss that we could have probably seen coming and yet, somehow, it feels earth-shattering? Like we were working on the assumption that she really wanted to have sex with Conrado for her own personal reasons and in the end it turns out that perhaps there was something more complex at play that is going to complicate her relationship with BOTH Verónica and Conrado. And also, it’s much more hopeful than the disappointing punch in the gut it would have been if we’d seen Alex go fuck Conrado knowing that she’d kissed Verónica earlier that day. As a fan of non-linear narration and how effective it can be, I am just GEEKING OUT about this. The GENIUS of it all, I can’t stand it.

4) Another thing that I think is super cool about this because I am a nerd is that, after Alex kissed Verónica the first time, while Verónica still thought her name was Martina, I was so disappointed in the erratic camera work that didn’t let me see shit (as you know) that I consoled myself thinking that at least I had another “first kiss” to look forward to, their first kiss as Alex and Verónica and not Martina and Verónica. However, I conceded that the show probably wouldn’t deem it as important a milestone in their journey as I had and it was entirely possible that it wouldn’t be given the deference it deserved. But LO AND BEHOLD, the show thought it was actually SO IMPORTANT that it made it a shocking reveal ending for an episode instead of tossing it in the middle and then having it ruined by the Alex/Conrado sex scene. I’m just... do you know how RARE it is to find a show that seems to be on my same wavelength regarding the importance of the narrative beats of romantic couple? This ain’t my first rodeo, I’ve shipped tons of stuff under the sun and I don’t think I have ever felt so seen, lmao.

5) Lastly, a honourable mention to the scene where Verónica starts recording Alex. First of all, Verónica being SUPER FLIRTY and teasing Alex about being uptight and thinking things too much and calling her “Ms. Architect” and djghkjhskjh I can’t believe this show is being so good to me so soon. However, I think my favourite thing is how, as Verónica starts approaching Alex while saying all this, Alex gets this wide-eyed look on her face, like her whole body is vibrating at the prospect of Verónica getting close to her. And then this:

LORD, the way she’s so hyperaware of the fact that Verónica is touching her and how she follows the trajectory of her hand even after she takes it away. I just fucking love that little attention to detail. AND THEN, as Verónica gets her face reaaaaally close to her, you can totally see Alex’s eyes darting downwards towards her lips three times, by my count, looking SO FUCKING SMITTEN I wanna claw my face off so that little smile of hers is the last thing I see. 

And towards the end she isn’t even smiling anymore, she just looks ready for Verónica to kiss her whenever she wants (which she actually does, even if it’s a chaste, almost “friendly” peck just to tease her because that’s how Vero rolls and that’s why we love her). I just fucking love this entire sequence because smitten!Alex is something I didn’t know I needed in my life and, tbh, it’s also the reason why in the end I couldn’t care less about the sex scene with Conrado, because she has never (and probably will never) been shown looking at him like that. We just keep winning!

I also love how, after that, she casually takes the apple from Verónica’s hand and starts eating it, in that same easy intimacy that we’ve been seeing between them since last season, like when Verónica automatically poured her a wine glass while “Martina” was dicing peppers (I think?) for dinner or when Alex poured one for herself and Verónica came in and drank from it and then they just shared it back and forth. Their chemistry is just astounding.

Anyway, to think that, after watching it for the first time, I was actually kinda disappointed in that, after the goldmine that was episode 1, this episode was sorely lacking in interactions between these two and Alex spent the majority of the time with Conrado (*yawn*), plus the fact that the episode was only 42 minutes long and we lost a good chunk of it to dudes talking about Óscar’s dirty businesszzZZz. But upon reflection, this scene and the twist ending continued to give me things in my wishlist wrt these two: a flirty scene where Alex smiles at Verónica in the most smitten way possible and a first real kiss. If I’m being honest, I don’t think I would have added anything except making the kiss at the end go on for a bit longer and not be cut so abruptly, because even that was shot exactly how I wanted (LMAO I’m so anal, but I have such trauma from poorly shot f/f kisses and I have zero tolerance for that shit). Other than that? Utter perfection. I’m genuinely starting to worry about when things will start to go downhill but shhh, let’s enjoy this while it lasts.

