#i don’t know why because every single episode is fucking fantastic

[soldierboys]

bro. i just finished season 2 of lost. my jaw is still on the floor

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Psycho Analysis: Freaky Fred

(WARNING! This analysis is... NAUGHTY!)

Hello dear reader, this is Fred.

You hear the words that are in his head.

To Courage the dog he is a threat,

because he’s very… naughty.

In Courage the Cowardly Dog, you see,

Fred appeared and definitely

left a mark on you and me

by being very... naughty.

So let's take a look at this creepy man,

and hopefully you'll understand

why this guy has garnered tons of fans

despite him being... naughty.

Motivation/Goals:

Fred’s a man of simple needs.

He wants to cut hair, indeed!

And his efforts would likely succeed

if he weren’t so… naughty.

He has a compulsion, you know.

He sees hair and it’s time to go!

And so he spends the\is episode of the show

being very naughty.

Performance: Paul Schoeffler is the man, you know!

He voiced Le Quack, Katz and Big Toe!

The Cajun Fox, Zalost, the Snowman, oh,

he played characters who were… naughty.

He was quite good at what he had to do,

even playing Dr. Vindaloo!

And he played our boy Fred, it’s true,

with a performance that was… quite naughty.

Final Fate: After shaving Courage’s hair,

the orderlies escort him out of there.

One could argue the ending’s unfair.

Fred was only… a little naughty.

Evilness: Is Fred evil? Who can say?

I certainly don’t see him that way.

Really, at the end of the day,

the worst you can call him is… naughty.

He shaves off hair against people’s will

because it gives him perverted thrills.

He doesn’t maim or harm or kill,

he’s genuinely just naughty.

So I suppose a 1.5/10’s the score.

I can’t really justify much more.

He’s not cruel or deadly to the core,

he’s a weird guy who’s naughty.

Best Quote: The opening lines of his sole appearance of course,

which he delivers with no remorse

as he outlines his action’s course

and explains that he is… NAUGHTY:

“Hello, new friend. My name is Fred.

The words you hear are in my head.

I say, I said my name is Fred,

and I've been... very naughty.”

Final Thoughts & Score: Alright, time to drop the rhyming act so I can actually really talk about Fred. And boy, is he ever interesting to talk about! Courage is really a cavalcade of amazing one-shot antagonists, but Fred is easily one of the best and most memorable.

A huge part of that is probably down to his single appearance being narrated from his point of view. He’s the rare Courage villain that gives us explicit insight to his thought process and why he does what he does, and what he does is… extremely strange and even suggestive. His compulsion is so strange and how he narrates it and refers to his actions really build him up to feel worse and creepier than he actually is. He’s not trying to hurt Courage in any way, he’s just trying to exercise his bizarre fetish like a G-rated Yoshikage Kira. There's a lot of ways you could read into this compulsion, but t really does make him stand out as a character due to how unique it is and how it's implemented into the story.

I think what also helps is Schoeffler giving one of his best performances on the show. Like yes, Katz and Le Quack are great, and Vindaloo is a funny meme man, but Fred is just a truly iconic character with such a bombastic and sophisticated narration that I really think he’s a contender for the best character the man played. On top of that we have a fantastic design, with his crazy hair and way-too-wide grin; literally every aspect of this guy is perfect.

But at the end of it all, you have to remember that Fred isn’t actually evil, no matter how much he seems to insist he is. At worst, he’s an anti-villain, and even then it’s in name only; the dude is just a freaky weirdo who looks like Betelgeuse and has a strange fetish he can’t help but act out on, and at worst his actions are annoying and inconvenient as opposed to horribly destructive or deadly. Like, oh no, your hair’s gone! It’ll grow back, whatever. He may be Sweeney Todd for kids, but this barber ain’t a demon; he’s just a fucking weirdo. And I love him for it.

A 9.5/10 is the score he gets,

A memorable antagonist, one of the best.

His narration will never leave your head,

and isn’t that just…

NAUGHTY?

[jenyifer]

The Trainee Ep 5 Initial Reaction

Oh thank god, Episode 5 is exactly what I wanted! Episode 4 was a bit dry and boring, but thankfully Episode 5 totally makes up for it. Some people commented last week saying I shouldn’t criticize the show just because I expect spicy stuff. But no, this is what I wanted—and surprise, it’s not about kissing. Sometimes it feels like people don’t really read what I write. I make these posts to remember the shows I’m watching, whether I enjoy them or not. It’s all just my opinion.

But anyway, Episode 5 was fantastic for both the main and side couples. We got to see the shallow crush of Bah-Mee and the gradual crush between Ryan and Jane. I was screaming for joy when they were walking home together, finally talking about something other than work. Honestly, that scene alone would’ve made me happy, but the episode gave me so much more!

Jane’s apartment gave me major "Theory of Love" vibes with its IKEA and creative core aesthetic. Anyway, let’s get to the photo review!

Awwww Pie does appreciate Ryan for his friendship and his skill. I love her.

Okay yeah this boy’s mentor’s are actually fucking up. 1. Give the intern the invoices is a 1 way trip to getting fired 2. Don’t even check in with the intern to make sure he’s doing it right.

Idk at my company money stuff is the most important thing I can’t imagine HR taking this lightly. I got in deep shit when I had to go on a business trip and didn’t have a properly lit receipt. Got emails every single day. I had to have every purchase and movement accounted for and I think that’s less important than a department’s invoices.

Hehehe Bah-Mee is too cute head empty girl

No noodles is bringing Punn back!!! *once this series is over it’s time to watch Gifted again* seeing Gun’s forehead is a rare treat that I shall savor ahah

Jane is turning his anxiety into his super power. I don’t think he’s as confident as he pretends it’s just hardened into “this is how it is.” He takes every job. Does it to the fullest never thinking of himself.

“Getting to know you, Getting to feel free and easy. When I am with you, Getting to know what to say. Haven’t you noticed? Suddenly I’m bright and breezy Because of all the beautiful and new Things I’m learning about you Day by day.” Them talking about what they like and bonding over who they really are hits me right in the feels.

I like that Jane NOT ONLY apologized but clearly explained why he had been overwhelmed and made the mistake in the first place. He really means it. Jane feels really bad that Ryan was so affected by his words. Just really precious.

First off all I adore this song by Nanon. Second both of the side couple are in love with the theory of being together but that’s how love can be. You are going through the motions of what you think a relationship is

Ryan being enchanted by Jane’s actions of giving him his clothes to wear is so heart warming and makes me giggle and kick my feet. Probably because stealing clothes is the peak of lesbian behavior. When you start sharing clothes you are close to discussing marriage plans with a girl hehehe.

[unsleepingtales]

Burrow’s End!!! I am so excited for this season and I’m also incredibly nervous because I think it’s going to emotionally destroy me. This is a long one.

(Also I am now living in gmt which means episodes drop at midnight for me, so I’m likely gonna wind up posting about them the next day)

Aabria!! Welcome back!!

I’m so thrilled that more and more players are doing character makeup it’s so fun

OH we’re just getting classes and subclasses out the gate ok

Hi Izzy hi Erika <3

I have not seen Jasper William Cartwright in anything ever but simply based on the look and the vibes I’m so excited about this

Siobhan <3

Ooooh two paladinssss

(This is excellent for me personally because I have been slowly convincing my boyfriend that paladins are actually really cool and I can now use his crush on BLeeM to my advantage)

They’re a family!

DOME ALREADY

I hope Beatrix is in some way a reference to Beatrix Potter <3

Siobhan IMMEDIATELY in goblin mode incredible

Wooo full stats love when they give us the full stats

First roll of the campaign is a 21! Good vibes!

Oh what stat array did they use I need to look at that

I so hope that the bizarre british things counter sticks around

Izzy playing a rogue is so delightful

We’re in pvp already and I am HERE for the chaos

Ok so their dad’s Dead. Fantastic. Sure hope this doesn’t emotionally affect me at alllll.

Cheating at what??

Ten minutes in and they already made their guardian/aunt/babysitter curse

Their physicality is great

I also love the info we’re getting about Tula before we’re introduced to her

Dome? Dome? DOME??

God the art department knocks it out of the fucking park every fucking time

Oh these are KIDS

I know I say this every season but I love First Episodes. I love meeting them and learning what the vibe is for the season and settling into the world.

They’re rolling so welllll

Oh that was a Good entrance

The voice!! Her voice!!

Oath of devotion paladin !

Everyone really wanted hats huh

oh h my god

Girl WHAT

I love Aabria snatching the small opportunities to hint at what will be bigger later

Now why can he do that

Viola doesn’t go anywhere alone!

Oh that’s so bad

Oh right their lifespan is super different!

This line had been spoiled for me by my dash but that did not make it hit less hard.

“It’s interesting to watch someone go from wanting to survive, to wanting to live.”

Erika playing the grandma is everything to me

Also Erika literally shaved their head in the pattern of that character scar. Incredible

A SINGLE MOM THAT WORKS TWO JOBS WHO LOVES HER KIDS AND NEVER STOPS

Dropout team I love you so much

Brennan PC :)

Oh she’s SUCH a mother.

(Inquisitive music stops as the soft rejection hangs in the air)

CC writers are also back and on their game in full force!

Mmhmh

The first of all stoats 😭

She has cartoon anger eyebrows

Oh that’s gross

Did she just shade her dead son in law.

“I’ll try to keep up appearances” is so heartbreaking

YOU’RE LOOKING SO… LIKE YOU.

If I said that to my mom I would immediately dissolve.

Erika’s table acting is fabulous

Dome. Blue dome.

OOOOO

I love the multigenerational relationships here

No not a fanatic. A religious crazy!

Family dynamics.

Don’t threaten the children with emotional damage

The FACE

I feel like the roll for panic attack shirt is gonna make a comeback thanks to Thorn

Oh this is gonna make me feel real bad about being human huh

This is such a good season to be released over October-December. I know it was planned that way but I really appreciate it.

Straight Groucho 💀

“This is making me sad and scared” me too Brennan.

Baby girl has never known a thing in her whole life

Oh god oh fuck

His face

Ok things are being scaled down! Good to know

This is the second time Aabria’s had players use echolocation against her damn

I swear if he starts bleeding from his nose I’m gonna lose it

The CURTISES

The more she emphasizes that this is unnatural the more freaked I get

I am nervous for Jaysohn.

Oh no oh god

I love how Aabria is able to make nat ones still helpful and important

This is crushing ngl.

Is the tree gonna fucking get cut down

SHE HAS WERTHERS

I’m gonna cry this season I just know it

Oh my god this is so good.

