#i know i'm gonna end up disliking the actress as well

[mzannthropy]

If you ask me (and even if you don't, I'm gonna say it bc this is my blog), there is a bit too much Mercedes in this Monte Cristo trailer.

Also, I don't know what they were thinking with giving her that harsh hairstyle. It does not compliment that hard face of hers at all. Why not add a few curls?

[halliescomut]

Love Sea Ep 2 Watch Along

I am a couple days late because migraines suck, but I'm finally sitting down to watch ep 2. I'm gonna try to gives some first inpressions here, but we'll see how we go.

-Opening shot and I accidentally caught crew in the back of the boat. Hehe...whoops. Can't always catch that.

-When he says "what this man's sex taste like" does he mean literally or figuratively??? Like...I'm just not sure if it's wonky translation, or ???

-Okay, but the way Mut put's their legs together, but keeps their torso's apart....like touching, but not invading Rak's space....that's kinda hot.

-I do come from a seafood family, literally my maternal grandparents ran a seafood restaurant for over a decade, but I'm not a seafood person, so I kinda feel like the food stuff is going over my head.

-Like...I knew it was gonna happen, but I'm still blushing so hard. That eye contact is DANGEROUS.

-Peat's muscles!!!! AHHHHHH!!!!!!!

-Literally Rak is so cranky that he hurt himself and cut off sexy time. His grumpy face.

I love Mook so much. I would die for her, she's so precious.

Are those generic baby shark bandaids??

I love how quickly Rak takes advantage of the loophole Mut presents him with. He immediately is like "you are correct, this is not my bed, let's bang!" (Also I fucking loved this line in the trailer. It's quippy, it's clever, Fort delivers it so well. Perfection.)

I mean...if your gonna engage in sexy time on the beach...oral would be your best option, so....

Jesus with the leg over the shoulder....goddamn.

Those hips are moving quite a lot Rak, be careful with Mut, you don't want to break him.

The mouth wipe.....I'm dying. I will say the timing was a bit fast there at the end, but like...legit portrayal of oral, and not just vaguely refering to it is new in Thai BL, so props for that. (Also it was one of my bingo squares. Yay me.)

I was predicting the whole "I'm inspired, we gotta go back to my room right now", but that did not stop it from being funny as hell.

Is Tongrak basically Mame's self-insert?? I just thought about this, bc they used the MMY logo for the fake website, probably just so they didn't have to bother with getting a non-copywritten one, or pay to use a real one, but like I just thought about this, since he's a writer who writes Y-Series, and part of what P'Vie does (I'm pretty sure) is make them into shows.... fascinating to consider.

We do see the cover for The Boy Next World, both the BN one and the orignal manga-style one...interesting.... As well as the cover for Love Director, which is one of the novels directly related to the LITA side of the Mame-verse....also interesting.

Rak's fake insta is hot. I tell you what, Mame shows got their issues, but costuming is pretty much always on point.

Okay so P'Vie is an actress...still involved with Rak's shows, but not the director I guess.

I really do get distract by how pretty Peat's eyes are.

Okay, Though he was just showering, but then I saw the motion... the blushing begins again. (Look I know I've written smut, and I watch BL, but I'm still Ace, so a lot of times my reaction is very Edwardian noble lady. I'm sorry!)

No, but I paused it to write that last sentence and the look on Rak's face!!!!

Rak is very bite-y. It suits his character, really. I Like it.

That was....very athletic.

I have thoughts about the sex scene. I'll save those for the 'Thoughts' post though.

I do think it's funny that Rak is so disturbed because the sex was good. That's funny.

Side note, I know this is an adult show, it includes a lot of adult themes, but somehow the Hallmark Movie-ness of Mame's shows makes it feel very weird when people cuss. Like, it feels odd for Rak to say Fuck there. It somehow just gives the vibe of 'see how grown-up we are with the cussing'. IDK if that makes sense, or if anyone else feels that way.

Mook's reaction to the forehead kiss is so cute, but P'Vie's got two episodes to get her act together, or I'm gonna start to dislike her.

I still don't remember the name of Mut's friend (I'm sorry) but I do think he's very funny. The actor is doing a very good job.

I know IRL, I would hate the entitledness/possessive-ness of Rak, but that was kind hot.

I love how amused Mut is by Rak. It's one of the things that feels like Fort peeking through tbh.

Oops...none of us did consider that a considerably long motorbike ride the day after some pretty vigorous back door sex may not be the best idea. But also, I feel like this is part of why prep/aftercare is important, and they (meaning BLs) should focus on it more. Like it's wouldn't fix everything, but it would help.

Oh, I really do like Mut's friend...who's name is Palm....I will try to remember.

I doubt this was Mame's intention, but I do appreciate the discussion of how franchised tourism can be harmful to local residents.

Sweet Mut so shy about taking genuine compliments. That's so cute.

Oh I'm familiar with that kind of manufactured flippancy when it comes to speaking about family ties that have been broken.... there be trauma there mateys.

God I have a lot of incomplete thoughts about this scene. I'm gonna have to rewatch and break it down later.

Oh, Rak is 100% a self-insert.

I do wonder when we're gonna get more info regarding that first thought about escaping though. It feels like Rak is trying to keep things surface level, but is accidentally revealing more than he intends.

I respect the attempt to get info out of Kom. I also respect Connor for not giving any.

I'm excited for the diving and underwater shots, but Rak--why the fuck are you wearing a small fortune in high-end designer jewelery for that?? like, leave that shit in your room dude.

Also, I've officially decided I love Palm and his doofus-energy. I will now protect him with my life.

God Bless Wetsuits! Amen!!

Sir what the fuck are you doing???? If this were a different couple I'd say Rak is well on his way to a spanking.

But also, this is so pretty,

Flashback!!! Yes, another bingo box, but also...why do drama parents always break up directly in front of their kids?

There's a metaphor happening about not diving alone and the flashbacks and reconciling his traumas in relation to love/trusting men (in a romantic way)....my brain is too stupid to make a cohesive explanation, but it's there.

I love the way Mut just looks at Rak... like it's fascinating how much Fort is able to portray with his gaze. I thought that during LITA, but it's confirmed here. Because, yes the longing/loving gaze is alive and well, but you can see the concern, the confusion, even the questioning that's happening. It's wild.

Well that's all for the episode. I'll probably rewatch tomorrow and thry to organize my thoughts into something vaguely cohesive, but no promises. Despite the very swift jump into the sex, we got a lot of insight today, into to both of them really.

[dumdeeedum]

How is an eighteen year old hooking up with a nineteen year old that he was previously worried was younger in any way rape? they are both older teenagers please be serious. baby faced nineteen year olds exist in the world it's not rape when they date their literal peers. i do kind of take your point about aging up claudia- it doesn't always work for me either but they really couldn't have cast a kid and done two seasons even if the ethics of that situation wasn't extremely dodgy. at a certain point you have to treat it like a mid special effect or stop watching.

I'm gonna go ahead and keep watching and commenting on what I'd like, thanks. I find it very strange that that's everyone's go-to when it comes to everything now. Are adaptations just whatever people want them to be now and if you expected to AT LEAST recognize the characters that's your bad and you're an idiot? I'm honestly still here because I love the book series, have been waiting for an adaptation for DECADES (was SO EXCITED for the Fuller adaptation that fell through) and now I'm waiting for the "Interview" part, the most boring but necessary foundational part for me, to end and to get to the good stuff. The problem is that the changes have been so great that I'm concerned and I'm allowed to feel that.

I feel like y'all want to be intentionally stubborn and weird about this which is part of the point and reason why aging up Claudia was a bad idea. She's MENTALLY 18 but she's physically meant to be a child. If we're having to have it so we're all just splitting hairs about how old she actually is/looks/is meant to look like in the show or having to suspend utter disbelief for it to work then it doesn't work. It also takes away from the visceral reaction we get from Claudia in the book, the utter sense of wrongness and pity we have for her and her situation. And how utterly wrong and fucked up it was of Lestat and Louis to make her.

