#i always think it's really funny when people rewatch gravity falls and are like 'oh bill is uh. kinda stupid' like yeah!!!!!!!!!

[irregularbillcipher]

bill cipher is the character ever. he swears in cartoon sound effects. he has beef with a baby. he didn't know what colors were until he was like at least 27. he's the most powerful being to ever visit earth. he only exists in dreams. he's an alcoholic. he's a victorian. he almost certainly worked retail. he doesn't know about his own gender. he also doesn't care about his own gender. he's depressed. he likes silly straws. he knows everything. he's stupid as shit. he thinks that normal is just a setting on a washing machine. he's touchy about his sides being uneven. he's a flatland oc. he's owned by disney. he responds to "willy." he thinks in all caps. he has a reddit account

[stripedtabbycat]

since I’m rewatching gravity falls rn I thought I’d make a post about my thoughts so far. (I wanted to start on August 31 which is dipper and mabel’s birthday but I ended up starting on September 1 instead. watching 1 episode a night and challenging myself to do the credits code each time)

under a cut because this will probably get long:

first of all this show is so funny. not all the jokes hold up but I really enjoy its sense of humor in general

i remember liking the second season better than the first and not just because it’s more overarching plot-driven, I just think the plot is a little more focused and the characters and their relationships are more solidified

I love seeing the development of Stan bonding with the kids over time. I noticed in “carpet diem” (the season 1 body swap episode) he’s commending dipper (who is really Mabel trying to turn him against dipper) for finally standing up to him and the next episode is the best we see them get along all season. it’s nice but still done in a funny/weird way that fits the show’s tone

dipper and mabel are siblings of all time. I love how clearly the show establishes how well they get along and work together and how often they’re goofin around and having fun at the beginning of episodes and how realistic their teasing and bantering and bickering feels…if you hate on mabel you’re wrong btw

i appreciate that the show doesn’t need to bluntly state the lesson we’re supposed to learn at the end of each episode but still has clear themes for each one. i also like when they kind of have a subverted/parodied version of a typical cartoon moral like in the truth teeth segment of “bottomless pit” when the expected lesson of “sometimes a small lie is okay” turns into “sometimes you have to let your uncle lie to the cops so he doesn’t get arrested for regularly committing tax fraud”

that said sometimes i’m a little :/ at the conclusions of certain episodes. I try not to harp on this bc I think part of what drives the more intense discourse about kids’ cartoons is the idea that they have to be teaching good messages to their target audiences, or at least not teach them harmful ones. I don’t think all kids’ shows should be Wholesome and Morally Edifying but sometimes you’re like. oh this is imparting a particular viewpoint I don’t love

anyway I’m just thinking about how “fight fighters” seems like it’s going to be about how physically fighting over petty relationship jealousy is dumb and immature but instead it kinda comes off like dipper has to learn “you have to fight your own battles” which…idk. I could be misinterpreting

then again I just watched “the love god” which tries to raise the interesting dilemma of “is it right/okay to meddle in others’ relationships [using magic or not] if they genuinely end up happier?” but given all the baggage around using love potions in fiction you can tell they had to walk that back a little in journal 3. I don’t think the element of “it actually wears off after a few hours” would have undermined the question too much but whatevs.

(i will say that stan in dreamscaperers saying he's hard on dipper to toughen him up kind of gets questioned later when we see the stans' backstory and it's clear their dad was not actually that great of a guy. room for interpretation there too i guess)

another reason I like season 2 better is because the show is finally done with the dipper/wendy crush plot that really dragged down parts of s1 imo. mostly because it felt like dipper had to learn that a relationship between them wasn’t happening a number of times before the show definitively said it and it lead to some of those dubious episode conclusions.

(whenever people claim that mabel was selfish and dipper always had to sacrifice things for her sake I just think…most of the time what he was “sacrificing” was a chance to impress wendy or spend more time with her, and I feel like this is more a problem with that aspect of the show than anything else)

(ALSO when people say there are too many "mabel's crush of the week" subplots - i never really got that impression? when she's going over her failed summer romances i realized there were only like, 4 episodes up to then where there was a plot about her liking a guy and it didn't feel overdone to me. however that's also why i was disappointed with her part of "northwest manor mystery" because i thought we were done with that. i guess they figured she and pacifica had already had their bonding episode in "the golf war" but i still wish she got to be involved with the main plot in that episode, even if i mostly liked it. kind of felt like the writers couldn't think of anything else for her to do)

anyway back to positive thoughts! I really appreciate the show’s creativity with the supernatural elements especially when they need a way to do a standard fantasy cartoon trope. need to shrink the characters down to miniature size? crystals that change the size of things that get caught in the light they refract! need to do a body swap? how about a carpet that swaps your electrons when you static shock someone? time travel? the time machine is in the form of a tape measure. they can get pretty outside of the box and it’s always cool

i also like the balance of humor and (kid-friendly) horror it engages in. there are a number of moments throughout the show that seem like a sudden intrusion of sheer horror but because of their suddenness and (relative) over-the-top nature they’re also really funny. I’m thinking of dipper opening the convenience store freezer and seeing a horrifying brain monster, the summerween trickster eating a kid, bill cipher summoning “a head that’s always screaming” and its skin peeling off (or like. anything he does in that episode), a lot of moments from the shorts like the island head in “the tooth” or the ending of “lefty”…

this show is i think a lot of people's first experience with a cartoon that has overarching continuity and encourages the viewers to analyze it for clues to the greater plot and i love how it does that. also love how it still works as a show even if you're not actively looking for clues to the mystery. they knew full well how much the fandom was engaging with it and both the show and supplementary material are just chock-full of details that really reward repeat viewings in a way that very few other children's shows do.

i did a pretty good job keeping track of the end credits codes in season 1 but by season 2 i had to just look up on the wiki what the vigènere key words were because i don't have the time to scour the whole episode for those sorry. especially when they get more and more hidden throughout the season. i'm still proud of myself for figuring out how to decode those messages using the grid of all the letters though

i think i first caught up with this show right when "not what he seems" was airing and now that's next up on the schedule. it's a very different experience watching the episodes all in a row and not having to wait at least two weeks between each one lol. on the plus side it gave the fans plenty of time to pick over every episode and theorize like hell

final thoughts: i love that a disney channel kids' cartoon devoted an entire extra-long episode to the surprisingly realistic and sad backstory of the main kid characters' great-uncles, one of whom had mostly been a comedic side character for the first season, and it's fantastic. once i'm done with this i cannot wait to get my hands on the book of bill

[wiggles-mcgee]

OPINIONS ON GRAVITY FALLS

OK SINCE YOU ASKED I WILL ANSWER WITHOUT GIVING SPOILERS FOR SEASON 2!! Because I know you've not seen it yet. Not sure how much of this is opinions and how much is just rambles though.

First, context, Gravity Falls is a show I have been obsessed with since it came out. I own a copy of Journal 3 and Dipper's hat and can't wait to get the Book of Bill when it comes out. So my opinions are gonna be biased!!

The greatest episode of Gravity Falls and my favourite of all time is S2Ep4: Sock Opera (watch the episode and you'll understand why, though please watch the rest of that season too haha). No further questions needed, it speaks for itself in every second of that episode.

My favourite episode from Series 1 would have to be either Legend of the Gobblewonker or Dreamscaperers. Both are fun to watch and have sweet endings and notes to it, as well as incredible comedy and great pacing. They hit so good every time.

Boyz Crazy is one of my least favourite episodes because it reminds me of primary school where everyone was feral about One Direction and I just didn't get it at all, but I still find it hilarious.

Most of my least favourite episodes involve some kind of romance subplot - thats not to say all romance centric episodes are bad, I just find it less interesting to me when it turns out Mabel's new crush is Regular Guy (Normal Man) and not five gnomes in a hoodie. Or oh look Dipper is crushing on Wendy, what's new? Its probably because I never really related to it.

