#god what WAS the last new show I watched that wasn't a rewatch

[downbaddetective]

On one of my recent rewatches (note taking for color analysis), my partner sat and watched with me, and I thought I would share some of the things he had thoughts on in no particular order:

•He also believed that Niko's sprite attention cloud was a physical manifestation of soulmatedness/lesbianism directed at Crystal like the rest of us did

•He owns an older Miata, so he was pretty pleased with the fact that Esther owned one (the first time I had watched, I involuntarily clocked it (I am not a car person), so when she confirmed that I was correct in the last episode I had told him that he should be proud of himself, lol.)

•Loved Esther up until the very end

•He enjoyed the music

•I don't think he was fully sold on Niko at first, but she quickly became one of his favorites

●He liked Crystal the most from the beginning (He asked how people hated her because I talked to him about my frustration with some weird takes that were going on, to each their own, but that one also still confuses me.)

•'You're my best mate' "oof, not the friend zone"

•Both Esther and Niko seemed to have all of his favorite lines

•I accidentally spoiled the fact that Niko 'dies' but I didn't say anything about what happens after the fact, so when the last couple of episodes were foreshadowing her dying, he basically went 'but I don't want her to die :('

•In addition to the previous point, the morning before we watched the last two episodes (we had to watch it in chunks), he was talking about how he doubted that we would get renewed (not in a mean way) but the last episode closed out he immediately said he was angry there was no season 2 and that this show deserves at least a season 2

•He wasn't fully convinced that it's Niko in the Igloo at the end

•He wants Jenny to go to London because he loves her

•He got frustrated with nobody listening to Tragic Mick's story and cheered when Niko asked him to continue

•He wants Mick to be able to be a Walrus again

•He essentially said 'My god, he wants to fuck the cat' lol

•He struggled to describe the vibes he was getting off of the Cat King, he has yet to find the words

•He loved the cats (probably because they said fuck and other such words)

•He also enjoyed the dandelion sprites

•There wasn't a whole lot that he had to say about Edwin and Charles, just kinda vibed

•He apparently missed the Cat King's cat form the first time, so he saw the second instance and said,"Of course he's orange"

•I also asked the rhetorical question, "Who told the ghost population of Port Townsend that the Dead Boy Detectives and their new medium were there?" Without hesitation, he went, "It was the Cat King."

•He has been exposed to Orbwin and Chorb content on here and is deeply entertained by it, so he looked really worried after the explosion at the butcher shop so to help I pointed and said "Look, it's Chorb!" It helped

So, needless to say, if you haven't already watched it, you should watch Dead Boy Detectives.

[beepborpdoodledorp]

alright, I'm in need of a palate cleanser, TADC Episodes ranking because why not

Now that Episode 4's marked the (almost) halfway point of the show it's as good a time as any to do a personal ranking and also I want to procrastinate working on more angsty fanart as much as possible for my own sanity

Mystery of Mildenhall Manor

What is there that I can even add to this conversation, the episode is fucking stellar. Pomni and Kinger's dynamic is impeccable start to end and I'm a sucker for anything remotely resembling the found family trope so that just further elevates my opinion, and as both an avid Zooble enjoyer and a very un-cis person their subplot hit me hard. And oh my God, the hallway scene, it's still my single favorite moment in the entire show. The soundtrack, the atmosphere, the gorgeous visuals, the emotional build-up from the conversation beforehand, I want to just absorb the essence of this scene into my bone structure. I've watched this episode twice so far and both times the hallway scene almost made me cry. I'd recommend this in a heartbeat to someone who isn't even interested in TADC or the wider genres it belongs to, it's just that fucking good. 

2. Fast Food Masquerade

It is. Probably not that hard to figure out where I stand on this episode considering how much I've been annoying every TADC tag under the sun the past 72 hours. I absolutely adored this episode, was literally everything I wanted and more based on the promo material. I love Gangle, her storyline about hiding her depression hit way too hard, I love Zooble, I love Gangle and Zooble being gay as fuck, I love Ragatha being absolutely fried the entire episode, I love Jax showing three whole seconds of human decency. Gummigoo. Oh my God. With how much praise I just threw Episode 3's way it's probably weird to learn I actually think Episode 4 is an overall better episode (by a very thin margin, but still), it just gave us a lot more interactions and development with the group as a whole which is something we were mostly lacking in up until this point usually due to the group being separated at some point or another during an adventure. In all honesty if Episode 3 didn't have the hallway scene I'd probably put it in this spot, but it does and the hallway scene fucks so Episode 4 is down here. 

3. Candy Carrier Chaos

Again, what can I even add to this conversation. A great expansion after our first taste of TADC, Gummigoo solos, I love sentient AIs undergoing existential crises as they come to terms with the implications of their existence. My one major complaint (which I had back when the episode first released and it's just been amplified with the last two episodes' releases) is just that we don't get much content of any of the main cast besides Pomni, their interactions are surface-level and don't offer us basically anything new from what we saw of them in the pilot. But that also wasn't what the episode was about so I can mostly give it a pass.

4. PILOT

The pilot was a very good jumping off point for the series and is decent as a standalone, but after rewatching it about a month or two back I don't think it's aged all that well. Again, it's still a perfectly fine watch and does its job of setting up all the stepping stones for the series, but the best way I can describe the pilot is…cluttered. It's just a lot of information and events you need to fit into one twenty-minute episode, so most of the episode goes at a breakneck pace in between a lot of back-to-back jokes that sometimes miss the mark (mostly the fault of Caine, I love him but he is definitely a character who is most effective in short bursts of screentime). You can definitely tell they were still trying to get a feel of things while making this episode and that's completely fine! It's a pilot, that's the whole point. Just doesn't really hold up when compared to its successors.

[thestupidhelmet]

i remembered your posts about "one difference" fics and i was rewatching jackie and hyde scene on youtube and this just came to me: how would you have written them getting back together s7 eps 16/17 (it still annoys me the way they got back together)

Thank you both! 😊

(The pic of the second ask was sent a few months after the first.)

Of note is the fact Jackie and Hyde didn't reconcile in 7x17 in the original version of season 7. That reconciliation was added once season 8 was greenlit to give fans a few more J/H episodes before the rewritten S7 finale -- originally the series finale, where Hyde and Jackie get engaged -- that leaves the state of Jackie and Hyde's relationship as the cliffhanger (which was intended to be resolved far differently in S8, but the choice of replacement showrunners destroyed it and the end of the show).

My version of the reconciliation episode wouldn't allow for that finale cliffhanger. The following ficlet is one idea I have.

One Difference: Jackie and Hyde Reconcile In-Character

Jackie and Hyde sat in the basement together, him in his chair and her on the sofa. Kelso wanted to show Fez a new trick he learned from Betsy, but they had to go to the Formans' backyard for it.

"But Betsy is an infant," Fez said as they exited through the basement back door."

"Exactly," Kelso said like Fez didn't understand logic. They were gone.

Jackie (to Hyde): You're still here.

Hyde: Yup. That a problem?

Jackie: I'm just surprised. I've gotten used to you leaving me.

Hyde: Let's just watch TV.

Jackie: Sure ... maybe the Price Is Right is on.

Hyde bristled at the mention but kept his attention on the TV. His shades made watching the black-and white images tough, but what he heard was more aggravating.

Jackie: Why did you leave me so abruptly at the public access studio? You were really nice and supportive. I didn't expect that either --

Hyde: I said what I came to say. It was your time. Didn't want to take it.

Jackie placed her hand on her heart. "I was going on about how happy I was about being independent. You know how hard that's been for me, getting that confidence. But you went there to say something else, didn't you?"

Hyde was silent

"Didn't you?" Jackie repeated, but Hyde stayed silent. "Say it to me now."

Hyde shifted his weight in his chair. He might've been more open last week, but that time had past.

"This is our first date all over again." Jackie shook her head and focused on the TV.

"What're you talkin' about?"

"I told you I didn't feel anything after our kiss, and you lied and said you didn't either. You're still lying to me."

"And you're lyin' to me. About what you wanted to tell me at Grooves."

"How do you -- I mean, I did not ... damn." Jackie glanced down at her lap. "What's the point in telling you the truth? That's what you thought on our first date, isn't it? I didn't have feelings for you, so you had no reason to tell me you did have feelings for me."

Hyde exhaled a heavy breath. "Look, I wasn't gonna hijack your victory last week. You've been afraid of not bein' able to support yourself, not bein' a success -- all that crap -- and I get it 'cause I've had the same crap in my skull. What I wanted changed that day."

"Changed ... " Jackie stood and approached him. Her legs were inches from his knees.

Hyde pressed his back hard against the chair; her gaze burned through him. "Not in general, man. Just that day. I wanted you to feel good about yourself. Not us. You."

"Us?" Jackie said softly "Us?" she said louder. "What do you mean us?"

She was shouting now. Hyde winced at the volume but said, "I got intel you'll be pissed about me knowin'. I pushed for it 'cause I ... needed a guarantee before I -- would you back up a little?"

"No." She crossed her arms over her chest and, after a second, gasped. "Oh, my God, Fez blabbed! He told you I -- " She pressed her lips into a thin line. "Nope. I'm not gonna say it to you."

Hyde shrugged. "Then that's it, I guess."

"That's not it. You owe me."

"How do you figure?"

"You have a remarkably good memory. Use it."

Hyde clenched his jaw, but he went over major events in his and Jackie's relationship. The first time she said she loved him and didn't care if he said it back. She'd just needed him to know. The first and only time he said he loved her, not for her sake but because he was scared of losing her.

He'd never stopped being scared. That was his freaking problem. He couldn't commit to her beyond the moment since the moment was all that counted. He learned that truth from his mom and Bud's marriage -- but it was their truth. It didn't have to be his and Jackie's.

He removed his shades. "I love you. That's it."

"Okay, now I'm confused," Jackie said. "That's it what?"

"That's the only guarantee I can give: I love you."

She knotted her fingers together. "For ... for how long?"

"It's a guarantee, not a warranty. It doesn't run out."

"But you ran out on me after promising to go to the LoPPs party."

Hyde stood from his chair, and Jackie stepped back. "I ran away, man. All right? I ran away 'cause I saw us together in the future, and the only futures I know are divorce, prison, and death. That's what 'before life goes to crap' meant." He risked clasping her shoulder; she didn't flinch from his touch. "Nothin' to do with you. All me."