Even Armand says as much and thinks of himself as having been too young at 17 in retrospect in the books. He's also angry at Marius in the books for turning Sybelle and Benji, the latter of whom is only 12. It's a big thing in the book series.

Claudia being unambiguously young allows the story to convey its idea in no uncertain terms: she'll be a child forever. She can't simply explain away her situation to her contemporaries whom are human because she can't tell them she's a vampire. She can't have sex with someone because she's a child and only a pervert would want to fuck her. She has all these adult feelings and sensibilities and she's not taken seriously and can't act on many of them because of that. Even her fathers, who know her the best and know she's mentally old as fuck still see her as a child. In her diary in "Queen of the Damned" she describes how cruel it is that Lestat gives her a DOLL every year on her birthday just to fuck with her because Lestat is a bitch.

When you not only age the character up to 14 but then cast someone who is an adult and then IN THE SHOW tell us that it's easy enough for her to just go "no, I'm an adult I just look young" then you take away pretty much all the angst of the character and she loses what makes her such a horrific element.

In fact, in season 2 she's so out of character for me because book Claudia, as an adult, is very smart and dignified and SEEMS old, which this actress does well but doesn't fit with an adult body. Book Claudia would not allow herself to be treated the way this Claudia allows herself to be treated and it's part of why book Claudia finds Madeline and starts to pull away even from Louis whom she knows is about to leave her for Armand. She also knows that the theater troupe suspect she killed Lestat and dislike her and want her dead. She's not even trying to make nice with them.

In this she's allowing them to dress her up like a child and make her a servant and humiliate her. I know they needed to expand on shit to make a season of television instead of a shorter book but I think it only ends up showing us that the show is floundering on how to convey its idea that Claudia is a child without actually having a child. They could have put more time into her relationship with Madeline which they only sort of did. Have Madeline treat her different and show her spending time with Madeline instead of prostrating herself for these people who disrespect her.

It's especially poorly done when a 14-year-old isn't even a child the way they want to depict her in the stupid waste of my life play they have her in by the standards of THAT TIME. The conceit of that idea would have worked better if the actress had been much younger and may even have served as a surrogate for Lestat and the doll. Unfortunately here it just doesn't work because she's already too old for the Shirley Temple shtick.

They could have gotten a teenager who perhaps looks like they're pre-teen Disney channel aged or whatever. I know that Kirsten Dunst was 12 when she filmed the movie and that's young enough to get a couple of seasons in before they get too old looking. Again, Disney channel aged (I'm too old to know where the kids are these days). Especially when Claudia reasonably should only be there until the end of this season even if they don't mean to continue past "Interview with the Vampire." Ideally they'd have made "Interview" into a miniseries and moved on because the entire thing is too long-winded and different.

Children do horror all the time. You don't have to have anything explicitly sexual for the character to work and that's another reason why the age up bothers me. Kirsten Dunst didn't HAVE to kiss Brad Pitt either, they added that to the movie so making that some sort of bar a young actress would have to meet is nonsense.

It feels like they ONLY aged her up TO put the actress in sexual situations and make it acceptable. But then they ALSO decided to age up Armand, presumably because it would be weird to put him in a sexual relationship with Louis if he's meant to be 17. So which is it? Can we have mentally young characters in sexual situations with adults or not? After all, mentally Armand is over 500 years old and Louis is much younger.

How much more impactful would it have been for us to see Claudia spending time with a boy she likes, a boy her "mental" age, to have him shoot her down and treat her like a child and even perhaps laugh at her? And for that to happen to her over and over again if need be. Instead she can just explain it away and it's fine if the guy she likes sees a teenager and still wants to fuck her, it's all fine?

It was a bizarre decision and as good as the actresses are and I wish them incredible success in their careers, it doesn't work for this show. A LOT doesn't work for this with the age changes as far as I'm concerned.

[stagefoureddiediaz]

https://www.tumblr.com/stagefoureddiediaz/749116135163723776/ugh-this-is-horrible-news-tommy-is-still-around

Gonna hijack the end of this because that last bit about Marisol. Like honestly I’m more concerned how much longer she’s gonna be around at this point lol. With her actress now following and being followed by Shannon’s actress, adding JLH, Brenna, and JCC to her follow and followed by on top of Ryan as well, and her now adding Ravi’s actor to her latest follows also joining Kenny, and Oliver, she seems to be making all sorts of connections with the cast and crew for someone who’s supposedly not long term and disliked.

Hey Nonnie

I would prepare yourself to see her around until the end of the season at the very least I'm afraid. She isn't long term and she isn't meant to be - they aren't going to change that - she has a narrative purpose - which she will serve and then be gone - I've made other posts about it so I won't go into it here, but i do get the impression that they have maybe adjusted timelines a bit - in order to give story arcs the proper time to breathe - in light of getting an early s8 renewal - which I am very much here for - but that does mean that it is likely that we won't be seeing Eddies queer narrative in relation to his catholic guilt in a full way until s8 - they will lay the foundations of it definitely, but I think this seasons Eddie arc will focus more on the Shannon side of his Catholic guilt before moving on to the queer side of it later on.

Its just a vibe I'm getting and I've been wring before! What I do know is that form everything we've seen - both on screen and in bts just reaffirms her position in the narrative - that she's a representation of catholicism and also being placed in the role of babysitter (kind of like Ana ended up being too - only this is more obvious!!). She is also being very loudly contrasted to Buck so even if we have to deal with her for longer than we'd like - we know she won't be around for more than a few scenes that help move Eddies narrative along and then she'll be gone!

As for the following on instagram of various people involved with the show - I really wouldn't read anything into it - shes a jobbing actress networking - she's just trying to establish connections in case she can get more work out of it down the line - she is also allowed to make friends with people - maybe she hit it off with them - it really doesn't have to be that deep - I follow people connected to my job all the time incase its useful down the line as its a n easy way to reach out to someone - doesn't mean I'm suddenly going to go and work with or for them in anyway - its just actors etc are more visible when they do the same thing!

[thegeminisage]

oh, it's also finally time for the official ds9 character ranking as of the end of s1. i'm not doing minor characters yet (jake, nog, garak, keiko) since they haven't had any major stuff going on and idk if they ever will. rankings in the future may be different.

odo - whatever autistic swag he has going on has charmed and bewitched me. i'm so easy i love little guys that don't get humanity. he seems like the natural choice after spock and data i should have known this would happen. every single thing i learn about him makes me more insane. also, he's so dour and gruff that he is just BEGGING to be given an arc where he gets a child or a love interest or whoever who gets to be the only one able to lighten him up at all. and i know about him getting with kira so i am just sitting here like. PLEASE let that be good. please.

kira - ALL OF HER SCENES ARE SO GOOD. i liked her from the beginning but they have done NOTHING but feed me ever since the pilot. her conflict, or rather, lack of conflict, now that the war is over, is so fucking good. who even is she now that she's not the underdog? how do you just move on once the war is over? she's such a good actress too, she smiles when she's angry and she can cry on cue. you can feel the weight of her history every single time she's on screen, she's fantastic

sisko - the only reason he didn't tie with kira is because we haven't seen as much sisko-centric stuff yet. i thought his intro in the pilot was INSANELY good, it blew my mind, and i couldn't wait to see where he went from there...but then he didn't go anywhere else. that said, i do love that he always backs up his people, especially kira and odo since they're not federation. also i LOVE what a good dad he is and his extremely wholesome jokes about that time he and dax fucked twins or whatever.

bashir - i love to laugh at this guy. he is SO good comedically and i don't know why i didn't expect him to be the comedy character but he is. i know he has some deeper stuff later and i CANNOT WAAAAIT to see what else he is gonna have going on with garak, i'm very excited for his future. i feel like once bashir finally gets a serious storyline it's gonna hit me like a fucking truck because of how silly he is the rest of the time...my favorite cringefail loser <3

o'brien - he would have tied with bashir except again he had less stuff to do. i like him so much better in ds9 than tng and he is SOOO longsuffering but i'm still waiting to see why everyone says he suffers more than jesus on the cross. also, i fucking love his little girl. she's so cute i die. i'm never sorry to see this guy on my screen.

dax - love and light to women and people who are only currently women and genderfluid worms everywhere, so far i feel pretty uncompelled by the dax stuff. i mean, i don't dislike her or anything, but she can't hold a candle to some of the characters higher on this list. her hair is So Big that it's weird to look at but i could forgive this if she was less...buttoned up? she's always very :X except when she talks about how cool it is to be a hot woman everyone likes flirting with, which, like, GOOD for her, but i'd like to know who she is beyond that. her personality seems so fluid she doesn't have one - even sisko paints a more vivid picture of curzon dax than we get of jadzia, which is mostly a lot of blah. i absolutely believe they'll make her more interesting later they just haven't caught me yet

quark - i mean. this was inevitable. i DO like him better than i thought i would and whatever he has going on with odo is extremely fucking funny, but on his own he's not as funny as bashir and he's not got as much depth as the rest of the cast, plus there's the whole ferengi issue of them not being written well in general. he's actually such a huge improvement on all other ferengi ever though that i deeply considered giving him the #6 spot, but dax, while uncompelling, DID at least get a backstory episode that was good instead of that episode quark got that made him hold the idiot ball. so.

