#he's ok don't get me wrong. he changes throughout the show more than you can say for the others. but you know

[claymton]

Do u have any characters that you HATE, like can't stand them at all ?

When some putty fans talk about him something inside me feels pushed to hate him

[echologname]

In support of Sam x Danny

We never got to see what the relationship of the Phantom trio was like before the portal accident but I think it's mostly similar to how we see them in the show. To me, it seems like it's implied that Sam always secretly liked Danny and then one fateful day, she and Tucker witnessed him almost die, don't you think after something traumatic like that, it's harder to keep feelings for another inside? Also, after Danny got his powers and started fighting ghosts, Sam got to witness his bravery and willingness to help people put to extreme tests. She didn't fall in love with him because of cool powers, she genuinely fell in love with who he is. His new life as a halfa, like all trials in life, helped him to become a better person, throughout their adventures virtues were strengthened and vices were weakened and their friendship was matured through its testing. I don't see it but it's a common claim that Sam only started crushing on Danny AFTER he got his powers which paints her in a shallow view. So, I'd like to point out correlation does not necessarily equal causation. Clearly Danny went through big changes from the accident but I betcha Sam and Tucker weren't quite the same themselves and if one of them being a more prominent openness to showing affection then there's nothing wrong with that.

Whether friends or lovers, I think both work but I just wanted to say, Sam doesn't deserve the hate she gets from fans for canonically being the one to end up with Danny in the end. And who's to say it's a forever thing? Teens are constantly growing and changing and so are their romantic interests. It's OK to think you work together at one point and not so much the next. Their identities are still developing and so are their brains. And if they do stay together forever, no matter what happens, then isn't that all the more sweet and wholesome? Even if Sam had an inkling of ghostly bias towards liking him, it's totally the green eyes given how much she likes plants and nature (ironically green is the color of life and health).

The whole episode with Sam falling for the fake foreign exchange guy who looks a lot like Danny's ghost form doesn't help her case. I get it, because of an example like this, fans fear she likes Phantom more than Fenton. But his whole persona WAS all an act for the purpose of targeting what a specific girl likes like telling Sam he was a vegetarian then acted like a jock in front of cheerleaders. Or maybe this is what she needed, to see that like Danny, this guy also had an alter ego but he was using it deceptively for personal gain. Meeting Danny PHANTOM for the first time might have felt like meeting a new person to her, so a stranger from another country symbolizes that. Then the truth about him being a jerk comes out when he metaphorically, "drops his mask." Sam knows both sides of Danny and knows that he isn't like that guy at all, and she's seen for herself that he's still himself no matter what he looks like. He genuinely wants to help people and doesn't put on an act. Perhaps this failed relationship helped her realize how much Danny cares for her both as Fenton AND Phantom and that he's always been a good friend she can trust (he DID spy on her in the episode and of course Sam was offended but it didn't really hurt their relationship).

Disagreeing with them being together is still understandable but c'mon, how many relationships were you in that was also a cringe pairing? Relationships aren't perfect but the people that we were/are with have helped us understand ourselves and each other more. The person you're with now may be who you need to be with for a certain period of your life to help prepare you for the one you'll be with forever. It's important for even awkward and rash relationships to take their course so we can grow from them.

So, I think we can find it in our hearts to be more forgiving to some cartoon kids. Sam and Danny's relationship is an important part of their character development no matter how it turns out or how much the ship is hated.

[sherlock-is-ace]

I have been thinking a lot about Aziraphale and the whole divorce thing, and every day that passes I get more convinced he did nothing wrong.

So, ok y'all, get ready for the meta post nobody asked for and nobody wants! Under the cut tho cause it's long af kdfjhgdfg

*EDIT: There's an edit in the body of this whole post btw (i marked it in red)

Let me preface this by saying I haven't watched the show in a bit, so idk how correct I'm being, but also... this is my own opinion and interpretation so there isn't really an objective way of seeing it... It's ok if you disagree, we're allowed to have different views, it's a show, it doesn't matter.

Now, the divorce. A painful plot point that left us all hurting, including Aziraphale and Crowley themselves. A clear case of miscommunication and misunderstanding, season 2 was honestly all about that. Crowley's "we're on our own side" argument, full of raw feeling and love was really framed to be like the correct option, but I genuinely don't think Aziraphale's side is the wrong one. There are no wrong sides, just two solutions to the same problem (and in my opinion, a more useful solution).

Throughout season 1, both Heaven and Hell shared a common goal: make Armageddon happen, have a war and win it. Other than the outcome of the war, the goal was the exact same. To be fair, most of season two Heaven and Hell also share a common goal: find Gabriel, and honestly... still fight and win the war. And as it was evident by their continue work towards that goal, they're not going to stop. And that's the problem that presents itself: how to stop the world from ending... again.

Here's where Crowley and Aziraphale have different views.

Crowley would rather leave. In season 1 he offeres to literally leave, abandon Earth and just hang with Aziraphale somewhere far away (sweet and romantic, and honestly a valid solution). In season 2 I'm not fully sure he meant leave leave, maybe fight but on their own together (as I said, I haven't rewatched the show recently, I won't claim I know what he meant). But still, leave their respective sides completely and stand outside them.

Aziraphale would rather fight. In season 1 he was still convinced Heaven's side in the whole Armageddon thing was the correct option. In season 2 I'm not so sure. Aziraphale wants to change Heaven. He has learned from Crowley's suggestion box idea and wants to fight to change Heaven itself. He will stop them from within.

They're both very valid solutions to the same problem. But neither of them can compromise. Crowley would simply not accept going to Heaven and change it from within, and Aziraphale simply cannot accept leaving this whole thing alone and maybe get the whole world exploded in the process. And both their points of view make perfect sense with their characters and their histories. Crowley can't trust Heaven's ability to change cause he tried this before, he suggested a suggestion box and that cost him his entire life, he fell because of it. Of course he can't see the point in Aziraphale's plan. And Aziraphale's connection to Earth and to its humans is deeper than Crowley's, in my opinion. EDIT* He can't sit and do nothing, or not do enough. Not to mention his devotion to Heaven still, be it because of trauma or actual faith, he can't sit quietly while Heaven behaves like that. He can't believe Heaven could behave like that, it shouldn't! Remember his shock in season 1 when he tried to convince Gabriel that there was no need for a war, and found out that the war was the plan. Heaven wanted the war. And now he has the perfect opportunity to put a stop to that, Heaven offered to have him back.

EDIT: actually, no, I don't think Aziraphale's connection to humanity is deeper. I think Aziraphale's personal benefit on Earth amongst humanity is greater than Crowley's.

So the divorce to me is just a simple plain old break up. They couldn't sacrifice their beliefs for each other, and they couldn't find a compromise. Which is valid. Sad, but valid. They also couldn't fully explain themselves and their positions on this. Maybe because there was no time, maybe because they both had already made the decision by the time they had their conversation. That's what makes it the most painful to me, they're both following the same goal: be together. Aziraphale just added an extra step: stop Heaven. Which in my opinion, it's a necessary step.

Which brings us to my second point. Some people have compared Aziraphale and Crowley's relationship to Gabriel and Beelzebub, but I don't think they are even remotely comparable, other than beign a demon-angel couple.

Some people argue that Aziraphale and Crowley could have gone off into the sunset together because neither Heaven or Hell really did much to the other traitors. (Shax threatened to send demons after Beelzebub but Hell is understaffed and she got bribed with being the next Duke of Hell). But I don't think Aziraphale and Crowley would be met with the same kindness.

Up until the point Gabriel said "nah" to Armageddon: The Sequel, he was still very much the same in Heaven, he was still the Archangel Gabriel. And up until the very end, when they ride off into the sunset, Beelzebub was very much The Duke of Hell. They kept following their duty. They were not a threat in the slightest. And even after Gabriel escaped and became Jim, and even after he found Beelzebub and chose them openly, he wasn't a threat. He doesn't care if Armageddon happens or not, he only wanted to stop it so he would be cast down to Hell and reunite with his love. That was his plan (it failed cause Heaven chose to demote him and wipe his mind but he didn't know that would happen).

Now, Aziraphale and Crowley on the other hand, are very much a threat to both Heaven and Hell. They don't want to just chill together, they want to stop Armageddon from happening because they love Earth. They have done it before. And it wasn't just a simple "stumbled through it all and kinda stopped Satan at the end". They planned it and fought Armageddon for years! (granted, they got the wrong child, so they didn't do much, but my point still stands lol). I don't think Heaven or Hell really care they want to be together, their problem is what they do when they're together... Not only are they incredibly powerful (namely when they perform miracles together), but they want to use their power, to thwart their plans, like they did before. Not only that, Aziraphle had done miracles for Hell, and Crowley has done miracles for Heaven. They're not just traitors because they're friends with the enemy, they're traitors because they keep doing the opposite of what they should (according to their respective head offices of course).

So I very much doubt they would have been left alone to do whatever they wanted. That's why I think Aziraphale's "let's go to Heaven and change it from within" is a more useful plan. It would assure that they could be together free of threat, free of persecution. They could stay together in the planet they love so much, and Earth would be safe as well.

That said, there are words that were said in that divorce that I'm not a fan of. So I'm not saying everything was perfect and they shouldn't have gotten upset. That's a ridiculous thing to say. I do know that Aziraphale's state of mind is still very "Heaven = Good Hell = Bad". Specially compared to Crowley's lived history, experiencing Heaven's wrath and even seeing what they were gonna do to Gabriel, Aziraphale doesn't know that, he didn't see it, he has more kind memories of Heaven than Crowley does. In fact, Crowley doesn't have any memories of Heaven at all I don't think. He supposedly knows Saraquel and Furfur when he was still an angel, but both times it was shown that Crowley doesn't remember them (he remembers his password tho, that's weird lol). So perhaps, Aziraphale has more memories of Crowley as an angel which made sense in his offer to go back to Heaven with him.

I'm very excited for season 3. I'm very excited to see if Aziraphale's plans work out or not. I'm very excited for Aziraphale to gain full awareness to what Heaven is now, to understand Crowley's point of view. And I'm very excited to see if Crowley's memories are as important a plot point as I think they're gonna be, and perhaps he gets a glimpse into Aziraphale's side of the story as well, and sees Heaven's potential (if it even has any). These are only speculations of course, because I don't know how season 3 is gonna go, and I don't know if changing Heaven for the better was actually Aziraphale's plan. He could just kill God and take over Heaven and destroy Earth for all I know lol But this is my interpretation, and how I see his intentions. It's easy to get caught in the love confession, and in David Tennant's incredible performance of it, voice crack and all. But I do think Aziraphale is onto something, and I know his choices have hurt him as much as Crowley. And I know Crowley's choices have also hurt both of them. Why can't they find a compromise, why do they have such fundamentally different ideas? It's painful, it truly is!

🙏🏻please ignore all gramar and orthography errors🙏🏻

[spopsalt]

Going to therapy instead of being rushed into a relationship, a Rick and Morty vs She-Ra and The Princesses of Power comparison.

Inspired by a post on @spop-romanticizes-abuse

Shoutout to Rick and Morty for having a messed up character go to therapy instead of rushing them into a romantic relationship as a "happy ending" (Especially if it's abusive *cough* c//a *cough*) I never realized how often this happened until @spop-romanticizes-abuse pointed it out, but it happens way more often than it should.

Sure Rick has gone through a few romantic relationships throughout the show, the most famous one being Unity. But these relationships always end because Rick isn't in the right place to have a relationship right now, Unity left him because he was a horrible influence on them. Sure Rick did genuinely love them, and for the most part treated them well, but he was a horrible influence which is why Unity chose to leave, and while Rick is bitter at them for it, they are not shown as being in the wrong for it.

Rick still isn't in a romantic relationship currently and is going to therapy, we can actually see the changes that therapy is having on him (Learned how to back off on people, laid off of Jerry, is nicer to Morty, learned how to control his anger, etc.)

Meanwhile with spop.....Catra never goes to therapy. She did one good thing and just hangs around with the best friend squad and princesses and whoop! She's all better now! We do get a throwaway line on how she's working on her anger, butttt that doesn't mean much if we don't actually see the results.

With Rick, we never get told that he's working on his anger issues, but we do see a clear change in how he reacts when he gets angry, normally he hurls insults at Morty (And even PUNCHED him on one occasion. What the actual fuck-) But in Mort: Raganrick, when Morty messed something up, he actually listens to him and acts more like a stern parent than anything. Sure he does insult Morty, but it's only once and it was after Morty insulted him, that doesn't make it ok, but it's a clear departure from how he at first acted. And the insult is a lot minor and a lot less personal than some of the other insults he hurled at Morty when he's upset.

Meanwhile Catraaaaa, we get told that she's working on her anger, but she doesn't actually show it. She literally roughly shoves Adora TO THE GROUND and left her on her deathbed when she was angry, and this was AFTER we get told that she's working on her anger. She never actually changes, she just stays the same person she was beforehand, and instead of seeing her go to therapy to work on herself BEFORE she gets into a romantic relationship, nope! Just shove her into one with her sister whom she abuses and that's her happy ending! Horray! Best show ever! 5 stars!

Don't get me wrong, Rick and Morty is far FAR from perfect, but people really don't give it enough credit when it does something RIGHT! So, what do you guys think?

[theerurishipper]

Ok I am going to be controversial. If I'm honest, I don’t really understand the desire for Adrien to turn his back on Ladybug at the end of Strikeback. That's partly because I don't completely get what the writers intended Adrien’s struggle to be about in Season 4. I understand what Ladybug did wrong, but my thing is…

Does CN ever actually express to LB why he is upset in Season 4? Does he ever try to reason with her or advocate for himself?

I don’t remember him approaching the real issue until they were under Risk’s influence and he says “maybe that’s because you never tell me anything.”  I also remember that overall fallout feeling really muddy throughout the season.

From what I see, Chat Noir’s most valid reason for being upset is because she’s keeping him, her loyal partner, at a distance. She’s not communicating as well to the point that he ends up confused, outside of the plan a few times. He finds out she told someone her identity even though she's always been massively against that. Toward the end, he discovers she’s been working with an active Rena Furtive without making him aware. She said nothing between them would change, but he can sense this new distance and her secrecy. He doesn't quite know what to make of it, but he can't help but feel a bit betrayed. He deserves at least to know things like when a new Ladybug shows up at random or a secret miraculous holder being in the field with them.

So you'd think that would be the clear cut reason, but I'm not sure? The writing gives mixed messages and Adrien brings a lot of his own baggage to the table. The increased neglect and secrecy by Ladybug is one facet , but if we’re being honest about what we were shown, there are some more factors:

The side effects of the guardianship in itself. The nature of the guardianship means Ladybug is now a leader responsible for the kwami and involving many more holders. More holders make defeating Monarch easier and Paris more safe, but it also means less time as a duo and more competition to play on CN’s insecurity. He worried about his being replaced as early as Season 3 with Carapace. His insecurity is exacerbated by her distance, but also by more holders in general. The average person might not have been as upset at getting a "break" for a few rounds, but to Adrien, it's a sign that he is finally being replaced. Even if he knew about Rena Furtive, I’m willing to bet he still would have felt uneasy about her threatening their relationship.

He is in love with her. Kuro Neko’s messaging is all over the place, but Plagg wasn’t completely wrong. Ladybug’s increased distance and secrecy hurts 50 times worse because Chat Noir is in love with her. If he were in love with Marinette instead at that point, he might even enjoy the extra load off and having fun with his friends at school, but he is very much in love with Ladybug. That makes his suffering hit much harder.

He’s upset about Carapace and Rena Rouge knowing each other's identities even though he can’t know Ladybug’s. To be fair, I rate the other holders' identities BS pretty low on my list of things to rage at Ladybug about because after Season 3 when all the heroes were revealed and Ladybug continued to give the same heroes their miraculous while also still being really anxious over identities, it was so nonsensical that I chalked it up to plot convenience rather than Marinette just being this stupid and risky. The show was not about to design new hero models so logic be damned. I don’t blame her for this anymore than I blame Chat Noir for being stupidly bad in battle at random a.k.a nerfed to make Ladybug look better. I also acknowledge the rules for the Ladybug and Cat miraculous hold an elevated risk. If Monarch knows Rena and Carapace identities he maybe has two new miraculous. If he knows Ladybug and Cat’s identities, he has his wish and the world is rewritten. 