"But our future can be whatever we make it, Steven." She was pleading with him, and his chest ached. "I'm sorry."

"Huh?" His eyes had narrowed. She had to clarify before he filled in the gaps himself.

"Our. Us. We both forgot those words until today. I shouldn't have made you promise to go to another event you'd obviously hate."

She had to mean the LoPPs Christmas party. He held up his hand. "Hold on a sec. You didn't make me promise. I promised, and I broke it."

"You did what Michael used to to, say something to appease me because I was too controlling then go behind my back to get a sense of freedom. But you just played with toys, not another woman's -- toys."

He used ever but of willpower not to stroke her sad face. "Doesn't excuse that I was a dillhole. I hate bein' disrespected, but I disrespected you, man. You didn't deserve that. I could've sucked it up, but my head wasn't there. It was up my ass."

Jackie laughed a little. "And my head was up the LoPPs' asses. They're like a group filled with clones of my mom. 'Being single is a sign you're not good enough to get a man.' 'Marriage is the key to happiness, so get married as soon as possible.'"

"Those direct quotes?"

"Close enough." She grasped his hand. He left his fingers loose. "None of my time with you has felt like a waste. I'm just scared of how much I have to lose. I'd rather lose it now then let down my guard and lose it when I think I'm safe."

She was speaking his language, as she so often did. He tightened his grip on her hand. "You're safe. Actually safe. ... Am I?"

"Oh, God, Steven, yes!" She cradled his cheeks between her palms and kissed him. His lips tingled, and his insides grew warm after a frigid internal winter. He'd missed this sensation, missed her, for too long, but he withdrew from her mouth. "What?" she said. "What is it?"

"I'm not proposing any time soon. You've got to be cool with that if this, if we're gonna work."

"I don't need a proposal. I just need you."

He allowed himself the barest of smiles before kissing her back, this time full of the fiery adoration he felt for her. Her breaths sped from her nose, but she held onto his waist and matched his intensity.

They ended up on the basement's sofa, lost in each other, but a startling image reached his consciousness: him in a jewelry shop, buying an engagement ring. Jackie hadn't graduated high school yet. He was only nineteen, but just like they weren't Bud and Edna, they weren't Forman and Donna. They could get engaged and stay engaged for years. Marriage could wait until they were truly ready

In this moment, though, he and Jackie were reconnecting in every way. That was more than good enough for now. It destroyed his fear. He and Jackie were solid, and he trusted they'd do whatever was necessary to keep it that way.

[halemerry]

I read your meta on the manipulation the Metatron used on Aziraphale, and it was such a great essay laying out every detail. When I watched the end of the episode it was early morning for me and I was super tired and I missed a lot of those details. What did manage to come through in my sleepy mind, was that I was very confused about Why This Happened? As in, I understand now that Az was manipulated, I definitely agree with that analysis, but I don't understand yet if this decision was foreshadowed anywhere in the first 5 and a half episodes. I haven't rewatched the season yet (too busy reading meta lol) but I was wondering if you had any thoughts on that?

I just feel like, other than Aziraphale saying in the first episode that it's nice sometimes to tell someone about something good you've done, now that he's not reporting to heaven, Az doesn't actually seem to care all that much in the present day about his old allegiance. I wonder if maybe that's part of the point? He didn't want Heaven anymore and so he wasn't thinking about it? After all, the show begins with Aziraphale enjoying his new life. As the interviews said, he's living his best life. Good music, good food, and the love of his life.

Because if that's genuinely the case, then perhaps the point of the season is that the soft gentle romance of the first five episodes is Who They Are, and it's just that Aziraphale was rushed and manipulated into something he genuinely did not want even a little bit.

Or maybe he always thought he could fix it, because of the Before The Beginning where Crowley said, "If I was in charge, I'd want people to ask questions." Maybe that planted a seed in Azi's mind. Maybe Azi does want to run Heaven, only in a way that Crowley could be proud of it again. Fix it FOR Crowley. Even though Crowley doesn't want that (and Azi maybe doesn't understand that yet).

I came into your askbox intending to ask a simple question about your thoughts, but I have instead written an essay and asked for one in return. Consider it a quick temptation lol

Temptation accomplished hehe - though a little later than I'd have liked. No though genuinely I love this sort of thing a lot and really appreciate all of it. Anyone please feel free to do this at any time!

But uh so. Since that first meta I've done a lot of stuff breaking down that last scene here and also breaking down Aziraphale and the minisodes from this season here. Both of these operate ascribing to the idea that Aziraphale has been threatened into pseudo compliance on top of the active manipulation the Metatron was doing to him. I'll admit this is the theory I currently favor. But, while that's something I find more thematically interesting and also in more narrative alignment, I do still think there's narrative weight to this on its own.

And I think in the case you've got it dead on with the idea of fixing Heaven FOR Crowley.

Most significantly I think this is viable in the way Aziraphale views Crowley. Like. We know he thinks Crowley is Good and that he has thought this for a very very long time. Arguably his instincts have been telling him this since even before he could consciously put it into words given that even as early as Eden he was being honest with Crowley - a thing he even then did not feel he could do with God Herself. Despite being Fallen, Crowley is safe. Crowley is right. Crowley is Good.

Despite is important here. Because it is notably not and. The lesson being taught here is not that Hell can be Good. In fact Crowley himself actively encourages this idea. I'm not taking you to Hell because you wouldn't like it. My lot don't send rude notes. I need a weapon that could destroy me to keep me safe from Hell. I'm a demon: I lie. A demon could get in a lot of trouble for doing the right thing. I'm a demon, demons aren't nice- You're an angel you can't be tempted. You're an angel - you can't do the wrong thing. All of these things in culmination with the way Crowley talks about his Fall to Aziraphale - I didn't really Fall just sauntered vaguely downward - sets Crowley up as unique in the way he transcends what he is.

Meanwhile Aziraphale has been learning the hard, slow way that the people running Heaven do not necessarily have good intentions and more critically that they are not in alignment with what God actually wants. The problem is the management. The angel who would become Crowley said as much himself.

He has every reason to believe they fix it together too. He now knows that together they can perform archangel tier miracles while they're both actively trying to hold back. He knows that even when they're making mistakes and fumbling through the apocalypse they can help defy the world ending. He knows that they are perhaps the only two beings alive that even remotely understand God's will.

So here's Aziraphale given the opportunity to put himself in charge along with theoretically the single most Good being he's ever met. Of course that's appealing. You could give the person you love the power to create again - something we are explicitly shown at the beginning of this season to bring the angel that would become Crowley more joy and delight than we have literally ever seen Crowley have on screen - and the power to create a world together that actually deserves to have that person? You could undo something that you've slowly been coming to terms with believing should have never been done to him in the first place? You could be Adam, rewriting the end of the world and making it so the Bookshop never burned. All you need to do is change the color of the paint job.

Because he'd never change Crowley. He loves Crowley. Crowley is Good already it's not about making him better. The bit with the Bentley is the scene this season that encapsulates this sort of worldview most. Aziraphale changes the color of the car (which is being presented to us as literally physically linked to Crowley) but not the model. He changes how it looks just like Crowley changes into angel wear without a second thought. Neither change the core of what they are, just the aesthetics. And Crowley is always trying on new aesthetics without letting them change who he is. From Az's perspective why would this be any different?

He doesn't realize that sometimes even if you make it so a Bookshop never burnt that doesn't mean the memory of it doing so ever leaves. You still line the shop with fire extinguishers. You still swap to battery operated candles. The memory lingers as they always seem to do.

Crowley can't ever go back. Won't ever go back. Because the trauma of the Fall draws a clearer line for him both in his own identity and in his worldview than it ever could for Aziraphale who came to his own much more slowly. And because of that it's easy to see a reading of Aziraphale that can't see the specific way what he's saying eats at all Crowley's insecurities because all he can see is what they're capable of together and how that aligns with the greater good. It's all part of God's plan, just like they've always been.

[batsplat]

omgg i started following you because i loved your motogp posts and i did not expect to get emotionally attacked about my tennis fave like this. you've lit expressed everything ive felt abt tennis lately like daniil's return game has developed so well these last few years if only his shoulders were still functional he wld be soo unstoppable (i remember like last 2 year-ish when his serve suddenly went to shit and i was like wtf is going on?? but then it turned out his shoulders don' work anymore😭😭😭) ngl i did not expect him to make it to the ao finals this yr at all but then he did and i started getting hope again and then well uk what happened next... (i actually went to bed when he was up 2 sets because i alrdy had premonitions for what was abt to happen and i didnt need that experience twice 😭) anyways i finally quit watching the men's tour reguarly middle of this yr-ish because mostly because my biggest opp started winning big tournanments/slams consistently and i cld not take it anymore (part of why i got into motogp ig, i needed a new thing to fill in the hole)

also ur thing being having to be the chosen one in men's tennis is soo true but i wld argue it cld even be broadened down to being in the chosen generation... every 90s born player doomed to be seen as the weak links of the sport, both forever destined to be surpassed by those who came before and those who came after...

anyways mostly i also just wanted to thank you for writing all your super information motogp posts!! not only is ur writing style super informative/consistent, all the topics u've written abt feel super unique like i doubt i wld ever randomly stumble elsewhere. i'm not that good w/ words so idk how to fully express my appreciation, but your posts are the main reason i started delving into more past motogp races and interviews instead of just sticking to current ones which has 1000% made my experience of becoming a motogp fan more enjoyable!