[andreal831]

Sorry if this is an intrusive ask, but I just saw your post about Elijah and Elena and this part stood out to me.

I have also seen the interview of DG talking about it and they honestly made me dislike him a little bit. I was not shocked when he announced his divorce given how he often spoke about the much younger women he worked with in interviews. He often projected his own thoughts on Elijah, even if it didn't fit the character.

I haven’t seen any solo cast interviews so I’m not sure which one you’re talking about here, but I never got the impression Daniel was talking badly/disrespectfully about his female coworkers. Do you maybe have a link to that? Not gonna lie I love Elijah and Daniel’s always seemed to me like a fun, chill guy whose coworkers adore so I’m shocked 😭

I'm answering this one quickly because I don't want any confusion! Sorry! I don't mean that he was disrespectful to his coworkers. Rather he was disrespectful to his wife. He would often talk about how attractive the (much younger) women he was working with were. Don't get me wrong, he spoke very highly of the women as well and I do love how much he advocated for them. Daniel is one of the few people on TO who really spoke out for Leah.

So it's not that he is disrespectful to the women on the show. But I just found it in bad taste given that he was married. For instance, this interview:

At 5:06, he makes a reference that Phoebe (Hayley) is far to beautiful to end up with him in real life. Quickly realizes his mistake and compliments his wife. But, to me, he just spends so much his early interviews talking about the physical appearances of his female costars. It is something he does less in later interviews. But again, I just found him talking about being attracted to, not the characters, but the actresses, incredibly disrespectful to his wife.

I just know if I was his wife, I wouldn't appreciate him using every interview to talk about being attracted to other women, and being so lucky to kiss them on set, while I was at home raising his kids.

Daniel Gillies is one of those guys who seems chill for a white, middle aged man. He's mostly fine, but talks too much and has some incredibly problematic takes. I wish we saw the same level of respect he seems to have for his new girlfriend applied to his wife.

Hope this helped clarify!

[crazy-form]

oof motion sickness is the worst 😭 i bet it was really difficult. i’m glad you could finish the game by watching it though because the story is so great for real oof

listen LISTEN i feel like actors and actresses that play really horrible characters get to shine the most and prove that they are indeed good actors when they do their roles so perfectly that you actually start to hate them. like this guy was sO great at what he did that i supported him because the performance was spectacular but i would have squared up ANY day if he was real because he was mental 😳 also lAGERTHA 😭😭😭 she just wanted to end her days in a farm. poor woman couldn’t catch a break. she was so badass but then she just wanted to lay down low and she got killed. i was like ???? yOU KIDDING ??? oof

i’m gonna be honest. valhalla cannot compare to the original vikings but so far it’s only two seasons in and it is pretty entertaining? i think if you still want to bank into the vikings nostalgia you can enjoy vikings valhalla tbh. other series my grandma recommended me were the queen’s gambit (which is still one of my all time favorites), stranger things when it first got dropped lmao (also a favorite), quicksand (pretty traumatic though. beware, but the plot twists are impeccable). game of thrones too, like years ago lmao. peaky blinders (we watched the first three seasons together in one weekend it was insane). and then the rest are movies, but usually she has pretty good taste for this stuff? idk sometimes she just drops series names and dips and i go check them and get obsessed with them lmao

hi i'm finally gonna respond sajdhflasjkdf

yes! watching a gameplay was definitely the right decision, i enjoed the game much more that way 🥰

i agree with you!!! it takes a lot to portray a mentally insane character asjfhsajfh mr. alex andersen really did ivar justice 🥰 and yeah poor woman sjafhsdfh her husband just started acting up one day and since then everything went downhill dsjfhjsafh i was so heartbroken for her when ragnar went for the other woman i really disliked her 😡 and now i wanna rewatch the series lmao

i'm taking notes of all of those hehe i did watch queen's gambit, it was really good!! i might give valhalla a shot as well but i just know i will keep comparing it to the original vikings 😂 but your grandma sure has great taste 🥰 if you find any new shows or films that you enjoy send them my way 🧡

not sure how much you like the horror genre, but a show that will always have the top place in my show list is the haunting of the hill house. it's so well made!! the actors all did a perfect job, it has a few jumpscares but it's mostly the spooky eerie atmosphere that makes it scary, though i stayed for the story which is top tier!! can only recommend it 🥰

[kncrowder88]

I saw a post talking about Amber hate in the House MD fandom. And as I just finished that season, and used to dislike her character, I'd thought I'd make my own post.

Now, for me, I know when I first watched two things likely played a role in why I disliked her 1) I recognized the actress but couldn't place her (residual pull from prior roll easily can impact me when viewing things, when I place I displace that impact) and 2) I truly didn't like her behavior while she was in the "interview" process.

As I had made up my mind by the point we see her again, my first watch around I didn't really bother trying after that. I saw her as House primarily did .... a foil to his relationship with Wilson and a potential risk to Wilson's health (emotional/mental - another divorce in the making basically).

Having said that, this time around while I still wasn't fond of her actions I kept watching and enjoying her scenes. I liked the foil to House that she was. Up to this season we have heard why House is the way he is. That he has always been mean/harsh/brash/etc before his injury. The injury made him worse. We even see him "heales" for a brief time and his personality isn't magically cured ... his addiction is. He is still House, just not addict and chronic pain House. We even got to see a meaner side to House (targeting Cuddy in the mom spot). We even learn about his divorce, his parents, how long he's known Cuddy and Wilson, etc.

We learn why House behaves the way he does and as a result it's easier to go "yeah, well, I mean addict" while the most we get for Amber is a .... well actually nothing. She deliberately withholds and gives various reasons why but we don't really learn, not fully. She has always been ambitious ... and society has never liked ambitious woman. The show later blatantly has a moment of House describing her to Wilson and realizing Amber is Him. And still, without a reason ... she's just C.B. to everyone. House is excused (even on the show he has reasons - they even in this season test his blood to try to find further reasons) as he gives them the excuses (and no one really forces him to rehab let's be honest, up to this point) .... while Amber isn't because only 1 person bothered to get to know her.

The irony not just for the fandom but within the show ... that person is Wilson. Wilson who repeatedly covers for House and gives him the most excuses and enables him the most. The one all turn to - besides Cuddy - when they need someone to talk to House. Because he knows him best. They trust his judgement on House. Wilson says he isn't that bad, so clearly ..... but hey, he dates Amber and it's just his usual bad relationship judgement right? Can't be he actually bothered to get to know her.

Also, for me, right now, I know I'm just gonna be disappointed post this season because it ended so well on a House hitting rock bottom type of moment. He blatantly expresses not wanting to be miserable and in pain - to the person who was his foil all season, his personality (sorta) pre-injury. He expresses not wanting to lose Wilson because of his behavior ..... and we see how he is at the end of the ep when he wakes up.