[freelancewitchvt]

im gonna respond to criticisms about adventure time that i saw in a twitter thread bc im bored and have feelings and thoughts

the most frequent reply to the thread was that people believe finn’s breakup with flame princess was stupid and, at worst, was an attempt by the female writers to make the male protagonist Finn as dislikeable as possible.

i don’t think i’ve ever met a single fan of adventure time who thinks “yeah that finn the human guy? he sucks. totally dislikeable protagonist.” i have to believe these people simply watched up to this episode and then quit the show. they didn’t see any of the followup. they didn’t watch finn grow up. they didn’t see the episode where finn acknowledges specifically what he did wrong and makes amends with flame princess. i just simply do not understand this criticism.

WHAT SHOW ARE U WATCHING? GO WATCH THE SHOW CALLED “ADVENTURE TIME” AVAILABLE ON MAX AND HULU

ppl won’t shut the fuck up about rebecca sugar even when she’s NOT a show runner

moving onto princess bubblegum. now call me crazy but i’ve always liked princess bubblegum as a character. i also understand where a lot of this criticism comes from and im able to qualify that my affinity towards her character comes with a fair bit of nuance as well as coming from a place of bias via naivete

the idea that the show turns a blind eye to her abuses is absurd to me. the show explicitly shows her hurting characters that we care about, and it in no way is framed as good. it acknowledges her flaws, which is why we the audience are aware of them. and in-universe I think she is quite literally called out by almost every major character lmao does the show punish her enough? well that’s like, an interesting question to ask and a fun way to think about the show and her character. what does princess bubblegum deserve? well we know she got usurped and exiled for some time. that gave her some time to reflect a bit.

now you don’t necessarily have to think of that as a redemption arc. at the very least the show took the opportunity to show us other facets of her character. she can be vulnerable, she can be kind, she can feel remorseful. and she does, like, improve in my opinion. in “The Thin Yellow Line” princess bubblegum has a whole speech condemning her idolization, saying she’s “just a person, like all of you” it’s quite wholesome. It’s further reinforced in “High Strangeness” when she apologizes to tree trunks for trying to colonize space and inadvertently infecting her alien children with candy goo (lmao i know it sounds ridiculous but watch the episode lol) obviously i’m not gonna sit here and be like “princess bubblegum is great and was  completely redeemed and a morally exemplary paragon to be revered by all” but like, come on twitter. you’re not at all convincing me here

now im gonna talk about his one!! the animation!! i have a lot of ways i like to think about how the style/animation/tone/format of this show changes over time. the central pillar of these is exactly in line with the shows most prominent theme: growing up. finn ages from 12 to 17 and a lot of what the show explores is the transition from “boyhood” to “manhood” and how it’s messy, nonlinear, painful, joyful, and rich with new experiences. i think the stylistic changes, even if they can also be explained by ward stepping down as showrunner, also reinforce this theme fantastically. if we’re seeing the world through finn’s eyes, of course in his early years things are much more colorful, fantastical, and whimsical. and as he ages, we see the world more clearly, things seem more grounded, more mature.  that’s why i can’t really take any criticism in line with this seriously because it’s just too well done it works too dang well.  and don’t get me started on how this theme extends to all the other characters. i could literally go on but i’ve already made my point hehe.

i dont have anything to say about this one it’s just funny hehe okay im gonna go now

[captain-lonagan]

MCD Rewatch S1 Ep35: Mask Revealed

Do you need to watch this? 30% some parts kinda rule ngl

Is it fun to watch? i truly don’t know what to say here. on one hand we get rad shadow knight stuff (big win). on the other hand, the fetish maids get plot relevance (big loss).

Plot Summary: Aphmau refuses to give the wyvern wood to the old man and he reveals himself to be Zenix in disguise! He proudly states he’s been a shadow knight since Garroth first found him. Zenix attacks and knocks Aphmau out, but KC and her animated doll army are able to save Aphmau from being carried away.

Personal Notes:

ZENIX THUMBNAIL

feeding her dogs before starting the episode thats GROWTH

she doesn’t want to start a war and cares a little about whether other people live or die thats GROWTH

still wild she keeps the maid with the literal dogs

Aphmau doesn’t give the old dude logs, hides them in the maid’s inventory

OLD MAN WAS ZENIX IN DISGUISE THE WHOLE TIME HOLY SHIT THATS WHY HIS STORY DIDNT ADD UP IT WASNT JUST INCONSISTENT WRITING IT WAS A CHARACTER LYING YOOOOOOOOO

ZENIX RED EYES

Zenix has been a shadow knight this whole time and killed the previous lord! Would’ve killed the lord’s wife and son too except Vylad stopped him

INSANE GUARD TO SHADOW KNIGHT PIPELINE MONOLOGUE AT 5:43 (transcript below cut)

fantastic monologue slightly fucked over by use of word “bum” in the last scentence

ZENIX ATTACKS

the little maid had plot relevance. devastating

KC and little maids rescued an unconscious Aphmau from Zenix. several maids died but KC isn’t super stressed because she’ll just reanimate them?? creepy as shit but okay

KC can’t sense Aphmau’s maid anywhere, living or dead. she’s 200% in the nether

KC is hitting the bricks because if the King has the maid then he can track down the magic that animated her and use KC to enchant weapons or create an army. aha yikes yeah you should run girl

MAID HAS ALL THE WYVERN WOOD IN HER INVENTORY UH OH

killing time until KC’s flying horse arrives to take us to Scaleswind. literally just walking in circles killing cows to fill time until the 15 minute mark

“I kinda want to get a new maid” YOU ARE EVIL

Zenix’s monologue except i changed “bum” to “ass” because it adds more kick:

I’M TIRED OF HIDING, LORD APHMAU. DON’T YOU GET IT? EVERY SINGLE LORD AND GUARDIAN ARE CONNECTED! BOTH CANNOT LIVE FOR LONG WITHOUT ONE DYING! AND WHO DIES? WHO PUTS THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE FOR THE OTHER? WE DO! US GUARDS DO! WE ARE THE ONES WHO ARE EXPENDABLE! IT’S EITHER WE DIE FOR YOU OR YOU DIE, AND IF WE KILL YOU WE BECOME HIS LOYAL SERVANTS, BLESSED WITH UNLIMITED POWER! NO ONE CAN TOUCH ME! NO ONE CAN KILL ME LIKE WHEN I WAS HUMAN! EVEN GARROTH WILL HAVE TO MAKE THIS CHOICE ONE DAY, IF HE COULD GET HIS HEAD OUT OF HIS ASS AND SEE THE TRUTH!

[Aphmau says some bullshit]

If I were you...I’d run.

[yletylyf]

Rules: list eight TV shows for your followers to get to know you better!

Thank you for the tag @jhalya <3

Tagging @cindle-writes, @atomic-space-babe, @heavy-metal-dick, @ashesandhackles, @givereadersahug, @phantomato

I think I’ll list the shows I’ve watched recently, no clue how I would tackle an all-time favorite list.

1. Shadow and Bone

I never got around to watching season 1 before season 2 came out, so I’ve been binging all the episodes over the past week or so. I did not particularly like reading these books, and I do not particularly like the show. It’s a good production - it’s pretty and I like the actors, who do a great job.

My problem with this verse is that I loathe the main character, books and show alike. I am only in this fandom because I like villains and my friends keep trying to convince me the Darkling is the best villain. And he is a great villain! I’m desperate, however, for content about him that is neither canon nor his popular fandom ship. I’m reading some promising Nikolai/Darkling fics, and slowly trying to finish season 2 of the show.

2. The Mandalorian

I am an extremely casual, not-really-a-fan SW fan. I have like, seen all the movies and the live-action TV shows, and even some of the really bad cartoon, but find most of the content entirely forgettable. So, here I am, dutifully watching the latest in my very casual way. The negative is that I don’t care about the plot of this show (is there a plot in this season?) Positive points in season 3: Elia Kane was smoking hot and also a villain. Wooow! Plus, Bo-Katan is growing on me. Oh yeah, and baby Yoda is the best SW character.

3. House of the Dragon

I thought I would hate this show because I really, really hated Game of Thrones. And there was plenty I did hate about HotD - fuck every single one of those graphic childbirth/dying in childbirth/miscarriage scenes, why do the writers have such a hard-on for women suffering in ways unique to the female anatomy? Fuck off and die. 

I like dragons! I like Rhae and Ali (preferably shipped together)! I loooove Daemon. The settings are so pretty and the action is great and the unhinged villainy and incest is glorious. I kind of hate every single one of the younger characters though and because of it, haven’t really been able to get into the fandom or most ship fic.

4. Rings of Power

LOVE LOVE LOVE. Oh my god! It awoke my teenage love for LotR (I used to be obsessed) and increased it a hundred fold. A delightful and complicated villain-centric story with a smoking hot actor and all the chemistry with the other leads, in a beloved childhood canon? Holy shit, yes please.

5. Wheel of Time

I mean... I watched it. I think these books are terribly written and can’t stand them, but fine, I’ll watch a TV show about a fantasy canon. Loved the big, central role given to Moraine and loved the Moraine/Siuan. The settings and costumes are pretty. I don’t care about this canon at all. I have tried reading fic as encouragement and just cannot muster any caring about these characters.

6. Ted Lasso

Love it! Haven’t started watching season 3 yet, but I loved seasons 1 and 2. I didn’t expect to like it? Happy optimism, relentlessly feel-good, upbeat characters in a modern setting? Not really my thing. (I mean, does it sound like any other show I’ve listed here?) But it was so charming! The writing so funny and the actors so good. Keeley/Rebecca are a fantastic f/f ship and Ted/Trent are a fantastic m/m ship in fandom. I’m very into it.

7. The Witcher

Hmm. I like dark characters and themes but I don’t like jump-scare, horror/tension stuff. So the Witcher was sort of hard for me to watch. I think it’s better on a re-watch when I know what’s coming. Geralt is gorgeous eye candy for sure. The women are annoying (I don’t like children characters much and I hate plots that are like “all I want is a baby” for women, hate hate hate them, please die, Yennifer’s entire storyline). I love the fun monster-hunt plots and Jaskier!

8. Obi-Wan Kenobi

I wish I liked this. I wish I liked Anakin in particular. I ought to; he fits the character archetypes I love most. His relationship with Obi-Wan should be fascinating???? But I don’t care. I honestly can’t remember what happened in this show.

[aesthetic-uni]

While everyone else is watching season 4 of Lego Monkie Kid, which just released in dub version, I am watching THE VERY BEGINNING

Yeah I just started Lego Monkie Kid, and I very much regret not starting it sooner, and I wish I had heard about it sooner. Oh well, better late than never I suppose

I don’t know if I’ll review all the episodes, but I’ll at least review A Hero Is Born

First off let me rave about the animation: This is amazing. I haven’t watched anything else lego-wise, so I don’t know if it’s usual for them to have stellar animation, but this is literally some of the most amazing animation I have ever seen-and I have seen a lot of animation. It’s just, every single scene is so fluid and fun, and the scenes where they are not are stylized to be fun gags that perfectly display the emotions of the characters. And even if the animation wasn’t amazing, the way they have built (hehe) this Lego world is so beautiful. Everything looks so gorgeous and has this absolutely beautiful stylized look that I would say is on par with Spiderverse and Puss In Boots. In case I’m not clear, I’m just saying that how they design everything fits so perfectly when thinking about the media they actually come from. Like yeah this is how I would think a Lego world would look like! And oh my god the colors! They so bright and fun and work perfectly when you consider almost everyone in this world is yellow! It’s just such a beautiful show to look at! I haven’t seen the whole thing but I have to say right now, one of my favorite scenes is just MK delivering noodles and driving around this city, ugh I love it.

