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wrenhyperfixates · 4 years ago

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Of All the Places

Chapter 8

Pairing: Loki x reader Series Summary: Washing up in a small town in Oklahoma was definitely not part of Loki’s plan when he came to conquer Midgard. There is one good thing about it, though: No one recognizes him as the one who just wreaked havoc in New York. So, Loki plans to recover from the battle and move on with his life. The only problem? He’s not sure he can leave you. Chapter Summary: The town comes together to help a family hit particularly bad by the tornado. A conversation with you helps Loki come to a decision. Chapter Warnings: a lot of mutual pining A/N: I’m really excited about this story now. There’s some great things coming up! Any predictions about where I’m going with this? I’d love to hear them! Updates every Friday. Enjoy :)

Tag List: @lucywrites02 @frostedgiant @lunarmoon8 @twhiddlestonsstuff @marvelousdaydreams @parkastoria @lokistan

✥ Start at Beginning ✥ | ← Previous Chapter | Next Chapter →

Disclaimer: Gif not mine

You and your family had been pretty lucky in the aftermath of the tornado, but unfortunately the same could not be said for your neighbors. The family at the next farm over, the Campbells, whole barn had been blown away. Thankfully, they didn’t suffer any physical injuries, but the wound to their bank account had been decent. That’s why a bunch of people from town were pitching in to help them. In fact, they were preparing for a barn raising at the very minute, something Loki had never even imagined existed before. Actually, the whole idea of a close-knit community like this had never really occurred to him. When he was young, he wasn’t really allowed out into the streets of Asgard, and when he was old enough to decide that for himself, he’d lost his interest.

“You ready, son?” Papa asked, clapping Loki on the back.

“Indeed,” he replied, putting his hair in a low bun to keep it out of his face during the work. “Would it be odd if I said I was a little excited?”

“It is surprisingly fun,” John laughed. “But we’re actually supposed to be trying to talk you out this. You still need to take it easy. ‘Doctor’s orders.’”

He nodded in your direction where you were talking with your friends. Even though you seemed happy, you kept throwing little worried glances at Loki. The whole ordeal with tornado was nearly a week ago, but it seemed to have made you nervous for Loki’s health again. He would have thought that his agility and speed would have reassured you, but it actually did the opposite. You kept insisting that he may have re-injured something and not even noticed. You sent another nervous look his way, but your gaze lingered a little longer, noticing his hairstyle. Half the reason he ever wore it this way was because of how much you obviously liked it.

Mr. and Mrs. Campbell made a little speech thanking everyone for coming out, and then the work began. It was slow moving at first, what with having to get the main supports up soundly and all, but soon the pace picked up. By the time they were working on the roof, Loki could feel the energy of the mortals around him had dropped considerably. Being the god that he was, though, he was tireless enough to finish the barn on his own. Of course, he couldn’t tell anyone that, especially when Papa kept insisting he take a break.

All the girls, and a few guys too, were marveling over Loki’s uncanny strength. He was by no means the most ripped man there, but he was certainly the strongest. Everyone was impressed by just how much he could lift, and he delighted in the general shock the crowd had. And now that he’d shown just how strong he was, people had certainly started paying attention to his muscles, which were there, mind you, but just too lean to notice at first glance. He didn’t much care for any of those stares, though, unless they coming from you. Alas, you’d left a little while ago to help Ana with Matt. Now, however, you were coming back, and Loki redoubled his efforts to show off. Especially because it seemed that Denzel had the same idea. Loki couldn’t even think that man’s name without rolling his eyes.

“Hey,” you said, walking up to Loki and offering him some trail mix, a Midgardian snack he was surprisingly fond of. “I thought you might need some refreshments. Have you eaten anything all day?”

“Do not worry. I have been taking care of myself,” he replied, setting down a pile of wood. “Still, you have my thanks, darling.”

“No problem.” You looked down at your feet as you kicked a rock, building up the confidence to say your next sentence. “I, uh, I really like your hair like that, by the way. It looks good.”

Loki’s face took a crimson shade yet again, and he couldn’t help but smile. The effect you had on him always made him feel a wild mix of emotions. On the one hand, the reaction bothered him to no end. On the other, he was just used to it at his point.

“Is that so,” he said as if he hadn’t already figured it out. “Perhaps I should wear it this way more often then.”

“Oh! You don’t have to. I mean, of course you can if you want to. But I didn’t mean that you had to or anything. Wear it how you like it.” He smirked at your flustered babbling. “Ana, Matt! Can we have some of that water?”

He chuckled at how you had to call them over to save you from your embarrassment, something he found rather adorable. Now that he’d admitted his feelings to himself, he kept finding little things about you to obsess over. Today, it was apparently how cute you are when you’re nervous.

“You really should drink more, being out in the heat all day like this,” you told him, going back into doctor mode.

“What would I do without you,” he teased.

“Loki!” Matt cheered upon reaching him. “I wanna help build too!”

“Now, now Matt. What did mommy say?” Ana asked the boy.

“Mommy said no,” he replied with a little frown. “But Loki didn’t say no!”

“I am sorry, little one. You must listen to your mother,” Loki said, picking the child up. “One day when you are bigger and stronger you will get to help.”

“But will you still be here, Loki?”

The boy’s question gave him a pause. Would he still be there? Did he want to be? It was impossible to answer that first question, considering he couldn’t see the future. Plus, he was in constant danger of being found out and having to run. But that second question he knew the answer to. Something about this small town had charmed him, and being asked right now, he would say he never wanted to leave. He wondered if he would always feel that way, though. Looking into your eyes, he was pretty sure he would.

“I truly do not know, but I would very much like to be.”

“Yay!” Matt exclaimed, throwing his tiny arms around Loki.

Ana chuckled at the child’s excitement while you smiled warmly at Loki. Even though he’d already told you how he felt about this place, your eyes went wide at the fact he’d so boldly declare it to everyone. He only wished he could be so bold when it came to declaring his feelings for you.

Soon, he was back at work helping to build the barn. Unfortunately, John and Papa were up on the roof, and Loki knew very few other people there. So, when Denzel struck up a conversation with him, there was nothing he could do to avoid it.

“So,” Denzel said, “You been seeing a doctor about this memory loss of yours. ‘Cause, I don’t know if I’ve mentioned, but I’m a-”

“Doctor,” Loki cut him off, gritting his teeth. “Yes, I know. It has been mentioned. Several times. But what kind of doctor, may I ask?”

“Well,” he said, clearing his throat, “I’m a pediatrician.”

“I see. A noble profession, indeed. Though I am guessing you are not the best equipped to handle my amnesia, hmm?”

“No, I guess not. But I could definitely recommend someone.”

“I do appreciate it,” Loki confessed, though he suspected there were underlying reasons for Denzel’s concern. Namely, having Loki out of the way so he could get to you easier. “But everything is alright for now. I shall let you know if the situation changes.”

“Ok then.”

They lapsed into silence as they picked up more wood for construction, Denzel seeming a little shocked by just how much Loki was able to carry. Which definitely wasn’t even more than he had previously been taking just to intimidate the man.

“Hey, listen,” Denzel said while they helped work to make the walls, nodding in your direction. “Guy to guy, have they mentioned me at all?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact they have. I do not think you will like it, though.”

“That bad, huh?”

“I am afraid so.”

“Well, I guess that just means I’ve gotta work twice as hard to show them how serious I am about wanting them back.”

“Yes, I do suppose- Wait! No,” Loki said, not having expected that to be his answer. “I do not think that is in your best interest.”

“Oh, really? Are you sure you don’t think it’s in your best interest?”

“I do not know what you are talking about.”

“So then you’re fine with me asking them out?”

“Only if you are fine with being rejected.”

They stood glaring at each other until they were able to move to work on separate sections. Loki was desperately trying to not feel so jealous and anxious. After all, you’d explicitly said that you did not want to be with Denzel, but there was still that little bit of uncertainty. Perhaps you’d changed your mind and decided to give him a second chance.

“You alright there, son?” Papa asked, coming down from the roof.

“You better not pass out,” John added, following close behind. “You know we’re going to be the ones who get in trouble if you do.”

“I assure you, I am fine,” Loki replied, trying not to sound too sad. He was failing. “You need not worry.”

“Oh, I bet I know what this is about. I saw you talking with Denzel.”

“No, nope,” Loki shushed, putting up a finger. “Go no further, please.”

“Ok, fine, whatever you say. Just thought you might want to know that the Campbell’s are planning a little thank you party tonight. It would be the perfect chance to tell a certain someone how you feel.”

“Reckon you ever went to a barn dance in your past life?” Papa asked.

Loki’s eyebrows knit together in confusion. He’d never heard of anything like it on Asgard, though he could fathom what it was due to the rather self-explanatory name. It was a thrilling prospect to go to it, considering he’d only ever been to uptight, boring balls. As a child, he’d stir up some mischief to make things more interesting, but he’d always get a serious scolding from his father. Not to mention Thor was the center of attention more often than not.

“I do not believe I would have, though I am looking forward to the opportunity now,” Loki shared as they set back work again.

The rest of the day went much the same, and though he didn’t get to spend as much time with you as he would have liked, Loki had quite a bit of fun with John and Papa. His attachment to you all was rather dangerous, as was the fact that he cared it was. At least he was able to mask his emotions, much like he was so adept at doing before this whole ordeal.

By dinnertime, the barn was completed and only a select few remained to help set up for the party. Your family, however, went the short distance back home to freshen up after helping out all day. Well, Matt didn’t help much. Instead he just romped and played, though it could be argued he helped by brightening everyone’s day. Regardless, after changing your clothes you were all ready to set out again. Loki did a double take as he walked out onto the porch; you looked more beautiful than ever before. He always thought you looked amazing, but standing there in the fading light of day, it struck him anew.

“You know, Loki,” John said, putting his hands on the god’s shoulders and speaking low enough that you couldn’t hear him. “A friendly word of advice, you should just go for it.”

“But-”

“No more ‘buts’ mister,” Ana reprimanded as she walked up and passed her son to her husband. “I don’t know who you think you’re fooling, but you two need to stop being oblivious dorks and make a move already. No offense.”

“None taken, I suppose,” he said, though it wasn’t wholly true. Him an oblivious dork? Nonsense, not the God of Mischief. “Though I still must insist that I do not know to what any of you are referring. Hypothetically, if I did, do you really believe I have a chance?”

“Yes. And a very good one at that.”

They left Loki mull over his thoughts. When they passed you, you finally turned around and saw Loki standing there, his now loose hair slightly wavy from having been up all day. He was frozen like stone under your tender gaze, afraid of his emotions and unable to take what Ana and John had said to heart. It wasn’t until your smile faltered a little at his expressionless trance that he was able to move out of the doorway.

“My darling, I hope you know how radiant you look this evening,” he told you, a light blush coating his cheeks, still so pale even after so many days out in the sun.