My favourite character is Grunkle Stan. He's funny and a weird old man, as Mabel eloquently puts it. He's gruff, sweaty, wrinkled, and a bit of an asshole. And he cares so much for his family. He tries and thats what counts. Also his absolute lack of shame about cash - like in Double Dipper where he launches himself at that dollar bill - and conning and scamming tourists out of their money is so hilarious to me. Grunkle Stan is dear to my heart and will always be my favourite character.

Pacifica is another one of my favourite characters! She gets a fair bit more character development in the second series, and I still find myself laughing at every interaction the Pines family has with her when I rewatch the show - she's hilarious in every sense of the word. Her growth as a person is really nice to watch.

If I met Tambry irl I think I would inevitably punch her, I cannot lie, she frustrates me too much

Bill Cipher my beloved <3 (you'll see why when he shows up again in season 2)

I have rewatched this show many times since it came out and I firmly believe that so many of the jokes still hold up to this day. It shaped my sense of humour greatly. And the best bit about being older is that now I get all the jokes I didn't get as a kid!!!

My favourite running joke is Guy Who Married A Woodpecker!! He just shows up every now and again and we see a snapshot of his failing marriage and I love him.

The pool guy is objectively and unironically one of the funniest people alive. As is Quentin Trembley, 8½th President of the United States, who also absolutely shaped my personality and humour.

Certain episodes in the later half of Series 2 tone wise feel like they should have been at the start of the series or in Series 1, and the series does suffer for it in my opinion. Of course its a kids show, you don't want it to get too dark, but I feel like some parts of that series just felt inconsistent to the rest of it. Of course the rest of that series is absolutely stellar in my opinion, most of my favourite episodes are in that series, so its swings and roundabouts I suppose.

The Wendy crush is nothing short of frustrating to me every time I see it. Had to reiterate this, and I get that people don't get over crushes quickly, but especially in Series 2 it frustrates me. tbh I probably had a crush on Wendy too as a kid I cannot lie.

The ending is so sweet to me and makes me want to cry or actually cry every time, not just for nostalgia, but because it hits me hard and emotional in so many different ways. No spoilers yet!

And ending it with a really strong opinion here, you should watch Series 2 (a shameless suggestion, I don't regret it)

[pomp-and-circumstance]

Oh man, friends. Here we are. Episode 115. 

Making their way (MAKINGTHEIRWAY) through the cold frontier of Eislecross, Caleb sets up the tower and allows the Nein a night of warm comfort. Beau asks for some cocoa, chocolate covered strawberries, and a glass of chardonnay. After some moments of staring at it nervously, she gets into a warm bath and pulls back the letter like it’s a magically infused explosion waiting to happen.

And it is, just not in the way she expected.

First of all, I have to say that I love how the ENTIRE cast started to go crazy once Marisha said she was pulling out the letter, because I think it’s SO important to see everybody’s excitement not just for the characters, but for the growth Ashley takes here. Travis and Laura are excited, Liam laughs, Sam starts dancing and shifting his shoulders, Taliesin starts clapping, and Marisha has a “okay girl, it’s your time to shine” smile on her face.

(You deserve better than this unflattering angle Travis, I’m so sorry.)

These friends are ALL IN on this romance, and I’m so happy there’s this kind of... I don’t know if representation is the right word, but that example of friends who all love each other and are invested in this story they’re telling together. Nobody is rolling their eyes or groaning or checking out, but they’re ready to see where Ashley takes this and what she’s done with this poem. You can come up with all kinds of criticism about Critical Role, but the one thing you can’t debate is how much they love to love each other. It’s so wholesome and so badly needed in today’s world.

At the top of it, it’s a whole paragraph that is crossed out and scraped, and you see some words like “Beau” and “abs” and “shorn” and “envelope” and things like that, and it’s all crossed out, and underneath it...

Beau,

Yeah, this was a poem but then I realized it was a dumb poem and I can’t write poetry. Sometimes I have an easier time when I put the pen to parchment, so here it goes.

I’ve rewatched this bit maybe four times in the last couple of hours, and I’ve been struggling to come up with how I’m going to do this. This letter, much like Yasha herself, is loaded with emotional gravity disguised in simple verbiage. It’s so telling that Yasha scribbled out the entire top of the poem and wrote the letter on the same page than grab a clean piece. Maybe she didn’t want Jester to get hurt that she asked for another page and didn’t use the poem. Maybe there wasn’t any more paper nearby. Maybe the hints of the poem above was a simple reminder to Yasha that the most important thing when it comes to Beau isn’t to be flashy, but to be honest. She didn’t need to be eloquent. She needed to be herself.

I’ve watched you. I don’t mean that in a creepy way. I mean, I am a little bit of a creep, but I know that you know this by now; it takes me a minute to open up. So I watch, I observe, I take it all in as opposed to letting it all out. I guess the only time I let it all out is when I fight, which I’m not sure is the healthiest thing in the world. But here’s some things that I’ve noticed about you.

This is such a brilliant tie-in by Ashley. As I’ve been watching this campaign for the first time, something that really stuck out to me in the beginning was how quiet Ashley was when she returned to the show after a few weeks off. It had to be so hard to try and cover all the bases as a Barbarian while also filming a show in New York. I don’t know how they conducted things behind the scenes for her, if they gave her a synopsis on what happened the week before, or how much she was really aware of, but it has to be intimidating to want to play this game with your friends, but also have to suffer a bit from missing out on sessions AND having to “perform,” for lack of a better word, in front of people in a stream. Whether it was intentional or not, it creates layers in Yasha that are super effective once she came back permanently and was able to flow with everyone else. The beginning of this letter is weirdly complimentary while also feeling like Yasha might’ve gotten a little distracted by nerves while writing it. “I mean, I am a little bit of a creep... I’m not sure is the healthiest thing in the world.” She doesn’t have a chance to erase her words, or, again, grab new paper, so she takes those moments and makes them about Beau; “I know you know this by now (complimenting her smarts, as I noted a lot in the previous entry) but here’s some things I’ve noticed about you.” The first and last sentences of that paragraph are terrific bookends. “I’ve watched you. Here’s what I’ve seen.”

You’re strong, you’re a leader, you’re really smart, you’re really funny, you’re honest, even if it hurts, but the thing that really gets me about you is that you love so fiercely. And I know you feel like an asshole most days, but I kind of like that you’re an asshole. 

Beau has grown up under the expectations of somebody who lived his life by fear, and that fear manifested itself in several ways with her. She liked talking to people and visiting places and finding new ways to sell the wine, but her father said no. She was actively working to expand this small empire her father had built, was even being smart about it by bringing barrels to places where she fought, and man, what a great selling point to the owner of a tavern, to get the Lionette wine from the daughter of the maker, and hey, she can kick your ass, too. Thoreau clipped her wings instead of watching her grow and shipped her off as a result. When she didn’t comply, she was seen as a problem. The line between the world and Beau’s heart is a tremendously delicate place, so delicate that she’s made herself a human weapon to defend it - and she LIKES that about herself. But that also means reaching that delicate place takes time, but more importantly, it takes trust. Yasha knows now that Beau trusts her, and to tell Beau that she trusts her, too, it’s not so much that she tells Beau that she’s seen, but that she’s wanted on top of that. “I kind of like that you’re an asshole” is a big deal. Beau has been seen as hard to love because she’s asshole. Yasha is falling for her despite it... and admittedly because of it.

You stick up for the people you love, and you make me feel stronger. 

It’s not just that she’s an asshole, it’s part of her that loves so fiercely. I love that being an asshole and loving others are in back to back sentences. They really do go hand in hand with Beau; to be in her company and be defended by her is an honor, and Yasha is admitting to that here. “You’ve done this time and time again for the Nein, even for me, when others might’ve questioned it, and I feel stronger because of it.” Everybody has had some moment in this journey where Beau has stuck up for them, and that’s not lost on Yasha at all, even with missing time. We know Yasha is already in love with Beau at this point, so she counts herself in this category. Imagine how Beau’s insides must’ve warmed reading that she, the smaller, dexterous, crafty Monk, makes this hulking Barbarian of immense power and soft heart feel stronger. But on top of all that...