This season also had him get connected with a psych doctor patient. Do you know how amazing it be if they took the path of House does therapy? Everyone all "why's he still an arse?" "Can't be the drugs" Wilson and cuddy meanwhile "he always was" as they've been saying and no one seems to want to believe

[fynnchbird]

Thoughts and Question about IVWTV show and VC Books

So, I ended up falling ass over tea kettle into a new obsession (new in that returning to a childhood interest). That being Interview with the Vampire (the show) and that had me scoot and boogie over to listening to the audiobooks. Not in any particular order, I started with the QotD and now listening to VL. As well I know a fair-ish amount about some of the plot lines in the other books and stuff. And now I want to through out thoughts about the television series and what might or might not happen. So possible spoilers ahead.

I truly hope to all the gods above and below that they don't follow the aliens and Atlantis plot lines in the later books. Or at least pick one or the other just not both.

Now I definitely plan or continuing to read the books at whatever slow pace I am doing now. But I am slightly confused about the issue with ghosts. In QotD Maharet explains that they're aren't really any such things as ghosts, they are actually spirits that looks to assume the form of living creatures as a way to become physical which they can not do. So I'm fairly sure that the ghost of Claudia that Louis meets and emotionally destroys is just that and not actually Claudia(at least I hope). And what will they do then in the show since they are going to keep having the actress who plays Claudia around (I love both actresses performances.)

I wonder how they will do Lestat's reason for joining in with the Akasha. Like in books obviously very nuanced and complicated, the need to both be and not be good and his own internal conflict with the very concept of good and evil and the want to be seen as he is. But like, even in books that was hard a hard pill to swallow and I can't see it translating to the screen very well.

I kinda hope they change the monarchical coven system that he creates in the later books. Especially in the early books (so far what I've read) Lestat seems more like a rebel that is forced into leader rolls rather than a "King/Prince" and him creating essentially a feudal court kinda seems meh. Especially with the Louis we have now not being a white plantation owner.

I need Gabrielle like yesterday! I love her sooooo much. A not so great mother who is only able to be able to bond with her child when he's an adult. And they as soon as she is changed to a vampire she rejects the expectations of a woman of her status and full the other direction. Personally I do view her a nonbinary/ transmasc.

On that note, I truly hope we do not have to deal with the weird incest feels that happen between her and Lestat. At the super very least they downplay it hard.

I also need devils minion! I loved reading that part of QotD. Armand and Daniels circling around each other. Armand not wanting to change Daniel because he is scared of being hated by a person he loved. As well as being worried that the change will take away something he loves about Daniel, like what happened to Lestat and Niki.

Speaking on Lestat and Niki definitely want more of the rise and fall of their relationship. Especially Niki's eventual hatred of Lestat when he pushed him to create the TdV, that monologue was very captivating and deeply sad from the perspective of Lestat seeing a person who he loved (and then kinda disliked) fall into madness.

Lastly, what are they going to do with TotBT? Like are they just gonna change that since they've brought in Ragland James? I kinda see that happening because right now it seems like they are combining David Talbot and Ragland James.

Any who this was a long and not organized list of some of my thoughts on the books and the show.

[eldritchsurveys]

1226.

Do you ever worry about your future? (i.e.: college, marriage, kids, etc) >> I'm amused by the examples given, because none of that stuff is of any concern to me. I'm already (unconventionally) married, I'm probably never going to be college material, and I'm definitely not having children or meeting any other of those Common Adult Milestones. The stuff that freaks me out about the future is thinking I'll never have a social support system, I'll never be able to afford any kind of therapy, I'll end up living and dying in a place I hate because I can't afford to live anywhere else, I'll never know what actual financial security feels like, I'll never know what actual emotional intimacy with another person in this outworld realm feels like... oh, and of course I worry about ageing and increasing disability, seeing as I live in a country that is perfectly content to let poor people suffer and die.

Does your family use coasters? Is anyone in your family excessively tidy? >> I don't use coasters, and my tidiness isn't excessive at all, thank you very much.

Are you usually late, early or right on time? >> I am usually early or right on time -- early if I'm taking public transportation because the timing doesn't always line up well and it's better to be too early than too late in that case.

On a scale of 1 to 5 how organized are you? >> 4? I don't know how to quantify this but I do love being organised.

Name a movie you can watch over and over again and not be bored with? >> I don't do this with movies at all, even ones I love. I usually wait at least a year before rewatching any movie (barring exceptions like how I rewatched Lisa Frankenstein like a week after I saw it because Sparrow wanted to see it and I didn't mind rewatching it).

Do you still have your tonsils? >> I do.

What is the worst thing someone has ever done to you? >> There's a pretty long list of awful things people have done to me, and I certainly don't feel like sifting through it to figure out which one was "worst".

Have you ever gone nude/streaked in public? >> I have not.

Do you snore? Steal the covers? Roll around in your sleep? >> I don't share a bed anymore, but during the times when I did, it was usually the other person that did these things. Comparatively, I slept like a corpse.

What is your mom listed under in your phone? . Do you like going to the dentist? >> Absolutely not. The anxiety and aversion I experience at the dentist is over 9000.

What’s the most worthwhile thing you’ve done in the last year? >> I mean... continued existing? That's hard enough as it is. Have you ever made out with someone? >> Sure.

What time do you get sleepy? >> Typically, around 22:00. This can vary depending on how sleep-deprived I am.

What music do you listen to? >> So, so much. I mostly identify as a metalhead but like, this morning on my walk I was listening to (and reminiscing about) gospel. You really just never know, with me.

How old were you when you started to walk? .

Which member of your family do you get along with the best? .

What cheers you up when you’re sad? >> Can Calah, most reliably. Also, various shows I like. Have you ever tanned topless? >> I don't tan, period. My melanin is permanent.

What’s something you’ve been told you’re good at? >> Writing. Are you a cat or dog person? >> I'm not a pet person in general.

Have you ever done drugs? >> I have. I do.

Recommend a really amazing book. >> Just gonna go with Episode Thirteen again like in the last survey.

Recommend a really amazing song. >> You Ain't Coming Back by Zeal & Ardor.

Recommend a really amazing movie. >> In the Earth.

Who’s your favorite actor/actress? >> Matthew McConaughey.

Have you ever run away from home? >> I tried to, anyway.

Do you like your hair, the way it is and the color? >> There's really nothing to like or dislike about it, it's undyed and in a buzzcut. Extremely unremarkable.

Are you a Disney movie fan? >> Not especially. There are a few I like, but not nearly enough for me to consider myself a fan of Disney itself.

Do you eat seafood? >> I do.

So where the hell do you want to go in life? >> Hm. Are you claustrophobic? >> I am not. Do you like getting wasted? >> We used to, but I personally no longer possess the constitution or the interest in being heavily intoxicated. It no longer sparks joy.

Do you prefer Angels and Airwaves or Rihanna? >> I don't prefer either.

If your house was on fire (and your family escaped), what would you save? . Does caffeine make you hyper? >> I certainly don't consume enough of it to experience hyperactivity either way. I have like one eight-ounce serving of coffee like every two weeks or whenever I remember that coffee exists, and I enjoy the somewhat heightened sense of clarity and mental acuity for a while. I'm sure if I had any more than that I'd likely just tip over into being jittery and anxious, which is unfun and pointless. When are you going back to school? >> LOL

Do you like reading self-help books? >> The self-help industry is a racket and I'm not interested. I do read psychology-based books, like for example stuff that works with the Internal Family Systems model, but that's my limit when it comes to "self-help books".

What is your opinion on sex change? >> I'm into it. Very, very pro-HRT and SRS.

It seems like everyone’s addicted to Twitter these days - are you? >> Twitter's site culture never appealed to me, even back when it was somewhat less unhinged. Now? Absolutely fucking not.

What is something you have recently realized? >> I feel like I mostly just circle back to the same realisations but... bigger, or deeper, or whatever. It's not a loop, it's a spiral, etc.

If you could study abroad for a year in a foreign country, which country do you think you would choose, and why? .

If applicable, what song are you listening to right now? .

If you could choose three US states to visit, which three states would you pick? >> Honestly, I'd go anywhere at this point. I just need the novelty.

Do you think you express yourself better in writing or out loud? >> Writing. I'm a very clumsy speaker.