“It’s nothing special, really,” you said with a nervous laugh. “But thank you all the same.”

“My pleasure.”

His fingers brushed against yours and on instinct you intertwined them. He brought your hand to his mouth, lips ghosting over your knuckles, reminding him of that day when he apologized to you. He’d performed the same action back then. With time and perspective, he realized that was the day he was pushed completely off the edge and into love with you. You took a step closer, your bodies nearly pressed against each other. The warmth radiating off of you gave the frost giant a pause, your hands still clasped together, now semi-awkwardly hovering near his head.

“Hey Loki,” you began as he quirked an eyebrow to urge you on. You took a deep breath, gathering your courage and leaning in. “I... I... I-”

“I suppose we should be on our way now,” Mama announced, coming out of the house.

You sheepishly broke apart and agreed with her, your small group heading over to your neighbor’s. Upon arrival, Loki noted how it was even more lively than earlier, which was really saying something. It seemed that everyone who came by during the day to help with the build was back now, and the whole place was a hubbub of activity. Your friends were quick to whisk you away into the thick of it, and seeing as how everyone else had left before you, Loki was now left alone with Mama.

“You can go if you want,” she said. “I’m not much for crowds.”

“I must confess, I am not either.”

“I see.”

Despite having come to some kind of agreement, the air between them was still tense. The past week had been filled with a lot of throat clearing and stiff conversation. Somehow, he preferred the snippy and snide remarks from the woman. They were, at least, a lot less gawky than what their interactions were now. Thankfully, they were saved from the stilted small talk by food. As it turned out, they were both quite a fan of apple pie, and Mrs. Campbell made a mighty good one.

Eventually, Papa sought them out in the crowd and did a bit of a double take to see them amicably chatting. He ushered them inside to where you and the rest of your family were standing just as the dancing was about to begin.

“Pardon me, darlin’,” Denzel said, tapping you on the shoulder. He bowed down a little and put out his hand as Loki rolled his eyes. “May I have this dance?”

“Oh! I would love to, really, but I already promised Loki,” you said turning to him. “Shall we then?”

“We shall,” Loki replied, beaming.

Of course, the two of you had not planned on dancing together, but he was preening under the lie you’d told to your ex. The fact that you chose him completely unprompted made his heart grow wings and soar above the clouds. As for the dance, it was easy enough to follow the caller’s directions. This was the first time Loki had ever danced so causally, but his nimble feet, which were much more accustomed to waltzes and other Asgardian dances, were able to catch on rather quickly. It didn’t take him long to determine the square dance was his favorite one of the night.

After a couple more hours of dancing and avoiding Denzel, you and Loki snuck off, not before making a quick stop to thank your hosts, of course. The two of you went to your own family’s barn and climbed up to the loft, settling down in the plushy blankets and pillows you kept up there for chilly nights such as this. The conversation stayed light for a while, but it inevitably took a turn toward more serious topics.

“I was asking around today,” you said. “I’m so sorry, Loki, but no one had any clue who you were.”

“It is ok, do not concern yourself with this. If I did not know any better, I would say you were trying to get rid of me.”

“I’m really not, I swear,” you said, chewing your bottom lip, though Loki had been fully teasing. “No one is anymore, really.”

“Are you sure about that?” he inquired, thinking of Denzel.

“Why did someone say something to you?”

“No. It is like I said, do not worry.”

You hummed in acknowledgement as you snuggled further into his side, desperate to keep the cold away. He put his arms around you and squeezed you tighter, saying a little heating enchantment in his head.

“You know, I think James would’ve liked you,” you decided, eyelids beginning to droop.

“Perhaps. But...”

“Yes?”

“But there is still so much we do not know about me. What if have done something terrible?”

“While I’m sure you haven’t, let’s say you did do something you’re not proud of,” you indulged him. “The only thing stopping us from having a present we can enjoy and a future we can love, is a past we can’t forget.”

“Well, I do not remember, anyway. But what if it is really bad?”

“All I mean is, you have to be able to forgive. To let go.”

He could hear in your tone that you were thinking of your brother. As much as he did not want to admit it, Loki would have been upset had Thor died. He could only imagine the pain you felt when you’d heard the news. But he supposed you were able to forgive whoever it was whose irresponsibility had led to James’s death. It was yet another thing to admire about you, for sure.

“I suppose you are right.”

“Yeah, I am,” you agreed, finally letting your tired head drop and nuzzling into his shoulder.

He brought you down to a more comfortable position, laying down with your head on his chest, letting his heart beat wildly in your ear. Lying awake, he thought back to what he’d said earlier about wanting to stay forever. Lingering in the back of his mind was always the knowledge that he most likely would not be able to. If he were, though, would he still want to? A large part of himself still wanted to loathe the domestic simplicity of this life. In a way, being so far removed from everything, living high up in palace towers, was easier. Still, he could not find it in himself to dislike this quaint town with charming people. Plus, there was you.

The little sigh of contentment that you made as he hugged you closer let him completely make up his mind. This was where he wanted to stay, this is what he wanted, and he’d do everything he could to make sure he got to keep it.

“Sleep well, my darling,” he whispered, placing a small kiss to your forehead. “Sleep well.”

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ernmark · 4 years ago

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The Heart of it All (pt 1) Reaction

Spoilers under the cut

The episode begins with a sound like a mechanical heartbeat, like an EKG. I like that.

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A year. A year timeskip since the last episode. Holy crap.

First of all, that’s a hell of a long engagement-- far longer than necessary, I think, and I think Vespa observed as much, too. Buddy’s putting off the big mission (and in turn, the wedding) because she’s scared of what comes next. I feel like she needs to have a conversation with Juno about that-- about running away from the things you want most because you’re scared, except she does it with more style.

I love the soft, gentle way Vespa talks to Buddy-- and the way she starts to babble when she gets excited-- and then when Buddy puts her off a little bit of that raw roughness creeps back in. I’d want to hug her if I didn’t think it would kill me.

Also, I love the montage of moments in between-- there’s plenty of room for fanfic in this year, no doubt about it. “Bad Cops 4: Guns Are Illegal, So They Use Swords Now”. Juno being pissy that they skipped his favorite in the series, the fact that Jet thinks car crashes are too violent but people getting murdered to death is totally hilarious. Rita calling Buddy “Mom”.

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The moment in privacy with her and Jet was really telling-- and not just the evidence of just how much of her is robotic. This is a side of her we just don’t see elsewhere. She’s fronting, she’s evasive, she laughs nervously and without that controlled glamour she always has. She’s never this vulnerable around anyone else, even Vespa. (And you can bet Vespa can sense that there’s something Buddy’s hiding from her, and a secret layer of rawness that she isn’t allowed to touch, and you can hear how much that hurts her). And for all this closeness, Jet still catches her off guard-- and he’s been picking up perceptiveness from Juno, which I love.

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“Damn. She’s a quick one, that Buddy Aurinko. Ever a thorn in my side.” It’s telling just how many times we’ve dealt with our POV characters speaking of past and future selves as different people. It’s very much A Thing, and I want to see it manifested physically by the finale, because I’m obvious like that.

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One of the things that makes me really frustrated with Buddy is that by trying to protect Vespa, she’s making her more nervous. Vespa’s not an idiot, she knows something’s wrong-- but without Buddy to help her understand it, Vespa’s stuck trying to guess randomly, and her mental illness is going to supply all sorts of worst case scenarios that Buddy wouldn’t dream of.

And Vespa? Vespa fell from a hundreds-story building and lived. Do you really think she managed that without some really intensive self-surgery? It’s not impossible that she has some bionics of her own. And even if she doesn’t, do you really think she’s never worked with machines and bionic parts before? And if she hasn’t, don’t you think she of all people-- the assassin, the thief, the master medic-- would be able to figure something out? Or find someone who could?

Buddy’s fear and pride are sabotaging her happiness. And that makes sense, because her pride is the first thing we knew about her. It’s one of her best features. Of course it would be her greatest flaw.

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I love that Buddy has to write out her speeches ahead of time, and critiques herself for repeating lines even when nobody else can hear them both.

(And immediately I wonder what she’d have to say about how much I repeat myself, and immediately I can think of her reply: “Nonsense, dear. If there’s no room to improve then you’re doomed to get worse or go stale. Make your mistakes so you can learn from them and then go make some new ones.”)

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I find it so interesting that Buddy is impeccably organized and Peter is just a big ol’ mess-- to the point where you literally can’t tell whether his room is booby trapped or just that sloppy (And even if he is Just That Sloppy, who the fuck keeps an unsheathed knife just lying there, in the open? Really, Peter.)

(Also, I think it is official that all their “poetry readings”, “therapy sessions” and “whatever” happen in Juno’s room, at least after the first couple of weeks. What the fuck.)

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“Jet’s danger is nothing compared to what lies ahead”.

In typical tiered dungeon story style, we’ve eliminated Rita (at the door) and Jet (upon being shot).

That leaves theoretically three tasks for Vespa, Juno, and Peter.

These three characters specifically are each love interests in a major established, endgame couple, which would ordinarily be a quick way to suss out who’s in which role.

Also, there’s a weird triangle of protagonist/antagonist going on here. Because Juno’s thwarted Vespa to protect Peter, but Vespa’s major gripe is with Peter, not Juno. And Juno believes and trusts Vespa, despite their bickering. And as much as he loves and trusts Peter, he has on multiple times arrested, thwarted, and called him out.

It’s like this whole situation is designed to thwart trope-readers like me.

My guess is that Vespa is going to have the be left behind/turn back at the end of this episode, when Buddy tells her the truth about her heart. That’ll leave Juno and Peter alone in the next chamber, when Juno finally confronts Peter about what he’s figured out thusfar (as the POV character, of course).

Or Vespa runs back early to rescue Buddy from heart failure with Jet, gets furious with Buddy for keeping this Very Big Thing from her, and then goes back to Juno and Peter to finish the job in a seething (and possibly murderous) rage.

#the penumbra podcast #100

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acloudkat · 3 years ago

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Gossip Girl 2.0

So. . . I was unsure of whether I was going to talk about this or not but… in the end, here we are!

I shall be talking about the Gossip Girl Reboot.

Now quick disclaimer and mild *excuse you* to HBO, please find ways to make your content accessible to Europe because there are those of us that are interested and unfortunately your "Max" service is US only and honestly i see no reasonable logic behind it. Therefore my means of getting access to this content shall not be discussed.

Extra disclaimer, there will be spoilers. Doi.