His father also started neglecting him more after a big change in their lives. He’s projected his relationship with his father onto his relationship with Ladybug as early as Glaciator when she didn’t make it to his date. So possible PTSD.

There are also the reasons that the fandom projects onto Adrien as things he 'should' be upset about, but is never actually upset about and have never had any canon ground:

She’s the leader and the only holder with a cure. They’ve never been exactly equal despite that one line and he’s never had an issue with this on the battlefield. He only wants to know what’s going on. If he does have some leftover resentment at Fu not choosing or training him, his beef is with Fu.

He doesn’t know other holders identities. He’s only ever cared to know Ladybug’s. And this may be controversial opinion, but even if he wanted Ladybug to tell him the other holders’ identities, would he be justified in that? He’s not a guardian. Why is he entitled to demand the guardian hand them over? Especially without their permission?

Her plan with Luka to reveal their identities and erase his memory. This is to me her most egregious offense in season 4 and if he knew about it, it would make the argument against his forgiveness much stronger in my eyes. But he doesn’t. And it becomes obsolete information after the episode.

Even with all these heavy factors, all valid reasons to be upset, the only reason that validates righteous anger from CN’s pov and doesn’t make him look like kind of a tool is her secrecy around Rena Furtive and him discovering her keeping him out of the loop on some need to know info in Hacksan and one or two other eps. Emotionally, it goes much deeper than this for him. But these represent her responsibility in the matter.

The reason I can't see him justified in cutting ties with her in Strikeback though is that... this doesn't come up? He can't say he's tried to communicate with her. Nothing like “you’re keeping things I need to know from me and I don’t like it” or “you said things wouldn’t change between us as partners but you’ve distanced yourself from me. we started this together”. Nothing before Strikeback. I could see if he'd tried to talk about it and she dismissed him and didn’t try to fix things. But there’s no conversation around this in particular.

The weird thing is a lot of the other reasons come up in canon through his voice or someone else’s or both. He’s in love with her. He doesn't know what he'd do without her. All the new partners make him feel insecure and irrelevant. Why can’t we know each others’ identity and they can? In other words, the reasons that make him seem overemotional and self centered. These reasons also all center her or the desire for her love and adoration rather than his feelings as her partner. That’s what’s highlighted in Season 4.

But the actual legit criticism and bone to be picked with Ladybug herself does not come out of his mouth until he is under Risk's influence. Even then, it’s a one-liner. I don’t remember him ever actually trying to touch on the real problem with her prior to that. He either smiles and shrugs it off, even when she asks if he is ok, or he lashes out and runs away.  He doesn’t breach the topic and if he doesn’t communicate it, how can they work through it? 

Kuro Neko was the perfect opportunity to have Adrien really vent, but the initial argument is a textbook miscommunication. He shows up smiling over his pain and cracking jokes. Therefore she doesn’t realize how upset he is. Then he pushes the subject even though she’s out of time and she snaps at him for not listening. Hurt, he snaps back and runs. Plagg blames it on heartbreak alone. Ladybug takes that bait and laments that there’s nothing she can do but dote on him a bit because hey he’s just heartbroken. She's not responsible for his unrequited love. At the end, he never mentions the legitimate issues and nothing is ever wrapped up. That’s where I start to think, did the writers even mean for him feeling diminished as a ‘partner’ to be a real issue? Did they intend for this to be a lovesick issue from the start?

I don’t think this is just on Ladybug being impossible to talk to because of some vibe she sends out or her making sad face. Chat Noir has been pretty cross with Ladybug before over other less justified matters and she didn’t crumble or smote him. She did throw him in the trash but that took 4 seasons of being calm and reasonable in the face of some behavior that wasn’t always great on his part. He is usually the one supporting her, but she managed not to meltdown while he was struggling in Guilttrip and Reverser and support him.  She’s not glass and she’s not his father and I think he knows that on some level. I think his lack of communication is partially his upbringing.

But mostly, he's just written to undermine himself. Ladybug isn’t the only voice box for the writers. Adrien is too. Everyone in the show works to serve a particular narrative so it’s no wonder that his most valid complaint against Ladybug in Season 4 was buried under all of the less noble ones, even from his own lips. He needed Risk just to confront her on the part she was actually responsible for. Odd choice. I guess he wouldn’t have been the perfect boyfriend if he did it without Risk?

I think a decent percentage of the rage at LB in Season 4 is made more intense and inflated in combination with all those other factors. We as the viewers know Adrien's trauma, how starved for love he is, what little support system he has vs the act he puts on as both Adrien and Chat Noir. We know too the meta fact that the writers never allowed CN the dignity to be rightfully upset about it or voice his most valid displeasure at anytime except when he was under the influence of a villain.

Taking the show at surface level, I can see him forgiving her. I just wished they had talked about it. Adrien isn't helpless in the face of Ladybug. He's faced Gabriel. He went to school and told him he didn't want to model and opened up about feeling like his father never wants to talk to him. so I know he can be more honest with Ladybug without a villain spell. The only reason I can think of it never reaching that point is because the writers didn't want it to. Not only do I think that he would have expressed himself well and honestly enough if given the moment, but I think there’s a good chance Ladybug would have tried to fix things if she actually knew what he was upset about and didn't reduce it to 'he's in love with me.' Which I can't completely blame her for. She had help from both Plagg and Adrien.

Maybe that’s just me being wishful about the blorbos, but my early season blorbos are better than their later season counterparts. The latter just seem like shills for a plot that doesn't match them.

I really miss early Adrien anyhow. He took a lot more flack then because he messed up more because he actually had a personality that allowed him to disagree and have sassy moments. Sometimes he was right, sometimes wrong, but at least he felt more layered. 

Whew, this is a long ask! I'll take this part by part.

Ok I am going to be controversial. If I'm honest, I don’t really understand the desire for Adrien to turn his back on Ladybug at the end of Strikeback. That's partly because I don't completely get what the writers intended Adrien’s struggle to be about in Season 4. I understand what Ladybug did wrong, but my thing is…

The thing is, I don't want him to turn his back on Ladybug in Strikeback. I've said before that I love that scene. What spoils is for me is that the conflict is never addressed after that episode, and it just makes it come off as Chat Noir pushing away his hurt to be there for Ladybug once more. Like he just accepted that he'll be treated in ways he doesn't like. The scene in isolation is one of my favorites, but it's how the aftermath was dealt with that makes it bad.

Does CN ever actually express to LB why he is upset in Season 4? Does he ever try to reason with her or advocate for himself? I don’t remember him approaching the real issue until they were under Risk’s influence and he says “maybe that’s because you never tell me anything.”  I also remember that overall fallout feeling really muddy throughout the season.

You're partially right. He doesn't really try to actually talk with her until Risk/Strikeback. And part of this is because of his own trauma. But the other part of it is also because Ladybug has also become more and more unapproachable over the course of the season. When he does try to approach her in some way, he gets shut down.

You're pretty spot on about the other reasons for why he feels the way he does.

There are also the reasons that the fandom projects onto Adrien as things he 'should' be upset about, but is never actually upset about and have never had any canon ground: She’s the leader and the only holder with a cure. They’ve never been exactly equal despite that one line and he’s never had an issue with this on the battlefield. He only wants to know what’s going on. If he does have some leftover resentment at Fu not choosing or training him, his beef is with Fu.

I agree that any resentment he feels for Fu not training him isn't Marinette's fault.

This is getting long, so I'll put the rest of it under the cut.

He doesn’t know other holders identities. He’s only ever cared to know Ladybug’s. And this may be controversial opinion, but even if he wanted Ladybug to tell him the other holders’ identities, would he be justified in that? He’s not a guardian. Why is he entitled to demand the guardian hand them over? Especially without their permission?

So, he isn't entitled to their identities. I personally think he would have been justified in wanting to know before Season 4, but it's not really that way anymore. But in any case, that isn't the issue. The issue is Ladybug playing loose and fast with the rules, allowing others to know their identities and even revealing her own identity to someone else while making sure that Chat Noir sticks to the rules. He has a right to be upset about that.

Her plan with Luka to reveal their identities and erase his memory. This is to me her most egregious offense in season 4 and if he knew about it, it would make the argument against his forgiveness much stronger in my eyes. But he doesn’t. And it becomes obsolete information after the episode.

The point is that it shouldn't have become obsolete. She was going to do something awful to him. I don't think it should have been thrown aside. He should know about it. She's shown that she's willing to take advantage of his trust and she never actually learnt any lesson about not doing that or that it was wrong. He's entitled to information about her actions that could potentially have harmed him. That's something she should admit to.

The reason I can't see him justified in cutting ties with her in Strikeback though is that... this doesn't come up? He can't say he's tried to communicate with her. Nothing like “you’re keeping things I need to know from me and I don’t like it” or “you said things wouldn’t change between us as partners but you’ve distanced yourself from me. we started this together”. Nothing before Strikeback. I could see if he'd tried to talk about it and she dismissed him and didn’t try to fix things. But there’s no conversation around this in particular.

I think the reason for this is clear in your own next paragraph. I will say again that him cutting ties with her in Strikeback is not something that I want.

The weird thing is a lot of the other reasons come up in canon through his voice or someone else’s or both. He’s in love with her. He doesn't know what he'd do without her. All the new partners make him feel insecure and irrelevant. Why can’t we know each others’ identity and they can? In other words, the reasons that make him seem overemotional and self centered. These reasons also all center her or the desire for her love and adoration rather than his feelings as her partner. That’s what’s highlighted in Season 4.

And that's exactly it. The season spends so many episodes building up this conflict between them, building up Ladybug's secret keeping and Chat Noir's increasing resentment and insecurity over the fact, and then... reduces it to him being in love with her. There are plenty of valid reasons for him to be angry with her, but Kuro Neko, the episode where the Ladynoir conflict is supposedly at an end, tells us that the reason for all this is because "Chat Noir is in love with Ladybug." I call BS.

It's a severe flaw in the writing. They reduce the conflict down to being about Chat Noir being in love with Ladybug while brushing over everything else that was set up. Him being in love with her may have been a slight factor, but it was never the main problem. If he hadn't been in love with her, he would still have the right to be pissed. Reducing it down to him being in love with her reduces the whole conflict, and Kuro Neko actually ends with Adrien saying he was too sensitive (which is Gabe rhetoric) and him apologizing to her as though she did nothing wrong at all. Kuro Neko is just... a fucking awful episode.

Kuro Neko was the perfect opportunity to have Adrien really vent, but the initial argument is a textbook miscommunication. He shows up smiling over his pain and cracking jokes. Therefore she doesn’t realize how upset he is. Then he pushes the subject even though she’s out of time and she snaps at him for not listening. Hurt, he snaps back and runs. Plagg blames it on heartbreak alone. Ladybug takes that bait and laments that there’s nothing she can do but dote on him a bit because hey he’s just heartbroken. She's not responsible for his unrequited love. At the end, he never mentions the legitimate issues and nothing is ever wrapped up. That’s where I start to think, did the writers even mean for him feeling diminished as a ‘partner’ to be a real issue? Did they intend for this to be a lovesick issue from the start?

And I think you've hit the nail right on the head. This is exactly the problem with Kuro Neko and Season 4 as a whole.

I don’t think this is just on Ladybug being impossible to talk to because of some vibe she sends out or her making sad face. Chat Noir has been pretty cross with Ladybug before over other less justified matters and she didn’t crumble or smote him. She did throw him in the trash but that took 4 seasons of being calm and reasonable in the face of some behavior that wasn’t always great on his part. He is usually the one supporting her, but she managed not to meltdown while he was struggling in Guilttrip and Reverser and support him.  She’s not glass and she’s not his father and I think he knows that on some level. I think his lack of communication is partially his upbringing.

I do sort of disagree with Ladybug being approachable. I think Glaciator 2 did do some damage. See, it's always been their dynamic to banter and for Chat Noir to flirt. Ladybug herself has enjoyed their banter and has responded to his flirtatious comments with nothing more than a small roll of her eyes. When he does it at the wrong time, she tells him to cut it out and he does. Considering that, throwing him a trashcan is unnecessarily overblown. That's way out of line. It's clearly because she's stressed out and annoyed about the situation and because of everything else going on, but him never bringing up anything so as to not upset her is a pretty reasonable interpretation after that. And it does happen again in Kuro Neko. He offers to help, she snaps at him.

The situations with Guilttrip and others like it were when it wasn't about Ladybug. She is supportive of him and she does care for him, but it's always when it's not about her. When it is about her, she never actually puts in the effort to fix the problem and just smooths over the situation (Kuro Neko, Strikeback). Of course, a lot of his lack of communication is due to his upbringing, but Ladybug is also visibly more unapproachable now.

But mostly, he's just written to undermine himself. Ladybug isn’t the only voice box for the writers. Adrien is too. Everyone in the show works to serve a particular narrative so it’s no wonder that his most valid complaint against Ladybug in Season 4 was buried under all of the less noble ones, even from his own lips. He needed Risk just to confront her on the part she was actually responsible for. Odd choice. I guess he wouldn’t have been the perfect boyfriend if he did it without Risk? I think a decent percentage of the rage at LB in Season 4 is made more intense and inflated in combination with all those other factors. We as the viewers know Adrien's trauma, how starved for love he is, what little support system he has vs the act he puts on as both Adrien and Chat Noir. We know too the meta fact that the writers never allowed CN the dignity to be rightfully upset about it or voice his most valid displeasure at anytime except when he was under the influence of a villain.

Spot on.

Taking the show at surface level, I can see him forgiving her. I just wished they had talked about it. Adrien isn't helpless in the face of Ladybug. He's faced Gabriel. He went to school and told him he didn't want to model and opened up about feeling like his father never wants to talk to him. so I know he can be more honest with Ladybug without a villain spell. The only reason I can think of it never reaching that point is because the writers didn't want it to. Not only do I think that he would have expressed himself well and honestly enough if given the moment, but I think there’s a good chance Ladybug would have tried to fix things if she actually knew what he was upset about and didn't reduce it to 'he's in love with me.' Which I can't completely blame her for. She had help from both Plagg and Adrien.

Spot on again.

Maybe that’s just me being wishful about the blorbos, but my early season blorbos are better than their later season counterparts. The latter just seem like shills for a plot that doesn't match them. I really miss early Adrien anyhow. He took a lot more flack then because he messed up more because he actually had a personality that allowed him to disagree and have sassy moments. Sometimes he was right, sometimes wrong, but at least he felt more layered. 

I will say that Miraculous trying to make the switch from a monster-of-the-week type of show to having an overarching plot was an ambitious choice, but it did not work out well, for reasons you've mentioned here.

I will also say, when I criticize Marinette, it isn't often Marinette herself that I criticize but the writing around her. The sort of writing that involves other characters bending over so that she doesn't look bad, or Adrien being reduced to her emotional support partner who doesn't demand a thing from her. That's ultimately what Season 4 had him learn, that he isn't and never will be her equal and that he should just be okay with whatever she does. And since Adrien character is that of the abuse victim who has never been allowed to be his own person, it just paints a very nasty picture. So, I think we do largely agree on many things, anon.

Thank you for your ask!

[greeen-bean]

Ok so before season 3 drops I want to finally make my post about how "Sara has done nothing wrong ever actually"

And before I start I do want to explain that I don't actually believe that, but I do believe she gets too much hate and not enough nuance. And that she is no more of a bad person, and makes no more mistakes than anyone else in the show. Also, this isn't me saying you have to like her or anything like that, you do you, babe.

I've made two posts about her before:

Here And here

And I will probably miss a load of my points out and will definitely come back to this later on. But here we go.