Okay so let’s start with the characters: I really enjoyed them all! I loved Mei so much,and I’ve only heard good things about her so I can’t wait to see more of her! Red Son was a fantastic funny villain, while I did enjoy his parents as more serious villains. I think I prefer Princess Iron Fan as a villain, she just seems a bit more grounded and serious compared to DBK who’s kinda over the top (like father like son!), but who knows maybe that will change. PIGSY AND TANG!!! I fucking adored them. Already I ship them, but every scene I see them I can’t help but think of their counterparts and laugh at how not them they are acting. And yeah, I absolutely love Dadsy, he cares so much for MK in this one episode and you can tell. And for Sandy, he’s adorable obviously but I just want to see him snap. I don’t know why but I really just want to see him fucking destroy something. I’m really disappointed I didn’t get to see much of Sun Wukong. Like I know it’s MK story but I’ve seen so much stuff of Sun Wukong I want to him to be here already dammit! Also yeah he’s definitely hiding more than he’s letting on. Now to MK! I love him. This is MY son and EVERYONE is required to be nice to him! He’s just a fun character, he reacts to things in such a normal way I absolutely love it. I can’t wait to see more of him.

Also, this episode was just hilarious. I loved all the jokes and visual gags. My favorite joke has to be during the race scene when Red Son pulls out the motorcycle and is like “You think I would build just one car!” AND HOLDS UP LEGO INSTRUCTIONS LMAO

Plot was, basic. The only thing I found really compelling was Princess Iron Fan, I’m not going to lie. I didn’t dislike it, it’s just a standard pilot plot so I didn’t care for it. I think I liked the first half more than the second half, because after Bull Demon King gets his armor, everything just goes so fast that I stopped really caring.

Now, my main problem with the episode is just, it was so incredibly rushed. Which listen I get it I do! It’s only one hour and they have to introduce the main conflict, introduce the whole cast, actually get the main conflict, actually get the resolution, and solve the main conflict. That’s hard to do with full length films, of course it’s going to be rushed. But, it did make it less enjoyable for me. I don’t know maybe it’s just a me thing, but I hope as I watch the seasons they’re able to slow down the story a lot more. Also, yes I know it’s a Lego show, but my god did they put so many obvious “we made this in order to make a toy” scenes! I get they have to sell toys but there was just way too many for one episodes. I hope they’re at least spread out in the next season.

And that’s my review! Sorry it’s not very put together, I was mostly just writing down whatever came to my mind about the episode. I might do season by season reviews, or a few episodes at a time. Either way I think this show might be a new favorite of mine and I’m excited where to go!

Also a few things: I don’t care for spoilers, and I have actively spoiled myself with this show. I also joined the fandom way before I even watched the show. You guys just make way too cool fanarts and edits Dammit! Anyway I don’t care if you spoil me in the comments lol, I probably won’t even realize what you are talking about until I get to that scene so, it’s all good

[nicki0kaye]

hey @mangsney​, no worries, I understand why you’re asking!  I really enjoyed Obi-wan, there’s some scenes that still stay with me, esp the sound design when Obi-wan and Reva have their convo while he’s ‘captured’. The handling of Vader was stellar and their final confrontation felt really well earned. 

my issue is with how less integral scenes were sort of left unfinished writing-wise. Like they aren’t bad so much as...lazy. More of a sketch than a finished drawing. Any time a show leaves the viewer asking ‘why was I shown this’ or ‘how did they get away with that’, and the only real answer is ‘to fill time’ or ‘to get from point A to point B’, its not good writing. Its only really a problem because of the quality of Filoni’s and Favreau's other work within the same universe is heads and shoulders above what we got in Obi-wan. Nevermind Andor, Obi-wan doesn’t meet Book of Boba’s competency in writing, simply in establishing expectation and paying it off. And Book of Boba is far more streamlined and fat trimmed than any season of Mando. It only did what it told us it would do. It was set up and pay off, point by point, and I commend it for that, but in other series, we were allowed to just. Hang with the characters in a way I feel like they didn’t have time for in Boba. They had Mando season 2.5 to slip in. They had a limit on episodes and a very strict shooting schedule. They had every other project built off Mando’s wings to push through scripting, shooting and editing. 

I’d defend both Obi and Boba for what they do accomplish and I seriously enjoyed both of them. I have to be honest tho, it was a disappointment knowing they could have been fuller, stronger and allowed us more time with these characters but were limited by production and ultimately corporate greed.  If you don’t see the faults I do, good. Obi-wan deserves all the love in the world, REVA deserves all the love in the gALAXY. 

Andor is fantastic, but its also hella depressing and is too human centric. they really feared losing prestige points by having any non-human central characters and it shows. And I will never not be livid about that. It’s antithetical to Star Wars imo and its upsetting that I rarely see it mentioned. That isn’t to say don’t watch it. It is well worth the watch. I’m just petty and want to bitch about how everyone’s shiney new favorite isn’t actually perfect. It’s just as calculated as every other Star Wars production, bc it has to be. Because while these are wonderful works of art, they are also reliant on their marketability within late stage capitalism, and capitalism is a fickle fucking mistress. Andor is inspiring, its cast is diverse and its performances are unmatched. It’s openly and unapologetic about its queer characters. Its cinematography is some of the best in all of Star Wars canon. It takes the time to linger and really let you invest in every character you meet. Its just also supposed to be star wars so give me a fucking alien to love for more than a single scene, Fucking PLEASE.  

[whoslaurapalmer]

lulu watches doctor who; the god complex, the wedding of river song 🎩

me, during the girl who waited: amy’s always been that little girl waiting in a garden the god complex: you know what, lulu? you were so right me: holy shit. i was, goddamn

and then well the wedding sure happened

-okay. wow the god complex also super fucking delivered. i tell you what!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -i did my notes a week ago when i watched the episode and i just do like. vague quick things while i watch and then expand them when i type it up and i’m looking at my notes going ‘hope i hit everything i wanted to in this’

-i did not expect to be THAT RIGHT. i mean. i was just vibing. and then the god complex went ‘amy’s worst fear is literally her as a child, being left alone, waiting for the doctor, after all this time. having to wait. believing in him enough to wait, forever’ -what an EXCELLENT episode to have after the girl who waited. oh my goddddd. just. -i was perfectly willing to accept that it WAS the weeping angels, too! like! sure, that completely tracks! -BUT IT IS BEING LEFT ALONE. IT IS WAITING. SPECIFICALLY, ALWAYS, FOR ELEVEN

- “he came back. he saved me.” BOLD WORDS AFTER THE GIRL WHO WAITED, AMY -but how often do you think amy tells herself that, you know? that after it all he did come back. but after everything else, too

-the thought of like........it is fears in the rooms, countered by belief, and amy’s is. both. her fear of waiting, her belief in waiting. it’s heartbreaking. that a thing like that can be a fear as well -that something else will happen, again, to take the doctor away from her, to make her feel forgotten, to leave her behind

- “your faith in me.” - “time to stop waiting.” - :((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( -my whole entire fucking heart though -and he finally calls her amy williams :( -you grow up. you leave the fairytale. you don’t always want to. but you can (-because EVERY SINGLE COMPANION has that belief, every single fucking one of them!!!!! how can you see the doctor and not believe in him???? in the best way??? in a terrible way????) -and that eleven really accepts it, too. that here he is so kind to amy, even if he has to get amy to let him go, to stop that fantastical certainty in a mad man in a box. and once she does, he is so much quieter -no more bravado, no more braggadocious confidence, no more masks, just the doctor, and amy, on an equal ground -oh back in the girl who waited when i said that eleven was trying to distance himself from amy i focused more on him trying not to hurt her anymore and left out my other thought, which is that, i mean we know eleven knows he’s going to die, and he’s trying to separate himself from amy and rory, make sure amy can exist if he’s not there -and yep! wow! big time here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -their little house. rory’s dream car. amy can have a life that doesn’t revolve around the doctor (-even joking about it. knowing he’ll do it. “amy, with regret, you’re fired.”) - “why now?” “because you’re still breathing.” is a GREAT culmination of everything so far in this season. of it all - “what’s the alternative? me standing over your grave?” me, with knowledge of how amy and rory ultimately work out in the next season: mmmmmmmmmmm well. i mean. uhhhhh. well................................. -eleven don’t speak too soon. (-yeah, okay, though!!!! yeah it is the fucking alternative!!!!!!!! yeah!!!!!!!!!!)

-i think, letting amy and rory go shows a maturity in the doctor, considering i was JUST saying something like “what’s his other options?? travel alone, with all that weight by himself?” with the amount of times that like. the doctor didn’t have a choice in a companion being taken away? or the doctor did make a choice about a companion that wasn’t. excellent (-journey’s end..................................) -but acknowledging out loud? that he’s dangerous? that traveling with him is dangerous? that once again amy could’ve died and it would’ve been his fault? -acknowledging to rita that he always feels responsible and tries to fix things bc it’s his fault? “why is it up to you to save us? that’s quite a god complex you have there.” “i brought them here.” (-maybe you brought the evil with youuuuuuuu~) (i just started leaving twin peaks on in the background again so expect me to push the doctor is a coop even more than i already do) -and what else would the doctor do? even when the doctor doesn’t bring people, even when they aren’t responsible for the monster of the week (which does happen) how could they not help???????? what does it make them if they don’t???? -but what does it mean when it hurts like this? -there is a great sadness and heartbreak in this choice too. that shouldn’t have to be there but it is -“i took you with me because i was vain.” oh :( -vanity is an interesting way to put it

-it IS a god complex, though. oh i brought that up in a christmas carol. that perhaps that was eleven’s version of a god complex, the rewriting of time -of course this one isn’t rewriting time, but, yknow

-the doctor in the tardis all alone is always so sad :( it’s always the doctor in the tardis after everybody else but it’s so so sad :( -like ten standing alone in partners in crime before he runs into donna again, and he talks out loud until he realizes he doesn’t have anyone to be audibly smart and clever to, and at the end of journey’s end when he leaves without donna -oh there’s midnight vibes here, too. god i love midnight -the smaller mob mentality attempt with the, mole, guy, wanting to give someone up so they’ll be left alone, as if that works at all, as if that’s right