Now I am a big die hard fan of the original GG series and despite the outdated (to today’s standards) comparisons and slang, some of the topics hold up even today. For anyone curious or questioning my opinion, based on my generation, I am mildly in the middle as a Zelenial at 23. I did not grow up with GG, I learned about it when I was 14 but watched it for the first time when I was 19. Since, I have watched it up to 14-17 times; more than 10 for sure. So you can do with that as you please. The main reason I mention this is due to some articles and comments pointing out that maybe it’s a “Gen Z only media” or that “Millennials are just bitter cause it’s not theirs”. Keeping that in mind I will be as per usual showing the ups and downs of the show (so far and later on) from my own personal perspective.

After watching ep 1. (& now 2 which will be in a separate post after this) I have a few questions, comments AND concerns. So let’s get into those shall we :)

So let's do a little round up of our characters.

We have newcomer Zoya Lott that is moving to NYC on a Constance scholarship! But little did anyone in the show know, it was all a plot to get to be with her *half sister*. WHAT?! So the tldl on that is that Zoya and our other main character, Julien Calloway, share a mom! Mom, that i quote "left Julien's dad for Zoya's dad and the dads hate each other" because of which hate, they had absolutely forbidden their daughters from communicating. One thing led to another, a friend request was sent and this is basically the parent trap. . . . but for the kids. . .and they're aware of it cause they made it. . . I suppose? The parents haven't really been mentioned to matter in their plan, however, they do keep bringing up their middle names as "Zoya Jane and Julien Elizabeth" as clues left by their mother? Now some rumours around the web have connected the names to the Pride and Prejudice novels and while that would be extremely Gossip Girl-esque to do, and I am entirely up for that, hell yea!!! I'm wondering if it's as simple as... their mother's name was Elizabeth Jane... but maybe GG will be the one to discover that secret first? Other than that, Zoya is very much a very trusting "innocent type" character that probably has more past than we know about so it will be quite interesting to see how that elaborates going further into the series.

Then there is self-made influencer Julien Calloway. She is the new version of queen at Constance but as stated, they "don't do the patriarchy anymore". While she appears all smiles and kindness, personally i feel as if JC is kind of fake? She has things she cares about yes, but the moment someone or something interferes with her followers and her social standing or Obie (more on him later)

"the gloves come off and the claws come out" - Serena Van der Woodsen

When it comes to Julien I am honestly more curious to see who she is once you take away the followers and the media. Will she be an actual person or just a shallow obsessed spoiled brat? I just hope it won't be the typical story of "have to be perfect and have to have everyone like me because my mom left" ie. has mommy issues. That is how that cliche goes after all. So I am greatly hoping that's not going to be it for this one.

Obie Bergmann! We get introduced to Obie as Julien's boyfriend. Throughout ep 1, the things we learn about Obie are that he is basically the richest in the group, and lives in Dumbo. (irony from original GG for anyone that can guess it). He appears like a super nice and kind dude, a supportive boyfriend, kind of bland and tired of the relationship but the main thing that bothers me about him so far is his impossible to ignore "white guilt syndrome". For anyone unaware, "white guilt" is "remorse or shame felt by a white person with respect to racial inequality and injustice". While it's not a bad thing trying to make up for the in-equality in the world, here's hoping that's not his entire character cus that would get old quick.

Then we have the bestie, Audrey Hope. Audrey. . . is cold but to the point. Very analysing and observing. Definitely the type of character that would take all the info first and decide what to do after. I both like and am confused by her? Her cold mannerisms are quite enjoyable among the masses of drama and emotion I won't lie. However, i do predict a juicy threesome between her, boyfriend Aki and one Max Wolfe. Honestly, I am highly interested in how their relationship evolves.

Aki Menzies is kind of a mystery as of the moment. As to be expected with just 1 episode, we won't know too much about all the characters. He is the very supportive boyfriend that tries to keep the peace between everyone.

Max Wolfe on the other hand appears like the much more flamboyant version of Chuck Bass, if Chuck Bass had a supportive family environment and no limits on who he's dating. That's more or less for him but kuddos for his 0 hesitation to basically have a pic of his dick sent to everyone. I will never not find that hilarious. But again, between these three is my prediction for some juicy interactions. Cause to be fully honest, the chemistry is undeniable.

Monet de Haan. Ah. She is honestly the savage that we need around here. She is the control and the power behind Julien's brand honestly. I am curious how come she helps Julien with her brand rather than have her own? If we go off anything said in the episode, she is more feared than adored so maybe that's why? But Monet honey, fear can also have a following, just . . a different one.

And then there's Luna La, "The stylist" while we don't know much about her, some of her one liners are actively giving me life. Her and Monet are definitely a package deal and i wonder if there is juicier gossip there that we don't know yet.

Lastly, we have our new Gossip Girl. Young teacher, Kate Keller. I won't lie, i did not see us knowing who GG is from the get go. I am however wondering whether this will drag her down to the level of highschoolers (besides the fact that she looks younger than some of them xD) Something that is bothering me in the reboot however, is that technically, characters that represent adults, spying on minors??? Like they even make the point that "i shouldn't have these, i should be in jail" in regards to having almost naked pictures of the kids. Like it's not really okay??? In the original yea no one knew who GG was but they always knew it was someone their age. The teachers didn't care at those times. But they do now and I am not fully sure how okay it is.

And of course, the extras like some of the other teachers behind GG and the parents. We however, don't know too much about them as of now so we shall see soon. If any new characters are introduced they will be addressed but for now, onto the episode!

The half sisters plot is definitely interesting so I would love to know where the whole middle names thing will go. The story line I'm most interested in at the moment however is between Audrey, Max and Aki. I want to see that unwind into something horrendous but then beautiful! It has so much potential in my opinion. In terms of character development however i want to see who Julien is without all of her fame and followers. When the focus is not the media and the attention. I want to see that Julien.

The first episode definitely introduced us to a lot of things at once so far that is my take on them. I'm sure that in the future both the teachers and parents will be a bigger part but one thing is abundantly clear. Unlike the OGGG, there won't be more than maybe 2-3 seasons depending on the ages of the students. The teachers won't follow them onto college will they? Or will things drastically change along the way? It was rather amusing seeing them talk about all the old characters however, and reference the OG Gossip Girl. I am vaguely offended that they categorised twitter as "a glorified chatroom for memes for people over 30". Like dude. . . that hit me hard. I am happy that FB was never even mentioned as existing tho! Cause let's be honest that is not the "hip" thing anymore. But the rules they put down at the party definitely made my head spin. Had to listen to them twice to even get what was happening.

But that's probably enough of me babbling on about this xD If you want to find this on an apparently dying type of media, here's my blog post about it as well lol: https://acloudkat.wordpress.com/?p=960

#gossip girl reboot #gossip girl #reboot #series things

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agentmarymargaretskitz · 5 years ago

Note

Vlogger Gary, annoyance at first sight.

Happy birthday! I know I’m very badly late but I still hope you enjoy this a little!

For the rest of you, consider an AU where Zari wasn’t the only one whose timeline got changed by Heyworld.

Ao3

“John!”

Someone grabbed his am, and he spun around as Gary called his name again. The other man looked stressed out and panicked, even more so than he usually did.

“What, Gary?” he snapped. Neron and Tabitha were gone, Nate was back, and the world was safe. There was no reason for him to be this anxious.

“The timeline’s changing,” Gary babbled as everyone continued to celebrate and cheer around them. “And because of that, my timeline is changing. Rip recruited me from the future. I’m a kid right now, somewhere out in that crowd, and I’m about to disappear and I’m scared.”

It was a lot to process in a short amount of time, but John shook his head.

“You’re not gonna disappear,” he promised, grabbing Gary into a tight hug. “You’re gonna be fine, you hear? You’re going to be fine.”

“Of course, I’m fine!”

John frowned as he was pulled back from the hug. For a moment, he drew a blank on the man in front of him. Then he remembered exactly who he was. Jeffery Green, but JJ to anyone he ever met. He worked at a museum in the future and had been picked up with the Tarazi siblings when Kuasa was after their totem. An obscure mixture of brains and chaotic energy that had saved everyone’s lives time and time again, not to mention a close friend to John.

“You saved Nate, man!” JJ cheered, slapping him on the back.

John grinned, but still felt like something had been lost in all this.

~~~~

“I can’t believe you talked me into going on this with you,” John grumbled as he walked down the hallway with Behrad. “You could have gotten anyone else- Ava, Nate, JJ?”

“Dealing with the team, my sister’s ex, and refused to go as soon as I mentioned the word influencers. You’re my only available hope of sanity tonight.”

“You wanted to come to this, Behrad,” Zari reminded him from the front. “You always keep asking what the big deal with these is all about. Now I get to show you around my life and people can hear how my little brother is an awesome superhero.”

Behrad glared. “You’re not telling anyone about that.”

“Are you sure? Because people would love to-”

“I don’t want to be on display, Zari. You know this. That’s why we went on the ship-”

John tuned out the sibling bickering as the sound of muffled music grew louder. They had been fighting a lot more since Heyworld had reignited Zari’s desire to be in the spotlight. The attention and the documentary crew that had been on the ship gave her a taste for it again. She’d been off the ship more often now to film videos or attend events like this one. JJ was even struggling to keep her aboard, and he was always the one with ideas that made her want to stay on the ship.

Things had been different since Heyworld somehow. It wasn’t the attention or the documentary crew or Ava moving in and Mona leaving. Something had changed and John couldn’t figure out what it was. It felt as though someone was missing, but no one else seemed to notice it. Although Gideon did have a problem with some phantom data, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary besides the feeling that something wasn’t quite right.

“And here we are,” Zari waved at two doormen. “This is going to be fun.”

The doors were opened up to the trio, who entered behind Zari. The whole room was lit up in purple and music pulsed around them. Huge banners advertising eyeshadow or something were on every wall along with a massive one from the ceiling. So many people filled the room, all standing out in some way. It nearly overwhelming just standing there without engaging.

Zari, however, was unaffected. This was her world, after all. “Come on, go mingle. I’ll find you when it’s time to go.”

“Is there a bar here?” John shouted to her over the music.

“Yeah, over there, I think.”

“Great, bye.”

John followed in the direction that Zari had gestured, squeezing through the throngs of people clustered together or dancing. When he finally got there and asked for whiskey, the bartender looked almost relieved. Probably pleased he didn’t have to make some fancy ass drink like the ones he’d seen some people with. Who the hell needed a color-changing cocktail with a glow stick in it?

“Haven’t seen you before,” someone said as he accepted the whiskey.

John turned and nearly rolled his eyes at the man taking a seat next to him. Clearly, he was one of these influencers JJ had been so desperate to avoid. He was wearing a turquoise suit over a gold shirt and had two studs piercing his right eyebrow. Behind the glasses with frames matching his suit, dark brown eyes loaded with eyeliner looked him up and down. This wasn’t just an appreciate glance, but one that seemed to be trying to profile him.

Something tugged in John’s gut, but he wasn’t sure what it was. Probably disgust of being cornered by an influencer or celebrity or whatever the hell this guy was. “First time. Came with a friend.”

“Anyone I might know?” the man pried as he accepted a glass of something that smelled like lavender and was the color of daffodils.

Now John rolled his eyes. “Zari Tarazi.”

“The Dragon Girl?” the man gasped. “Is she finally coming back into the spotlight? I’ve missed seeing her around. She always adds such class with events like this. And you said you were a friend? Lucky!”

John shrugged as he took a drink. He guessed they counted as friends. “I just came for the moral support. I take it you must be part of some circus with that suit?”

The man snickered. “Cute. I’m in the entertainment business too. I’m Gary. Maybe you’ve heard of my videos? Probably more of the spooky ones than the makeup tutorials. You know Beyond Our World? Exploring unsolved mysteries and other otherworldly events.”

“Definitely not,” John shook his head. “You cater to the conspiracy theorists, huh? Good for you.”

“Actually, the ‘Green Beans’, which my fans love to call themselves, have all kind of viewpoints when it comes to conspiracies,” Gary told him. “It’s the interest that brings people in, not their beliefs. Interest is what always brings people in to see the videos.”

“So how much in your videos is fake?” John asked. “You make up evidence to get people to believe in the things that go bump in the night, huh?”

Gary scowled at him. “How dare you, when you haven’t even seen anything I’ve-”

“I don’t need to see a thing,” John snapped, getting out of the seat and facing the man. “And you know why?”

Gary sat there, no emotion showing on his face.

“I know because I’ve seen it all. Ghosts, demons, villains raised from hell. I’ve walked in the shadows. They’re real, but no one ever believes in it. If they did, they’d all be panicking. There wouldn’t be a party. So I don’t need your content. You have nothing.”

Now Gary stood up. He had only an inch on John, but John was struggling to look him in the eyes when he noticed the hideous lime green loafers.

“I have enough,” Gary told him. “I don’t need you to bring me down. Sorry, Zari’s friend.”

He walked away into the crowd. John watched him go and finished the rest of the whiskey. The funny feeling he’d had before was back.

“Now is not the time for you to be standing around like some hapless idiot!”

John clenched his head as the words, his words echoed in his ears. Something flashed in his head. Trying to hold Neron off with magic and shouting at someone. It was Gary, except looking more like he was with the government. He looked hurt and distraught.

That wasn’t right though. He’d called JJ an idiot and the other man had taken a swing that knocked him out. They’d buried the hatchet about it and moved on. But now that…didn’t feel right at all.

“Hey,” a hand slapped him on the shoulder as Behrad came up beside him. “We’re leaving.”

“Yes,” John exhaled and turned to face the other man. “Please, get me out of here. Where’s Zari?”

Behrad pointed to where his older sister was heading for the door. “She’s got a head start.”

“Then we better catch up.”

They started off in the direction Zari was headed, unaware that they had a tail.