All throughout season 1 Sara is told and shown again and again that she needs to give people a second chance and give them the opportunity to change their behaviour and redeam themselves, and that lying is sometimes okay and better than telling the truth without actually explaining when and how it is good or bad or right or wrong

She sees Simon go back to Wille over and over again regardless of how he is treated (from her and their family's perspective). She is expected to forgive Simon immediately after he gets back in touch with their abuser, and for breaking their biggest promise to each other not to lie, and is arguably expected to forgive their dad as well. And afterwards, when the video is released this betrayal is completely dropped by basically everyone but Sara who is still very hurt by it. At the parent's dinner she is in the wrong for telling the truth and not lying for Felice about riding the horse. (there are also probably more examples that I just can't remember rn)

So, if you think about it, that's exactly what she does in season 2 with August. As far as she (and to a certain extent, just with more context of why) can tell, August is genuinely sorry for what he did to Wille and Simon. So why shouldn't she try and help him fix things? Also, it's important to remember that she doesn't have all of the context with August that everyone else and the audience have.

Also, she gets teased and criticised a lot for wanting to be more like the girls in Hillerska compared to her working-class peers, but it is Felice and the others who are seemingly the first people to actually let Sara fit in. She was bullied at Marieburg so badly she had to leave, at least at Hillerska people try and understand her better. Also, why is it a bad thing that she wants to dress up for dinner or act more feminine? Why is it such a bad thing that she wants to fit in with the people around her? These comments that the people around her make about her changing and being fake etc etc really seem trivial when you consider that this is likely the first opportunity she has to actually figure out who she is without being bullied for it.

And, at the end of season 2, she does try to make things right, her heart is in the right place most of the time, regardless of how she may present herself. Yes, she can be selfish and bitchy and make very very bad mistakes, and then not deal with them in the best way, but so does everybody else on the show, but I don't see anyone else get half as much hate as she does without any nuance counteracting it.

I don't actually know if any of this makes sense but I'm tired so I'm done :) hope season 3 treats my girl right, goodnight

[fullofsunsetwhispers]

I think the reason the monks turned into such jerks to Jack including Omi was because of Omi town I don't even like Omi and I wanted to beat Jack butt for it. Because it was such a slap in the face to. Omi who tried to help Jack so many times gave Jack the benefit of the doubt was kind to him and believe Jack could be good when no one else did or would have

I understand your frustration, anon. It can be classified as 'one of the most jerkish things Jack has ever done in the series'.

However, (looks at my imaginary list titled 'Jack Spicer did some things wrong but these jerkish acts are justified)

No, don't get me wrong, I am in Jack's protection squad but I am capable of seeing his flaws. Yes, that's a horrible thing to do to the only person that tried to help you (see mainly the Apprentice but more examples could be found throughout the series). Even for a little kid!me that was something unbelievable to happen but now I blame the poor writing of the 3rd season for it. (I gotta cope somehow ok)

I would like to move on to 'Let's justify Jack' part. Maybe 'justify' is a strong word. He took part in that manipulation so it should not be excused BUT I'd point out something that intrigues me a little bit.

In Omi Town after defeating Omi's Mother, monks realize she's in fact a robot. Omi makes a face and everyone rush at Spicer with anger evident on their own faces.

What's Jack's immediate reaction when he gets circled by dragons in training?

He curls up in fear and exclaims: 'THEY MADE ME DO IT!'

Then, he proceeds to tell everyone gathered how that village was made in the first place and we got a short flashback with HB making jackbots look like Omi's relatives of some sort.

Tbh It struck me HOW Jack delivered that story. Usually, (especially in s1 and mid-s2) Jack boasts about his evil plans. He makes sure his enemies KNOW what steps were made to fool them because Jack this way wants to show them how his mind is superior in comparison to theirs. He's proud of each evil deed committed throughout the process (presumably because it builds up his self-esteem which is already in shambles)

Anywho, mind that during his story about the origins of the 'Village of Omi's robotic clones', he's serious. No evil laugh, no belittling Omi for falling for that.

Does that look like a face of a proud evildoer to you? No. He's being honest, and frankly to say, even sad.

The last sentence he utters after the flashback makes me even more convinced about his honesty.

He bends down to be more on Omi's level. He looks straight into his eyes, his brows furrowed worryingly. It almost looks as if Jack felt sorry for the Cheeseball.

'We figured if we break up the dream team, we can take all the wu!'

for Jack it's simple logic, mind you. Additionally, no one among the Heylins even considered Omi might come back to the temple. Jack was more than certain Omi would stay with the fake parents. He never meant to hurt Omi directly. Who knows? Maybe after robbing the temple vault, he would re-program the parent bots to change their minds and let Omi be the monk again (but these are my speculations)

Let's settle on what the overall message sounded like.

'They made me do it'

'They made me build other robots'

'Hannibal bean then used Moby Morpher to make MY robots look like your relatives. If you had any.'

There is more accusation of Wuya and HB in Jack's voice. As I mentioned earlier Jack takes pride in whatever evil he's up to. He's building the brand, or whatever, so it is vital to him to give credit to himself (and optional partners in crime of course). Here we see/hear he DOESN'T WANT TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT PLAN. By constantly repeating 'not me. they made me do ---something-' he withdraws himself, which has never happened earlier in the series. (ok maybe that time with the evil snowman but whatever - you get my point)

Was he trying to save his own butt by putting the blame on Wuya and Roy? Oh, yes, he's a coward. But I dare to assume deep down he wasn't feeling ok with that scheme 100%. The way I see it, Jack went into 'survival mode', that is, he decided to act what other Heylins expect him to do so they won't hurt him in any other way. (Mind you he got a black eye at the beginning of the episode and got slammed against furniture by Wuya and HB and Wuya directly threatened him) Was he laughing with other baddies and taunting Omi during his showdown? Yes, but in a more ' I'm in a bad position so I can have a little fun with them' kinda way. Raiding the temple is one of jack's fav activities (lol) and he feels ok with it so his partners -Wuya and HB no longer were the same oppressors but more like a means that would help him get safely to the wu vault.

If we take into consideration the statement 'Jack from season 3 is a laughing stock and everyone seems to push him around' - this one applies here too. I'm of the opinion Jack was against Wuya and HB's intentions toward Omi but ultimately Jack yielded to their persuasions. Why? He was afraid. Out of fear, we tend to agree to things we would NOT normally agree to. Wuya even without her powers wrecked the boy good so she could've broken some of his bones as well. And with HB's help, they could do even far worse things to Jack. Let's not accuse Jack on the basis he wanted to protect himself - Wuya and HB are more to blame in this one.

Jack was simply USED in that scheme and robbed of resources (robots). More importantly, he built the whole village himself - I bet Wuya and HB didn't help him in these preparations. Jack was valuable to them in that very episode only because he was more like a useful tool rather than an ally, which is sad. (but tbh these little smiles Wuya and Jack exchanged were kinda cute)

To sum up, Jack is not entirely responsible for playing with Omi's feelings. He was the pawn, who in fact did the majority of the dirty work BECAUSE he was being threatened. That sort of manipulation Omi was the victim of was totally unfair especially if we consider that Jack-Omi bond from the series as a whole. However, in that very scene, we see glimpses of regret in Jack's mannerisms.

As a side note, I would like to point out, even if 'Omi Town' hurts me very much for Jack's betrayal of Omi's trust, I would like to see this being expanded on. For example, they should have a one-on-one talk in which they have a little quarrel, mentioning all the bad things they did to each other so they could just... talk this through and find some katharsis in their shared pain or sth.

[sl-newsie]

Spelled (Carlos de Vil x Sanderson Daughter)- Ch. 10: Tourney Tryouts

The next morning I nervously pace back and forth in my dorm, frantically trying to find ways to cover my hair. When I went to bed last night I never gave my new hair a second thought, but when Binx woke me up this morning his surprise over my pink locks definitely got me out of bed.

“Dear God… Oh God… What do I do, Binx? People already think I’m different, and this is only going to encourage it!”

If Binx had eyebrows, he’d be giving me an expression with a raised brow. “Why did you let your hair be spelled?” 

I spread my arms out in exasperation. “I didn’t mean to! Mal just chanted some quick words and the next thing I knew my hair was pink! Don’t get me wrong, I really do like it. But I’m not sure everyone else will. Especially Ben.”

Binx thinks for a moment, then says: “Magica, you’re already doing a great job of fitting in. Is this new hair something you like?”

I bite my lip and think about what Mal did for me. I just helped make you look like a true witch. It’s true, I’m really grateful to be able to show off my magical heritage. But at what cost? People will take one look at me and scream. But what kind of life am I living if I deny myself what makes me happy just to please everyone else?

I nod. “I like the hair, Binx. I really do.”

“Then you shouldn’t be ashamed of it. Go out there and wear it with pride. And if anyone asks, just say the truth. Mal spelled it. It wasn’t your magic.”

After taking a deep breath, I open my dorm door and get ready to show Auradon the real me. “You’re right, Binx. Wish me luck.”

Throughout the day, I get a few odd looks and stares at my hair. But the majority of girls scurry up to take a better look.

“It’s so well-done!” Rosaline gushes as she runs her fingers through it. “You must tell me how you did it!”

“Talk to Mal. She did it, not me.” Binx was right- the truth and a little modesty never hurts.

More and more girls walk up to ask questions throughout the day, while all the guys seem to pay no attention to it.

At lunch, however, I get a bit more attention than I want.

“Oh. My. God.” Audrey’s jaw drops when I walk past her. “You dyed your hair?”

“Really? Let me see!” Lonnie pushes through and gets a look at my new curls. “Oh, that’s so cool! How’d you do that?”

I give a small smile. “Actually, Mal did it for me. A little pocket spell, if you will.”

Her face lights up. “Do you think she’d do that for me? I’m gonna go ask later!”

“You want pink hair?” Audrey asks in a disgusted tone.

Lonnie shakes her head. “No, no! Cool hair! Maybe something long and curly…”

“Hey, um Magica?” Ben walks up and takes my hand. “Can I talk with you for a second?”

I guess I don't have a choice, because Ben drags me out of the dining hall and into his room.

When he shuts the door he turns around and crosses his arms.  “What the heck, Sparks? You dyed your hair?”

I try to stay confident. “Actually, Mal spelled it. I never asked for it, but afterwards it grew on me. I look good with pink, and if anyone has a problem with that then I don’t care.”

Ben paces around the room, almost imitating what I did this morning. “I donno, Sparks. First you’re saying you're an orphan, then you let the VKs change your clothes, then you get your hair changed? It’s just-” He gives a heavy sigh. “You gotta tell me when you’re gonna spring this stuff on me, ok?”

I put my hands on my hips and squint at him. “Why should I? It’s my life, not yours, Ben. I’m the Royal Advisor. I’m supposed to advise you. Not have you treat me like a child and scold me when I do something you don’t like.”

After I say this, I realize that it’s something I never would have said a month ago. I guess Auradon Prep’s really helped my confidence.

“But Magica, you- it doesn’t look normal.”

I give an annoyed grunt. “Ben, who defines ‘normal?’ If the ‘normal’ thing to do was to duct tape a banana to your head, would you do it?”

Ben does a terrible job of suppressing his laugh. “Hm- No- hm- You’re right. I’m sorry, Magica. It’s just that I’ve been trying to get the final details planned for the coronation, and your… new look is getting me mixed up.”

I give him a back pat. “Brother Ben, you know I’m here to help, right? You don’t have to do everything alone. Give me a checklist and I’ll take care of it!”

Ben seems to relax a little and gives me a thumbs-up.

“Alright, so that’s over with. Do you want to come with me to watch the tourney tryouts?” He asks as he picks up his jersey. “I promise it won’t be boring.”

I scrunch my nose. “You know I don’t follow sports.”

“Ok, then see it as an excuse to see Chad get bombarded with frisbees.” Ben smirks.

I give him a wicked grin. “Sounds good to me.”

When we arrive on the field, it’s already bustling with sweaty boys.

“Hey, Magica. Come to see the star player?” Chad asks with his chest puffed out.

“Um, no. I’m here to wish Carlos and Jay good luck and see you get pummeled by frisbees.” I pat his shoulder and strut past over to the VK students. Jay looks excited, but Carlos seems nervous.

“I’m no good at this stuff, Jay. I don’t know why I let you talk me into this-”

“Hiya, trixie!” Jay waves me over. "You're sporting the new hair like a pro!"

Carlos immediately changes his attitude. “Um, hi Magica! W- Why are you here?”

“I came with Ben to watch tryouts, and to wish you guys luck. If you ever need a positivity spell just let me know.”

Carlos starts to shake. “Um, I might need one. I know us VKs are supposed to be tough and all, but I’m not good at all this sports stuff.”

I put a hand on his shoulder. “Carlos, no one’s expecting you to be perfect. It’s all for fun! Just have fun and don’t worry about what other people think.”

He gives a small smile. “Thanks, Magica. I’ll try.”

With that he goes to join Jay with the other boys, while I go stand next to Audrey and the cheerleaders.

“Ben doesn’t need to do tryouts, because he’s already a winner,” Audrey brags.

I frown. “He doesn’t have to, because he already did. There were 2 tryout sessions.”

She sniffs. “He’s still the best.”

I’m not too sure how this tourney game works, but I can tell it’s intense.

“Get outta the kill field!” The coach yells as the players run across a wide yellow stripe..

“Kill field?” Carlos looks around with wild eyes.

Meanwhile a guy uses a machine to fire frisbees at Jay, who flips and dodges them with no problem. 

“Not bad,” I say with a wide smile.

Audrey just rolls her eyes. “Oh please. Ben’s so much better!”

Carlos is a bit slower at dodging, and gets a frisbee to the face, while Jay has made it to the end of the field and is doing a victory dance.The coach looks like he’s just struck gold.

“Welcome to the team!” He beams at Jay. When he looks over at Carlos his smile falters. “Ever think about band?”

Carlos gives a nervous laugh but then Ben walks up.

“I’ll work with him, coach.”

Carlos gets a panicked look. “Um no, that’s ok. I don’t have to-”

“Don’t worry.” I put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Ben’s a great teacher, believe me. He’ll teach you everything you need to know.”

He frowns. “Has he taught you?”

“Um, no. I don’t even know how this tourney sport works. But I do know that Ben knows everything there is to know about it. It just takes a little practice.”

Carlos gives me a lopsided grin. “Ok. I’ll give it a try, just for you.”

He goes off to find Jay, leaving me with a fake smile and wondering just how deep my siren magic has gotten to him…

[my-strange-attraction]

I am a lesbian and I came across Lostryu’s post by way of a mutual of mine. I was curious and wanted to see your response. I have to say your rebuttal contains nothing of merit that could possibly fare as a proper argument. It’s chock full of contradictory statements and straight up lies. I am assuming you’re a USA resident, but the highest university with an LGBT+ population is Brown Univeristy; and only about 20-24% of people reported being LGBT+

As a fellow english major, it was painful to read. Constant contradiction with only half formed ideas; practically agreeing with Lostryu regarding the definition of lesbian only to backpedal…. And words do have meaning, that’s why we use them in our craft as wordsmiths. You can’t simply replace keywords with opposite definitions and expect your manuscript to make sense!

I also want to point out that you degendered Lostryu entirely, refusing to use correct pronouns. That in and of itself is very transphobic. I don’t really trust your judgment as it seems like you didn’t even care about reblogging from lesbian and transgender rape apologists.

I thought you might like to reflect on this, but I truly think you care more about your self-perceived moral superiority rather than actual people.

-🧁

Oh boy. Ok.

Well thanks for being so kind and civil and not attacking my character.

I know you don't trust me, but you gotta trust that a queerer school than Brown exists and I go to it. I can see where the confusion is, after doing a google search myself, because my school is pretty small and doesn't show up on a lot of searches for colleges in the US. I will give you that, after looking up the number myself, it's more like 50-70%, but I will tell you that less than a quarter of the people I know and talk to on a regular basis are straight and cisgender.

I'm not writing an english essay here, it's a tumblr post. If anything, this is a lot closer to how I would format a philosophy paper, which, if you've ever read one of those, are very rambly and have roundabout ways of getting to the point. Also, again, thanks for not attacking my character, here. Thanks for really respecting me and not discrediting my nearly completed degree. Really appreciate that.