I can hold my own, I know that you know that, but you make me feel safe. I don’t even know if that makes sense, but I know no matter what, you’ll have my back, no questions asked.

-Yasha

Yasha has gaps in her memory, undergoes trials from the Storm Lord, has been taken control of by Obann twice, and has had people in her mind actively kill her friends and loved ones. She doesn’t NEED Beau to be any more powerful than she is, but she WANTS Beau, because of all the people in her life, it’s Beau that makes her feel safe. The line between the world and Yasha’s heart wasn’t as delicate, and she was made into a killing machine to offset what a soft soul she is, as though her tenderness is a burden, not a strength. “You make me feel safe” speaks to this. Yasha can be who she is, without judgement or expectations, when she’s with Beau. They can tackle gods, take on ancient civilizations, battle dragons, smarmy wizards, anything really... and she’ll feel stronger and safe with Beau simply because she’s there. Beau is more than just the body she has, or the perceived troublemaker that was “too much” for the Lionette household. Yasha has seen it at work with the Nein, and has only fallen for her harder because of it.

Trust shared. Trust exchanged. The ball is in your court, Beau.  

Yasha thinks she can’t write poetry. Heh.

(This entry is always going to feel incomplete to me because I don’t think I articulated my thoughts as well as I wanted to, but I think that’s more of a testament to Ashley’s writing this letter than anything else. Feeling safe with someone is a struggle for me personally - not that you need my sob story, but it’s there - so wrapping my mind around that sentence is something I’m still trying to do, even after months of knowing that it was coming. What I will point out instead is the split second Marisha and Ashley make eye contact immediately after Ashley finishes the letter. It’s the only time it happens before the scene switches to Jester and Caleb, and damn, is Marisha both overwhelmed and so proud. No wonder it took her a moment to continue from there.)

[butnobodycame627]

3 - TV shows

Top five TV shows!

I have trouble ranking things but I'll give it a shot

1 - Puella Magi Madoka Magica

2 - Steven Universe

3 - Milo Murphy's Law

4 - Gravity Falls

5 - Over The Garden Wall

There are lots of other shows I love, but those would probably be my top five

And now I'm gonna rant about them for a bit lol-

Puella Magi Madoka Magica has become my favourite TV show. The story is so incredible and I can't help but adore it. Some things I should mention is that there's one homophobic character, there are religious elements and there is a lot of death so if any of those things are triggering for you, maybe don't watch this show. If anyone knows anything else I should mention, let me know, I know this show gets pretty dark. Anyway, back to ranting. This show has such a good plot, such good foreshadowing and character development, such a fascinating world, such good symbolism and the art is so cool looking (especially the background art and the art in the labyrinths). I haven't seen Magia Record yet but I plan on checking it out soon because I love this show so much. I also really like the character design, the only reason I haven't made much fanart for it is because the outfits are very detailed so it's tough to draw. Madohomu is one of my favourite ships I just aaaaaa they

Steven Universe is a very popular show so I'm sure most of my followers have heard of it but I need to rant anyway. I don't personally like Future, but from Gem Glow to Change Your Mind, this show was so well-written, had so many good songs, had such beautiful art and character design, had incredible character development, such cool worlds and creatures and spaceships and just wow. Also the LGBT representation is better than in most other shows I have seen, I loved Ruby and Sapphire's wedding so much it always makes me happy to rewatch. Despite my unpopular opinions on the movie and the sequel, I really love this show. I've watched this show so many times that I have most episodes practically memorized and it helps me calm down when I'm stressed or scared because I'm so familiar and happy with it.

HOW DOES NO ONE KNOW MILO MURPHY'S LAW PLEASE GO WATCH IT! It takes place in the same universe as Phineas and Ferb but this series has much more continuity and plot and it needs a third season please. It has beautiful character and creature design, an incredible story, really interesting plot points, very nice music and can I just rant about the main characters like oh my god. So the main character right, his name is Milo Murphy, and basically he's got Murphy's Law, like he's a walking disaster, everything goes wrong around him. He's voiced by Weird Al Yankovic and he's just a really funny character because the world could be ending and he'll be like "alright so I think I've got something that can help us in my backpack, it'll be fine". And then there are these characters called Cavendish and Dakota and they're time travellers that protect pictachios like that's their job. Like, the worst part is, they have never successfully protected them because Milo always walks by and then the plants will die or shipments will get ruined or whatever so they start to suspect that Milo's some kind of supervillain that hates pistachios. This show is amazing and so silly and please watch it please.

Gravity Falls is also a pretty popular one. I really love how creative it is and I love the art and the story and the characters and just it's really good. I really love that this show focuses a lot on family, it's really sweet. People talk a lot about Bill but the other villains are neat too, I really like .GIFfany and the gnomes are very silly and, while he is annoying, Gideon is very well-written. This show is also very funny and creative and I'm just a big fan of it. Also no one ever talks about Soos and Melody but they are really cute together and I love them aaaaaa. I don't want to spoil anything but can I just say that the Author is my favourite character? Not naming who that is but yeah they're my favourite. I love the foreshadowing and the small details and the cool backstory and the character development and all of that. Just... brilliant.

Over The Garden Wall is a show I found pretty recently I think. I had seen it compared to Gravity Falls and got curious. I've noticed it a lot on Tumblr so you might have heard of it, but it's a show that takes place during the fall so it's a good time to watch it. It's a bit spooky but it's a kid's show so it should be okay to watch for most people. It's a very mysterious and interesting show, I love the art and the story and all that. I'm planning on being Wirt for Halloween and carving a pumpkin to have a face like the rock facts rock because I think that'd be fun. I love the story with the Woodsman, I love the idea of the Beast, I love the music and the characters and just- this show is very cool. Please at least listen to the soundtrack oh my goodness it's beautiful.

[mysterylover123]

My Top 10 Halloween Episodes

mysterylover123

Happy Halloween Everyone! 

I’ve been rewatching my favorite shows’ Halloween episodes as a means to prepare for the holiday (and get ideas for things to do!) and I’ve decided to compile a list of my Top 10 favorites. These are the episodes I consider the best, the most packed with spooky goodness and Halloween surprises, of all the shows I’ve seen. Let me know if there’s one I should check out!

#10. The Simpsons “Treehouse of Horror V”

“NO TV AND NO BEER MAKE HOMER SOMETHING SOMETHING.” “GO CRAZY?” “DON’T MIND IF I DO!”

While I do wish Simpsons had stopped at Season 10 like most, I can still acknowledge its absolute mastery of the Halloween episode with this annual anthology. And like most, I can also concede that the best of the best, the creme-de-la-creme, is the 5th one: The Shinning parody of course, first and foremost, is absolutely classic and deservedly so. Having recently endured a week without power, and thus NO TV AND NO...NOT BEER BUT COFFEE...I totally get where  Homer is coming from. The other two segments, and other Halloween eps, are also strong as well. But you can’t have a proper TOP 10 HALLOWEEN EPS list without a Treehouse of Horror. So here it is!

#9. Spectacular Spider-Man The Uncertainty Principle”

“Twas the night before Halloween, and no folks were stirring, not even Green Gob...lan.”

Spidey is one of the few superheroes with both the whimsical roster of characters and the appropriately spooky rogues gallery to make for great Halloween episodes. While Spider-Man and his amazing friends in 1981 started out with it’s own Goblin Halloween ep, my nod has to go to Spectacular’s ‘Uncertainty Principle’, a suitably creepy episode featuring all the stuff you want around this holiday. The cast in whacky costumes, spooky decor, and creepy plotlines about the Green Goblin and the arrival of the Symbiote. It’s even more horrifying in hindsight when you find out what’s really going on in the series finale...but for itself, it’s a suitably spooky time. Also, Spider-Man dressed as Spider-Man for Halloween.

#8. Angel “Life of the Party”

“Some are saying it’s an even better ritual sacrifice than the one last year.”