What’s the most amazing miracle you’ve ever witnessed? >> When I think of miraculous occurrences, I always think of times when I was really going through it, when shit was bad bad, and there'd be a moment where something really cool happens and it just... feels so much more profound and vital because of how awful everything else is. You know? Like for example, last year I was having a rough time and I went and sat out in the backyard and I found a perfect cicada shed just sitting on the tree, right at eye level, like it was left for me. I love cicadas. It felt special, like a hint that something was still rooting for me, wanted to give me a little bit of joy and wonder. I still have it, it's on my vanity.

Do you enjoy being home alone? >> Oh my god, it's the best. It's when I feel freest. ...Wow, that really doesn't look like a word, even if it is one. Most free. Yeah, that's better.

What is the most magical thing you’ve ever experienced? >> Dammit, and here I've already used my cicada molt story. Thinking of these things is taking too long, I'm going to pass.

What was the last hot beverage you drank? >> Tea.

Have you ever donated blood? >> I have not.

Would you rather attend a yoga class or a Zumba class? >> Either is fine. Depends on what kind of energy I have that day, I suppose.

Have you written anything down today? >> I have not.

What color is your camera case (if you have one)? .

What are three things you like that start with the same letter as your middle name? >> This would also take me forever.

Which do you use more: Facebook or Instagram? >> I don't use Instagram at all, so Facebook by default. Would you say you’ve had a good week so far? >> It's been fine, I suppose. I've definitely had worse weeks, just in the past month alone.

What are three of your favorite ways to enjoy spring? >> Go for lots of walks to admire all the new plant life, throw open every window in the house, uh... rejoice that I survived another winter? Yeah.

Do you own a pair of pink pants? >> I don't. I wouldn't be averse to it, though.

[outrunningthedark]

the way this show has clearly had so many re-writes this season is wild, and you can tell cos they shot the finale like less than 2 weeks ago? Marisol and Eddie 100% had scenes cut. Ryan talked about their relationship like something very strong … than bam … here comes Kim? maybe the lack of chemistry and the fans dislike of Marisol played at effect? I remember something similar happening to Lucy in season5?

I think we're all pretty much on the same page re: Marisol not being Eddie's legit long term option until we saw it with our own eyes, but yeah, I'm gonna be blunt here and say that I think Tim just…stopped giving a fuck about trying to "force" any kind of relationship between Eddie and Marisol, probably because he already knew he didn't want her around forever anyway.

We talk a lot about the show struggling to include non-first responder LIs, and while it IS true in several cases (Ali, Ana, Natalia, Marisol, David with Michael counts because Michael WAS a main), we have had three examples of the show making an effort to incorporate significant others - Karen as Hen's wife and mother of Denny, Taylor Kelly, and, of course, Shannon Diaz.

Eddie and Marisol could have ended in 7x05 when Eddie realized they were moving too fast.

Eddie and Marisol could have ended in 7x07 when Eddie simply met Kim and felt *something*, but didn't want to cross the line of disrespect. Eddie and Marisol could have ended in 7x09 or 7x10 with the Diaz parents showing up and giving their (unsolicited) two cents on why they don't think Eddie is making the right choice. You know what this is (now)? This is Tim saying "Well, if we're gonna write Eddie as hetero we're gonna do it with a character I actually created and cared about." (This story line is all the evidence I need to definitively show that Tim CAN write for a Buck or Eddie LI when he actually likes the actress. The other times? He's just being lazy. To which I say...aim higher when HIRING, then!)

[sequentialprophet]

Because my brain is being *A Cunt (*refusing to let me read fanfic for dumb reasons) I am filling my downtime by catching up on popular/talked about films I did not watch when everyone cared. I am now going to fill more of my downtime talking into the void about them.

Today's was Don't Worry Darling, Olivia Wilde's 2022 deeply maligned followup to Booksmart (which I also have not watched).

Opinions and spoilers under the cut.

I went in expecting a terrible film based purely on osmosis. Five minutes in I realised my mundane superpower had once again activated. Despite seeing this film panned literally everywhere, and definitely reading several scathing reviews, I had zero idea wtf actually happened in the plot. I had somehow remained blissfully unspoiled.

My impressions within the first half hour was this film had been pretty unfairly torn to shreds, most likely because of wide dislike of Olivia Wilde and also the real life mess. Which is a shame because it's a decently solid effort in its genre.

It's pretty clear the 50s setting is fake as fuck right off the bat, very uncanny valley in a way I personally enjoyed. I liked the very 'this was designed by someone who'd only seen the 50s in 1970s sitcoms set back then' vibe (I did not realise how accurate this was gonna be).

I thought Florence Pugh was mesmerising. Every scene she was in was A+ work. The creeping dread of something is wrong but not knowing what? The nod to the very real 'feminine hysteria' in the way both Margaret and Alice are treated? The complicity of Bunny because she wants to be there and fuck everyone else? The nods to Stepford Wives?

Speaking of Bunny, Olivia Wilde was great in this. She played an excellent bitchy head of the wives club whose complicity in the whole system isn't forgiven by her turn at the end. She's a very good actress and I'm tired of people pretending she isn't because she fucked a popstar 🤷‍♀️

I think the film missed a step by not making more of Alice and Frank's battle of wills. I was legit edge of my seat when he cornered her in the kitchen. I wish there had been more of that. A lot more. Chris Pine makes for an excellent villain, and I would have loved to see him stretch into that role more.

I thought Gemma Chan did a lot with a very small role. Shelly's odd moment of sexual tension with Alice had me 👀. I would have loved to know what she meant by "Now it's my turn."

Harry Styles was, for me, the weakest part of the film. I don't necessarily think that's because he's a bad actor, but I do think he was too green for such a practiced ensemble cast. It made his efforts fall flat by comparison.

Look, was the story original? No. Did it do anything groundbreaking? No. But what it did, it did very well. Everyone played off each other fantasically. The story moved at a solid pace. I wasn't bored. The 'real life' part of the story was trite, which is disappointing because it didn't have to be, but the incel reveal felt in line with the film I watched.

All in all a solid two hours I don't regret.

[darkpoisonouslove]

I'll put it under a cut because it got longer than I anticipated:

I wasn't really expecting to enjoy it either. Neither the book, nor the show. But the book was available in my local library and I thought I'd check it out because I like murder mysteries. I found myself loving the main cast. Everyone else isn't really written that well. To answer your question, no, the book covers season 1 but the show has made changes. There's a sequel that I haven't read yet but as far as I can tell, the show's season 2 doesn't really resemble the sequel, which focuses on Maeve and 3 new characters.

I am so mad that they canceled it! I really liked it! It took me months to finish it as well because I binged season 1 and then I was apprehensive about season 2 as I didn't know there was a second book and just assumed that they took the characters and ran with them (which they did do anyway). But then I watched it and season 2 was just as good only for the fact that it's cancelled to hit me in the face. I was deeply sad and frustrated because of that cliffhanger. I bet season 3 would have been amazing if they'd made it. RIP OoUIL.

Yes, the supporting cast isn't fleshed out at all in the books. Simon and Vanessa in particular are very two-dimensional in the book so I was floored to see how much the show has done for them. The ending of the book is a little different tbh but I'm not gonna spoil it for you. That said, I did correctly predict what happened during their detention. Tbh for a book called "One of Us Is Lying" it makes it pretty clear very early on that none of our main 4 characters are lying, which was somewhat disappointing because you know they haven't done anything so it kind of makes the mystery easier to solve. The show fixed that by making them all engage in actually shady behavior and that is one of the changes I liked. The show is smarter and I don't really think I knew what to expect from season 2 so I can't say I had that figured out. The one thing that I most disliked about the show is that there wasn't even a mention of Addy's sister, who is kind of a major player in the books. I really liked their relationship so I was sad to see it go but Addy and Janae in the show kind of make up for it (their friendship isn't as explored in the book).