I... have no words. I used they/them/theirs pronouns throughout the whole post, which, I cannot stress enough, are NEUTRAL pronouns. I use those pronouns for all people online, and I think most other people do too. Yes, I knew he used he/him and used they/them instead, but I also cut his username out of all my screenshots. I wasn't talking about him specifically, his post was just an excuse for me to explain a concept in depth, and explain why exclusionism such as what he was promoting is detrimental to the queer community as a whole.

I didn't include his username or @ him at all. It wasn't even meant for him to look at, really. He was an example, a nebulous person with an opinion I don't agree with. It wasn't personal, so I used neutral pronouns. I am really sorry it came across that way though, I never want to make anyone uncomfortable and I know pronouns are super important to pay attention to for some people. This is an actual sincere apology.

I don't think I'm morally superior, that's not the point. I don't argue with people on the internet in order to prove my opinions are right and that anyone else with different opinions has made a wrong and evil choice and is unredeemable as a person. Really this whole thing happened because the original post had some terfy red flags and even though op isn't a terf, I wanted to point it out so that people know how to spot it and avoid it.

And do I think it's bad for the community to exclude mspec lesbians? Yes, but I also understand where the frustration comes from. I don't think less of people who have that opinion, I just hope to change their minds, because I think a radically inclusive community is the best kind of community.

[misscrazyfangirl321]

Sanctuary for All, Part 1 Thoughts

*I always forget how different Will is in the pilot compared to the rest of the series. So desperate for someone to take him seriously that he's resorting to rambling to the waitress about his observations.

*Will finding a Russian nesting doll and immediately assuming the family is Russian or Ukranian. Like. Do you know how common those are, my guy?

*Alexi has ADHD confirmed.

*Kinda want to incorporate Joe into The Time Wars, even if it's as a bit part.

*Forever obsessed with the bit where Will narrowly avoids being hit by Ashley on a motorcycle only to IMMEDIATELY get hit by Helen in a car.

*OK but the way Will immediately covered for Magnus. Didn't tell anyone he'd seen the person who hit him or anything. He didn't know who she was, and maybe he didn't even know why he was covering for her, but he knew she was important.

*That's not how lineups work. That's not how any of this works. A lineup consists of more than one person.

*Oh BTW Will's hair was super curly when he was a kid. I choose to believe it still is when he doesn't put four million products in it.

*Eleanor! Hey remember when it was established that Helen Magnus had friends? And hung out with people she saw in her day to day life?

*JOHN AND HIS LOCKET OF HELEN

*John acting almost shy in this scene is painful. Especially knowing what's coming.

*Will desperately trying to convince someone, anyone to listen to him. Also just... The way Joe and Meg really are trying to help Will, in their own ways. They're wrong, but they don't know that.

*Helen is so dramatic, especially in reaching out to Will, and Will just. Doesn't Engage. "Lady, I'm getting soaked here. What do you what?" Just does not let her draw him into the drama.

*Okay but the way he makes her smile, even from the beginning. Her amusement. Her oh, this will be fun.

*One of my favorite things about this episode from a narrative perspective is the way they save the Ashley reveal for so far into it. Through most of the first part, Ashley and Helen are framed as Opposing Forces looking for the boy. (.... Oh hey not like I need another AU, but that would make a great AU.)

*Tbh I really do like Meg. Wish she could have been more of a character.

*Will. Will, what is that book organization? Will.

Will, you're stressing me out.

*EC or not, there's definitely comparisons and contrasts between Meg's relationship with Will and Helen's relationship with Will. (Specifically humor, and also the contrast of Meg thinking he's crazy and him looking at Magnus' business card.)

*Magnus' excitement when Will says he doesn't know why she's looking for the boy is so fun.

*I forgot how HUGE the Sanctuary is from the outside.

*The one time teleporting into an EM shield just bounces him back. Also him laughing as he hits the ground, so fond of Helen... John, you're a DistasterTM.

*"Next time you just want some company, don't give your number out to strangers on the street." Ajdmsjsjdm Helen's sitting here trying to be all dramatic and mysterious, and Will's just like. "I diagnose you with Loneliness." And. He's not totally wrong.

*Ashley knocking out those cops just adds to the perceived contrast. We're so nervous that it looks like she'll get to the kid before Helen.

*Hey wait there's a clock on the wall when Will walks into the Sanctuary lab. We can see what time-WAIT THERE ARE TWO CLOCKS SET FOR DIFFERENT TIMES. ONE SEC. Wait, no, there's at least 3. All different times. Huh.

*Okay it looks like every pillar has a clock set to a different time. Nice detail actually.

*Love that the example for "Other [Abnormals] can't be allowed to run free" shows up multiple times throughout the series running free, including the VERY NEXT EPISODE.

*Flying Person should have been a major character.

*"He's just as unnerved by you." Ajdkfksms Biggie's characterization probably changes more than any other's throughout this show.

*Such a fascinating thing how Helen speaks so highly of Abnormals, but never refers to herself as one unless absolutely necessary. They're valuable, but they're still "Other" to her.

*Why does Ashley sign her texts? Ma'am you're texting your mother. Does she not know your number?

*Obsessed with the fact that it's played as if Helen looks too young to be Ashley's mother, as if Amanda isn't 19 years older than Emilie.

*"What she lacks in refinement, I assure you she makes up for in her field skills." Lines that get painful when you realize how soon Ashley will die.

*Wish there could have been more with Ashley trying to fool Will with stories and Will just shaking his head and laughing.

[omglisalithium]

With season 3 fast approaching, I'd like to finally post the project I've been working on since October:

Cinema Sins: Everything they did wrong/could have done better in TBB Season 2, according to me, and some other people.

Warning: this review of season 2 is very negative. If that's not your thing, then don't read. I did decide to add in some positivity about parts that were good writing choices and my personal favorite bits, but it doesn't start until episode 3. I would have added more in, but I have zero interest in watching season 2 again after all of the below atrocities. Please note: I'm just a very picky, very snobby writer when it comes to critiquing professionally produced content.

Season 2 episodes 1 and 2:

What they did wrong: Making us wait over a year for season 2 and giving us little to no updates about it. The perfect example of laziness and mindlessness.

Could have done better: the Batch's new outfits/armor. I get it, they had to blend in a little better. But it's just... not exactly right to me. Why is Tech's crotch not covered by his armor anymore? Was that for us or just a mindless choice made by the design department?

Could have done better: No visible damage on the ship after they escape the crabs. It looked like the crabs were ripping it up and yet the Batch were able to leave the atmosphere with no issues. OK.

What they did wrong: AZI being a drink server. Really? He's a medical droid and the writers didn't think to use him for something useful?? Wasted potential. Ok then.

What they did wrong: Not utilizing Bolo and Ketch yet. Really, what were the writers thinking?

What they did wrong: Having the Batch still working for Cid. I don't even need to defend this one.

What they did wrong: Introducing a love interest and then having her be rude to each of the Batch members right off the bat (Phee). At least try to make her likable? And she just dropped the cup into Cid's hands and ordered Wrecker around. Wow.

What they did wrong: Hunter giving in so easily to Cid's manipulation tactics.

What they did wrong: Having Wrecker aquire a new weapon only to have him never utilize it again. Maybe this will change in S3.

What they did wrong: The Batch never speak about how they still have Crosshair's sniper rifle after they acquired it in the last episode of S1. Really? Enough said.

What they did wrong: Having Tech break his leg only for it to have zero repercussions or healing time throughout the season. Lazy writing.

Season 2 episode 3:

Could have done better (rant incoming edition): I liked this episode, I liked seeing Cody and Crosshair working together. My problem is with the direction the writers decided to go with Crosshair's arc. I get why they did it; they wanted to show that Crosshair would see what the Empire was doing and slowly but surely change his mind on his own. I get it, but it's boring. I was really looking forward to Rampart and the Empire finding out that Crosshair escaped with the Batch on Kamino and dish out horrible punishment as a result and the Batch would need to rescue him, but we got this arc instead. Rampart even finds out that the Batch is alive and still doesn't do anything about it, he just keeps that information to himself. I get why, but still. Yawn.

Could have done better: Explaining why Crosshair is still in the black armor. Why demote him and then continue to put him in a different color armor than the other people at his level??? Or is it just because the other armor doesn't fit his unique build and the Empire doesnt want to waste resources on clones?

What they did wrong: Having Cody's squadron shoot the droids right as the droid was saying "there are no survivors" and then followed by "You can return to the city" "Roger Roger". Like hello???? Was it Crosshair that shot at them because he's not used to stealth missions, or did no one else hear the reply to go back to the city??? Explain this please.

Season 2 episode 4:

What they did wrong: HAVING THE BATCH STILL WORK FOR CID. ENOUGH SAID.

What they did wrong: Hunter and Echo had to deliver Chicken McNuggies and we don't get any references to this probably hilarious mission again.

Season 2 episode 5 (please note, watching this episode required an appetizer watch of a South Park episode, copious amounts of alcohol, and lots of hair being ripped from my scalp):

Could have done better: A LOT better. Part of what was making me tear my hair out was the musical score. I love the Kiner Bros work, but this particular episode's score drove me to tears. I hate it. Less dramatic, please.

What they did wrong: An appearance from Phee, followed by her being demeaning to Tech. Again, please at least try to make her likable.

What they did wrong: A side quest that did nothing for the plot.

What they did wrong: Hunter just going along with the rest of what the team wants. I get it, he has a soft spot for Omega and seeing her act her age and be excited to do something must be heart warming for him. But I'd love to see him in Sargent Mode again.

Could have done better: Older than the Jedi??? Please correct me if I'm wrong, but the Jedi are 25,000 years old. You're telling me something with this kind of tech existed before then? Bet.

Could have done better: The pacing. Yeah. We get it. It's a puzzle. Pace it faster please.

Could have done better: Hunter and Echo's look to each other before venturing into the place further. I would have loved for them to share a few lines. They both clearly didn't want this "mission".

What they did wrong: Having Phee, Hunter, and Omega get separated from the rest of the group. If you're going to sell us a love story about Phee and Tech, at least let them have some time together. I hate the idea of love interests in this show (unless it's in fan works), but if you're going to do it at least make it believable. It seems to me that Hunter and Phee have more chemistry in this episode (*vomits at the idea*) than Tech and Phee ever did. Phee just waves off Tech's ideas while she seems to play off of Hunter better.

What they did wrong: The stupid mechanical dinosaur thing. You're telling me it existed 25,000 years ago and was able to move again after all that time without a ship load of space WD-40? Bet.

What they did wrong: Hunter saving Phee instead of Tech saving Phee. Again, way more chemistry there.

What they did wrong: That mission was boring and all for nothing. Filler. Enough said.

Bonus: That poor droid 🫡

Season 2 episode 6:

Could have done better: The team trusting that Omega wouldn't find trouble. It's been over 6 months; they should know better by now.

Could have done better: Explaining why Hunter knows Wookie language. Maybe it's a throwback to the unfinished Clone Wars episode. I'm not sure. Is it because Hutter has more hair than the rest of the Batch?

What they did wrong: "We'll all find a new path." Bruh I don't think they meant a path downwards 9 episodes later 😳

Bonus: I'm not going to complain any more about this episode. The references to Order 66? The reaction of a Jedi seeing clones after Order 66? Seeing a Jedi on this show after Order 66 (aside from Kanan in Rebels)? Seeing Tech do more translating? Seeing Omega see a Jedi and also a lightsaber for the first time? Seeing Omega interact with another kid and showing extreme care towards him? Seeing Wrecker get excited about food while also seeing Echo get disgusted by it? Seeing Hunter go back into Sarge Mode? Wrecker imitating Wookie roars? "Where did the kids go?" A grizzly implied-death of a bad guy? "Hmm not bad?" "They're both just kids but they don't get to be, not in this galaxy"? Seeing normal Batch interactions like how they were back in season 1?????? I'm all for it. Give me more of that, damn it.

Season 2 episode 7:

What they did wrong (spoiler alert): Crosshair not being the secret sniper at 79s. Yawn.

What they could have done better: CT0409 not being a known clone from TCW.

What they did wrong: Not having Crosshair in the episode at all and yet having parts of his theme play. Quit amping us up just to have us be disappointed by the end of the season. Stop it. Get some help.

Bonus: CORUSCANT!!!!! WE GET TO SEE 79s!!!! OMG POLITICAL FIGURES TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE CLONES! BAIL ORGANA! RIYO CHUCHI!!! RAMPART!!!!!! RAMPART'S THEME!!! CLONES TALKING TO RIYO ABOUT THE FUTURE! CT0409 REVEALING THAT RAMPART ORDERED TIPOCA CITY TO BE DESTROYED! RIYO AND RAMPART MEETING! "Follow the money"! Showing accurate shell shock in Riyo when her guard is killed? CAPTAIN REX???

Season 2 Episode 8

Could have done better (it took a while to get to this point because of how many good things this episode has): The Batch, Riyo, and Rex bringing Omega to see the dead body. Ok, for this one, I'm not placing the blame on the writers, as they were making the characters as canon as possible and I applaud that, but it doesn't show any growth aside from Echo, who is a bit more tactful by gently moving Omega away from the body.

What they did wrong: Make hints about (and eventually develop) the future Mount Tantiss Arc (more to come on this one).

What they did wrong: Ok, I admit this one is personal. Rampart being arrested. I loved him as a main villian. Ok moving on.

Could have done better: Echo's leave. It had to happen. I get it. But the goodbyes were a little less-than aside from Omega. It's not really implied about who knew and who didn't know that he was leaving aside from her. Also, it was very random and I admit that I did cry after the episode. Him kneeling in front of Omega was about the point where I was going "HEY! HEEEYYYYYY!" really loudly when I was still sharing a wall with my parents so.

Could have done better: Echo telling Omega to "keep an eye on the others". I have to admit, I'm really torn on this issue. We've been told that Omega is older than the Bad Batch, but developmentally, she still seems to be a kid. As a child who was parentified myself, that line struck a nerve in me. She's still a kid even though she may be older than the Batch (although it was never specified if she was older than Echo). I'm not sure how to feel about this.

Bonus: EVERYONE'S RELAXING! GONKY! OMEGA MEDITATING BECAUSE OF GUNGI! ECHO TALKING ABOUT HIS IMPRISONMENT AND HIS RESCUE! REX! STRATEGIC DEBATE! OMEGA SEEING CORUSCANT FOR THE FIRST TIME! ... The Batch are probably on the planet at the same time as Crosshair :( ahem... RIYO CHUCHI MEET THE BATCH! "Hello!" *Omega waves*!!! ECHO VOLUNTEERING TO BE A WITNESS! OMEGA OFFERING TO HELP! NEW OUTFIT FOR OMEGA! OMEGA MEETING RAMPART AND SHOWING DISGUST FOR HIM! RIYO SHOWING OMEGA THE SENATE FLOOR AND OMEGA EXCITEDLY RUNNING TO THE EDGE TO LOOK DOWN! RIYO FIGHTING FOR CLONE RIGHTS! OMEGA MEETING BAIL ORGANA! FORMER SENATOR OF KAMINO! OMEGA BEING UPSET! A LAMA SU REFERENCE! A GOOD OLD BAD BATCH MISSION FEATURING REX! WRECKER SHOWING DISCOMFORT! NEW WEAPON! ECHO AND REX TALKING ABOUT CLONES (sad foreshadowing but necessary)! REX IMPROVISING! WRECKER COMPLAINING ABOUT HEIGHTS! TECH DOING TECH THINGS! HUNTER SAYING "TECH" IN THE OLDER BROTHER SARGENT VOICE! "New plan. 14, 5, 86" "All of them?"(also 86 reminded me of my days in food service. It's code for "we're all out of ingredient/dish)! "I was off by 6.4 meters. Not my best."! MORE POLITICAL STUFF REGARDING THE CLONES! ECHO FLYING! EMPORER PALPATINE! OMEGA SEEING PALPATINE IN PERSON! PALPATINE BEING PALPATINE AND MANIPULATING THE SITUATION TO HIS FAVOR! IMPERIAL STORMTROOPER OFFICIALLY NAMED! The view of a child being like "I don't understand what went wrong when we did the right thing." :( What would have happened if the Batch didn't intervene??? OMEGA HUGGING ECHO!

