#i love a good foreshadowing

[littler3d]

If this episode got one thing right it was the reactions to Meleys’ head being paraded around. Like yeah the small folk would be upset and see it as a bad sign but also come to the realization that the dragons are just meat. They can die, see, the king showed us himself. Really sets up the future actions

[short666bread]

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Dog Meshi.

[arcanegifs]

Happy 2024, Arcane fans! 11 more months till Arcane Season 2!

[egophiliac]

Have you heard of the "Crowley is Malleus' dad" theory going around? Where Prince Levan (or whatever his name is) didn't actually die and just went out to get some milk and is now known as Dire Crowley, the silly man? The implications of that theory is absolutely hilarious when you think about it

hold on, we can figure this out, we just need LISTS

PROS THAT CROWLEY IS SECRETLY REVAAN/LEVAN/LAVERNE/WHATEVER:

unspecified fae of some kind, with similar coloring to Mal

the animal masks are apparently a Briar Valley thing

has some kind of big blackmailable secret that was alluded to in episode 4, and then as far as I know never brought up again

(unless this was just Azul bullshitting, which is extremely possible)

based on Diablo, which...maybe means something?

has canonically worn Dad Shorts

CONS:

(gestures to Crowley's entire personality)

NO LISTEN Revaan was the guy they sent off on diplomatic missions and to take care of delicate political situations, and...look, I love this dweeb, but would you trust Crowley to be in charge of negotiating your war treaties

despite my brain insisting on reading his name as "Raven", Revaan's title does imply that he was also a dragon (or super into longan berries, I'm not ruling that out)

currently unclear why Lilia "my closest friend Revaan...he is no longer with us...I used to make fun of him for being kind of a priss about eating jerky..." Vanrouge has somehow not noticed or said anything

Malleus' Aloof Anime ~Aristocrat~ vibe had to come from somewhere, and by all accounts it was NOT his mom's side of the family

???:

turns into a bird in the opening, I don't know if that means anything but it's kinda cool, I guess

all that aside, if Malleus and Yuu are any indication, then the Draconias have...questionable taste in their social choices. so anything is possible!

[shadowsatdawnx]

i will never not get giddy over the fact that the dress elain wore when she first met azriel was cobalt blue 🥹

[fellthemarvelous]

The Mystery of Chopper Base foreshadowed Ezra's exile.

Ezra's anxieties about Malachor brought him to Zeb. He was headed to a Sith temple with Kanan and Ahsoka, and it was with Zeb that Ezra was able to show his more vulnerable side.

He said it. "I don't know when we'll be back. Or if we'll be back."

And the thing is...the Ezra who came back from Malachor is not the same Ezra.

The new Ezra that came back was traumatized, angry, defeated, grieving, and he blamed himself for just how sideways their mission to Malachor went. This new Ezra started wielding a green lightsaber and came very close to falling to the dark side if Kanan had not been there to pull him back from the edge.

This Ezra came back jaded and vengeful and guilt-ridden after Maul blinded Kanan, and he and Kanan had been forced to leave Ahsoka behind with Vader while the Sith temple collapsed around them.

This Ezra came back with a Maul shaped shadow doing everything possible to make Ezra his new apprentice.

This Ezra survived against Darth Vader for a second time (because someone else was there to save him).

Ezra was already grieving the death of his parents when Malachor happened. Malachor hurt everyone in his family. He brought Kanan back to Hera physically injured and forever changed, and he wasn't able to bring Ahsoka back to Rex at all.

But despite the grief that everyone was experiencing, they persevered. Hera continued on with the mission and Rex spent just as much time pulling Ezra back towards the light as Kanan and Sabine did.

Hera and Kanan's final conversation before Malachor ended up becoming a reality. Kanan regained his vision and was able to look at Hera in his final seconds of life.

Ahsoka and Rex's final conversation was the very first scene in the Twilight of the Apprentice, and it was over Space Facetime. Rex was so nervous about Ahsoka going without him and she had to remind him that she was not alone. Rex is used to mourning his brothers. He's done it thousands of time. He's used to seeing his own face die over and over again. Losing Ahsoka would be different though. She wasn't a clone trooper, but she was still a soldier just like him. She was his best friend, his closest ally, someone he trusted with his life more times than he could care to count. They were each other's sword and shield.

Ezra understands these bonds. It's what his bond with Sabine was becoming.

And all of them (with the exception of Kanan because my boy sacrificed his life to save the people he loved, and Ahsoka because we don't even know when she is, let alone where she is at this point) followed Ezra into battle to take Lothal back from the Empire. They freed Lothal from the grip of Darth Sidious, but Ezra didn't get to see it happen. He was somehow surviving a long ass trip through hyperspace with space whales and a very pissed off Grand Admiral Thrawn.

He spends ten years in exile, alone, on another planet in a distant galaxy with a ship full of stranded Imperials nearby and always ready to kill him, but he still manages to find a new family, traveling with them and protecting them, grieving his loss and becoming more attuned to the Force.

The Ezra that Sabine finds is so much like the Ezra that she first met on Lothal. He doesn't seem to be carrying a heavy burden, but he knows he needs to get back home because Thrawn is a Big Problem, and he's had ten years learning how to outsmart the Imperials and the Nightmothers.

He's returning home with a lightsaber that matches Kanan's and he's about to meet Kanan's son Jacen for the first time.

The empire is toppled now but he and Zeb will have plenty of war stories to trade when they see each other again, especially as the threat of the Empire's return is rising again.

