#he foreshadowed the foreshadowing and am i a huge sucker for this kind of thing

[supermarketcrush]

girls when they finish watching dead poets society

[runningfrom2am]

“Are you really the only woman in the Capitol who isn't insufferably annoying?” (The Wedding)

“It seems that all our classmates have monkey brains, or something.” (Empty Threats)

"The other one, it's hers." (Chapter VIII)

“I probably killed you.” (Chapter IX)

“I wouldn’t hurt you on purpose. Ever.” (Empty Threats)

“Yes, he knows you would never do that.” (Chapter XV)

“Trust is the most important thing.” (Empty Threats)

“Don't you trust me?” / “More than anything.” (Chapter XV)

“So you trust me?” / “Of course I do.” (Empty Threats)

UGH i am just a sucker for parallels and foreshadowing (kind of foreshadowing if it’s a prequel?)

also i’m gonna number these as well hope that’s cool bc i have THOUGHTS

2. i mean… he didn’t technically lie bc he didn’t do it on purpose. he quite literally (in his mind) was trying to save her from a worse fate (even if he didn’t know details and just thought they would be apart but to him that was unbearable for the both of them). he was just a little misguided but the energy was there. the “i probably killed you” is such a guy wrenching statement looking back when reading empty threats bc even though he thought he hurt her beyond saving he FELT SO BAD and i’ll cry ab this honestly

4. i would like to ADD:

“i’ve got an idea, but you have to trust me.” / “i do.” (The Finer Things in Life)

AH they just stay reassuring each other through the WHOLE THING which i think plays a huge role in why r is so quick to forgive him after the betrayal. she’s consistently been able to trust him- he’s one of very few people in her life she can trust so of course she’ll believe that he was trying to help. she just had to indirectly vent a bit of her anger first :)

alsooo maybe another parallel between r and tigris to be found here, tigris says he has to get lucy gray to trust him and that’s the best place to start, and r agreed and as we know, trust is big for her too. it also would make sense that this falter in trust within their family years down the line could lead to tigris being effectively exiled: they don’t trust her anymore, similar to how they no longer trusted lucy gray before she disappeared.

[edenesth]

YEOSANG???!!! HOW COULD YOU???

I'm shocked at the next chapter preview!

I'm also side-eyeing all the members having a crush on Miss Jang 🤭 Is this a foreshadowing of things to come? I hope so!

I love the world building! Keep it up! I'm always so excited for a new chapter 🥰

I guess you can say that Prince Yeosang is a huge fan of living on the edge💀 he's a sucker for all the adrenaline🤡

Hmm, is it? Or is it not? We'll see🙈

THANK YOU! That's very reassuring to my insecure self always worrying if I'm doing enough (lowkey was dissatisfied with this part when I posted it, but am now relieved after reading all the kind comments)😭💕

[actiaslunaris]

Regina ‘live-watches’ Last Man: Zenmou no Sousakan S01E10.

This time, all is revealed, breaking and reforming relationships.

I can only imagine that Godo Shiori made it clear to Kyogo that she had to be at this meeting.

(I've been watching Critical Role, which is a D&D webseries, so:)

Minami makes a persuasion check and... fails it.

I can't help but think that this 'playtime' scene was all Masha's idea.

Me, too, Nanba-san, me too.

;_; Canon in D.

Timestamp 16:05, Fukuyama Masaharu, still the prettiest.

Oh god, that's a kick in the guts.  And Minami knows it. And knows, also, that Godo isn't above what he suggested he can do.

Kyogo is supremely unimaginative.

At least he came through.

Yeah, totally a case of 'do as I say, not as I do'.

Ahhhh. Godo's face, processing the truth.

Awww. This tiny baby is also crying and that's so cute. And so sad, but also cute.

I think there should be a moratorium on flashback-heavy shows. Pick a different way to tell a story. (Although, I knew it was always leading up to giving us some kind of extended flashback, so as not to waste the performances of the actors.)

OH BOY. OH, okay, then.  I have a lot of feelings and thoughts about that, but for now I'm going to stick that into a suitcase and put it at the back of the closet. Screw that, no truth is too horrible to know, not when you have a duty to say it to help prevent a worse outcome. Minami has done this twice now to Godo, but at least this time Godo accepted the reason with more trust and Minami offered the choice of the full nature of his revelation.

Ah, so that all makes sense.

These actors are really giving it all.

Oh, the angst. And now it's Oizumi's turn to be the prettiest, all teary-eyed.

Minami's injunction that children just want to be communicated with by their parents: yes, and also, how dare. That choked me up.

Somebody give Godo a hug. ... Okay, I guess back pats will have to suffice for now.

The drama of it all... awww.  :D  I am deeply affected and also so amused because I am.

I'm glad that whoever is directing this episode knows how to direct Masha because that can make a huge difference in his performance. Especially when it comes to the characters where he is expected to extrovert more. Which is to say that this scene could be cheesy but isn’t, thank the maker.

(I've only seen one thing with Oizumi Yo in it, so I have no thoughts about his performance apart from: wowie, he's impressing me to great extents.)

Yay, hug. Finally. It's the least you can do, Minami, for putting your brother through hell, there.

One reason I prefer watching J-drama (and even Asian drama in general) is that writers there know how to write stories that allow men to have emotions and express them. And, I know that myself and others watching this show were expecting something quite different, but I'm also pleased that this type of story exists, despite the soap opera nature of it.

(Also, okay, I totally am a sucker for melodrama. :|)

Nooo, he meets his father only to lose him.

I was so intrigued by the scene of Sakura yelling at Godo in the preview and I'm so glad that it is this. Yes, you should find her scary, Godo.

Fathers and sons, smh. This is a lovely scene between Izumi and Kyogo, however.

Oh, oh, Agatsuma knows how to run the show, too. Gentle femdom for the win.

As foreshadowing, both those two points suck, show. Pffft.

*lies down, rolls over, hides* What a ride.

*lifts up head*

I'm proud of myself, though. I watched ten episodes of a J-drama and commented on each one of them. I didn't even manage to do that for the second season of Galileo, so, yay.

[scandalsavagefanfic]

Hello! I am a huge fan of ur writing. I've loved everything I've read of yours. I've read alot of what you've posted, except for a couple of the tags that are squicky for me (so I'm very thankful you tag very thoroughly). No judgement for the squick, it's just not for me. & when I'm having a bad day, I usually just go thru ur ao3 and find something to reread. I think about Therapy's Bruce & Jason every damn day. While I obvs appreciate ur darker more "problematic" content (I really vibe with some of the themes you write about bc of my own trauma, & so it's very cathartic to read about in a fictional setting), I am truly a sucker for ur more happy content. The Happily Ever After verse also lives in my head rent free. Idk more wholesome stuff just seems more special when you write it. Anyways. I would die for you. But the point of this ask is cause I'm curious as to why you don't like Urban Legends? I'm sorry if you already talked about it here or on twitter and I missed it. I was just wondering because I really enjoy your take on things and would love to hear why you dislike it. I've been enjoying it so far personally, but I am always open to DC comics criticism.

Aw thank you so much! I'm so flattered by everything you just said. You're so sweet ❤❤❤❤❤

I haven't talked about Urban Legends here or twitter (I haven't been very active in either place lately. Just a lot going on and no energy 😔) but I'm happy to do it here.

Before I start though, I just want to add a standard disclaimer and make it clear that if you like it, there's nothing wrong with that and you don't have to let me ruin it for you lol. Like what you like.

That said, since you asked...

I said this when I was talking about it on discord, that there is a difference between hope and expectation. I always hope that a new story centered on Jason (or anyone really, but things have been especially egregious for Jay for 15 years) will be good or at least treat the character with a minimal level of respect (to be honest, the bar is super fucking low). But my expectations always temper my hope, to keep it from getting unrealistic. Because my expectations are based on experience.

The long history of Jason Todd, since even before his resurrection, has been one of retroactively trying to make him "a bad seed" in order to absolve Bruce of any responsibility in his death.

I don't even expect DC or their writers to start honoring the fact that Jason was not an angry, reckless Robin (and less of the later than Dick or Tim and definitely Damian). There plenty of ways that retcon can be folded into his history and be compelling and sympathetic. And if they're going to stick with that retcon, I'm only asking that they do it in one of those compelling and sympathetic ways because Jason was 15 when he died, heroically, in one of the most selfless acts in comics, to save a woman who literally handed him over to be brutally murdered. He was 12 when Bruce plucked him off the streets, he'd been homeless and fending for himself for at least two years. I personally think that Jason's story hits harder for him and Bruce if their original, canon relationship, of Jason as starry-eyed and eager to learn and absolutely devoted to Bruce and Bruce to Jason, is preserved. But Jason's origins does leave room for a meaningful interpretation of him as angry and frustrated at the lack of meaningful results of Bruce's methods.

And that's really where my irritation at stories like Batman: Urban Legends, Cheer and Batman The Adventure Continues has it's roots.

Every time one of these stories comes out, I think (or hope, rather) that this will be the one that remembers and respects the origins of the Jason and the Red Hood, that takes into account the changed sensibilities of comics readers in the 30 years since Jason's death and the subtle, 20 year, retroactive campaign to make him the "bad Robin". The "born bad" trope is played out and literally no one likes the message it implies. That some kids are just bad eggs and there's nothing parents or the adults around them can do. Especially when it's played as the kid's fault. If Jason's time as Robin is going to be characterized by anger, then it should be rooted in anger at the social injustices he witnessed as he grew up in an impoverished, crime-ridden, area and the horrors he faced raising himself when every day was a battle for survival. There are topical, meaningful, stories to tell with that backdrop.

But those are never the stories we get.

⚠⚠ Spoilers for Batman: Urban Legends, Cheer ⚠⚠

I'm particularly disappointed in Urban Legends because for the first issue, it looked like that was the kind of story we were going to get. I was put off by the first flashback of Jason being mesmerized by Bruce's guns, and I got that feeling in my gut that it was a bad sign. Jason depicted as impatient and overconfident and the scene with the guns is heavy-handed foreshadowing that got my spidey-sense tingling. I had a inkling then (in the first three pages) of how this story was going to play out, but it was early and I could still see many narrative paths that could lead to a satisfying story. My concerns were soothed somewhat and the little flame of my hope fanned, with the flashback of Alfred scolding Bruce, with Barbara's concern for Jason. A bit of worry returned with the way Jason ruthlessly pursued an addict who didn't appear to be a dealer and with the ending of the issue. The stuff with the addict sat wrong with me but the ending was tempered some by how despicable Tyler's dad was written. The scene was clearly set so that the reader could sympathize with Jason's decision and the scene with the addict could be brushed aside as a side-effect of comics over-the-top need for constant action, so I still held hope.

Issue 2 made me uncomfortable and it's where my hope starts to take a backseat to my expectations. I can dismiss Jason's self-deprecating internal monologue as unreliable narration, except that the flashback reinforces his thought process to explicitly show that it's not unreliable narration, and should be taken at face value. Jason faces physical abuse at the hands of his mother's drug dealer and when the flashback continues later, Jason kills the drug dealer. To be clear, this is a pre-Bruce Jason. His mom is still alive. He's like... 10. He kills this guy for shoving his head into a wall and implying Jason's mother paid for her drugs with sex. This is a scene that serves a single purpose. To show that Jason has always been prone to violence.

In the spirit of full disclosure, there is the small chance the drug dealer might not be dead. But the story obviously wants the reader to think he is, and it hasn't done anything to change that yet.

Starlin already did this story with The Diplomat’s Son in 1988 and he did it infinitely better. AND that’s still technically canon. So now I’m supposed to believe that Jason lost his cool bad enough to kill two douche bags before his sweet 16? Like it’s totally normal for abused kids raised in poverty, who’ve led hard and heartbreaking lives to just... haul off and kill people? That’s bullshit, and when taken with the Jason in the third issue, who is little more than an idiot thug, this story is really doubling down on some fucked up stereotypes.

Which brings us to the most recent issue. I went into this installment with very low expectations. I thought this story was going to be about Jason, through this experience with Tyler, a young boy with a similar background to Jason's, coming to the realization that Bruce's way is the best way and that Bruce did his best by Jason.

That would be annoying (in no small part because it takes increasingly absurd levels of plot armor to keep Bruce's no kill rule relevant, let alone irrefutably right). But I can probably live with that, if only because maybe if Jason officially falls back into line with the Bats crusade, maybe I'll get stories that treat him with respect, stories that don't relegate him to comic relief, dumb brute, or a background body with no lines in a story about the Joker burning Gotham (like Jason would just fucking stand there quietly for that).

And that may still be where the story is going, Jason realizing Bruce is right.

But holy shit do I not have the right words to describe how fucking insulting and gross issue three is.

From start to finish--including the flashback--Jason is written as cruel and fucking stupid. Like straight up dumb.