Season 2 episode 9:

What they did wrong: They're still working for Cid. No further criticism needed.

Could have been better: Bad lookout planning. I stand with people that said that Hunter should have been the lookout. I get that the writers made everyone unbalanced on purpose but the team knows better.

What they did wrong: The ship being stolen. We get it. Every mission goes wrong. Yawn. Pick a different theme.

Could have done better: A Lion King refrence? Really, Disney? Yawn.

Possible plagiarism alert: Everyone go read "These Silver Linings" by Rowanartist on Ao3 NOW. I swear that someone on the creative team read this fanfiction centering around Tech and Omega and decided to almost exactly copy it. Weak.

Bonus: THE MUSIC! HUNTER TRACKING! OMEGA AND WRECKER TALKING ABOUT ECHO! Bruh all that designing from the creative team that went into the Ipsium drill! HUNTER'S SENSES BEING UTILIZED! OMEGA SEEING PARENTAL FIGURES FIGHTING! OMEGA FINALLY THROWING AN AGE APPROPRIATE FIT! TECH AND OMEGA BONDING! OMEGA PERIL! Just... beautiful scenery... THAT BREIF ANIMATION OF TECH CLEARING OUT HIS GOGGLES! TECH IS CANONICALLY AUTISTIC! CROSSHAIR IS FINALLY MENTIONED! TECH SHOOTING THE IPSIUM!

Season 2 Episode 10:

Could have done better: Ok, to be fair, I didn't make this same connection that my husband did. The second that the thief was on screen, my husband went "HONDO?!" and he was really disappointed that it wasn't Hondo when he took the helmet off. So I'm calling the design choice a fail.

Bonus: GONKY IS REFRENCED! Awesome use of manipulation and gaslighting from the antagonist in this episode also. OMG 5 PEOPLE ON THE SAME BIKE LOL! PRETTY SKY! WRECKER SMASH! OMEGA BEING INTIMIDATING! WRECKER ASKING GONKY IF HE'S OK! TECHNO UNION REFRENCE! BRUH THAT SCENE WITH HUNTER REPELLING DOWN! OMEGA AND BENNI TEAM UP! BICKERING BATCH! AWW TECH GAVE OMEGA HIS DATAPAD! OMEGA SHOWING KINDNESS! HUNTER PROTECTING HIS TEAM! DOUBLECROSSING! OMEGA PERIL! KIDS TEAMING UP TOGETHER! HUNTER AND OMEGA TRUST FALL! (seriously though, that was the ultimate show of trust right there) BAD GUY DED NOW! WRECKER PICKING UP GONKY! OMEGA AND TECH BONDING!

Season 2 Episode 11 (I'm going to get really critical on my review past this point. If that ain't your thing, stop reading):

What they did wrong: The entire Mount Tantiss arc as a whole. I was perfectly happy with Lama Suu being dead and Nala Se being taken into a secret base, never to be seen again. That should have been the end of it, but nope. The writers decided to extend that arc into the next season. I'm pretty sure that mostly everyone here had zero to no interest in a continuation until they reintroduced it. It seems like they're trying to tie it into the sequel trilogy that they ret conned a few years back. Why??? For what? As far as I'm concerned, all talk about the cloning technology should have ended after Tipoca City was destroyed. The end. Bye. Pick a different arc.

What they did wrong: The Batch decides to keep working for Cid even after she didn't help them.

Could have done better?: Tech saying "do not concern yourselves, I will be fine." Foreshadowing.

Could have done better: Explaining why Omega is used to the cold but the Batch (mostly Wrecker) doesn't seem to like the cold.

What they did wrong: More cloning shenanigans. All Zillo Beast stuff should have died in TCW. Enough said.

What they did wrong: The Batch staying to fight instead of leaving immediately. Fr why are we here? This is pointless and boring.

Could have done better: Explaining what happens to those villagers. I'm autistic so it's difficult to put the pieces together. Explain better.

What they did wrong: Again with Mount Tantiss. NO. JUST NO. Pick a different arc.

Bonus: Ok yeah this is a scary episode. Creepy scenery. The screaming. Yes. Omg it's a clone commando. He skid. Zappy fail. Oh no he above. Ok fine Hemlock is a cool character. Also Emerie. And no music for a few minutes is a bit unsettling. Ahem. OMEGA TRYING TO SAVE PEOPLE IN THE SHIP! THE TEAM BEING INTERESTING! OMEGA SHOWING KNOWLEDGE FROM HER PAST! ALIEN REFRENCE! THE MUSIC AGAIN YAS! EVERYONE SHOOTING TOGETHER! "Facinating" EVERYONE PROTECTING OMEGA! "It ate the crew? It ate the crew." FOLLOWED BY WRECKER COMFORTING! OMEGA AND TECH COLLABORATING! HUNTER PILOTING! OMEGA SHOWING KNOWLEDGE! TECH SAVING OMEGA! TECH GETTING OMEGA ON THE SHIP! OMEGA COMFORTING FROM LULA! ECHO AND REX ARE MENTIONED!

Season 2 Episode 12:

I'm starting out with the good this time, as there's literally only one complaint I have about this episode. THE MUSIC! OMG A CROSSHAIR EPISODE FINALLY! BRAGG FROM LAST SEASON! LIEUTENANT ASSHOLE! ICE VULTURE! CLONE SASS! MORE CLONES! CROSSHAIR TALKS WITH A REG! MAYDAY! AMBIGUOUS ICE VULTURES! CROSSHAIR SNIPING! CROSSHAIR TRACKING! CROSSHAIR SLIDING! THE DEADWEIGHT EXCHANGE! CROSSHAIR HAS TO RELY ON MAYDAY FOR HELP! CLONE FORCE 99 IS MENTIONED! MORE BANTER! TRUST! TEAMWORK! PERFECT AIM! FLOP! CROSSHAIR REALIZES THAT THE EMPIRE IS SHIT! THE ANIMATION IS SO FUCKING GOOD WITH THE SNOW AND THE PARTICLES AND THE FOG! CROSSHAIR SAVES MAYDAY! CROSSHAIR AND MAYDAY WHUMP! CROSSHAIR AND MAYDAY USING THE SNIPER RIFLE AS A CANE! CROSSHAIR PLEADING FOR A MEDIC FOR MAYDAY! THE ANGER AND RAGE IN CROSSHAIRS FACE OMG I CAN'T! LITERALLY EVERYTHING THAT UNFOLDS AFTER THIS (except the ending) IS JUST YES OMG!

What they did wrong: Mount Tantiss again. Yawn. And it came out of nowhere too, like was the Empire just waiting for Crosshair to screw up so they could send him to Mount Tantiss? Explain.

Season 3 Episode 13:

It admittedly took a while for me to get to this episode because it is one of my most hated episodes but here we go.

What they did wrong: Phee putting Omega in a dangerous situation.

What they did wrong: Still working for Cid.

What they did wrong: GET YOUR HAND OFF TECH!

My own opinion: This episode made me anxious and I'm not sure if the creators planned this. The comfort? Omega being a kid? A nice meal? Hmm. Gives me the ick and I don't like it.

My Californian opinion: Ok, as a native Californian looking at other people's interpretations of an earthquake, the earthquake/tsunami scene was terror for me. The animals acting strange was the first sign for me. Earthquakes are LOUD. Shaking is one thing, but seeing the animals react before the quake, hearing the loudness of the stuff moving... It really reminded me of real earthquakes here. The oceans receding like omg get UP NOW! And thankfully, I haven't lived on the ocean but tsunamis are a real threat that I feel like they really nailed. Kudos to the research team on this.

What they did wrong: Now showing Phee's interest in Tech. Wtf.

What they did wrong: Phee redirecting Tech away from part of his team. Isolating behavior. Ick.

Bonus: HUNTER USING HIS ENHANCED SENSES! THE TEAM WORKING TOGETHER! WRECKER THEME! TECH BEING TECH! OMEGA SHOOTS! A MISSION IS A SUCCESS! Um... Omega, Hunter, and Wrecker all shake with their left hands but Tech shakes right? Hmm. "I have not heard her laugh like that in some time" THE FATHER REFRENCE YEE! "Have fun" "I'm full. I am never full!" "I will note the date and time to commemorate such an occasion" "I'm so sorry. But you're safe here." THE WATER SCENE WAS SO GOOD OMG! AND THE YUCKY WATER THEY SHOW THE DAY AFTER YAS THAT'S ACCURATE!

Season 2 episode 14:

Bonus: WOW WE REALLY OUT HERE STARTING THE EPISODE WITH HOWZER AND THEN ECHO AND GREGOR COME TO SAVE HIM! ECHO SAYING "I need more time" JUST LIKE TECH! CROSSHAIR! WHUMP YEE! AND THEN SENATOR CHUCHI! WOW! MORE CROSSHAIR WHUMP! CROSSHAIR FIGHTING BACK! MOUSE DROID! CROSSHAIR HAVING GOOD AIM DESPITE NOT BEING 100% HEALTH! CROSSHAIR WARNING THE BATCH TO STAY HIDDEN! WRECKER CATCHING FEESH! FLYING LESSONS! SCARED TECH! THE TECH TURN! DRIFTING, GIRL! LEFT HAND SHAKE! ECHO HUG! WRECKER CHASING THE KIDS! THAT CUTE LITTLE SCREAM FROM OMEGA! YAY THE SECOND CROSSHAIR REFRENCE!

What they did wrong: Echo not having his kama. No explanation needed.

What they did wrong: The Princess Bride reference. I get why the writers did it. It makes Hemlock scarier, but honestly I would have preferred to see him in a gas mask or something.

Season 2 episode 15:

It took me a lot of weeks to get to this point. Let's do it.

What they did wrong: Phee trying to get Tech to act more neurotypical. Nah.

Could have done better: Tech being separated from the team.

What they did wrong: Saw Gurrera. Enough said.

Could have done better: Gurrerra's efforts not doing a damn thing that mattered in the end.

Bonus: CROSSHAIR REFRENCE! TECH WANTS TO GO FOR CROSSHAIR! KRENNIC APPEARANCE! I love Wrecker's fear of heights tbh. NO TECH DON'T SLIP! Wrecker asking Omega if she can handle placing the tracker aww. Everyone working together and comming! Typical deterral chaos! MOUSE DROID DEATH NOOOOO! TECH BEING SMARTER THAN GURRERA! Ok tbh they did Krennic beautifully in like the 2 minutes of screentime he has. OOO THEY DOING BLASTER BOLTS AT THE TK TROOPERS! TEAM TOGETHER AGAIN!

Bonus: Music edition!

The music at 23 minutes was the sign that I knew something big was going to happen. I love and hate that.

Season 2 episode 16:

THE MUSIC IN THIS WHOLE EPISODE. The music is literally why I didn't want to watch this episode again. From the moment it started, it put a hole in my stomach. This episode has the best and worst score in the series because of all of the emotion, terror, and helplessness it held. When this episode was released, I was going to be married less than a month later. This score left me so breathless and unable to function for so many days that I was worried that I wouldn't be able to shake the dread and uneasiness that it caused by the time it was my wedding day (my day turned out perfectly btw). Just a beautiful and terrifying score and it still evokes the same emotions as the day it was first played for us.

What they did wrong (Everything is on this What They Did Wrong because yes): Tech slipping again and being separated. That jump. Killing Tech. I'm one of the #tech'snotdead believers tbh. But the writers didn't need to do us so dirty here. Hunter being offscreen mostly when holding Omega back. They decided to go back to Pabu. Tech's goggles? The way Hemlock talked to Omega always rubbed me the wrong way. So creepy. Not having Crosshair say any more lines. Emerie being another female clone.

Bonus: The 99 refrence. Wrecker's "NOOOO". Hunter jumping to save Omega during the crash. Hunter and Echo in the background. Omega calling Tech's name. The in and out of consciousness thing. Hunter carrying Omega's bow. Wrecker carrying Omega. Omega's POV. AZI!!! Wrecker and Omega hug. Everyone caring for Omega. Cid showing care. Echo remembering Tech in the pilot's seat. Honestly I get Cid's position. Hunter getting Omega out of there. The paternal comment. Cid's hesitancy. Omega trying to protect her family! "Echo?" " Gotta be Echo" Scorch carrying Omega. Hunter watching Hemlock's ship leave. Hunter with Wrecker's gun. The ship having stuff broken. "We are going to get her back and we don't stop searching until we do." Omega being reunited with Nala Se.

We are finally at the end of our journey for season 2. I don't know exactly what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. Season 1 was so perfect, and it felt like they were setting up for an earlier Crosshair redemption. It completely reminds me of when The Force Awakens came out and it had such promise, but then the next 2 movies were, to put it lightly, garbage, and it's because they refused to listen to what the fans wanted. I do not trust the writers at Lucasfilms to make good decisions anymore. They've ripped the rug out from under us for too long. I've been honestly very angry about Season 2 and it wasn't until I got the idea of watching it again to point out all the flaws and facepalm moments that I realized just how angry I was.

I was hopeful when the season 3 trailer dropped, but then after a few certain scenes were shown, I was left facepalming and groaning about the writer's choices again, but I was willing to have some hope. Then the sneak peek dropped and my hopes lowered yet again.

Here's how I hope season 3 to go:

Crosshair and Omega escape Mount Tantiss but Omega is captured again and Crosshair is forced to leave her.

Crosshair finds the Batch (or what's left of them) and teams up with them.

The Batch hires bounty hunters, Ventress included, (not sure where they get the credits to hire them but whatever) to help get Omega back.

The mysterious clone is Tech.

The Batch finds out that the mysterious clone is Tech.

The mission changes to "we're getting Omega and Tech back"

Omega and Tech are back and everyone lives and goes into hiding.

The end. No room for ambiguity and no loose ends. I want to see a finality in the series finale, like in TCW. These people are definitely alive, and these people are definitely dead. No leaving us wondering. Just us going "That's it. That's the end."

I still don't trust the writers though.

[cugzarui]

ok reading your entire essay now. skipped a lot of it before because it sounded like you were pretty much just repeating the same sentiment and not adding anything i needed to read to know what you're talking about. i'm writing some notes as i read

also, i know we're arguing but i do want to apologize for the really really long reply. if it sounds like im repeating myself at any point or taking too long to make a point feel free to skip ahead a little i'm just trying to be thorough.

first off. something i've said a couple times already and will repeat again. while steven universe has religious influences, they are not specifically christian. it also has a lot of eastern influences, because rebeca sugar is a big fan of anime and put a lot of its tropes into her work. these tropes are heavily influenced by eastern religions like buddhism. so by extension, so is steven universe. do you remember to account for that?

did you consider that maybe, steven universe is not in fact attacking christian beliefs? and that this interpretation is more a product of your preexisting views and attitudes rather than the show's actual substance?

when humans come along and do what we’ve always done since the fall, and say, “I’d rather define what Your thing is and how it works for myself, God,” it’s not only an incredible slap in the face, it’s an attack on God’s actual identity

is that actually something humans do? or are we just recognizing that what some people say god made us for does not actually line up with what he did make us for? even if we only talk about christianity there are a lot of different groups and interpretations of the bible. and if we include other religions it becomes even less clear what god wants from us. don't you think he would give us the ability to figure things out for ourselves? or rather, that he would guide us throughout life, possibly in ways that contradict what other humans tell us is right and wrong. because he knows better than them and speaks to us directly.

Like a fish insisting it can breathe oxygen

fun fact. some fish do that. you can look it up online. honestly not the craziest thing nature has.

LGBTQ+ worldview says, “I should get to love what I want and be who I am, because I’m me. Love is love. (By which I mean, any action or relationship I choose to call love is love, because I’m the one calling it that.)”

another and better way to phrase this is that love is different for different people. and you can't know what someone's love is like because you arnt a mind reader. you can only see what they do and listen to them and try to figure it out. do you even know that we feel the same emotions? or see the same colors? what if my 'blue' is the same as your 'red' but neither of us knows cuz we can never truly experience each others point of view?