~~~~

“You okay, man?”

John glanced over to see JJ entering the library. As he did, he flickered for a brief second, appearing as the normal version of that Gary guy. He recoiled in confusion and JJ frowned at him.

“Definitely going to take that as a not okay. Was it that influencer party?”

“Yeah, something happened there. Picked an argument with someone. At least it was an open bar.”

“Exactly why I avoid those things,” JJ snapped his fingers at John just as Zari walked by. “Not even for you, my dearest Zari!”

“You’re worse than Behrad,” Zari stuck her tongue out as she joined them. “So you got into a fight? Spill!”

“It wasn’t a fight. I just disagreed with him peddling lies and exciting conspiracy theorists.”

JJ got a funny look on his face as Zari leaned forward. “What did he look like? Did you get his name? Real or screenname, I can clap him on CatChat.”

“It’s not worth it. I just felt funny around him.”

“Ooooo,” JJ hopped up to squat on his chair. “Was he a demon? An Encore? An alien?”

Zari smirked. “Or did you have a crush on him?”

“But monsters, Zari! Look at all the fugitives we’ve met in the past year!”

“But feelings, JJ. Even John has them.”

Thunk!

All three of them went quiet at the sound above them. John held a finger to his lips and started looking at the ceiling. JJ climbed out of his chair quietly and started examining the ceiling as well. Zari also was helping and had decided to start recording. Everything was silent, until there was a series of thumps that went across the ceiling and out the door. The trio looked at each other and then ran after the noise.

They made their way down the halls of the ship, following the sounds into Mick’s room. He wasn’t there, which was probably a good thing. John looked around the room for anything that they could use, but JJ had already found a crowbar and was prying off the cover. As soon as it fell onto the ground, John climbed on Mick’s chair and peering into the open airduct. There was nothing one way, so he turned in other direction.

He only saw the bottom of the shoe a moment before it smacked him in the face. John dropped out of the airduct and lost his footing on the chair. He felt himself crash downward and another body come tumbling out to land on him. It was gone after two seconds and JJ was helping him onto his feet while Zari screamed about a stowaway.

John stumbled out the room and saw a flash of green disappear around a corner. He hurried after it until he caught sight of a familiar lime green. When he turned the corner, John stopped to see Mick holding that influencer Gary tightly as he tried to squirm away. He must have followed them back to the Waverider from the party.

“This is all real!” Gary was screaming, his hand still flailing about with a phone in it. “I found proof of…something. If I die, tell my cats I love them!”

John strode forward and grabbed the phone away from him. “This is all fake, just like him.”

Gary glared at John. “It’s not enough to insult my work to my face, but now you do it on my videos?”

“Shut up!” Mick ordered them. “Who are you?”

“Wow, really? Maybe you two are aliens if you don’t know Beyond Our World?”

“If you’re as annoying on it as you are right now, then I’m glad I’ve never heard of it, Larry,” John smirked.

“It’s Gary! Gary Green, you asshole!”

A shrill scream came from down the hallway before Zari ran up to join the crowd. “You don’t know Gary Green?!”

Gary looked up. “Zari Tarazi?”

“Mick, you can let him go,” Zari told him. “Guys, Gary Green is one of the biggest vloggers. He does the most amazing videos for true crime and supernatural stuff, plus a few make-up ones. We did a collab once. It was awesome”

“Zari?” JJ called out. “Is everything okay?”

“It’s fantastic!” Zari squealed as JJ came around the corner. “JJ, you have to see this. It’s Gary Green!”

JJ froze once he got a glimpse of the man Mick was now letting go. “Gary?”

Gary gaped up at him, his mouth opening and closing for a few moments before he finally was able to speak. “JJ?”

John turned to him. “Do you know him?”

“Nope!” JJ turned around, but Behrad had come up to join them and he ran into him. “Oh, come on!”

“What’s going on?” Behrad asked. “JJ? Zari? John?”

“He snuck on the ship,” John pointed to Gary. “He’s some celebrity or whatever.”

“I have a very successful brand and channel!” Gary pouted.

“He’s the male version of Zari,” Behrad muttered.

“I know you meant that as rude, but it’s true,” Zari nodded. “But how does he know you, JJ?”

JJ mumbled something.

“What’s that?” John asked.

“I said he’s my brother,” JJ repeated. “This is my brother, Gary.”

Everyone was silent, taking in the information. No one was really sure how to react to the new information connecting JJ to their stowaway.

Zari deciding to snap a selfie with a confused Gary was probably not the most appropriate though.

#kat cornwell #ask box #happy birthday #legends of tomorrow #constangreen #gary green #john constantine #zari tarazi #behrad tarazi #jj green #ship prompt #au #vlogger!gary

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darkspellmaster · 7 years ago

Text

Voltron Season 4 thoughts part 2

So to continue on my thoughts of Season 4/second half of season 3…

Episode 11 –The Voltron Show!

One thing I really want to point out here is all the nods to Super Sentai, Toei and Japanese and Korean stage shows in this episode. This one, while it’s certainly funny for anyone growing up watching the Power Rangers (or Sentai), it’s doubly amusing for fans who know about the workings of Japanese and Korean Tokusatsu (or Masked Hero shows –aka Kamen Rider and the Ranger series) and how the shows actually put on live performances in amusement parks.

For me it was hard not to die laughing at Coran as well, since he’s playing a stereotype of both the American Agent, and the Japanese Agent rolled into one. But I suppose I should get into it before I babble too much without explaining why this episode is beyond the normal entertaining for me.

So we open with Shiro explaining why the show of arms is actually helping to inspire people to join the coalition. This actually is a historically proven strategy to win over people to your side. Much like a campaign the idea of these events during a war boost peoples moral and proves to them that the side that is hosting the event is the better one to join with, or continue to support. In the case of WWII for example, famous stars would go touring around the country selling War bonds to people to raise funds for the troops overseas and supply them with money for food, medical supplies, entertainment and other important aspects in the war (armor, ammunition, etc.).

In the case of Voltron Shiro notes that the planets and systems that have joined them are areas that they went to visit, meaning that the visit by Voltron has helped in making the planets feel more secure about Voltron’s effort. Unlike earlier in the season when there was still questions of “Can we win this?” now it’s “We can win this” attitudes. On top of that, as Allura noted to Keith, Voltron has become a symbol, and something people can and will rally around.

It’s also important to note that Lance is correct with the Razzle Dazzle idea. The more memorable the performance the more bang for your buck the audience will get and remember who to join up with. Having the show stand out to the people watching it makes them feel like joining up, as well as being a strong selling point to the viewers about their mission. Something that Lance, whether he realizes it directly or not, seems to get. Even if a bit of it is for his own Ego.

So when Coran has them doing a show before an audience in a hospital, this is something that actually goes down in Japan from time to time. Much like performers that come to visit sick kids, you’ll have idol or Sentai characters come to entertain the patients at the hospital.

Another interesting point is the whole “Don’t want to confuse them with Keith not being here” thing actually comes from some people’s view points on replacing a character in a show and, in some cases, just having a new actor take on the old character’s role and it’s never mentioned why they changed.

The earworm…. just…um screw that scene. It reminded me way, way, WAY too much like Checkov getting his ear wrecked by a weird worm during one of the Star Trek Movies. It was, I think, one of the more uncomfortable, for me anyway, scenes in this series so far. So good job Mir for making me wig out when watching that moment.

Anyway…onto the bigger situation at hand. So the Mall scene. This is actually a common place for life performances to happen for younger idol groups, or for smaller Sentai stage shows to happen for promotion of the show.

Normally what happens is they’ll have a small crowd and the characters will come on to perform a short skit as you see in the scene that follows. What’s interesting on this one is how well they use the tropes that these Stage shows cover in their acts and the audience that they draw.

So back stage to start with we get Coran’s view point after being taken over by the worm. This very much reminds me of so many characters in movies where you have the “Big time” agent pushing to get the young talent to be noticed.

The idea of the Work shop isn’t too far off, again, from what’s done in real life stage shows, where the smaller theater or auditoriums are used to test what should or shouldn’t be put on stage for the show, and the reactions from the people coming to see it. (Movies and TV series do this too usually though in different ways, and readily use Focus groups).