(-boy if rose had been asked to let go of her belief in the doctor. that would not have ended well.) (-i like wondering how other companions would do in other episodes, sometimes) -speaking of rose, though -amy: so what do time lords pray to? me: ROSE

-anyway -there was a great deal of humor in this episode as well which was very nice -i love the hotel!!!! very book!denouement in a way, with the red. and yes yes very the shining -i’ve seen enough ed sullivan reruns to get the bottle of beer reference with those dummies

-oh i have “no one else dies today” marked in my notes and..........whoooooo else said that. was it also eleven? was it ten? (a little voyage of the damned-esque as well btw) (god voyage of the damned has the most christmas-y vibes if it wasn’t. you know. voyage of the damned) (oh with eleven destroying the bar too after rita dies. that hurt. the doctor allowing that much rage) -i think eleven says it bc i’ve talked about the vibes between “everybody lives” and the variations on that with nine and ten and eleven -oh but i think ten says it too!!!! in. aaaaaaaaaaaa what was it. martha’s dalek two-parter. in new york. i am typing this up before going to make dinner so i have no energy to go check the title. but i know he says it there -but i know eleven said it before as well. bc i did the emphasis on living vs the emphasis on dying, in that kind of quote

-when eleven opens his own room and goes “of course. who else?” -mmmmmmhmmmmmmmmm :’) -oh! there’s a fic out there where rose is what’s in his room, not the implication that, it’s the doctor. i think the fic is okay? it’s alright. the premise is fascinating, i think, especially in an episode that is about fear and belief

-this was such an excellent wrap up of everything so far. touched on so much. what a great episode to watch before the end of the season bc yes i skip that one guy’s episodes

-oh i will say that like. amy knows eleven’s going to die, and amy was so determined that it wouldn’t happen but that’s not really. brought up at all? at the end of the god complex? -well it gets brought up in the next one, so there’s that. okay.

-so yes! i have watched the wedding of river song before. -IMAGINE, if you will, fall 2011, 17 year old lulu, in her senior year of high school, seeing a lot of doctor who on tumblr, the guys on academic team talking about it a lot, and deciding to watch the episode, because why not???????? literally, why not. that was my thought process, as far as i remember

-one of the guys: you watched the wedding of river song without context????? me: yep. guy: i can’t even imagine it. like. you don’t even know about the silence! you don’t even know about the tesselecta! me: I STILL DON’T! BUT I WATCHED IT! thank you, brain, for unlocking more of that conversation, which is apparently still in my head somewhere, eleven years later

-i still think the anastasia memes are hilarious. i think i might’ve actually reblogged one at the time, even, or considered it -actually watching the episode made me go ‘wow! i remember none of this. all i actually do remember is the ending. huh.’

-i did have a quick scramble to read the plot of closing time though bc i saw the recap clips and i was like ‘hold on i do NOT remember some of those’ so i went to read that. got that one sorted out -200 years???????? it’s been 200 years since the god complex?????????????????????????????? -goddamn -and amy is a model now!! or!! a model for perfume!!! or!!! created the perfume???? i mean that tagline doesn’t exist without her?? okay this one’s on me for just reading about it -do i...........think that tracks, for amy. i really don’t know. i mean the only other job we know amy has held is, kissogram

-all in all the wedding of river song was.................................................................................well that was a thing that happened too, honestly -it..........................................happened......................................

-there’s a lot of.........back and forth on rewriting time in this, which i thought was, interesting -is it worth it? there are consequences and you disintegrate time, but does that matter in the face of why you did it? does it work out? is it selfish or is it right? but do you have to die? is there really another way? why can’t there be? why not? -like there’s an equal emphasis on IT’S NOT OKAY and IT WORKED OUT THOUGH -an equal weight to.......... “before i go, i’d like to know why i have to die.” and “i have to die.”

-all of time is at his fingertips!!!! it is endless for him!! he could save the dodo!! “i could help rose tyler with her homework! i could go to all jack’s stag parties in one night!” -hi i miss them 💔 (-well i miss the concept of jack. not necessarily barrowman) (-that’s what you say about rose, though?)

-eleven runs from his death too (i mean, 200 years!), but he also pushes his death a lot too, as a thing he knows must happen, and again goes back and forth on it a lot. it should happen. he’s trying to convince river it needs to happen. time is not endless, even for the doctor, and time stops, eventually, and you can’t run anymore. (the brigadier my beloved 💔 that THAT’S what happens that makes him go ‘oh.’ 💔) (-okay but after all this time!!!!! the doctor still thinks about him!!! he still wanted him there!!!!!! he wanted the brigadier!!!! he wanted to see him!!!!!!!!!) (-i love the brigadier so fucking much)

-wait but shit that’s just so river can go back and not kill him. is that not really the only reason eleven is pushing it here? ultimately?? -it’s not even really eleven struggling with the mortality of the doctor, of what he’s done, of ten wanting to stop and of eleven possibly ready to end, like a story finally being over -it’s just, time to go not die ~ -and of course that’s not terrible!!!!!!!!!!!! it’s just..........idk -as always. there’s a lot rolling around in here. about death and everything. at all times in doctor who it simultaneously matters so much and doesn’t even matter at all ever and couldn’t ever matter - “i have to die. i don’t have to die alone.” bc he’s not even actually going to go fucking die!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - “i can’t let you die without knowing you are loved.” -i mean no i don’t want him to go die either!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i don’t know!!!!! -i just feel like the presentation of it all is too jumbled and too back and forth to amount to anything truly meaningful!!!!! -and then it’s about being saved by yourself! being saved by other people! your life mattering! -and of course it’s supposed to matter! but i just feel like the execution of it all is so????? i don’t know -so then is it just only about getting back to rewrite time? or is it about the genuine understanding that your life as it is has meaning, and river and amy destroying time to save him because they love him is what matters? and that eleven would do it to save himself too, because he does matter? (which ten wound up getting a lot of, and i don’t know what i want to see of that, with eleven, here, because this episode just. flew off in a million directions!) -is it all those things???????? do any of them really pan out successfully here?????????????????? -DID THEY NEED TO EVEN GET MARRIED??????????????????????????????????????????

(-eleven got his own tinkerbell jesus moment too, honestly, with river talking about the voices of all the people who don’t want to see him die -and he’s got a jesus vibe as churchill’s soothsayer)

-back in forest of the dead -- ten: time can be rewritten. river: don’t you dare. HERE -- river: time can be rewritten! eleven: don’t you dare. i think we almost had a moment here but i don’t know where it went

-and it.............is and it isn’t about eleven choosing to die and what that means, as well! like some of it is but the rest of it is very much, the silence want him dead! - “you’re a man with a long and dangerous past, but your future is infinitely more terrifying.” it is!!! :) -for everybody, though!!! including the doctor! in terrible but wonderful ways!!!!!! -i don’t know. there’s so much going on here

-i guess i just think it could’ve all been handled differently or folded together differently. like if this episode was not so all over the place and rushed maybe it would’ve made more sense. it could’ve hit the beats in a better way. of mattering, of living -of what death even MEANS here! -and we got a lot of this in last season’s finale, too! with this potential of eleven dying, of a story ending. and it not happening. -it doesn’t MEAN anything anymore! -uggggggg

-i DO wonder when moffat wrote this vs when he wrote, maybe not the last episode of s2 of bbc sherlock but the one after. the s3 opener where sherlock comes back. bc they’re a lot of the same vibes, you know? how do you fake your death. how do you get out of it when someone else wants you to die and plans it in a way that you cannot get out of. but you do wind up getting out (-and then, that last ep of s2 wouldn’t even air until......spring 2012, was it? and then s3 wasn’t until.......jan 2013? that’s honestly a bigger stretch of time than i remember, huh) (like i mean in terms of. moffat doing the same sort of vibe and it turning out very ‘??????????’ both times) -at least in doctor who we actually get a how it happened. isn’t it just not ever really explained in bbc sherlock????? -confession. i tapped out of bbc sherlock after the s3 opener. had college things on the brain taking up space, didn’t super care for the episode, stopped caring overall for the show

-moffat i want to know so much more about what makes a still moment in time. what makes a still moment possibly a fixed moment -is it still because of the potential? because river has been in the lake, for this indeterminable period of time, and that’s when it becomes fixed? -literally begging someone anyone a writer a showrunner to give me a fixed point in time that does NOT revolve around death. i know the whole point i know that’s WHY they are fixed points bc death is death but just once i think it would be fun to have a fixed point that is NOT death. -like..........something happy. someone making a choice they don’t want to take back. they wouldn’t have it any other way -...................................................i wanted to say ‘boy this could’ve been fun with amy.’ but honestly. is that not sort of what happens, ultimately, only also in like a terrible not quite exactly what i’m talking about way bc weeping angels. -i’m tired

-okay. so. time-wise -so we’re........................back to the beginning of the season. i’m. hold on my brain could not parse this last night and today!me is going ‘does it matter????? well you made notes about it.’ -i mean look on the whole too this episode is VERY jumpy. very back and forth. very all over the place. so much is happening!!!!!!!!!!! -i liked that river breaking time had consequences we all know i love consequences -but i’m exhausted of the ‘amy has forgotten about rory’ thing. ‘amy pond’ i know it’s an alt universe but it’s just such a backtracking from how important it was that eleven called her once and for real amy williams (-the silence saying “die one last time and know she will never come back for you.” was a big thing though. like that was something. bc there’s........god rory is a whole other story at all fucking times -sometimes literally!!!!! -rory....waits for amy in a similar but different way than amy waits for eleven. i got into this a little last time too sort of -just this constant. like......... -they wind up together anyway. they matter to each other enough that amy and rory always find their way back together but i’m just like exhausted of it all. it feels cheap now idk)

-but anyway so like. the amy and the rory we see here. like, when we get the recap shots and the first time we see lake silencio happen. they haven’t. experienced this season -bc this was the start of the season. everything they do from that point on, was the rest of the season, so there’s no........way that an amy and rory who have just come from the god complex can be at lake silenco. bc we started. at lake silencio. so the ones we see. are from before anything happened -so then when time breaks, there, they don’t........go on to experience the season as we just saw it. bc the alt universe happens bc of river -but then bc of time getting rewritten left and right yet again! does the season we just saw still go on to have happened?????????? -i’m. by god sometimes i just hate time shenanigans. i hate it so much. i hate trying to wrap my head around what did and didn’t happen -SO MUST AMY, QUITE FRANKLY, I MEAN -- - “but i can remember it, so it happened, so i did it.” about killing madame kovarian -that part was good. you remember it, it still happened, somewhere, like rory remembering hundreds of years as the centurion -amy must have so many different timelines living in her head sometimes

- “you’ll still save me though. because he would.” -nope :) amy would not :) thumbs up amy :) -you know what, i think it’s debatable that eleven would, too.