🥺🥺 such a nice ask from a fellow sufferer... I actually tried to sleep in for the ao final and managed for like. maybe a set. it's so funny to have a whole fanbase quite literally begging their player not to go up two sets to love, zero hindsight needed I was HORRIFIED by that second set going his way... especially since I noticed the balance of play in the actual games had changed and meddy wasn't winning any return points anymore, just relying on an earlier break to seal that set iirc. and then I started going for increasingly desperate tactics to distract myself when the inevitable happened in the next three sets (including rewatching marc marquez: all in, it was rough man, like I get what you're saying about getting into motogp to escape because generally I too have fled to this sport whenever tennis has most been pissing me off)

and obviously that final was very trauma flashbacks to my definitive sports trauma, a match I'm STILL not over and at this rate have accepted I'll be miserable about until the day I die. but this time I couldn't even BLAME him because it was an insane effort to even get to the final, he'd done such a fantastic job given his tennis really wasn't there at the start of the tournament, he just kept figuring out ways to win... the hurkacz match where he basically ran out of fuel in the fourth, that crazy semifinal where he just refused to know when he was beaten, and then taking two sets off sinner in that final!! the resilience and the grit but also the tactical acumen, like my god when he blindsided hurkacz by radically altering his return position RIGHT AFTER doing that post-match back-and-forth with courier where he explained in detail why he favoured his regular return position. the cleverness and the bravery he showed in clutch points in that semi, something that zverev is completely incapable of (monte carlo 2023 still lives rent free lol), like the psychology of that match slapped. how he took it so sinner, completely caught him off guard by mixing up his game, and it was WORKING. really managed to change the dynamic of that match up... he lost that match first and foremost in his legs. just so cruel after everything. we had the guy who easily disposed of an admittedly rubbish djokovic in the semis on the ropes. and it still. was. not. fucking. enough. one of the best slam final runs in recent memory and it still wasn't enough!! he's already far outperformed what he SHOULD have been capable of in his career and somehow he keeps developing a game style which should have plateaued ages ago and I have so much respect for the work him and gilles have done post-2022... and he really should have more to show for it

anyway yeah I remember the serve decline in 2022, back when I was really in the weeds with analysing meddy's game. and that was also the year it felt like his legs completely deserted him. his deciding set record that year was horrific after ao, very rarely even got it that far win or lose and when he did so almost always lost (karatsev was cramping, let's not talk about the other third set win)

scorelines from the tour finals genuine miracle i did not throw myself into the sea

only one four set match post-ao and he also lost that, incidentally. and obviously that was partly because his brain was fucked, BUT I also wondered whether it was the aftereffects of the hernia operation that year affecting both the physicality and the serve. and I can't remember if he confirmed that anywhere but the theory's certainly cottoned on to help explain the serve decline, even if his endurance obviously has massively improved again. and then add in the shoulder... it's so brutal because it used to be such a key pillar to his game, like the whole magic was tied together by being able to whizz through his own service games while making his opponent's return games hellish

and like,, the thing I really admire about him is that there was a period in 2022 where it did feel like he'd been 'figured out', like there was increasingly a game plan that could be used against him. serve and volley, etc etc. but to some extent, he's managed to resist just being written off when facing elite competition BECAUSE he keeps coming up with ways to throw his opponents off-balance. what he's been doing this year, for all that it hasn't gotten him great results, has been so much fun to watch - really reminded me of his summer/autumn 2019 stretch where he'd played so much he should've constantly been at risk of keeling over of exhaustion but adapted to it by just becoming a completely different player. wawrinka uso 2019 match still goes crazyyyy, one of his most underrated performances. serve and volley in the uso 2019 final I wanna run to u. it's such a wonderfully unique game that's frankensteining all these unique parts together that all sort of shouldn't work but all sort of do, harnessed and constantly reinvented by (let's face it) the smartest top player currently in the game. and it really does piss me off that he hasn't been rewarded more. he's been the best of the rest since 2019, he's absolutely maximised his game for someone who doesn't have that stratospheric big three-level of talent and I WANT it to actually matter. but men's tennis will always see talent triumphing over guile I fear, and meddy has consistently been a victim of poor timing

and yeah, the generational aspect is true, where the entire ''''''''nextgen''''''''' cohort has essentially been doomed - partly because they just weren't good enough, but partly because they arrived at just the right time window to still be thoroughly traumatised by the big three without getting any kind of a break before the next super talents showed up. until 2022 I really did naively believe we were getting a chaos era of SOME kind until that decrepit spanish ghoul showed up in australia to trample all over my soul and give me depression, and then immediately another bloody spaniard started going at it. how can you not be a little bit bitter that alcaraz got to swan to his first slam title without having to face a single member of the big three? idk man like sometimes it really is the magic of sports that the anointed few don't just have talent on their side, they are also fantastically lucky. you see it with how the big three all secured their first slams... things just seem to work out somehow. infuriating and existentially horrifying

anyway. lol. as you can see I do always have a tennis rant in me. will always be a major part of my life, obviously something I have a far far better understanding of than any other sport, still keep up with the women's game fairly closely... where icl it helps that the players I'm most invested in have dropped off SO badly this year, partly due to injury, that I can merrily ignore their existence. plus, and this bit is crucial, I don't loathe the players who actually win things. so I'm in a happy place where I just enjoy the sport and (if anything) want Certain top players to do better than they currently are... but also don't lose any sleep over the results. like, have I been massively frustrated with iga this year? yes, but it's also not made me stare at a wall for five hours. also, it's just been a way better product than this predictable basher servebot shit from the men. women's wimbledon semi day THE best tennis day of the year, prove me wrong. they've had actual classic matches, which the men have been noticeably short on. just sort of been an odd season for the men, with djokovic shrivelling and alcaraz patchy outside of two slams and sinner doing his whole 'I'm not a cardboard cut out I'm a REAL boy' routine on his way to fifty hard court titles and everyone else irrelevant. as I've already said... it's fine. whatever. hope the sport enjoys fifty thousand alcaraz/sinner slam wins as the earth keeps turning around the sun and eventually we all turn to dust. it's fine

and seriously, thank you for everything in the ask... always happy to hear I've made someone's fan experience like. better. and that I add something a little bit different to the mix lol, also literally no compliment I like to read more than anything to do with my actual writing. because this ask was so lovely, here's my personal favourite moment as a tennis fan this year:

still think that australian open title should be restored to us

[skayafair]

Scared Vi

The thing I was finally able to put into a thought and into words after staring at gifs for 2 hours straight: throughout all the post-timeskip Arcane Vi is fucking scared of everything that's going on around her. AND she's on the brink of losing it pretty often. I need to rewatch (no idea when I'll be brave enough to ride this rollercoaster again) but I didn't notice it while watching, because, WELL, there was already TOO MUCH to take in, so some more subtle details escaped me. I've caught that Vi is very vulnerable in her honesty, openness and straightforwardness, but that wasn't all to it, and it bothered me! Because all three don't ooze the vulnerability 24/7 and that's what Vi looks like to me nearly all the time!

So I was wondering.

And here's the answer. She's been suddenly released out of her cell into the world that is now completely unknown to her. Yes the air of freedom is great, and she enjoys it, but at the same time there's always this frightened undertone.

She's constantly on the edge.

Not in the least because when things that used to be familiar, like your home, ones you used to know like the back of your hand, change but not completely, it's the worst trap of all, the most confusing and anxiety inducing. How much of what you remember is still the same? How much changed? Can you trust its exterior even if it looks the same? Or would it betray you in the worst possible moment? How do new things work? How do they work WITH the old things? I've experienced it once coming back to my former workplace that changed quite a lot but no one bothered to fill me in so I was piecing together the information for a YEAR. And I might not be the brightest but I'm not dumb either. I'm pretty good with systems. It was BAD.

So I can't imagine how much worse and disoriented Vi must have felt. And Caitlyn took her out of jail to SHOW HER AROUND. Having no idea how the world Vi used to know so well changed just in several years. So she's on a look out all the time. And her eyes, her expression betrays her put up exterior of confidence and maybe even arrogance, leaking this anxiety and straight up fear almost all the time.

She looks like a frightened, lost little girl. And when she doesn't, she looks like a desperate teenage girl who tries to punch her way out of every problem because she's backed into a corner and that's the only way she knows, even if it never helps. (No seriously, the only time it helped was against Silco's thugs and EVEN THEN they weren't completely dealt with and kept causing problems straight up to the bridge fighting scene. Vi's fists kept her alive and safer but they never SOLVED anything.)  

I think the way she looks just SCREAMS fear and anxiety when she and Powder/Jinx fight back to back after the torch scene. Jinx looks like she's completely in her element, she knows these guys, she's been in situations like this time after time. It's habitual. She's very confident and almost careless there, moves freely, she knows what she's doing. She might even enjoy it. Vi, on the opposite... Vi, who's all about loose body language, free movement and such - nearly curls up into a ball against Jinx's back, keeping her fists and elbows close to herself. Vi NEVER looked like this again, I think. I... believe she was the most thrown off kilter back then. She finally found her most treasured and the only remaining piece of her past - her sister, and sure, lil Powpow changed, she had to survive, but she's still Vi's little sister!

Right?..

Wrong. Powder-Jinx back then is the quintessence of the trap Zaun is to Vi now: familiar pieces are all there, they're recognizable even if a bit changed, but you never know what lurks under the surface.

And gods does Jinx just demolish every last bit of the ground Vi was standing on. It's not even when Jinx goes full on unhinged, it's when she simply starts blasting bullets all around. When she fights and she's confident in what she does. Vi doesn't know this girl. Vi doesn't know this gang flying around. I bet she doesn't even know this TECHNOLOGY because the world made a whole leap technologically while she was stuck in her cell isolated from pretty much everything. It's like a literal time skip for her. And she doesn't know what to trust, so she can't trust anything no matter how much she wants to. And she HAS to want it, because she looked genuinely hopeful fresh out of Stillwater. Before she saw what her home turned into. Silco really did bring the monster out of it, not just himself or Jinx or shimmer junkies. The whole city. So Vi looks small, and frightened, and I think she's even panicking back in that scene.

She's ready to snap at any moment.

It's very interesting to me, because she looks tough and very mentally healthy on the surface but boooy are there mountains hidden underneath.

Vi does snap, actually. Several times. Her voice cracks as she's trying to convince Ekko she's THE Vi, same she used to be. She charges at Sevika TWICE. I think second time was much worse btw. She literally downs a drink IN THE MIDDLE OF A FIGHT - I don't think it was out of mental stability. And, well, the cry in the end. She won, and it helped nothing again. Even her mental state. Another fragile moment with Vi is the way she looks around her sister. Vi is confident and action-charged by nature, she's energetic and isn't shy to take up space. So she never looks small... except when she's around Jinx. She's drowning in guilt, and this guilt is spilling out.

Interestingly enough, scenes when Vi DOESN'T have this scared/guilty/anxious/desperate look is around Cait. She's either playful, or actually confident, or even RELAXED. Which is... wow, all things considered. Part of it is a put up facade, of course, but only in the beginning. The ship sails itself huh...