Before the stage we get a quick view of people. This, much like Japan, shows a small gathering of people broadly defined gender and age. Typically for an all-girls group you’d see more males, and when it comes to Sentai on the other hand, there are more females (teens who think the young actors are hot, and younger mothers) as well as well nerdy men who just like the show. And a whole lot of kids.

Coran’s Rule number one of Leaping, Rolling, and Exploding onto stage is actually accurate for these types of shows.

The suit actors will typically come out on stage first in a minor scuffle, having a minor baddy out there for them to take care of. In this case we have the lizard Robeast from the first, or was it second, season coming out.

Then Shiro and Allura leaping and flipping into place, followed by Pidge and Hunk then Lance. What’s kind of interesting about this is normally for any Sentai related sequence, the girls are normally on the ends where Shiro and Allura are and the second and third in command are normally next to the leader that stands in the middle.

Typically for a pose shot, like the Flashman style one we have for team here, it would be: Red (or Leader) in the center, Blue, Green, Yellow, or Black are on the left and right sides, and the ends are usually left for Pink, Orange, Purple, Gold, Silver, or White, or whatever specialty Ranger they have on the team.

Poses are designed to stand out, show action and be used as a dramatic entrance that comes from Japanese Theater (I believe either Noa or Kabuki), where the lead must use their body to showcase a sense of control and power against what’s typically a demonic or ghostly being that they have to fight. The fact that Shiro isn’t in the Leader post here and is off to the side right now indicates that he’s, at the moment, not the main appeal here, it’s oddly Lance who’s taken on the role of Leader (as he was second to Keith in the past) which may be giving some hints of him taking on a more leader like role in the future. Also what’s interesting is that they don’t have the normal explosion that they would typically have at that moment to exclaim the “Rangers” are there. I don’t think there are huge explosions in stage shows in malls, but I do think there’s lights going on.

Also what’s important to note is that the noises they make are actually part of the sentai tradition of making sounds to again, showcase a sense of action and speed at which they’re fighting and the importance to the moment. It’s like Saying “We’re here!” to the people watching. Then there’s the fact that it’s the kids that keep stopping people which is again important to the fact that Sentai, much like Voltron, is a kids show in Japan.

Rule number two about the Shouting. This again comes from a mix of things going on in traditional theater. The shouting is really a means of projecting the voice to a larger audience. On the show however, there is no mouths to the helmets that the characters have, so shouting means that they have to cry out to one another to talk, and their body movements are a huge key here.

Normally bigger motions and head bobs to indicate talking would show up in a show, Mir (I’m guessing budget reasons and we can see their mouths move) didn’t seem to have that showing up, which is kind of sad as the sharp motions are a huge part in Tokusatus’s visual story telling. When on stage it’s more the shouts from prerecorded lines, or the actors are speaking off stage. Again the shouting adds to the idea of immediate danger and action. By shouting and moving in sharp movements, the energy gets kicked up, so the fights look more energetic and thus get your blood pumping more and get you to get excited.

Lance shouting and Allura and Hunk answering that call in almost catch phrase lines is also normal. I think those were the actual lines from the show where the lizard Robeast showed up actually. Which is a plus job done by the team for using that for this episode (Thank you Andrea Romano!).

Rule number three plays a twofold part in a stage show. Not only does everyone like a pose, but also again it connects to the movement of the character and becomes their signature. Poses are ways for kids to remember a character if they can’t remember their name, it translates to others who they are if they know the show.

Jojo’s Bizzare adventure uses poses a lot for each character to give them a different feel

Kuroshitsuji does the same with a few of the other worldly characters and for dramatic moments for the characters.

Power Rangers and Kamen Rider does it all the time, while the original Voltron didn’t do it at all. But now we have some as the character’s main images are them in poses. Keith with the Sword out, Lance with the blaster, Hunk with his blaster, Pidge with her bayard grappling hook in motion, Allura’s whips, Shiro’s rushing slash with his hand. Each pose indicates to the viewer something about the character and is used for dynamic and dramatic movement.

Ice shows are more an American thing, I think, although I can’t really say what they do in Japan. However, the staging of the show here pretty much mirrors a large stadium show for a Japanese action series.

Villains will come out and lay out their plans, usually this is followed by a short bit with the heroes hanging out, out of costume, and we get a sort of subplot to what is about to happen. In this case, due to the way this is more an action packed show, we jump right to Hunk showing up and being all “Dramatic” in his appearance.

Followed by Pidge trying to help them and getting defeated as well.

I again have to give them credit here for knowing their Sentai. Usually during an episode at least one of the characters will try to take on the bad guy without help, or they’re near the bad guy as the team is on the way, and they get defeated on their own (this it typically the lone wolf like character), and then one of the other team members (anyone other than Red –because Red normally will be the one in trouble at first) will come and try to help, only to be beat as well. This then normally becomes a fight where you have one (baddy) on two (the two rangers) and the bad guy normally has them on the ropes.

Then, suddenly, the rest of the team arrives. Usually when the two heroes are beat they lose energy and revert back to their non-heroic forms. This gives way to the whole team doing a group transformation. If not, then the trio that shows up will change, and we’ll get them jumping over to join the other two and then a pose.

So having the group end up in the pose in the end, Shiro’s dramatic line reading (how the hell Josh did that with a straight face I have no clue), and the flash bang at the end, yup that’s usually how an episode will go. We didn’t get to see the face off with the monster first without the robot, which was sad, but you’d at least get one fight with the team against the monster and together they normally form a weapon to beat up the monster of the week.

This then doesn’t work as the main villain will come and force the monster to grow large, thus they need to call on whatever robot they have. Zarkon and Haggar leaving is a mix of several things:

First we have the “I’ll get you next time” which connects to some villains both in Japan and the US. Dr. Claw comes to mind “I’ll get you next time Gadget, next Time!” and witch Bandora from Zyurangers (aka Mighty Morphin Power Rangers).

Added to this we get the throw to the ground, and explosion that the monsters normally get when defeated (only this was smoke and not fireball which is typical).

There’s also a bit of Team Rocket in that moment with the way they’re launched off, and that being one of the more iconic vanishing acts in the states and Japan.

Although, Mir, I’m kind of disappointed in you. Where was the Striking the pose for the Robot moment with Voltron? At least have that with their back to the baddie, as you have that normally for Voltron.

Whooboy, the personas. As anyone who knows anything about idol groups knows, the personalities or personas of the idols actually are a big thing in, as Coran said, connecting the audience deeper to the main leads. For Tokusatsu there is something like that, although not as prominent. Typically the characters will have some sort of traits or quirks that makes them stand out and be well know.

In the case of most Sentai shows it normally goes:

Red –leader, sometimes heroic, typically a good person that wants to do the right thing, traditionally honest and brave, usually optimistic if younger and mature or big brother like if older.

Blue –second in command, normally, sometimes either the science one or the shy one if female. Can sometimes be the moody one and rival, but typically they’re the most mature of the group.

Black –Either they are the oldest of the team and the big brother type, or they’re the rival to the main character and comes off as a bit jerkish or stubborn. Usually it’s either Black or Blue for the rival role.

Green –normally a sweet character, sometimes a goof ball, can be cowardly at times, or if they’re not part of the team at first and come in later, they’re the cool dude or the rival. They’re special.

Yellow –cheerful and optimistic. Typically, if it’s a girl they’re the tomboy of the two girls on the team. Yellow can be cowardly or goofy, or they’re the one that comes up with the more logical options. Sometime the younger or older sibling type. Usually, they’ve known the main hero, along with blue, the longest or are closest to Red.

Pink – is reserved for girls, and there really hasn’t been any pink male rangers. Pink is typically a mix of girly and strong as far as character types are.

Nevertheless, given how the characters are in the show, and what we’re seeing Coran do, I can honestly say they are more prominently Idol personas then Ranger personas.

Lance –Loverboy –typically seen as the playboy of the team, never quite serious, more of the flirt. If this type shows up it normally is more likely in Black then Blue, but if it does show up for Blue it’s when Blue is Second in command, so there’s that.

Pidge –Science wiz –again normally falls under Blue but can fall under green once in awhile or is reserved for the female of the team.

Allura (taking on Keith’s role) –Lone Wolf –Who is normally the rival of the main character and is the broody one, and is typically Black or green over blue or Red.

Hunk –Hilarious –Fits in with the yellow color but normally green gets to be the funny one, as yellow has become more a girl color a lot of the time now. (I want to take a moment to note that it’s clear the others are not finding the Hunk thing all that funny with the farts. But this is, no joke, a thing in Japan and I think it might be part of comedy in Korea too. US has it for kids oddly enough.)

Shiro –the hero –yeah this is normally reserved for Red, but Shiro oddly fits this role far more then Keith does at this point. Although Shiro is way more stoic in nature then your typical Red leader rangers.

When we see the stage for the next show it’s closer to how some larger concerts go in regard to the lights in the stadium. It’s become more of a stunt show then what you see for most of the Japanese stage shows as there’s an actual plot going on, and what we’re getting to see is more the action.

What follows when Shiro asked to have a speech moment, Coran shushed him. This happens a lot in the idol world where you’re told what to do, how to do it, and really have little say in how you’re marketed.

Congrads Voltron, you hit a large point in regard to Star Trek, Star Wars, and most other Sci-Fi series where the words are made up to suit the story. Coran’s comments on the whole idea that people would be confused either way connects to what a lot of parents say about kids shows and how they tend to talk down to them rather then up. And how Sci-fi shows also do the same thing when they use false terms. It’s kind of interesting to see them address that fact.

We see Allura actually using a lot of the movements I was talking about earlier. Followed by Pidge’s motions with her hands on her hip and her head.

Seems like they saved the larger body motions for the moment after the dramatic pose scene with fireworks this time (finally).

I have no idea…what is up with Lance and the rope thing. Circ de sole? Maybe a nod to how some shows work in some weird acrobatics for the stage shows, but that came out of left field for me. It fit Lance but again, what is it supposed to be?

The best part was the “Upgrade” aspect that was happening. New outfits and weapons typically happen during a season of Super Sentai, most notably mid-season around the 20th episode mark. Here, it’s amusing because of how very toy driven Sentai series are and the change in costume and weapons means that the buyers need to get the newest item as well.

Coran’s twitching though was giving me worries. I must say that his melt down was very in tune with, again, how some talent agencies treat their talent in that they feel it’s okay to just replace them as they see fit.

And the whole fact that Shiro has become the lead over Keith in Toy sales and marketability. (Something I don’t think the Voltron Crew figured on.) is made fun of here in a way.

Extra points for the reference to the Mall Cop and him hugging the plush versions of the characters. We also see more posing and such, which again plays up the whole stage show aspect of this episode.