The entire issue is Bruce explaining the fucking basics to Jason like it's his first day. And Jason flies off the fucking handle and terrorizes a doctor he knows isn't a part of making the Cheerdrops, beats the shit out of some random addicts, and finally, when he can't accomplish anything on his own because he's a dumb brute he calls Barbara for help and rushes in with no information where he's promptly incapacitated and must now wait to be rescued by Batman.

This panel is the least of the issues sins but I can’t screenshot the entire story but it’s representative of the tone for the whole issue (and retroactively tainted the prior two issues).

This is beyond insulting. The only conclusions Jason comes to in this issue are the ones Bruce leads him to by talking to him like he can’t make the simplest connections. And like... in this story Jason can’t make the simplest connections.

This (and the Jason throughout the entirety of this issue) is a far cry from the Jason we fell in love with in Under the Red Hood, who was competent and strategic and intelligent enough to seize control of Gotham’s underworld from Black Mask (who’s no fucking slouch, he’s the first and only person to unify organized crime in Gotham) AND elude and manipulate Bruce until the time and place of his choosing.

This is a far cry from even the Red Hood and the Outlaws Jason who is competent enough to fight the League of Shadows and Ra’s al Ghul (among very dangerous and skilled others) and smart enough to create antidotes for mind control nanotech viruses.

As he should be, by the way. Jason Todd is one of the best, most comprehensively trained fighters in DC’s stable of non powered vigilantes. He’s not irrational or hot headed. He’s pragmatic, tactically minded, and patient. He’s a detective. Right now. Has been since he was 12. Bruce doesn’t have to make him one because he already is. 

Jason is not a stupid thug who uses his fists because his brain doesn’t work. And I can’t tell you how so very exhausted I am by this narrative. 

This is actually the most egregious example of Jason’s skills and intelligence being not just undermined but dismissed entirely. Even Morrison’s Jason had some degree of competency. 

The one, single redeeming factor of this story is the art. It’s beautiful. And Marcus To is a godsend he seems to be one of only a couple of artists who remember that Jason was a child when he was Robin and I’m literally only buying this book because of him. 

Anyway, I’m sorry. I didn’t want that to come out so... um... passionately lol. I’m just very very tired. My intention with this isn’t to ruin it for you, if you like it, that’s fine. 

But this issue shot this story to the top of my "Vehemently Despise” list. 1) Batman: Urban Legends (Cheer), 2) Battle for the Cowl/Morrison’s Batman and Robin, 3) Batman The Adventure Continues.

I hope the next issues somehow salvage this dumpster fire. But I’m not expecting it.

(Damnit. That sounded harsh again. To reiterate, I’m not trying to judge anyone who enjoys it, I just personally hate it and you asked me why lol 😅)

[ourkidswouldbemartians]

 My thoughts on 10x18, ‘Find Me’ 

(I’m trying to be as neutral as possible so there will be #Positivity and #negativity) 

When I first heard about the spoilers I was like HELL NO!! I’m not watching this load of shit! AMC can fuck off!! But then I stopped being dramatic and admitted that I am sucker for TWD and that no matter what this show releases I’m still gonna watch it anyway. I mean I’ve even watched the Morgan making cheese with a goat episode at least three times and on purpose so :/// 

So anyway I eventually watched this episode with the following mindset: if there’s anything storytelling has ever taught me is that drama and angsty arguments are part of the game, it gets worse before it gets better. I watched this episode telling myself: there’s a spinoff, think about all the good stuff that s10 gave us. 

I have made a list of what I found positive or negative and speculated some stuff about what the future may hold: 

Goodie :)

- Many caryllels between the past and present, between Daryl @ Leah and between Lea and Carol.  There is a reason for this I’m sure and I hope the writers will talk about it. 

- The fight wasn’t as bad as the spoilers made it seems, they’ll come back from it for sure.   A confrontation had to happen about the fact that Carol left several times and I’m glad it did, because that’s what Daryl’s most hurt about in the argument imo. I also think Carol doesn’t want to run anymore and wants to be where Daryl is (10x14 made it clear) but it’s sad Daryl doesn’t see it yet. And in this episode she says “I’m not going anywhere” which I feel is an emphasis about how her mind is made up: she knows where she belongs.

- Their banter was adorable, I just love how much Carol loves teasing him. And he teased her too!

- Carol is pretty

- The soundtrack was beautiful as always when they share a scene

- They’ll be ok again for sure... The way he looked at her when she left after the argument made me feel like he kinda regretted his words already. But that’s opened to interpretation. 

Baddie :( 

- Daryl was unfair to Carol but I wouldn’t say OOC, Daryl is not an angel, he’s a complex character who in this episode said hurtful things. He too has made mistakes that NOBODY is throwing at his face but it’s all about double standards with writers uh? 

- I still do not understand the purpose of Leah. I get it, Daryl was alone, lost, Rick’s gone, Carol’s married, everyone from Team family is scattered everywhere so he needed someone. I think he was even suicidal considering his behaviour during the storm... So I think meeting Leah made him feel better. But did it have to be romantic? We’ve heard a billion times that Daryl doesn’t do relationship so when it happens it will only happen once. So why giving him a relationship with no on screen kiss or sex? In one episode with almost no buildup?  Knowing that’s something everyone wants to see for Daryl (not necessarily w/ Carol)? I cant understand the writers’ choices. I simply don’t understand the motivation here. And I mean that without even thinking about what Leah means for Caryl. 

- It’s my fault for expecting this but I thought Carol may have had some kind of reaction towards the Daryl/Leah thing but she didn’t. But she was a bit taken aback when she found the note which makes me think she didnt know about the romantic aspect of it or that Daryl once felt like he belonged with someone other than team family

//////

Not ship related: 

- Carol was perfect in this episode. Beautiful. Talented. Brilliant. She broke my heart when she said “I just needed a friend” ... she feels so lonely, she deserves the world and she’s alone :( or feels like she is at least. Everything that happened with Alpha happened because her son got brutally murdered and for that she deserves nothing but understanding. She’s right for not being sorry. Anyway... I’m with her not matter what. I ship her with happiness first and I always will.

- The acting was on point. Nothing to say here, NR and MMM are simply stellar together. Leah’s actress is good too. And her character is likeable tbh. 

- The scenery was beautiful

/////// 

About the future: 

I don’t think all hope is lost for Caryl but I’m no longer 100% sure about them in a romantic way. They put an emphasis on the word friend in this episode and I feel they will conclude the L/D thing one way or another: Leah will be back. Carol has her knife in Diverged and Daryl said to Dog “we’re gonna get her back” which foreshadows her return. I see things possibly going two ways: they could restart their relationship, it doesn't work out / she gets killed off and that leads him to want to start over somewhere else and then he goes away with Carol (=spin off) OR: she comes back but it leads to a love triangle and he chooses Carol, they get together and Caryl is finally canon. 

In conclusion I am still confused, it’s a huge I don’t know for me. It’s not all bad, but not all good either. . I don’t fully understand the writers’ choices, in my case the only thing that could make me feel 100% hopeful about caryl being endgame is knowing what will happen in S11. So only time will tell I guess. We just have to wait. 

Caryl on and forgive my typos  ❤︎

[galvanizedfriend]

Klaroline Fic Rec

Wanderlust by @bellemorte180​

Summary:  FBI Special Agent, Niklaus Mikaelson is sent to the small town of Mystic Falls, Virginia to investigate a series of murders. When a serial killer’s most recent victim, Caroline Forbes, saves herself from a horrible fate, Klaus cannot help but begin to feel drawn to her. However, it seems that he is not the only one.

________________________

Why you should read it: Wanderlust is not just one thing.

It has a lot of Kc goodness, which is obviously what we're all mainly here for.

It's plot-driven, which is something I love so much about a good AU. Not that other types of stories aren't just as great, but it's not everyday we come across fics that have this kind of intricate plot. @bellemorte180‘s research and clever crafting of this idea just shines through. The way she leaves breadcrumbs and little foreshadowing all over the story to climax with the big reveal is so, so incredibly well thought. And because it's also a KC story, we can't help but feel invested in the characters and their journeys.

It has a lot of character-focused development. Caroline's story, in particular, is so good. It's mostly told through Klaus' POV, but the whirlwind of emotions Caroline goes through throughout the story is so compelling, and I really enjoyed how @bellemorte180 handled the whole thing with such care and thoughtfulness. It's not easy, seeing as Caroline's very much a victim of a violent crime. It was very delicate, and I loved her choices towards the end of the story and the way she decided to wrap it up. It showed a lot of touch!

It's a thriller, and like all best thrillers, it has an AMAZING build-up. The whole investigation has all these ups and downs that mislead you from the real killer, takes you towards different suspects. There are moments when you think the story is safe and then STUFF happens and you're held in suspense all over again! Even after the big reveal, stuff just don't stop happening! 

It has an amazing ensemble cast. Yes, I'm here for KC. HOWEVER. I am such a sucker for stories that bring other characters into the mix, and especially the ones that does so with such smart writing! Everyone has a part to play, everyone has motivations and they all relate to one another in different ways. I loved Bonnie in particular! And also Marcel. (I'm gonna talk about Vincent further down lol) Also, there are a number of glorious nods to canon, and that's so awesome. I love it when writers manage to transport canon into AU universes, it just makes the story feel loyal and the AU to be more believable. AUs, though amazing, can always just be disrupted in order to fit basically anything you want. But if you twist the characters too much, then what's the point, you know what I mean? You're just writing a random story with characters that have the same names. They're often not even similar to canon, which, again, IS THE WHOLE POINT. We fell in love with them because they had certain aspects to them, personalities, etc. And @bellemorte180 managed to keep all that, while also adding other awesome nods to stuff we know from other characters and things that happen to them in TVD. So KUDOS!!!

It has a REALLY, REALLY, REALLY BRILLIANT CLIMAX. I'm not going to go into details about the killer because the whole fun is trying to piece the clues together, but I've already left a big comment to @bellemorte180 with all my thoughts on why I thought what she did was BRILLIANT and all the bits of it I thought I worked so well.

It has a really heartwarming epilogue that lets us see where the future takes our main characters and I thought it was SO sweet! Again, you were SO careful with how you worked these characters and their traumas and losses and all the things they had to work around after the main plot was done with, and this last little epilogue was super sweet. Personally, your ending would've been satisfying to me either way because I don't mind the whole classic walking off into the sunset type of story (not that I don't like those lol I just think there's more to great writing than classic happy endings and some stories just don't fit the bill), BUT. The fact you added this little snippet into their future was very generous of you to our KC hearts! 😂 I really loved it!

Last but not least, this story has VINCENT GRIFFITH as an amazing side character! He's like the VOICE OF REASON and a character that, despite playing not such a huge part, was SO important for me. I also already wrote a huge comment to @bellemorte180 to explain why I felt this way. Personally, I think it made ALL the difference and I was so, so, SO happy that she added Vincent and his parts. Not least because it showed, again, great sensibility on her part as a writer. Not to mention, Vincent, as the character that he is in TO, was the PERFECT guy for the job. And I love Vincent, so there's that.

Wanderlust is a super plotty, smartly-written thriller  that also happens to have amazing KC goodness to delight every aspect of our shipping hearts. It is no wonder this was SUCH a super success, probably the most popular story around fandom lately, and had so many people on betting pools trying to connect the dots and uncover the mystery! On top of everything that I already mentioned, it was also FUN AS HELL to follow this! And I think it's the PERFECT story for a good binge, especially if you, like me, don't really know how to wait for updates on stories with AWESOME BUT HEART-WRENCHING CLIFFHANGERS, O K A Y????

Thank you SO much for writing! I can't wait to see what else you'll come up with!

[letterstothemidnightsociety]

Alright, so if you've been following along with me, Supernatural season 3 starts out on a trio of episodes that are Really Fun, slides into some episodes that are Pretty OK, then takes a real nose dive into Bummersville. Hoo boy guys, I really hope that this season picks up. I mean, it won’t, but I can still dream. 2021 was maybe not the year to start watching this season. Fair warning.

The next three episodes for this season are just, like, real downers. First we get “Fresh Blood,” which, aside from the terrible title, starts out on a high note. Gordon (gross) somehow manages to catch up with Bela (HOW??) and threatens her if she doesn’t hand over the Winchesters. Bela, in all of her class and grace, won’t give them up because she has a high price point and Gordon is really lowballing her here. Just like, yes, ok, please stay forever, you’re amazing and I love you. And what a scene this is! You have two characters, one with a strict moral code (albeit one that allows for violence and winning at all costs) and the other with almost NO moral code, but an allegiance that can be bought with the best price and it’s such a fun back and forth until Gordon pulls out a gun. And then she pulls out her phone and just has Dean on speed dial and that’s maybe my fav part. Bela has run into the Winchesters twice and they maybe legit hate her but she’s very much like, oh yeah, my BFF’s the Winchesters, I love those idiots!