No, wait, you shouldn’t base your decisions on you alone; what you want changes day to day

we don't. it's pretty common for lgbtq+ people to only figure out they are lgbtq+ after a long time of going through life and learning about different gender identities. a lot of them try to be straight and cis. a lot of them do listen to people like you and even believe the same things you do. but they also listen to people who believe in other things than you. and eventually a lot of them decide, yea i'm lgbtq+, not everyone is but i sure am. it's not a casual conclusion formed just by your own judgment.

also, what's wrong with changing your life as your desires change?

and you’re broken

this and the entire segment following this is a big red flag. others have already said why a lot better than i could.

See, the whole thing with the opposing views between LGBTQ+ and Christian people is as old as time

first off, no actually. at the very least you gotta know they were super fine with men fucking other men in ancient rome where christianity was big right?

second, a long standing disagreement/animosity between two groups is also a red flag. in this situation it's likely the actions of each group end up reinforcing the other. which stabilizes the whole situation. it's not about who's right or wrong as much as it's about certain ideas staying in people's heads. this happens even without anyone trying to cause it because it's just a stable situation that's simple enough to just form on its own.

He lied and said that disobedience would satisfy her. That she knew what her own heart needed better than the God that made it did. That the very act of being imperfect would make her godlike.

this may be my lack of familiarity with religion biting me in the butt but i'm pretty sure "being imperfect would make you godlike so eat this apple" isn't in the bible. i'm pretty sure he just tempts her with the promise of being like god. which, tbf, he kinda delivers on actually as the apple grants her knowledge of right and wrong just like god has. the snake tricked her by getting her to neglect thinking of the other consequences. which, again, tbf, she wasn't able to consider right and wrong at the time so how would she consider them? also god made everything and knows everything so if he didn't want this to happen he could've stopped it (as many have pointed out before me) so maybe eve eating the apple was also just a part of his plan?

if every pork chop were perfect, we wouldn’t have hotdogs

…well. this isn't a bad fit in your essay. but it kinda took me out.

And has a cast of created being

gems being created doesn't actually have to be a religious analogy at all. it definitely can be, but there are several ways to interpret the show. you can interpret how gems are made to be analogous to creating adam and eve out of dirt, or you can interpret it as being analogous to a technologically superior culture abusing the environment to grow itself. a process that oftenly involves extracting resources from the ground and building tools with them. gems arnt just the people of gem society, they are also tools. more so tools in fact, as that society views them (even if that view is wrong). i think abuse of the environment and destruction of "lesser" beings (organic life) are the themes relevant to that part of the show.

the bible doesn't have god destroy life to create it as far as i know.

characters who’s imperfections (Garnet’s forbidden “love,” Pearl’s obsession, Amethyst’s insecurity) are supposedly “the best thing about them; what makes them who they are.”

again i think you got the wrong themes. these are people who were supposed to fit their assigned roles and couldn't. and they're allowed to be happy and have a place regardless. i think a being who's literally love would understand that.

i will also note that a lot of gems do still choose to occupy roles related to their assigned purpose. just not the same as that purpose. again, this fits into white diamond thinking she's better than she actually is. she isn't god. but she sure acts like she is. you might call it hubris. this is also not a trope unique to steven universe. i don't remember any specific examples off the top of my head but "maniacle character who thinks they know best and can do whatever" was already an established trope before the show.

And has a main character who used to be a part of the god-like creator relationship, but used her power to come down to earth and completely change who she is into a fully different person.

this post is already way too long i'm not diving into a rose analysis other people have already done better than i could. in short: she saw that gems were killing life to make more of themselves and thought hey that's like really fucked up. how about not.

also if she's god she has a right to be whatever she wants

next paragraph is actually a valid point in the anti-god argument. again, there's other ways to interpret it like being a power that represents just psychological manipulation and being overly controlling

(can you tell i'm trying to finish the post faster?)

And has a main character who argues, fights back, tries to stop her, and is answered with lines that sound surprisingly like what LGBTQ+ people hear when Christians argue with them: “you’re only making things worse; you’re just deceiving yourself; even while you resist it your actual light can’t help shining through,” etc.

probably because rebeca sugar the other writers are lgbtq+ and creators put their experiences into their work? people could've very well said those exact lines to the people who wrote the show. again white diamond isn't being represented as god but as someone who acts like she's god (or possibly someone who thinks they speak for god when they don't).

White Diamond just wants everything to be perfect. Like her. She just wants her created beings to “be themselves.” But what she means is, be how she created them to be.

we don't actually know what she wants. we don't get to explore her character much. she is definitely invested in keeping gem society as it was in the first era. she wants pink diamond back. we can reasonably assume the latter is because she genuinely misses pink diamond. the former though is never properly explored. we don't know why she wants gem society to be this way. it's just presented as a given that she does.

God is not a dictator who forces us to conform to a standard of perfection and then smashes us when we don’t meet it

but the people who claim (and possibly believe) they are carrying gods will can often be like that

there was never “Choose God or Choose Yourself.” There was only, “Choose God or Choose Nothing.”

not a real choice. and again, eve couldn't tell right from wrong before eating the apple so she wouldn't be able to make an informed choice to begin with.

White Diamond didn’t make her creations perfect (Amethyst) and she didn’t make them for love. She made them for power. That’s not the God of the Bible

you are SO CLOSE to realizing that she isn't portrayed as a god figure but just as someone who tries to act like god.

No. He came to us, chose to give up His life at the exact point on the timeline when Romans, masters in the art of slow, humiliating, torturous death, would be the ones to carry out His crucifixion, and saved us Himself. Through the sacrifice of His own life.

this part of christianity has already been criticized to death and by people far more eloquent than i.

OR we can just keep stubbornly insisting that our slavery to the opposite of what God wants is somehow freedom

this part too.

broken creatures who lived their whole lives stomping their feet and screaming “I’m not a creature, I’m a god!

pretty sure people are stomping and screaming over not having human rights actually. like people want to live in a way that's not extremely unpleasant to them. and if anything you should take their dedication to their identity despite opposition as a sign that this is really fucking important to them and they'll be unjustifiably inconvenienced if this part of them isn't respected and understood.

Rebecca Sugar doesn’t know the God of the Bible. She just knows her idea of Him

maybe that's because she isn't christian

This is very pretty animation but it’s not real. Steven looks happy hugging Steven but self-love doesn’t ultimately get you that

are you speaking from personal experience or?…

also kids been through a lot cut him some slack. he almost died and basically had his soul ripped in two earlier that scene. i'd cry too if that happened to me.

(and about that self-love. um…we HAVE watched the same show right? this is when steven first ever gets real tangible irrefutable proof that he isn't his own mom. a question that has been literally haunting him for years at this point. and involved a huge amount of other trauma specifically because of people weren't sure if he is or isn't rose)

That’s all based on the premise that what he’s encouraging them to do is actually good, and will make them happy, and will help them love better. And it just won’t. Not in real life. That’s not how any of this works. Self-love is just self-obsession. And that is a sure-fire way to hurt you, and everyone around you

there is a difference between self obsession and being cool with who you are. also, a lot of (most) the harm that happens to humans in real life is caused either by bad luck or other humans. not by self obsession. if people say you have to be some way that you hate, and they're awful to you when you're not, that's gonna make you suffer.

And choosing to identify with your imperfections doesn’t make you uniquely you. It just makes you exactly like every other human being marching in the same line since the Fall

suppressing your "imperfections" and trying to correct them is also identifying with them. it's just a negative identification rather than a positive one. and it's one that's less visible to others i suppose.

White Diamond’s not relational. She’s up high and distant. That’s not God.

you. are. SO. CLOSE.

as for your newest reply:

i did actually consider the sum of steven universes parts. you are the one who seems to focus on the elements that support the anti-god interpretation while neglecting the parts that go against it. i brought up some individual elements as examples of things in the show that contradict your interpretation. or at least of things that bring it into question.

“At least it's not ferociously attacking God quite as directly as Steven Universe did…”

Not that I’m surprised by this statement, but can you elaborate on this? Kinda intrigued by your thoughts on Steven Universe.

Okie dokie, you’re not the only one who has asked me about this, so I suppose I’ll poke the hornet’s nest. 😅 I haven’t talked about this before because I assumed that everyone who wanted to hear my kinds of opinions on stories wasn’t watching or interested in Steven Universe.

It’s like asking vegetarian if they enjoyed a turkey dinner. The turkey dinner was so obviously not made for vegetarians to enjoy, so why would the vegetarian even bother analyzing the turkey?

But I think if some people are asking me why I think Steven Universe is anti-God (of the Bible) its because maybe they don’t know what the turkey is. Not completely. (Maybe not you, because like you said, you’re not surprised by my comment.) So I’ll explain my thoughts on Steven Universe.

If you’re just following me because you liked some stuff I posted, but didn’t realize that I’m a Bible-believing Christian and don’t want to hear about it, unfollow me now. Because I’m going to talk about some hot button issues here and the trolls will come out.

Steven Universe is really well-done. The jokes are funny, the writing is believable, the characters have great chemistry, great design, the concept is fascinating, the slow build-up and reveal of the plot elements is great. But when you watch the throne room scene in the last episode of Season 5 “Change Your Mind,” it’s alarmingly clear how much the whole show is not just settling for defending and championing the LGBTQ+ worldview—it goes all the way to attacking what Christians believe, on the other side.

Anything that’s pro-LGBTQ+ is doing that by default, but this show goes out of its way to do that.

You have to understand: God created and designed us. Deeper than that; He created and designed romantic relationships, and invented marriage. He didn’t just create love—He is love. So when humans come along and do what we’ve always done since the fall, and say, “I’d rather define what Your thing is and how it works for myself, God,” it’s not only an incredible slap in the face, it’s an attack on God’s actual identity—and it’s destructive for us and the people around us. Like a fish insisting it can breathe oxygen.

But Steven Universe goes beyond that. It knows that the Christian worldview is it’s biggest opposition. It digs right down to the heart of the worldview-battle. LGBTQ+ worldview says, “I should get to love what I want and be who I am, because I’m me. Love is love. (By which I mean, any action or relationship I choose to call love is love, because I’m the one calling it that.)”

Biblical worldview says “No, wait, you shouldn’t base your decisions on you alone; what you want changes day to day, and you’re broken, so you can’t ever be satisfied based on what you want—the Bible says God made you for something, and you rejected that, and it broke you. You’re not how you’re meant to be: even what you want and what you think love is is twisted up and can hurt you and others. But if you submit to God He’ll help you, He’ll fix what’s broken and give you new life by making you how you were supposed to be: He’ll live in you and through you.”

Are we beginning to get the picture?

See, the whole thing with the opposing views between LGBTQ+ and Christian people is as old as time. It’s not a new debate. It’s Satan and Eve in the garden. She says, “This is not how God said things should be,” and Satan says, “Are you sure that’s what He said? He knows if you do this thing, you’ll be like Him. You’ll be god: you’ll get to decide ‘how things should be’ for yourself.”

He lied and said that disobedience would satisfy her. That she knew what her own heart needed better than the God that made it did. That the very act of being imperfect would make her godlike.

And then Steven Universe comes along and says “if every pork chop were perfect, we wouldn’t have hotdogs.”

And has a cast of created being characters who’s imperfections (Garnet’s forbidden “love,” Pearl’s obsession, Amethyst’s insecurity) are supposedly “the best thing about them; what makes them who they are.”

And has a main character who used to be a part of the god-like creator relationship, but used her power to come down to earth and completely change who she is into a fully different person.

And has a godlike Creator character who claims she “doesn’t need” her created beings (just like the God of the Bible) but they all have a little part of their creator in them so she has to repress their imperfections; she holds them all to a standard that’s impossible to reach called “perfection” and punishes them when they don’t meet it even though it hurts them to try; she expects them all to do what they were created by her for; she fixes them when they can’t meet her standard by shining her light through them and making them extensions of their Creator.

And has a main character who argues, fights back, tries to stop her, and is answered with lines that sound surprisingly like what LGBTQ+ people hear when Christians argue with them: “you’re only making things worse; you’re just deceiving yourself; even while you resist it your actual light can’t help shining through,” etc.

White Diamond just wants everything to be perfect. Like her. She just wants her created beings to “be themselves.” But what she means is, be how she created them to be.

And she’s the bad guy. She’s playing God in this show, and Rebecca Sugar is saying, “If God is telling us that can only be happy by being perfect, as He is perfect, and doing what He created us to do, then He’s wrong. Our imperfections are what make us special—unique—individuals—free—and there is nobody who has the right to take that freedom away from us, not even out creator!”

And you know what?

If God were like White Diamond, like Rebecca Sugar believes Him to be, Steven Universe would be right.

But He is NOT.

God is not a dictator who forces us to conform to a standard of perfection and then smashes us when we don’t meet it. He is a King who made us perfect to begin with, and we rejected him, because He allowed us to do that. He knew that true love was love that had to be chosen, and He wanted us to love Him by choice, so he gave us the option. But Rebecca Sugar doesn’t understand—there was never “Choose God or Choose Yourself.” There was only, “Choose God or Choose Nothing.” There was nothing except God. Then He created everything. There is no version of reality where you have something better than God, or even slightly less good but different, to pick. You’re not jumping from one ship into a smaller one, but at least it’s yours—you’re jumping from one ship into a void, and then complaining that there’s no other ship. That’s humans. That’s not God. / White Diamond didn’t make her creations perfect (Amethyst) and she didn’t make them for love. She made them for power. That’s not the God of the Bible.

Even when we did choose to try and love ourselves instead of God, and therefore warped our ability to perfectly love at all, He didn’t smash us. True, everything fell and was cursed, which is exactly what He warned us would happen if we chose it, but it was a natural consequence of breaking ourselves. And then He didn’t leave us that way. He didn’t give up on us. And He certainly didn’t just zap us, snap His fingers, quick-fix it and turn us all into robots who are extensions of Him, who say they love Him but only because it’s His voice puppeting us to say it.

No. He came to us, chose to give up His life at the exact point on the timeline when Romans, masters in the art of slow, humiliating, torturous death, would be the ones to carry out His crucifixion, and saved us Himself. Through the sacrifice of His own life. And even then, we still have a choice. We get to choose to accept that incredible self-sacrifice when we don’t deserve it, and be given new life and a relationship with the Creator who knows us and loves us better than we can love ourselves or receive love from others—OR we can just keep stubbornly insisting that our slavery to the opposite of what God wants is somehow freedom, and our twisted versions of love are genuine, and we’re not broken, and die like that. Die broken creatures who lived their whole lives stomping their feet and screaming “I’m not a creature, I’m a god!”

White Diamond sacrifices nothing, because Rebecca Sugar doesn’t know the God of the Bible. She just knows her idea of Him. She’s never actually gotten to know Him. If she had, she’d learn how silly and twisted her idea is.

Because you know what, yeah, if every pork chop were perfect, we wouldn’t have hot dogs. But people aren’t pork chops. And hot dogs have flavor (not better than pork chops) but they are awful for you.

Christians aren’t perfect cuts of meat with no individuality or flavor. Just because we all know and love the same God doesn’t mean we have no personalities. It just means we don’t think so freaking much about what we are, or who we get to be, or what we like and want. Jeez, what a self-centered, narcissistic, self-obsessed way to live. She plays Steven like he’s this wonder-child, innocent and full of heart, who encourages his friends to love and keep trying. But honestly?

This is very pretty animation but it’s not real. Steven looks happy hugging Steven but self-love doesn’t ultimately get you that.

That’s all based on the premise that what he’s encouraging them to do is actually good, and will make them happy, and will help them love better. And it just won’t. Not in real life. That’s not how any of this works. Self-love is just self-obsession. And that is a sure-fire way to hurt you, and everyone around you.

You’ll never be free by choosing to run to a worse master. You’ll never be satisfied with your crappy attempts at loving yourself, because you were made to be loved flawlessly and forever by someone who is Love Himself.