Of course we get to see Coran make a huge mistake, the fact that the group manages to beat it and then Bi-boh-bi saves the day (yet still gets yelled at by Coran) is just par for the course of any typical Sentai Series ending.

What I really appreciated on this episode was the time and effort put into showing off the idea of the Sentai shows, and how they really do engage the fandom.

Given that Toei licensed this show and its connections to Super Sentai (they make the two most popular right now), it’s not surprising that this is a mix between a love letter to Sentai and a warning against how the background of that world works. For all the cool acts, there’s a bit of a dark underbelly to it for the actors at times, especially for idol groups.

That being said I would have to say this is one of my favorites, and it was nice seeing all the references that were there.

By the way the theme song they used for the ending is supposed to invoke the “Go Go Power Rangers” like tone as well as the upbeat intro songs of the Super Sentai series.

Episode 12 –Begin the Blitz

The fact that we right off the bat have it that Zarkon is so determined to find Lotor is interesting. Again he is not acting like himself. He’s allowed several planets to be taken over, and if it was broadcast as Coran said the Voltron Show would have been seen in several territories. Zarkon not worrying about that is troubling as it shows that he’s more worried about his son, or rather, needing to get rid of him for some reason. The only reason that comes to mind why is because of what Haggar said about him having something Ancient awoken in him, and that might be something that the possessed Zarkon doesn’t want to happen for some reason.

Him forgoing his job and not going to retake territories screams to me that something is up with him.

Meanwhile you have Shiro wanting to take advantage of this, which makes sense given that he’s not where he should be. His plan is frighteningly sound, which turns out to be a good thing as a huge section of it works. While this may be a Clone of Shiro it’s clear that he at least thinks like him and, outside of not asking for other advice (since none of those aboard outside of Coran is good with planning a military engagement like this) he certainly knows what he is talking about. The fact that they have that much territory is amazing and that there’s a sense of urgency here which (in a longer series would show other worlds being taken) plays up the idea of time passing from the last episode and that they have an opportune moment to strike.

I have to say I love the fact that Hunk takes the initiative in him and Pidge going after the base in space. We also get a sense that this wasn’t completely planned by just Shiro, but probably Kolivar and Matt, along with, probably the unknown leader of the Rebels whom we’ve yet to meet. This entire scene was a great layout to what was going to happen in the near future and how things go wrong later on.

Naxzella (Noxcella? Nexzella?) is an interesting planet in general, set up in the middle of the line that they want to create to cut off a 3rd of the galra empire. The main job by doing this is to inspire a whole new wave of rebellions. What’s interesting is that even with this goal in mind, there’s a reminder of Star Wars and what they were doing way back during the Empire Strikes back and previously. One other thing of interest is that the line that they are creating comes from the far left side of space, in most movies and the like surprise attacks tend to come from the left because that’s normally not where you’re looking at. This, I think, will be a rather interesting location to build a headquarters at for the team.

My mind though goes on the situation with Lotor and the Generals. It’s damn clear that the girls are in the arms of the mecha Sincline Ships, and that Lotor is in the legs.

What’s also interesting is that they don’t know where they are headed when he sends the coordinates, one can then surmise that none of them were born on Daibazaal, except for Lotor who seems to know about the planet. Question is, how much and when was he born that he knows about it. Assuming that he was born later, as we never see him in the Flashback, we can surmise with all the attention to detail that he has about his “Mother” he may have learned it from someone, or studied the history of it. Given that Honerva didn’t remember who she was until this point in time, I have to wonder if he got the stories from another person.

Ezor and Axca’s communication and Lotor’s attitude is, interesting to say the least. Ezor clearly has no deep connection and, for her part, seems way more worried about keeping herself alive and not on the hit list for Zarkon. I have a strong feeling that of the group she’s probably the one that will more than likely choose to try to save herself by agreeing to do what is asked of her by Zarkon. What’s doubly of concern is how she sets up doubt in Axca’s belief in Lotor. She deliberately breaks communications with Lotor and starts planting seeds of doubt into Axca’s mind about him and what he’s doing by invoking Narti’s death. However, if you notice, she’s not as close to Narti as the other two girls, making me wonder about what she’s actually planning here and if she was planted by Haggar along with Kova to act as a monitor for Lotor. Remember she can go invisible; how hard would it be for her to report to Haggar.

Axca’s reaction is interesting too. She’s not happy about what’s being said, but it’s clear that there is an inkling of something that would make her unsure about the situation. It’s also important to note that she’s the one that keeps insisting that Lotor would protect them. Something neither Ezor nor Zethrid seems to say, though it seems like Zethrid and Acxa are on the same page in regard to overall trusting Lotor.

A nice montage of allies coming together and working as a team with Shiro in the lead,

although I find it interesting that they don’t have Lance go by the Merpeople,

but have him with Pidge. But I suppose they would be limited to water fights vs. being mobilized in the same way. Still a good strong set up for what lies ahead for the team and the battle.

When the team of Lotor and his Generals arrive, we’re given a clue that none of the girls know what they are looking at, and Lotor is the only one that has the history of the planet, and –what stands out for me here –is the look on his face.

He’s clearly distressed about seeing the place and the way his face and tone appear on screen shows that he’s upset over where they are and probably for good reason if my assumption of the story is true and that Lotor was taught about Honerva by someone else over knowing that she’s alive.

One point I want to make is that he set up the gateway in a way that it’s almost like a beacon. While this works visually, I have to wonder if Lotor didn’t realize that other people would see it. Also, what’s important is that when Shiro saw the world this was before Lotor put in the gate, so Voltron has no idea about it. Another thing that’s important is that he also clearly had to have learned of the location of the rift to position it there. Meaning that someone had to have showed him how to locate in the destruction of the planet where the best point would be.

So another thing that’s kind of important. Lotor mentions that Zarkon thought that rift was gone. That Honerva’s work can’t be undone (which doesn’t bode well), and that he had the gate built in secret. This means that the girls had no clue about this, save maybe Axca, who had to go get the minerals to build the lenses for the giant Teludav. What’s interesting here is that we know that the Galra have not built things like this. They don’t have the same warp tech that the Altean’s have. And the color indicates that this wasn’t an item built by the Galra either as all their work is in pink energy. So that means that the group that built this would have had to have been somehow connected to the Alteans, since it’s clear that the ships seem to run on non-altered quintessence, thus the blue screen that shows up.

Two things that are also big in this scene. Lotor doesn’t want to go to the other reality, he wants to go to the in-between, the space between the worlds, and secondly again Ezor doesn’t look impressed at all about this idea, almost like she’s thinking the whole thing is a bad idea to begin with.

Meanwhile, again, we have Axca looking almost in reverence to Lotor over this, which is troubling too because that means that the whole question of doubt probably will become bigger as the series goes on.

Okay another point, Lotor mentions that they should be able to pierce the barrier between realities, but one thing that he’s not taking into account in this case, is the fact that part of the reason why this worked for Voltron was probably the connection Allura’s magic has to the ablity to cross over. We know that the Lions protected the group, but there’s the fact that the Teludav seems to need the royal family to open up that gate.

We see the same blue on Lotor’s ship, but he wasn’t able to harness that at all, and it looks like he’s not sure how to do it. We see him, when they come out the other side, with his eyes closed,

in the same sort of concentrated look that Allura has on her face when she’s opening a wormhole to get them out of there.

Of note, the gate is a slightly modified version of the Altean worm hole that the castle has. I think that there’s a reason for that, but I can only speculate right now that Lotor has been reading up on the Altean culture and science to get this right. Zethrid’s “Uh did it work?” indicates that, like the other members of Voltron, she can’t feel the things that Allura and possibly Lotor can when changing spaces.

Axca’s worried look indicates that she’s starting to doubt him, something that she clearly doesn’t want to do, and that she’s worried for him. It’s a moment where you can see on her face she’s conflicted and wondering if Ezor is right on this matter.

Rolo and Nyma return, although, is that Norman Reedus doing his voice again or not (his name is not listed, nor is Lacey’s), and we find out that they’ve been helping the collation, although apparently them giving up the team to Zarkon is an afterthought as Pidge notes to Beezor she can’t stay mad at him, indicating that the team has forgiven the group.

Something that I think that shows just how this team works, which kind of gives me hope that maybe Lotor will have to change his plans as he comes to the realization that the enemy is not Voltron, but his own father and whatever that black monster is.

If this was a traditional anime show, Allura’s wonderful speech would be the end of the episode and we would have to wait till next time. Thankfully that’s not what happens here. What’s cool about this speech is that while it’s simple, there’s a sense of pride and real authority that Kimberly Brooks gives to Allura at this moment, and it really shines through. Her voice acting here was top notch, as was Andrea Romano’s direction! Just a great dramatic moment over all, and, it’s again rather important to see where people are seeing this.

Funnily the Space Mall was one of the places that pledged, which makes me wonder about the guard there, if he’s changed sides, and if there are other Galra that have had a change of heart.

It also shows how strong a leader Allura really is, and that her words carry her message clear as a bell. Is it any wonder that the Allura from the different time line became an Empress? She had the ability to win over the people.

The line of “See you on the other side” reminds me of an homage to something, but I can’t quite remember. One other thing of note here, it’s interesting that Rolo and Nyma represent the non –rebel teams that are fighting along with the Rebels, the Blade and Volton, showing the sweeping size of the group that they’ve managed to mount under their banner.

Also cute of them to have Matt waving at her like some sort of fanboy.

Hunk’s thought process of being worried yet being determined to do his job is a long way from the first season version of him that was terrified of doing something this big.

Yet here we are, seeing him and Pidge pull off the first blow is rather nice, and it’s great that the way they pull off all these attacks in the animation is so well timed that you feel the pressure that comes from everyone.

The fight on the ship was memorable, and exciting.

Especially where you have Hunk save the day in this case with a great wrestling move, body slamming the Galra Captain.

Question, did anyone else think he looked like the guy that said “Operation Kuron.” was a go? Or did they use the same model for him for convenience sake?

Moving forward we get our second shot of female Galra that are not our four Generals, and it shows that they’re pretty high up there. Interesting note that the female groups seem to fair a bit better against the incoming forces.

Nice to hear Bex, I think, provide the voice of Captain Olia (sorry if that’s not how it’s spelled), also her name seems to be a nod to Alia from Megaman X and physically to Star Fox. The other one that caught my attention was the stranger in the weird face cover helmet. It’s short but the moment focuses on this character and they say nothing.

I don’t want to speculate too much about this one as it’s probably no one of importance. However I want to point out a few things about the character. The helmet is designed very much Like the ones that Lotor, Allura , the Voltron Team and the Generals use (which is similar to the design of the Alteans). Secondly, she is female as you can see the curve of her breast. Third the mark on her helmet is very much in line with the V for the Voltron, the colors though flow differently from a light blue to a gray. Something that also caught my eye is the up turned wings on the side that mirror a former character from Voltron’s past, and also the color scheme for him. Prince Advok of Pollux.