-so everyone else thinks he’s dead now! - “i got too big, too noisy.” well i agree with you there -will i see repercussions of ‘everyone else thinks he’s dead now’. well that’s a 50/50 chance

-i wish there had been...........some scene with amy and rory and eleven at the end...................................... -like how they’re going to interact going forward???????? you know?????????????

-anyway this episode was a mess but he’s alive and that’s all that really matters i guess. not that it actually could’ve ever gone another way. -and it’s like......is it an early commentary on.........doctor who as a show as an entity potentially ending, bc eleven would’ve conceivably been the last regeneration, the emphasis that it means too much, to have an actual end, that it couldn’t be given up

-AND I CANNOT FORGET TO TALK ABOUT THE QUESTION -i know......sort of how the question resolves itself out, but i’m wondering now if...........moffat’s emphasis on the importance of the doctor’s name becomes something he himself subverts, by making the doctor the name that is more important, or if it’s something that just becomes a let down after all that emphasis he did put on it mattering so much -idk. shrug emoji. we’ll get there i guess

-well overall i liked this season a lot, favorites were: the doctor’s wife, the rebel flesh/the almost people, the girl who waited, the god complex -but i think moffat’s finales are somehow even messier than rtd’s. rtd’s were like ‘i mean i GUESS????????.’ and moffat’s are a lot of everything jammed together at once and i’m ‘????’ -sigh.

-anyway! christmas special time once again ~

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Psycho Analysis: Gus Fring

(WARNING! This analysis contains SPOILERS!)

Breaking Bad is known for its fantastic cast of characters, all of whom have some level of critical acclaim and iconic status. Seriously, go to Wikipedia and go to any character’s page from the show (basically every major character has one) and look at the “Reception” part, pretty much all of them are universally beloved. Chief among that crowd is the only villain in the show to give our rascally villain protagonist Walt a run for his money, the criminal mastermind that is Gustavo “Gus” Fring.

If you think I’m going to do anything other than add to those heaps of praise, you’re surely mistaken; I love Gus as much as anyone else who has seen the show. But where most are willing to overlook certain aspects of the character that don’t work so well because he is cool and gay, I acknowledge those flaws and love Gus anyway. We are not the same.

Motivation/Goals: Gus is a businessman, plain and simple. Be it Los Pollos Hermanos or his secret meth business, Gus wants perfection in every aspect of his professional life. That being said, he’s a pretty fair boss, and if you pull your weight you will be rewarded; he treats his employees at Los Pollos Hermanos so well that you know the show takes place in a fantasy world, because no boss is that nice. And he was way too lenient with Walt all throughout that man’s career working with him.

Of course, Gus is also driven by revenge. Don Eladio, Hector Salamanca, and the rest of the cartel are responsible for the death of his lover Max, and Gus refuses to rest until the entire operation has crumbled, with only him left standing tall and Hecor lefty broken and crippled to be finished off last as he’s the one who pulled the trigger. It’s a very classic villain motivation, and it helps give a little bit of sympathy to a character who is otherwise too cold and mysterious to really delve into the mind of. At any rate, it makes it very easy to root for Gus and cheer him on as he plays his supposed superiors for suckers and orchestrates their downfalls all while coming up with dozens of plans to cover his own ass.

Performance: Giancarlo Esposito has such an air of elegance and menace to him when he’s playing Gus. You can really see why he man ended up typecast after this, playing cunning antagonists, because he really kills it here. He does have one incredibly major flaw, though: He’s not a native Spanish speaker like Gus is. This leads to pretty much any point where Gus is required to speak the language falling flat, especially since most of the time he’s up against actors who are actually fluent and even if you’re not a native speaker you can pick up on how clunky he is in comparison to Michael Mando or Tony Dalton.

Final Fate: Gustavo Fring got outplayed by both Walter and Hector, and the result is perhaps one of the single greatest villain deaths of all time.

As many have pointed out, it is genuinely hilarious how Gus hated Hector so fucking much that he refused to die in the same room as him. And hey, maybe this isn’t very accurate to how a person would realistically look after taking an explosion directly to the face… But it’s one hell of a cool visual. Sometimes it’s better to check realism at the door for the sake of symbolism and cool prosthetic gore.

Best Scene: I think it is genuinely hard to top Gus’ awesome moments, even if he doesn’t ever really get an entire episode of focus. I think his crowning moment, the moment where we as an audience and Walt as a character learn that us is not even remotely fucking around, is his silent preparations before he comes up to his lackey Victor and violently slits his throat in “Box Cutter,” before equally silently getting dressed once more. Right before leaving, he simply says, “Get back to work” before leaving a stunned Walt, Mike, and Jesse behind.

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There’s also Gus taking down Don Eladio and all his capos in “Salud.” It’s such wonderful, beautiful vengeance, and it’s all made better by the fact Gus poisoned himself, went to the bathroom, neatly placed a towel on the floor and knelt down on it, and then induced vomiting. This man would pick the fruitiest way imaginable to save his own life.

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Finally, there is his scene in “Fun and Games,” the first and only time we see Gus just out enjoying himself. We get to see him pretty obviously flirting with a sommelier, but as soon as the man leaves for a moment Gus makes the decision to commit himself fully to his mission and rule out the possibility of love again after what happened to Max. This is the moment where we see Gus fully become the man we know him as in Breaking Bad, and it’s honestly pretty tragic. He could have been happy if he’d just let go some of his hate, and maybe he’d even still be alive.

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Final Thoughts & Score: Gus is one of the best villains ever to grave television, and considering he’s in a show filled to the brim with some of the greatest villains ever devised, that’s really saying something.

Part of what makes him so genuinely great is just how utterly unknowable he is. Over the course of both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, he is almost like a god of the criminal underworld, untouchable and mysterious. What very little tidbits we get of his past paint a conflicting picture that could mean any number of things, and at every other point he manages to command respect and fear from all those around him, with those not wise enough to do so ending up dead by his masterful machinations. It ultimately makes the single scene where we see him not doing business, the one where he flirts with the man at the bar, so much more impactful. We see that Gus has rejected his humanity, his chance at ever being happy again, so that he can be consumed by his work and his vengeance. Gus is what he is by choice.

It’s why, even if it’s not really “good” that Walt won, it is so satisfying and cathartic. Gus spends his screentime pulling off superhuman schemes and feats of vengeance, orchestrating the deaths of the entire Salamanca family and his own cartel superiors, and yet he is done in by an absolute bumbling buffoon of a criminal like Walt. It’s a classic case of David and Goliath, with the untouchable adversary being taken down due to viewing his foe as so far beneath him that he didn’t realize he was screwed until it was too late. Gus was sadly too smart for his own good, never bothering to consider the erratic chemistry teacher could ever pull off anything big enough to defeat him.

With all that, Gus gets a 10/10. With how much I love Gus and how I consider him one of my favorite villains ever, you might be wondering why I didn’t bump him up to a 10.5 to denote him being a cut above the garden variety 10. Well, Gus has one issue with his character that I feels really hampers him in crucial moments: His inability to speak Spanish. Giancarlo Esposito, despite being an absolutely fantastic actor in every other regard, does not speak Spanish and needs his lines given to him phonetically. Native speakers have called his accent stilted and unnatural, and it has led to moments that should be epic and powerful such as his monologue to Lalo before killing him becoming nonsensical gibberish to trained ears. Considering that character is a native Spanish speaker, this is an absolutely unforgivable and glaring flaw. It certainly doesn’t ruin the character, but it does hold him back just a little bit.

But it really does speak volumes that as soon as Gus is taken out, the quality of the villains just plummets. The final season has Walt facing off against a bunch of Nazis and fucking Lydia, the annoying businesswoman. The final season is still peak, but boy are those villains living in Gus’ shadow. In spite of his flaws (or, well, his singular but rather major flaw), he’s still one of the greatest villains in television history, and is up there with Walt and Saul as the greatest villains in the series.

[billfarrah]

So I finished my first Young Royals rewatch in a long time and I have thoughts - Part 1: Wilhelm

So I did not realize initially how much I would run my mouth so I’m actually going to separate my thoughts about the characters into different posts starting with Wilhelm. If this post does well, I’ll do it about the other characters too, because tbh I have a lot to say about everyone:

- First of all I cannot emphasize enough how much watching the whole series from start to finish just hits different. After so many months of just looking at gifs and photos, I am always blown away when I eventually rewatch the show as a whole by good it is. It’s the show’s vibes and atmosphere, cinematography, music, and fantastic pacing that make the show so compelling and that just doesn’t translate when you don’t watch the whole thing. I’m always worried I won’t like the show as much on my next rewatch and I’m always floored by just how much I love it every time.

- This point isn’t directly related to Wilhelm but I wanted to address it as I just noticed it this time. I’ve always suspected that the drugs the society are on in episode 4 are painkillers, but I’ve seen most people believing they were taking the ADHD meds. On rewatch, it’s very clear they’re using painkillers. In episode 2, I just noticed Simon steals Tramadol from Micke - which is a fast-release opiate painkiller. That can get you high as fuck. Many people take them recreationally as a way to get high and they’re a common source of addiction. Micke has a bad back we presume as Simon asks him how his back is in episode 1, but obviously Simon thinks Micke takes them recreationally. In the society party scene, the boys are taking the pills from the prescription bottles, which are likely also painkillers. So no, they weren’t using ADHD meds to get high; they were using opiates. Are these drugs illegal? No, but taking them for recreational purposes would definitely get you in a lot of shit if you were caught with them at a boarding school, or any school for that matter. As far as Simon only feeling responsible to pay Micke back for the booze and not the pills, I am not Swedish so I don’t know how it works, but from what I researched, one does not need to pay more than 2,300 krona per year for prescriptions, and most of Micke’s drugs were probably free as they are all prescription. Please correct me if I’m wrong.

- Anyway, I fucking love Wilhelm as a protagonist. I love how raw, gritty and unapologetic he can be. I could talk about his character for hours. He’s so nuanced and he rarely says what he is thinking or feeling, so I can understand why some viewers perhaps had a hard time connecting with him, but if you pay attention to his actions, everything he does makes sense without him needing to say a single word. I love that his sexuality is actually one of the few things about himself that he’s genuinely comfortable with; yeah, he has a few minutes of gay panic and he does push Simon away because he worries having a relationship with him would be too complicated, but Wilhelm’s feelings and sexual attraction for a boy is never the main thing he is concerned about and he is actually extremely comfortable with expressing that side of himself. He is elated by Simon, euphoric; he is electric with Simon beneath his hands. He’s in love with a boy and he knows it; that’s not what scares him - it’s the implication of what being in love with a boy means in the context of the rest of his life where the problem lies. It’s so refreshing to see a queer protagonist be so unabashed and expressive in his sexuality.