A lot of people pointed out Caitlyn is about future in Vi's life centered around the past, but I think what's more important is that Cait is about the present. Plus, she's a familiar - an enforcer, a topside - turned unfamiliar in a GOOD way.

Gods once again I'm baffled at the level Arcane is thought through. These are subtle, small details, expressions that aren't exposed or accentuated like many other ones. They are underlying, but once you notice them it's a whole new tapestry unfolding right before your eyes.

As you can see, I'm very normal about Arcane and Vi in particular, yup, totally cool 😌👌✨

[batcrooks]

THE BATCROOKS AWARDS 2023

This year, I kept track of every piece of media I consumed for the whole year. I didn't keep track of individual Youtube videos (which I watched hundreds of, they're my main background noise), but I did track every Book, Video Game, TV Show/Web Series, and Movie. Here are my BEST OF 2023 (year of release may vary).

Best Movie: Spider-man: Across the Spider-verse I only actually saw 3 new release movies this year: Spider-verse, Barbie, and The Boy and the Heron. So the competition wasn't very fierce, but I was glad to sneak Heron in there at the end just to make sure (I found it very pretty, but too nonsensical and weirdly paced.) Spider-verse was a little disappointing (toooo long) but it was definitely the funnest new movie I saw this year.

Best TV Show: Silo I saw a couple actual TV shows this year, but for pure fun had watching and theorizing, Silo wins. Is it the actual best TV of the year? Almost definitely not. But these are my awards so it wins. You can't leave the silo!!!!

Best Web Series: Game Changer Season 5 I'm not sure if I can properly justify the category difference between Silo (on Apple+) and Game Changer; both are technically web series. But I watched Silo on a TV, and it just seems more like a TV show. So I have awarded Best Web Series to Game Changer, because I like it just a little more than Make Some Noise. I also watched a lot of Dimension 20 this year for the first time, but they're not 2023. I'm being wishy washy on the category requirements lol.

Best Video Game: Baldur's Gate 3 This game was so good at one point I was playing two saves simultaneously, just for fun. I don't think I can say anything that hasn't been said about it before lol. And it was MULTIPLAYER. Sourdeer and I played this game all the way through TWICE. We finished it the first time and then spent like 4 days trying to find something else to play before deciding we just wanted to play it again, evil-style.

Best Video Game I Didn't Directly Play: The Curse of the Golden Idol A lot of (usually bad) video games I experience through "Cat Plays a Game" and its twin show "Sourdeer Plays a Game"; the hit show streaming exclusively on discord between my friends lol. Sour played this one, technically, although as an asymmetric multiplayer experience it's hard to beat. I want there to be five million games just like this one. I wish I could wipe my memory and do it again. We already devoured the DLC. There's a sequel coming out thank god.

Best Video Game I Played All By My Lonesome: Pentiment I don't tend to play a lot of single-player video games due to lack of time mostly, but this year I managed to play Pentiment, an incredible game that really played well with the weird amount of knowledge I have about the time period and setting of the game from reading The Pillars of the Earth and its sequels. It was completely engrossing and I will probably play it again some day despite its pretty slow pace. I know I can't save everyone. But maybe I can try.

Youtuber of the Year: Jenny Nicholson I rewatched a ton of her videos this year and joined her Patreon so that I could watch the huge backlog of "ramble" videos she has. There are TWO sequels to the Evermore video in there! Hours and hours of entertainment that makes me wish I could experience more weird theme parks.

Best Book(s): The Scholomance series by Naomi Novik The last one came out in September 2022 but this is a "non-reread, new to me" category, not a new release category. Novik's Temeraire series is one of my favorites of all time, and Spinning Silver is also really good, but even still I was wary to start what initially seemed like just a snarkier, edgy magical boarding school series. But the mechanics of the world-building and the characters really won me over quick, and this has ended up being another of my favorite series.

This spreadsheet has the full 2023 list if anyone wants to see/judge me/discuss video games or books: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1X7u2F_9FSvvyys5v006eQg1hIvx0bT3QuLDgy_TJasw/edit?usp=sharing

[oneatlatime]

The Northern Air Temple

Some thoughts before we get into the episode:

-I feel like Sokka got more lines in the first half of the season. Don't know if that's true, but that's what it feels like.

-I feel like Katara and Zuko have evened out a bit compared to the first half of the season. Certainly Katara hasn't done anything too annoying in a few episodes, and Zuko at least makes (a very small amount of) sense now, thanks to The Storm.

-I need more Appa.

Episode Time!

Wait

This episode apparently has the option of commentary. I'll save that for a rewatch.

Now it's episode time

A surprisingly ominous musical sting for the opening title card. Kind of reminiscent of Jet's musical sting.

We must be getting pretty close to the north pole because the parkas are back.

Oh my god actual airbenders? Is this show's title a lie? Avatar: Upon Further Investigation, One of Several Airbenders.

Also did that storytelling guy just charge his own great-grandfather for listening to his own story told back to him? Who's the real cheapskate?

Sokka whittles! That's a nice touch. Gotta have something to occupy your time on long polar nights. I think it's a beaver with a hat? How does Sokka know what a beaver is? There are no trees at the south pole. Unless it's a chipmunk. But those don't exist at the south pole either.

optimist = liar is an underrated take. And very Sokka.

The southern Air Temple was much more colourful than this. Maybe sunsets suck up north? Also those are live people. Living breathing non-corpses. Doing airbendy things. I am confused.

ok paragliders! Not airbenders. You know Aang must have been crushed by that bait and switch. He copes with it better than I would.

They may not be airbenders but this is still some pretty fancy flying. Obviously these glider people have been at this for a while. Do you think, in the absence of airbenders, non-benders were like "welp, somebody's gotta do it"?

Nailed it. Meng's right. He does have big ears.

My god I hope this kid does regular maintenance on his brakes. He came in hot.

This kid (Tayo?) is really sweet actually. He's got that same sort of sincere joy that Aang does when he's happy. Like when he was laughing at Pipsqueak's name. An ersatz airbender having an airbender's joy is cleverly done.

You couldn't have moved that pipe six inches up? Tayo may call his dad a mastermind, but this reeks of sloppy planning and building on the fly. This is the kind of plumbing dead end I'd plumb myself into, because I don't know how to plumb. What's the plumbing equivalent of cable management? Because these people need it.

I get it. This episode is going to be a commentary on the world moving on during the last century.

There was a deliberate conscious choice made here. You couldn't accidentally decapitate the monks every time you installed a pipe. Even if there wasn't a conscious choice to be destructive, there had to have been a conscious choice to be callous. Poor Aang's day is just getting worse and worse.

How does piping hot air everywhere result in goop?

Now moved on to literally decapitating monks. Come on guys, I was being facetious.

"This whole place stinks!" Buddy I could not agree more.

Then again: "Who said you could be here?" Can't agree with this one. How could they have asked for permission to move in? The only airbender around was frozen. This conflict is going to have to find a middle ground. Obviously these new guys are taking it way too far, but Aang has no right to expect the world to have been left unchanged for a century. Honestly I'm surprised that no one had moved in to the Southern Air Temple. It didn't occur to me when I watched that episode, but we've seen enough war-torn villages since that I'm surprised the air temples haven't been claimed by refugees.

"We're just in the process of improving upon what's already here" would be a much more convincing justification if it wasn't being spouted by someone standing in a giant hole created by a wrecking ball. Although kudos to this guy for seeing an opportunity to help his son and his people. Heart's in the right place, but I'm kind of questioning the execution.

"Progress has a way of getting away from us" another underrated take!

Tayo's dad's mannerisms are strange. He's giving me Willy Wonka vibes (Gene Wilder, not Johnny Depp).

Four o'Candle. I won't lie, that's funny. Gotta wonder how the rest of the world tells the time, if this guy invented timekeeping.

I regret taking this screenshot.

That's sweet, showing Aang the one untouched room. This Tayo is quite empathetic and perceptive, unlike his father. Also a good point about the animals. They never left.

I'm sorry, but the Southern Air Temple is just so much prettier.

Interesting storage choice. Do you think that was an airbender thing or a later addition?

Aren't fireflies a warm weather thing? Maybe someone at the temple has a pet firefly colony?

A natural gas PSA. Was not expecting that. Huh.

Pretty neat that Tayo has intuitively figured out what airbenders need to fly, even if he doesn't have the vocabulary to express it. Once again Aang recovering from disappointments way faster than I could. He said he wouldn't open the door maybe three minutes ago? And now he will. Truly too pure for this world.

This episode is going all over the place but the bug jokes are good.

What do you want to bet that the airbending door opening is footage reused from the Southern Air Temple?

I'm enjoying Sokka having someone to vibe with intellectually (who respects him as an equal - yay!) but I also feel like I'm seeing thirty years into Sokka's future if for some reason Katara stops with the occasional smacks upside the head.

Do you think Tayo's dad is so loopy because his head's in the clouds?

Did not see that coming. Also how many times is poor Aang going to get kicked around this episode? The airbenders that weren't, the temple that was modified to high hell, now the temple sanctum as a fire nation weapons vault. Ouch.

It does track though. Imprisoned shows that the Fire Nation has no qualms about exploitation - in that case, prison labour to build their fleet, and earth kingdom coal to power it. Makes sense that they would strong arm the mechanically minded into helping them as soon as an opportunity presented. Is that how the Fire Nation has gotten so far, shamelessly using anything and anyone that can be exploited? How many Fire Nation innovations are originally someone else's? Hot take: the Fire Nation is Thomas Edison.

Aang can do Bitchslaps!!!! This is wonderful! I demand more of these in future.

"We control the sky. That's something the Fire Nation can't do." So that fire nation hot air balloon I saw in the sanctum was for exploring the sea floor?

Ever seen that thing where two incredibly smart people get together and somehow manage to completely cancel out each others' intellects?

Ever-vigilant to roasting opportunities, Katara lands a perfect burn.

I guess actual murder bombs don't fly in a kids' show. But why not? Flaming fire ball catapults, crack archery squads, and actual past genocide are ok, but bombs aren't?

Aang, squadrons aren't very pacifist of you.

All those guys Aang buried with the air scooter are dead. Also not very pacifist.

Winchable tanks. Very clever. Wanna bet they stole that idea too?