The absolute master of the Halloween episode is uncontrovertibly the Buffy-verse. I have 3 entries on this list alone, and it was hard to resist including a forth. But for now, let’s start out with Angel’s sole incursion into the Halloween genre, an Office Party ep from their 5th season. Spoiler alert: Season 5 is about Team Angel taking over Wolfram and Hart and trying to use it for good. The Halloween party there is a big deal and Lorne is going nuts from planning it. Consequently, we get a wild ride of demon guests, LorneHulk, Team Angel doing crazy things, and whacky Halloween decor. Spike smiling and partying out like a loon is definitely worth htetheprice of admission.

#7. Friends “The One w/ the Halloween Party”

“I am a woman who spent a ton of money on this dress and wants to wear it until she is too big to fit into it.”

I had actually never seen the Friends Halloween episode until this year. I definitely enjoyed it; the cast’s costumes are funny, the various Halloween antics are adorable - especially Rachel being pushed around by candy-randy kids - and the Halloween-y atmosphere is quite convivial. Though as a comic book nerd, I must point out how completely absurd Joey’s suggestion of ‘who would win, Catwoman or Supergirl’ being Catwoman. Like, seriously? A nonpowered thief vs a freaking Kryptonian? Even people who don’t read comic books should know the answer to that one! Were people in the year 2001 really that clueless? But anyway, on a more somber note, this was apparently the first one they shot after 9/11, and ended up Lisa Kudrow’s favorite, because a stranger thanked her for making them laugh. Aw!

#6. South Park “A Nightmare on Face Time”

“Oh, and Kenny? Stay gold.”

SP has a number of Halloween episodes, but my favorite has to be this one from 2014. There’s two main plotlines and they’re both Peak Halloweeny goodness. First, there’s Randy reenacting The Shining as his new Blockbuster  video goes under due to Netflix stealing business, which is absolutely hilarious. Then there’s the boys as The Avengers, hoping to win a costume contest despite Stan having to FaceTime. This part is full of trick-or-treating goodness, with each of the costumes being perfect for the kid (WE HEAR KENNY’S VOICE! ALBEIT DISTORTED!) and the comedy of how seriously everyone takes Stan’s ipod battery dying being absolutely killer. Certainly wins the prize for Funniest Halloween Ep Ever. (Also, Kyle’s thor costume. Thor would obviously look so much cooler with that hat.)

#5. Buffy “Halloween”

“It’s come as you aren’t night!”

The second of the Buffyverse Halloween entries on the list. Not just a great Halloween ep but a great Buffy ep too, this one is absolutely rolling in seasonal riches. Pumpkin patch vamp fight! Halloween decorated Bronze! Ethan Rayne turning everyone into their costumes is such a clever gimmick, and as usual with a Buffy ep they do more with it than just that. Noblewoman!Buffy, Military!Xander and Ghost! Willow are each a treat to watch as they try something new with their lives. I’m a little annoyed by the “not like other girls” sappy Bangel ending, but otherwise, this one is just golden. (My shipper heart rejoices in the Cangel Bronze Date and Buffy being awfully flirty with Willow as well, for the record). 

#4. Parks and Rec “Halloween Surprise”

“You can’t plan your future, Leslie. You just gotta let it happen.”

Parks and Rec is another one with a plethora of great Halloween eps to  choose from (something about blonde female leads I guess). This one takes the spot for being the most substantial, plot-wise, of all four, including lots of changes in the story and a great lesson at the end - though also for having the best costumes (Rosie the  riveter Leslie! Princess Diane), the best celebration (Screening of Death canoe 4 Murder at blood Lake sounds like an absolutely delightful way to spend a Halloween) and the best ending (BEN PROPOSES TO LESILE OMG). The only thing it’s missing is April, who only cameos at the start. But she gets plenty to do in the other Halloween eps, so I’ll forgive it.

#3. Frasier “Halloween”

“I’m  Waldo. From Where’s Waldo. You know, the guy you  can’t find because he blends into the crowd.” “I don’t know, but I’d love a demonstration.”

Frasier is absolute peak sitcom comedy, especially with the Farce plotline. This one is a great, sophisticated classic, with Niles throwing a Library association ball - which means everyone must dress as a character from literature. Niles is Cyrano, Martin is Holmes, Frasier and Daphne are from the Canterbury tales, and Roz is O from the Story of O. The real conflict of the ep is “Is Roz Pregnant” and everyone mistaking who’s pregnant by whom. The  climax is Niles proposing to Daphne who he thinks is the one pregnant from an imaginary fling with Frasier. It’s funny, glib, and absolutely whacky, with some extra Halloween shenanigans to keep you occupied, like Niles’ weird old-timey theme and the parade of trick-or-treaters constantly interrupting the skits demanding candy. Definitely don’t miss this one!

#2. Gravity Falls “Summerween”

“We’re getting older, there’s not that many Halloweens left!’

There’s definitely something about supernatural shows and Halloween episodes that just creates that extra level of quality. GF is a great show all around, and this little gem of a Halloween ep is one of the best of the whole series. It’s got everything: The Summerween Trickster, the trick-or-treating, the try-hard scares and the mad dash for candy. My favorite thing about it, though, would have to be the conflict between Dipper and Mabel about what to do for Halloween. They were always debating whether it were better to grow up too soon or try to stay a kid, and this one uses Halloween to illustrate that: Dipper torn between the Grown Up party and the Kid Trick-or-Treating, and the poignant way that rings true for all of us here in the US - that day when you finally realize you’re ‘too old’ for trick-or-treating - really makes this one strong. 

Hon Mentions: The other Parks and Rec episodes; Buffy All the Way; the camptastic Smallville episode “Thirst”, the How I met Your Mother Halloweens

#1. Buffy “Fear Itself”

“Don’t taunt the fear demon!” “Why, can he hurt me?” “No, it’s just tacky.”

Like I said before, no one does Halloween like Buffy does Halloween. And this one is the best of the best, of the best. Everything you could want from a Halloween ep is right here. Pumpkin carving, check. Crazy party, check. Whacky costumes, check. Spooky real scares, check. The Gang’s costumes are a parade of awesome (ANYA AS BUNNY!) and the concept of exploring each member’s Greatest Fear is an absolute winner. I love every time a TV show tries to do a Greatest Fears episode, because it’s just a concept I get a kick out of - such a great way to explore our characters’ most primal needs! - and this is b y far the best. The atmosphere, the subject matter, the costumes, and  the writing, which is seriously killer in this episode (”Prepare to have your spines tingled and your gooses bumped by the terrifying...Fantasia.” “Maybe it’s because of all the horrificthings we’ve seen, but hippos wearing tutus just don’t unnerve me the way they used to”) all make this, in my opinion the best Halloween ep of all time.

[soyousian]

TNG Rewatch 1.02

it’s the naked now!

if I were monitoring the collapse of a red giant I would simply not become infected with a space disease. RIP to the ss tsiolkovsky but I'm different.

troi has a catsuit now :(

no don’t separate the away team!

this is why you get space drunk riker

data, baby boy, I love you

they really like that frozen people effect huh

jesus, geordi don’t touch the bodies!

where are the shower curtain hazmat suits when you need them?

at least the theme song slaps

I guess if the transporter can decontaminate you you don’t need hazmat suits

the transporters don’t seem to do a very good job though cause there’s a lot of space diseases that get through

DATA!!

don’t know if it’s a problem my ass

why do they keep making data run google searches for them? he has other things to do riker!

redshirt geordi is still a little jarring

why isn’t he in a forcefield beverly? he sould be quarantined in a forcefield!

wesly’s on his boy genius bullshit

wesly is showing off his probably illegal recording device

uh oh disease transfer

geordi’s the only one who complains about the heat this ep

they keep taking off geordi’s visor

uh oh tasha’s got it

i love tasha so much

she’s so compassionate but she’s still allowed to be rash and headstrong

no chance of disease my ass

can’t troi do something?

he’s space drunk doc, nothing you can do for him

so gravity makes you drunk now?

tasha’s digging through troi’s stuff

troi’s got it!

what the fuck is a snootful, picard?

god wesly listen to your mom!