I love that we come back to this moment later in the episode when Bela, like, three days later, is like, Oh! I guess I should warn the Winchesters that some crazy guy is after them! She’s just so casual about it you kind of get the feeling that, even though technically Gordon was threatening her life, she doesn’t view him as A Threat. She gives the Winchesters a heads up just to be like oh yeah, you might want to watch out for this mild inconvenience, and she seems legit shocked when Dean freaks out. There’s this moment that plays across her face like, oh shit, did I...did I fuck up? And it adds a nice bit of depth to her character. She’s seems honestly worried, both for the lives of the Winchesters but also that Dean won’t like her anymore and that is just a charming bit of A C T I N G!

I am gonna miss her SO MUCH when she dies at the end of this season. WHY did we CANCEL HER???

But despite the fun beginning, this episode is about monsters and how people become monsters and how other people are probably the reason. Because our main baddie is a vampire who hunts to...well, listen if we look at the facts that he lays out in his monologue, it’s a little more tragic - he’s trying to replace the daughters that he lost hundreds of years ago, cool motive, still murder. In practice though, he goes around turning hot blonde coeds into vampires and then ?????? Who knows. I’d like to believe that this was a problem with the CW executives or maybe casting/directing and not with the writing, but it’s SPN and you really can’t be sure with anything. The fact is, this is a CW show from the early 2000’s and a lot of their extras are cast to type. And that’s maybe me exhibiting some girl-on-girl crime, but there are other episodes that did a much less blatantly gross job casting their extras/Very Special Guest Stars.

Anyway, the POINT of this guy is that he’s a monster because someone killed his daughter and he’s just been trying to fill that grief hole inside of him for centuries. This is not unlike Gordon, who ALSO has been trying to fill a grief hole that he’s had for decades, except he’s not killing people and resurrecting them as blood suckers, he’s just killing them. And then, when the Vamp decides to turn Gordon it’s a real sweet moment of comeuppance for like, a HOT second and then you’re like, awww dude, ya done f’ed up. That was a bad idea. You’ve made a HUGE mistake.

More importantly, our Vampire In Question finally runs into the Winchesters and get’s to say things like “I was desperate! You ever felt desperate? I've lost everyone I ever loved. I'm staring down eternity alone. Can you think of a worse hell?” and also “I just ... I didn't care anymore. Do you know what it's like when you just don't give a damn? It's like ... it's like being dead already.” and Dean’s v. much like, THIS IS TOO REAL ROY.

Sam may ALSO be feeling Too Real feelings because he is DONE dicking around with Gordon and honestly yes, I like this, this is good Sam development. It’s nice to know that Sam has a breaking point. And I admit I’m of two minds about this moment because 1) I love the idea of Dark!Sam this season and that maybe Sam’s decision to actually kill Gordon is just one step in that process but 2) I ALSO love the idea of Sam Lite finally having a breaking point and Gordon is IT. I don’t know which theory I like more in this scenario, but they are both good theories.

I think as much as this episode wants to draw parallels between the monsters and Dean (thank you artful editors), you can’t look at the “I’ve lost everyone I ever loved,” line and not think of Sam? Cuz he’s got one (1) person left in his life that hasn’t died horribly, so how desperate is he about to get through the end of this season? I’ve definitely been watching this season with eyes on all the ominous Dean foreshadowing, but the Sam foreshadowing is also there, just buried under the heavy weight of a thousand smulders and suicidal levels of denial.

And also, FUCK the tag on this episode! Guys, it is CUTE but it is also HORRIBLE. Dean starts teaching Sam how to fix the Impala and at first it’s all, “Oh! Adorable Brothers Being Brothers!” and I loved it but then I almost immediately hated it because you realize this is about making sure Sam can get along without him once he’s gone and Dean just accepts his own death with such casual ease that it’s just...INFURIATING!

This scene was rude and I HATE IT!

Cut to - “A Very Supernatural Christmas” Special!

Guys, I was so excited when I got to this episode. THIS is Classic Supernatural Shenanigans. Plus, you know a Holiday Special is the ultimate sign that this show has Made It, right? Or it could be a sign that they’re selling out, who knows, but I think we can say that at this point in the series, SPN is established enough to start having fun with their fans. That’s what this says to me. BUT THEN what we get is like...oh boy.

First - like, I’mma beat this horse to death, but what is WRONG with this FAMILY? John Winchester very quickly devolved into the sort of father that forgot about every single holiday and did not ever, even a little bit, make up for it. It’s not a surprise, but it kind of wrecked me seeing a flashback where Baby Dean is just so attached to a father who can’t be bothered to actually care for his children. I know he’s not in this episode because Jeffrey Dean Morgan was tied up in other projects, but the fact that John doesn’t show up at the end to button the flashbacks with a But then he DID show up for Christmas! just makes this plot line that more gutting. And despite Dean’s hero worship of their father, this is maybe the Christmas where Baby Sam stops believing in his own father. The only bright side to this is that it continues to enforce the fact that Bobby should have sued John for custody. Bobby should maybe STILL Sue for custody so that Dean at least would feel like someone wants him for once in his life, damnit.

And then we wrap this episode up with the Best Worst Christmas of all, because we see Sam start to...also?? accept that Dean is about to die? Cuz that’s what this episode is really about - Dean’s Last Christmas. And everything about that makes me ~ u p s e t ~.

So Sam decides to put his curmudgeonly grinchy attitude aside in order to make it a special day for Dean and ugh. UGH. UGHGHGHG. Season three is the worst guys, and I can’t believe I didn’t realize that until right this second now.

So let’s wrap this up with "Malleus Maleficarum", honestly an episode that is mostly forgettable until we get to, like, the last five minutes. Sure, witches and curses and selling your soul, woohoo whatever.

But then we get some real Ruby centric reveals and like, WHAT is happening?? First off, the scene where Ruby and Tammy have a moment is a real Moment. There is some baggage and tension here and it is heavy. And then Tammy drops the mic when she reveals that Ruby used to be human.

THEN, Ruby legit saves their asses by killing Tammy with a fancy magic knife. Ok, Dean does the actual killing, but Ruby brought the fancy magic knife. So between the hot and heavy tension with “Tammy” and her repeated attempts to keep the Winchesters alive, we’re left wondering what IS Ruby’s deal? I personally wonder how much of the show’s mythology the show actually has figured out at this point? Because interviews with Kripke definitely walk the line between “Oh we definitely have this whole thing worked out,” and “yeah, we’re sort of finding things as we go along,” which is maybe why it’s able to last as long as it does. More on that later.

Of course the big kicker is the final scene between Ruby and Dean. Dean is almost on board with Ruby at this point in the season, and much like his scene with the demon in “Sin City”, they share a kind of vulnerable moment together where Ruby admits that, yeah, she was human once and yeah, Hell will destroy you, body and soul, and yeah Dean’s worst fear will probably come true - he will become the thing he hunts, no ifs, ands or buts about it. And Dean knows that Ruby knows that Dean knows that there’s no way to save Dean from his fate, but they both agree that they can’t take Sam’s last ounce of hope away from him because, for both of them, Sam is their hope. Ruby and Dean both see the war happening around them and they know that with Dean gone, Sam’s maybe the last guy holding back the tide to save all humanity.

Which, honestly? Bull shit. Do you know how many hunters are out there? Neither do I, but this season seems to indicate that there are a LOT. We have barely scratched the surface on the hunter community and it’s a damn shame that they are all weirdo loners because there is a war going on. You know what works great in a war? An ARMY. Buncha mentally unstable, martyr-complex ijits who can’t put their differences aside for one damn MINUTE so that maybe, JUST maybe, the could actually defeat the evil they’ve spent their entire lives dedicated to fighting. And if Ruby and Dean wanted to help Sam, what they should probably do is get him plugged in to that community. I do believe that of all they backasswards, self-obsessed, painfully anti-social crazies out there, the Winchesters are THE WORST.

Listen tho, this was like, a solid scene between these two. Just a lot of work goin' into this and it paid off.

Anyway, back to the mythology for a hot second - This sort of loosey-goosey stumbling into your own world building is probably another one of those things that you’ll only really get in a show with this many episodes per season? It’s that room to play and experiment and just make stuff up as you go along. I think the slow drip method of releasing episodes ALSO helps in this scenario because you’re able to see what fans are reacting to in almost-real time. When viewers are binging episodes, I think you're less likely to see what specifically they’re reacting to and more wholistically they’re reacting to. And that’s not to say you won’t see those specific things that they like/love eventually, but by the time you get there, your season’s been produced in its entirety and you’ll have to bear that in mind for (hopefully) next season. But with SPN, they were writing and producing the show at the same time that some of the episodes were airing. That’s why they were able to make decisions on the fly, based on what fans responded to. And definitely by this point in the show, there was a sizeable and vocal fan base that made their feelings VERY well-known. We’re only in season three, but they’ve already had a number of con appearances and a pretty active online presence. That kind of feedback has got to be helpful, from a writing perspective, but it also allows for things like characters getting cut because nobody liked them for some dumb reason. BUT, if you’re fighting to stay on the air for 100 episodes or longer, responding to fan reactions is what’s gonna do it and that’s a fact.

[meandmyechoes]

i knew it… i knew it's gonna end on another cliffhanger but i'm thorough brainrot anyways I was just there too stare starry-eyed at my pretty eldritch assassin kimono lady—

(Joran epsiode 9 afterlog)

okay so. Not BIG plot twist this episode. I mean, I thought it was one way but I guessed wrong but a moment's thought shows there were clues in the first arc so I'm not as distraught as I thought, coupled with it being an exposition/backstory episode.

!!SPOILERS!!

The big twist was Kazuhara has Janome-like scars. I was guessing he was the Black Crow that killed Tsuki after taking the pill. Jury's still out on that honestly, but his scars imply involvement with Janome and possible responsibility for the Karasumori massacre - which is why Tsuki says Yuki's revenge is not over yet. Again, it's an age-old trope. My guess was the Tokugawa government was definitely involved with the massacre and that was the real target Tsuki was talking about, and I was under the impression that was when Janome was still working with the government, but I wasn't quite willing to believe Kazuhara was directly responsible, moved by his caring last episode. (eh please let them have a healthy-ish mentor-protoge relationship if not family) There were dialogues in arc one that touched on "facpov" about who is a "traitor", and with the show part political thriller, I did expect this kind of shifting perspectives. Given the history of betrayls in-show it really wasn't a big surprise —Now, I did NOT see him taking Sawa's blood coming. And apparently Sawa is now aware of the fact. Kazuhara's motive seems really up in the air now? Is he a full on insurgency-sympathiser now? Or was he just protecting Sawa for his own selfish purpose? Why did he give her blood to the insurgent? Why did he draw fresh blood if he still has the pellets - then, what happened to those? How key a role will he, his research and the supernaural element plays? I just wonder how much Kazuhara is hiding from Sawa, was last week all an act? She never revered him like an adoptive father (bless your clarity my child), but it must have cost her to doubt a person she has known so long.

I am a huge sucker for science fantasy, or just fantasy rooted in the real world (albeit alternate history, i.e. Japanese steampunk! - is so nuance i freakin' love it even more). I am slightly concerned, now the sci-fan aspect finally takes center stage. Given the name of the final arc, I was expecting it to move more political. Guess they never meant to venture too deep into political commentary but will stay afloat on the supernatural element side. I am concerned if three episodes is enough to overthrow the government completely (so maybe, just maybe, Sawa gets a third chance at life) AND show the aftermath. I'm crazy scared this show will flop lol. (Not that) Rarely I get into a rare show and if my investment crashes lol.

Rinko… I like her character design and quirk, but her power - what the fuck. I think this is the first time I binged this series (twice in six days) that I went JFC. Yeah it really is the most graphic so far. Regardless, her introduction suggests the government has been doing human experiments on their own for years, after Janome's split. Well, that's within reason. I suppose it foreshadows the big boss would be a "man-made" changeling versus Sawa's "natural". Not sure how that ties in to whichever theme. Hope it's not an established character? I don't know. At least I certainly hope it wasn't Rinko.

Well I don't know what much else to say. This episode is quite expositional. I'm glad we get more development with Yukimura though. We see her actively picking her own path finally this episode. First it was Nue, then Asahi, Tsuki… But this time we see her re-evaluating her purposes. She is still depressed, and revenge-driven. But at least she starts to accept her own emotions and how others (Asahi) has affected her positively. "Cast away your emotion" was a recurring theme in arc one that they challenge within characters themselves in that four episodes, but I sidetracked. Yes, she is "blank", but the point of her character is discovering there are other paths, a chance of recovery. I really look forward to her getting a happy ending. One thing I noticed is her acceptance at mortality. She doesn't try to "bring people back". Coupled with her execution speech in arc/ep one: I don't pity you, I don't hate you. Yukimura Sawa is driven by revenge. But her vengeance on Janome did not bring her peace. Her second taste at vengeance, for Asahi of Tsuki, she couldn't do it. She should begin to learn to accept alternate ways of honouring the dead, like the gravesweeping ritual and dusting shelves in this episode, and healing in the process, those are her freedom to choose.

Oh by the way. No Hana this week :( zero points.