[survivorkvaloya]

Episode #2: “I Feel Like I Robbed Whoever Gets Reward This Challenge and I Love It“ - Colin

New tribe? With friends on it? And Jules? Let the fucking slaughtering revenge happen! 2 fucking years later I'm COMING for you! She and Brett can't even answer multiple PMs throughout this week but talk hella in the tribe chats. OFF with their heads!

Hi I'm Jackson and this is my first Confessional. So far I've talked to what feels like a lot of people, but I suppose it isn't everyone yet. My original tribe was really great, so it kinda sucks that I'm not with any of them anymore, but it does give me the opportunity to lay back and let some of the mentors do the dirty work (including my own, Ryan). On the original Ersfjorden, I was pretty close with Chelsea and Lily. We were pretty prepared to work together in the case of us losing immunity, and I really hope we get to work together again if the tribes swap or merge. Jack I also had talked with, and we had some cool shared interests, but to be honest, I think he's a threat that I would like to get out of the game. I'm not sure what he got by winning Into the Box but I'm almost certain he got something and I'm salty he didn't tell me about it. Lauren wasn't super active and I was willing to throw her under the bus if we lost, but in the future she could be a good ally because I don't think she plays super aggressively. The second iteration of Ersfjorden doesn't have any of the people I'm super excited about working with (Chelsea/Lily/Quilynn) which worried me originally, but I think my mentor has things under control. He's talked about getting rid of Jules if we have to, which sounds just fine to me, as I've gotten bad vibes from her in the One World chat. Andreas and Danielle also seem to be on our side, so I'm pretty sure we can get the numbers. I'm not sure how easy it would be to explain that move to Lily though since she's Jules' student... I hope she wouldn't hold it against me. Because to be honest, if someone wanted to take Ryan out when I wasn't there to stop them, I wouldn't be super mad. I want the newbies to be in charge - that's my end goal. Anyway, Zoe got voted out, which is slightly disappointing because clearly she wouldn't have been a threat, but oh well. It's nice to know I'm not the first boot. Okay I hope this is long enough. I have to get going on this weird cookie challenge...

WOOOO OKAY SO my ass was just being bored, looking thru the TS wiki, admiring my wiki page and the season page, and OWO WHATS THIS??? A SECRET LINK HIDDEN IN THE COMMENTS ON ONE OF THE TRIBES?? So I click it, right, and its AN IDOL PIECE. I GOT ONE OF THE TWO IDOL PIECES IN THE GAME RN. I feel so accomplished. I didnt even need a clue. Being obsessive pays off huh! anyway with the pieces twist I really wanna find out who has the other piece so we can work together. 

SO I'm telling three people I have the piece. 1. Nicholas bc he's my biggest ally and he's likable, he might know who has the other. 2. JD because she was on my original tribe and I feel like I can trust her, and she had the clue last round so she might have it 3. Brett bc he's my mentor and seems well connected, he might know.

So hi! Sorry I suck and didn't write a confessional until right now. So I should have a lot to say. 1. My OG tribe was lit. Lauren and Jackson killed the challenge and won it for us. I was also shook that I was able to get us a point on that damn cat game. 2. I get along really well with Jackson. Potential FTC partner? Maybe? But also he is a strong player and I may not want to take him to the end. 3 tribe swap. But the HECKIE. I was not prepared but lucky that three people from my OG tribe and I get along well with QuilLynn and Christine is her mentor so I seem to be in a pretty good place on this new tribe. 3. Fuxk the cookie game. I hope our weird strategy of only giving cookies to two people works well. Cause otherwise we are fucked. 4. Gage is on my tribe too and I love him 5. Sad that Jules my mentor isn't on my tribe but I can managed without her I hope. 

after the swap I feel like i'm being very vocal in my tribe and really trying to contribute to our challenge, but I am slightly worried it might rub people the wrong way, specifically the mentors. I don't want them thinking I'm trying to take charge or be a leader, because i'm really not, but at the same time nobody else is really giving anything and we can't just go into every challenge blind. I'm trying to work together some agreement - not necessarily an alliance- between me, willow, gage, chelsea and lily for the time being, but again it isn't something i'm really being vocal about and probably wont be until I know we have to go to tribal. I do want to form a solid 6 alliance of me + willow, chelsea + gage, and nicholas + danielle but again it needs to all happen at the right time, and i'd rather the mentors (aka willow) be the ones that form it. 