- Wilhelm’s dilemma is very clear despite, like I said above, him rarely verbalizing his feelings. The first episode makes his position perfectly clear - it’s not that he has an issue being a prince, he just hates how little control he has over his life, how little say he has in decisions that impact him, and the fact that he’s constantly being punished and scrutinized for the tiniest slip-ups. Wilhelm is ultimately just a person who wants control over his own life; he does not resent his privilege at all but rather the restrictions that come with it. When he gets into a fight at a party that wasn’t even his fault, he has to make a public apology and is sent to boarding school without being consulted by his parents, because they feel it is what he needs to do to save the image of the family. When he gets to Hillerska, Erik tells him essentially to just do whatever August tells him to do, even though Wilhelm clearly does not like August. When Wilhelm starts making his own friend in Simon, August is constantly meddling and telling him he shouldn’t be spending time with someone like him, and admonishes him for going to the football game with Simon and even gives him punishment for it. Even though Wilhelm is away from the palace and his family, he still has August there trying to act like he knows better than him and telling him how he should act.

Now enter Simon. As viewers, we have discussed at length how Simon completely shakes up Wilhelm’s world and perspective already so I won’t rehash that. However, there was one scene that stood out to me in connection with the above paragraph, and it’s one where Wilhelm does something that probably would be considered “bad” or a “mistake”, and Simon does not punish him for it. I’ve seen some people say Simon went too easy on him for calling him high and drunk on the football field, and I disagree; I think Simon’s reaction was exactly what Wilhelm needed, As I said above, Wilhelm is constantly being criticized and torn apart with consequences for even the tiniest or most minute thing, so for Simon to smile softly at him, tell him it’s okay and that he still likes him probably moved fucking mountains for Wilhelm. He did something stupid and he’s not getting scolded for it? Simon actually has compassion for him AND still likes him? No wonder Wilhelm immediately put himself between Simon’s legs. Wilhelm is a kid and he deserves to be a little bit reckless without being judged or admonished for it, and no, I don’t think him calling Simon was wrong or traumatic for Simon. Wilhelm was in a fragile state and Simon was concerned for him; he was not triggered, but I’ll get to that if I end up making a Simon post.

- Wilhelm is not shy. He has his moments of anxiousness and he is a bit awkward around Simon at first because he has a crush on him, but Wilhelm is actually very good at talking to people; he just doesn’t want to a lot of the time. He’s an introvert and he doesn’t really have patience for bullshit. I find people portray him as some shy little baby, but he’s actually quite blunt and curt sometimes in a way that I find amusing. He just genuinely has no patience for the frivolities and fakeness around him and while he knows how to play the game very well, he would rather just keep to himself than do so. His behaviour during his arrival to Hillerska is actually quite rude; he rolls his eyes when the PR lady tells him and the Headmistress to switch places for a better photo, utterly annoyed by the manufactured nature of it all. This isn’t me trying to say Wilhelm is a rude person; he isn’t and is actually very kind, but he isn’t always shy over expressing his displeasure; he just doesn’t do it all the time.

- People are too harsh on Wilhelm for most things, but one that stands out for me is his and Simon’s fight in the music room. Wilhelm came at the argument from a bad angle, yes, but he tries to make it right; unfortunately he struck a nerve with Simon and Simon walked away. He never once says he thinks Simon should take the fall; he just wants to have a dialogue with Simon over what their options are, but Simon was already angry and didn’t want to talk. He really did try to communicate with him.

- By the time of Lucia, Wilhelm is deflated. He is exhausted. He was terrified of losing Simon so he did what any privileged person would do, the only thing he knew how to do (and perhaps what was the only thing he could’ve done) - blame someone else. Simon still isn’t happy with him. Wilhelm doesn’t know what to do anymore. He feels like everything he does is wrong, he is wrong, he’s not cut out for anything. He doubts every decision he makes. All he wants is control over his own life but even when he takes matters into his own hands, it blows up in his face. This is why he was so easily manipulated into denying the video; he’s been through so much in such a short period of time and is questioning every decision he’s making. He doesn’t know what’s right or wrong anymore. Maybe his mother is right.

- I love that the writers weren’t afraid to make Wilhelm messy. To me there is nothing interesting about a protagonist that does the right thing every time because there is no room for them to grow. Wilhelm is such a fantastic protagonist because he has so much growing up to do. He makes mistakes and he’s a bit self-centered and caught up in his own world and he hurts Simon because of that, but he’s also motivated by incredibly pure feelings of love, passion, desire for his own autonomy and acceptance, control over himself and the things in his life. He is kind at heart but occasionally callous, he is anxious but also incredibly strong and powerful when he needs to be, he’s a giddy teenage boy in love but leaves Simon breathless with his confident mouth and hands. He is not just one thing all the time and that’s why he’s so exciting to me.

- During the scene where Wilhelm exposes August in front of the society, Edvin’s acting is particularly brilliant; we see that he has a powerful, assertive side to his personality, and is capable of being a leader, but you can also see in his body language and expression that he is a little bit anxious about it. His arms are crossed and his jaw twitches a bit; he’s working through his anxiety to do what he thinks is right, and we see him do this so many times throughout the series 0 most notably when he works through his anxiousness to connect with Simon, a boy he’s so desperately drawn to. He is not a shy uwu baby and he is not always crippled by his anxiety; it’s just a part of him.

This got away from me completely as I just have so many thoughts about this show. Please let me know if you’d like to me see talk about the other characters.

[rileysfandomworld]

BREAKING BAD TV Review (WITH SPOILERS)

Hi everyone! It's Riley here with a TV Review! I've seen so many TV shows, but Breaking Bad is the first show I decided to start actually making a review for... so without further ado... (If you haven't seen the show, I don't recommend reading this, as it will spoil the show for you)

Okay... so what is Breaking Bad?

Well... Breaking Bad is a show about Walter White, a 50 year old man who gets diagnosed with cancer, and goes into the drug industry to make money for his family. Along the way, he gets help from former high school student, Jesse Pinkman, who now is a drug addict. Eventually Walter becomes one of the biggest influences in the drug empire.

The show was probably one of the more entertaining shows I’ve seen in a while. The way Walter’s story unfolded with what he would do next was written incredibly well.

I personally thought Jesse Pinkman was the best character. His story had elements that I feel many people could relate to. Even if everybody is not an everyday druggie on the down low (or maybe you are, I don’t know), the way Jesse is constantly fighting to turn his life around, made me feel so bad for him. When his first girlfriend was killed in season 1 because Walter just stood there and watched her die (screw you Walter), I immediately felt so bad, then when he met Brock and his mother Andrea, I felt so happy that maybe he would have his life turned around, NOPE! Walter poisons Andrea’s kid with ricin to get back at him, and honestly that was the WORST thing I could’ve ever seen. Jesse Pinkman, I could create an entire separate post on why I love him. I’m so glad he got out at the end.

Now, let’s talk about Walter White.

Walter motherfucking White. This man. I don’t think I have ever despised a main character as much as I despised this man. Although his intentions began as something that was probably maybe, possibly for the greater good, he later becomes this selfish dick that nobody fucking likes, because all he does is complain and manipulate people. Honestly, Walter White deserved the ending he got. The way he treated Jesse countless times, the way he lied to Skyler and Walt Jr. during the entire course of the show (granted, I do not like Skyler) either, I could go on and on.

I think the best highlight of the show is the season 4 finale with the death of Gus Fring. Gus Fring was one amazing character. I didn’t like him, but he was a FANTASTIC tribute to the show. I never saw the death of him coming the way that it happened. (I had his death spoiled, but I had no idea it happened like that!)

Overall, this show is rated (in my opinion) a 8/10. Seasons 1-4 were FANTASTIC and kept me interested every single episode, however, season 5 fell a little short for me. However, the highlight of season 5 was when Hank found EVERYTHING out, that really had me on the edge of my seat.

If you like this review, and want a FULL version, I will posting one to my YouTube sometime soon! I will go more in depth about the show, characters and the things I strongly like and dislike about everything involving the show!

Thanks for reading this blog and I'll catch Y'all later!

[noa-nightingale]

Unsolved’s Last Episode

What a journey it has been. And now it is over and I have to find ways to deal with that. So I decided to do what I do best, which is rambling about things I love, finding meaning in them and trying to get that meaning across in a way that is probably way too earnest and too emotional.

Let’s take a close look at the last Buzzfeed Unsolved episode, Return To The Demonic Sallie House.

I watched this alone. I stayed away from tumblr, twitter and discord on purpose. It was midnight in Germany when the episode aired and it was about 1 a.m. when I went to bed. I decided to go to sleep immediately after I watched the episode without talking to anyone about it, and that’s exatly what I did.

I wanted to cry but I did not manage to do it. I just lay in the dark, stared at the ceiling and had a lot of thoughts in my head.

So, let’s unpack this.

The Sallie House! Where it all started! And the second demon ep of the season! They really decided to go out with a bang.

I don’t know why I thought I would be able to get through this without getting my heart broken - it already started in such a wonderful, beautiful, sad way. Shane reading what Ryan said the last time at the Sallie House. The handshake. The trip via plane and car (loved that tiny bit of footage of their journey there). Shane making Ryan say “And now I’m back” with confidence.

“What a weird mix of emotions, to be sad, happy and horrified.” Lord, that hit me in the feelings. Ryan, I hope everything you went through and everything you experienced was worth it to you. And I really hope you know how much it means to people.

(I have my own weird mix of emotions attached to that episode now - sadness, excitement, joy, happiness, grief, gratefulness, love.)

I loved how they kept referencing the first investigation without making this episode feel like “just” a copy of it. It’s an entirely different vibe, a strong, fantastic episode in its own right and a worthy goodbye.

(And I also have to mention that little conversation about Shane laying on the pentragram. Look. Listen. I am asexual as hell. I am the most asexual asexual who has ever asexual-ed. I have not experienced one single sexual attraction in my entire life. It’s just not part of my experience. But putting yourself on a pentagram in the basement of a demon house while yelling “Rock’n’roll buckaroo” at whatever entity might listen - that is, respectfully and platonically, friggin’ sexy.)

“It just occured to me, we don’t really talk on the phone to like, just see what’s going on, because we see each other every day.” Oh dear God, it’s still happening. ^-^ I was reminded of the several times this has been brought up before - that they see each other more than any other person, that they spend a shitton of time together, and that even during quarantine they facetimed almost every day. Idk it just made me even sadder - they made memories together, went on this journey together, got closer as friends, grew as people; and now this show is over.

I am beyond grateful that Watcher exists and that Steven Lim (because goddamn, I love that guy) exists and that new memories will be made, but I am still so damn sad.

“It felt like the right time to leave on our own terms.” I am gonna ignore for now that he said this to a demon - I am just happy for them. This episode is such a great ending for such a great show, and I am glad they could do it on their own terms.

(Although I am a tiny bit salty that they apparently could not promote Watcher the way they should have been able to. Having to cut parts from the postmortem etc. But I once again have to give kudos to the Watcher fandom here; I have seen many people promoting the hell out of Watcher, and that is a beautiful thing.)