[yourehereyourereal]

BLADES BLADES BLADES

(long rambling post about the finale ahead)

I simply have no words. @playchoices this book is FREAKING GOD-TIER and I LOVE IT SO MUCH and I don't say this lightly. I can honestly be singing praises to Blades until the end of my days. I fell in love with it at first sight but it was aging like a fine wine with every chapter and becoming even better. I really hope book 2 will be equally powerful and I believe in the writers and the team, they've got to deliver. I don't even mind for them taking the time, even though I will miss the book so much. It was my greatest quarantine joy and made the first half of my 2020. Here are my messy thoughts about the finale because I have finally found something new to nerd out about and Blades deserves all the love in the world.

First, the fight was epic. The Shadow Court lady was gorgeous, even though we had to end her. Nia the Dreadlord was SO ICONIC. The way she wanted to break through the darkness, how she controlled it, and her self-sacrifice. Speaking of which, I really regret not letting the timer run out, because, from the experience of Bloodbound, I knew there had to be something interesting, but I didn't have much time to think and kinda assumed that if you don't kill Nia she just kills herself or the Dreadlord does it or something. But I saw screenshots of everyone dying and... wow. It especially hit me how Tyril fought until the end, even when he was already stabbed - characters with that much inner passion and determination are my everything, and it was so sad and definitely how he didn't deserve to go. I'm kind of a sucker for dark endings that show "what could have been" and aren't actually canon or can be avoided (like in It Lives series), because they have a lot of depth and this alternate reality makes you really appreciate the times with your LI and friends.

The Nia art was AHHHHHHH. How come this book blessed me with such amazing, epic LIs and I'm supposed to choose between them??? I adore all of them, but I have a special soft spot for Nia and Tyril since their stories are truly god-tier. I romanced Nia from the very first chapter (and then Imtura a bit), but switched to Tyril recently, and I don't regret it one bit because he's amazing and incredible and I love him so much. But during these scenes where MC told Nia to resist darkness I was constantly thinking of how it would hit differently if I romanced Nia until the end, because I'm a MASSIVE SUCKER for tropes when someone's pure love breaks the spells or darkness in the other person. It kinda reminded me of the Bloodbound finale when the LI did it for us. I just have to replay one day and romance Nia, even though it will be sooo hard for me not to flirt with Tyril.

I knew the fandom would explode at the option of flirting with Aerin. I myself am not a huge fan of romancing him but I chose the seduction option anyway because I was curious, and it failed me because I didn't have history with him which cracked me up so much 😂 Then Kade punched him and it was truly something - you go, Kade! I wonder what consequences will it have in book 2, I was almost debating setting him free so we could see him again. He was a good villain. I also laughed at the "sack of potatoes" line.

MC with the Blade of Light was just... I FELT that writing. Like there was fire inside them. Like they were fire. Speaking of which, the writing in the finale was so, so good, I can't remember when it was that good for the last time. It was worth all the hiatuses.

THE SCENE WITH MEDALS GAVE ME SUCH A HUGE STAR WARS A NEW HOPE ENDING VIBE. I was so proud of the squad, they've come so far and reached a better understanding of themselves on a personal level.

I played a 30 diamond scene with Tyril and I'm speechless. I honestly don't know where I can ever find someone like him because he raises my relationship standards so highly. It was wonderful to go on a real date with him and have some relaxed fun as a couple. He said "my MC" and oh my freaking God that was awesome. Their romantic exchanges are always the best. They are cute, poetic, sincere and don't feel forced. There were so many indications of true love between them, and it's like PB wanted to feed us Tyril stans well today because the scene was simply neverending (I was playing it for such a long time, it seemed endless) and they just kept professing their love for each other and that's how you write satisfying, amazing diamond scenes that you don't regret buying and would buy all over again (take note, Witness). I'm a huge Damien Nazario stan and finally I found a LI with diamond scenes that are just as epic and emotionally charged as his. I feel like Tyril and MC's dynamics even remind me of Damien and MC's a little bit (and the two do have some similarities, but I'll probably make another post about it someday)

And the sex!!! I'm not a huge smut fan because I'm ace/demisexual and those things are not very relatable for me (that's also why books like The Nanny Affair are a bit cringe to me, just not my piece of cake), but I LOVE good sex scenes where the two characters have a strong emotional connection and genuine love for each other (totally a demisexual point of view). I was smiling and giggling like a little girl, especially when they were talking about making sounds and doing it in public (again, I somehow thought back to the Eiffel Tower scene with Damien/Dames and it made me laugh). And then he said those beautiful things like "you complete me" and ahhhh... Tyril loves us so much. We love him so much, too. MC just wants to be with him and assures that he grew as a person, even if he always doubts himself. It's true, he had the most amazing character development.

I will have to fully stick to romancing Nia on the next replay, I'm curious what her diamond scene was like. I have a feeling it's just as adorable and wholesome and has a lot of complexity. God, I really felt for a second like she's gonna die, PB gave me a scare as it did feel final and I was like "did they really just...?". I don't know much about other LI scenes but I heard Imtura's was cute (and you could shout "that's my orc girlfriend" which itself is great), and Mal wanted to open the orphanage and wow I'm so proud. On a related note, it's freaking great that they give all LIs similar scenes but don't copy-paste their dialogues like in some books, there are clear differences as they all have a unique distinctive personality. And, I forgot to mention that Threep and Loola are the best bat-kitties! (even though they wouldn't approve of this term)

I was on my second hour of playing that chapter (yeah, it was like, the longest one ever! Maybe it's because I was excitedly sharing screenshots with a friend and freaking out the whole time) when the book finally seemed to be coming to an end. I love how my MC fell asleep in Tyril's arms and then we had this nightmare that foreshadowed book 2. I'm glad they gave us a glimpse of what to expect (imagine if we didn't know it will have a sequel, plus the finale had a bit of a standalone feeling, and then boom! Surprise). I fully hope this book will have a book 2, book 3, and a Christmas special 😂 It's just so, so incredible, and this universe deserves expanding like no other.

I hope PB knows how we all collectively love it, and I also hope they'll learn from the success of Blades and will write more books where the funny banter and serious moments are balanced, the friendship group feels natural and like a family, the plots are breathtaking and the LIs are god-tier. It's obvious how much heart Andrew and the crew put into it, and I'll be patiently waiting for book 2, however long it takes. Hopefully, not too long, but like they said, masterpieces take time to create!

[nellie-elizabeth]

Supernatural: Atomic Monsters (15x04)

I love it when Supernatural goes meta. Seriously, I don't think I've ever seen a show do it better. It's goofy and yet still thematically appropriate. And it's respectful of the once-in-a-lifetime fandom experience of being a person who watches Supernatural. Who grows up watching it. Let's talk about it.

Cons:

There is one thing that this show can't make its mind up about, and it's when it's cool to murder people. Like, yeah, the kid in this story was a vampire who had killed a young woman and was worried about losing control and killing again. But this episode also featured a (kind of) return of Benny, reminding us that vampires can be allies and friends, too. We've done this so many times over the years - Sam and Dean have had many debates about whether well-meaning monsters can control themselves enough to be left alive. And they've allied with people who under normal circumstances they might have just killed. Rowena. Crowley. Benny. Even Cas, if you want to get technical about it. It was painted as extremely tragic that the young man in this episode had to die. But I wanted there to be at least a conversation about it beforehand, where Sam and Dean said that yes, a normal life probably wasn't possible... but death wasn't the only option. If we can't live in the middle-ground, where exactly are we going with all of this?

I'm not surprised that Dean and Sam didn't talk about Cas in this episode. It makes sense because Misha can't be in the whole season, and Destiel just broke up in episode three. They're going to draw this sucker out just a little bit. But yeah, on a selfish note, I admit I was hoping for at least a mention. Maybe Sam could remark that Dean's good mood seems like a front, given how upset he's been about Cas. Oh well. I'm choosing to remain optimistic.

Pros:

The monster-of-the-week story was not one I'll be remembering as a favorite or anything, but it worked as a nice mirror to poor Sam's state of mind. Obviously he's sad about Jack, sad about Rowena, feeling really low about things in general... but he's also having terrible nightmares about turning evil and killing his brother. And now here we have a story about a monster who is afraid of hurting his loved ones, and who chooses to die to protect others. That's a very Sam-Winchester-y choice to make, and I know for a fact that Sam would rather die than hurt anyone, especially Dean. So the foreshadowing here was clear, even if the details of the case this week weren't especially memorable on their own merits.

And that dream at the beginning... I loved the cool lighting, the fight choreography, Dean's signature "cupping the face of my dying boyfriend loved one" move... all of it was wonderful. Jensen's directing really shone in that opening scene. And Jared played Evil!Sam so well. The fact that they brought back his psychic powers, the demon blood, and used it to frighten Sam about what he might become... all of that stuff was golden. Poor Sammy. There's a great moment before they leave for the case when Sam suggests that Dean call on another hunter, and Dean insists that Sam needs to come along. You just know that Sam is scared of hurting Dean, or of being off his A-game and causing problems. The poor darling!

The impala brotherly moment at the end was really powerful, and showcased to me how far these boys have actually come. Dean is open and honest, saying that he wants to help Sam out of his funk, that Sam helped him to believe that what they do still has a purpose, and still does some good. Sam is then honest about his own feelings right back, saying that he can't let the past go, that he still thinks about Jessica, that sometimes it all catches up to him and he feels like he can't breathe. And then, as if wanting to appease Dean and brush past the conversation, he says "maybe I'll feel better in the morning."

The Dean Winchester of earlier seasons would have let it go, stayed in a place of denial, and moved right on. But this Dean Winchester says to his little brother: "And what if you don't?"

Sam doesn't have a good answer for him, but just the fact that Dean asked shows huge character development. As far as the boys are concerned, Chuck is gone. They are free. Now they can work on their emotional well-being. They can decide what the rest of their lives look like. And as a start, Dean wants to help his little brother, and he doesn't want to shy away from the rough parts of that. I am enamored with the character development here.

But let's pivot and talk about that meta goodness. We see that in the years since we last checked in with her, Becky has gone through extensive counseling, and has gotten married and has kids. She is also still an active member of the Supernatural fandom, selling art on Etsy and writing fic. Let us just track the way that this show has talked about its fans over the seasons. In the beginning, Becky was a manic, obsessed, crazy fangirl who literally drugged Sam and forced him to marry her. Over the years, however, they have taken a different tack, treating the fandom with respect, especially in episodes like the 200th. And here, we circle back around. We have an acknowledgment that this show has been on for fifteen years, that some of the teenage girls who fell in love with it when it first started, are now grown adults with careers and families. And that these grown adults might still love the show as much as ever, might spend their time online chatting with other fans, working hard on fanfic, turning their passions into lucrative careers. And this is not mocked or derided in any way. I was gobsmacked by how respectful this interpretation of fandom was, and was so, so pleased to take a look at an old character and show real change and development.

This episode also firmly telegraphs something about the theme of this final season of Supernatural. The year 2019 has been rough for me, in terms of beloved franchises choosing to go the "dark" and "grim" and "realistic" route, what with your Game of Thrones and your Endgame and your killing off of beloved depressed bisexual characters (ahem Magicians ahem). There was a not-so-small part of me that feared that Supernatural was going to go the same direction, ending the story with some dark tragic ending, because it's the cool thing to do or whatever. But after this episode, I'm fairly confident that's not where we're headed. Chuck, our villain, wants to end the story as a tragedy. But Becky, the audience avatar, tells him exactly how much the fans will hate that. And Sam and Dean have always been about free will, in the face of insurmountable odds. So it's looking like the boys are going to earn their happiness this season. And I'm very much all about it.

I feel like there's a lot more I could say about Becky and Chuck, but I'll leave it at that. This episode had a lot of really great stuff going on in it. For once, the C-plot episodes make sense for Sam and Dean, because they truly don't know that the bigger threat is out there. We get the nostalgia factor with returning faces like Becky and Benny. We get meta-commentary on the nature of storytelling and endings. We get Sam having sinister dreams and actually confronting his own depression and trauma. I'm a pretty happy camper!