The Prince in the original series sported a dark military green roman like outfit, with a yellow and white cape, with upturned collar. This character has a White body suit, that same cape color and yellow and white shoulder pads. She’s completely covered and the last time we saw a character like this…well we got Axca, which lead to us meeting Lotor. So I have to wonder, could this be either Keith’s Mom or Romelle herself being a part of the Rebel forces? Assuming that they keep true to her skills, Romelle was an excellent pilot in the original series and gunner as well. So this could be her in disguise?

But enough of this one lone character, let’s move on to the skirmish; as we see the battle progress, and again we get a shot of this other character with Matt and Olia when we discover that there are force shields up blocking the turrets.

Also yay for another Star Fox reference with the frog. We also see that the Commander around planet Teck seems to have things under control, and wipes out a large portion of the Rebel forces, forcing the group to change plans and seek out help from the Blades.

On the opposite side of things, Keith’s Blades easily take over their cannon, and knock the commander unconscious. It’s nice to see him proving to be a leader for this group, and that has me wonder if he’ll eventually come back and take on the Black Lion again?

One of the best money shots in this season was the image of Voltron rising out of the smoke from a defeated ship and the noping out of there by that one Galra officer.

That made my day.

Again back to the ships in space, and the helmeted person telling Matt to see if the Blades can take down the shield with their cannon. We hear a female voice being altered, meaning that someone is trying to keep their voice hidden from other people. At the same time, we have Olia ordering the remaining ships behind the asteroid, which is a good move given the blast of the cannon and the protection of the ships.

We get that the Commander of the main cannon ship in space is rather confident, but clearly less emotional about her job, this is what she’s been trained to do.

Keith’s crew taking out the second cannon was impressive and all together a great and I Loved the fluidity of the animation there. It’s clear that these two episodes and the first one were where most of the money went, which is a pity but it worked so well seeing the full on attack at the base and the following reactions and quick time motions of everyone attacking at once.

The battle on Nexella is beautiful, I must say, in the way Mir gave weight to the destruction of the Galra buildings. Lance helping with pointing out the dangers and taking the lead as field leader in a way, much like his counterpart in the original series did. Lance in this episode really took the cake in how he handled his responsibilities. From helping point out the dangers to assisting Allura and getting her to realize her role in everything that they needed to do to get out of there, Lance, once again, showed why he does have leadership potential when working inside a team.

It was, beyond smart, to put hidden bombs all in the air. Which means that the Galra assumed an attack would come to that planet at some point in time. Also the explosions showed a lot of care and precision because they illuminated the shocking moments perfectly. Props to whomever on the team was doing that moment. Each character using what they know to figure out what to do. Pidge taking point about the option of leaving without getting blown up was a good move, and Allura figuring out to freeze them was even better, and getting kudos from Lance was a nice touch there. After all they are both hearts in the team. The animation and energy the voice actors brought to the scene that followed was amazing, and I honestly feel pumped every time I see that moment after Allura freezes the bombs. Kudos on everyone for that moment, especially the music.

Cutting back to Lotor, we get a moment where he’s standing there looking at the teludav and seems to be wondering what went wrong. His face at least utters that he’s clearly trying to work out the logistics on why it didn’t work, while his body language shows frustration and that he’s clinging to himself. He’s also distanced himself from the girls showing that they’re not a unit and they’ve begun to pull away from him. They know to leave him alone but there’s an emotional gap there as well.

What follows is rather heart breaking when you think about what just went on in the previous episode. Lotor had to kill one of his loyal friends/Generals. He had no choice as he realized, as did probably Narti, that she was being used as a tool for Haggar. So she sacrificed herself under his blade. The problem is that the others don’t know about this, and see it as a sudden shift in his personality. They’re scared of him, and rightly so given the information that they have. So the seeds of doubt that Haggar and Zarkon want cast onto their son are coming into fruition. Not only that, but you have to consider that in this moment there are at least two failures going down for Lotor. One is that he could not get the Teludav to work, the other, is that not only did he have to cut down his companion, but that the plans that he did so for have not worked and now he has nothing to show for it. He’s on the run, and betrayed by his family, even if he doesn’t care about his father, he still hates the idea that they would be willing to kill him. In addition he now has to deal with the fact that he used up their quintessence and nothing came of it. So he feels a bit…upset with himself.

Now keep that in mind as the girls are discussing their options. Ezor points out that she was right. She automatically goes into “All Lotor’s plans fail” meaning this isn’t the first time they’ve followed him and he’s not come up with something that rewards their work. Again, Ezor stikes me as more a selfish person. Then Zethrid automatically goes for the gut saying that they need to strike before he does, ignoring the fact that he could have struck earlier but never did. Ezor notes that the Galra may show them Mercy, and I would have agreed if not for the fact that we have Zarkon the Nuts right now in charge rather than Zarkon the Sane.

Axca’s face says it all in that moment. She’s torn between being loyal to the man that probably was the first to give her a chance to prove herself, and doing what is best for her fellow Generals to keep them safe.

Her choice then, to do the deed herself.

When Lotor looks back you have a brief moment of sadness on his face, or melancholy. Almost like he was going to apologize to Axca, and probably tell her to tell the other girls to take the ship and leave. Get away from him, hide, or whatever they could. That Zarkon is after him, and that he will find a way to fix this.

However that moment was probably cut short by her pulling her gun and saying “For Narti” shooting him to his utter shock.In this moment, the woman who just reassured him that she had never given up on him, probably the person he trusted most in his little group, has betrayed him. This, I think, was the tipping point for him to make his choice to go find Voltron and make a deal with them. I have a feeling that in that moment everything that Lotor feared, that there was no one he could ever trust, came to full realization with that one hit. He falls and the girls stare in shock at Axca’s actions.

The fact that Zethrid asked, “Did you kill him” means that this wasn’t expected, and Axca goes right into leader mode says a lot about her personality and that she values her men over her leader.

We contrast this with Keith who manages to find the cannon and disable it to save the rest of the Rebels from certain death.

We can see that there is a gap between the trust that the Rebels put in the Blades and Keith vs how Lotor’s crew distrusts him after his slaying of Narti. Brings up the question of how much loyalty they had with him in the first place.

Again a great shot with animation of the asteroid nearly being blown up, the pressure of the characters, and the relief they feel at being able to go and get on the ship.

Once the two cannons are secure we get a great montage of all the different collation groups taking on the Galra, something that I wish they would have animated more, but for what it was worth it was good.

It’s a nice reminder of all the characters that we’ve met for the past three seasons and how Voltron’s crew has touched them and helped them.

Coran’s note about almost taking the entire area is important as it shows that this was a big win for the team and the future of the universe.

Contrast that with a captured Lotor.

Waking up he gets apologized to by Zethrid, and then agrees that she must do what she must do, and he does what he has to.

Which is to dislocate his arms,

rip apart his cuffs,

and eject her.

Have I mentioned how badass they’ve made Lotor? I mean…damn! That’s gotta hurt. All the while he must be thinking about the fact that they’re choosing his father and the Empire over him and their futures. The moment he does so we see Zethrid land on the other Sincline ship.

Zethrid notes as Lotor leaves them, that they’re as dead as Lotor, with Ezor questioning what they can do now, and Axca mentioning that they have one option left.

Now there’s a few choices here I can think of:

Either they follow him, and try to recapture him and bring him to Zarkon.

Or they could go to Zarkon and the Galra and plead for mercy

Or they could find Voltron and side with them, hoping that Voltron can and will protect them.

Or they can just run and book it to another location, like where Lotor was first at before he was summoned.

If it’s option one, then next season and the still of Matt and Shiro fighting Ezor probably indicates that they’re trying to protect Lotor and Allura since they made a deal with him, and if anything is clear Lotor is a good thing to have on their side.

If it’s option two, they would have to prove themselves to Zarkon which could again mean capturing Lotor. I have to wonder about that one because we can see that Zarkon has lost it as of this season.

Option three could happen, but the fact that they’re fighting against Voltron tells me this won’t happen until much later in the series. If at all for all of them. I’m guessing Axca probably will be the one to turn over to Voltron, with Ezor and Zethrid possibly not making it out given that they killed Narti.

The last one could bring for some interesting stories, but I don’t think they’d run away like that. So, more likely, option one and two will be their path since it seems like Axca is rather grim about this, and it wouldn’t make sense to have them side with Voltron at this point and time.

We end on the clue that Haggar is up to something, and probably planned this given that the Galra probably already noticed the whole thing with the Voltron Show and the number of people getting excited over them. Clearly a Galaxy wide moment would have gotten their attention, and the fact remains that Haggar isn’t an idiot. This was probably her plan from the moment she realized what was going on, and intended to blow up the planet.

Episode 13 –A New Defender.

So we open with good news from Coran about the fact that the planets have been pacified if not liberated. The question now is, is this going to fall into a case like the Earth Nation where there are mixed families regarding the Galra that have been there for years?

But we shouldn’t harp on that too much as the main issue right now is that Haggar is coming. It’s interesting that they opened with that moment rather than Lotor or the Generals. Just when we think we’ve won, we haven’t.

In turn we see that the Rebels have cleared their area of ships, and then Matt tries to get a lead on the cruiser that has Haggar. It’s interesting that it’s such a different design, almost like an add-on to breach into other ships, but clearly it’s not for that as we see later. From the ship Haggar is able to shut down the main cannons, and as we know this was part of her plan for using the bomb later in the story. This makes me wonder just how long was she holding onto this plan, and if she was going to use it for another reason at some point. Like if there was an upstart in the Empire and they needed to crush it fast. It also is of importance to note that Voltron is still fighting on the planet and dealing with fire. We know there were Galra soldiers in the planet, so is Haggar so determined to destroy Voltron that she’s willing to kill her own Husbands people for this?

We see Voltron fighting on the planet and hits it with a wave of destruction.

What’s interesting to me is that again we get another female Commander who’s working with a male officer, so we’re seeing different species as well showing up. There’s the moment when they mention that this level of rebellion hasn’t happened in ten thousand years, meaning that the Rebels haven’t had a strong enough presence to take them on. On top of that, we see that, as the Commander points out, they left themselves open for this by not being alert. She inquires if they should handle it themselves or wait on Zarkon?

It’s clear that this is not a fight they are ready for, and are nervous about it, meaning that Voltron and the Collation is actually scaring them and their stability as leaders could be falling. One again must point out that the Blade is probably not the only group of Galra that isn’t happy with what’s going on, as Merchants and citizens are probably having to deal with the actions of their leaders. Haggar states they are going for Noxzella, and that Zarkon is busy chasing Lotor. Again, I have to point out that it’s odd that he’s doing that rather than dealing with the rebellion.