Ryan: “If that actually is a demonic presence in here, or Sallie, the thing that says it’s Sallie, can you turn the light on?”

(light switches on immediately)

Ryan: “Oh fuck off.”

I almost laughed out loud (had to stop myself, did not want to wake my roommate or my cat) but he said that in such a genuine, emphatic way and it was funny as hell.

“An audio recorder left in this room would later pick up the musical mobile playing by itself. Making this evidence even more compelling is the fact that seconds before the mobile plays, a white orb moves across the top right corner, just near the mobile that is out of frame.”

This narration brought to you by Ryan “Not An Orb Guy” Bergara. :p (I am not gonna razz him too much though - we know he presents evidence (or “evidence”, if you are a Shaniac) and then let’s the viewer decide what to make of it. He’s just reporting the findings. And yeah, I think that is admirable. Also, I know it has been said many times before but hats off to those guys for not faking evidence. Best ghosthunters in the world indeed, and I mean that.)

I also love that Ryan considers Shane a ghost cage (and an organic ghost cage, at that). Shane Madej, organic ghost cage. Put that on a lower third somewhere.

I generally don’t get that scared while watching Unsolved but the little girl turning into the demon thingy - the visual itself - is a tiny little bit disturbing when you watch this stuff at midnight. (I still slept soundly though lol. Did not have any nightmares.)

A thing that is just really endearing (and a little bit funny) to me is Shane sitting on the counter in the kitchen, with his long legs. Compare that to Ryan sitting on the table, with his little legs. ^-^

Also, compare Season 1 Ryan to Ryan now. He would never have mocked a demon in its own house and now look at him, drawing that portrait of Sallie. Yeah, I know it is silly but I am so incredibly proud of the guy.

Aand into the basement we go. And almost six years later, they are still a package deal. *noises of ugly crying*

He’s on the pentagram! I repeat, he’s on the pentagram!!! Never thought I’d see the day. Like, good God, this guy. The character development. The courage. I am blessed to be allowed to witness it.

AND THE BOYS ARE SALLIE APPROVED! GREATEST GHOSTHUNTERS IN THE WORLD! I AM SO DAMN HAPPY FOR THEM!!

That’s some well-earned cheering right there. Genuinely happy for them. Loved this moment.

We have reached Shane’s solo investigation and I got, once again, punched in the heart when Ryan said “So long, friend”.

And I know I am “just” watching Shane doing what Shane has done for all this series - being rude to demons and ghosts, yelling at them, telling them to do stuff to him and to wreak havoc. But it’s the last time now and it’s difficult to watch. I am happy for him - he defeated Annabelle, he defeated the Goatman and now he defeated Sallie.

“You’re a big nothing! You’re powerless in the face of the ghoul boys!” Hell yeah!!!

And, for the last time, they are doing the little dance of Shane telling Ryan he heard some spooky stuff that he did not actually hear. My heart can’t take it, it’s too much, I don’t want this to end.

Really enjoyed how Shane admitted that it is a spooky house (always has been, always will be). Like, that seemed like a genuine moment he had outside by himself there.

And now, Ryan’s time alone in the Sallie House.

I adore how brave Ryan as gotten, how he developed as a person, how things that would scare him in earlier seasons do not scare him as much anymore - but I have to admit, the moment in the kitchen when he told whoever was there not to show itself was fucking delicious. The fear in his voice. I don’t want this to sound mean but I adored that little moment.

“I am not my fear. I am stronger than my fear.” We love to see it. Genuinely.

I had to giggle when he started laughing maniacally by himself. I am sorry, it is just too hilarious and endearing at the same time.

And he went into the basement alone!!! <3 <3 <3

Shane: “How’d it go?”

Ryan: “It’s over.”

Shane: “It’s over.”

Ryan: “That’s how it went.”

Shane: “You ended it.”

Just... let me cry in peace.

I had to stop myself again from laughing out loud when Shane lay down with the two dolls next to him, aaannnnddd the framed pic of the ghoul boys near where Ryan slept was just a very nice little touch, honestly.

And it is over. It is morning, the “the investigation is done” music starts to play in the background and the series is complete.

... And Shane killed the spirit box. That happened too.

Before I write the last words here like Ryan said his speech at the end of the ep, let me just say: I loved this. I loved this entire episode. And I love these guys. From the bottom of  my heart.

“You believed in us. And for that, I will always be grateful.”

I did. And I do. And many more people do too. And you made me cry. Thank you.

“And sure, we may have never definitively answered the question of Are Ghosts Real. But in the end, in perhaps fitting fashion for a show that finds resolution in the unresolved, all I can say is I’m sure glad we didn’t, because the pursuit and the friendship made along the way was far more fulfilling. I hope the ride was as joyous and full of discovery for you as it was for us. That being said, I ask you one last time: Are ghosts real? For now, and perhaps forever, the answer will graciously remain Unsolved.”

I hope you know how many lives you changed and how many joy and happiness you brought to people, both of you, and the rest of the team. I have seen many many people say how this show helped them through dark times, helped them make friends, made them happy, and was deeply deeply meaningful to them.

The same is true for me, I just never know how to adequately put it into words. This changed my life for the better. It was a light in dark times. It made me braver. It made me better. I can’t thank you enough.

And they could have ended it here, after the “Unsolved”. But nooooo, he had to say more heartfelt words and Shane had to say more heartfelt words and that was what truly made it real for me. It sank in at that point, that this is the end of an era and that this chapter of their life and this chapter of my life is over.

Ryan’s words just really touched me, and it also touched me how intently Shane listened. And Shane can’t tell me that he was not moved as well. Package deal, bond that can’t be broken, best ghosthunters in the world.

(And I would also like to report that while writing this, my dumb stupid eyes finally cooperated and I cried. Thanks for everything, guys. I will keep the memories with me forever while making new ones with Watcher, and I love you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.)

[castielle-deanna]

Destiel fanfic masterlist

My Destiel fanfics in decreasing word count order:

Hold me tight or don't (Explicit, words: 37,677)

Tags: Canon Compliant up to 15x13 // First Kiss // Domesticity in the Men of Letters Bunker // Conversations in the Impala // falling!Castiel // New Relationship // First Time // Castiel is Jack Kline's Parent // Castiel and Dean Winchester in Love //Art Embedded //soundtrack

Summary: With Jack’s soul now back, the four inhabitants of the Bunker are working on establishing a new routine. Between hunts, God’s wrath hanging over their heads and Castiel’s dwindling grace, the angel is not particularly eager to mention his deal to the Winchesters. With everything that’s going on, allowing himself to be happy sounds impossible anyway, right? Wrong…

With art by the fantastic @lizleeships

“Why now?” The angel asked quietly, taking a small step back.

Dean's fingers tightened on the tie he'd been holding onto as if it was a lifeline. “You said we were real. I want to believe it.”

“Even if it ends in pain?”

“Cas, everything I do ends there, eventually. There is always a bigger, heavier, smellier shoe waiting to drop. Holding back in fear of it doesn't make it any smaller, lighter or... or... “

“Less odoriferous?” Cas offered.

“Is that even a real word?”

“It is, indeed.”

“Sometimes you sound like you eat dictionaries and Victorian novels for breakfast,” Dean shook his head, grinning.

My unintended (Explicit, words:10,202)

Tags: Angst with a Happy Ending // Post-Episode: s15e20 Carry On // FUCK CANON! // Saving Dean Winchester - Retconning the finale - The fangirl business // Castiel/Dean Winchester First Kiss // Castiel/Dean Winchester First Time Having Sex // Slow and Romantic Sex // Bottom Castiel/Top Dean Winchester

Summary: At first, Castiel is ready to honour his part of the deal with the Empty, but then Jack shows up with distressing news...

With art by the fantastic @jeanne-de-valois

Cas heaves Dean into a bridal carry, struggling under his weight, but still he shifts slightly when Sam moves closer to help. He knows he needs to stop keeping Sam away, because it’s not fair, and it’s not what Dean wants anyway, but Sam accepts it and simply hangs back with a nod before he speaks again.

“I also know it’s not my business, but… do you think you could talk to Dean once he’s up for it? I’m not blind, or stupid. You two have to stop only holding each other like that when one of you is hurt or dead.”

Love me right (Explicit, words: 2,436)

Tags: Established Castiel/Dean Winchester // Porn with Feelings // Dean Winchester Wears Panties // Light Bondage // Panty Kink // Wing Kink // Top Castiel/Bottom Dean Winchester // Light Dom/sub // Dom Castiel/Sub Dean Winchester // Light BDSM // Dean and Castiel watch porn then recreate it

Summary: Dean asks to be tied up - who's Cas to say no to that? Written for a prompt by @winchester-reload on Patreon: "Thee Pink Panties"

“I want you to tie me up,” Dean blurts out one morning, closer to being asleep than awake still. He has no idea if Cas is even in the bedroom with him - for once, the angel is not curled around Dean with his whole body, their limbs entwined to the point where they can’t tell where one of them ends and the other begins, cliché as it is.

There’s no reply, so Dean lifts his head and blinks the grogginess away to look around. Cas is in the room, sitting cross-legged on the green couch by the wall with an open book in his lap but he’s staring at Dean with eyes so comically wide Dean would think it humanly impossible if he wasn’t seeing it with his own eyes.

“For fun,” Dean adds in hopes that Cas catches his meaning. The angel looks slightly less taken aback at that, but he still appears confused and tilts his head as if a slightly different angle would help with unraveling the mystery of Dean's words. “During sex, Cas.”

Rewind the exit (Teen And Up Audiences, words: 2,408)

Tags: Post-Episode: s15e18 Despair // Fix-It // Grief/Mourning // Angst with a Happy Ending // Castiel and Dean Winchester in Love // Grieving Dean Winchester // Grieving Sam Winchester

Summary: "Rewinding the exit wound, I'm holding on to you 'Cause I need words like anyone, and I need love like everyone With those words I'm strong enough, and I need love like everyone." (Rewind the exit by Volbeat) Obligatory 15x18 fix-it.

The Bunker is haunted. It's haunted by two faint apparitions of humanity who mostly pass each other by in the corridors like ships in the night, silent and distant.

Dean prays. Every morning, every evening, and most waking hours between the two, he prays. He doesn't know if Cas can hear him, but the faith that he can is all Dean has, so it has to be enough.

It's not enough. Yet Dean clings to it, because if he doesn't have that, he doesn't have anything.

Bite me (Mature, words: 1,407)

Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence // Vampire Dean Winchester // Mild Blood!Kink (comes with the territory) // Castiel/Dean Winchester First Kiss

Summary: After Dean gets turned into a vampire during S06E05 - Live Free or Twi-hard, instead of going to Lisa's, he prays to Cas. Written for a prompt by winchester-reload on Patreon: "Vampire!Dean having a Cas snack"

“I can get you through this, and then we’ll burn any other bridges as we get to them,” Cas says earnestly.