8.5/10

[thesassiestcolor]

V6 Soundtrack first impressions

Because it is FINALLY out but I am getting ready for work as I listen and write this so ooh boy

Rising - tbch I have a really hard time understanding what Casey’s saying in this lmao I’ll have to wait for the lyrics to come out. But, the bridge and vocals alone are AMAZING and I’m bound to be screaming this one

Lionize - I get that this one will be shunned for being an Adam song but holy shit I love it - the drums and the riff I swear to god raises your testerone lmao. I also LOVE when Jeff only includes certain clips in the actual show and saves the whole sequence for the full song (like in Ignite there were a few added lines) I do wish there were a few more layers of vocals like there was in the trailer just to give the song a little more weight - but again it’s Adam and I think it’s really fitting he’s spouting this hateful message all alone

Indomitable - I’ve been waiting for another Ruby song for FOREVER, but this actually more of a Monty Tribute than anything for Ruby specifically. Which is great! It’s so good though anyway omg, a great showcase of Monty’s work ethic and creative process, and more importantly how everyone is responsible for making everything he made live on and appreciate it - really how everyone who makes anything can last forever and have a huge impact. I wish I saved this one for last because holy shit it’s personal

Miracle - I was SO ready for this one as soon as we heard it in ep 1, im such a sucker for super foreshadow-y songs (because really? “The power to preserve life is powering the light”? Little on the nose lmao) and HOLY SHIT I cannot describe the bridge kfjdhshsha it’s good

Big Metal Shoe - tbh I wasn’t looking forward to this one too much because 1. I never really like the songs that are specific to only one instance and nothing else (not like character development songs or background ones) 2. It seemed like Jeff and Casey shoving every single nursey rhyme element into one song - and yeah it’s both of those things. I will say it’s got a great beat and a great riff though and I’ll jam to it when it comes on

One Thing - now THIS ONE I was excited for, though I’m in no way a huge Neo stan. I love the riff and I LOVE villain songs - straight up “I’m gonna kill you” type songs. This is probably my favorite so far!!! Neo is gonna FUCK RUBY UP and I’m ready for that fight!!! Qrow’s socfucking dead!!!

Forever Fall - it takes me a long time to get into slow songs, just let me say that. I also have a weird thing with lovesongs, especially where this one makes it seem like Pyrrha literally only wanted to be with Jaune, But this one is very bitter sweet and beautifully composed - I didn’t cry or anything, but like Forever from RvB, I know this is gonna be something I listen to late at night and be sad, because it also beautifully highlights that Pyrrha won’t even get the chance to find another goal

Armed and Ready Acoustic - this I did NOT expect to be the acoustic omg. Personally I kind of wanted Bad Luck Charm to be it so we get a super emo piano version with Jeff - and Qrow went through a huge arc this volume too - but this actually really surprised me lmao. I love the country feel (even if it doesn’t completely fit Yang’s canon theme, though I guess Jeff knows about the fndm’s obsession with Cowboy Yang kshshajag)

I don’t even want to say anything about Nevermore because for months people are saying how perfect it is and how amazingly composed it is - and they’re absolutely right

[smol-scully]

dark grace and frankie (aka dead to me) thoughts

which i will tuck behind a read more for anyone who is avoiding spoilers. this sucker’s gonna cover the whole season so settle in. 

SO SO MUCH can be said about this show on the macro and the micro levels.

we’re all head over heels for the “what” of the story-- realistic depictions of grief!!!! female friendships!!! murky morality!! -- and I’ve seen a lot of love in posts for it so i won’t go into that much. (even though, again, the pilot has such a strange and wonderful queer energy / intimacy, one that resurfaces later especially while Judy may be pregnant, and i am torn between loving this as a gorgeous depiction of female friendship and shipping the hell out of these two disasters. but i don’t have the braincells for that right now.) 

but as much as the “what” is so fucking compelling, I’m finding myself especially gobsmacked by the “how” of this story.

the methods of storytelling, the attention to detail has literally left me bowled over. and there are still details I haven’t been able to figure out; be it what they mean as a symbol, or where they land in the grand scheme of the story. but I see them and I know they were meaningful choices, and I can’t help but be in awe.

1- costuming thing: stripes. in every episode, judy wears stripes — horizontal stripes — at some point. more than most people tend to own in their wardrobe. does it mean anything? maybe not. it’s probably just a style move to have her style be distinct from jen’s, a little more vibrant, a little more carefree. but could it be a nod to the old school striped prison jumpsuits? maybe.

2. story telling thing: everyone’s a liar! we haven’t had a single reliable narrator. which is amazing and reflective of life, but so cool to see reflected to the degree of real life in a story. obviously lying is a huge part of the plot, but it feels like the characters lie outside of the major plot driven ones. 

a. Judy. such an obvious character to note as being unreliable but the most brilliant piece of show writing/story telling for me was Judy’s first scene. Jen warns her off of the coffee, and Judy looks at her with her big sad eyes and says “I made it,” and confesses to the joke after Jen squirms for a second. The first thing she ever says is 1- a lie 2- to break the ice with Jen / make her laugh (!!!!!!!!!). it’s the perfect foreshadowing. we’ve been warned!!!!!! 

b. Jen!!!! obvious example is a lie that we’re in on, or at least let in on pretty easily -- jen tells nick, “ted hates running shoes; he always ran in vans.” no way in hell was a guy who ran in 5ks and 10ks for charity running in skate shoes. (and then this lie is revealed quickly thereafter in that episode.) but the next one, really did throw me, because it felt like a lie we weren’t in on. a lie jen told to us, rather than to another character. it’s in the middle of a TON of shit hitting the fan, but the gun????? charlie wants it, but “oh it’s in your dad’s safe, but I don’t even know the combination.” and maybe it’s because the [chekov’s] revolver doesn’t come around until a couple episodes later, but Judy tells her the truth and she immediately goes for that safe, and starts keeping that gun on her. I knew the gun would come back up, but the knowledge that she was going to be choosing for it to reappear really threw me. Jen’s our main character, and the majority of the plot centers around her being lied to -- but here we get the knowledge that she’s keeping things from us as well. wow. just so impactful. we cannot trust a single bitch. (and i love it) 

c. oh holy shit back to judy -- the follow up that the flashback to her in the hospital was actually her in the hospital after the miscarriage was BRILLIANT on so many levels. especially as a way to make our relationship with her more complex. first of all i got so incredibly sympathetic. FIVE miscarriages? how utterly overwhelming. secondly, it develops judy’s character in two amazing ways. one that acts as foreshadowing, and one that’s just heartbreaking-- 1- she is so bad at being bad, and this sucker (that she killed ted) is gonna bust wide open. why? she sought jen out at this grief group, and faked that her fiance was dead, when she could have instead used the grief over her VERY REAL miscarriages. she added another layer of lying and deceit and jeopardized the whole ordeal early. but if I had to guess, and here comes the  heartbreaking part-- 2- she’s put herself down and been put down so much throughout her relationship with steve and probably because of the accident as well, that she literally just didn’t consider her miscarriages as a valid and real loss to grieve about. 

3. LOVE abe piecing together that Judy did it, AND that he forgave her for it. it was so fucking compelling to see that sweet, kind old man decide that he didn’t care that judy committed manslaughter. such a strange morally gray thing that i wasn’t expecting to see. 

4. the dialogue!!!!!!!!! i fucking LOVE the dialogue in this show. it does such a great job of bringing us above the tempestuous waves of the drama -- and trauma -- buoying us for some laughs amidst the chaos. I also specifically love how natural it feels -- every funny line isn’t necessarily a perfectly articulated joke (the way that many multicam sitcoms get) but rather something you’re laughing at because you could have said it. charlie: bet you didn’t know you let a stalker come and live with us. jen: well, actually i did, so ... (charlie leaves) fuck!!!!! // like what a funny moment that also feels like how i’d react to the fucking chaos. we’re literally just scrambling to fucking hold it together. also i love the amount of profanity, it feels true to the degree of absolute calamity. there’s more to be said about why the dialogue feels so real and good but i just can’t put my finger on it in this moment. 

5. the music!!!! i love the opening credits, there’s some beautiful symbolism behind the letters being the only ‘see through’ part, about how we’re only viewing part of the story / everything is obscured currently. but i also love the balance of music in the show. the [creepy music](?) i think as netflix close captioned it, which is usually behind the credits, contrasted with the peggy lee tunes of the 40′s and 50′s, and then some girl rock at various points too... it’s such a strong factor in how the ambience of the show pivots and changes so thoroughly. at some points we’re just straight up watching grace and frankie (just gals bein pals), sometimes we’re watching bad moms (we smash a cake! we smash a car!!!!!), and sometimes we’re watching big little lies or gone girl (flash backs! dramatic tension!) it’s actually kind of disorienting and surreal but i’ve absolutely loved every minute of it. it felt like three movies wrapped into one. I think i dissociated a little. I literally cannot wait for season 2. 

6. okay fine on the topic of jen/judy i literally cannot believe how softly and tenderly they looked at each other on the bed in the studio when they were waiting for the pregnancy test results, and the forehead touch, and the “we’ll be a three child mothering team” i am *clenches fist* so full of emotion 

[apolloappreciationblog]

What do you love about Trials of Apollo and why? How'd you get into the series? What do you hope/think will happen in books 4 and 5?

Thanks so much for asking! This got really long so I’m putting it below. I guess it’s also sort of like an about me also in regards to the fandom, for anyone who wants to talk Trials (please do, I’m obsessed)

How did I get into Trials?

I read PJO a long time ago back when it was new, fresh, and super popular, and instantly fell in love with the series (like everyone else) but fell off the boat a bit after the first Heroes book came out (I guess, also like everyone else). It’s not that I didn’t like it, I was busy at the time, and since The Lost Hero had just come out, I lost track of waiting for the next books to come out and somehow just forgot about them as a whole (No I still haven’t read them all (oops). Yes, I’ve been stuck on the “It’s Percy! Oh my gods he has amnesia!” cliffhanger for years now).

It’s been a long time since then, and I thought I’d pretty much made peace with the series. But for some reason I was smacked over the head with nostalgia after someone I know mentioned how fun it would be to play a powered by the apocalypse game in a PJO setting (I’m a pretty huge tabletop rpg nerd). Naturally that thought sent me down a rabbit hole and I decided I was going to literally build a big homebrew system for PJO (which I still am, currently), despite the fact that I hadn’t engaged with the series in years. My memory was far from perfect, and I ended up doing a ton of research-sifting through wikis and even rereading some parts of the books-and while I looked around I noticed there was a new series being written. I read the synopsis and instantly fell in love. I’m a huge fan of the tropes present in trials, and the more I thought about what ridiculous shenanigans were possible from the idea, the more I absolutely could not resist reading them. I came to be entertained and stayed for the heart wrenching character development, but I’m sure we’re all the same.

Which brings me to your first question! What do I love about Trials?

First and foremost I am a real sucker for the whole general concept. Like, taking one of the gods and making them a pathetic mortal teenager?? Making it PJO’s Apollo of all gods??? I don’t think I would have ever said I needed that absolutely horrific and yet genius concept, but here we are. I was also under the impression this was a freakishly fun spinoff series (RIP me), and I mean, it kind of was, for like…half of book one.

And then, oh gods, I realized Rick had made this self important asshole likeable. In fact, even more than that, he had made him a sympathetic and compelling asshole. Where it was completely fine and fun to relish in Apollo’s hilarious punishment in book one, suddenly it wasn’t funny anymore (ok maybe just a little)-it was heartbreaking (Rick you monster, stop making him wet his pants!). But hey, that’s good writing for you.

So basically I really love the concept and, well, I just really love Apollo. The books are executed so good you don’t even realize you are completely rooting for the kid you were laughing at two books ago (because, like YIKES man, that ego!), and gladly die for him (No? Just me?) and the character development is such a subtle and delicate change, but it’s noticeable, really effective, and extremely compelling (and heartbreaking, mostly, in a good way). The comedy is on point (Sometimes it’s hard to tell if Apollo’s taste in pop culture is just bad and cringey or if it’s Rick. The truth is that it’s both and thanks, I hate it) and all of the characters, both new and old, are nostalgic and fun, and there are real reasons you can understand for every action they take and thing they say. The plot doesn’t let you down with twists and turns, but also easy to grasp and follow, and keeps you turning the page even if it’s 3am and you have class at 8. I found that TOA’s books seemed to be more focused, every encounter, no matter how seemingly random, pushes the protagonists in a way that progresses something meaningful, whether it’s the plot or their own development. It’s also really nice to see Rick return to his first person roots, especially when he does it so damn well.

It’s a fresh take on a series I grew up with and it’s just as enchanting now as it was when I was a kid. I do have some gripes with a few things in the series (Listen, I didn’t even read HoO but I loved Jason) but overall it does what it’s set out to do really well, and Rick sure knows what he’s doing (for better or worse).

What are my hopes or predictions for the rest of the series?

Oh boy. Honestly, the overall plot of Trials being “Will Apollo be restored to godhood or not?” is probably the worst plot for my heart, since I don’t even know, ever? We all know it’s going to be a yes, but at the same time…

I didn’t read HoO, though I know the general plot of it, so I can’t really do any elaborate theorycrafting in regards to Camp Jupiter or the roman demigods, but here are my thoughts on the big plot themes:

Promises Kept: Rick’s made it really clear that Apollo didn’t give a flying hoot about promises or oaths before Trials, but it’s quickly evolved into one of the biggest themes in the books. Apollo will keep his promises, maybe even regardless of the cost, and I think we’ll really see that shift in the next two books given the ending lines of book 3. This sort of also bleeds into Apollo considering the weight of life and his own heart, and the whole idea of him trying to change to make amends for his past behavior. I think by the end of this, we really might just have #1 Dad (and God) Apollo (I’m very hopeful).