This made me laugh. I was expecting some sort of advanced flamethrower technology but it's actually the bending equivalent of leaning out a hole in the wall to throw rocks. This is Flintstones Technology.

Since when are Katara's pants white?

Winchable, self-righting tanks? That's far too cool for the bad guys to have.

Told you it wasn't Fire Nation tech. Although Tayo's pride in his dad's counterbalancing system is maybe a tad misplaced, saying as that system is being used to attack his home. Oops?

YEEESSS! GLORY TO THE BEAST!!!!!

Upon being informed that the tanks run on a water counterbalance system, Katara, instead of exploiting this, decides that now is the time to remember that she is a waterbender (something she forgot despite spending the last few days (?) surrounded by snow), and uses ice to take the wheels off, what - two tanks? - and then decides to retreat and wait for her brother to save the day. See, this is what happens when Sokka isn't there to do her thinking for her.

Isn't wearing the enemy' insignia a big nono? Then again, a century of war is a big nono too, so I doubt anyone's going to quibble it.

Why are they dropping slime on tanks? How does slime stop them?

In a rare moment of Katara-thought, Sokka loses his mind and throws the whole furnace out of the balloon, rather than just opening it and scooping out some burning fuel. Sokka is so used to doing Katara's thinking for her that he's out of practice at doing his own thinking.

And the temple is still standing, how? Sokka just killed like hundreds of fire nation guys.

Note to self: always pack a spare firebender when travelling by hot air balloon.

Sigh. Saw it coming. Do you think Tayo's dad got the inspiration for the balloon's shape from those guys' hats?

Final thoughts

This episode was a bit of a mess, wasn't it? How many plot threads are they trying to juggle here? -preservation v. innovation -the spirit of airbending living on in Tayo -collaborating with the enemy -the plight of refugees -Natural gas PSA -Sokka the genius -Disability opening up alternate abilities -Guess who now has the ability to meet Aang on his own playing field?

These are all worth talking about, but maybe over the course of two episodes, maybe even three. Cramming this all into one episode means at best that your characters are going to be doing 180s at record speed (Aang and the airbending door), at worst that your characters are going to be nonsensical pastiches that serve the plot rather than act as humans (Tayo's dad is disturbingly all over the place).

The ever-present tensions between the preservation of the past and the needs of the present - in other words - honouring the ancestors v. supporting the descendants, is a very real, very ongoing conflict inherent to humanity as a whole. It's a whole industry: Cultural Resource Management. It's definitely worth talking about. But this was so ham-fisted. Avatar doesn't usually do ham-fisted; they've set a high standard for themselves in other episodes and I will hold them to that. I think sticking this theme into an episode that included so much else was what caused the less-than-subtle handling. There simply wasn't time to do it justice.

I would have liked if Aang and the temple dwellers reached a compromise at the end, rather than Aang completely giving over. Keep Aang's dialogue about Hermit Crabs (why are they black and white?) but then add a couple of lines about how now that the fire nation are gone, the sanctum can be returned to how it ought to be, or promise to decapitate no more monks. Just a couple of lines. Ultimately the temple dwellers are right that they need a place to live, but you can be right in a wrong way. A wrecking ball way. And you can preserve while innovating. It's possible. Wouldn't it have been on-brand if the episode ended with a compromise - you know, balance?

That being said, there was a lot that was good this episode. Tayo is a sweetheart. I loved the fact that he's in a wheelchair and it's not even really mentioned. His wheelchair doesn't even figure in the plot - it's just part of his character design. It's given the same weight as a character wearing glasses would have. I would love it if all physical differences could be treated with the same level of 'I don't care' as a character having glasses. So often in fiction, disabled characters are written with a disability rather than a personality, so it's nice to see it done properly here.

The unwilling Fire Nation collaborator thing definitely feels like a situation that could happen, but I don't like that Tayo's dad was so intent on not being blamed for it. He's an adult, and sometimes being an adult means owning up to stuff. Obviously he's in a rock and a hard place situation, and it's not his fault that he's stuck there (not like he had a choice) but he seemed more intent on getting Tayo to absolve him of blame than to actually explain. His first line upon being confronted being "you don't understand!" rankled.

There's no way that every adult in the temple didn't know it was happening, right? But they agreed to keep it from the kids? We see that Tayo's dad works with a crew when he's wrecking stuff for a bathouse (!!!), and I sincerely doubt that the stuff he built in the air sanctum was the work of only one person. That would have been a cool angle to explore, not that this episode needed yet more angles: The lies we tell our children.

The natural gas PSA didn't bother me at all. It did feel ham-fisted, but if this episode taught even one kid to look out for the smell of rotten eggs, then it's a win. Natural gas is serious stuff and not to be messed with. Anything that teaches kids that is good, no matter how ham-fisted.

Regarding the natural gas, I guess it came from the slime? But I don't know where the slime came from? It could also be unrelated to the slime, in which case the original airbenders would have kept it under control by airbending it away? It's a shoehorned-in PSA, I'm probably giving it too much thought.

Sokka collaborating with an equally intellectual adult that actively seeks his input is lovely to see, although I personally found Tayo's dad to be off-putting. Must have been a confidence boost for Sokka though.

Sokka and Katara both having brainfarts this episode was some rare sibling solidarity.

Poor Aang this episode just kept getting stomped on. This has been a rough few episodes for Aang. He majorly goofs up in Bato of the Water Tribe, he majorly goofs up (this time with consequences) in the Deserter, and now he gets to see that there is truly nothing the fire nation hasn't gotten their grubby hands on - and if there is, others have ruined it anyway. Can this poor guy have a break next episode? Maybe ride some giant animals? Giant hybrid animals?

I do like Tayo as kind of the next generation of airbenders. Iroh and the Deserter (not spelling that guy's name) both give me the impression that bending is as much philosophy as it is physical thing. It's neat to see that, while airbending is gone, airbending philosophy can remain. Can in fact pretty much spontaneously regenerate under the right conditions. I wonder, after enough generations of nonbenders thinking like airbenders, could airbending reappear?

The word I keep coming back to is ham-fisted. We're nearing the end of the season; maybe the writers had a bunch of leftover ideas they really wanted to use that they couldn't fit elsewhere? I'll rewatch this one just to listen to the commentary, but otherwise I think it's pretty meh.

Appa unleashing beast mode on a couple of tanks may well be the highlight of this episode.

[whoiskt]

I didn't do my end of the year questions last year and it messed up the year for me so HERE YA GO:

1. What did you do in 2024 that you’d never done before?

Man, I don't know really? I feel like I used to have so many each year and now I'm struggling to think of any. I went to LA for the first time?

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I don't know what my resolution was but I'm pretty sure I didn't do it.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

No.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No, but basically yes. That's me being a touch dramatic but like, it really does feel like a certain someone died.

5. What countries did you visit?

None.

6. What would you like to have in 2025 that you lacked in 2024?

Clear skin.

7. What dates from 2024 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

None, shit memory, nothing crazy happened this year.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Surviving. It was a bit of a rough one.

9. What was your biggest failure?

I would have liked to achieve more and be more confident in myself by now. It's mostly many small failures in that way. Like, I'm still mad at myself for not presenting my finals well. I did fine in class overall but it was a bit of a bummer at the end there.

Also like, my financials in general are very not great.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Not really, which is good. I had the flu which was scary for a hot second because I had a 104° fever that wouldn't break, and I ain't got no health insurance so I was worried I was going to be forced to go to the doctor and pay out of pocket, which lead to me having a panic attack while already fevering. But I was fine in the end.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

I barely bought anything this year that wasn't rent, credit card payments, or tuition. Or Celsius.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

God, I don't know. Let me know. I would like to know.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled?

Not naming names....... but rest assured there was appalling behavior.

14. Where did most of your money go?

See #11, lol.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

School. But I won't make that mistake again. I think school is bad for me mental healths. But we stay silly.

16. What song will always remind you of 2024?

The entire Arcane soundtrack.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c) richer or poorer?

SADDER FATTER POORER

the holy trifecta 😎👍

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Make money.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Doubt and despair.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

Went back home. My second oldest sister was with her in-laws on Christmas Day, so we shifted our Christmas to the 26th. So, on the actual day of, I was just kind of chilling with my folks, we had lasagna, watched The Holiday, and played some games.

21. Did you fall in love in 2024?

Oh yeah, always falling in love babey.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

Arcane, Blue Eye Samurai, Dungeon Meshi, What We Do in the Shadows, Law and Order: SVU were my lifeblood. Also rewatched Danny Phantom. Started a lot of good shows I'm yet to finish--literally took a TV history class and I have a huge To Watch list.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

(weary sigh) No, I'm not cut out to hate people.

24. What was the best book you read?

Honestly, most of my reading was academic this year so I didn't finish many books. But House of Leaves was pretty wild and fun. That is one of maybe 3 books I finished this year ahahahaha.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

I didn't "discover" Will Wood this year but I finally gave in and listened to more of his discography, discovered many bangers, which is how he ended up as my #2 on Spotify Wrapped.

26. What did you want and get?

Feedback on my art. Got to go home during summer which was nice too.

27. What did you want and not get?

Better. Wait, is that too general of an answer?

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

The Wild Robot.

29. What one thing made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Not dying?

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2024?

Whatever doesn't have holes in it (and some things that have less obvious holes too)

31. What kept you sane?

Friends.

32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Well, I support that guy who shot that insurance CEO... Don't know if I'd go as far as 'fancy' though.

33. What political issue stirred you the most?

God... I don't know. I feel like the world is a ton of bricks and we're getting pelted by it all the time. And it was fucking election year, and look how that turned out...... but I will try not to fall into despair.

34. Who did you miss?

I miss my bro-in-law :(

35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2024.

I learned something big and important but I can't remember how I articulated it. I've been having issues with self-worth, and often I fall back to old failures to make things worse, and I've learned that focusing too much on failure doesn't just prevent more failure, it prevents any movement at all including progress or success. So, I've been doing better with that.

So, I guess I've been learning to let things go more.

36. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

I had the perfect lyric for this but I can't remember what song it was anymore. It was like literally one random line in a song.... gr... this will bother me. If I think of it, I'll let everyone know and update it.

For now you can have this:

[dolphs-world]

Series 2

Sorry for any typing mistakes, I'm using my phone as I have destroyed my laptop.