AWFUL!

RICK BERMAN CHOKE!

wesly does a takeover of engineering

wesly TAKES OVER THE SHIP!

holy shit wes what the fuck

I forgot about Mcdougal

rip to her

let data speak!

aw shit yar

so this shit affects organic people and inorganic data

I HATE THIS YAR LOOK SO MUCH

LET HER BE BUTCH

I really HATE how yar’s tragic backstory gets intertwined with this weird pre-sex scene

soong gave his robot sons huge dicks and the ability to fuck before emotions and I HATE THAT

deanna going straight to riker when she senses all the “free minds” implies that there’s a whole bunch of people who want to sleep with riker and I HATE THAT

it should work right away but there’s still 18 minutes left in the ep

why is geordi so obsessed with seeing in this ep?

eyes to commercial!

put wesly in the brig please

this alcohol lecture is a little afterschool special-ly for me

not as bad as “drugs can make you feel good” but it’s getting up there

shimoda’s playing jenga with the control chips

data!

I hate that they establish data fucks in episode 2

data sounds like he’s gonna cry :(

oh no he falls! baby!

dr. crusher has been infected for 10 minutes and she’s already trying to jump picards bones

I HATE PICARDS LAUGH

WHY IS PICARD LIKE THIS

I HATE THIS

I HATE ALL OF THIS

riker is infected but asymptomatic which makes me think he’s just always horny which I HATE

THIS IS A BAD EP ACTUALLY

worf switching from chair to chair is so funny

data could but he’s a little fucked up rn

“hi mr. data!” is very sweet

stop being sucH A BITCH RIKER

picards jump!

yes he will! make him use your title, bev!

why are you testing everything on geordi!? what if he dies?!

“why not just see it in your head?” not everyone’s a boy genius wes

first thing geordi sees when sobered up is the cmo and captain making googoo eyes at one another, poor man

that’s a pretty decent effect

wesly “the boy” crusher saves the day

good thing tasha and data never happened!

what an ep!

Rating: 4/10

tldr; I hate this ep. it was barely saved by a few good bits

[capricious-writes]

21 Questions Tag Game

Rules: Answer 21 Questions (they do not have to be the same questions) and tag [21] people (Don’t know who to tag right now, so I’m gonna leave this one open ended)

Tagged by @quilloftheclouds    

>>> There, I finally got this all filled out! There was no way I was gonna just give this one up, because there were one or two questions that I REALLY wanted to answer ... <<<

 1. Height?

I’m 5′7″. Not 5′6″. NOT 5′6″ (I will go to my grave with this) [Excuse me I have a taller younger sister]

2. Eye Color?

Medium Light Brown (Glorious) Idk

3. Hair Color?

Chocolate Brown (Equally GLORIOUS)

4. Favorite Color?

Brown. (See it’s all falling together)

I actually have an incredibly complex system of favorite colors for different reasons, the explanation alone of which would take multiple paragraphs, but - 

- Brown

- Pink

- Purple

- Orange 

- Green

(in that order... why am I like this?) I don’t care, it’s fun

5. Favorite IceCream?

Default Chocolate, but sometimes I need a mix-up.

6. Favorite Music Genre?

EDM. I didn’t used to know edm ~existed~ so I thought I liked pop-music. But what I really loved was the strong beats, the electric syncronicity, and the strong technic sort of sound. Yeah - that’s EDM apparently. 

7. Favorite Song?

Default - Party In My Head by September

8. Following How Many Blogs?

wow, 95 apparently. I’ve never looked at that till today, and I’m certain it’s increased within the last week or two from slipping into Writerblr territory.

9.  Favorite way to procastinate from writing (Besides Tumblr)?

My Favorite? Probably laying on my bed and staring at the ceiling while I wonder if I’m gonna take a nap. I like it because a) it’s mind decluttering time, and b) maybe I get bored and try to write. I don’t do it TOO often though.

10. Favorite way to get inspired for writing?

Just think about what’ll be interesting about the next scene I write. Or focus on what scene I want to get to. Otherwise, not sure really.

11. Favorite Live action movie?

Knight and Day. Whatever its issues - it’s my default ‘favorite,’ even if I’ve seen a better movie. It’s got tons of action and humour and I LOVE that. AND I’ve rewatched it several times - rewatch value is always a big one. It’s a tad lackluster, story-wise, but it still entertains every time.

12. Favorite Non-Disney cartoon

There are way too many good ones, so I’m going to have to default to all the animated Justice League cartoons. Mainly because their batman is my FAVORITE batman, despite even them not blending the Bruce IS Batman idea together. I think Gotham got the closest to that, but I haven’t watched more than a season of it I think. 

13. Favorite Disney cartoon

So hard to say! Cars 3 was particularly satisfying because I knew the movie was going to be fantastic the moment the trailer took my breath away. On the other hand, there’s also the fantastic DuckTales reboot - but then there’s always the Milo Murphy show that tied in with Phineas and Ferb during its finale and - 

Guys there’s too many!

14. Favorite Book character

I really liked Artemis Fowl. Him being a protagonist good guy as a villian slowly reforming himself without knowing was SUCH an amazing characterization. There was always something missing from it though. I could never quite pinpoint what,  but it got SO close that it was still the most brilliant and fantastic thing I’d read up to that point. 

15. Favorite Fanfiction

Very difficult. “Flowey Isn’t a Good Life Coach” had me hooked for two days until I finished it (leaving me empty, disorientated, and lost). But there was also tons of Gravity Falls fanfic that I adored (I made a rec list on my mainblog a while back too actually). And I think there was another fandom that I just had to look at ... but I don’t remember it right now. 

16. First Original Story

I have these spiral notebooks with words in them from when I was 12. Half ready and rumbling to write, half seventh grade writing project - I think my MC was named Jane? No more than 20,000 words at most.

- Girl goes to different world where danger threatens to destroy it. She is 'chosen one' in a line of 'chosen ones' and her best friend is actually from there. He's basically been her guardian all the while, and he's sort of half lizard mutant.

- Along the way they meet a useless mad old man. An angsty but suave, but irritable dude named shadow. And a more sensible local guy who leaves his 'tribe' to help save his world.

I just ... I love how - to use a euphamism - how 'classic' it is.

But you know what, there are some good parts. Just starting out, tropes, cliches, and plenty of mistakes sure. But it’s also telling of my style even just beginning. For instance, the main MC and her friend that’s a Guy have these moments that are really close and build their relationship - but it’s not romantic. Everyone’s ‘friends,’ and it’s really telling of where my priorities aren’t, ha.

17. Favorite Book

I DON’T KNOW. HOW DOES ANYONE CHOOSE?

18. Favorite Book Genre

Action, adventure, but also with magic-is-science I guess? 

19. Favorite Trope?

I love funny tropes I guess. Subverted tropes. Oh! I recently saw a drabbled post about a villian and hero’s friendly, but still antagonistic relationship. I ADORE that. Think Doofenshmirts and Perry the Platypus's relationship. Or Megamind and Metroman. It’s fantastic.

20. 5 skills/interests you have other than writing

1. Amateur-Intermediate Origami

2. Amateur-Intermediate Piano

3. Amateur-Intermediate Lollygagging

I don’t really know what else. My interests leap from place to place. 

21. 5 Fav Mythology Creatures

1. Dragons are cool

2. Phoenixes are GREAT

3. Kitsune and or Foxes with lots of tails are just - Stunning 

4. Three-headed doggies are thrice the fun, adorableness and blood curdling terror

And I’m required to say Gargoyle, because I have another WIP named the same after the MC. I’m completely ignoring it until Blooming Under Night is finished (or I decide to be a fickle beast), but it does have a few thousand words to its credit, sitting in a file just waiting for me to figure out how to give it proper TCL. 

[friendlycybird]

1X10 - Fight Fighters - Rewatch

I had no idea what the title of this episode was until I went to rewatch it. That’s true of a lot of the episodes because my first time through I binged without really caring much what episode was what. I kind of love that so far I’ve known what every episode was gonna be just from the title even though I didn’t ever learn the title though. 