Choice of Mortality: Heavily foreshadowed in book 2 (looking at you, cal), there’s going to be some crazy stuff in the coming books regarding this. We got a small glimpse of it near the end of book 3 when Apollo was questioning that, if given the option, would he go back to Olympus and abandon his friends in that moment? With circumstances debating, it’s really the heart of the plot and the series and I think we’ll see him questioning Olympus in general. The similarities between Zeus and Nero, and in turn, Apollo and Meg, are made incredibly clear in the series. Apollo would never let Meg return to Nero-it’s his goal to help her to free her from his influence and guide her through her trauma-and yet Apollo is in the same exact situation, the stakes are just, arguably, a lot less black and white. Meg will most definitely not return to Nero and overcome his manipulation, and in turn, I think it will inspire Apollo-making the choice harder than it already is.

There’s no doubt Apollo will ultimately return to Olympus, but that doesn’t made the ride any easier. While there’s no hope of Meg coming to terms with Nero (And I’m not saying there should be (please kill Nero)), Zeus is a problem that isn’t going to go away, and I hope that at the very least, Apollo can overcome his abusive relationship with his own father at the end, and maybe even revolutionize Olympus. It would make a great resolution to the series, and I think that’s what it’s pushing for and heading towards, the complete opposite of what the gods are doing now, and Apollo may just be the one to start it.

Misc predictions and wants:

>Meg and Apollo will HUG (godsdammit, even if I have to force them myself!) And for the love of the gods, can we please get a clear cut reference to their relationship regarding the SUN and PLANTS. LISTEN MAN,

>Someone else is going to die. If they don’t, they will come extremely close, and be saved by Apollo (solidifying his character development regarding the effects of his actions on others) in some intense true self sacrificial way that can’t be debated (i.e., Apollo’s excuses for being able to stabbing himself in the chest). And…the Styx is hungry.

>I have no idea what Annabeth’s up to in MC, but I’m hoping that she will make an appearance (and hopefully along with percy?). I’d also guess that camp jupiter and half-blood will come together again, but that’s just purely hoping (Don’t look at me like that, I have no idea what funk was in HoO).

>REUNION WITH ARTEMIS. PLEASE. FOR THE LOVE OF THE GODS.

>I really want more camp half blood life. I really, really, really do. We’re sure as hell not going to get it. But oh, what I wouldn’t do for Apollo’s extended stay at camp, or even just, camp in general for anyone. Please!

>Everyone is going to hate the shit out of Apollo for Jason’s death (arguably, they should be upset at Rick and not my stupid, stupid son…) and oh boy is he going to have a fun time with that. I initially thought that Apollo didn’t react nearly as strong to Jason’s death as he should have (was it just me or did he mourned Crest harder than Jason?? You could argue unreliable narrator, but come on), but oh boy, I think it may be because the worst is yet to come regarding that.

>Probably some shitty forced romance for Apollo. I do not want this. I really do not want this (does ANYONE want this???). But the arguments predicting this are pretty darn hard to refute, sadly. One can only pray.

At the end of the series I really want Apollo to be like “Fuck you guys, I’m the god of demigods now. Fuck you. Especially you Zeus. I’m protecting everyone in this bitch. You can’t stop me.” and proceed to aggressively aid demigods everywhere wearing the camp half-blood shirt. Also if he moved in to camp, I sure as hell would not complain. I also wouldn’t complain if he gave driving lessons to his kids in the sun chariot. Or if he made amends with everyone he’s ever hurt. Or if he kept aspects of Lester’s appearance (like those love handles) because hey, he doesn’t have to be insecure anymore and you know what, it’s cute dammit, abs are so out. Or…well, you get the idea I’m gonna stop myself there.

That was long (LIKE, FOUR FREAKING PAGES LONG) but I hope I answered your questions!

[twdmusicboxmystery]

9x12: Guardians - Details

Okay, let's get down to details. This is gonna be long, so settle in.

***As always, spoilers abound for 9x12 in this post. Don’t read until you’ve watched! You’ve been warned!***

Michonne/Negan/Alexandria:

I thought it was interesting that Father Gabriel, the Sirius character because of his eye, is the one pushing for the relay. I mentioned this at the beginning of the arc when he and Rosita were putting the relay together, but here we heard more talk about finding new people and how they shouldn't cut themselves off from the world. Again, it wouldn't say that if it weren't a foreshadow of them finding new people on the outside.

A big thing that was brought across to me in this episode is that Michonne is acting a lot like Rick used to. Not in a good way. She's being too protective and close minded and not willing to help other people. We saw Rick acting like that a lot in the past, and it was usually Michonne and Carl who convinced him that wasn't the right way to be. Now Michonne is being that way.

Siddique says, "Carol wouldn't ask for help a second time if it wasn't serious." Not only is that a serious/Sirius reference, but even the "the second time" bit plays into it. Sirius always returns for a second time, right? And it occurs to me that this is probably more about Carol than Michonne, but I think something about the fair will lead to Carol losing Ezekiel in the whole death fake out thing I talked about before. And hopefully that will lead to Beth as well. ;D

Something I think it's important to point out: A lot of people are really frustrated with Michonne and her attitude right now, but I thought it was important that she said she was willing to let the Kingdomers come live at Alexandria if they needed to. She said she’d open the doors to them, the same as they did to their friends at the Sanctuary. So, her only real hang-up is making the journey on the roads. She says the roads are broken and full of walkers. Honestly, I do understand her point of view. It’s still flawed of course. The communities really ought to be working together to clear those roads and make safe trade routes. But I don't think Michonne’s  point of view is quite as closed-minded as many in the fandom are making it out to be.

Later on, Michonne talks to Negan. He wants to help her with her leadership. We had callbacks to the "merciful Rick Grimes," which to me just points toward Carl's vision of the future. The last episode of S8 was called Mercy, after all.

I thought it was interesting that the Negan was referred to as a dog several times. He referred to himself that way and Michonne did as well. I'm not really sure what to make of this. I mean, obviously it's another Sirius reference, but I don't think Negan is going to leave and come back. I could be wrong about that, but I've never felt like that's where they're going with his arc.

Remember that a few weeks ago, smack in the middle of some heavy Still parallels, we saw dogs around him. So this could simply be yet another way of entangling him with Beth’s arc. Dogs = Sirius = Beth, and we’re seeing them around Negan because he’ll be involved in her return somehow.

Michonne realizes Judith is listening and confronts her about it later on. Judith once again gets in a decent verbal sucker punch by saying, "He listens to me. Not everyone does." Guilt trip much?

And then, again, we see how much Michonne has become like negative Rick. She says people don't really change, and then Judith says, "You did."

Talking about change can be a callback to Still and Beth talking about how she wishes she could just change. But in truth, this is been a show-wide theme for a while now. Back at the prison, Rick gave the speech about how he knew, “We can all change.” But then everything went wrong, Herschel died, and Rick didn't believe that for really long time. Michonne and Carl were the ones who always tried to get him to be more positive and have more faith.

Now, Michonne has sort of taken on Rick's pessimistic role, and Judith has taken on Carl's role of trying to convert her back to believing in people and having faith in the future. Kind of an interesting turning of the tables.

Later Michonne tells Aaron she won’t veto the Council’s vote. At this part, Aaron says, "I hope we don't regret this." Michonnee answers, "yeah. Me too." That’s a callback to S5 when TF first came to Alexandria. Michonne talked to Rick about how she thought they'd found a good place and Rick said, "I hope you're right about this." Michonne answered, "yeah. Me too."

We see the Alexandrians loading up wagons with things they are presumably taking to the fair. We saw lots of familiar symbols here, including pigs. Remember Beth and Daryl talked about pigs feet Alone. I don't know if I've actually posted about this, but @frangipanilove has an entire theory about how the pigs feet are actually part of the Sirius/Dog Star theme. That’s why I always point them out.

Rosita/FG/Siddiq/Eugene:

in this episode, Father Gabriel already knows about the baby. As I told my group Sunday night, I'm impressed with Rosita. To be honest, she's never been my favorite character. I certainly don't hate her or anything, but she's never struck me as the most emotionally mature person on the show. But I have to say, the way she's handling this whole baby quadrangle situation is very mature and I'm very impressed with her growth.

And I think that growth is legit because there was a part where she said to FG, “Me and Siddiq will figure out our shit…” That’s a direct callback to when Denise yelled at Rosita and Daryl about just before her death about figuring out their shit. So I think this is evidence that Rosita has grown a lot since then.

We had that funny scene where Eugene "helps" FG. This was obviously meant to be humorous with all of Eugene's technical charts and such, but we did see some interesting thematic things here as well. Eugene brought across the theme that all we have is time and love and the whole point of life is trying to bring about happiness. I thought it was interesting, given how often we lose characters in the show. We need to love people in the time that we have, because tomorrow is not promised. Eugene was very sweet in this episode.

In this scene, we also saw a callback to Grady in the form of some scissors. 

He also said the line about how "even with bad peepers you saw things I didn’t.” Because he's lost an eye, just like the dog in Alone, FG is the physical embodiment of the Sirius character. So referencing bad peepers (eyes) is kind of a blindness reference, but he also means seeing things with your heart, or in other ways than with your eyes. I'm not sure how or if that will pertain to Beth at all, but I thought it was an interesting theme.

This is kind of off-topic topic, but I also want to say how impressed I am with the way the show is handling this love quadrangle. I’ve wished before that they would do more jealousy story lines. Nothing huge that would be conflicts between main characters. Not even anything like the Rick/Shane/Lori situation. I just think it would be fun if every once in a while, some random new character came into Alexandria and thought Michonne was hot or something. Not that she would return it at all, but would be nice to see Rick punch someone in the face for that reason. I think most of us have had head canons about things like that with Beth and Daryl. And I've always thought the reason they didn't do this on the show is because that can very easily degrade into daytime soap opera level drama. TWD just isn’t that kind of show. It's about survival and much deeper and more transcendent themes than that.

Here, they’re doing not even just a triangle, but a quadrangle. But the way they’re handling it is really great. It doesn't feel way campy or like high school drama. I’m actually really enjoying this story line.

At the end, Rosita, Father Gabriel, and Siddique, all seem to be ready to sit down and figure out what they're going to do moving forward. Eugene watches with a smile. Poor Eugene. He needs a nice girl.

Daryl and Connie:

Okay, let's first appreciate the fact that the time for the romance to happen between the two of them has mostly passed. Yeah, they could end up alone in the woods at some point in the future. Maybe they will. They really weren’t together very long, though, and now Henry and Lydia are with them, which means they're no longer alone and the opportunity for the two of them to bond has largely passed. Did you see all that romance blooming in the woods? 

I mean, even I thought we would see more parallels to Beth between the two of them. We may see more next episode, but if we do, it won't be with the two of them being alone together.

When I saw this scene with them tracking in the woods, the first thing I thought of was Inmates. Part of it was just that visually it looked like Inmates, but Bethyl was tracking people from the prison in Inmates, and here, Daryl and Connie are tracking the Whisperers.

We have a shot of Connie looking in the dirt. 

She sees footprints, and again, that's like Inmates. I was also vaguely reminded of the dry riverbed in Them. I don't know but if that's what they were going for, especially because we don't see any Xs or dead frogs right here but it reminded me of the way they showed Sasha looking at the dry riverbed.

I couldn't help but be struck by how quickly Daryl can bond with someone. It doesn't happen very often because it's hard for him, but when it does happen, it happens quickly. So, here’s an exhaustive guide on how to bond with Daryl:

1)    Establish personal communication. Connie signaled that he needed to look at her when he talked so she could read his lips. That alone for Daryl establishes her weakness, how she overcomes it, and how he can help her overcome it. Instant bond.

2)    Showcase your walker-killing awesomeness. Connie uses her sling. Daryl was impressed. Instant bond.

3)    Yeah, that's it. Daryl now think cares what you think. You could tell he was a little embarrassed about the arrow breaking by the way he looked up self-consciously. He obviously cares what Connie thinks.

Honestly, I thought this was adorable. Connie laughed and it felt very much like when Denise offered him the oat cake and kind of laughed about his surliness. This feels very brotherly/sisterly to me. I really like the Connie/Daryl duo. But it's obviously platonic.

I originally thought that the arrow breaking was a callback to Still. Remember Daryl shot at a squirrel, but he missed and the arrow broke. I suppose we could still see it as that, but we also know that it wasn't intentional. Norman posted on his IG that the arrow breaking was actually a mess up, but he and Connie stayed in character and Angela thought it was cute so they kept it in. I’d like to think it’s the parallel they didn’t mean to include. Maybe Angela realized how well it worked as a Still callback and left it in.

Even without the arrow breaking, I still see something important here. It occurred to me that the arrow hit the walker in the head, and the dog retrieved it. So, even if the scene played out the way they meant to, we still have Dog (Sirius reference) retrieving an arrow from a head wound.

I also noticed the walker Daryl shot was missing an arm. I thought that was important, especially given the stuff we’ve seen with Daryl's arm. The S7, he wore the coat that had only one sleeve made out of flannel, which drew attention to his arm. Similarly, this season, the sleeve of that same arm is shorter than the other sleeve, again drawing attention to it. When I saw the armless walker, I thought, okay, the walker represents Daryl.