My favorite character in the show is definitely Addy. I didn't expect to like her as much but I do. I remember less about the book but I liked her there too. The biggest standout from the book for me was Nate and Bronwyn's relationship. It's somewhat different than it is on the show and there's a lot of focus on it and on how they have many touching points despite being opposites. I thought that part really worked and the author has done a really good job exploring how high expectations put a lot of pressure on you just the same as everyone always expecting the worst from you. When Nate and Bronwyn's worlds collide, you can really see the deep understanding between them despite how polar their lives and personalities seem to be and that captivated me. They also have genuinely cute moments, which they do in the show as well but the book just spends more time with them and puts more emphasis on how complementary their struggles are. I'm a sucker for characters being reflections of each other! Tbh I think that in the book Nate was my favorite character and it's not that I don't like him in the show but I know Addy was my fave there. Maeve and Janae I liked a lot more in the show because it does more with them. Bronwyn I didn't love in the show initially because I felt like the actress was a little wooden but that definitely got better! I like her; she's just not my favorite. I hated Jake in the book and even more so in the show.

Ooh, you watched One of Us Is Lying! I love that show! I read the book last year and I thought it was pretty good but then I watched the show and while I don't like some of the changes they made, I think the show is actually much, much better! It treats all the characters as people, not just our 4 main characters. It was definitely a big surprise and I'm glad to see you've enjoyed it too!

Yes!! Just finished it last week after watching it over a few months! I wasn't expecting to enjoy it half as much as I did, but the mystery each season really kept me on my toes! It was so hard to keep from binging it. Definitely gonna check the book series out! Do you know if the book series continues from the shows s2 cliffhanger? That finale was incredible, but the cliffhanger to finding out it was cancelled!! It's a shame the characters aren't as fleshed out in the books. I loved how the show got me to like characters I initially didn't. I'll probably have to mix book canon with tv show canon where possible.

I'm glad you enjoyed it! I gotta know, who were your favourite characters/ships and what were your favourite parts? Did you guess the murderer in s1 and/or in s2?

[fuzzy-melonlord]

For the hc meme, all of them for vincent (and maybe christian ?)

Oh gods, okay well the Christian is gonna be regular canon Christian. but imma do my best lol. We're gonna start with Vincent first. I'm also going to put these under a cut because there are so many omg.

☾ - sleep headcanon

Vincent is a completely still sleeper. Back when he was alive, his friends used to joke that he slept like the dead. Barely breathing and not moving. Thinking back on it, he finds it a bit ironic.

★ - sad headcanon

Vincent sometimes goes by his childhood home at night, when things get too much for him. His family moved after he "died" so he doesn't have to worry about running into them, he just...misses them. He'd give anything to see them again and seeing the house, while bringing him a bit of peace it also makes his sense of longing stronger.

☆ - happy headcanon

When Vincent is happy, he has a tendency to hum to himself. Sometimes even going so far as dancing a little. Sometimes Lovely will come home and he just pulls them into a fun little dance.

☠ - angry/violent headcanon

Vincent doesn't get angry often, but when he does it's a very controlled anger. It can be quite scary to be on the receiving end of his rage. and Despite his rivalry with Alexis, the only time she had even been on the receiving end was when Sam was turned.

✿ - Sex headcanon

Back when he was alive, Vincent never would have thought he would have had a biting kink, it wasn't really a thing he thought about especially since he had only slept with a handful of people before he died.

■ -  Bedroom/house/living quarters headcanon

He keeps his room pretty clean, Vincent wants his living quarters to be a place where he can relax and he can't relax if his room is too messy.

♡ - romantic headcanon

As a human, he had been a hopeless romantic. He had a brief thought as he got on The Surge that he...might ask out that timid stranger he had been talking to. Wondering if that would be the meet cute that some of his friends had talked about wanting. Obviously, that never happened.

♥ - family headcanon

He lived with his mother, and two younger sisters growing up. He hasn't seen them in person since he died, but he does in fact keep up with their lives on social media (Something he is immensely grateful for). His mother has passed, his middle sister is a travelling actress, and his youngest sister is an elementary school teacher and has two children with her lovely wife. Vincent is happy for them.

☮ - friendship headcanon

Sometimes he goes to visit his "grave" and he'll find a bouquet of flowers. A gift from his best friend who still lives in Dahlia. He has accidentally run into him once and had to lie and pretend they had never met.

♦ - quirks/hobbies headcanon

He collects old records, he doesn't have a record player but he loves the appearance of old records. He plans to get a record player, he keep saying he's going to but it's been years and he hasn't.

☯ - likes/dislikes headcanon

He loves denim, like that trend in the early 2000s where whole outfits were denim, yeah he loves that shit. he dislikes the color purple. he doesn't know what it is but he never liked it.

▼ - childhood headcanon

As a child he was the eldest of three, living with a single mother, so he had a tendency to watch his siblings more often than not. There were a few times where, as they were growing up, they would accidentally call him dad.

∇ -. old age/aging headcanon

Growing up, Vincent had always been scared of aging. The thought of getting gray hairs, losing functions, he hated the thought. Now that he'll never age...he misses the thought of it. He wishes he could grow old with his Lovely.

♒ - cooking/food headcanon

Vincent's best dish to make is an alfredo pasta that his mom used to make on special occasions. He makes it whenever he misses home, even if he doesn't need to eat. He has definitely made it for Lovely before.

☼ - appearance headcanon

Okay so I imagine Vincent to be a ginger. It's a bit longer, about shoulder length and he usually keeps it either in a pony tail or a braid over his shoulder. His eyes were a deep hazel before he was turned and sometimes he misses them. He does have a set of contacts that he wears when he's working so that he appears more human.

ൠ - random headcanon

He likes frogs. He used to bring frogs inside the house all the time, his mother hated it.

◉ - Any other question of your choosing

uhhh so i really think my boi still dresses like it's the early 2000s. sure he'll wear like more modern fashion most of the time but my man loves his old fashion. he thinks it's great.

Alright time for Christian

☾ - sleep headcanon

Christian kicks in his sleep, he is a rowdy boy.

★ - sad headcanon

The reason he is so sure of himself is to make up for the fact that he feels like he's not enough as a person. He has to boost his own ego because he feels worthless. Like that Marina like "I feel like I'm the worst so I always act like I'm the best". Yeah that's him.

☆ - happy headcanon

He is the happiest when he's with his pack. He may be an ass and he may rile people up, but the pack is his family.

☠ - angry/violent headcanon

He gets very angry with some of Asher's decision as Beta. which only furthers his "i should be beta, not him" and while he's internally angry he only passive aggressively says stuff about it instead of being just plain aggressive.

✿ - Sex headcanon

Christian likes getting pegged, you can't change my mind and i will not elaborate.

■ -  Bedroom/house/living quarters headcanon

His place is basically a bachelor pad. He does in fact not have a bed frame just a mattress on the floor. He does spend more time at Amanda's place than he does his own.

♡ - romantic headcanon

He actually really does like Amanda. it's not just a fling for him and he wants to peruse and actual relationship with her, but he's worried that it isn't what she wants.

♥ - family headcanon

He's the youngest of 4 siblings, one elder brother and two elder sisters. None but him are empowered. Growing up, he was always put under immense pressure to be as smart or as good at his skills as his siblings but he always seemed to fall short of their parents expectations.

☮ - friendship headcanon

He has a few close friends inside of the pack, his closest is a member named Miguel. They're around the same age, and they spend quite a bit of time together. they go out drinking every friday.

♦ - quirks/hobbies headcanon

He actually a really talented frisbee player. He goes out to frisbee parks and enjoys it. He doesn't really talk about it thought.

☯ - likes/dislikes headcanon

He fucking hates iced tea, he thinks it's a bastardization of tea. but his favorite drink is irish coffee.

▼ - childhood headcanon

As a child, he wasn't close with any of his siblings. His eldest sister tried to reach out a few times and connect with him but it was hard under the influence of their parents.

∇ -. old age/aging headcanon

He doesn't have to much issue with the thought of aging, he's always thought of it as a "i'll get wiser as i get older" kind of thought.

♒ - cooking/food headcanon

Christian isn't a...horrible cook but he also isn't anything to write home about. He cooks enough to keep himself alive.

☼ - appearance headcanon

okay so i feel like he has sandy brown hair and has a smattering of freckles all over his body. Dark blue green eyes. He's on the taller side, but shorter than David.