Let’s get started. 

You know what I love about Gravity Falls? I was feeling bleh going into this episode, doing it more to have done it then because I really wanted to right now. Less then thirty seconds in and I’m smiling. I feel genuinely happy right now. 

Soos little tour of the arcade makes me think he’s picked up Stan’s very specific flair for showmanship. Because “a frog taught me how to cross the street” is so clearly an exaggeration if not outright lie, but honestly the style is like a more matter-of-fact version of Stans and I love it. Gives me a lot of hope for when Soos eventually runs the Mystery Shack. 

Fiddleford dancing on that out of order dance machine is actually adorable. Although as it’s not a 24-hour arcade, I have to wonder if his claim to have been there dancing “for seven days straight” was an exaggeration for comedic effect, a byproduct of the memory loss that makes him lose track of how time progresses and he’s really only been there for a few hours, or if he just meant that he’s been coming back and doing this every day for seven days. I also loved Soos little “Just let him have this.” 

So the whole bit with the “insert token” game. What do you think made Stan more angry. The fact that he fell for such an obvious ploy, or the fact that he didn’t invent it first? Because I swear that game seems like something Stan would come up with. Like, if you told me before I watched this episode that that game existed in Gravity Falls, I’d have assumed Stan invented it, not that he fell for it. That said, I absoloutly adore the look on his face when he gets the “congratulations!” message. He’s so happy! For like a second. 

Okay, so I’d forgotten the game name was also Fight Fighters, I’m bad at recalling details sometimes. But...why is it surrounded by a bunch of abandoned out-of-order games covered in sheets and things? 

Alright, I paused to type that and the image I’m paused on is...well it pretty neatly summarizes the situation as it stands, doesn’t it? Wendy may be dating Robbie, but it’s Dipper she’s always goofing off, having fun, and otherwise being happy with. Robbie is well aware of this, and, as is so unfortunately common in our society, he gets jealous. Which makes me wonder...does he somehow know about Dipper’s crush on Wendy at this point? I’m not totally sure how he’d have found out, unless it was just another example of Dipper’s lack of subtly, but I can’t think of anything in The Inconveniencing or Double Dipper that would have let on. So would Robbie have acted like this over Wendy hanging out with ANY dude, not just one that was into her? You wouldn’t think so as the majority of their friend group is guys but... well...anyway. Onward. 

Y’know, you’d think after Dipper’s experience with being ridiculed for feminine habits he wouldn’t be so fast to deride Robbie for wearing mascara in his poster. I don’t know if this is a some lessons need to be learned repeatedly thing, a the rules are different for someone you hate thing, or a mix of the two.

So I wanted to joke like “Robbie, you can’t play a video game with your arm around your girlfriend” but like...I’d totally understand if it was one of those I-know-I-need-two-hands-for-this-but-I-can’t-resist-putting-one-of-them-on-you things. I do that with my partner all the time. Seriously. I type one handed so often guys.  Except...it kinda looks like he didn’t do that just because he was close to Wendy and wanted to touch her? It looked like he was trying to signal Dipper to back off? Maybe I’m reading too much into the way he glanced back there and the timing but that didn’t seem as natural to me as a gesture like that should. 

Over seven hundred words in and I’m only to the opening theme. Oh boy. 

Anyway, there seem to just be some things Mabel is superhumanly good at. Apparently, cards are one of them. Gotta love Stan, Soos, and Dipper all sitting in the exact same pose with the exact same expression on their faces when she wins what seems to be yet another hand. 

Wow, nobody likes Robbie. 

... I still wonder if Robbie would have been jealous even if Dipper didn’t have a thing for Wendy and they were just the close friends Wendy sees them as. Because I still don’t know what clues he picked up on that Dipper had a crush. I honestly almost feel sorry for Robbie though? Because he’s obviously really insecure if he thinks Wendy would leave him for Dipper, who, as he points out, is twelve (and wears the same shorts everyday. ...not that those look like different pants from last time, Robbie...) but at the same time, if he actually believed Dipper wasn’t a threat, why would he be so angry about him? He rubs the age difference in Dipper’s face, but doesn’t seem to think it’s an actual problem because he treats Dipper like a genuine rival for Wendy’s affection. Not like a kid with a crush. 

Stan wanting to place bets on the fight between Robbie and Dipper is funny. It crossed my mind that it may have just been a ploy to break up the brewing fight, once again using people’s dislike of him for his own gain, BUT I kinda doubt it. Given I doubt he’d see any real harm coming of Dipper getting into a fight or two. I mean, a couple of minutes later his advice is “Just bonk him over the head. It’s nature’s snooze button.” so yeah, not expecting any real harm. Kinda makes me wonder how many people Stan’s had to “just bonk over the head” but I’m guessing that’s a number somewhere in the double digits. 

Soos. I...think? you mean well here. But you’re really not helping. 

“You’ve got a choice here. You can either face him like a man, or hide indoors like a wimp. What’ll it be?” Okay, I get it now. This is totally part of Stan’s trying to toughen Dipper up, isn’t it? 

Oh hey, it’s that ten guns, no ladders speech that gives away Stan’s fear of heights. Here’s what I’ve always wondered about that bit. ...isn’t there already a ladder in the Mystery Shack? You know. The one that leads to the roof. That was hidden behind a curtain. 

“Or we could leave well enough alone. NAH!” god I love Mabel. 

Okay, so here’s something. Soos has been playing video games his entire life. There’s no way this is the first time “I wonder what it’d be life to go inside a video game for real” has crossed his mind. So why on earth is it the first time he decides to act on this thought? (haha, I pause to ask this, unpause and he says “I should have thought of this years ago.”) 

So my first instinct is to scold Dipper for not thinking twice about doing something for “ultimate power” because. Well. The pursuit of ultimate power never ends well. “I do like things that are ultimate” but Dipper it’s ultimate *power*. Not an ultimate gift basket or something. BUT. I can excuse it. Because it was written on the side of an arcade game, so it’s perfectly normal he expected it to be an in-game power boost. That said “I guess it didn’t work” is dramatically understating the situation when by all appearances you just killed the game. 

...I love Soos. I just. I love Soos. So much. There’s not more to it. “It’s not just a game anymore.” tryin to be all dramatic about the fact that he got himself stuck in an arcade machine.

Mabel should really work on coming up with more subtle mission names. 

You know, the shoes were pretty unnecessary to this plan. It really just boiled down to “confront Stan about his fear of heights” and it basically worked. ...with some help from conveniently timed television programming. 

“Take me to the Soviet Union.” “That’s gonna be tough. For a number of reasons.” You know, I’m laughing a lot more this episode then I usually do? I’m not sure if that’s a this episode thing or a my mood thing. 

The “This is as still as I can stay” joke is one of the few lines I clearly remembered from this episode. 

I love how Mabel’s first reaction to this guy is to laugh at his voice and make him say random words. For some reason it makes me think of how the Honest Trailers guy says random fan submitted phrases at the end of all his videos. 

“He’s not a toy, he’s a fighting machine.” you know, Dipper, if you’d thought enough about what you just said there, you might’ve seen how this situation could end badly. 

“This street has some dangerous litter.” You know what this scene brings to mind? The idea that Rule Of Funny might literally be part of the weirdness of Gravity Falls. You know, like the cartoons in like...Who Framed Roger Rabbit and stuff. Because why the fuck else would a literal sword be in the middle of the street? 

Stan has no problem with the idea of being led around while wearing a blindfold. His only worry is that Mabel is working on his fear of heights. I don’t know what to do with this information but I feel like it’s relevant somehow. 

Also, part of me kinda wants that sweater that Mabel made with the scouts honor sign on the front and the crossed fingers on the back? Of course, I keep my hair really short so like...it’d be completely obvious if I wore it but as, you know, a real-life adult and not a preteen cartoon character I wouldn’t be using it to deceive anyone. I just think it’d be fun to wear. 

I wonder how Dipper convinced Rumble to hide behind the tree while he gave Robbie a chance to change his mind. 