And choosing to identify with your imperfections doesn’t make you uniquely you. It just makes you exactly like every other human being marching in the same line since the Fall.

White Diamond’s not relational. She’s up high and distant. That’s not God. He made you to be in relationship with Him. He loves you, totally and perfectly, and He proved it by sacrificing for You.

So yeah. That’s the problem with Steven Universe. Come get me, SU fans.

[vumming]

all of us are dead — yoon gwi nam “shards”

requested by : anon [ if you comfortable with it, can you do something where either gwi-nam finds out the the reader sh or finds her sh herself and then he becomes protective of her, it’s ok if you’re not comfortable in writing it ]

warning : self h*rm, gw*-n*m who's ooc here, short fic, angst(?)

Gwi-nam enters the premise of the bathroom, hearing that you skipped classes—it was unusual, because despite him having a bad reputation, he doesn't want to make you go to his path. Knowing fully well that you'll be more safe without the glowing 'delinquent' on your head.

You, his precious girlfriend whom he hides from the threats of his world.

He casually trudges in, hearing the whimpers on one of the stall. He halt in his steps, leaning back a bit to look at the surrounding outside of the bathroom, seeing no one, Gwi-nam locks the door shut.

“y/n-ah.” He called, voice softer and gentle than his usual tone when with others.

The rough exterior of his dropped, he heard shuffling before he stands in front of the stall you are in. His steps are slow paced. If Gwi-nam would be compare, one would say that you are the water and he's the sponge, getting soft when you are involved.

You knew about his reputation, you do, but what can you do about it? None, with a man as insane as your boyfriend, even change will just be a fleeting dream to chase. Impossible, even.

Gwi-nam stood in front of the stall, waiting for you to come out, his knuckle knocking on the metal door a few times to announce that he is outside.

You sniffed, wiping your tears hurriedly. “H-hold on!” You stammered, dusting powder on your face immediately for your red nose to not be noticed. The boy stood outside, breathing as he listens to your cries.

He thought, what's making you hurt? Who is it? Gwi-nam was someone who has been exposed to blood throughout his high school. Someone as such would know the foul metallic smell of it, his nose scrunched in disgust and worry.

Heck, he is already resisting the urge to knock down the door—property damage be damn, but he knows you wouldn't like that, after all, his pretty girlfriend has a set of morals and you only wished for him to not get hurt and chased down by the school.

“It's fine.” He grumbles, hands nearing the handle, ready to destroy it to pry it open before your figure appeared.

“Oh.”

“Oh.”

The two of you stared at each other before his eyes drifted to your arms; hidden on your back as you sheepishly grin at him with closed eyes to hide those puffy lids that made you look like you were stung by a bee. Gwi-nam tuck his hands inside his pockets, nodding to your arms, “Are you okay?”

“Huh?”

“Are you okay.?” He repeated, this time, softer. “Oh- oh yea.. just, I just read a sad book, that's all.” You replied with a smile, but Gwi-nam knows, deep down, that what you are showing is something that's as shallow as the surface of the sea.

“Don't lie.”

You were taken back, snapping at your beau with a stern and harsh tone, “I'm not.” realization hits you by then, “I- sorry.. I didn't mean to snap at you.” You apologized, head lay low.

Gwi-nam wasn't bothered at all by your attitude but he was bothered by the stench of red that coats your bandages. Reaching out to capture your hands, “Then what the fuck is this?”

“I just cut myself while working.”

“Bullshit.” He scoffed, “This deep? What the fuck do you think of me, stupid?” Gwi-nam pauses, watching as you looked at your feet, anywhere but his eyes. “Y/n-ah, who hurt you? Should I beat them up?” Gwi-nam raised your hand that he was holding to his chest.

“If you tell me who they are, I'll beat them so they'll never mess with you again.”

“It's not like that...”

Brows furrowed, he pulls you close to his frame, his fingers lifting your face to meet his, “then look at me. Tell me what's wrong. Am I not your boyfriend?” He saw you hiccup, the tears that you wished to blink away now flows down your cheek.

“You shouldn't be doing this, if you have any problem at least talk to me, doll.” He closed his eyes, leaning down to press his forehead against yours. “I wouldn't want to lose you, I already lost so much.” A trembling breath left his lips at the thought.

Gwi-nam let go of your hands to envelope you in a warm embrace. He'd build a whole castle for you just to keep you safe, guarded by tall gates to give you security.

Because he knows, the world is a survival.

He wants to keep you hidden, safe from the prying eyes wish to bring harm to you and him.

He took the wrong path to keep you on the right track, still, despite all the tough and condescending attitude, Gwi-nam felt helpless in your hold—he is, but a broken boy who thinks, he isn't enough for you.

He caress your hair, light peppering kisses pressed on your crown, deepening his hold to you so you won't see the saline waters that escape his eyes.

“Don't do it again, yeah?”

[cinamun]

They don’t trust Hope. She left because she thought if she got some life experience or whatever went through her head, they would trust her more. Maybe she wanted to prove it to herself and her parents that she can do it. Now if it was Darren who would have put his hands on Hope like he used to do Indya (let us not forget) it would be a different conversation. They are a toxic couple that should’ve never gotten married, imo. To me they are facading “growth”. Again, I ask “where is it?” because whenever something comes up, they go back. That’s not growth. Is it because they live in a nice house and Indya is no longer using men? Is it because Darren is no longer punching people in the face? As a child, we want to understand where our parents come from and Hope is always “it’s ok”-ing and trying to be woke with her parents trauma. At some point, I believe we need to say, “So what about your trauma.” Why? Because at some point in this life, you need to be responsible for your own actions and words and not keep blaming what your mama, your daddy, the streets, who/whatever did to you. You need to heal it. These two have not dealt with any consequences of the b.s. they pulled to each other and now Hope and mostly likely Deera and DJ. You can not treat people any way you want to even those you parent. Hope can get the same treatment. She was disrespectful. They wrapped her so much in bubble wrap that she literally can’t live a life. Hope is going to get hurt anyway because that’s life. My point is so often we want to give grace to parents just because they are your parents. I’m SO over that. No amount of “sorry” can undo the harm that is done. There was a short story I read about a dad telling his son to hammer a nail into the fence whenever he was mad. Later he told him to remove the nails, while saying sorry. Although the nails were out, the residue is still there. I pray they can get through this, but something needs to change. When stuff like this happen, that’s why some parents end up being alone on their death bed and be wondering what went wrong. Or some kids hold stuff in and shows up in harmful ways such as self-harm. I think we’ve been giving them grace. I’m so sick it. I have no sides because everyone in this household is 1000% wrong. (2/2) Guess I had more characters allowed than I thought. XD. I am trying to root for them to be better but I am giving up Hope. I know for me I am forgiving until I get fed up. Then that grace turns to anger and I want to make others hurt 1000 times over. That's something I am working through. Human beings are trash sometimes. ><

Part one on the bottom. *cracks knuckles* Let's get into it:

I gotta say, if you haven't seen any growth from Darren and Indya throughout this entire story (started 7 years ago), I wonder if we're reading the same story! And that's not shade. The growth isn't just monetary. Its how they interact with each other in a way that is loving, nuturing and soft which has been woven very intricately throughout the story. Even Indya's mom showed empathy and warmth when she wanted to. I think you remember the bad things because they were very bad things so they stick out, but as Darren says, we prefer to leave the past right where it is.

A few things:

What they meant by "not going back" was infidelity, physical abuse, sleeping around for money, shooting people, you know... the life they were living. They haven't gone back.

Parenting level 9 is still there, in fact, Darren is level 9 as well. Even the best of parents have lost their shit with their kids.

"I got in one little argument and my mom got scared so she cussed me out and read me for filth when my siblings weren't there" (this is me, remixing the fresh prince theme song... work with me)

I honestly don't think the argument is strong enough for how this interaction with Hope is setting them back and continuing the cycle of generational trauma. This is the first time that Indya has reacted like this with Hope. Ever. And it wasn't for a minor offence, AND Hope clapped back a lil bit. Think about how many times they just ground her, or better yet, the time Indya didn't tell Darren about the weed, or the club...

Hope can't get "life experience" at 16 on the streets. That's what Indya had to do, that's what Indya and Darren are trying to prevent, right? So Hope didn't leave for that reason. And "she can do it" do what? Survive on the street? We don't want that...

We'll get into the trust part shortly.

Darren may very well still be punching people in the face.... I have no further comment at this time.

I would argue Indya and Darren are living the consequences of their previous actions by participating in the very difficult task of raising children to be healthy, happy, loved and cared for. They are not perfect, but you don't have to be perfect to be a parent.

I get how this situation is triggering. I truly do. I've also written these characters to behave in the exact way that they just did. I've also tried to be very clear about who they are. We are still learning who Hope and her siblings are.

Getting help, dealing with issues is something that happens throughout your life. You can get as far as you can, but I don't believe that you fix all your problems at any given point. Its progressive. So to say they should have "dealt with that" before having children, well... they did.

Its so curious to me that Indya has been cancelled by a few folks now for reacting in a way she was written to. And in a way that makes sense given the severity of what Hope did (everyone agrees it was very very bad).

I really like the nail analogy because even when you apologize the damage is still there. Like Hope, coming in the living room apologizing. She already damaged her parents. It goes both ways.

Finally, these little pixels are not the SimHuxtables as someone else put it. They are products of my wild imagination and there's no telling how they'll end up.

[jakesimfromstatefarm]

not jealous | jake sim

summary: jake sim is not a jealous person. at least that's what he tells himself. so why does he find himself going through your phone when a certain "bluejay park" decides to text you?

pairing: jake sim x y/n [ft. mentions of jay park]

genre: angst, fluff 

warnings: angst, cursing (very minimal), one slightly suggestive sentence, jake being cute, some more angst lol, slightly cheesy bc jake’s just too cute ugh

wc: 3.8k

a/n: ok i loved writing this, which is why i went on to almost 4k words LOL oops. but anyways, i love jake a little too much and this type of scenario has been running around in my head for a while now so i decided to put it into words. also i may have created this blog just so i could post this somewhere LMAO anyways yeah this was my first fic so hope you guys enjoyyyy <3

Jake Sim is not a jealous person.

At least that's what he tells himself. To be fair, in his past relationships, he never showed any jealously. Then again, he doesn't know if he can call those relationships, "relationships". Does a fifth grade relationship with a girl who he was once dared to kiss during a game of Truth or Dare in the basement of a classmate's house during their 11th birthday party count? He doesn't remember being jealous when the same girl was later dared to kiss his classmate, Sunghoon. (Funny enough, that's how the two boys came to be best friends 'til this day, but that's a story for another time.) 

But really, Jake doesn't think jealously is one of his traits, even if he's now almost 20 years old without any experience with love other than his current relationship with you and that short-lived romance in the fifth grade. (What was her name again? Jake would have to ask Sunghoon later.)

So he doesn't know what clicked in that brain of his that lead him to this current situation he was in. He doesn't know why he felt a little spark of anger in him when your phone, which you left right next to him on the couch while you went to take a shower, kept buzzing with texts from "bluejay park". He doesn't know why he couldn't kept his eyes distracted from the messages, although your phone was constantly lighting up because whatever it was Jay had to say to you, he would not shut up about it. He doesn't know why he questioned what your relationship with Jay was for a split second.

In fact, you're close with all of Jake's friends. That's one of his favorite things about you, you get along so well with all his friends you might as well replace Jake himself in the friend group. So he doesn't know what tells him to take a little glance at your phone—at the messages.

But he finds himself doing it anyways.

Hearing that the water in the shower was still running (you were always the type to take long showers), he quickly grabs your phone and scrolls through the lock screen just to find that he couldn't even read the messages since you had your notifications set so no one could read them unless the phone was unlocked (darn you and your settings!) Thankfully, Jake knew your passcode––and you knew his too––or he thought he did. Until the iPhone vibrated, telling him the passcode was wrong.

He must've entered it too fast or something. So he tries again.

And again.

And again.

Until the iPhone switches its screen to say: "iPhone is disabled. Try again in 5 minutes."

There's no way. You never change your password. And even if you did, you would tell him—you two even had each other's fingerprints saved into each other's phones in the past (you know, before the world decided that Apple's home button was too lame and decided to just completely get rid of it). If there was an option to save multiple faces for Face ID, you two would be that couple that saved each others faces in your own phones.

That being said, Jake sat there, your phone in hand, frozen. Why was your phone locked? Why was Jay texting you 10 texts per second? Why did he feel guilty about this entire situation?

He hears the shower switch off and in that moment, he swears he feels his heart beat just a little faster. He tells himself there's no way you'll be out before the 5 minutes are up. You followed a really meticulous skincare routine (one that Jake memorized by now) that took an extra 15 minutes of your time after each shower.

"Hey Jake?" Your voice calls out from the tiny bathroom door crack that you left open before you hopped in the shower, "Is my phone out there? Do you mind bringing it to me?"

Fuck.

Jake shifts on the couch. Taps his foot on the ground. Returns your phone to its original spot. Clears his throat.

"Don't you want to get dressed first?" he calls back, quite timidly.

He can hear you stop moving around in the bathroom. Probably telling yourself what an odd response that was. To be fair, it was an odd question, considering the fact that you two have been together for so long, it’s not like he hasn’t seen you undressed before...intentionally or not. 

Next thing he knows, the steam is rolling out of the bathroom door and you're stepping out in your towel, eyebrows raised.

"If you didn't want to get up from the couch, you could've just said so, you lazy butt," you smirk at him as you walk towards him and the couch, leaving a faint trail of water drops behind you. Jake's eyes follow your figure as you go to grab your phone and lift the screen towards yourself.

That's when he freezes. You do too.

You cock your head, as if asking yourself why it was disabled. He can hear the gears in your head turning.

"Jake, did you try to unlock my phone?"

He runs through all the possible excuses he could blurt out. Come on Jake, think of something! But he knows he can't lie to you.

Too many beats of silence pass by.

"Maybe," he finally says—or more like murmurs. He looks up to you like a child looking up at their mom, who just them caught stealing a cookie from the cookie jar. To his surprise, you don't show any hint of anger. A flash of confusion—and is that worry he sees?—crosses your face for a split second before you shrug and turn towards your room to change, dropping the subject. It was natural for you two to use each other's phones anyways. So then why did you have that look of worry?

Jake knows you well, a little too well. But that's what you love about him. He can easily read all your emotions. One of the many things he picked up from dating you for almost two years now. But why would you care if he tried to get into your phone? Why would that worry you? All the possibilities run through head and his own worry begins to increase. He trusts you. He does.

So then why does the thought bother him throughout the entire day? Why does he bring it up during dinner later that night, when you're both cuddled on your sofa, slurping take-out ramen while rewatching your favorite k-drama under the thick blanket that you always keep in your living room for nights like these?

"Huh? Of course I've heard from Jay today, we had that conversation about that stupid meme you boys kept laughing about in the groupchat we're all in, didn't we?" You answer him when he asks if you've heard from Jay lately. You sit up from your warm spot under Jake's arm to put your empty bowl on the coffee table in front of you. When you lean back, you look up at him,

"Why do you ask?"

"Oh, it's nothing, just wondering," he says, avoiding your eyes by keeping his own trained on the series currently playing on your TV. This would be your third time rewatching this series together. He would never complain to you though, he knows how much you love it and if he were being honest, he was secretly attached to the characters—not that he would ever tell you, he would never hear the end of it from you and the boys.

"You're being weird. Just tell me, or did you forget that I can practically read your mind," you say with a giggle and shove to his side, the one you were currently warmly cuddled into. Jake wasn't the only one who learned how to read emotions; you could read him just as well as he could read you. And like you, that's one of the many things he loved about you. But maybe not in this case.

He toyed around with the contents inside his ramen bowl with his chopsticks.

"I just..." God, how does he word this? Why was he having trouble explaining it? You were the easiest person to talk to. To him, you were the only person he could tell everything to.

"Jaywastextingyouabunchearlier," he blurts out quickly, but not quickly enough for you to miss it.