And THAT’S when it hit me that the two walkers that came toward Connie and Daryl were a male walker and female walker. Guys, this was an instance of the Bethyl side-by-side walker theme. Now, we didn't see an actual shot of the two walkers laying side-by-side after they got killed. It was subtler than that. But we had a male and female walker that were killed and would've been lying side-by-side on the ground.

I'm not sure exactly what this points to. Sure, it could foreshadow Connie's death, but even if she dies, I don't think that was the point of this. This has always been a Beth thing, and she hasn't been present most of the times they've used the symbol. It's just obvious from Inmates (so yet another Inmates reference here) and Always Accountable that it pertains to her. So, this could be a foreshadow of Beth showing up, but it could also be as simple as a way to show us that Connie and Daryl are being paralleled with Beth and Daryl here. Still, I was happy to see another instance of this theme.

And I can’t help but be reminded of an instance we saw of this in 5b. We saw the side by side theme with Ws in the walkers’ heads, just before the wolves showed up. So I feel like this is also a way to show similarities between the Wolves and the Whisperers.

One thing I alluded to in my First Thoughts post was actually pointed out by @thegloriouscollectorlady. While we can see a parallel to Beth and Daryl in this Connie and Daryl situation, we could equally see a parallel to Daryl and Carol in S5 going to look for Beth. When that episode aired, a certain ship insisted that Caryl would happen and this was when they were going to hook up. Nothing of the sort happened. Now we have everyone talking about Daryl and Connie. I don’t think that will happen either.

So, it occurred to me that they had kind of a funny incident with the dog, which reminded me of Daryl and Carol looking at picture and Daryl suggesting it looked like a dog had sat in paint and wiped his ass all over the canvas. I think that dog reference in Consumed was a foreshadow of the fact Beth is about to disappear. So, what does this dog reference foreshadow? I don't know, but I don't think either Connie or Daryl is going to disappear. It could be an Ezekiel thing again, or it could be a Beth thing. Just no way to know. But I will say that, as we have heavy Beth parallels here, and no Carol or Ezekiel anywhere around this, I kind think it’s more likely to be a Beth callback.

Last thing is that Connie already knows how to track. We saw a lot of tracking going on in this episode. It struck me that unlike Beth, Daryl doesn't really have to teach Connie anything. So again, maybe more like Carol in that way. Connie knows how to survive. She's figured out her slingshot and she really doesn't need any lessons from Daryl in tracking or killing walkers. 

So it occurred to me that maybe, just maybe, this is a foreshadow of what Beth and Daryl’s relationship will be like when Beth returns. At that point, she’ll already know how to track, she’ll already know how to survive, and Daryl will be impressed with her. Just a thought.

Alpha/Henry/Lydia/Whisperers:

Let’s get to the heavy stuff. We learned a lot about Alpha, both by her actions and by her dialogue. We talked in my group about how we were mildly offended on Daryl's behalf that Alpha suggested he might have done something sexual to Lydia. I suppose it's a normal enough question for a parent to ask, given that Lydia was in the clutches of someone she didn't know for time. But we already know Alpha isn't terribly parental to Lydia to begin with.

I think this really shows Alpha’s mindset. She wanted specifically to know why Daryl was willing to fight to keep Lydia and then suggested that he had touched her. So, that association tells us she thinks the only reason someone would be willing to fight to keep Lydia is if there was a sexual element involved. She can’t imagine someone would want to keep a teenager safe out of basic goodness and decency.

She asked if there were any signs of trade, and Lydia said no. So she didn't tell her mom about the Kingdom or the other places that Henry mentioned.

I paid close attention to all of Alpha’s dialogue and something else struck me. Lydia asked, "Is that the only reason you came to get me? For information?" Alpha replies, "What a stupid question."

It reminded me of when Beth used the word stupid. She said of her own past optimism, "that's how incredibly stupid I am." Daryl assured her that she wasn't stupid. She was just normal and that's the way things were supposed to be. Maybe I'm reaching, but it just goes to show the difference between Alpha and Daryl. Alpha goes out of her way to make Lydia feel stupid rather than loved, where Daryl went out of his way to comfort Beth and let her know she was not stupid.

The yoyo. This was one of my favorite things in this episode. Why? Because it’s a significant symbol, but we haven't seen it very much. The less we see a symbol, the more significant it is when we do see it. The only other place I remember seeing the symbol was in 5x05 when Tara found the yoyo hidden in the backpack by the side of the river. It was when Glenn and Rosita were trying to filter water for everyone when the fire trucks broke down. You know, kinda on the way to Grady?

Here, we had almost the exact same scenario. Lydia randomly found a yoyo (hidden being a theme about Beth’s arc), and the Whisperers had stopped by the side of a river. This is a direct call back to 5x05. A yoyo, by definition, goes down and then comes back up, so I do think it's a resurrection symbol. All I could ever conclude about that yo-yo was that it foreshadowed Beth’s coming “death.” The yoyo suggested she would pop back up again somewhere.

Guys, we really haven't seen a yo-yo on the show that I'm aware of since then. So yeah, obviously I can talk about Beth symbolism all day and we've seen plenty of symbols throughout the seasons (6-8) that I've said pointed to her return, and we still haven’t seen her. But we literally haven't seen symbol since right before Coda. That makes me more hopeful than ever. They wouldn’t show it here for no reason. And just like in S5, the yoyo had absolutely no bearing on the plot. It's not like Lydia used it to get away or something. It was just random and has to be symbolic of something just around the corner.

I think it might also be important that it's blue. The yo-yo Tara found was yellow. That signified Beth apparent death, but her escape (think yellow polo shirt). The blue signifies something else. I'm not sure what, but @wdway also noticed a lot of characters in this episode wore dark blue. We batted ideas around about what the blue stands for, and haven’t really come to any concrete conclusions, but it's an interesting pattern to note.

*After double checking this I have to correct myself. Sorta. Michonne did find a yoyo in the van in 9x06. It was in the box with the little sheriff and some other things. She also grabbed some toilet paper right there. I don’t think that counts as it’s own instance, per se, because I think that, being the first episode of the new arc without Rick, it foreshadowed this yoyo with Lydia. But that just means something about this yoyo was important enough to foreshadow at the beginning of the arc. And given what else was in that box Michonne found, I think it’s safe to say this is associated with the emergence of the New Sheriff. Just saying. ;D*

Henry is captured by the whispers and it's obvious that Alpha knows Lydia is lying.

Let's talk about the Apple/Snow White reference. I sort of felt the same way about this as I did about the yo-yo. Obviously, we’ve seen plenty of apple references since Coda, so it's not the apple itself that makes me suspicious. It's the way they used it. Having Aaron talk about applesauce or Maggie eat apple pie are just very vague references to the apple theme. But those things in and of themselves don't illustrate the Snow White theme. So, what did? Beth's arm falling in the hallway of Grady, which is exactly what we see after Snow White ate the poisoned apple.

In this episode, Alpha gave Lydia an apple. The way she offered it to, looking as though trying to entice her to eat it, was pretty much a parody of the wicked queen/witch in Snow White trying to get her to eat the apple. Even the way Alpha watches Lydia take a bite...I had to laugh because it was so obviously an evil queen reference. Like they were trying to emulate the cartoon.

So again, I know this isn’t the only apple reference by far, but it’s the first direct Snow White reference I’ve noticed since Coda. I think we can draw a straight line between Beth's arm falling and this reference.

Lots of interesting symbols in the walker camp. I won't go into many of them because you already know what they mean. We saw a dead goat, which could be an extension of the ram symbol in 5B. Also a dead deer. Like with the Kingdom last episode, it's unclear hat this deer is tied to, but it's there. We also saw pigs on spits. It's also worth noting that they were drying skins. The question was posed in my group, how can they wear these skins without getting sick, given that they're coming off decomposing corpses? But they obviously use tannery to make them leathery and wearable for the long term.

When I watched Beta skin the walker (seriously disgusting) it occurred to me that this walker was female (pretty natural as he was looking for a new skin for Lydia), but also that it was tied to a tree. 

And that made me realize that Henry was also tied to a tree.

I think we can “tie” (see what I did there? ;D) this to the walker Aaron and Daryl found in 5x15. Why is that important? It's not just the Beth reference. It's that they gave us a foreshadow with that walker in 5x15 with the WOLVES and now here, with the Whisperers, the foreshadow might be fulfilled.

I've also talked briefly about how we see parallels between the Wolves and the Whispers. We’ve considered that maybe they’re part of the same group, or maybe they are the same group. But it's also possible we’re being too literal. The parallels might be only in the symbolism. Perhaps the wolves simply foreshadowed the Whisperers. Again, if that's the case, we had the wolves tying people to trees, including a blonde that looked like Beth. We haven't seen that exact thing with the Whisperers, but we've seen that they tie people to trees and they do it to walkers in order to take their faces. It feels like a direct fulfillment of that girl walker on the tree in 5x15 is coming.

We had the part where a male and female Whisperer challenge Alpha and she kills them. Yeah, AMC is obviously not skimping on gore this season.

We learn a lot about Alpha from this encounter. How ruthless she is, how gleefully she kills her own people, and a big part of why no one challenges her. It's not just her, but Beta they'll have to deal with. It’s happened before, as evidenced by her later telling Beta that it’s been years since anyone challenged her. Obviously, she killed them and remained the leader.

Here’s the thing: It occurred to me there must be a very specific reason they showed us this challenge to Alpha’s authority. They never did this, specifically, with Negan. We saw people disobey his rules and be punished for it, but we never actually saw anyone try to usurp his place as leader.

There must be a reason they're showing us this with Alpha. I think a lot of it is to establish her ruthlessness and the way she rules for people, but one line in particular jumped out at me. When the guy challenged her, she laughed at him and said, "and you think you are the one to replace me? To become the new Alpha?" The new alpha. That feels very significant to me. As though it's a thing and at some point, someone might become the new alpha. I’ll return to that in a minute.

On the subject of her brutality, I didn't catch the first time that the cord she used to decapitate a woman is actually worn around her wrist as a bracelet. So Alpha actually carries around a decapitation wire as though it's a piece of jewelry. Doesn’t she just seem sweet?

She gives the woman's head to the boyfriend and makes him hold it. Yeah, you really don't get any more sadistic than that. Just before stabbing him, she says something really interesting. She says, "Crying is weak."

We could relate that back to Beth, who also thought crying was weak. One of her signature lines was, "I don't cry anymore, Daryl." I always felt like she learned through the course of her arc that crying was not actually weak. That was a flawed way of thinking.

Now we have Alpha saying the same thing and killing people when they cry. I think this is more than just a parallel or anti-parallel. I think it’s a direct foreshadow of something.

Let’s skip ahead to when Alpha tells Beta the story about Lydia almost suffocating when she was three years old. First of all, it's obvious Alpha was a psycho even before the turn. She says she actually stood there and watched her daughter turn blue from not being able to breathe. Seriously? Yeah, awesome parenting skills. Afterward, she hit Lydia hard so she’d remember not to accidentally die again.

Something struck me as Alpha and Beta stood there talking. Here comes the super crazy theory.

It occurred to me that Alpha and Beta, especially with Alpha’s blonde walker skin, almost seem like a super-brutal version of Beth and Daryl. I suppose it's the way Beta is her right-hand guy and protects her. We’ve said before that if Beth were leading as the new sheriff, Daryl would be right there by her side. He’d kind of be her enforcer and other half. That’s a lot how Alpha and Beta's relationship is too, except obviously they’re way eviller and more sadistic than Beth and Daryl would be. And that's what sort of clinched some other thoughts I'd been having about this.

1. Beta has been set up as a Daryl foil. I called him a foil instead of anti-parallel because I’m making just a little bit of a differentiation here. Dwight was set up as a Daryl anti-parallel, but I feel like that situation was little bit different than Beta. Although Dwight was an obvious anti-parallel—he actually wore Daryl's clothes and drove Daryl's bike—but by the end of that arc, Dwight was pretty much a good guy. I don't think that will ever be the case with Beta. I don't see him and Alpha becoming part of TF in the way Dwight and Negan seem to be.

No, the last time I remember seeing something like this was in S4. I talked about it HERE in detail, but I felt like one of the Gov’s men, Mitch, had been sent to set up as an foil to Daryl. 

With the Gov being pitted against Rick, as his opposite, Mitch became Daryl's. He was the right-hand man, a super-tough survivor, and he didn't have sleeves. Hehe. So, while Rick and the Gov tussled at the prison, Daryl and Mitch came face-to-face, and Daryl killed Mitch.

I think something very similar is happening here. Beta and Daryl are being set up as foils. So, it's fitting that they’ll tussle in the next episode. And I feel like, when Beta dies, even if it's many seasons from now, it will probably be Daryl that kills him.