[a-lilacsong]

Queen Miranda, Mistress of Evil

  The story behind this is that when Halloween rolls around, on the third year of her being queen, Miranda decides that she really wants to dress up this year for Halloween, because she hasn't yet since coming to the palace. Back in the village she always used to dress up as a villain, but she was not sure if that was still acceptable now that she had become queen. Of course, as soon as she mentions this idea to her family, they told her that they thought it was a fantastic idea, and she should go for it! In fact, maybe she should even “take over the Kingdom” for Halloween (A.K.A. themed Halloween party where she's in charge)! So she made her own costume and the rest is history.

  Wormwood can't talk yet at this point in time, but everyone could tell that he wanted to be her evil sidekick for Halloween, so he's acting as Diablo to her Maleficent. (Even though he knew this whole thing was fake, Wormwood still very much enjoyed this because Maleficent is his favorite villain of all time and Miranda is surprisingly good at acting in character).

[trentcrimminallybeautiful]

sometimes i wonder about the people ted left behind in the us. i mean, the way he is, the little we do see of his coaching from then, i have no doubt he had a great impact on his players and staff there, too; that they loved him, too. but like, we never see ted still connected to any of them. i understand why like, on a doylist level--narratively it would just clutter things to have this whole other cast, and beard is already there showing his previous important connections, but like. i dunno. i just wonder.

[guidingthulite]

guys if the next n25 event is kanade5 and kanade helps mizuki in a way no one else could because kanade is what brought n25 together in the first place and gives mizuki strength to face her fears can you all go "alma you're so smart" and "alma we love you and your infinite wisdom" and "alma i'm going to draw kanamizu for you"

[crow-with-a-pencil]

@naffeclipse

Them ❤️

[fanthirtheen]

I've seen people mention Verosika's song in the background "Don't touch the pretty thing" right when Blitz is about to touch Stolas and chickens out (I noticed that immediately! Watching the first time! I loved it!) But there is so much background stuff for framing in this episode, I haven't seen any posts mentioning anything else.

I'm just going to do another obvious one from the exact same scene because it is my other favorite (so fucking heavy handed)

The cupid's heart between them. Especially in this shot. I will never bot be confident they are still in love with each other and will reconcile Stolas still loves Blitz but he's drunk and needs space and he's been begging Blitz to go away/give him space all episode and the first step for them is Blitz fucking listening and giving him space.

What I want most out of this show (as an author, as an appreciatior of plot and character development) is for Stolas to experiment and experience the world outside of Stella and Blitz (two ends of the spectrum for him, one whose relationship was horrible for him and one whom he truly loves and is absolutely end game for him, he needs the middle) and HAVE FRIENDS I am completely neutral toward Vassago at the moment I don't know anything about the guy but I really really don't want them to be romantically involved because I want Stolas to have friends so so so badly.

Also, from a story telling perspective, I also really really want them to not get back together at the very last second. This show does so amazing at showing relationships in ways other shows are honestly too cowardly to do. Messy, clean, loving, etc. I once saw a post on here complaining that Ozzie and Fizz are boring/leaving the show because they're in a healthy loving relationship and I eas so upset because that's good! We can have that depicted in a show and it be a wonderful addition! Not everything needs to be angst and drama and will-they-wont-they! You can have plot-driving conflict and drama with a healthy loving couple too!

But back to Stolitz, this show is so unapologetically gay that they have 0 reason to do the dumb "they can only getting ogether at the very end of the show because we don't want to depict a loving gay relationship" thing other shows do. And yes, they're end game, they will be together by the end, but from a storytelling perspective, I really want to see them work it out and be casual for a while before the end. That's something we don't get in other shows, and as much as this show does things others don't, I want that too. Romance is not the end-all-be-all, it is something these tow need, but it doesn't need to be the end-fulfillment of the show. Yes, the show is kind of about them, but it isn't JUST about them, and I want to see them table the other conflicts driving the show onward together.

Despite what other people on here say, the writers are not cowards. I genuinely have faith they can follow through on all the background imagery and foreshadowing and shit they put in for these two. With as much emphasis has been on Stolitz in season 2, and with the fact we know there will be more seasons after, I would love the majority of this Stolitz angst to be resolved so we can see a new arc for the next season. Not completely resolved, maybe, because again, this show does great at showing more realistic relationship dynamics and only in a cartoon could you unpack all their trauma and bullshit and resolve it in 3 more episodes.

I'm just so excited still and I am procrastinating working on my Childhood Friends third installment. I'm at the Hard Part of the first chapter and was rewatching Apology Tour for 100% completely related reasons.

[cringengl]

Mleven has been bones since s1 ep1....

[novelconcepts]

Details from the leaving montage that probably mean nothing? But also

Every girl is seen by a window—except for Misty, the only non-YJ girl (and Travis/Javi, who obviously are their own kind of outsiders)

Natalie is the only one to be looking OUT of the window—and the one dressed in the famous purple shirt

Laura Lee’s window offers warm, bright light; Lottie’s window is enormous, but shuttered with blinds

Van and Taissa are the only ones with actual lines (arguably the two least likely to speak freely with their teammates)

Taissa’s the only one to have a remotely healthy interaction with her parents, foreshadowing her obsession with a Picture Perfect Family Structure

Shauna starts in the attic

[raayllum]

In honour of Callum wanting to destroy the prison (even if it's risky) + the 'brilliant' idea of taking it with him. How could this Possibly go wrong...

[queenerdloser]

so thinking back i haven't reread the captive prince trilogy since kings rising came out. which is wild bc it's one of my favorite series in the universe BUT also tracks bc when it exists in a subsect of my books where i know if i read it my entire personality will be subsumed. but i'm rereading them now now and my GOD what a delight. i devoured the first two in a day and remembered exactly why they were so so so so good. and i've saving kings rising bc that one changed my brain chemistry when it came out, i've never read such a tightly done, masterfully paced final book in a series to match it.