It's the end of the year and I watched Series 2 of Doctor Who. It has been over a year since the bad taste 'The Christmas Invasion' left in my mouth and I thought it was time to continue with the show. I might even wait another year to watch Series 3, though probably not.

I didn't like it anywhere near as much as the first season. From a 9/10 to a 7/10 between seasons; even ignoring 'The Christmas Invasion'. Here are my problems with the Series 1: I didn't care for the 'Unquiet Dead' and I thought that after the really strong "coward or killer" moment that Bad Wolf was anti-climatic deus ex machina. The speech before the regeneration was really strong though. That's it, those are my criticisms. I even loved the Slitheen episodes.

My main problem was that I only liked half the episodes: 'New Earth, Cybermen 2-Parter, Satan 2-Parter (even though I thought it was a bit ridiculous), Love & Monsters (yes, really, the Abzorbaloff was scary), and Doomsday' but not the first part before it. Yes, the reveal of Mickey and the Daleks was cool but I hated Jackie telling Rose that she'll end up some spinster, Rose trying the psychic paper for once and failing, and the reference to Harriet Jones, the retconning bastards (see last Who rant). I preferred 'Fear Her' to the other episodes not mentioned as it had the Doctor bring kidnapped instead of Rose and the scene with the Tardis was fun. I didn't hate any of the episodes but even the ones I like I can only see myself rewatching 'New Earth, Cyberman 2-Parter, and Doomsday'. I just didn't really care for the situations Rose and The Doctor ended up, I only cared for their interactions. I did cry at the end though.

I like David Tennant, controversial opinion. I like his demeanour and outfit, although he also looked great in Eccleston's jacket. He may have even had better chemistry with Rose than his predecessor. And he did have range. However, there was one thing he wasn't good at. He was good at being annoyed and gaining respect. Whenever he had to be angry and yell to command authority I never bought it. That was Tennant's one failing, I don't think he could demonstrate rage dramatically, it always fell flat and his 2 scenes as Barty Crouch Jr. were more convincing. But, I've seen snippets of him in later episodes and I believe he can improve in this regard. Here's to the next few years of his tenure.

Doctor Ranking out of what I've seen: 13<8<1<12<7<10<9

I love Rose. She was the best part of this season and, again, Piper and Tennant had great vjemistry. Her short hair looked better as well. I found her more compelling than the Doctor and, even though I know she comes back, I cried when she left. Billie Piper is so great I want to watch every show she's been in. God does she get kidnapped a lot or taken out of action. Another reason why I didn't like this season as much, the episodes felt like a rhythm you had already figured out. I feel like Series 1 is going to stay as my favourite but only time will tell.

[tandaforever]

Get To Know Me Ask!

Too many good questions! Couldn't narrow them down! ☺️

🎂 when is your birthday?

✈️ favorite place you’ve traveled

🎵 favorite artists

🔐 something no one would guess about you

🍅 least favorite food

🍐 if you could make one character real, who would it be

🍒 what is your earliest memory

🖇️ what are your favorite asks to answer

🪐 favorite shows / series of all time

🍀 what is your comfort show/series and why is it your comfort show? How has it helped you?

😘

Awww that's more than fine, because I love answering these 😘... you're the best!

Let's get to know me (run ppl runnn)...

🎂 June 24

✈️ London

🎵 Led Zeppelin, The Cure

🔐 I've never been in a relationship. Or on a date for that matter.

🍅 Okra (that's the only thing I could think of)

🍐 this is hard 😭... Chandler Bing -- we'd be best friends. Every other character I love has a tragic story so noooo they can't be real.

🍒 walking home from school, down the road when I was 4 or 5 and my dad trailing behind me, letting me think I was walking home alone (the 90s were different folks lol) but I knew that I wasn't 🥰. Hmmm I don't even know if that's real or not, I probably forgot the part where he actually picked me up.

🖇 these ones... and any really. But writer/fic/ prompt ones are special.

🪐 Friends, Supernatural, How I Met Your Mother, SAS Rogue Heroes, Merlin, Wheel of Time... so many more and sorry got carried away

🍀 I have two.

Friends, which I've rewatched a million times since high school. Wherever I am and however I'm feeling at that point, it always makes me feel like I'm at home, and the jokes still make me smile.

SAS Rogue Heroes, which really shouldn't be anyone's comfort show because by God... do those boys have issues. But it came to me early last year, during a time when I really needed a distraction. Not only did it distract me, it also led me to a new ship that I adore, and it helped me deal with grief as a character was also dealing with it (except I didn't blow shit up, I just watched a TV show lol).

Alright that's enough about me 😅

Thank you 🤗

[deadwriter16]

Hi.... If you don't mind me asking, can I ask, what are your top 10 (or top 7) favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series/games/etc) and your top 10 favorite characters from any media ? Why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this questions before or if I accidentally send this ask twice.....

Hi! Sorry I'm super super bad at managing my inbox but I am finally answering you, so sorry it took so long!! pls forgive me

as far as media goes, i dont have a rank order or anything really but here are 10 pieces of media i really enjoy:

i wouldnt say these are my top 10, but just some i really love

fruits basket (anime) - most ive ever cried watching anything. watched this during my last year of high school during the peak of college application season and it altered my brain chemistry forever. i will never be the same

assassination classroom (anime) - watched it in middle school and therefore formed a deep and unhealthy obsession with it, also karma is THAT BITCH. amazing show. also so like oddly sad

new girl (tv) - my favorite television show OF ALL TIME

how to get away with murder (tv) - my favorite televison drama show OF ALL TIME

always sunny (tv) - still watching this one but i LOVE it, shows about fucked up horrible people are my favorite, also i really love and admire their writing style and i really want to embody it on a show someday. definitely a huge writing inspiration for me

arrested development seasons 1-3 (tv) (i liked 4 and 5 but 1-3 are incredible) - again, a show about incredibly terrible people, and also really fucking funny in a weird way. and super clever. i love it

sherlock (tv) - i LOVE murder mysteries so so much. also theyre super gay which is fun

soul eater (anime) - my first anime ever, will love it forever

penguins of madagascar (movie) - i am unironically saying this, i am not fucking with you, this is my favorite animated movie

saturday night live (tv) - a classic. i haven't really traversed past the 21st century but i watch it every weekend without fail.

a special eleventh is A.P. Bio, amazing show never should've been cancelled. objectively i can completely understand why it was canceled bc there wasn't anything really objectively special about it, but by god do i love that show anyway. i rewatch it all the time

honorable mentions: on my block, sex education, the office, community, one day at a time (2017), how i met your mother, parks and rec, disney XD's lab rats (also unironically. great show.)

As for characters:

This is so so hard I've read/watched so so many things, I'm just gonna name the first ten freaks that pop into my head, but in no particular rank order and im definitely forgetting people:

bakugou (bnha) bc obviously. my entire blog is like a shrine to him. i don't need to justify this choice tbh he's the absolute best

chimney (911) he is SOOO me coded and he deserves the world and i think he's deeply underappreciated so i shall appreciate him myself. underappreciated comic relief characters my beloved

schmidt from new girl. my boy. my king. THE #1 MASTER OF CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. i love him so so much

chandler from friends .... extremely self explanatory (also, see chimney. very similar reasons)

kyo (fruits basket) he means a lot to me. i wish him all the best in life although tbh he did canonically win in life so go him

connor walsh (how to get away with murder) i LOVE him. so much. he's so fucked up but i think hes done nothing wrong ever

death the kid (soul eater) LOVE OF MY LIFE. ABSOLUTE ICON

chang (community) maybe its just cause i love ken jeong but i love this little fucked up mentally ill freak. he's so fucking funny

phil dunphy (modern family) - no explanation needed. he's awesome. i love him a lot he gives me faith in family

every other main character in new girl. i love them all so much

honorable mentions: annalise keating (htgawm), ochako uraraka (bnha), bobby nash (911), dwight schrute (the office), and probably many many more amazing characters who i simply am forgetting

i also really fuck with the grandma from fresh off the boat

[monstress]

succession finale thoughts

rewatching already because i need to write this down while i'm still on that finale high

the immediate problem of the episode is stewy making drama. i love himmm

why would "golden parachute" frank even be in the consideration to vote 'no' for the deal??? we're grasping at straws here oh i feel for tellis despite his soulless blond self

NICKY BEE FIRE IT UP ONE LAST TIME ... god im gonna miss this theme song 🥺

when shiv said that tom is easy to manipulate while mattson is looking at the political cartoon of them. what a blunder

shiv calling her mom an associate in front of mattson slkflskgls

"are there any positives about the nightmare we've shared?" "yeah you've fallen in love finally. fallen in love with our scheduling opportunities." goddddd im so obsessed...yessss they're so awfulllllll like so true jesse make this show also a story of their marriage noah baumbach whomst????

sorry to be so kenstewpilled but the white button down, sleeves rolled up and this line???? delectable. i must speak my truth here like how could stewy not vote 'no'?

new jess.....good for you Jess you escaped this sinking ship

i gasped seeing kendall's sunglasses this episode. that has to be japanese made. nowhere else in the world make such stylish sunglasses. gorgeous pair

greg makes 200k? per month OR year????? answer me. answer meeeeee

love the Lawrence name drop! like we miss u king

the entire lukas and tom dinner scene is sooooo

tom confessing all he he built was sand and he's paranoid to keep what he has. mattson knowing he's hungry but wants to know if he's willing to betray shiv

THEN lukas immediately belittling shiv : she was pushy, she wasn't as vital as i thought she'd be, i'm SUCH a big man i know everything, she's fuckable and she wants me too

and TOM eats it????? so mattson chooses him !!!!

ugh i dont want shiv she has a lot of ideas and i want to fuck her ugh fucking disgusting ubermensch i hope jeryd doesn't win ohio and waystar royco gojogo get FCC up in their ass

alexander skarsgard's line read and acting choices r amazing tho

me to my sister: why haven't any of them used a live translator to check what the swedes are talking about? (greg in the final episode uses one) OK FINALLYYYY

shiv screaming from another room is hilarious

logan promised kendall ceo when he was seven.......the crown prince.....if dad didn't need me i don't know what i would be for.....

shiv and roman bonding at the beach after election night. when they're doing impressions of kendall and knowing sarah and kieran are each other's fave scene partners....this scene was the one that hit me that i'm watching the FINALE finale

meal fit for a king scene....when i watched this scene i was all smiles but underneath the DREADDD knowing they might be showing this because it may be the final time the scenes are happy together. oh honey. we got a big storm coming.

not shiv saying all that to willa and connor not getting slovenia in the end....the terror

the iphone video dinner scene? cheesy as fuckkkkk im sorry that was sentimental as shit and maybe a tad unnecessary. i did cry tho i did...