“Who’s your friend, and why is he blurry?” Another look into how people in Gravity Falls first reaction to weirdness isn’t typically panic? Like. Robbie completely accepts that there’s this big, blurry guy behind Dipper, and assumes he’s normal, despite the fact that “blurry” is not a normal human condition. Then again, that might be more a Robbie thing then a Gravity Falls thing. 

I’m trying to figure out what Robbie expected to happen here. He’s all bravado, even when Dipper brings in someone easily twice his size and all muscle. He knows he’s challenging these guys to a fight. So why does he panic when the first punch is thrown? Like, did he really expect no one was gonna try to punch him? Or did it take the fist getting that close to his face for him to notice it was approximately the size of his head? 

Okay it looks like Robbie hit his head on that bar? I’m...pretty sure he didn’t but that landing could not have been okay. He’s lucky he was able to get up and run from that fireball. Yikes. 

Okay the little Robbie jumping over barrels and getting points for it like in a video game made me laugh. But I just realized it’s also kinda our first clue that Rumble’s target is also treated by video game rules as long as he’s engaging them. 

...I want to feel bad for Dipper here but really, I feel like he should have seen this coming. 

Oh hey. It’s the other super rich family in Gravity Falls. 

So, Soos has a piece of the arcade game he crawled inside around his neck when he meets up with Dipper. Do I...I don’t wanna know how Soos got out, do I? 

“You need an amiable sidekick with a pickup truck?” “You know I do.” While trying to put my thoughts on this exchange into words that aren’t just “I LOVE SOOS SO MUCH!” I realized something. You know what movie I bet Soos would like? Sky High. Just a thought. 

So, remembering that Mabel got Stan on top of the water tower and whatnot, I’d fully planned to, when I got to this point, ask how the fuck Mabel got him up the ladder without him noticing. I realize now, based entirely on his deadpan “yeah that’s pretty much what I was expecting” that it’s not so much just that he assumed Mabel was lying, he probably noticed he was climbing a fucking ladder. Which is completely hilarious that Mabel somehow expected this to still be a surprise...but also like...really sweet? Because Stan basically voluntarily confronted his fear because Mabel was trying to help him and he loves her. 

I love Stan’s little understated “oh no.” when Rumble starts attacking the water tower though. Master of understatement, that man. Until Mabel asks a question and then he decides to panic out loud. 

Dipper thinking to use video game cutscene conventions to interrupt is brilliant. Framing his face with those blocks off wood, he realized he has to function as part of Rumble’s world in order to get through to him. His little “I guess I kinda am” when Rumble accuses him of being the bad guy breaks my heart just a little bit though. Because that...like you can see that didn’t occur to him until that moment, and he feels it. 

Soos trying to talk Dipper out of fighting but being SO PROUD when he chooses to fight. Like I paused on Soos face when the fight begins and it’s just the most precious expression ever oh my god. I think this was the episode that, however briefly, gave Soos the second favorite character slot. Rewatching it he’s certainly trying to steal it back. 

Also I kinda love Dipper getting into that video game fighter stance motion thing? I love how quickly he catches on when he, you know, basically changes the rules of existence. 

You know what though, even though it was like, half a percent damage, Dipper getting in a good shot on Rumble is pretty damn badass. And Soos trying to save Dipper by fucking with Rumble’s health bar physically is hilarious, and for some odd reason kinda reminds me of Deadpool? Getting him to tip over onto the ground was kinda brilliant, although a little...like...did Dipper know that would work or was he just trying to hide in a tree? Like I’m not totally sure why Rumble didn’t just knock the tree down like he had so many others so there was no precedent to make that a good plan...it might have just been a brief stroke of luck. 

What gets me though...is when Dipper realizes he’s going to lose. He just...accepts it. Even though he was doing this so Rumble wouldn’t kill Robbie. He didn’t know that losing to Rumble just meant loads of pain and Rumble going away. Like, I’m not at all sure he would have stepped in at all if he’d known being beaten by Rumble was survivable. Which means Dipper thinks he’s going to die in that moment. I remember when I went through Double Dipper, and talked about how easily Tyrone accepted his death, and after some discussion, came to the conclusion it was a clone thing rather then a Dipper thing. I think this moment proves that conclusion wrong though? Of course, as came up in that discussion, I don’t think Dipper’s willingness to self-sacrifice comes from a place of self-loathing, but rather a lack of understanding the real meaning of death. Which makes the fact that he faces it so many times on this show genuinely alarming. What’s more, when he thinks it’s the right thing to do, he’s fully willing to let himself die. Even just to save someone he doesn’t really like. 

Or...maybe he did know he’d survive? He’d already figured out winning would make Rumble go away. He seems pretty confidant when he gets back up. Although that’s consistent with not really thinking through the reality of maybe dying so... I don’t really know. 

“Why is it that whenever you’re around, there’s always ghosts, or monsters?” ...Robbie remembers the ghosts. The Society didn’t get ahold of him. He was lying through his fucking teeth at the dance. 

Giving it some thought, I think my earlier question of what Robbie expected does get answered here. He expected Dipper to run away. He expected Dipper to be afraid and hide from him. Which is totally what happened at first. Why he didn’t process that the giant, muscular, blurry man was less likely to be afraid of him I have no idea. Also, didn’t he just, at this point, watch Dipper take a hell of a beating for him? Robbie is so...attached to his expectations of Dipper that he doesn’t even think about the evidence in front of him of how Dipper’s behavior might have changed. 

Wendy calling them “my two boys” is sweet. It does vaguely imply she’s closer to Dipper then the rest of her friend group though, ‘cause that group has other boys? 

What’s interesting here is that Dipper could have totally thrown Robbie under the bus here, by telling the truth. An “I didn’t want to fight, Robbie challenged ME.” would have gone a long way toward ending Robbie and Wendy’s relationship. Which is what he wants. He didn’t though. Was this because it just didn’t occur to him, or did he actually learn his lesson last episode about interfering with Wendy’s choices? 

I wish I had something to say about Dipper and Robbie’s “cold war pact” or the stinger with Soos’ dream...but I really don’t. So, I guess that’s it. 

[thenotoriousscuttlecliff]

Moffat Era Rewatch: World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls

Without hope, without witness, without reward...

Warning: Spoilers Sweetie 

Last one before ‘Twice Upon a Time’. Here we go.  

“No. No. NOOOOO!” That’s a dramatic to get things started. 

“Hello. I'm Doctor Who.” 

Here is an tantalising glimpse of what the show might be like if Michelle Gomez played the Doctor.  

“And these are my plucky assistants, Thing One and the Other One.” 

Missy is getting her groove on. 

“You're probably handsome, aren't you? Well, congratulations on your relative symmetry.”

“Well, I am that mysterious adventurer in all of time and space, known only as Doctor Who. And these are my disposables, Exposition and Comic Relief.” 

And then she dabs. 

 “Are you human?” "Oh, don't be a bitch.” Best line the Master has ever had or will have. 

“My name is Doctor Who.” "It's not, is it?” “I like it.” Next time someone tells you "he’s called the Doctor, not Doctor Who” remind them that the character himself says he likes being called Doctor Who. 

The Doctor is giving one of his tried and tested “I’m the Doctor and I’ll save you” speeches. Which usually work. Usually. 

RIP Bill’s Prince shirt.    

I know that Bill gets a happy ending at the end of this story, I just wish she didn’t have to go through utter hell to get there. 

“She's the only person that I've ever met who's even remotely like me.” Come now, Doctor, surely you’re forgetting about Cla- Oh, never mind. 

He wants someone around who will get his Time Lord in-jokes. 

This scene on the uni roof is probably my favourite Doctor/Bill scene. 

“She was my first friend, always so brilliant, from the first day at the Academy. So fast, so funny. She was my man crush.” It’s official! The Doctor had a crush on the Master.

“Yeah, I think she was a man back then. I'm fairly sure that I was, too. It was a long time ago, though.”  