I know i've got two more but i got nothing else XD im sorry.

[smilingperformer]

Discussing the good and bad of Pokémon Journeys: Part “Rocket Gang”

It is no secret that the handling of Rocket Gang in Journeys is quite different from how the fans and audience have come to know them. Even I have tons to say about how I feel about Rockets in this series, so let's get started!

TLDR; Their handling in this series isn't exactly the best kind as it has removed one of the beloved aspects of them (having own Pokémon they bond very closely with) and is showing less often how they are RIGHTEUS evil, not evil evil. More under the cut, Journeys abverted to JN.

So. How do I begin. Let's start with saying: I am a Rocket Fan. A huge one. Ever since I started watching Pokémon couple years ago during Sun & Moon's first year, I fell in love with these buffoons, and I absolutely adored how the two bonded with their Pokémon and showcased that they're not that different from the brats, just on the villainnous side. Kojiro is a loving and caring man, Musashi has gone through lots of stuff and Nyarth has deep understanding over Pokémon's feelings due to his past experiences. Oh, Sonansu's there too, I love that blue blop so much. Honestly, the main reason I love these four so much is because they're such lovable villains who tend know what is right for their Pokémon, or other Pokémon they manage to bond with. And it was shown really well pre-SM as well.

Like, one of my favourite episodes of all time for Rockets is actually JN019, and it's because of how the Rockets end up helping a Ditto/Metamon who wants to be a proper actor, but thus far tended to fail in transforming into Pokémon perfectly. Musashi, as a actress herself, really bonds with this Metamon, managed to help it perfect the transformation with the help of Kojiro, Nyarth and Sonansu, and despite having the job to pokenap Pokémon... they actually end up helping Metamon to get back its job, to make sure it doesn't have a reputation of a Rocket 'mon. And they do SUCH a good job at acting like they're not intending it.

Like, during this acting performance, they really want to get blasted off! They don't even hide it. They keep provoking Satoshi to use Pikachu's Thunderbolt to blast them off and save Metamon that way. And I just fricking love them for this asjhgsjhgfs.

But aside from this episode, there really hasn't been that many episodes focusing on this aspect of Rockets. Another good episode for them JN is JN024 thou, where Rockets are on vacation and, are NOT on their villainous acts.

They're mere citizens in that episode, enjoying their free time in Sinnoh's Resort Area. And even when the brats come around, they fully ignore their need to capture Pikachu. For Sakaki-sama's orders. Akjhksajfh I just, really love how this ep managed to show that, even if they are part of Rocket Gang, it's merely their job, not who they are fully. They're not like Matori, they're not like Yamato and Kosanji- oh it's Kosaburo. They're merely doing the villainous stuff because they believe it to help make the world better. And when they're not working? They're good citizens. This was such a good episode for them because of this because it really showed that they could easily just be friends with the brats if they weren't on the opposite sides.

They even helped foil Matori's team's plans on kidnapping every single Pokémon in the Resort Area and sajghsjhgf. These four really hate Matori now do they. They're on her side, but they also keep foiling her plans. Even in Sun & Moon they foiled Matori's plans to pokenap Nuikoguma, because they knew their lovely Kiteruguma mom bear would be upset. As I said before: They're villains, but they're not evil evil. They do the evil stuff for their own rightful reasons.

Now that I've discussed the reasons I love Rockets and what I've loved in JN, let's talk about what it is that makes me feel iffy about their handling in JN, one of them being the lack of own permament poketeam.

In the past seasons, Rockets would always catch themselves one of their own 'mon that would willingly join their causes, and end up bonding with them deeply. In JN, this is... pretty much non-existant. We have the recurring 'mon of Kamukame/Chewtle and Morpeko, but the first one appears in such a rare rate, and latter one has been used as a... abuse comedy. When the Morpeko started following Rockets, I had hoped that it would end up bonding with the Rockets and they'd find some common ground, but so far, there's no sign of it, and Morpeko is more like a leech in their base instead of a powerful asset, and like. I feel like this was the show's way of trying to recreate Kiteruguma but with an opposite twist of it eating their rations instead of feeding them like Kiteruguma did, but it's not working as well as Mama Bear's gimmick did. At least in my opinion.

Now let me just say that, I don't really mind the Rocket Gacha machine. I feel like the concept it has is pretty cool, and seeing what kind of Pokémon Rocket Gang has managed to capture for using is super cool to witness. They also have been able to switch up it's results in unique and fun ways and seeing it sometimes fail is kinda fun and relatable to anyone who's played gacha games, sajhgfs. However, it feels like the Gacha completely replaced Rocket Quatret's ability to capture Pokémon of their own and, it hurts my soul to say it.

I think one of the reasons they did this route was due to how in Sun & Moon, Musashi and Kojiro ended up leaving their 'mon behind, due to knowing that they won't like it at the Rocket Head Quarters and leaving the cozy family that is Kiteruguma and Nuikoguma. So, maybe the writers felt like the Quatret would now feel bad about capturing 'mon they would bond closely with after this, and then ending up having to send them to HQ. So in a way, I get the possible intention behind this decision. Yet it still hurts. And I feel like most Rocket Fans feel the same way.

Their writing is pretty much the same throughout the show (which imo is kind of an average, as it doesn't hit the nail the same way I came to love them in Sun & Moon or OS to DP era, or even XY and Best Wishes DA! Arc), so it doesn't make sense for me to recite every single appearance of theirs, but I really have to discuss what irritated me a lot:

So. JN059.

I'll just say it straight away: I did not like how Rockets were written in this episode. At all. While their personality was spot on, their motives and actions weren't. Like... the fact that Grookey/Sarunori was a Rocket 'mon is a unique concept and I honestly like it. However, the way Sarunori ended up switching sides was so bad for me. So bad.

No. I am not one of those who think that Gou stole Sarunori from them and doesn't deserve it. No. That ain't my problem. It's more like the issue in how Rockets weren't allowed to learn more about Sarunori, bond with it, learn that it's not the one to want to join the villanous side and feels happier with Gou. The idea of the story for Rocket 'mon to switch sides is great. Excecution however is not.

Like... this line where Musashi says that Sarunori needs to be sent back to HQ to be re-educated specifically ticks me off in bad way and I hate to feel ticked off like this. And this line is all because they weren't allowed to learn more about Sarunori's motives. Because the plot had to be in one episode. I feel like the motives, Rocket Gang's handling and side switching would have worked better for me, if it was a longer built arc. Sort of like how Mijumaru/Oshawott, Hikozaru/Chimchar and the likes of them were done.

And this hurts more because of JN019 where they WERE allowed to bond and perform an act of helping Metamon get back its job. These buffoons KNOW when the 'mon deserves to go to the non-villainous side. And it's all because of JN019 that I feel so strongly ticked off for this line. "We'll... ...have you re-educated". That's not what they were gonna do with Metamon. Like. God damn it.

Rockets were there when Hikozaru switched teams from Shinji to Satoshi. They came to care for the lil monkey before this switch and after this switch. They KNEW it would be better off with Satoshi, and they kept rooting for it from afar, despite constantly trying to steal it. That's their job. Same with how Nyarth comes to like the Honcho Nyabby, due to its background, and finds peace with knowing that Nyabby will find a happy life with Satoshi. All of these examples are exactly why I strongly dislike how Jn059 handled Rockets, and I so god damn wish they would have ACCEPTED that Saruroni should join Gou, but make it so that they'd have to rescue Sarunori instead of giving it to them just like that. They're not heartless.

Unless this was an act from them. Which I doubt since Nyarth learns about Sarunori wanting to go with Gou late into the episode and then trying to deny it having been said??? Uuuugh. This episode really could have used more build up and different handling with Rockets.

Another option that would have made me like Sarunori's capture was if it had been some other Rockets it escaped from, like Matori Matrix or sudden return of Yamato and Kosaburo, or something else. I LIKE the idea of Sarunori being a Rocket 'mon, so I wouldn't change it. I just don't like that it was OUR beloved Rockets that had to be treating it this way.