"IT'S FUCKING TOM." the fight in the bathroom??? mattson rallying his crew???? the convoy to hq??? with THE MUSICCCCC???? FUCKKKK UGH HOT UGH!!!! GO OFF NICHOLAS!!!!

loveeee roman's all black outfit. so chic! (he's still mourning 🙃)

and we cheered. if anything else, us gay stewy truthers won succession

(also noticed that in the above pic - the only picture of the kids on logan's table is shiv. forshadowing? maybe, maybe not but lol)

the final 20 minutes of the finale *screaming into a pillow*

like roman immediately spiralling upon seeing gerri. doubting himself, questioning his autonomy, his worth. and did kendall....break roman's stitches on purpose. to like?? steady him somewhat??? good god. what the fuck.

shiv in this shot like...this is the closest to ultimate power she'll ever have and she's reveling in it. despite herself, she enjoys being kingmaker. that's why she went into politics

it's just. i wanna wrap my head around why shiv didn't vote 'no'. is it because she *has* seen the toxicity of protecting this company infect her brothers during election night? they should take the deal and get out? is it to freeze kendall and roman out of the company as they often had done to her? if i can't be ceo, then no one can? and mattson wants tom to be the ceo and i get to manipulate tom so i win this battle? i can keep my proximity of power by virtue of being a woman that my brothers would never have? is that it? does this make sense?

(but we all know mattson is keeping tom because he's a yes man. he won't have any real power in the waystar royco gojogo so like *sad kazoo noise*)

kendall lying about the manslaughter not being real. the real thing they've bonded over??? just because it may not make him ceo??? jelly-spined move

shiv laughing kendall going 'i'm the eldest boy' and walking away going "fucking child". lmaooo deserved

i wonder if roman saying all that abt sophie & iverson is a way to distract kendall from shiv, maybe even a little spite to get back at him for supposedly lying abt the manslaughter

roman going "we're nothing." yeah...yeah....you are.....

(but they have 195 per share....so)

kendall clicking the elevator to floor zero. cinema.

the one guy entering the elevator with kendall. has he been oblivious abt what just went down? if it were me, i'd wait for the next one

tom being ceo slgjklskglskglsklhgsfglskg

him keeping gerri and karolina this is a win for the glass ceiling shatterers /jk

and tom keeping greg? will he needs someone to bully since mattson&mencken is gonna use him as a punching bag in turn lol

yes the tiger! he destroyed his cage! yes YES the tiger is out!!!!

i truly can't believe that roman came out of this series unscathed (somewhat). like his breakthrough this episode? him realizing his self worth has been hinged on inheriting the company aka his father's love? time to go back to therapy

(also him drinking a martini because that's gerri's favorite drink. what a choice!)

and friends i was rubbing my hands with anticipation when tom approaches the car just hoping hopingggg shiv was in it and when it turns out she was??? i was chanting 'hand in unlovable hand' over and over and when tom offered his hand??? i was fully clapping it AND when shiv TOOK IT?? i was fully screamingggg

in all seriousness, what a bleak ending for shiv. relegating herself as the wife of ceo. just like her mother. the power dynamics of the man she think is beneath her is now her husband and the father of her child and in the company position she coveted all her life. she can never win...she willing stay in the tarpit....shiv my tragic girlfailure i love youuu

when kendall shows up in the park in a tweed coat i was like 'oooo i hope colin is behind him' and when they pan to show he is?????? i was cheering. the micheal corleonification of kendall roy

head under water.....aaaahhhh ambigious kendeath my beloved <3

[selfshipping-haven]

What are the top 5 shows you would recommend to people?

Okay that's an excellent question! Most if not all might be cartoons so brace yourself lmao.

Ever since I've watched Transformers Animated I've made it my mission to make as many people as possible get into it. It's like if Transformers mixed with Teen Titans. It's great! Maybe I'm biased because Prowl was my first f/o lol.

Someone I knew suggested I watch Tuca and Bertie, and I'm glad they did. It's a wonderful adult cartoon. It's hilarious and it makes a an excellent use of the adult medium to tackle serious subjects. I actually really relate to Birdie most of the time, and even Tuca in some ways.

Actually I'm rewatching Sonic X right now and it's so charming so far and I had to add it. It's corny, it makes great use of the Sonic Team, and it has a lot of Looney Tunes-esque gags. So many platonics in that show. I started for Shadow and so far my favorite is Amy. Unfortunately it hasn't aged the best in certain places

Oh my god. Now's my chance. Nobody talks about this but. Dr Katz Professional Therapist. It's an adult cartoon from MTV in the 90s and it's all on youtube for free. It's kind of unique in it's humor, much like Home Movies(which i couldn't actually bring myself to finish but that's another story), the characters don't really sound like they have much of a script and they stutter a lot and the dialogue just feels very natural and it's so charming. And his patients are basically popular comedians of the time doing their little stand up acts and it's super neat because my favorite comedian Brian Regan was in it!!! It even has a perfectly cut scream in one of the episodes. Got me to cackle on multiple occasions. Dr Katz is actually a parental f/o of mine too.

I had a couple of others I was indecisive about what to pick for the last one. But I had just remembered the Don't Hug Me I'm Scared show! I recommend this ONLY for people who are into horror though. It can get a little intense, albeit not as intense as the original shorts. And the humor keeps it from being too disturbing for sure. I found their situation to be strangely relatable, and I love the wacky humor and the dark spin on a children's media that isn't overly edgy and is genuinely fun. Besides I've had this scene stuck in my head.

Honorable mention: It wasn't a show so I couldn't really put this in anywhere, but I highly recommend the new Mickey Mouse shorts that began in 2013. It's a fresh spin on the Disney characters, has incredibly quotable humor on the level of that of Spongebob, and has so many loving obscure references to other Disney properties. Sometimes the shorts will be pretty standard but with this extremely out of pocket moment, but sometimes they'll just be entirely bizarre. My favorite is the one where Mickey and Donald construct and entire potato themed Disneyland for Goofy. I also have an f/o from there too but shhhhh

(Also you might also want to read the tags)

[alicepao13]

I'm going to write a long ass thing about the Hudson and Rex show through the seasons, inspired by the rewatch posts that I've been seeing. It's not a review, though. It's just how I saw it from my point of view. Also, I reserve the right to make "The Great Hudson and Rex Rewatch of [insert year]" tag if and when I rewatch it and review episodes individually then.

So, if anyone followed this blog circa early 2020 (pre pandemic), I'd probably made a "Oh my god there is a new Rex adaptation and this time it's in English!" post. I don't remember it, but I know I'd told quite a few people online and off when I had found out. Also, so lame that I found out when they were already in S2 but anyway.

Right off the bat, I realized that the people making Hudson and Rex had not quite understood the assignment. The premise of the show and the cases were never meant to be light and fluffy like the dog. Instead, the dog was supposed to be the counterweight, the uplifting part. Most cases were supposed to be grimy and dark. Creepy. With bad guys that would make your skin crawl. Instead, Hudson and Rex mostly had bad guys that were pretty tame, aside from a few notable exceptions. And they put a guy on the helm of this show that was previously scripting kid shows, I mean, that's enough to tell me they weren't meaning to get deep into it.

It's also why for me the show got way better after S2 (when they changed showrunners). Which was, let's face it, ginormous and never ending (not having any info on when it was supposed to end also had made it seem that way from my part, as literally no tv scheduler of mine had that info back then). To be fair, another reason was because I wasn't invested at the time, and I wasn't invested because I'd seen how light the show was and how unwilling everyone involved was to go a bit deeper into it (from the writers to the producers to the cast). And I think I initially noticed a few signs that that was changing in S3, which allowed me to get more invested into it. [Note: I still maintain that the last few episodes aside from the finale of S2 were pretty good, but they aired at a point where I was already wondering where the hell the season ended.]

Onward to season 3. For a season that had been produced in a difficult period of time under difficult circumstances, with Covid and the crime shows being accused of copaganda, a few, let's say, unusual choices were made. Still, that season was better and way more interesting than the other two. And not as long, which helped. Again, the premise of the show was never supposed to be 20 episodes per season, it is very taxing on the cast, on the dog, and to everyone who has to perform and do their best in a shorter amount of time. So, S3 had 16 episodes, and it fared better. There were stakes, they played a bit more with the romance between Charlie and Sarah, things were moving. Somewhat.

Kudos to them for electing not to put Covid in their world. I'm not necessarily against that but I didn't need it to be inserted into every show I was watching. Also, kudos to them for Charlie's new house, it's really nice (although I will repeat that I'm not sure how exactly he could afford it).

And then we get to season 4, and boy oh boy, have I ever misjudged a season so much. I mean, if it hadn't been so poorly executed, I'd have said that it was all my fault for being impatient. Do you ever see how things will turn out early on, guess all the major plot points that would happen, and then say to yourself, "No, that's not it, because there's no way they'd do such and such and such to make that happen, it's so stupid"? This is what happened here. And I'm not sure what had frustrated me more back then, that I had thought I'd been wrong about where S4 was headed or that the more we were hitting the plot points that I had anticipated would happen, the more disjointed the story was becoming. Like an orchestra that was playing a known score out of tune the entire time. I'm not sure whether I'd choose the word dissonance or discordance for it, but if we were to isolate the moments, they were actually good. The angst was good. The pining, very good. But as a whole, it didn't always make sense and that was frustrating, as it made it hard to guess everyone's intentions and motive behind their actions.