He feels you shift under his arm. He feels the air in the room shift. Tension.

"What?" Now you're sitting upright, legs criss-crossed in front of you on the couch but turned, so your body is completely facing him. He mirrors you, sitting up to put his ramen bowl next to yours on the surface, but he stays facing the TV.

"Your phone kept going off because of him when you were showering," he says with a little more confidence. But inside, he was nervous as hell, the same nervous as when he asked you out for the first time many moons ago. But it's too late to back out now, he brought it up first, anyways. Guess we're having this conversation now, good going Jake!

"Is that why you tried unlocking my phone earlier? I mean I thought you were just trying to leave selfies on my phone like you always do but you were trying to read my texts?" You question, slightly raising your soft voice. He doesn't know how to react, he hates confrontation.

"It wasn't like that, Jay just kept spamming you and like I—why was he even texting you in the first place? Then your phone got disabled because you changed your password, which you never do by the way, so I–"

"I changed it because my little sister kept getting into my phone when I went to visit my family yesterday! Did you really think I was hiding something from you? You know I can text whoever I want, right? You don't own me."

Okay so now he's managed to make you angry. Good going Jake, part 2!

"Okay but what does Jay need from you so bad that he has to send you like 50 messages at once?" He's standing now. So are you, eyebrows furrowed together as you collect your bowls from the table.

Standing there, bowls in hand, you say, "Jake, that's none of your business! It wasn't even that big of a deal, I don't know why you felt the need to nosy around."

"Well, if he's texting you non-stop, then obviously it's a big deal! We wouldn't even be having this conversation if you would just tell me what you guys were talking about," he murmurs back, eyes narrowing. You scoff as you trail into your kitchen. He follows behind and stops at the other side at your kitchen island as you place the dirty dishes into the sink.

"No, we're having this conversation because you obviously don't trust me! It doesn't matter what we were talking about, it doesn't matter who I was texting! I could be texting your mother and I shouldn't have to tell you what we were talking about! That's why we're having this conversation," you say as you turn back to face him from the other end.

He hates this. He hates fighting with you (which is a very, very rare occasion). He hates that you think he doesn't trust you. He hates his insecurity eating at him, telling him to keep questioning you on why you and Jay were talking in the first place. He was aware that you were close with his friends, but it wasn't until the texts he realized just how close you are with them. It's not that he didn't trust you, he just didn't know how to act when it came to you and other guys. God knows how he got lucky enough to meet you, let alone date you, so the thought of him losing you to someone else actually terrified him. Not only were you his first real relationship, but he wanted you to be his first and only one in life. You were it for him.

"Why did he text you." He deadpans from his side of the kitchen.

You scoff with a hint of exasperation. "You're kidding me."

You stare at him. He stares back, quirking an eyebrow, as if restating the same question back, as if testing you.

You're fuming now. Why was he making it so hard? Why was he doubting you? Out of frustration, you start laughing, which scares him. That can't be good.

"Fine. You wanna know so bad? Take a look,"  you're one tone level away from screaming as you take your phone out of your pocket, unlock it, and open up your conversation with "bluejay park", sliding the phone across the island to reach him.

Jake stares at the phone which now lies there, unlocked, facing him. Isn't this what he wanted? It is, right? That's why he started this dreaded argument with you in the first place.

Then why does he feel so fucking awful?

He looks back up at you, to see you sighing and looking up at the ceiling, as if trying to force your forming tears back into your eyes.

Yup, he feels horrible.

"Happy? Happy to know we were just trying to plan a surprise birthday party for you but you and your jealously just had to know huh, Jake?" You quickly state, voice cracking, as you tried not to choke up. You weren't sad that he found out about the surprise. You were sad that it felt like he didn't trust you. That he thought you were the type of person to do god knows what behind his back. You hated the feeling of not being trusted. Especially by Jake, of all people.

"Fuck."

Jake's face (and heart) falls with the most broken expression you've ever seen. But you're too sad, angry, tired (a mix of all?) to care. Your only goal right now is to not let him see you cry.

You hurry past him, across your apartment, and into your bedroom, slamming the door behind you, leaving behind a shocked, and regretful, Jake.

His heart shrinks when he hears the door slam shut and a little more when he looks down at the still unlocked phone in front of him. He didn't have the heart in him to look at it anymore. Of course he trusted you, he knew what you said was the truth.

He mentally screams at himself for assuming the worst––for thinking that you, a literal angel, would betray him.  First, he thought he was losing you to someone else. Now, he was afraid he just lost you through his own actions. 

He hesitantly sulks over to your door, softly knocking when he reaches it.

"Y/N?"

No response.

"Y/N, I'm so sorry. I didn't know, I let my—”

"Jake just please leave me alone for now," he hears you painfully say from a distance, meaning you're on your bed. He knows the door's unlocked—the lock on your door hasn't been working for a long time now, despite the many times he tells you to talk to your landlord about it. But he doesn't find it in him to open it. He knows he messed up. If he saw you in there right now, crying, he wouldn't know what to do. He wouldn't know what he would to do himself, knowing he was the reason behind your tears.

He nods in silence, knowing you can't see him, but does so anyways and returns to his spot on the couch. He could leave right now, go back to the dorm with the rest of the guys, let you have your space like you wanted. But his heart hurts at the idea of leaving you sad, angry, or a combination of both. He can't leave this unresolved. He fucked up, he has to fix it.

And so he sits on your couch for another hour. The clock on the wall behind him continues to tick as the silent tension in your apartment continues to grow. When it hits 11pm and he's sure you've slumbered off into sleep, he quietly enters your room.

He can see your figure in the dark, your back facing the door as you're curled up into yourself under the comforter. He feels his heart drop a little more when he imagines you crying in that position from earlier. He slowly peels the comforter open and gets into his side of the bed, careful not to bother your sleeping figure.

Laying there, staring up at the ceiling, he's never felt more like a stranger in your bed. It's not that he hasn't slept over before, god knows he's probably slept over at your place more than he has in his own bed. But right now, in this moment, he just felt awful. Like he didn't deserve to be in such close proximity to you. How could he be deserving? He violated your privacy, made you feel like you weren't trusted, doubted your relationship.

These thoughts run through Jake's head as he stares up at your ceiling fan, wishing he could turn back time to a few hours ago, before he checked your phone, before he let his insecurities get to the best of him.

You can feel the dip he makes in the bed behind you when he gets in. Of course you're not asleep. There's no way sleep could reach you when you had the recent events constantly replaying in your head like a broken record.

You knew Jake with all your heart. You didn't have to look at him to know he was probably laying there, hurt, staring up at the ceiling, drafting what to say once you wake up—or once he knows you're actually still awake.

You decide to break the tension by turning to lay on your other side, facing him.

You were wrong. Thanks to the little sliver of moonlight shining through your sheer curtains, you can see him, now laying on his side, already looking at you with so much regret in his eyes. You can almost hear the cracks in your heart physically forming.

His eyes widen when he realizes you're still awake. He opens his mouth to say something, but not before you quickly shift over to his side of the bed and embrace him in a tight hold, burying your face into his chest. Without any hesitation, he returns the gesture, arms holding your body as close to him as possible. As if once he let go, he'd lose you forever.

He lets out a sigh of relief as he breathes you in. He didn't even know he was holding his breath all this time.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry Y/N," he mutters into your hair. He feels his hoodie getting wet from where you buried your face. He pulls you closer, if that's even possible, feeling his own eyes heating up with sadness. He would never forgive himself for making you feel this way.

"You know I trust you right? Please know that. I shouldn't have assumed the worst when I saw your phone. I...I let my insecurities get to the best of me."

You move your head from its home on his chest to look up at him, as if asking him to elaborate. This was new to you, you didn't know he held insecurities in your relationship. But it wasn't because of you, no, you were his entire world. Losing you meant losing everything.

Jake's never been the best at saying his feelings. That's why it took him so long (with the help of his six best friends) to finally confess how he felt about you. He was afraid of letting people in if they could easily walk out. Maybe that's why he never let anyone into his life before you. But oh, were you an exception. The second he met you, he knew he was fucked. But thank god he did, because thanks to you, he's been able to be more open, more vulnerable. He's able to talk to you about anything and everything. He doesn't have that same fear of losing people anymore, not when he has you in his life to reassure him every step of the way. But right now, in this moment, he doesn't know how to tell you that his new fear was, in fact, just losing you.

The sheer idea of you not being a part of his life anymore terrified him. 

"I hope you know you're never going to lose me Jake, if that's what you're insecure about," you softly mutter as you wrap your free arm that's not stuck in between both your bodies around him to gently play with the ends of his hair. It's as if you could read his mind, he loves that you know him so well.

"It just sucks that you could even think I would ever do something as awful as what you were assuming...with one of your closest friends nonetheless," you continue.

"I know. I know, and I feel terrible. I'm so sorry. I know you would never do anything remotely close to that, and I know you would never intentionally try to keep anything from me," he sighs. He shifts so he can lie down on his back, bringing you with him to lie on his chest, never letting you go once. "It's just...I just don't know what I'd do if I ever lost you Y/N. Everyday, I ask myself what heroic thing I must've done in my past life to deserve this life with you and I can't help but think you could just as easily be stripped away from me."

As much as your heart breaks listening to him rant, you feel your love for him grow even more. You knew how hard it was for him to put his true emotions into words, and him telling you this reminded you how much trust he had in you.

After some moments of silence, moments of him drawing random shapes onto your back, moments of you two just holding each other like it was the end of the world, you speak up.

"I love you. I'm sorry for making you doubt yourself—"

"No, it's not your fault, I can't help but think things like that. I just don't know what I did to deserve you, and I know that I need to be mo–"

"Babe let me finish," you say with a little giggle in your tone. He immediately stops and mutters a little "sorry". How cute, you tell yourself.

"I was gonna say," you look back up at him so you're making direct eye contact now. "You're the only one that's ever on my mind, Jake. I can't help the way you think, but I can assure you that there is no one else I would rather be with. And I mean that for the rest of life."

You snuggle back into the comfortable hoodie he's currently wearing (you make a mental note to yourself to steal it from him later) and decide to ease the tension,

"So you're stuck with me for life, sorry to inform you Mr. Sim."

Jake lets out a laugh, looking down at you to see you returning his smile with a cheeky one.

"I love you. So much," he says so sincerely, so genuinely, that you almost tear up again from how content you were. Now you were asking yourself, what did you do to deserve him?

Jake Sim is not a jealous person.

No, he just loves you.

A lot.

[jedi-enthusiast]

Alright dude, I'm responding and then I'm gonna ask you to please get the fuck off of my blog because I don't have the patience to deal with someone whose only argument is basically- "well that doesn't count" -or- "nuh uh" -whenever I make logically sound arguments.

Which, side note, if the only thing you can do when faced with an argument that disproves yours is change the goalposts and refuse to actually respond to the majority of my points, then maybe you're just wrong and refuse to admit it 🤷‍♀️

----------

Sure, main characters in SW tend to be Jedi, but if we're still going by the "main characters" argument then you can't criticize the Jedi, you're gonna need to get real specific on who you're talking about because the majority of the Jedi characters we see aren't main characters either---and you can't criticize the institution either because, again, it's not a "main character" or around "long enough," in your opinion.

Three movies and a show with multiple episodes centered around them don't make someone a main character? Ok then, by that logic, the only main characters in Star Wars are Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Palpatine, and Anakin, going by Lucas-canon. No one else.

Luke, Han, Leia? Side characters.

Padme, Ahsoka, pretty much every other Jedi? Side characters.

The clones themselves? They only appear in two movies and in the show, sure they have some episodes to themselves, but they're usually side or background characters---so they don't matter either!!! Which means this whole debate is pointless!!!

Again, you either need to stick to the argument that only the main characters matter---which would mean the clones don't and so the Jedi don't have to do jack shit---or you need to stop responding to me pointing out the Senate's responsibility by saying- "nuh uh."

Next point, so being a woman immediately takes away a character's autonomy and responsibility? ...interesting that you think that, especially considering that sexism isn't really a thing in the SW universe. From what we see, gender never really comes into the equation throughout the shows and movies, not the way that things like class and age do---Leia is mocked by Han because she's a noble, not because she's a girl, Padme and Ahsoka are doubted because of their age, etc.

Not to mention that men are also equally doubted for the same things---Anakin is doubted because of his age in TPM (pod racing), Yoda is doubted because of his age (they think he's going senile), whoever the fuck Ahsoka had a crush on was doubted because he was a noble, same goes for Satine's nephew, etc.

So, again, you're basically just going- "nuh uh" -when faced with a sound argument.

And have you ever seen the show? The one with the characters you're arguing with me about? The Clone Wars? Because I can fucking list the times, let's fucking go:

The Lumen episodes, the Pantora moon episode, the episodes with Tarkin, again the episodes where people are literally protesting and bombing the Jedi, the episodes with the twins who don't like the Jedi, the episodes with Satine who vocally shits on the Jedi, and I could go on.

And I'll remind you that the galaxy cheered when the Jedi were murdered and that in Disney-canon it's shown that plenty of people actually didn't like the Jedi during the Republic and/or Empire days.

Some people loved them, yes, but not everyone and certainly not enough people to make the Senate give up their army---especially considering that most people never met a Jedi, so they wouldn't give a damn what they had to say just because they're Jedi. Again, people would be more likely to be swayed by the senators.

And why do you think it'd be fair for the Jedi to use their only "break" days, which usually aren't even breaks because usually they're just doing work on Coruscant, doing more paperwork...when the Senate and senators should be taking care of this shit?

Again, all you're doing is saying- "nuh uh" -and trying to blame the Jedi for everything rather than just admitting you were wrong when faced with a logically sound argument.

What, since Padme isn't a main character apparently, did you want Obi-Wan giving speeches in the Senate and walking around with 10 body doubles? Maybe Yoda could've been the one to give birth to Luke and Leia, since Padme doesn't matter. Palpatine should've just been having a conversation with a mirror in TPM when discussing the current Chancellor with the Queen of Naboo. Anakin was actually making out with his palm in that arena on Geonosis, and his wedding was really a hallucination brought on by the shit tons of medication he was probably on.

...

Because, yeah, Padme isn't a main character so therefore she and her actions don't count.

Maybe we could have Obi-Wan without a beard for Luke, Yoda with a gun for Han, and Palpatine in a drag for Leia since they're also not main characters---only being in three movies and all 🤷‍♀️

Could you debunk the "jedi are slavers/have slave" argument people always seem to bring up in correlation with leading the clones? Thanks in advance ! <3

Of course!!!

Firstly, while the Kaminoans say that the clones were made for the Jedi, they are actually property of the Republic---which means that, since I would agree that they're slaves even if that wasn't GL's intent, the Republic would be considered the slavers, not the Jedi.

"Oh, but Jedi-Enthusiast, the Jedi are still slavers because they're forcing them into battle-" NOPE!

The thing is, even if the Jedi could refuse to fight in the war---which is a very complicated thing, both morally and politically---the Republic would still be sending the clones to fight the Separatists, only this time without the Jedi. And, as we've seen multiple times in TCW, more clones tend to die on missions without the Jedi's help---and that the Jedi are often shown saving their men from situations where they would otherwise die or be injured.

And, as much as I enjoy the trope of "the Jedi have limited experience actually running a war, so they struggle a bit and ask for help so the Jedi and clones get closer" because of the angst and fluff potential, in canon the Jedi are shown to be very good tacticians and they're rarely shown to struggle leading their men.

All of this to say that the Jedi leading the clones actually saves more lives, and that the Jedi not leading them would mean a lot more of them die...and idk about y'all, but I don't think- "more clones should die so the Jedi stay morally pure" -is the gotcha anti-Jedi morons think it is.

Not to mention that, if the Jedi didn't lead them, the job would go to people like Tarkin---y'know the man who criticized the Jedi for not being ruthless enough and caring for their men.

Are the Jedi put in a difficult position by leading the clones? Yes.

Is fighting in the war a morally grey decision? Yes.

But are the Jedi slavers or terrible in any way for doing what they did? Absolutely fucking not.