Sigh. Now that that's out of the way. What else is there to say. Well. How would I try improving Rockets in JN? Simple: give them their own Pokémon to care for. Make them bond with more than just Chewtle. Let them have Pokémon they can bond with and show their loving side with. It's severely lacking right now and I feel like most Rocket fans are really missing this aspect a lot. Also please don't make them act like they don't understand Pokémon's feelings. They do. I'm glad that Satoshi still knows that Rockets care for Pokémon of their own and wouldn't treat them badly, but it still isn't showcased that well in JN. So I wish it would improve on that. I would also seriously love it if some of their old 'mon from past shows would come up from the Gacha Machine, as I'd imagine them being put inside there as well. It did have tons of Gulpin inside for some reason.... Sakaki, wtf.

Well. I guess there's not much else to talk about regarding Rockets. In short, I love Rockets, but I'm not happy with how they're handled in JN fully and despite there being couple really good episodes for them, and some of the episodes have excellent usage with them (like JN038 where Musashi just casually says "Evening" to Satoshi when he discovers them hiding in bushes, sajhgshfsghjf forever love that moment). I just want better handling with their righteus evil.

So. What's up next? I'm thinking about compiling a post of COTDs and supporting cast next time, which would include the likes of Kikuna, Renji, Sakuragi, family casts etc.

So, thanks for reading if you got this far, hope you enjoyed it despite possibly disagreeing with me, and I hope you'll all have a fantastic day.

Til next time! Aleira, aka Smiling Performer, signing out!

[cyberfairyblog]

Why Jillian Sucks

Hi, welcome to Odyssey Mystery Hour! I'm your host @gritsandbrits and today I'll be talking about a hot topic in the AIO fandom! Wanna know the tea? Keep on reading!

In the weeks I started getting back into the radio series, the newer episodes have started to irk me, mostly because of one of the more annoying additions: Jillian. Marshall. 😬😬😬

Even though I ship Jason with my self insert OC this not going to be about her. There's a lot of reasons why I do NOT like the idea of Jillian x Jason becoming a canon thing on the show. I hope to describe these feelings as best I can.

Who is Jillian you might ask?

Well to put it simply, Jillian is what happens when a Soccer Mom and a TikTok boyfriend mate and spawn an unholy baby and name them Rachel Berry. Out of the aspects of Nu!Odyssey I dislike, Jillian is the one thing I truly despise. Thankfully I've met fans who share the exact sentiment! 😁😒

Double-N Annoying, Double-O Nincompoop

Making her debut in 2018, Jillian is described as lively and upbeat, if a little high strung and immature; the perfect recipe for Kid Appeal! Before she moved to Odyssey she lived in different cities and worked nineteen jobs before becoming roommates with Connie and her sister Jules.

Now this is actually a fairly interesting set up: a new character struggling to find purpose only to discover it in a quaint small town. But as it turns out her going through that many jobs seems to be more than just struggling to find purpose.

When I first saw her design my thought immediately went to the smarmy classmates I went to school with.

We're introduced with this iconic line: "Hi!! I'm Jillian Marshall, double-L Jillian, double-L Marshall! It's so nice to meet you!"

With that one sentence I knew I was about to die.

The following episode has Jillian bumbling through every job interview much to Connie's duress after which she conveniently ending up working at Triple J Antiques...the same place Jason works!

A little backstory on Jason: he is the adult son of John Whittaker, one of the show's main character, and a bit of an Ensemble Darkhorse. He was introduced as a secret agent meant to bring action and intrigue into the show. He was set up as a charismatic and reckless sort of guy clashing with the calmer Jack Allen. After the Green Ring Conspiracy Saga, Jason officially retired from James Bonding and settled down to work at the Allen's antique shop.

Given his immense popularity there's understandable concern for how he is written and who he gets paired up with. So what does that have to do with Jillian.

Well, the idea of Jillian working at the same exact place as Odyssey's resident bachelor and calling him cute raises a few eyebrows.

"B-but Grits all she did was call him cute! You're reaching too far into this!"

Am I? Look I know this wouldn't be much of a big deal too but that is a subtle tactic the writers threw in to get the cogs turning for Jillison. Jason is clearly uninterested and even implied to dislike her. Jillian bemoans this but Connie reassures her that that's not the case. But hey at least she called him cute so OF COURSE she's going to end up being his love interest!

To me removing a character's core trait to justify a romance means you do NOT know how to actually write a compelling romance. It's trite, it's forced and painful to listen to.

It's also obvious she's a replacement for Bernard, given they have similar personalities and her brief stint on TV (which she also failed at lol). But whereas Bernard was actually endearing, Jillian seems more of a cliche womanchild with zero self awareness and tact. No actual depth, just a personality that is incredibly dumbed down and even insulting. Seriously they made her the dumb blond stereotype in an era where we should've moved on from that! 🤦

Did I mention she goes to church?

Yep she's gonna be one of those Christians.

Literally Loveless, Literally!

Oddly enough the narrative frames this as a rivals to lovers thing, where Jason is both the charismatic friendly guy and the super uninterested Straight Man. The constant twisting the turning makes him go OOC. See we know he's fit better as the former because that goes in line with his canon personality. But when they make him the latter he just comes off as unnecessarily mean. This is turns frames Jillian as someone we should pity: "Oh the attractive male doesn't like me because I went into his office without permission!!"

Wouldn't it make more sense for Jillian to be the one uninterested in a romance since her focus in to find a job/better purpose and romance might distract her? That would make a fun subplot...IF SHE WASN'T OBNOXIOUS!

A pattern I noticed and several fans pointed out: Jason's previous love interests were consistent in that they were strong minded women who challenged him in different ways. Their personalities bounced off creating a fun dynamic that was entertaining to see. Even though they didn't end up with him, you can still see and hear and feel their chemistry which is my goal for Jason x OC. Tasha doesn't make Jason OOC & they had a bittersweet arc, so their interactions were organic. Monica only made him OOC because she was a villain actively manipulating him. So again that worked in terms of story and led to Monica's redemption if my memory serves.

However, Jillian's dynamic is not that fun to listen to. You can feel her annoying Jason through the airwaves. She's strong but only in the sense of feeling something hard underneath your back laying on the bed and realizing that's just your earbud. She's vibrant yes but what else? She doesn't have any unique traits to contrast Jason, and any attempt at a contrast would mean making him act out of character. Adding her bumbling clumsiness and annoying voice, Jason would get tired of her very quickly. He's the type to go for people to have intelligent conversations with, not make him lose braincells. She could very well bring out the worse in him, it'll be an unhealthy relationship.

Here's a tidbit worth mentioning: the VA for Jillian actually auditioned with Jason's VA Townsend Coleman. Now that is big ass red flag right there! No hate towards the actress, just throwing that out there. There's also a facebook page dedicated to Jillison. Typical FB stupidity ramped up to eleven, or AIO fans who see something in Jillian; or at least THINk they see something worthwhile in her.

It doesn't help the writers keep insisting that these two go well together. The audience knows they do not work well as a pair but the narrative keeps insisting they are anyways. I recall an episode that had them pretend to be married while undercover and it was bad. Like REALLY humiliating to see Jason put in that position. He also told her to shut up much to my joy because she could NOT stop being irritating for five minutes. Alas the show still tries to justify Jillian being the Perfect Woman for Jason when she's anything but. And not even endearingly imperfect.

Follow Up

These tags I wrote on one of the AIO posts describes how I feel about Villain Marshall and the Jillison coupling as a whole. It just wouldn't work because Jason needs someone that can actually CHALLENGE him, have their own personality that can bounce off his (without being forced), and most importantly DOESN'T AGGRAVATE THE FANDOM!!

I have not met a single person anywhere that say they like Jillian. It's a different story apparently on the Club App - they like her for reasons I'm too cowardly to find out. But no, she sucks as a character. She makes a annoying friend, and is not a good addition to the show, much less a good love interest.

The only good thing she brought us are the nicknames we gave her 😌

That's all for now thank you for tuning into the Odyssey Mystery Hour. Next week I'll be talking a bit more about my OC Vanessa and her role in the world of Odyssey! Goodbye and make sure to lock your doors to prevent Jillian from coming in!!