2. By extension, if Beta = Daryl, then Alpha must = Beth. And here's where things get complicated. I've already said that Alpha was a lot like Dawn, especially during the prisoner exchange. Then she says the thing about the “new Alpha.” As soon as I visualized that phrase in my head, I knew Beth has to be the New Alpha. It couldn't be anyone else. First of all, we had that cryptic line from Gorman at Grady about someday someone else being in charge who isn’t Dawn. We’ve always seen that as a foreshadow of Beth’s future leadership. Now Alpha is talking about a “new Alpha.”

The reason I'm saying it's complicated is because we also have the Carol aspect. I’ll talk about this in more detail later this week. It's one of those theories I wanted to get to last week and didn't. We have a very strong Carol/Beth entanglement thing going on here.

It's hard to say exactly what it means or how it will play out, but all three elements are present. Now, I do very strongly believe that were going to have a Carol/Alpha showdown. It will have everything to do with Henry and Lydia, and the differences in how they treat their children. I think that's going to be an awesome smack down and I’m excited for it. But I also don't really see Carol becoming the “new Alpha,” whatever that means. She barely wants to be queen and lead by Ezekiel’s side. She certainly wouldn't be volunteering to be a leader anywhere else.

And there's the Alpha/Beta dynamic, who I believe are foils to Beth and Daryl, so again it just makes sense that it would be Beth who’s the new alpha.

So, think about everything else I said. Alpha said crying is weak. Beth said crying was weak. The difference is that when Daryl cried, Beth hugged him, and when this guy cried over his dead girlfriend, Alpha stabbed him. Similarly, Beth said she was stupid, and Daryl assured her she wasn't. In this case, Alpha actually called Lydia stupid and was very derogatory to her about it. Are we seeing the anti-parallels?

We had Beta saying that if Lydia felt something for Henry or Hilltop, they needed to know about it. They’re obviously against genuine emotion is because they see it as a weakness. Conversely, Beth tried to draw the emotion out of Daryl and yelling at him for pretending he didn't feel anything.

We can see further parallels in how they dispose of their dead. The most obvious difference between the Whisperers and TF is that TF always bury their dead and treat them with a great deal of reverence and respect. On the other hand, the Whisperers feed their dead to the walkers. They have no respect for those they've lost, and no emotion for the people that cared about.

We can also relate this to Beth. In Alone, we learned had great reverence for the dead and was a big proponent of funerals. Alpha, on the other hand, doesn't bother to bury anybody. She merely casts the dead away and lets them be walker chow.

One more super obvious evidence that Alpha/Beta = Beth/Daryl? Check this out. My group noticed this from trailer even before the episode aired. 

Beta is wearing black and white ties, just like the ones we saw on Daryl in 5B.

Can I just say, I'm loving the Beta/Daryl match up. My man Norman and my man Ryan. Just totally loving it.

Let's talk briefly about Henry and Lydia. It took me a minute to figure out what Lydia's necklace was. It's the coin she found in the drunk shack. It has an H on it for Hilltop. 

She's obviously hanging on to that in a way that shows she's romantic or nostalgic about it. Henry smiles and obviously sees this is a good thing. Remember that finding that coin was a lot like Beth finding the spoon in S5, so the fact that Lydia is hanging onto it feels like a Beth parallel.

I also can't help but wonder if when we see Beth, we’ll see that she kept the spoon. I think we can also parallel it to Beth's heart necklace, which she wore the entire time she was with Daryl. It disappeared when she went to Grady and we never found out what happened to it.

Alpha tells Lydia to kill Henry and she obviously doesn't want to. She’s saved by the bell when walkers show up, keeping her from having to go through with it.

Alpha said to Lydia, "You weren't gone long. Maybe long enough." I think it was the “gone” that grabbed my attention. Beth is “just gone.” And it becomes an anti-parallel because Lydia wasn't gone long, but Beth has been.

I also liked that Lydia kind of stood up to her mother here. It wasn’t a massive stand or anything, but she said of her father, "Yeah, I know what happened to him, mother." 

So maybe we could see that as a parallel to Beth finally standing up to Dawn after realizing what was really going on.

Beth: “You let this happen, you’re letting it happen.”

Connie and Daryl showed up to get them, wearing walker masks. 

 Then Henry refused to leave without Lydia saying, "I'm not leaving you. I won't."

Obviously a direct parallel to Beth saying the same thing to Daryl.

It’s actually another anti-parallel (action-wise anyway) because Beth said she wouldn't leave Daryl and then they separated. Obviously that was a mistake. Here, Henry said that and, at least so far, he and Lydia haven’t separated. We’ll have to wait and see if they do in coming episodes.

One last word about theme. We saw a lot of people trying to survive rather than to live. Rather than doing the right thing, they're doing the thing that helps them to survive, and obviously that's a mistake. This mindset usually ends in disaster and the characters are going to have to learn to live again, rather than just surviving. So, a theme we’ve seen before, but still worth mentioning.

Okay, did I cramp your brain enough for today? Thoughts?

[terramythos]

Notes from my October Daye reread, #7 Chimes At Midnight. Or, "don't eat evil pie if you're planning to overthrow the government". Advanced spoilers, please read the books, etc. 

Reminder right off the bat that sweet fashion disaster May used to be an eldritch horror of the night???

-the month name in her case seems to be a coincidence? (But like. How could a name like May Daye be a coincidence. Come the fuck on.)

-Goblin fruit is super yikes. Super addictive drug that inevitably leads to death?

- Tybalt and Toby domestic shit hell yeah

Tybalt: arrested for being horny on main

- Toby: let's visit the Queen, who demonstrably hates me, about the goblin fruit problem. What could possibly go wrong (spoiler: a whole lot)

-"i may be a composite of multiple dead people, but I'm not stupid" May is nonbinary, pass the fucking tea

-The Gang Overthrows the Queen

Quentin is such a good kid! Fuck!

-I just... love the characters and how they've developed over the series. Quentin is great, Tybalt is great, The Luidaeg is great... October has changed into a more open and less depressed person. It's great! I mean, everything goes to shit over the next 2 books, but we've come so far!

-Quentin getting extremely upset that The High King didn't notice the Queen didn't have a legitimate claim to the throne? Haha. Haha. *takes another shot*

-Quentin: we could just like... TELL the High King that shes not a legitimate ruler. Like we literally could just call him up and say--

Toby: he would probably kill us and how would we do that anyway

Quentin: *silently screaming*

Have I mentioned I LOVE the Luidaeg? Shes such a great character.

-the implication that tybalt's archaic speech is at least partially just to fuck with Toby is so fuckign funny god they're so cute

GOD...

-Quentin not quite bowing to Arden, or at least not as formally as the others. That's foreshadowing. God damn it.

- The Undersea: is relevant

Me: wow I knew we introduced all that lore 2 books ago for a reason

- "Princesses aren't exciting. I've met Princesses." I am so glad I am not ACTUALLY drinking every time Quentin's identity is foreshadowed, because this book alone would have killed me by now.

- everything: goes to shit

Me: ah, there it is

- Toby becoming instantly addicted to goblin fruit and forgetting 2 of the most important people in her life has me at a severe oof. :(

- fucking props to seanan for making pie legitimately threatening.

- October Daye patch 7.1 notes: due to balance concerns, toby has been shifted back to more human.

Gameplay effects: hair is brown again. blood magic effects and self-healing have been reduced by 75%. Iron resistance increased 75%.

-Theres a line about how Tybalt should have known better than to believe anything could have gone right for very long and. Yikes in context. Yikes with knowing Tybalt's backstory.

- fun lore with the Luidaeg offering to turn Toby into a Selkie to save her from impending death. Being like... technically the Selkie Firstborn. And how much doing that would actually cost. It's certainly something to file away for later because I don't imagine we would introduce a concept like that and then abandon it...

-SUDDEN HEAVY SETUP FOR BOOK 8 STUFF. SUDDEN BOOK 1 BEING RELEVANT. Why did Evening, some random noble, have a fucking ancient powerful artifact just kinda... randomly in her possession? INDEED.

- toby: Why does the name Eira Rosenhwyr sound so familiar?

Mags: Oh she's a Firstborn

Toby: Right, that definitely explains it one hundred percent. Time to not think about it at all ever again.

- TOBY I'm aware you're kind of out of your mind right now but surely you can see the aesthetic similarity between EIRA ROSENHWYR and EVENING WINTERROSE. Ajdjenskkelbsbd

- I fucking googled it and Eira Rosenhwyr translates roughly to "Snow Rose Evening" lmfao

- Mags, continuing exposition: yeah she always had this Snow White thing where like she never stayed dead for long

Me, considering book 1's central conflict and how Evening was described multiple times as Snow White: 🙃

- I really appreciate the fact that whenever Walther shows up in a book he pretty much saves the day in a major way just by making like. A potion

- toby: magic is weird. Candy made from my blood that temporarily curbs the effects of addiction? Right

Walther: you're dating a cat

-I forgot we learn The Luidaeg's actual name in this one???? "Yeah I'm Antigone what up"

-OH THATS WHERE THE "ANNIE" PSEUDONYM COMES FROM. God damn it.

-God I love Danny and his godawful expletives "Oberon's scrotum". God

- I haven't mentioned it too much but there are soooooo many good tybalt and toby moments. They have such a good and loving relationship. Boy I die

-there's a bit where Toby consumes some of the Luidaeg's blood for Reasons and gets a brief Luidaeg-POV flashback.. which shows the Luidaeg protesting Amandine abusing Toby as a kid. So even though they don't really meet until book 1, it puts her first unofficial appearance in a new context. Just some all powerful ancient sea witch checkin up on her niece at Safeway, y'know

- god the first Cu Sidhe shows up in this one and he just looks like a glam rocker who's also sort of a dog. Jesus christ

- they just act like dogs too and it is so funny. Fucking zero attention span, super excited and happy at being told they did a good job.

- arden: there's no way you're amandine's kid. She would never sleep with a human. Her husband would be pissed

Toby: ??? My mom isn't married?

(Oh boy that's gonna be a fun one)

AND, AFTER SIX AND A HALF BOOKS OF SOLID FORESHADOWING:

We get the Quentin reveal. The alcohol poisoning ceases.

-There's some real good irony in like. THE Crown Prince getting apprenticed to Toby, who is a member of Faerie's biggest underclass. And they become fucking BFFs over the course of the series. That's some good shit

👌👌👌some GOOD👌 shit right there

-God just going back there are SO many hints. I noted a lot of them on this series reread but some of my favorites are the real subtle ones. Like Quentin in book 2 being inexplicably amused when Toby orders him to do something.

- Like?? She makes the kid do chores. She's almost gotten him killed like half a dozen times. That's just some... premium good shit.

Well the book sums up that revelation pretty well lmao

- Did... did Arden just imply Toby's mom caused the 1906 San Francisco earthquake...? That is certainly something I either missed or forgot. How is that like even a thing

- The night haunts are cool as shit and I'm glad they're showing up as bigger players. And now we have setup for Toby owing them a favor. Delightful.

ME SIPPING THAT LUIDAEG LORE JUICE

- October Daye patch 7.1.8 notes: oh god we fucked up we fucked up changes reverted

-Blood magic CPR? Canon. Then again I'm pretty sure Toby was established using blood magic to resurrect someone in book 2. So. Book 2 is still relevant

God I'm such a sucker for this angsty shit. And of course this would be Tybalt's solution, considering his backstory. God. Fuck

-I like how they went from enemies to like ridiculously sweet and affectionate lovers.. but it's not 100% perfect, they still have arguments and disagreements. But it all comes down to them caring about each other. That's some good shit right there

- Dianda being a huge badass and just singlehandedly taking out six guards while iron poisoned. a good development.

- new toby power of literally stealing someone's powers by drinking their blood. We're going like full vampire here huh

- and The Queen... who we establish actually traded her name away... manages to escape. Wonder when she shows up again 🤔🤔🤔

- ok god the fucking short story epilogue is SO GOOD. Luidaeg POV!!! Luidaeg lore is always good but this is one of the only parts we have seen Amandine. It reveals that The Luidaeg literally has just been October's guardian angel for years, which explains why some all powerful sea witch just stumbles into Toby's life???. Amandine is a fucking brat. It foreshadows fucking... SOMETHING with the goddamn month names. And it sets up Eira. God next book is going to be so good.

- There are interesting parallels between Toby and her mom. Amandine was trying to turn Toby into a human for fucking years?? As some kind of shitty experiment? Almost succeeded until The Luidaeg intervened. There's all these lines about how Amandine had stolen centuries of Toby's life, how Toby would be defenseless and Faerie would still know who she was even if Amandine succeeded. What does this say about Gillian? Toby turned her completely human in book 4 to save her life. There's no way that's not going to come back in a big way.

-What. Is with. The month names. Seriously we have not had any new ones since 3 but that's still like 5 characters. I know there are several more coming in the next few books and I still don't know why the fuck lol

-This book was mostly the final setup for next book, which is an absolute fucking bombshell. Probably the best book in the series and that is saying something. I'm excited to reread it. But on it's own this one is a good read too... love that we finally got the Quentin reveal!! The horrific Queen is gone for now! Stuff!