Mission 1 of me and my student not being first boot has been accomplished! I'm super happy with the results and I'm interest to see how the swap works out. Everyone here seems super cool and I'm glad me and Lauren are on the same tribe but I'm a little sad to be separated from Ryan and Liam. This challenge is terrifying though, I think QuilLynn came up with an amazing plan but it could all come downhill if someone blabs so I'm hoping that doesn't happen cause I don't feel too confident going to tribal...Everyone's so vocal and then there's me who's like the silent little lamb of the group so I'm a bit nervous but for now I just hope we win.

Ahhhh why does this challenge have to be so difficult. Literally we had a plan all set up and an hour before the deadline Lily wants to change things up and Lauren is nowhere to be seen. I'm? Stressed. 

So our plan for immunity almost got ruined when lily started getting paranoid about it and a bunch of people started to want to change their guesses to 9. In the end it still worked out thankfully and we'll be safe from tribal. Unfortunately we didn't get the reward so no idol piece for me this time. Ryan says that Lauren has it but honestly I don't believe him I mean she could, If she tells me she doesn't have it I wouldn't believer her either its just I don't actually trust any of the 3 that got the clue. I do know that it was in the comments of one of the tribes on the wikia and the last one was in the tribe rules under a link, so next round even if i don't get the clue I'm still going to try to weasel my way around the blog/wikia/tag around the time of the results reveal so hopefully I can snag it. 

I HAVE GOT SOMETHING TO SAY. JULES, DON'T YOU DARE THROW MY NAME OUT THERE. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED IN INDIA AND IT ENDED POORLY FOR THE O T H E R SIDE. YOU'RE GOING.

Round 2

Tribals I've been to: 2/2 

Tribals I wanna go to: 0

This one is a heck of a lot more stressful than the last. I was talking to Jules last night and we kinda collectively agreed that Liam would be a good vote, so I started to spread that around a lil, just to Andreas and Danielle, then within MINUTES, Liam messages me. Someone is a fucking rat. My gut is telling me Danielle but I really wanna work with Danielle so I hope it aint so! I did my best to resolve that issue with Liam, but now Liam and Ryan are hella pushing for Jules. I don't wanna be anymore involved in this than I already am. I already probably accidentally screwed Jules over. Plus I have an alliance with Andreas and JD and they both want Jules gone. It sucks because Jules is genuinely one of my fave people on this tribe and in the game and I don't wanna vote her out, but she doesnt have the votes to stay without someone trying to flip the votes. She's not trying and I can't risk my game for her. Oh well. Rip Jules, fallen queen. 

I'm pretty sure Jules is going. Thank the lord. 

 Liam thinks it was him who got everyone on board. All I've done is plant the seeds since the game has started, and as soon as I heard Liam's name come up in a conversation I told him about it and he went charging into everyone's PMs tryna get Jules out. Love him.

Connor, making big moves, voting out his own student. Game Changers only!

 Also, for the first time in literally ANY main season, I have an advantage. AMAZING. I found a legacy advantage soooo thats cool! I don't know exactly what it means yet, but I most certainly intend to be the one to use it. If I should get voted out, for what ever reason, I think would give it to Christine, and if she's out, Tuna. I have no intentions of telling anyone about it because literally why would I do that

Okay ill try to make this short and sweet because I have tribal soon so. We swapped tribes and ill still with Danielle but she got Ryan now plus their students so that foursome is gonna run things so im just gonna stick on to them and try to vote with them as much as possible. JD, Colin and I made an alliance and its iconic and i actually like them. I'm trying to pretend like im not around and not giving my all into this game and trying to play UTR for the merge but just work on social game which I believe is working. Jules should be going tonight because Ryan wants her out and I dont wanna create waves because the foursome got Liam on board because she wanted Liam so thats a set 5. Connor is joining our tribe and I hope he goes next because I DONT TRUST HIM!!!! Also Colin told me he has an idol piece teehee