A lot of my issues had to do with how they were writing Sarah's character as well in that season because as an audience, I should know whether she had actually truly tried to move on from her crush on Charlie or she was dating because she didn't think her feelings were reciprocated and Michael was just... there. That would have made a difference. But I suspect that it was very intentional to not give anything away, though that doesn't mean I have to like it or more importantly that it was executed in a sensible way. Charlie's spiral into what in other shows would have endangered his career (not here, though, no, sir) was great and I would have liked to have seen way more of that, and more of his friends worrying about him, and more of him pulling away from everyone and having that acknowledged. I'd have liked to see him more upset too. More importantly, I'd have liked to see a real reason for his character regression other than "the girl I like doesn't like me back :'( " like for example, the dozens of times he had been in a traumatizing situation. That, combined with what he assumed was unrequited feelings, would have made a perfect cocktail of explosive emotions.

To be honest, I don't understand why the perception of the fandom to this day is the same as it was when we were going through the episodes of S4 because post season clarity offers a different perspective entirely. It's understandable to be upset when you watch it unfold in real time. That's what the rewatches are for, to see the season as a whole. Yes, a few decisions on the script were hare-brained [I still don't understand how Sarah went from "I forgive you Michael for lying to me about important stuff and we're good and making headway in our relationship" to "I don't know where this is going" in two episodes, and the only logical (non-episode shuffling) explanation is that she was just waiting for Charlie to express his feelings, whom in her place I'd have punched and refuse to call a friend anymore if he had waited to find the courage, or more like the audacity, to express his feelings just as he thought he was losing the woman he wanted to another man when said woman was free a few months ago]. But to me, the emotions the episodes elicited regarding their relationship were always more like "oh these damn fools don't see what's right in front of them" and not "I want to stop watching this bullshit right now". It is actually very similar to Castle's S4, although the execution on Castle did not make me want to cuss Andrew Marlowe. With Peter Mitchell, well, I can't say the same thing.

Anyway, as we can probably safely assume right now, a lot of their relationship and whether it would progress or not had been hanging on a wire. The actual cliffhanger and some of the interviews pretty much confirm that theory. And I assume that probably influenced the execution too. So, I'm giving it a bit of slack.

Going on to S5, we flat-lined and I'll explain that. I'd have liked to be able to say that it was better than S4 but it wasn't. It wasn't worse either but it was really bland at times. And it gave me the impression that they were given more episodes than they could handle. I'll say it again, this show should never have 20 episodes ever again, it puts a big strain on everyone.

What was good about S5 was that it gave characters other than Charlie and Rex, mainly Joe and Jesse, a few more moments to shine. It also had one of the best season finales of the show so far. No, I don't need a character in danger of dying every time to call it a good finale, but I do need the season finale to be intense and high stakes. Which did not happen in S2, S3, and damn, I don't even know which one to call season finale in S1. Imagine that.

They wasted two perfectly good episodes for me by making up an entire set of new characters for a two-parter that I could have sworn was serving as backdoor pilot, but wasn't. I still don't know what that was. Again, the only logical explanation was that they were given episodes (and money) that they didn't know how to put to good use. Those were two pretty good episodes that could be a part of most crime shows, but they were not Hudson and Rex episodes. Not if we consider the premise of this show. Everyone was separated, Charlie was off doing his own thing (I won't get into availability issues, as a production it is most embarrassing to not be able to find a viable schedule for your main lead and I refuse to cut any production slack for that), and Rex was literally thrown to the wolves.

The most bland part for me in S5 was the middle. The pace of the episodes really struggled there. And then suddenly it moved in what I saw as an accelerated pace, the two-parter and the last four episodes seemed like they had come out of a different show or different season, if you were to look at the mellow pace of the season up to that point.

Again, I must note the lack of transferability of emotions, consequences, experiences, etc., from one season to the next. However, I must also say that they made a bit more of an effort to bring back people, characters, and storylines in S5 to remind us of past seasons, even though they mainly stuck to the small things.

For me, it was a big mistake to make Charlie be the perfect guy again after S4. He had been struggling, and no one can convince me that behaviors such as what he had exhibited before were only because he was feeling rejected and was "cured" like magic in the next season. And it shouldn't be that way, he has gone through some serious stuff, which the show is trying to downplay all the time.

Also, the cop's "white whale" case is a pretty common trope. It should be decided by the writers before the scripting of S1. Otherwise, we have them not reacting appropriately to the dozens of similar cases that they come across until the writers decide what the cop's white whale case is supposed to be. Taking a couple of seasons to write it is usual. Deciding that in S5? I've personally never seen it happen and I've been watching crime shows for more than two decades now. Retconning is a huge favorite with the writers of this show.

Charlie and Sarah's relationship development was a big feature in S5, and it was mostly good stuff. I didn't like that they didn't have one fight but their stability was also nice. And when I say one fight, I dislike manufactured drama that comes out of nowhere but there are so many significant reasons, especially when they keep getting in danger, to have a fight. Now that I'm thinking about it, the tagline of S5 should be "stability".

Jesse growing up and going for detective was something I wasn't expecting, and you can also see the progress of that storyline somewhat in S5, and Joe coming to terms with the fact that Jesse can do this. He was pretty much the last one that needed to be convinced of this, the way I see it.

I'm refraining from making comments about S6 since we've only watched 6 episodes. I want to see where that ends up. The only comment I'll make regarding that is that I don't think the production company cares much about anything other than Charlie and Rex, it's basically up to individual writers and the showrunner to write anything else, and, regardless of how fans perceive S4, we should be glad to have had someone like Peter Mitchell at the helm of the show, who made any kind of meaningful change between Charlie and Sarah, because it doesn't seem like anybody else was willing to put their ass on the line for those two.

All in all, this is a show that it seems to me like from the start, not a lot of people believed in it, despite evidence that people in the other side of the world had once loved it (and since it already had another adaptation, I'd have called it a safe bet). It's certainly in a better place now than it was when it had its first season, it terms of production, performance, and creativity, and I think that sometimes we forget that because we've watched like 90 episodes. No, it doesn't always meet my expectations but maybe I also shouldn't compare it to the dozens of shows I've watched which certainly have a bigger budget than this one, which don't depend on dog tricks to get people's attention (I don't say this to make fun of the show, dog tricks is what they do, it's like half of the show). But I also cannot refrain from criticizing mistakes that could have easily been avoided, had they made a little more effort.

[aprillikesthings]

Now that I've spent a good day thinking about how hot it is when Catra is a terrible person corrupted by setting off a portal, I'm ready to go back to (re)watching her try to be Good lolol

well okay more than one day.

I mean I literally spent the last four? five? days listening to songs off The Downward Spiral over and over while thinking about Catra and practicing my makeup for my Catra cosplay and ordering more of the things I need for it; like literally just staring off into space at work between phone calls thinking about Catra

I'm totally a well-adjusted middle-aged adult, thanks for asking!

Shit where did I even leave off

Oh right

SO HEY if you're new here, I've been rewatching all of the 2018 She-Ra, and I started doing it for fic-writing reasons but predictably I have become deeply obsessed. Anyway these posts sometimes have a lot of asides and commentary and references to other stuff and dumb jokes among a ton of screenshots, also (and it feels odd saying it this close to the end of the show) it's a RE-watch, so there's often spoilers for later bits of the story, also I keep trying NOT to just describe the entire plots of the episodes but I keep failing lol

s5 ep7 Perils of Peekablue

Adora's trying to become She-Ra (without an immanent threat) and then Bow and Glimmer distract her, and then the door opens on Catra and

I literally did a YES YES YESSSS AHAHAH out loud bc this is the point at which Catra just starts OPENLY FLIRTING, as opposed to just uhhhh flirtatiously taunting I suppose lol

like you're SITTING IN HER LAP

Also while rewinding it to watch again I paused it at the most hilarious moment

look at Catra's FACE

help I can't stop laughing but also look at Bow's expression

Glimmer: omg I'm gonna get to see my dad Catra: *gets up and leaves*

But also I make this face when a cat leaves my lap before I wanted them to:

Anyway they're a day out from arriving at Etheria

Adora's trying so hard

BACK ON ETHERIA

YAY IT'S THIS ONE

the intro finally changed!! I can't get a good screenshot but now when Catra (with short hair) and Adora (in She-Ra's new get-up) are fighting they stop much faster and they're both smiling omgggg

and there she is!! with everyone else!!

okay I'm going to take way less screenshots etc of the underwater speakeasy thing because let's be honest: that part of the plot isn't what I'm here for lol

But yeah they're going to the speakeasy thing to get Prince Peekablue who can see to the edges of the galaxy and can maybe tell them where Adora and the others are because they don't know what happened

Oh also Spinarella is chipped and Netossa is realizing something is off/weird about her but doesn't know what

Oh hey! You used to work for Huntara in the Crimson Wastes

Sea Hawk has pissed off approximately half the people in the room it seems (by lighting their ships on fire at some point)

Scorpia and Perfuma are the cutest and I can absolutely see how they end up together

In my fic I originally had Adora talking to some kind of therapist but I wasn't sure they existed on Etheria, and last week I edited that bit so Adora is talking to these two (which makes the conversation more fun AND easier to write anyway)

Perfuma: "Scorpia. You should do things not because you're good at them, but because they make you happy." THAT IS ONE OF MY LIFE PHILOSOPHIES thank you Perfuma you're 100% correct and I tell people this ALL THE TIME

Mermista: "I might've set their boat on fire. Just to see what it felt like."

Sea Hawk:

lolol

YESSSS I love this scene

Perfuma makes a flower, throws it to Scorpia as she sings, and she blushes and tucks it into her hair, these two are so sweet and cute

oh god I forgot that when "Prince Peekablue" get stung by Scorpia they go through the last half-dozen shapeshifts before turning into a (passed-out) Double Trouble.

lolol instead of "cash cow" it's an insult to poor Catra

Anyway they have the info the Rebellion wanted!

Horde Prime is pissed and has blockaded the planet, also half the people at the speakeasy were chipped....and now so is Mermista, though nobody realizes that yet

But also the phrasing of "She-ra stole his little kitten away" is just amazing

But also the last they heard, Adora and Bow and Entrapta had left to rescue Glimmer, do they think Double Trouble is talking about Glimmer here or what

(which. they did. they just also went back for Catra.)

Netossa realizes her wife (and most of the people around them) are chipped D:

And a chipped Mermista is gonna drown them all

oh shit Micah is also chipped

Entrapta gets the comms working!

"The Rebellion's been compromised! Horde Prime has them! We lost, I'm so sorry! We lost them!" --and then the comms go to static

AND CREDITS!