“That’s not how the saying… you know what, never mind. I don’t want to get through this! I told you to kill me!” Dean pushes Cas away, but the angel holds onto both of his shoulders to stabilise him until Dean shakes him off in defiance. “Fucking stubborn angel, why can’t you just do as you’re told?”

“Because I’ve decided to disregard stupid orders!” Cas shoots back, and his previous stoicism is gone entirely. His eyes flare faintly with the light of his grace as he shrugs off his trenchcoat and goes to work on loosening his tie.

I wanna get you back again (Mature, words: 1,176)

Tags: Post-Episode: s15e18 Despair // Canon Divergence // Castiel/Dean Winchester First Kiss

Summary: Dean breaks into the Empty to save Cas. Written for a prompt by winchester-reload on Patreon: "Come on and lay it down/I've always been with you/Here and now/Give all that's within you/Be my Savior"

“Am I wrong in assuming that our friend who has the fashion sense of a flasher wasn’t the only one in love?” Balthazar smirked.

“Huh?”

Balthazar rolled his eyes. “Bit slow on the uptake, aren’t we? You know what, don’t answer that,” he shrugged, rolling right over Dean’s indignant splutter. “I’m talking about Castiel.”

“I know!”

“So which part of my question was confusing then?”

“Fuck you, Feather Boa, the Empty is trying to push me out and you want to chat?” Dean scoffed, trying to stomp his way past him.

“Your trenchcoated boyfriend is that way,” Balthazar said dryly, pointing to his left.

Forward is just the way ahead (General Audiences, words: 1,091)

Tags: Alternate Universe - Tattoo Parlor // Baby Jack Kline // Castiel is Jack Kline's Parent // Tattoo Artist Dean Winchester // Single Parent Castiel

Summary: Tattoo artist Dean falls for client. Written for a prompt by winchester-reload on Patreon: "Cas getting tattooed by Dean (or the other way around)"

“So,” Dean began, “It’s a simple black design, correct? Four rows of symbols?”

“Yes. It’s actually a warding-slash-protection spell in Enochian, the language of Biblical angels. There’s… well, there’s a story to it,” Cas chuckled.

“Is part of that story that you were named after an angel?”

Cas’ chuckle changed into full-blown laughter. “Yes. I have to say I wasn’t expecting you to know that. In fact, all my siblings have angel names, except for Luke, but only because they wouldn’t allow my parents to officially name him Lucifer…”

Waffles or kisses (Mature, words:1,026)

Tags: Domestic Fluff // Domestic Castiel/Dean Winchester // Established Castiel/Dean Winchester // Domesticity in the Men of Letters Bunker (Supernatural)

Summary: Cas tries to make breakfast for Dean - it doesn't quite work out... Written for a prompt by winchester-reload on Patreon: "Great British Bake Off contestants with fewer clothes and lots of flour!" I have nefariously tweaked the prompt to allow me to play in the canon!verse.

“You look like one of the Great British Bake Off contestants, but with fewer clothes... and lots of flour, what the hell are you even doing?” Dean guffaws.

“Is that Dean?” A slightly tinny female voice comes from somewhere underneath the bowls, and it takes a moment for Dean to recognise it.

“Hi Jody!”

“Am I on speaker?”

“Yes,” Cas says, rolling his eyes. Dean finds that his behaviour is not unlike Miracle’s after the dog got caught chewing Sam’s 3rd pair of slippers to shreds, and the comparison draws another laugh out of him.

“Hi, Dean,” Jody says warmly. “Nice to hear your voice, though it would be even nicer if you were the one calling, rather than hijacking a conversation between Cas and I…”

Dean ducks his head as Jody’s “mom voice” tries to work its magic on him. “I’m not hijacking anything! Can someone explain why my kitchen and my… Cas are head-to-toe covered in flour?”

“I was trying to make waffles for breakfast,” Cas replies barely audibly, looking down, shoulders drooping.

With those words I'm strong enough (Mature, words: 703)

Tags: Dean Winchester Deserves to be Happy // Dean Winchester's Birthday // Established Castiel/Dean Winchester // Non-Explicit Sex // Castiel and Dean Winchester in Love // Dean Winchester Says "I Love You" // Pillow Talk // Dean Winchester Lives // fuck 15x20

Summary: It's Dean's birthday and Castiel doesn't waste a single second to wish him a happy one (Utter finale denial and slight sap below.)

“Where did you go, my love?” Cas asks, ruffling Dean’s hair, curling a longer-than-usual strand of it around his index finger.

“Thinking.”

“Uh-oh, that’s never a good thing,” Cas deadpans and Dean whacks his upper arm with very little force. “Ow.”

“Sarcastic asshole in one moment, drama queen the next,” Dean grumbles, and he fully intends to kiss it better, but before he could get around to it, he’s pushed onto his back and there’s a former angel of the Lord straddling him with a grin on his face.

Domestic (General Audiences, words: 462)

Tags: Domestic Fluff // Established Castiel/Dean Winchester // Fallen Angel Castiel // Suptober 2020

Summary: Middle-of-the-night Destiel chat. Just a lightning-quick ficlet as my first and possibly only entry to Suptober 2020. The prompt was 'domestic'

“Of all the human things, the constant need to urinate is the worst,” Castiel complained as he slid under the covers with a yawn.

“The worst?” Dean huffed in sleepy amusement. “Being shot is worse. Broken bones. A toothache…”

“They are worse, but they are temporary. Urinating is permanent. I will have to put up with it for the rest of my life.”

[fireemblems24]

Merit Based System

This is a bit all over the place. Sorry about that. I watched a show this weekend that really illustrates why I no longer believe in Edelgard's system after her support with Ferdinand.

Spoilers for Fire Emblem Three Houses CF route and Edelgard & Ferdinand's support and the show Segodon up to episode 8.

Segodon is a taiga drama that retells the life of historical figure Saigo Takamori a. k. a. the last samurai. This man was a brilliant politician and played an instrumental role in Japan's tumultuous 1800s where they overthrew the shogun and instated a modern government. The show itself is absolutely fantastic so far (though, I love anything to do with the Bakumatsu, no, that's a lie, there's some real shitty Bakumatsu anime.).

Like the real life Saigo, the fictional representation has a lot of "merit." As the show writes him, he has a high level of empathy for people who are hurting because of Japan's horrible, outdated systems and is constantly does whatever is in his power to convince the powers that be to back off a bit because their taxes and punishments are so harsh at times, his native Satsuma was at serious risk of starving its entire agricultural force out of work.

Not only is Saigo intelligent, but he's also tenacious. He "dares" to ask his "betters" to see the errors of their way, goes out of his way to try and get audiences with people far above his station, and does everything he possibly can to help everyone around him. Whether he's tackling problems with a larger system or a hurting individual around him, he's trying his best to make things right. And when people listen to him, things improve. People are also naturally drawn to his leadership and overall gentle disposition.

He's also broke.

Saigo comes from a very poor, very large family. So when the powers that be grant him an opportunity to travel to Edo (then capital of Japan), where he could get real experience, where he could start rubbing shoulders with the right people and find ways to gain influence, learn, etc . . . He can't. Because his family can't cough up 30 ryo.

No matter how much merit Saigo has, his upbringing keeps him from reaching his full potential. The top leadership of the area invites him to the opportunity of a life time, but even with an open invitation, he can't so easily accept it.

His mother, father, and grandfather had all just died (and this is a historical fact, at least) and left him in charge. The family went into even more debt buying medicine during various illnesses. There's younger and elder family he needs to look out for, a sister who he now needs to find a husband for, and a new wife on top of everything else. They don't have 30 ryo to spare.

No matter how much merit Saigo has, no matter how much he wants to make a difference, he can't. Because he was born into poverty, because he can't afford to step away from the family land or else risk running out of food in the winter. His merit isn't enough. You need privilege. And he's already got privilege in that he wasn't born a farmer, that he has the personal attention of those in charge through connections and channels his family name permitted him, he's already jumped over hurdles others can't - and he still can't take advantage of his merit.

A merit based system benefits those who have and punishes the have nots. All the rich kids with rich parents who don't have to think twice about spending 30 ryo and have servants to take care of the elderly and young in their families. They can take every opportunity so the gap widens even further. Even worse, a merit based system tells the people born poor, born sick, born neurologically divergent, born into an abusive family, born into a historically disadvantaged race/gender/sexuality/etc, etc . . . that it's their fault they're not at the top. That if they just "tried harder" and had "more merit" they could make it. You too could be a billionaire if you just pulled on your bootstraps hard enough, and failure means you didn't try hard enough. And, yes, this is very much happening in our culture today.

That Edelgard didn't even consider something as huge as inequality before starting a war that would kill thousands really shocked me. Her support with Ferdinand exposed just how naive she is and how narrow-minded her world-view and experiences are. If she's going to sacrifice thousands of people for her supposedly better system, I wish she'd put at least some thought into it.

I do not expect a Fire Emblem game to get hyper-political or into nitty-gritty details. Honestly, I wish this support didn't exist. If their A-Support focused just on educational reform or even Ferdinand cementing himself as a actual check/rival to Edelgard, then I'd be more willing to believe she could make a good leader. But, for some reason, they decided to use this support to show how little Edelgard actually thought about her actions despite the dire consequences of them. These details aren't needed. These lines could be completely omitted and let the reader imagine Edegard has the political know-how to actually pull what she wants off. But instead the game went out of it's way to show she doesn't really have a single clue what she's talking about, and I cannot fathom why. This isn't even touching on her admitting it didn't even occur to her that her actions would leave a power vacuum and would need to fill it (like - what -), but that's for another day.

THIS is why I can't get behind Edelgard. Because her merit based system isn't worth all the lives she destroyed in her war. She thinks her ideas are worth everyone that dies, but her ideas aren't well thought out. This episode 8 of Segodon illustrated perfectly why Edelgard's system is a house of cards that will do nothing but pat the nobility and otherwise rich and privileged on the back while blaming farmers and otherwise disadvantaged for their continued poverty because "lack of merit."

I honestly can't express how badly I wish these lines in this support didn't exist. It serves no purpose except to expose Edelgard's lack of forethought and lack of understanding about the lives of the people she's claiming she's making better.

But, yeah, watching this episode just made me think about Edelgard's system and reminded me again of the exact moment I gave up on supporting her war.

(spoiler alert about Segodon: all those people he kept helping scrounge together 30 ryo so he can go to Edo and leaves the lands in charge of his younger brother, and yes, he's going to go down in history, but also . . . prepare for a downer ending if you actually watch this (I mean . . . it's the Bakumatsu). I already know I'm going to cry my fucking eyes out and I haven't even meant this version of Sakamoto Ryoma yet)