"But you still call yourselves Time Lords?” Bill Potts utterly destroying Time Lord hypocrisy. 

The irony of all this is that it was not Missy that got her shot. 

And here we have Rachel Talalay making Cybermen creepier than they have ever been before. 

The sonic doubles as a pen. 

Knowing that Moffat wrote these two episodes while he was also caring for his dying mother in hospital sure does explain a lot. 

The Master's excuse for this disguise is so Bill wouldn’t recognise him as Harold Saxon, but let’s be real here, even if Bill was 18th century New Yorker and had no idea who Harold Saxon was he still would’ve slipped on the disguise because he is that fucking extra.   

“Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain.”

And it just get more and more unsettling. 

Volume. *shudder*

Razor? God, what is wrong with the Master, why isn’t he being incredibly obvious with his aliases?

“They are at top of ship. Top of ship very slow. We are at bottom. Bottom much faster. Very fast bottom.”

Time dilation. Some actual real world science in Doctor Who. 

“A black hole isn't just any old gravity. It's Superman gravity.” 

I am amazed that the Master managed to maintain this charade for so long. I would’ve thought after a month he wouldn’t have been able to resist his urge to show off in front of the Doctor and dragged Bill back to the bridge just so he could go “Surprise, it’s me!” 

Wish we’d seen more of Twelve unleashing the Venusian Akido. 

“This won't stop you feeling pain, but it will stop you caring about it.”  

And thus the goofiest looking Cybermen suddenly became the scariest. 

“It's a Cyberman. A Mondasian Cyberman!” You can kinda tell that Peter is resisting the urge to grin like a loon. 

“He'll never forgive you, you know, he'll never set you free. Not when he discovers what you did to his little friend.” He learned that his future self was turning good so what did he do? He thought of the most unforgivable thing he could do to turned the Doctor against them forever; he turned Bill into a Cyberman.  

“You would never be so self-destructive.” Oh, never say never, mate. 

“Hello, Missy. I'm the Master, and I'm very worried about my future. Give us a kiss.” I know it generated a lot of hype for the finale, but I wish they had kept John Simm’s return a secret, because this would’ve been the most OMFG!!! moment the show has ever pulled off.  

Do love his new look, especially the return of the beard. The Master just doesn’t look right without a beard. I’m still annoyed they never gave Michelle one. I think we can all agree she would’ve pulled it off magnificently. 

I’ve wanted a multi Master story for as long as I can remember, so this is pretty much all Christmases and birthdays at once.  

“...the Genesis of the Cybermen.” Bit on the nose, Moffat. 

“I. Waited. For. You.”

They turned the still living proto-Cybermen in scarecrows. That is just twisted. Are we sure the Doctor should be saving these people? 

“I know you've fallen.” Only because you pushed. 

Prepare for trouble, and make it double.

Self high-five. 

“So, I imagine you're the next one along, then?” "Oh, I think so. I'm a bit hazy on the whole regeneration thing, I'm afraid.” Because it’s never confirmed that she is his next incarnation, this means that there could potentially been dozens of incarnations between Simm!Master and Missy. 

“Hold me.” "Kiss me.” "Make me.”

They’re dancing and flirting. It’s all I’ve ever wanted. 

“We could shoot you, but that's a bit vanilla.” 

“So they cured your little condition and kicked you out.” Which means no more of those bloody drums. I was never a fan of that annoying retcon and was so glad that Moffat got rid of it.

"But old school, nice for a change.” He says while stroking his beard.    

“...because everybody knows your stupid round face.” "Round?” 

“Like sewage and smartphones and Donald Trump, some things are just inevitable.” I hope he is not saying that Donald Trump is like a fixed point in time.

“I was secretly on your side all along, you silly sausage.” He wants to believe so badly that she’s changed, and i think she’s a little hurt that he doubts her. 

“The Doctor's dead. He told me he'd always hated you. Let's go.” “No.” "The Doctor's dead. He told me he'd always hated you.” "Yeah, I heard you the first time.”

Breaking free of her Cyber programming and saving the Doctor is one of the few times that Bill has any control over what happens to her in this story.  

It was a smart idea to have Bill still herself as human while everyone sees her as a Cyberman. 

“Jelly baby?” Always has sweets for the kids. 

“My God, you were so boring for all those years. But it was worth every day of it, for this.” This is the Master at his absolute cruelest. He has no remorse for what he did to Bill and is even gloating about it to her face. 

“Where there's tears, there's hope.” 

“Becoming a woman's one thing, but have you got empathy?” I really don’t know why so many people were shocked to discover that the guy who used to beat his wife is such a blatant misogynist. 

“Is the future going to be all girl?” "We can only hope.” 

Bit disappointing that they brought in the more recent Cybermen. They should’ve just stuck with the Mondasian ones. 

I wish we had got to see the Master’s new TARDIS.  

“By the way, is it wrong that I er...” Judging yourself for being into yourself.

The Doctor sitting on the porch with a riffle like he’s in a western.

“Hey! I'm going to be dead in a few hours, so before I go, let's have this out, you and me, once and for all. Winning? Is that what you think it's about? I'm not trying to win. I'm not doing this because I want to beat someone, or because I hate someone, or because, because I want to blame someone. It's not because it's fun and God knows it's not because it's easy. It's not even because it works, because it hardly ever does. I do what I do, because it's right! Because it's decent! And above all, it's kind. It's just that. Just kind. If I run away today, good people will die. If I stand and fight, some of them might live. Maybe not many, maybe not for long. Hey, you know, maybe there's no point in any of this at all, but it's the best I can do, so I'm going to do it. And I will stand here doing it till it kills me. You're going to die too, some day. How will that be? Have you thought about it? What would you die for? Who I am is where I stand. Where I stand, is where I fall. Stand with me. These people are terrified. Maybe we can help, a little. Why not, just at the end, just be kind?” This is one of those moments that makes you want to stand up and applause even when your sitting alone in your living room. 

Peter usually gets all the praise for this scene, and deservedly so, but I think we should also take a moment to appreciate Michelle’s brilliant silent performance.

Nardole didn’t exactly win me over this season, but he does get a nice goodbye. 

He’s not disappointed that she murdered him, he’s actually rather impressed. 

“But, hey er, you know how I'm usually all about women and, and kind of people my own age.” "Yeah?” “Glad you knew that.”

He was okay with her backstabbing him, but not with her joining the Doctor. 

Two Masters, dying on the ground, laughing after betraying and murdering each other is pretty much the best way that their story could’ve ended. I hope it isn’t the end, but if it is then at least it is a good one. 

RIP Missy? 

“Telos! Sealed you into your ice tombs! Voga! Canary Wharf! Planet 14! Every single time, you lose. Even on the Moon.”

“I'm not a doctor. I am the Doctor. The original, you might say.”

He’s so ready to die. He’s been running and fighting for so long now that part of him just want it all to be over, to finally rest.

Why was there no moment of Bill fighting off the Cybermen too? The Doctor gets all the hero moments here, which isn’t that surprising since this was originally written as Twelve’s last stand, but it is still disappointing that Bill is sidelined for much of this episode and doesn’t get to have a moment of heroism of her own in the final battle.  

He did say they might see her again. 

“Am I dead?” "Does that feel dead to you?”

“I'm the Pilot. I can fly anything. Even you.” Heather is one smooth space puddle. 

“I can make you human again. It's all just atoms. You can rearrange them any way you like. I can put you back home, you can make chips, and live your life, or you can come with me. It's up to you, Bill, but, before you make up your mind.  Let me show you around.”

And they both lived happily ever after...

Why no Rory in this companion montage?

“Where have you taken me? If you're trying to make a point, I'm not listening. I don't want to change again. Never again! I can't keep on being somebody else. Wherever it is, I'm staying.” This is the Doctor that struggled for so long to know who he was so I don’t really blame him for not wanting to regenerate into someone new.  

“The Doctor. Oh, I don't think so. No, dear me, no. You may be a doctor, but I am the Doctor. The original, you might say.”

So that’s my Moffat era rewatch finally all over and done with.