As for Lotor himself, we see him trying to get some rest, as he puts his ship on auto pilot and misses a tracker that sounds off where he is. Clearly the boy is in a rather bad state of mind given that he just got turned on by those he allied with and now…he’s going to be chased down by his father. The peaceful scene in space is contrasted by the sudden alert and for a moment we’re trying to release our tension with Lotor.

A good transition I would say in this moment. When we see Zarkon a second later it’s from behind, much like earlier shots of him, but his body language is so vastly different now.

Where once we saw someone who was determined, yet noble in various ways, this man is now almost obsessed and sinister in nature. He’s standing ready to fight, and the fact that he needs the suit is again, worrisome to me.

Again nice to see female Commanders who are actually useful to him.

How does he know it’s Lotor? Probably has to do with the reading off the comet material. After all Voltron was part of that, and it probably is similar in nature, so he may have an old connection to it. Or the evil stuff is feeling the good stuff and wants to kill it.

Lotor being shocked awake is also done well as the moments of quiet between shots give you a false sense of anticipation for the fall out of Zarkon finding out about where Lotor is. On the plus side we get to see how clearly skilled Lotor is as a pilot and that he can certainly fly just as good, if not better than Keith. What’s really impressive about these scenes are the skills for the animation. The way the legs of the Sincline Ship dances as it moves around, almost like a swimmer and Lotor uses that to his advantage. He can flip over and use them to get the flyers in positions where they smash into one another.

One thing I have to make note of is that Lotor is no idiot. He realizes that he doesn’t have a chance in hell of fighting the fleet that’s following.

However he gets it in his mind to head for Navier, an unstable star, knowing full well that the sun’s activity will mess with his father’s fleet’s controls and systems, probably cause them to overheat and explode.

Props for the ship not falling part as well, you can see it heating but clearly there’s something about the comets that make them so rare and unique that even the sun doesn’t damage them.

Though it’s clear that it does do damage to the pilot as Lotor looks like he’s cooking inside the ship.

I’d also like to take a moment and commend Mir on the beauty of that sun as well.

The colors and designs and the flares are rendered wonderfully, I am really really loving the space images in this series.

What makes this scene so utterly important is that it shows the lengths that Zarkon is willing to pursue his son, and, how far Lotor is willing to go to not be taken by his father. His face, the anger, fear and determination are all there in that scream of willpower.

We see him nearly crash into that sun, and yet his ship can take it unlike Zarkon’s.

It proves his point about the comet being something really important. Later there’s a moment we see of Keith making the choice to nearly end his life to stop the Galra, and you have to wonder if they put that moment with Lotor in there to show that both are just as crazy in regard to what they’re willing to do for not only themselves but others that they care about.

So into a creepy moment regarding Haggar and Zarkon. We just saw that he’s willing to get his men killed to capture his son, now we have Haggar ignoring the warnings from her two commanders, telling her it’s too far to attack and that they have to get ready for the fight of their lives. She, in turn, simply walks away. We see her in distant and close ups from behind shots, indicating that there’s a sense of control going on there with her own mind and what she’s doing. She doesn’t care what anyone will say, she’s doing this, with or without their approval.

Upon entry she tells her guard to not let anyone bother her until she’s done, meaning that even if the commanders want to pull out or things go wrong, if she’s not done they’re not leaving. Again, this is showing how far they’ve come from season one where Haggar at least was paying mind to what her men and forces were saying.

Not only that, but one has to wonder what is going through her mind, as she’s awoken her own memories. Does she want to blow up the world, or is this something out of her control?

So Shiro…why the hell do you want to observe this close up? Seriously? Lance had the right idea, get off ground and then deal with them so you’re not, you know, and pulled back down as you are.

The generators remind me of a water mine, poles sticking up so that if anything hits it, boom. One has to wonder, again, how long did Haggar have this thing set up?

Are there more like it out there, if so where?

We again get a sense that Allura has some sort of connection to the pink power, and it’s hinted again that this is the Sith force magic to the blue Jedi magic in this world.

Allura can sense it before it hits, and it’s something the others don’t feel. On top of that, it's pulling them down, and, as Hunk mentioned earlier, the situation became dire very fast. Again, I must wonder, what the point was with sticking on the ground.

Even when they try to escape the first time, the failure is the only option as the pull is way too strong at that point. Smartly though, they leave their lions and come up with a plan to get the wave to go away.

I really like the animation when they’re running the weight of the pull is clear and affecting them to the point they must use their jets to move and hop rather than run.

Another plus is that we know that at least the robots are still on plant, if the officers have left. One leap of faith later and they’re heading down after Pidge notes about it not being a conventional thing on plant. Makes me wonder if Noxella was a man-made planet, given that the core is a giant bomb. If so, how long ago was it made?

Upon a lovely animated free fall, we get a moment that I think is one of the stronger ones in this episode. And we’re given a few answers to my questions.

Firstly this was built by the Alteans, probably years ago, and it’s a terraforming station, meaning that it was once used to alter the planet for others to live on. Now if it was a dead world and just rocks, fine, but if it was something before, that brings up just how empirical were the Alteans here and are they that far from the Alteans from that other world.

Allura’s attempts to shut down the terraformer show something interesting. When the energies merge you can see the blue and the pink at war with one another, at the moment the pink almost overpowered the blue, leading to the team having to pull her away from it.

This marks the second time that Allura has been affected by the pink magic. Last time she managed to use it due to her anger, this time, she’s not angry and thus couldn’t use the stuff or counter it.

Great moment too by Hunk figuring out about the Hexamite and the fact that it’s a bomb with Pidge.

Also we see Lance showing care for Allura when she gets knocked over, asking if she’s okay and both then worrying about Hunk being alright. Realizing the danger the group makes a dash for the exit with Lance and Hunk taking out some of the guards, and Pidge providing help.

Keith’s realization and clearly thinking more so than Kolivar at the moment in realizing the danger Voltron was in and the fact that the fleet stopped shows how much he’s grown since the beginning. He’s using what he’s learned and taking things into account before making a move rather than just making assumptions.

It’s interesting to note that Keith goes to Matt for help showing that he’s losing that lone wolf viewpoint that he’s had since the first season, and using his wits to protect Coran and the other members of the rebels and collation in case they need to leave. Showing that Keith has definitely grown since Season 3 and season 2. He’s no longer just thinking of himself or just of Voltron’s crew, but of more people and that his actions count for a larger aspect of the worlds that they protect now.

Of interest there’s the fact that Lotor, after hearing about the warning to stay out of the area goes to see what’s going on. Now I don’t know at the moment what’s going through his head. Clearly he’s scanning for word about his father, but the fact that he actually looks disturbed about this information means that he cares about what’s going on and that he, possibly, but not definitively, cares about the planets that could be wiped out. Noting this he takes off to see what could be happening rather than ignoring it and watching out for his dad. He could get into more trouble and yet he goes, showing that, in some ways, he really does give a hell about his subjects.

The falling of Voltron, the voice acting in that moment and the ticking clock, it all added up to making for a moment of desperation for the team, and Pidge’s cry of “we can’t die here!” added to the frustration and fear they were all feeling. When Shiro tries to calm them down and force them all to think, Lance uses his head, and remembers Allura’s powers.

The fact that he in that moment is thinking clearly again shows how far Lance has come and that he certainly is worthy of the red lion and it’s fast acting, fast thinking, role on the team. Allura’s uncertainty is really honest, she shaken after seeing that she couldn’t fix the problem below, and this is an even larger task, and yet Lance, in all his sweetness, manages to remind her that she’s the heart of the team, that her commitment to them through all that they’ve done, how dumb they were at the start, their triumphs, and failures, has shown that she is what keeps them going and as a family.

The beauty of that simple speech, the simple-ness of “I’ll try.” and “Help me father.” Added to the wonder of seeing Allura pull off a move to save her crew and proves just how powerful and strong she is.

Lance is right on her not being trained but it’s her sheer determination and willingness to try that pushes her forward and makes it so that she has the ability and power to break them through the glass dome that’s keeping them locked there.

It’s a magnificent shot at the end where we see them rising out from the hole blasted by the red lion allowing them to be free of the pull that is holding them down.

And the warm feeling you get at hearing Allura thank Lance, who tells her that it was all her, shows that he’s grown from, puppy love crush, to genuinely seeing her as a team mate and a friend. Allura is no longer that object that seems distant, she’s a great person, and one that he’s proud to have on the team.

In contrast we have Keith, who is covered in Red by the way, a nod to his former role I think and his impulsive nature, rushing at the galra ship.

The Rebels heading for the ship with him and the level of determination that everyone has, it’s amazing how easy this moment is to be on the edge of your seat because it’s hard to tell what’s going to happen.

Allura and Coran’s short scene shows just how loyal he is to her, even when he’s scared he won’t see her again, he follows her orders and does the right thing by her. Everyone seems ready for a fight, one that they’re not sure they can win.

So about Keith’s realization of what he has to do. It’s a blink and you’ll miss it moment, but it’s very much like Axca’s eyes early on previously when she realized that Lotor didn’t pull off the thing he said he would in the gate. There’s a familiarity there that I can’t quite shake.

Moments later he too makes up his mind and closes his eyes to decide what he has to do for the crew as well as the whole universe at that moment. What no one knows probably because he’s cloaked, is that Lotor is watching all of this, the same way that Voltron was several episodes before when they saw him in the firefight.

When Lotor saves the day, what caught my attention was the choice of color around him.

Gold, a color that normally is reserved for more heroic characters and typically means wisdom and illumination. It could be a clue that Lotor may have realized just how nuts his father and Haggar are being and has decided, not without his own plans, to actually help out in this fight rather than let others do so. He’s lost a lot in this season and this, again, may change his view on the crew and what’s going to happen in the future. We also know now that his ship is stronger than normal and that it could be a contender against Voltron if things go south for him and them.

The reaction is stunning from the crew and everyone in the Rebels as Lotor offers to have a discussion, and the look on his face shows that he’s planning something and that this is going to benefit him and them as well, because now…they owe him.

Over all I liked this half of Season 3. I thought the stories were engaging, and parts are fitting together. The fact we have Matt back is nice, but I hope that Pidge doesn’t forget about Sam and where he is. I also like that we have more with the Rebels this season and it shows that they are actually a strong force, and some of their history. The fact that the Studio was willing to kill off not just one character, but two in one season, and one a larger player in Lotor’s side of things shows that there’s a chance that other people in this show could end up dead.

What I didn’t like was the fact that some plot points were dropped. Yay, Matt is back great, now what about your father Pidge. No talk about what was going on with Keith, even a hint of it after he left would have been nice. And what I was kind of hoping for was something to indicate who’s been building the ships for Lotor, but I guess that will come next season.

All and All this series has shown that you can reboot an old series and make it new and enjoyable once more. I’m hoping next season will show more about the rebels, and we finally get Lotor’s past.

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